Cancer biologists link tumor suppressor gene to stem cells
3/31/2014
Just as archeologists try to decipher ancient tablets to discern their meaning, UT Southwestern Medical Center cancer biologists are working to decode the purpose of an ancient gene considered one of the most important in cancer research.The p53 gene appears to be involved in signaling other cells instrumental in stopping tumor development.
Researchers explore function of cancer-causing gene
3/31/2014
Developmental biologists at the University of Georgia are discovering new roles for a specific gene known as Max's Giant Associated protein, or MGA. A little studied protein, MGA appears to control a number of developmental processes, and also may be connected to cancer development.The researchers detail their findings in a paper published recently in the journal Developmental Cell.
Chemotherapy may be assisted by natural plant compounds
3/31/2014
Researchers at Plant & Food Research have identified plant compounds present in carrots and parsley that may one day support more effective delivery of chemotherapy treatments.
Unnecessary lung surgeries halved by preoperative PET
3/30/2014
New quantitative data suggests that 30 percent of the surgeries performed for non-small cell lung cancer patients in a community-wide clinical study were deemed unnecessary. Additionally, positron emission tomography (PET) was found to reduce unnecessary surgeries by 50 percent, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Study reveals less invasive technique for vulvar cancer
3/30/2014
A team of researchers from Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island's Program in Women's Oncology and Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine commanded a national stage to present the results of a study evaluating the use of sentinel lymph node dissection in women with vulvar malignancies, and then follow the patients for complications and recurrence.The team - Drs. Richard G.
Levels of potentially harmful substances in grilled meats could be reduced by beer marinade
3/29/2014
The smells of summer - the sweet fragrance of newly opened flowers, the scent of freshly cut grass and the aroma of meats cooking on the backyard grill - will soon be upon us. Now, researchers are reporting that the very same beer that many people enjoy at backyard barbeques could, when used as a marinade, help reduce the formation of potentially harmful substances in grilled meats.
'Mini heart' may help people with blood flow problems
3/28/2014
A researcher at George Washington University in Washington, DC, has made a startling innovation that could improve treatment for people who have impaired blood flow.Narine Sarvazyan, PhD, has created a tiny heart that can be implanted to encourage blood flow in veins that lack working valves.
Call for more awareness of sexual dysfunction in lung cancer patients
3/28/2014
Many lung cancer patients suffer difficulties with sexual expression and intimacy, yet for too long the topic has been ignored by doctors and researchers, experts have said at the 4th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC).
Time, trust and transparency keys to minority biospecimen collection
3/28/2014
Blood and tumor specimen collection from cancer patients is critical to research into new, more personally targeted therapies. But biospecimen collection among diverse populations lags far behind that of whites.
U.S. invasive cancer rates slightly down from 2009 to 2010
3/28/2014
Rates of invasive cancer cases among U.S. men and women dropped slightly from 459 per 100,000 persons in 2009 to 446 per 100,000 persons in 2010, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highest rates were for prostate, female breast, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum cancers, which together accounted for half of all cancer cases in the United States.