Single dose of HPV vaccine may be enough

Credit BMJ

CANCER DIGEST – Dec. 28, 2019 – One dose of the HPV vaccine may be enough to prevent infection from the potential cancer-causing virus, according to new research published in JAMA Network.

The study led by Ashish Deshmukh, PhD, MPH, and Kalyani Sonawane, PhD from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) showed that a single dose of the HPV vaccine may be as effective as the currently recommended two- or three-dose series.

Sustained weight loss linked to lower breast cancer in women

CANCER DIGEST – Dec. 22, 2019 – Women who lose weight after age 50 and keep it off lower their breast cancer risk compared to women whose weight remains stable, a new Journal of the National Cancer Institute found.

In the study, researchers from the American Cancer Society and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and others analyzed date from a large ongoing public health study called the Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer. The analysis involved more than 180,000 women aged 50 and older from 10 studies, looking at weight loss and breast cancer.

Women who can exercise vigorously live longer

CANCER DIGEST – Dec. 14, 2019 – Women who are able to exercise vigorously have a significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and other causes, a new study shows.

The study involved 4,714 adult women who were referred to treadmill exercise and echocardiography due to known or suspected coronary artery disease.

Breast conserving therapy for recurrent breast cancer as effective as mastectomy

Credit National Cancer Institute

CANCER DIGEST – Nov. 23, 2019 – Treating breast cancer that recurs in the other breast following lumpectomy and whole breast radiation in one breast is as effective as breast removal, new research published in the JAMA Oncology shows.

The multi-center study led by Douglas Arthur, MD, Chair of the Department of Radiation at Virginia University’s Massey Cancer Center involved 58 patients whose breast cancer had recurred with a single tumor in the opposite breast one year or less after lumpectomy and whole breast radiation in the first breast. Recurrent tumors were detected early at 3 centimeters or less in size. Of the 58 cancers, 23 were non-invasive and 35 were invasive.

Ulcer bacteria linked to risk of stomach cancer in certain groups

Electron microscopic view of H. pylori bacteria – Credit
Yutaka Tsutsumi, M.D.

CANCER DIGEST – Nov. 16, 2019 – Eliminating the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers from the gastrointestinal tract led to a 75 percent reduction in risk of stomach cancer, researchers have found.

After analyzing nearly 400,000 patient records, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that rates of stomach cancer after detection of H. pylori, the ulcer-causing bacteria, are higher among specific populations, which they suggest would benefit from careful monitoring. The study appeared Nov. 14 online ahead of publication in the journal Gastroenterology.

Any amount of running linked to longer life

CANCER DIGEST – Nov. 9, 2019 – The human body evolved to standing, walking and then running. And running seems to do a body good, according to new analysis of all the available data from 14 studies involving 232,149 people.

Published in the Nov. 4, 2019 British Journal of Sports Medicine the researchers found that any amount of running is linked to a significantly lower risk of death from any cause. Specifically any amount of running was associated with a 27 percent lower risk of death from all causes for both sexes compared to no running, a 30 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and a 23 percent lower risk of death from cancer.

Liver cancer deaths rising dramatically

Rising obesity may be contributing
to a rise in liver cancer rates

Liver cancer death rates have increased by around 50% in the last decade and have tripled since records began, according to the latest calculations* by Cancer Research UK.

There were 3,200 liver cancer deaths in the UK in 2007, and the mortality rate has steadily climbed since then with 5,700 deaths due to the disease in 2017, researchers at Cancer Research UK say. 

Artificial intelligence boosts accuracy of breast cancer imaging

Artificial Intelligence learned which lesions were likely malignant (red)
and which were likely benign (green) – Credit NYU School of Medicine

CANCER DIGEST – Oct. 17, 2019 – An artificial intelligence (AI) tool identified breast cancer with approximately 90 percent accuracy when combined with analysis by radiologists, a new study finds.

Viagra may speed stem cell harvesting for bone marrow transplants

Diagram shows standard regimen (left) compared to new
Viagra regimen (right) – Credit Smith-Brendan, et al,
Stem Cell Reports 2019

CANCER DIGEST – Oct. 12, 2019 – A combination of Viagra and a second drug called Plerixafor speeds production and mobilization of blood-forming stem cells needed for bone marrow transplants, new research shows.

The new approach to harvesting stem cells involves a single oral dose of Viagra followed two hours later by a single injection of Plerixafor. The study published Oct. 10, 2019 in Stem Cell Reports showed that the method mobilized enough stem cells from the bone marrow in just 2 hours.

New drug pushes cancer cells to error prone division

Breast cancer cell. Image credit: Anne Weston, Francis Crick Institute
via the Wellcome Collection. Licence: CC BY-NC.

CANCER DIGEST – Oct. 5, 2019 – A new drug that dramatically increases tumor cell division is showing promise for treating fast-growing cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer and certain ovarian cancers.

The drug discovered at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, is named BOS172722 and is an example of a new class of drugs characterized as evolution-busting therapies.

Screening cuts risk of dying from colorectal cancer nearly in half

Credit University of South Australia

CANCER DIGEST – Sept 21, 2019 – Screening cuts the risk of dying from colorectal cancer by as much as 45 percent researchers say. A new Australian analysis of 12, 906 records found that 37 percent of the patients had pre-diagnostic colonoscopies and were more likely to live longer than those who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer after experiencing symptoms.

Nanotechnology treatment for prostate cancer shows promise

CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 15, 2019 – Thirteen of the first 15 prostate cancer patients treated in a pilot clinical trial with nanoparticle-based therapy showed no detectable signs of cancer a year after treatment, researchers say.

Combination therapy shows promise for liver cancer

Image of liver – BodyParts3D public domain

CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 7, 2019 – A combination therapy may improve survival of liver cancer patients, contrary to an earlier study, according to Taiwanese researchers.

The study involved 2112 people with liver cancer, with 426 treated with a combination of the targeted drug sorafenib (Nexavar®) and a radiological therapy called TACE, for trans arterial chemoembolization, and 1686 in the sorafenib alone group.

When, how long and type of hormone therapy affects breast cancer risk

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 30, 2019 – A new analysis of data linking menopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer incidence shows that when and how long and the type of hormone therapy makes a difference.

Using data from more than 100,000 women with breast cancer from 58 epidemiological studies worldwide, researchers found that:

New combination therapy effective for multiple myeloma

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 24, 2019 – A new combination oral therapy has been shown to halt or reverse a type of cancer of the bone marrow, according to results of a small clinical trial.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the marrow cells that make plasma and help fight infections. When these cells become cancerous they grow out of control and crowd out functioning  immune system cells. The disease can damage the bones, immune system, kidneys, and red blood cell count.

Confirmation that an apple a day will keep the doctor a way

Image courtesy of ECU

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 16, 2019 -- A new analysis of data from a long-running Danish study shows that consuming flavonoid-rich items such as apples and tea protects against death from cancer and heart disease. What’s more the effect is particularly strong for smokers and heavy drinkers.

The analysis comes from the Danish Diet study, an observational study of 53,048 Danes followed by researchers at Edith Cowan University for the past 23 years. The results were published in the Aug. 13, 2019 issue of Nature Communications.

Choosing chicken over beef lowers breast cancer risk

Eating chicken might protect against breast cancer a new study shows.Investigators from Singapore and the U.S. analyzed information on consumption of different types of meat and meat cooking practices from 42,012 women who were followed for an average of 7.6 years. The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Broken heart syndrome linked to cancer

Image by Sakazaki used under Creative Commons license

CANCER DIGEST – July 20, 2019 – While the headlines grab the attention of the romantically inclined, there really is a medical condition affecting the heart resulting from traumatic emotional events called takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

The new international study led by Swiss researchers in the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that a substantial number of patients with takotsubo syndrome (TTS) have an increased risk of cancer.

Limiting sugary sodas and fruit drinks may lower cancer risk

Image used under
CreativeCommons license

CANCER DIGEST – July 13, 2019 – Sugary drinks are associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, a new observational study shows.

The study led by French researchers followed 101,257 healthy French adults over a maximum of 9 years. The participants completed at least two standardized questionnaires over the course of the study. They were asked about their usual intake of more than 3,000 different food and beverage items. The study appears in the July 10, 2019 British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Earlier studies have shown a link between sugar intake and obesity and visceral or gut fat that is stored around the liver and pancreas. Also sugary drinks have been linked with diabetes and inflammation, which are also linked to higher cancer risk.

Coffee burns brown fat, may help with weight control

Image courtesy University of Nottingham

CANCER DIGEST – July 5, 2019 – Chock up another benefit of drinking coffee. A group of British researchers have found that a cup of coffee can stimulate 'brown fat,' the body’s own fat-fighting defenses. 

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat is the "other" fat in your body. Brown fat plays an important role in burning calories for energy. The white fat most people think of or see when trimming a steak before cooking is stored by the body.

New combination chemo aims to improve surgery in pancreatic cancer

CANCER DIGEST – June 15, 2019 – Researchers at West Virginia University have found

a promising new combination chemotherapy improved survival for patients with pancreatic cancer. Their findings appear in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

New imaging agent is able to identify 30 types of cancers

⁶⁸Ga-FAPI PET/CT in patients reflecting
15 different tumor entities. Image Credit:
Kratochwil, Flechhsig, Lindner, et al

CANCER DIGEST – June 8, 2019 – A new imaging agent has been shown to be highly effective in identifying nearly 30 types of malignant tumors, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The agent could be effective in providing physicians with a more complete picture of a patient’s cancer. 

The agent called 68Ga-FPI is used in positron emission tomography/computed tomography or PET/CT and targets cancer-associated fibroblasts and is taken up by a wide variety of tumors in very high amounts, making them clearly stand out on an image study.

New guidelines call for more intense exercise for cancer patients

CANCER DIGEST – May 25, 2019 – People under treatment for cancer have long been advised to take it slow and easy in terms of exercise, but new guidelines are recommending a personalized exercise program including high-intensity workouts to achieve the best outcome for their treatments.

Study finds diet can reduce risk of dying of breast cancer

CANCER DIGEST – May 19, 2019 – Eating a low-fat diet reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer, a new analysis of data from a Women’s Health Initiative study shows.

The study of 20,000 women who were randomly assigned to one of two groups shows that among the women who were in the low-fat, more fruits, vegetables and grains group has a 21 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer compared to the group who consumed their usual diets.

Sunscreen lotions don't block vitamin D synthesis

Copyright HYanWong, used under Creative Commons
via Wikipedia

CANCER DIGEST – May 11, 2019 – You know that sun screen blocks harmful UVA and UVB radiation from the sun, but does it also block the production of vitamin D stimulated by sunshine? 

That’s the question researchers at King’s College London asked. Their findings appear in the May 8, 2019 issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.

Tumor left after ovarian cancer surgery makes significant difference in survival

CANCER DIGEST – May 4, 2019 – Ovarian cancer patients whose surgeries are able to remove all of the cancer before undergoing a combination chemotherapy survived an average of a little more than 8 years, a new study shows.

Lung cancer risks in never smokers under recognized

Air pollution is an overlooked  risk factor for lung cancer 
 – Image Wikipedia Creative Commons copyright.

CANCER DIGEST – April 27, 2019 – About 30,000 Americans who have never smoked die of lung cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Now a group of British respiratory therapists and public health experts are calling for greater recognition of lung cancer in never-smokers.

More evidence that physical activity does a body good

CANCER DIGEST – April 20, 2019 – Another study about physical activity and health has shown that increased physical activity of any type reduces overall risk of dying regardless of age, sex, or starting fitness level.

The Swedish study was presented in Lisbon, Portugal at EuroPrevent 2019, a conference of the European Society of Cardiology.

Proton therapy shown safe and effective for childhood neuroblastomas

Image courtesy CHOP News

CANCER DIGEST – April 12, 2019 – Proton therapy is both effective in reducing a common childhood tumor while posing little risk to nearby organs, a new study shows.

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine analyzed the largest group of pediatric patients to date with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with proton therapy. 

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of immature nerve cells found most commonly in the adrenal glands. The study is published online in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology.

Anti-cancer vaccine linked to dramatic reduction of other cervical disease

Photo courtesy BMJ

CANCER DIGEST – April 6, 2019 – Researchers in Scotland have found that women born between 1995 and 1996 who were vaccinated against HPV had a 89 percent reduction in the highest grade of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN3), the type of lesions indicating the highest risk of invasive cervical cancer. 

CIN is categorized by risk for developing cancer with CIN1 at lowest risk, up to CIN3 at highest risk.

Could a box on your doorstep prompt more colon cancer screening?

Television ads for Cologuard® promote the ease of fecal
immunochemical test, or FIT kits for colon cancer.

CANCER DIGEST – Mar. 23, 2019 – You may have seen the friendly talking box pitching the simplicity of getting screened for colorectal cancer. "No need for time off for special prep, because I use the DNA in your stool to find colon cancer."

Link between obesity and breast cancer may be fatty acids in blood

CANCER DIGEST – Mar. 16, 2019 – Free fatty acids in the blood may stimulate growth of breast cancer cells, which would explain the link between obesity and higher risk of developing breast cancer after menopause, say researchers.

Two older drugs may offer alternative to triple-negative breast cancer

Metformin and heme both target processes that take
place in the mitochondria – image courtesy U Chicago

CANCER DIGEST – March 9, 2019 – Modern breast cancer therapy most often involves treatment with newer drugs that target three specific protein receptors progesterone, estrogen and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 or HER2.

Breath test for cancer gets underway in the UK

Photo credit: Owlstone Medical

CANCER DIGEST – Feb. 16, 2019 – Researchers in the United Kingdom have launched a clinical trial that will test a breath analyzer to see if it might be useful in detecting cancer.

Led by Rebecca Fitzgerald, a researcher at the MRC Cancer Center at Cambridge University designed the study that aims to make a simple breath test that can identify patients with an early cancer.

Could TV watching boost your risk of colorectal cancer?

Image via Wikimedia used under Creative Commons 

CANCER DIGEST – Feb. 10, 2019 – Colorectal cancer is on the rise in people under 50 years old and researchers have found a possible link. People who spend more than two hours a day watching TV have been found to have a 70 percent increase in the risk of colorectal cancer.

Older women who often eat fried food have higher risk of dying

Image by [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

CANCER DIGEST – Jan. 26, 2019 – Put down that bucket of fried chicken! A new study of postmenopausal women has found that regularly eating fried food is linked with a higher risk of death from any cause, and heart-related death in particular.

The study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) this week used a questionnaire to assess the diets of 106,966 women aged 50-79.

Antibodies may better control viral complication of marrow transplants

Y-shaped antibodies shown controlling the 

virus. Imagecourtesy of  Dr. Mariapia 

Degli-Esposti, Lions Eye Institute, Perth, 

Western Australia Image courtesy Fred 

Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

CANCER DIGEST – Jan. 19, 2019 – A virus that has complicated bone marrow transplantation from its earliest days may be better controlled with specific antibodies say researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and University of Queensland, Australia. 

Study shows new leukemia drug is better than standard therapy

Malignant white blood cells
crowd out normal cells in CLL
– image courtesy American
Society of Hematology

In a study of patients with the most common form of leukemia, researchers have found that a newly approved drug is both more effective and easier to take than conventional therapy. 

The study led by Scott Smith, MD, PhD of Loyola Medicine and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, the researchers enrolled 547 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at 219 cancer centers in the U.S. and Canada. All participants were over the age of 65 and randomly assigned one of three treatments. The standard treatment of bendamustine plus rituximab, ibrutinib (Imbruvica®) alone, or ibrutinib plus rituximab.