Tag Archives: Lung Cancer

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Robots May Soon be Performing Lung Laparoscopies for Cancer Detection

June 20, 2018 Chris

Robots are becoming increasingly entrenched in manufacturing, but do they have a place in cancer treatment? Earlier this year, the FDA approved a new robotic device for use in diagnosing lung cancer.

Robotics: Building Better Surgical Devices

As a surgical resident in the early 1908s, Fred Moll became convinced that there was a better way to perform procedures. After resigning his residency, Moll went to work creating high-tech medical devices.

Today Moll has become known for his invention of the $2 million da Vinci Surgical System, which is the top-selling surgical robot used in laparoscopic procedures. Surgeons operate the device using electronic hand controls and a video monitor.

But Moll is not content to rest on his laurels. He’s certain that medical robots will eventually be able to work autonomously, without relying on a surgeon’s control.

The Future of Robotic Surgery

On March 22, the FDA approved use of the Monarch Platform, which is the first step toward Moll’s ultimate vision. The new system includes a pair of arms as well as a long tube for doctors to steer a camera and other instruments inside the patient’s body.

At this point, FDA approval covers the Monarch Platform for use by a doctor to diagnose (and eventually treat) lung cancer. According to Moll, the Monarch will be able to drive itself in as few as 18 months from now.

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

Why Some Lung Cancers Do Not Respond to Some Types of Immunotherapy Treatment

February 7, 2018 Chris

Despite the drop in smoking rates, lung cancer remains the second most common form of the disease in the United States. Scientists are hopeful that a recent discovery will aid the development of more effective immunotherapy for lung cancer.

A Roadblock in Lung Cancer Treatment

The immune system is the body’s first line of defense against foreign invaders. Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that boosts the ability of the immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells.

Current immunotherapy for lung cancer includes a drug that shuts down a protein on the surface of tumor cells. The protein, called PD-L1, latches on to T cells and prevents them from attacking.

Unfortunately, many lung cancer patients didn’t respond positively to this treatment. Scientists realized they needed to learn more about the “immune compartment of lung tumors,” which involves the relationship between the cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment.

Scientists Make a Breakthrough

A research team in Switzerland studied mice with a form of lung cancer similar to that in humans. They found that a type of immune cell known as Gr1+ neutrophils actually triggers a cycle in the microenvironment that promotes the growth of tumor cells.

Team leader Prof. Etienne Meylan explained that neutrophils are an essential part of the immune response, so removing them is not the answer. Future research will focus on how the neutrophils operate and how immunotherapy for lung cancer can work around them.

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What’s the Deadliest Cancer of All? Lung Cancer. Find out Why.

December 8, 2017 Chris

Find Out Why Lung Cancer is the Deadliest Cancer

While advances in cancer treatment have improved survival rates for many of its forms, lung cancer continues to be the deadliest type of the disease. Despite alarming statistics, lung cancer remains a lower priority for medical researchers.

Lung Cancer Accounts for One-Quarter of Cancer Deaths

Approximately 14 percent of new cancer cases are lung cancer, but it makes up a disproportionate 26 percent of cancer deaths. According to the Lung Cancer Alliance, that averages out to 427 deaths from lung cancer each day in America, which is more than the number of deaths from breast, prostate and colon cancer combined.

Despite these numbers, less funds are allocated to lung cancer research than the other three leading forms. In 2016, the National Institute of Health spent only $1,500 per lung cancer death as opposed to $19,250 for breast cancer, $9,400 for prostate cancer and $5,800 for colon cancer.

Does Lung Cancer Merit Less Attention?

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, but nearly 18 percent of cases are found in non-smokers. Four years ago, former educator Ginny Hicks found herself in the latter group when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer.

As Hicks undergoes treatment in a clinical trial of an immunotherapy drug, she has become an advocate for lung cancer research and education. According to Hicks, lung cancer has a stigma attached due to a common perception that smokers bring the disease on themselves.

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Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Smoking May Actually Prime Lung Cells for Cancer

November 29, 2017 Chris

The link between cigarette smoking and increased risk of lung cancer is well-established. Recent studies are giving researchers more insight into the causes of the connection as well as possible methods of treatment.

What Causes Genetic Abnormalities?

Gene behavior is driven by DNA code, but it can also be affected by other external factors. These events, such as those brought on by exposure to cigarette smoke, are known as epigenetic changes.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore grew human bronchial cells, the same type that line airways in the lungs, and bathed them daily with a liquid form of cigarette smoke. This procedure went on for 15 months, making it the equivalent of smoking one to two packs of cigarettes a day for 20 to 30 years.

How Smoking “Primes” Cells for DNA Damage

After only 10 days, the smoke-exposed cells sustained more DNA damage than unexposed cells. Over the next three months, the exposed cells showed a significant increase in EZH2, which is a hormone that silences genes.

EZH2 is also a precursor to methylation, in which tiny methyl groups are added to the start of a gene’s DNA code. As a result, tumor suppression genes are silenced and thereby unable to prevent the uncontrolled cell growth of cancer. Smokers who quit show a lower level of methylation, which can decrease their risk of cancer.

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, News, Uncategorized

Gold Nano Particles May Boost Lung Cancer Treatment

October 23, 2017 Chris

Gold Nano-particles Can be Introduced into the Bloodstream to Help Fight Cancer.

Gold may have a value that goes well beyond financial gain. Researchers have discovered that the shiny element can enhance the effectiveness of drugs used to treat lung cancer.

Cancer Treatment as Good as Gold

Testing was conducted at the University of Edinburgh, where Scientists took nanoparticles, which are microscopic particles of gold, and encased them in a chemical device. The object was then used on zebrafish to successfully accelerate their chemical reactions.

Dr. Asier Unciti-Broceta from Cancer Research U.K.’s Edinburgh center participated in the study. He explained that the team’s goal was to find a way to reduce side effects of current chemotherapy methods.

Lessening the Side Effects of Traditional Cancer Treatment

Side effects of cancer treatment are usually the result of drugs attacking healthy cells as well as diseased ones. According to Dr. Unciti-Broceta, their findings indicate that gold could possibly be used to safely release drugs inside tumors.

Immunotherapy for cancer is effective because it helps the immune system’s ability to target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. Researchers are continuing tests with nanoparticles in the hopes of applying a similar method with humans.

Dr. Aine McCarthy, also of Cancer Research U.K., expressed optimism that incorporating gold in immunotherapy for cancer could improve the outlook for hard-to-treat cancers such as brain tumors.

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Medicare Coverage for Early Detection of Cancer – What to Know

July 3, 2017 Chris

Navigating the ins and outs of Medicare coverage can be a challenge. Here’s what you need to know about this program and how it applies to screenings for early detection of cancer.

Do All Providers Accept Medicare?

• Participating doctors “accept assignments,” meaning they consider the amount received from Medicare along with your co-pay and deductible as payment in full, resulting in fewer out-of-pocket expenses.

• Non-participating doctors don’t always accept Medicare, so you have to pay out-of-pocket. Medicare will reimburse you for the portions they normally cover, but you still incur sizable expenses for the difference.

• Opt-out doctors don’t participate in Medicare at all, making you fully responsible for all charges.

Medicare Coverage for Cancer Screening

• Annual mammograms are covered for women aged 40 and older, while clinical breast exams (CBE) are covered every two years for women at average risk for breast cancer and once a year for those at high risk.

• Women at average risk for cervical cancer are covered for a Pap test and pelvis exam every two years, while women at high risk are covered annually.

• Colorectal screening is covered for people 50 and over based on risk factors and date of last test.

• For prostate screening, men over age 50 are covered 100 percent for an annual PSA blood test and 80 percent for a digital rectal exam (DRE).

• Lung cancer screening is covered once a year if you are between 55 and 77 and have a qualifying history of smoking.

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