Cancer Research

A study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has identified a gene that protects the body from lung cancer. The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA and funded by a £72,000 grant from the British Lung Foundation, has found that the tumor suppressor gene, LIMD1, is responsible for protecting the body from developing lung cancer — paving the way for possible new treatments and early screening techniques. Lead researcher Dr Tyson Sharp and his University of Nottingham team, together with US collaborator Dr Greg Longmore, set out…

A dual-headed dedicated gamma camera used during molecular breast imaging (MBI) can accurately detect small breast tumors less than 2 cm in size, according to a study performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. One-hundred fifty patients who had suspicious lesions smaller than 2 cm in size were imaged using dual-head molecular breast imaging. “There were 128 cancers confirmed in 88 patients,” according to Carrie B. Hruska, MD, lead author of the study. “The sensitivity rate of dual-head MBI during the study was 90% (115/128)”, she said. “Dual head MBI involves a very light, pain-free…

Cancer cells of all types have one thing in common: they have escaped the built-in controls of cell reproduction, and as a result, tumors grow as the out-of-control cells keep dividing. This out-of-control cell division in cancer is very closely connected to a process called differentiation, the process by which a cell stops dividing and transforms itself from a stem cell into a specialized cell like a red blood cell. There is a trade-off: differentiated cells are specialized and tend to not divide; undifferentiated cells tend to divide but don't carry out specialized functions. The problem…

Breast cancer, the leading cause of death among women in France, is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. Sporadic breast cancer, which is non-hereditary, turns out to be the most widespread, representing 85 to 90% of all cases, but remains the least well-known. Researchers at CNRS and CEA (1), working with a team from Hôpital Saint-Louis (2), have just discovered the cause of 50% of sporadic breast cancers. The results should also explain epidemiological studies which suggest that hormone treatment predisposes patients to breast cancer. The work is published in Cancer Research. More…

A team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) has found that lactic acid is an important energy source for tumor cells. In further experiments, they discovered a new way to destroy the most hard-to-kill, dangerous tumor cells by preventing them from delivering lactic acid.  "We have known for more than 50 years that low-oxygen, or hypoxic, cells cause resistance to radiation therapy," said senior co-author Mark Dewhirst, DVM, Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology and pathology at Duke. "Over the past 10 years, scientists have…

In today's world, humans are at the top of the food chain. We have almost no natural predators as there are few animals that rely on humans as prey. Pathogens are the only exception. Viruses, bacteria, parasites and other classes of infectious agents are left as natural checks upon the human race, and remain our only foreign predator (humans excluded). Each class of pathogen is different and requires different approaches for treatment, another approach to defeat our natural enemies. We have antibiotics for bacteria, vaccines and our own immune systems for viruses, and more toxic drugs to…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people die from lung cancer than any other cancer type. In fact, according to 2004 data, more people died from lung cancer than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.  Smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing lung cancer, even after quitting for long periods of time.   But only 10% of smokers get lung cancer and almost 50% of lung cancer cases involve former smokers.    Canadian researchers are trying to answer why some smokers develop lung cancer while others remain disease free, despite…

A new study finds that breast cancer patients who participate in intervention sessions focusing on improving mood, coping effectively, and altering health behaviors live longer than patients who do not receive such psychological support. Published in the December 15, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that reducing the stress that can accompany cancer diagnosis and treatment can have a significant impact on patients' survival. Cancer patients undergo a significant amount of stress before, during, and after treatment. Many…

The first time I experienced migraine with aura, I was shopping. I remember looking up at the fluorescent lighting overhead and wondering where that weird triangle rainbow was coming from. An hour later, I was in tears and curled up in my bed with all the lights out--I have a low threshold for pain. After that, Excedrin became my constant companion, along with nausea and a nagging pain pushing down on my skull. I started a headache diary in an effort to avoid "triggers" that might cause my migraines: bacon, poor sleep habits, strong odors. I kept a cold pack in the freezer just in case.…

National Nanotech Conference To Be Held At U of Albany On November 7th The University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, along with Empire State Science and Technology, will present the “Symposium on the Convergence of Bio/Nanotechnology and Medicine” tomorrow, November 7th, beginning at 8:30 am. The event will be held at the U of Albany Nanotech complex, in the NanoFab 300 South wing until 4:45 pm. The conference aims to bring together distinguished scientists, physicians, engineers and other individuals in the nanotech sector to discuss the latest and greatest…