Spin and bias in published studies of breast cancer trials

Spin and bias exist in a high proportion of published studies of the outcomes and adverse side-effects of phase III clinical trials of breast cancer treatments, according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. In the first study to investigate how accurately outcomes and side-effects are reported in breast cancer […]

Lung cancer patients live longer if they use beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy

Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer survive longer if they are taking beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy, according to a study of 722 patients published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, USA) reviewed the progress and outcomes of patients who had received radiotherapy as […]

Children born after infertility treatment are more likely to suffer from asthma

Asthma is more common among children born after infertility treatment than among children who have been planned and conceived naturally, according to findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. The study found that at the age of five, children born to sub-fertile parents – […]

Semen concentration and quality fell in French men between 1989 and 2005

New research shows that the concentration of sperm in men’s semen has been in steady decline between 1989 and 2005 in France. In addition, there has been a decrease in the number of normally formed sperm. The study is published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. The study is important because, […]

Digoxin increases deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation

Digoxin, a drug that has been used worldwide for centuries to treat heart disease, is associated with a significant increase in deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to results from a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. Digoxin is extracted from the foxglove plant (digitalis) and it helps the heart […]

Relatives of people who die suddenly from heart problems have greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Relatives of young people who have died suddenly from a heart-related problem are at greatly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The authors of the study say these findings have two major implications; firstly, they strongly support the fact that autopsies should always […]

First trial in humans of “minicells”: a completely new way of delivering anti-cancer drugs

A completely new way of delivering anti-cancer drugs to tumours, using “minicells” derived from bacteria, has been tested for the first time in humans and found to be safe, well-tolerated and even induced stable disease in patients with advanced, incurable cancers with no treatment options remaining. The research, which was presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR […]

Molecular ‘portraits’ of tumours match patients with trials in everyday clinical practice

Researchers in France are taking advantage of the progress in genetic and molecular profiling to analyse the make-up of individual cancer patients’ tumours and, using this information, assign them to particular treatments and phase I clinical trials – an approach that could become part of everyday clinical practice. In research presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR […]

Mesothelioma drug slows disease progression in patients with an inactive NF2 gene

Preliminary findings from the first trial of a new drug for patients with mesothelioma show that it has some success in preventing the spread of the deadly disease in patients lacking an active tumour suppressor gene called NF2. The study was presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in […]

New targeted therapy for advanced prostate cancer shows anti-tumour activity in phase I clinical trials

Few available treatment options exist once prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body and has failed to respond to therapies that involve blocking the male hormone androgen. Patients with advanced, hormone-refractory prostate cancer usually die from the disease after 12 to 18 months, so new therapies are desperately needed. At the 24th […]