Exciting new stem cell findings point toward new cancer treatments. Cancer treatments like chemotherapy may shrink tumors, but there’s the risk of tumors coming back. New studies on three different types of tumors suggest that cancers are fueled by stem cells that chemotherapy doesn’t kill effectively. Researchers used mice to study tumors of the brain, intestines and skin. But, this could research could help to create a new approach in fighting cancers in humans, experts said.
(stem cells pictured right and at top)
A combination of two cancer drugs, anastrozole (Arimidex) and fulvestrant (Faslodex), when used together work better than alone to improve survival in older women with a type of breast cancer that has spread.
A new study led by Lynne-Marie Postovit of Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry have identified a new therapeutic target for advanced breast cancer, which has shown tremendous promise in mouse models. Postovit discovered high levels of a protein called Nodal in aggressive breast cancer tumors. Nodal was found to provide nutrients and oxygen to help it grow and spread.
New research out gives us yet another reason to cover up our skin and protect it form the sun’s rays: Basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, should be viewed as a chronic disease. That's because once most people have a single occurrence, they are at risk of getting another. The risk of new lesions actually doubles for those with three prior basal cell carcinomas.
A research team at the University of Southern California have found that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the lower her risk for endometrial cancer. They discovered that women who had their last babies after age 40 had a 44 percent reduced risk of endometrial cancer, compared with women who had their babies before age 25.
Researchers from the University of Washington found that people often think they are losing weight when they really aren’t, stating that many Americans, especially men, are in “optimistic denial.”
Aetna CEO and 30-Year-Old Bond Over Staggering Cancer Bills: Arijit Guha, an Arizona State University graduate student, returned from a trip to India with a stomach ache which turned out to be Stage IV colon cancer. Guha took to Twitter to make his case.
Eric Shanteau: Olympic Swimmer, Cancer Survivor Swims For A Cure: "It was devastating to say the least," Shanteau said. "You get hit with all these emotions all at once. I think the biggest thing is the loss of control. All of a sudden, the control is ripped out of your hands and replaced with a doctor who is essentially giving you a battle plan to save your life."
From cancer to Olympics, twice, for US beach star Jake Gibb.
According to a recent study, men with low-risk forms of prostate cancer who have a multidisciplinary team of doctors working with them are more likely to opt for so-called active surveillance over surgery or radiation. This may be due to the fact that teams with urology, imaging and cancer specialists provide the most balanced view of risks and benefits of the various options a man has.
Is your physician increasing your risk for cancer? Despite much research and media attention, doctors and patients are not understanding that ionizing radiation in imaging, like CT scans, can damage DNA and result in cancer-causing mutations.
