NCI News
NIH-funded study shows sorafenib improves progression-free survival for patients with rare sarcomas
3/28/2018
Interim results from a clinical trial for patients with desmoid tumors or aggressive fibromatosis (DT/DF) show that the drug sorafenib tosylate (Nexavar) extended progression-free survival compared with a placebo.
Szent-Györgyi Prize to honor NCI’s Douglas R. Lowy and John T. Schiller
2/15/2018
Dr. Douglas R. Lowy and Dr. John T. Schiller of the National Cancer Institute will receive the 2018 Szent-Gyorgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research for the development of HPV vaccines.
Norman Sharpless sworn in as director of the National Cancer Institute
10/17/2017
Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, M.D., becomes the 15th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He comes to NCI from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he was director of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
NCI-funded TMIST study compares 2-D and 3-D mammography for finding breast cancers
9/25/2017
TMIST, the first randomized trial comparing two types of digital mammography for breast cancer screening, is enrolling participants. Developed by ECOG-ACRIN and NCI, the trial is comparing 2-D and 3-D mammography for finding breast cancers.
NCI’s Douglas R. Lowy and John T. Schiller to receive 2017 Lasker Award
9/05/2017
Dr. Douglas R. Lowy and Dr. John T. Schiller of the National Cancer Institute receive the 2017 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for their significant research leading to the development of HPV vaccines.
NCI study identifies essential genes for cancer immunotherapy
8/06/2017
A new NCI study identifies genes in cancer cells that are necessary for them to be killed by T cells, and therefore could be partially responsible for why immunotherapy doesn’t work in some patients.
NCI study shows feasibility of cancer screening protocol for patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome
8/02/2017
A new NCI study demonstrates the feasibility of a comprehensive screening protocol for patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare inherited disorder that leads to a higher risk of developing certain cancers.
NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH trial to test targeted drugs in childhood cancers
7/23/2017
The nationwide precision medicine trial will enroll children and adolescents with advanced cancers that haven’t responded to standard therapy to explore treatments targeted at specific genetic mutations.
TCGA study of liver cancer reveals potential targets for therapy
6/14/2017
Only two drugs are FDA-approved for liver cancer. This study of hepatocellular carcinoma found genetic alterations in tumors—including mutations in tumor-suppressing genes and high expression of immune checkpoint genes—that could be targets for drugs that already exist.
Study estimates number of U.S. women living with metastatic breast cancer
5/17/2017
A new study shows that the number of women in the United States living with distant metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the most severe form of the disease, is growing. This is likely due to the aging of the U.S. population and improvements in treatment.