Highly targeted radiation cures 98.6 percent of early stage prostate cancers

This illustration shows how the Stereotatctic radiation beams

are precisely directed to the tumor, in this case a brain tumor 

CANCER DIGEST -- April 24, 2016 -- A five-year study shows that a highly targeted type of radiation therapy cured 98.6 percent of early stage prostate cancer patients who had undergone no other treatments.

Common treatment for hepatitis B may quadruple risk of colorectal cancer

CANCER DIGEST – April 15, 2016 – Drugs used to suppress the growth of the hepatitis B virus in the liver may increase the risk of colorectal and cervical cancers, researchers say. 

The drugs, called nucleos(t)ide analogues have been shown to be effective in disrupting the action of enzymes that play key roles how the virus reproduces. The drugs include lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir, telbivudine and tenofovir. The Chinese study findings were presented at the International Liver Congress being held this week in Barcelona, Spain.

New drug approved for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CANCER DIGEST – April 11, 2016 – The FDA today approved a new drug for treatment of patients with a form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The drug manufactured by AbbVie Inc. of North Chicago, Illinois, is called Venclexta (venetoclax) and is for the treatment of patients with CLL who have a genetic abnormality called 17p deletion and who have been treated with a least one prior therapy.

Higher levels of vitamin D leads to lower cancer risk

Copyright: robynmac 123RF Stock Photo

CANCER DIGEST – April 7, 2016 – Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that the higher the levels of a marker for vitamin D in the blood, the lower the risk of cancer. The findings are published in the April 6, online issue of the journal PLOS ONE.

The new  study aimed to determine what level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood was required to effectively reduce cancer risk. 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the main form of vitamin D in the blood. Vitamin D has been linked to lower risk of cancer since the 1980s, but what the level needs to be to provide the protection has been controversial.