Cancer Research

Chlamydia trachomatis is a human pathogen that is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease worldwide. More than 90 million new cases of genital infections occur each year. About 70 percent of women infected with Chlamydia remain asymptomatic and these bacteria can establish chronic infections for months and even years. Even when it causes no symptoms, Chlamydia can damage a woman's reproductive organs but standard antibacterial drugs are proving increasingly ineffective in complete eradication, as Chlamydia goes in to persistent mode, leading to asymptomatic chronic…

The clear star of this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago was  the antibody approach to Programmed Death (PD-1) for solid tumors. Responses are greater than 50% and likely to be sustained.  The initial target indications are melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), due to the rich antigen environment for both.  It's now a horse race between BMS and Merck to be the first to the market. Roche is playing catch-up with their antibody to the PD-1 ligand.

Cancer cells that can break out of a tumor and invade other organs are more aggressive and nimble than nonmalignant cells. Such cells exert greater force on their environment and can more easily maneuver small spaces, researchers write, due to a systematic comparison of metastatic breast-cancer cells to healthy breast cells which revealed dramatic differences between the two cell lines in their mechanics, migration, oxygen response, protein production and ability to stick to surfaces. The researchers discovered new insights into how cells make the transition from non-malignant to metastatic…

The common perception is that cancer develops because of gradual mutations over time, finally overwhelming the ability of a cell to control growth.  A look at genomes in prostate cancer found instead that genetic mutations occur in abrupt, periodic bursts, causing complex, large scale reshuffling of DNA driving the development of prostate cancer.  The researchers dub this process "punctuated cancer evolution," akin to the theory of human evolution that states changes in a species occur in abrupt intervals. After discovering how DNA abnormalities arise in a highly interdependent…

Some breast cancer patients report difficulties with memory, concentration and other cognitive functions following cancer treatment. Determining whether that is psychosomatic or a sign of underlying changes in brain function has been a focus among scientists and medical doctors.   A new paper found a significant correlation between poorer performance on neuropsychological tests and memory complaints in post-treatment, early-stage breast cancer patients — particularly those who have undergone combined chemotherapy and radiation.   The study looked at 189 breast cancer patients, who…

More than 80 genetic 'spelling mistakes' can increase the risk of breast, prostate and ovarian cancer, according to a large, international research study. The researchers say they also have a relatively clear picture of the total number of genetic alterations that can be linked to these cancers. Ultimately, they hope to be able to calculate the individual risk of cancer, to better understand how these cancers develop and to be able to generate new treatments.  In five Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study (COGS) studies 100,000 patients with breast, ovarian or prostate cancer…

Seemingly benign differences in genetic code  can predispose people to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that is hard to predict and often debilitating enough to cause cancer patients to stop their treatment early, a Mayo Clinic study has found. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy affects an estimated 20 to 30 percent of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy agents. The symptoms can be as mild as a light tingling or numbness, but can progress to a loss of feeling in the hands and feet, or to the point where patients can no longer walk normally and are…

An experiment using microvesicles generated from mesenchymal bone marrow cells to treat cancer, neurological researchers at Henry Ford Hospital have discovered a novel approach for treatment of tumor. Specifically, the research team found that introducing genetic material produced by mesenchymal bone marrow cells significantly reduced a particularly resistant form of malignant brain tumor in living lab rats. The researchers focused their efforts on glioma, by far the most common type of malignant brain tumor, and one with a notably poor prognosis for survival. Tumor cells were surgically…

Mohs surgery, developed in 1938 by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, is the most effective technique for removing basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It is a fairly common outpatient procedure.  But in a sensitive area, like in a patient with deep skin cancer and located on the nostril, the  tricky part is reconstructing the nostril so that it doesn't lift up or droop down. It's an important cosmetic issue, but it's also critical for breathing. 69-year-old Carolyn Bohlmann, the patient in this instance, opted for a new reconstruction technique her surgeon, Jeffrey Moyer…

A new study found that women who take aspirin have a reduced risk of developing melanoma. The longer they take it, the lower the risk, suggesting that aspirin's anti-inflammatory effects may help protect against this type of skin cancer. In the Women's Health Initiative, researchers observed US women aged 50 to 79 years for an average of 12 years and noted which individuals developed cancer. At the beginning of the study, the women were asked which medications they took, what they ate, and what activities they performed. When Jean Tang MD, PhD, of Stanford University School of Medicine in…