Here are a few highlights of cancer research news that have recently caught my attention:

• Researchers at the NIH have developed an enhanced version of a cryo-electron microscope (also known as cryo-EM) that allows scientists to image a relatively small protein at high resolution. Cyro-EM could become a useful tool in drug development. You can read more about their findings in the journal Science.

• The authors of a statistical study in The BMJ found that routine vaccination of boys against human papillomavirus (HPV) could bring worthwhile benefits for some male populations.

• New findings from a clinical trial sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) offers the clearest picture yet of the prevalence in the U.S. population of mutations in two genes associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. For further details, see ClinicalTrials.gov

Continue reading →

Here are a few highlights of cancer research news that have recently caught my attention:

• The Wall Street Journal’s Simon Constable recently sat down with MSK’s CEO Dr. Craig Thompson to discuss improvements in cancer research and cancer care and future trends that include precision medicine:
• The NIH named Dr. Eliseo Perez-Stable director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Dr. Perez-Stable received his medical degree from the University of Miami and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco.
• A recent study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that there are racial disparities in male breast cancer outcomes. The study identified 725 black males and 5,247 white males diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. While the treatments were very similar, the outcomes were different depending on age and access to health insurance.

Please feel free to contact Marisol Hernandez to share any comments.

Here are a few highlights of cancer research news that have recently caught my attention:

• A recent study published in JAMA looked at the mutation-specific cancer risks for carriers of BRAC1 and BRAC2. Study conducted by researchers at Bassa Center for BRCA, the Abramson Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at U Penn evaluated 19,581 carriers of BRCA1 mutations and 11,900 carriers of BRCA2 mutations. They concluded that cancer risks varied by type and location of these mutations.

• The New York Daily News recently published a piece authored by Dr. Harold Varmus, former director of the National Cancer Institute, where he talks about the progress in cancer research and what lies ahead.

• According to a study by the American College of Surgeons, socioeconomic factors affect chances of death post lung resection. Study looked at 215, 645 patients.

Continue reading →