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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Liquid Biopsies on the Horizon for Children with Solid CancersResults from a new study highlight the progress being made toward developing liquid biopsies specifically for use in children with solid cancers like Ewing sarcoma and Wilms tumor. The tests can help detect and diagnose cancer and monitor for response to treatment and recurrence.
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Cancer and Climate Change: The Health Threats of Unnatural DisastersThe consequences of climate change have already affected cancer care in the United States, particularly in areas hit by hurricanes and wildfires. Researchers are studying how to mitigate that impact and better understand the effect of climate change on the risk of developing cancer.
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Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research: A Unique Resource for the Biomedical Research CommunityTo mark the 10 years since it was named a national lab, NCI Principal Deputy Director Douglas R. Lowy, M.D., discusses some of the Frederick National Lab’s initiatives to support cancer research and looks ahead at the next 10 years.
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New on NCI’s Websites for March 2023NCI periodically provides updates on new websites and other online content of interest to the cancer community. See selected content that has been added as of March 2023.
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Immunotherapy after Surgery Shows Long-Term Benefits for High-Risk Bladder CancerUpdated results from a large clinical trial confirm that, for some people with bladder cancer, receiving immunotherapy after surgery is an effective treatment. In 2021, initial results from the same trial led to FDA approval of nivolumab (Opdivo) for this use.
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Strategy May Prevent Tumor Resistance to Targeted Cancer TherapiesResearchers have identified a mechanism by which cancer cells develop specific genetic changes needed to become resistant to targeted therapies. They also showed that this process, called non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), can potentially be disrupted.
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Dexrazoxane Protects the Heart Long Term for Kids Being Treated for CancerDoxorubicin is used to treat many types of childhood cancer, but it can damage the heart. Giving dexrazoxane (Zinecard) before each dose substantially decreases a child’s risk of treatment-related heart problems in adulthood, new study results show.
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Lung-Sparing Surgery Is Effective for Some with Early-Stage Lung CancerFor certain people with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, sublobar surgery to remove only a piece of the affected lung lobe is as effective as surgery to remove the whole lobe, new research shows.
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ETV6 Protein Could Be an Important Target for Ewing Sarcoma TreatmentThe protein ETV6 appears to promote tumor growth by affecting the behavior of the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein that drives most Ewing sarcomas. The research groups that made the discovery hope it leads to a targeted therapy for the aggressive childhood cancer.
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Immunotherapy and… Nothing Else? Studies Test Potential Paradigm Shift in Cancer TreatmentFor some people with cancer, is 6 months of immunotherapy the only treatment they might ever need? Or 4 weeks of immunotherapy followed by minor surgery? Results from several small clinical trials suggest these scenarios may be bona fide possibilities.
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Telehealth Can Save People with Cancer Time, Travel, and MoneySince the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people with cancer have had telehealth visits with their doctors. According to an analysis of nearly 25,500 telemedicine visits to the Moffitt Cancer Center by more than 11,600 adults with cancer, the use of telehealth saved people with cancer time, travel, and money.
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Study Finds Disparities in Access to Opioids for Cancer Pain at End of LifeBlack and Hispanic patients nearing the end of life are less likely than White patients to get opioids needed to control their cancer pain, a new study shows. Black patients were also more likely than White patients to undergo urine tests that screen for drugs.
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Tucatinib and Trastuzumab Combination Approved for Advanced Colorectal CancerFDA approved tucatinib (Tukysa) with trastuzumab (Herceptin) to treat HER2-positive advanced colorectal cancer. The approval was based on the MOUNTAINEER trial, in which nearly 40% of participants’ tumors shrank after receiving the drug combination.
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Doing More—Together—to End Cancer as We Know ItNCI Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli reflects on the tremendous progress made in cancer research over the past 3 decades, important opportunities that lie ahead, and the need for coordinated, all-of-society collaboration to end cancer as we know it for everyone.
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Studies Test CAR T-Cell Therapies Designed to Overcome Key LimitationsTwo research teams have developed ways of overcoming barriers that have limited the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapies, including engineering ways to potentially make them effective against solid tumors like pancreatic cancer and melanoma.
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Help Desk for Oncologists Treating People with a Rare Leukemia Pays Big DividendsAn NCI-funded clinical trial has shown that treatment-related early deaths in people with a rare leukemia can be dramatically reduced. How did they do it? In part, by establishing a help desk staffed by experts in treating APL.
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Zanubrutinib’s Approval Improves Targeted Treatment for CLLFDA has approved zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) based on results from two clinical trials. In both trials, the drug, which blocks a protein called BTK, was more effective and caused fewer side effects than other treatments.
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Trial Suggests Expanded Role for Blinatumomab in Treating ALLThe immunotherapy drug blinatumomab (Blincyto) extends life for people with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are in remission, even those with no signs of disease after initial treatment, a trial has found.
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Pausing Long-Term Breast Cancer Therapy to Become Pregnant Appears to Be SafeMany young women who are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer want to become pregnant in the future. New research suggests that these women may be able to pause their hormone therapy for up to 2 years as they try to get pregnant without raising the risk of a recurrence in the short term.
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Study Probes Awareness of Alcohol’s Link to CancerA study confirmed that most US adults aren’t aware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Even among those surveyed who were aware, some believed risk varies by the type of alcohol.