Cancer patients with mutations or variations in two genes – PIK3CA and PTEN – who have failed to respond to several, standard treatments, respond significantly better to anti-cancer drugs that inhibit these genes’ pathways of action, according to research presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland. […]
Category: Cancer
New monoclonal antibody inhibits tumour growth in advanced solid tumours in a phase I clinical trial
A newly developed antibody targeting a signalling pathway that is frequently active in solid tumours has shown encouraging signs of efficacy in its first trial in humans, researchers reported at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland. [2] A patient with advanced malignant melanoma has shown signs of […]
Scientists test 5000 combinations of 100 existing cancer drugs to find more effective treatments
Scientists in the United States have tested all possible pairings of the 100 cancer drugs approved for use in patients in order to discover whether there are any combinations not tried previously that are effective in certain cancers. Dr Susan Holbeck (PhD), a biologist in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National […]
Acupuncture relieves symptoms of a dry mouth caused by radiotherapy for head and neck cancers
Patients who have received radiotherapy for head and neck cancer often suffer from the unpleasant and distressing side-effect of a dry mouth, caused by damage to their salivary glands from the radiation. Now, a new study has shown that acupuncture can relieve the symptoms of dry mouth (known as xerostomia). The findings from the largest […]
Access to clinical trials drives dramatic increases in survival from childhood cancer
More children are surviving cancer in Britain than ever before according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. The improvement in survival has been driven by the increasing numbers taking part in clinical trials since 1977 when the UK Children’s Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) [2] was established. The UKCCSG’s principal […]
Highly targeted irradiation as good as whole breast radiotherapy in early stage cancer
Barcelona, Spain: Using a concentrated, highly targeted dose of radiation to the breast has equally good results as irradiating the whole area, with no adverse effects on survival and a much better cosmetic outcome, Hungarian researchers have found. Reporting the ten-year results of a randomised trial, Professor Csaba Polgár, MD, Director of the Centre for […]
Un estudio demuestra que la radioterapia de altas dosis es eficaz para combatir los cánceres de mama localmente avanzados que ahora tienen mal pronóstico
– La radioterapia radical eliminó completamente los tumores locales de un 82,50% de las pacientes tratadas, que no habían respondido a la quimioterapia ni a la terapia hormonal – Las pacientes que sí respondieron a la quimioterapia también se benefician de esta nueva técnica, que permitiría reducir el número de extirpaciones de pecho – El […]
Uno de cada cuatro cánceres de garganta en España está causado por el virus del papiloma humano, transmitido por vía sexual oral
– Los datos son el resultado de un estudio conjunto de cuatro hospitales españoles, que se presenta en el 31.º Congreso de la Sociedad Europea de Radiología Terapéutica y Oncología (ESTRO) en Barcelona – La infección de este virus, de transmisión sexual oral, es la causante del 26,7% de los cánceres de orofaringe estudiados en […]
Researchers discover cheap and simple way of overcoming poor response to radiotherapy caused by low haemoglobin levels: results from a randomised trial in head and neck cancer
Barcelona, Spain: Patients with head and neck cancer and a low haemoglobin (Hb) level do not respond well to radiotherapy and therefore both control of their tumour and disease-free survival are compromised. Now researchers from The Netherlands have found that the problems caused by low Hb in these patients can be overcome by the use […]
Throat cancer patients who are positive for the human papilloma virus (HPV) respond better to radiotherapy alone than HPV-negative patients
Barcelona, Spain: New findings from a large Danish database of cancer patients suggest that, even though the human papilloma virus (HPV) can trigger throat cancer, patients who are HPV-positive and are light smokers, or don’t smoke at all, have a good response to treatment using radiotherapy alone, without the addition of chemotherapy with its consequent […]