Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Results from a clinical trial of a new treatment for glioblastoma suggest that researchers may have found a new approach to treating this most aggressive of brain tumours, as well as a potential new biological marker than can predict the tumour’s response to treatment. When he presented the research to the 2013 […]
2013
Identifying the disease-causing mechanisms in cancers with an unknown primary site improves treatment and survival
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Identifying the molecular profile of a tumour where the primary site is unknown is crucial to the choice of treatment, the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013) [1] heard on Monday. In up to five percent of all cancers, the site of the primary tumour is unknown and the disease is not diagnosed […]
Organised screening for prostate cancer using the prostate-specific antigen test, does more harm than good
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Prostate cancer screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is widely used in France despite a lack of evidence showing that it reduces cancer deaths. Now, researchers have shown that men experience more harm than good from routine PSA screening, according to research presented on Monday by Professor Mathieu Boniol, at the […]
Promising results for new antibody drug in non-small cell lung cancer patients: smokers respond well
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: New results from a trial of an antibody that helps the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells have shown particularly encouraging responses in patients who are smokers or former smokers. Presenting the most up-to-date data from 85 patients with non-small cell lung cancer in a large, phase I clinical trial […]
Survival after cancer diagnosis in Europe is strongly associated with how much governments spend on health care
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The more an EU (European Union) national government spends on health, the fewer the deaths after a cancer diagnosis in that country, according to new research presented to the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013) [1] on Sunday and published simultaneously in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [2]. Researchers told the […]
Colorectal cancer screening works; ‘irrefutable’ evidence that fall in death rates is attributable to screening programmes
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) in European countries is highly effective in reducing mortality from the disease. Some of the resources currently being devoted to breast and prostate screening programmes, where the evidence of effectiveness is much less clear-cut, should be reallocated to the early detection of CRC, the 2013 European Cancer […]
Diabetes increases the risk of developing and dying from breast and colon cancer
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Diabetes is linked to an increased risk of developing cancer, and now researchers have performed a unique meta-analysis that excludes all other causes of death and found that diabetic patients not only have an increased risk of developing breast and colon cancer but an even higher risk of dying from them. Dr […]
Everolimus slows disease progression in advanced papillary kidney cancer patients
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The first Phase II study to investigate the use of the anti-cancer drug, everolimus, for the initial treatment of advanced papillary kidney cancer has shown that it is successful in slowing or preventing the spread of the disease, according to research presented on Sunday at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013) [1]. […]
Young patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are at high risk of disease progression and death
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Younger patients with colorectal cancer that has spread (metastasised) to other parts of the body represent a high-risk group that is less likely to respond to anti-cancer treatments. Their disease is more likely to progress and they are at greater risk of death than other age groups, according to new research presented […]
Treating chest lymph nodes in patients with early breast cancer improves survival without increasing side effects
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Giving radiation therapy to the lymph nodes located behind the breast bone and above the collar bone to patients with early breast cancer improves overall survival without increasing side effects. This new finding ends the uncertainty about whether the beneficial effect of radiation therapy in such patients was simply the result of […]