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Hypoxia is a condition where an area of the body has a lower-than-normal level of oxygen. Almost every solid tumor has a hypoxic region. Because hypoxic areasa are not supplied with blood, it difficult to administer effective treatment. The fact that hypoxia is so rare in normal tissue,… more
Global cancer rates are increasing, and in 2008, over 12 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed. The American Cancer Society has recently released their newest collection of facts and figures about global cancer. The file is freely available for download.
A group of Finnish researchers have shown that it is possible to kill tumor cells that are moving through the lymphatic system. By using a light activated chemical, the researchers destroyed the lymphatic vessels carrying the cancer cells, reducing the spread of cancer in animal models.
Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for many types of cancer, but the very factors that make chemotherapy so effective can also result in serious side effects. For many years, the dosage of doxorubicin has been limited because of its damaging effects on the heart. Limiting the dosage, however,… more
A new theory about the behavior of cancer cells proposes that the development of the disease is dependent on ancient sets of genes that evolved early in the development of multicelled organisms. The authors suggest that the relatively undifferenticated and loose organization seen in tumor cells is… more
In addition to our approximately 20,000 protein-coding genes, human DNA contains many 'non-coding' sequences that encode RNA products that are never translated into proteins. The RNAs produced by these sequences are now known to regulate the acivity of protein-coding genes.
A team of U.S.… more
Advances in DNA sequencing technology have made it possible to rapidly obtain information about genetic changes that occur in cancer. In a recent study, the DNA of seven prostate cancers was analyzed. As a result of looking at normal and cancer tissues from the same patients,… more
A new report in the American Journal of Roentgenology re-evaluates the mammography recommendations made by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF guidelines, which delayed the age of intial mammography and extended the time between exams, have provoked a large… more
New information presented at the 69th Conference of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that skin cancer cases are rising dramatically in the U.S. The new estimates indicate that in 2006, the actual number of skin cancer cases was over 3.5 million. The authors suggest that the… more
A new report from the American Cancer Society on cancer in African Americans (AA) shows that the gap in survival between AA and Whiltes has decreased for cancers of the lungs and prostate but remained the same or increased for other cancers, including breast and colorectal. The differnces are… more
Accurate and early diagnoses is invaluable in the fight against cancer. Early detection guarantees the best chances of survival, since physicians can begin treatment before the cancer has had time to spread to other parts of the body. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and… more
When the International Olympic Committee announced Beijing as the site of the 2008 summer Olympic games, more than a few eyebrows were raised. China had earned a reputation for its excessive air pollution, and athletes openly voiced concerns that the breathing conditions could hamper their… more
The level of circulating DNA in a cancer patient may positively correlate with the likelihood of the cancer to spread, report researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. They describe the study from which they drew this conclusion in an article in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. The… more
Glomas are a dfficult-to-treat form of brain cancer. Researchers at institutions in Texas have shown that they can target gold nanoparticles to gliomas implanted in mice. Nanoparticles are extremely small and can easily float in the blood and reach tumors. The nanopartilcles can then be… more
A review of patients enrolled in 16 clinical trials has revealed that the anti-angiogenesis drug bevacizumab (Avastin®) may actually increase the risk of death when combined with certain chemotherapy drugs. In combination with taxanes or platinum containing drugs, bevacizumab was associated… more
Many cases of stomach (gastric) cancer are caused by long-term infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. A vaccine that prevents infection with H. pylori could reduce the incidence of gastric cancer. U.S. researchers, using computer modeling, have developed a vaccine that… more
Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecological cancer, in part because when the cancer is detected, the malignant cells have frequently already spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body, . Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, however, have discovered that members of the miR200… more
Thrombin is a naturally occurring protein responsible for the clotting of blood in normal tissue. High levels of thrombin in cancer patients, however, are correlated with serious health threats. When the body is under stress, it triggers an inflammatory response, which signals the body to increase… more
In order for cancers to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body,) they often take advantage of the body’s normal signaling pathways. The Notch-signally pathway is very important in embryonic development, but its aberrant activity has been linked to tumor development. Researchers at… more
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a tight seal that prevents most things from crossing over from blood vessels into the fluid surrounding our brains and spine. Although this unusually restrictive system works to prevent bacteria, and other large and/or hydrophilic molecules, from diffusing into the… more
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