New blood test may predict breast cancer relapse

Cancer Digest – Aug. 26, 2015 – Scientists have developed a blood test for breast cancer able to identify which patients will suffer a relapse after treatment, months before tumors are visible on hospital scans.

Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust took tumor and blood samples from 55 breast cancer patients with early-stage disease who had received chemotherapy followed by surgery, and who had potentially been cured of their disease.

Drinking coffee may prevent colon cancer recurring after treatment

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 20, 2015 – Drinking three to four cups of caffeinated coffee a day may help prevent the return of colon cancer after treatment and improve the chances of a cure, according to a new, large study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston. 

Aspirin may reduce bowel cancer risk for obese people

Two examples of colorectal tumors
– via Wikipedia

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 17, 2015 – A regular dose of aspirin reduces the long-term risk of cancer in those who are overweight with a family history of the disease, an international study has found.

The large clinical trial is part of an ongoing CAPP 2 study that is being conducted by scientists and clinicians from over 43 centers in 16 countries, and has been following nearly 1,000 patients with Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder which affects genes responsible for detecting and repairing DNA damage. 

Five heads better than two for cancer diagnosis

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 15, 2015 – If two heads are better than one, can having four or five radiologists read your mammogram increase the accuracy of the diagnosis? A new study of such “collective intelligence” suggests it might.

Currently two physicians typically read mammography screens resulting in about 20 percent of women with cancer diagnosed cancer-free, and another 20 percent without cancer diagnosed as having the disease. 

Shapeshifting marker for cancer cells identified

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 10, 2015 – In a first of its kind study researchers have identified a genetic biomarker responsible for the progression of many breast and prostate cancers. 

The newly identified biomarker is called diaphanous-related formin-3 or DIAPH3, which participates in a protein interaction that makes cells rigid. The study found that when this biomarker is lost or decreased, cells become flexible or pliable allowing them to squeeze through tissue spaces. Cancer cells with this property can invade normal tissues and adhere to other tissues in the body.