Here are a few worthy news items in the world of cancer research:

• According to researchers from the ReDO Project, Dicoflenac, a common painkiller has significant anti-cancer properties. While many NSAIDs have shown promise in preventing cancer, emerging research has demonstrated evidence that these drugs may be helpful in treating cancer. Read more about Dicoflenac in ecancermedicalscience.
• New cancer statistics released by the American Cancer Society demonstrates that cancer remains a complex health issue in the US, coming a close second to heart disease as the leading cause of death. More on the numbers in CA: A Cancer Journal of Clinicians.
• A new study of twins has found that having a twin sibling diagnosed with cancer poses an excess risk for the other twin to develop any form of cancer. The study looked at over 200,000 twin individuals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The results were published in JAMA.
• A recent study by researchers at University of Missouri-Columbia shows that minority and ethnic groups are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at younger ages and more advanced stages than non-Hispanic whites. The research team used the databases SEER and NAACCR to analyze the prevalence, stage and survival rates for colorectal cancer diagnoses in the U.S. based on race and ethnicity from 1973 to 2009. Their results were published in Cancer Medicine.

Surfing the Web uncovered these news items worth sharing:

• Scientists at Massachusetts General have discovered genetic disruption in DNA with brain tumors. It appears that the merging of genetic neighborhoods in brain cells caused them to ultimately become cancerous. More on this finding in Nature.

• Using mathematics and computational modeling, researchers at Stony Brook University have found quantitative evidence to prove that risk factors such as environmental exposure and behaviors contribute to the development of a variety of cancers. This study was also published in Nature. Continue reading →

Here are a few worthy news items in the world of cancer research:

• Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found that e-cigarettes – marketed as a healthier alternative to traditional smoking as well as a way for smokers to gradually kick their habit – actually pose a potentially significant threat to human health. Read more on their findings in Chemical Research in Toxicology.
• A study of two leading breast cancer drugs has determined that the breast cancer symptoms women experience while taking those drugs — and the severity of those symptoms — tend to vary based on the patients’ ages. The new study from UCLA analyzed data from 1193 patients enrolled in a phase 3 clinical trial. The results have been published in The Lancet.
• Researchers at the Indiana University of School of Medicine found that participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program diminished cancer related cognitive impairment, otherwise known as chemo brain. Their findings were published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship.
• Yale Cancer Center researchers have developed a vaccine strategy that reduces the risk of flu infections in cancer patients. Their findings were presented at the 57^th Annual Meeting of American Society of Hematology in Orlando, Florida.