Some of the stories that caught my attention:

• Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange have an increased risk of developing multiple myeloma, a new study suggests.
• The FDA approved Varubi (rolapitant), a drug to prevent chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. The drug was approved after three phase 3 clinical trials involving 2800 adults.
• A recent study published in JAMA Surgery shows a rise in double mastectomy among males. While male breast cancer cases are less common than women, men are less likely to survive the disease. Results analyzed in this paper, revealed that during a seven year period, double mastectomies for men went from 3% in 2004 to 5.6% in 2011.
• The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released new guidelines on genetic and genomic testing. The guidelines were published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and are available on the ASCO website.

Some of the stories that caught my attention:

• Researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation have discovered how aggressive cells can invade healthy tissue in the early stage of tumor development. The scientists used genetically modified fruit fly pupas and found that they carried an artificially activated gene called Myc, which is known to be involved in tumor formation. The results have been published in Nature.
• A phase I randomized clinical trial carried out by thirteen leading cancer centers in the United States and Canada for a medication, guadecitabine (SGI-110), for treatment of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodyplastic syndromes (MDS) yielded promising results. The findings are reported in The Lancet Oncology.
• A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that music therapy reduces anxiety in women undergoing breast biopsies. The two-year study was conducted at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center and involved 207 patients.
• A NIH-funded study conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with the injection of a chemical solution (a protein of five amino acids) can lead to the detection of the earliest signs of breast cancer recurrence and fast-growing tumors. The results were published in Nature Communications.

Some of the stories that caught my attention:

• New recommendations have been published by ASCO on the use of biomarkers to guide in the treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
• Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have discovered a genetic biomarker responsible for the progression of many breast and prostate cancers. The findings could help to contribute to better identify patients who respond to certain types of chemotherapy drugs. Read more about the findings in the journal Scientific Reports.
• Scientists at MD Anderson have found a link between a protein called CSN6 and patients with colorectal cancer. The results of the study have been published in the journal Cancer Cell.
• According to a recent study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan have an increased risk of developing skin cancer.
• The Obama administration announced that Medicare will start paying for the cancer drug Blincyto produced by Amgen Inc. It is currently used to treat a rare form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.