Cancer Research

As part of the Darwin Bicentennial Lecture Series at Appalachian State University, Dr. Paul Ewald, author of Plague Time: The New Germ Theory of Disease, recently gave a presentation on the genetic basis of cancer. During the lecture, Dr Ewald spent a considerable amount of time discussing the role of infectious agents, specifically viruses, as the causative agents of cancer. Specifically, Dr Ewald talked about the human papillomavirus (HPV), and how screening of seemingly unrelated cancers, such as breast cancer and cancers of the head and neck, are linking this virus as a potentially more…

A new study published today in the journal Addiction shows that drinking alcohol is the greatest risk factor for acetaldehyde-related cancer. Heavy drinkers may be at increased risk due to exposure from multiple sources. Acetaldehyde is ubiquitous in daily life. Widely present in the environment, it is inhaled from the air and tobacco smoke, ingested from alcohol and foods, and produced in the human body during the metabolism of alcoholic beverages. Research indicates that this organic chemical plays a significant role in the development of certain types of cancers (especially of the upper…

A group of international researchers has found the first reliable evidence that early detection of subsequent breast tumours in women who have already had the disease can halve the women's chances of death from breast cancer. According to the research published online today (Wednesday 18 March) in the cancer journal, Annals of Oncology [1], if the second breast cancer was picked up at its early, asymptomatic stage, then the women's chances of survival were improved by between 27-47% compared to women whose second breast cancer was detected at a later stage when symptoms had started to appear…

Women with certain gene variations appear to be protected against cervical cancer, according to a study led by scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and reported in Clinical Cancer Research. Knowing whether or not women have these genetic variants could help physicians to better tailor treatment strategies. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections from several of the human papillomaviruses (HPV) — a family of viruses that also cause common skin warts and genital warts. HPV is the most commonly sexually transmitted infection…

A 7-year-old girl from Long Island, NY, is on her way home a little more than four weeks after receiving a historic surgery that involved the removal and partial re-implantation of six organs in order to resect an abdominal tumor that otherwise would be inoperable. The 23-hour surgery, which began on Feb. 6, was led by Dr. Tomoaki Kato at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, and is the first reported pediatric case of its kind. Dr. Kato and his team of seven surgeons and eight other clinicians removed nearly every major organ in the girl's abdominal cavity -- small and…

The solution to more effective cancer treatments may be closer to home than previously expected. The answer is not better chemotherapy or radiation, but cold. Cryoablation technology or the targeted use of extreme cold has previously been identified as treatment option for cancerous tumors and previously tested on invasive breast cancer carcinoma with promising results. With more research and testing under its belt, cryoablation technology is now not only being tested to treat breast cancers and non malignant fibroadenomas, but also has been recently proven to treat patients with cancers of…

The largest study of its kind to evaluate the effect of red versus white wine on breast-cancer risk concludes that both are equal offenders when it comes to increasing breast-cancer risk. The results of the study were published in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.  The researchers found that women who consumed 14 or more drinks per week, regardless of the type (wine, liquor or beer), faced a 24 percent increase in breast cancer compared with non-drinkers.  For the study, the researchers interviewed 6,327 women with breast cancer and 7,558 age-matched…

Researchers say they have discovered eight similar genes that, when mutated, appear to be responsible for medulloblastoma – the most common of childhood brain cancers. About 250 Canadian children are diagnosed with various types of brain cancer every year. About 70 per cent of these survive. Brain tumors are the leading cause of childhood cancer deaths. The most common childhood brain cancer is medulloblastoma – a tumour that occurs at the back of the brain in the cerebellum. It is primarily a disease of very young children and is particularly deadly among babies under 18 months of age. In…

No, that isn't a New York Times headline(1), Swedish researchers really do say their studies of twins have showed significant genetic differences between men and women who smoke and develop lung disease -  women are more susceptible to the consequences of smoking than men. The team, led by Professor Magnus Svartengren from the Karolinska Institute, has been looking at the interaction of the environment with the genes of nearly 45,000 twins over 40 years old. They were interested in twins with chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Speaking at a meeting of the Biochemical Society held in…

According to researchers at University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, they have progressed the way that we can treat cancerous tumors using advanced proton therapy. By developing a new way in which protons are delivered, physicians may be able to treat more deeply rooted tumors, larger tumors and tumors located close to vital internal organs. All of these placements have posed serious problems to tumor treatments in the past, as current treatments pose a significant risk to the surrounding body tissue as well as the intruding tumor. This image shows a "compact" proton therapy model…