Tamoxifen and Raloxifene Both Decrease Breast Cancer Risk (05-4-2010)

Among postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer, use of either tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) or raloxifene (Evista®) can substantially reduce the risk of breast cancer. The reduction in risk was somewhat greater with tamoxifen (50% versus 38%... Continue Reading

Provenge Approved for Advanced Prostate Cancer (05-1-2010)

Provenge® (sipuleucel-T), a type of immunotherapy, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic, metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer.[1] Prostate cancer is... Continue Reading

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Levels Significantly Elevated in Women Who Developed Breast Cancer (04-30-2010)

Blood levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may be elevated in women up to 17 months prior to a diagnosis of breast cancer. These findings were recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting.[1] In... Continue Reading

Study Evaluates Long-term Efficacy of Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant Versus Bone Marrow Transplant (04-30-2010)

For leukemia patients who undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation, 10-year results indicate that bone-marrow transplantation (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) produce similar rates of overall and leukemia-free survival.... Continue Reading

Indoor Tanning May Be Addictive in Some Individuals (04-30-2010)

Researchers report that some individuals may meet criteria for addiction to indoor tanning and are more likely to exhibit other addictive behaviors and affective disturbance. These results were recently published in the journal Archives of Dermatology.[1] Each... Continue Reading

High Rate of False-positive Results in Lung Cancer Screening with CT Scan (04-29-2010)

Screening for lung cancer using computed tomography (CT) scans can yield a high rate of false-positive results, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. False-positive results are risky because they may lead to invasive follow-up... Continue Reading

Acupuncture Relieves Pain, Improves Functioning After Neck Surgery (04-29-2010)

Acupuncture may reduce pain and improve functioning among patients with cancer who have undergone surgery to the neck, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.[1] As well, acupuncture may relieve xerostomia (dry mouth) among... Continue Reading

Well-done Red Meat Increases Bladder Cancer Risk (04-27-2010)

Some individuals are more genetically susceptible to this risk. High consumption of red meat and/or fried meats such as chicken or fish increase the risk of bladder cancer, especially among individuals who already carry a genetic risk, according to... Continue Reading

Weight Gain Increases Risk of Prostate Recurrence (04-27-2010)

Weight gain and obesity—especially among inactive men—may increase the risk of prostate cancer recurrence after a prostatectomy, according to the results of a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research... Continue Reading

More Than Half of Young Adults in New Relationships Infected with HPV (04-26-2010)

More than half of young adults in a new sexual relationship are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), and of those 44% were infected with an HPV type that causes cancer, according to the results of a groundbreaking study called the HITCH Cohort... Continue Reading

Investigational Drug Shows Activity in Advanced Prostate Cancer (04-26-2010)

An investigational anti-androgen drug called MDV3100 has shown encouraging anti-tumor activity in patients with progressive, metastatic, hormone-resistant prostate cancer, according to the preliminary results of a study published early online in the... Continue Reading

Herceptin plus Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide Tolerable and Effective for HER2-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer (03-31-2010)

For women with metastatic, HER2-positive breast cancer, the combination of Herceptin® (trastuzumab) with epirubicin and cyclophosphamide appears to offer a promising treatment option with a relatively low rate of heart complications. These results... Continue Reading