Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog
A blog featuring news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute. Learn more about Cancer Currents.
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New on NCI’s Websites for June 2023NCI periodically provides updates on new websites and other content of interest to the cancer community. See content that has been added as of June 2023.
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Vorasidenib Treatment Shows Promise for Some Low-Grade GliomasIn a large clinical trial, vorasidenib slowed the growth of low-grade gliomas that had mutations in the IDH1 or IDH2 genes. Vorasidenib is the first targeted drug developed specifically to treat brain tumors.
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No Glucose? Pancreatic Cancer May Have a Ready Energy AlternativeA new study finds that pancreatic cancer cells have a ready way to overcome a lack of glucose, a frequent occurrence in this disease. They use another fuel source: a molecule called uridine. Findings from a related study suggest other cancers do as well.
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How Some Brain Tumors Hijack the Mind to GrowResearchers have found that the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma can co-opt the formation of new synapses to fuel its own growth. This neural redirection also appears to play a role in the devastating cognitive decline seen in many people with glioblastoma.
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Study Identifies Potential Warning Signs of Colorectal Cancer in Younger AdultsResearchers have identified four warning signs that they believe may help identify colorectal cancer early in younger adults. The signs or symptoms are abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, and iron deficiency anemia.
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Blinatumomab Increases Survival for Infants with an Aggressive Type of ALLGiving the drug blinatumomab (Blincyto) after standard chemotherapy substantially increased survival for infants with an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a recent study showed. If confirmed in larger studies, the treatment may become standard therapy for infants with ALL caused by KMT2A rearrangements.
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Can Cancer Prevention Be Better Integrated into Primary Care?When it comes to cancer prevention, primary care clinicians play a critical role. But there are many barriers to integrating cancer prevention into primary care. Researchers are trying to better understand those barriers and how best to overcome them.
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3-in-1 Approach Helps Women in Rural Areas Get Cancer ScreeningsIn a new study, providing rural women with an interactive video about cancer screening and follow-up calls with patient navigators helped get them up to date on screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer.
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Drug Regimen Boosts Survival of People with Advanced Colorectal CancerA new treatment regimen may help improve the survival of some people with advanced colorectal cancer, according to results from an international clinical trial. The new regimen includes bevacizumab (Avastin) and the combination of trifluridine and tipiracil (Lonsurf).
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Motixafortide May Improve Stem Cell Transplants for People with Multiple MyelomaIn a clinical trial of people with multiple myeloma, giving motixafortide with filgrastim markedly increased the number of stem cells that could be collected. The treatment may allow more people with this cancer to get optimal numbers of stem cells for a transplant.
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When Prenatal DNA Tests Point to CancerAn NIH-led study called IDENTIFY is analyzing what happens when prenatal blood tests in a pregnant person suggests the person may have cancer. Dr. Diana Bianchi and Amy Turriff talk about their experience with the study thus far.
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Can the New “Omics” on the Block Find Liver Cancer in Blood?Researchers have developed a blood test that, in a preliminary study, accurately detected liver cancer, including in people with early-stage disease. The test uses a new type of technology called fragmentomics to analyze bits of DNA in the blood.
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Coming Full Circle on Cancer and Extrachromosomal DNAA new study shows for the first time that a circular form of DNA, called ecDNA, is present in precancerous tissue and not just cancer cells. The study also suggested that when ecDNA is present in Barrett’s esophagus, that tissue is almost certain to become cancer.
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Rare Melanoma Very Likely to Respond to Treatment with PembrolizumabPeople with desmoplastic melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, are likely to benefit from treatment with a single immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), according to new results from a small clinical trial.
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Nirogacestat May Offer Hope to People with Desmoid TumorsIn a clinical trial, the drug nirogacestat shrank tumors in 40% of people with desmoid tumors. Treatment with nirogacestat also substantially improved progression-free survival, pain, and physical functioning, compared with patients treated with a placebo.
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Multiple mRNA Vaccines Show Promise for Treating HPV-Related CancersA new study has compared three formulations of an mRNA vaccine designed to treat cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. All three vaccines showed promise in mice.
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Financial Navigation Can Reduce the Financial Toxicity of Cancer CareThe high cost of cancer care can cause added distress and life disruptions for patients as well as their loved ones. Researchers at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center found that a financial navigation program saved patients and their loved ones an average of about $2,500 each.
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Revumenib Shows Promise in Treating Advanced Acute Myeloid LeukemiaTreatment with revumenib caused complete remission in about one-third of participants in an early-phase clinical trial involving patients who’d had many prior treatments. Revumenib is part of a new class of targeted drugs known as menin inhibitors.
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Transforming Cancer Clinical Trials for Better, Faster ResultsIn this Q&A, NCI Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli and Deputy Director for Clinical and Translational Research Dr. James Doroshow explain the challenges of cancer clinical trials and important steps NCI is taking to improve their effectiveness.
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Immunotherapy’s Role in Treating Endometrial Cancer Expected to GrowIn two clinical trials, combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with standard chemotherapy substantially increased how long people with advanced endometrial cancer lived without their cancer worsening, particularly those with dMMR or MSI-high tumors.