Category Archives: Cancer Research

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Drug Resistant Cancer Cells Appear to Share a Similar Weakness

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Medical Research Has Validated that Immunotherapy Works to Fight Cancer
Medical Research Has Validated that Immunotherapy Works to Fight Cancer

Cancer researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered a common gene vulnerability in certain treatment-resistant cancers. This is yet another promising advancement that could lead to better treatment of existing cancers and a new approach to preventing cancer recurrences.

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Understanding drug-resistant cancer cells

For many years, oncologists thought the drug resistance of cancer cells evolved genetically. Doctors thought a few of the cells survived cancer treatment because they had or somehow developed gene mutations to withstand traditional treatments. These remaining cells would then lead to a recurrence of cancer.

In 2010, researchers working at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center found that some cancer cells may be able to avoid the effects of treatment without any genetic mutations. These small clumps of cells are called “persister cells” and they go into a dormant state, allowing them to survive cancer drugs. The cells awaken later and lead to new cancer growth.

Exploiting persister cell weaknesses

Matthew Hangauer, PhD led the UC San Francisco study. He said persister cancer cells have a mesenchymal-like gene expression signature and rely on the enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) to survive treatment. Lab tests show that blocking GPX4 can kill the persister cells found in many different cancer types. Researchers hope to soon validate their findings with human patients.

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New Treatment Breaches Blood Barrier for Treatment of Glioblastoma

New Research is Helping to Understand Brain Cancer
New Research is Helping to Understand Brain Cancer

Brain tumors are notoriously resistant to most types of cancer treatment. Scientists have recently discovered that a drug that targets one form of cancer may also have applications for treating brain tumors.

Why Brain Tumors Are Difficult to Treat

Despite improvement in overall cancer survival rates, the numbers for brain cancer remain low. Scientists attribute this to the blood brain barrier, which is a natural filter that prevents drugs from reaching the tumors.

In a study funded by Cancer Research UK, scientists recruited 48 patients with glioblastoma, a particularly stubborn form of brain cancer, that had returned after treatment. The patients were given olaparib, a PARP inhibitor used to treat ovarian cancer, in conjunction with temozolomide, a chemotherapy drug.

After treatment, the research team examined tumor cells and found that the drug had penetrated the core of the tumor as well as cancer cells in surrounding areas. The results were significant because surgery is not possible for this form of tumor, so cancer treatment options are limited.

New Hope for Brain Tumor Treatment

According to lead researcher Professor Anthony Chalmers, glioblastoma disturbs the blood brain barrier, allowing olaparib to reach the tumor cells. Chalmers believes that scientists will be able to build on the results of the study to improve the effectiveness of current treatments.

Professor Susan Short of the National Cancer Research Institute adds that the study shows the potential of PARP inhibitors to treat a wide range of cancer types.

Cancer Treatment for Therapy-Resistant Cancers

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Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

Focusing on a Cancer’s Host Tissue May Bring a Prognosis into Better Focus

State of the Art Treatment with Cancer Immunotherapy
State of the Art Treatment with Cancer Immunotherapy

Thanks to innovations in testing methods and proactive awareness campaigns, doctors are able to diagnose cancer earlier then ever, increasing the chances of successful cancer immunotherapy. The second part of the equation, predicting the degree of malignancy, is a puzzle that remains to be solved.

When Is a Patient Truly Free of Cancer?

After treatment, a patient who shows no signs of cancer cells is classified as “no evidence of disease.” While the patient may display no visible tumors, doctors have no way of knowing if the cells have metastasized to other areas of the body where they may later resurface.

Chemotherapy and other treatments are often prescribed to decrease the chance of metastasis. Doctors tend to err on the side of caution, assuming that all patients are vulnerable, so many endure grueling rounds of treatment that end up being unnecessary.

“Focus on the Soil, Not the Seed”

For the most part, researchers have concentrated on unraveling the mysteries of cancer cells themselves to understand how they grow and spread. In keeping with that approach, scientists believed that metastasis was caused by cells spreading outward from their original location.

Based on that theory, all cancer patients would be expected to have metastasis. Many researchers are now shifting to a view that the spread of cancer cells is caused by a pathological relationship between the diseased cells and the host environment.

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New Test Could Find Esophageal Cancer Up to 8 Years Earlier

There is New Hope to Find Esophageal Cancer Early
There is New Hope to Find Esophageal Cancer Early

Patients with esophageal cancer are often diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, presenting a challenge for cancer immunotherapy and other treatments. Researchers in the U.K. have developed a genetic test for esophageal cancer that could help identify the disease up to eight years before symptoms are presented.

Are There Early Signs of Esophageal Cancer Risk?

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge conducted a study of tissue samples from 90 patients with Barrett’s esophagus. Approximately five percent of people with this condition go on to develop esophageal cancer.

Since there has been no way to predict which cases of Barrett’s esophagus would progress to cancer, routine endoscopies have been standard treatment. Samples included in the study came from endoscopies performed over a period of 15 years. Half of the patients involved eventually developed esophageal cancer.

The researchers were able to identify predictive gene markers in 94 percent of the patients who ultimately showed signs of esophageal cancer. Even more promising is the fact that they could spot the markers in samples that predated the symptoms by several years.

Applications for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

According to Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, lead researcher of the study, the next step is to conduct clinical trials using the genetic test. If the approach proves successful, it could make early diagnosis and treatment more effective and reduce the number of people who undergo unnecessary endoscopies.

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Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

Immunotherapy the Cancer Treatment Disrupter

Join Us in the Fight Cancer
Join Us in the Fight Against Cancer

During the last few years, respected political leaders Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter have become active in raising awareness of cancer immunotherapy and the need for research. Now a major figure in the social media and technology field has added his voice and his funding to these efforts.

From Social Networking to Social Responsibility

Sean Parker first made his name as the founder of music-sharing service Napster before serving as the first president of social networking giant Facebook. While that might be enough for most people, Parker has begun a new project that will affect even more individuals in a personal way.

Over the last decade, Parker has generously supported organizations such as Stand Up to Cancer and Cancer Research Institute Immunotherapy Dream Team. Early in 2016, Parker earmarked $250 million from his charitable foundation for a grant to establish the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The Institute is comprised of seven academic medical centers working in conjunction with more than 50 partners in pharma and biotech. According to Parker, the intent was to “cut down the barriers” that limit the free exchange of information.

Aligning Research and Medicine

Parker was inspired to found the Institute when he noticed a disconnect between academic science and the process of actually bringing treatments to patients. He specifically sees cancer immunotherapy as the “opportunity to disrupt” the gap between what’s possible through technology and what’s actually being accomplished.

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Cancer Research

New Findings Show Men with Abnormally Low Testosterone Levels Will Rarely Develop Prostate Cancer

Research Shows Some Men Have A Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer
Research Shows Some Men Have A Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

Each year more than 170,000 men in the United States are affected by prostate cancer. While the causes remain unknown, studies have found that hormone levels could be a key to prostate cancer treatment.

The Role of Testosterone in Prostate Cancer

Age, ethnicity and genetic mutations are some of the common risk factors for prostate cancer. The male hormone testosterone is known to facilitate cell growth in prostate tumors.

Based on the androgen saturation model, scientists believe that an increase in testosterone levels beyond the saturation point does not cause a corresponding increase in benign or malignant prostate tissue. Until recently, there wasn’t enough evidence to confirm or refute the model.

Putting Theory to the Test

Researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom reviewed data obtained from more than 19,000 men, of whom approximately one-third had prostate cancer. Subjects were grouped into 10 categories ranging from lowest to highest levels of testosterone.

When prostate cancer risk was calculated based on conditional logistic regression methods, men in the lowest group were determined to be 20 percent less likely to develop the disease. Subjects in the other nine groups showed no link to prostate cancer risk.

According to Prof. Tim Key, co-author of the study, this is the first population study to support the commonly-held theory regarding testosterone and prostate cancer. Experts believe it could be a significant step toward more efficient diagnosis and treatment.

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