Blood test can predict liver cancer in NAFLD patients

CANCER DIGEST – June 25, 2022 – Researchers have identified a panel of four proteins that can be used to predict liver cancer risk in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that might be used to track how well medications are working to reduce that risk. The results were published in the June 22, 2022 journal Science Translational Medicine.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. An estimated one-quarter of US adults have NAFLD. Knowing which of their NAFLD patients were mostly likely to develop cancer would help doctors prescribe treatments that could reduce their patients’ risk.

HIFU shown to offer effective control of intermediate prostate cancer

Using ultrasound wand inserted in the rectum, the doctor directs HIFU energy
to the prostate tumor to ablate or kill it. Image credit – SonaCare Sonablate

CANCER DIGEST – June 19, 2022 – High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) guided by MRI can effectively control intermediate risk prostate cancer without surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, and few adverse side effects, according to results of a new phase 2 clinical trial. The trial results were published in the June 14, 2022 Lancet Oncology.

Rectal cancer trial achieves 100 percent response rate

Four of the first patients treated in the Memorial Sloan Kettering clinical trial

for the treatment of rectal cancer. Image credit – MSK click to view video

CANCER DIGEST – June 11, 2022 – In a small clinical trial involving 12 patients with rectal cancer, all 12 experienced complete eradication of their cancer after receiving a new immunotherapy treatment, according the findings published in the June 5, 2022 New England Journal of Medicine.

Counting cancerous lymph nodes could better predict survival

Counting the number of lymph nodes with cancer

could be key indicator of survival 

Image credit SEER via Wikimedia Commons

CANCER DIGEST – June 4, 2022 – The number of cancerous lymph nodes is a best predictor of survival for 16 of the most common types of solid tumor cancers, a new analysis shows. 

The researchers also found that patient mortality risk increased steadily with increasing number of cancerous lymph nodes.