Here are a few newsworthy items in the world of cancer research

• A study conducted by researchers at the Van Andel Research Institute shows promise in a new drug combination that may be a one-two punch needed to help combat acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The results have been published in Cancer Cell.
• Bioengineers at UC San Diego have developed a new blood test that could detect cancer early on while avoiding invasive procedures like biopsies. Read more on this development in  Nature Genetics.
• Researchers at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered several gene variants which may predispose individuals to gallbladder cancer. Their findings are published in a recent issue of The Lancet Oncology.
• Researchers at multiple institutions collaborated on a study looking at cancer mortality in various Latino groups that included: Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans and other groups from Central and South America. Data specifically looked at mortality rates from 2008-2012 for the state of Florida. The results found variation among the Latino groups and are further discussed in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.