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

• Douglass Lowy has been named the Acting Director of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Lowy’s areas of expertise includes: cancer biology papilloma viruses, preventive vaccines, and tumor suppressor genes. For more on his career.
• New York Times writer Sabrina Tavernise recently interviewed Dr. Harold Varmus, former director of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Varmus shared his thoughts on the state of cancer research and future trends.
• Recently 60 Minutes on CBS aired a segment on a “miracle” treatment for glioblastoma which involves injecting the polio virus into the brains of patients. The study is currently being conducted at Duke. In response to the CBS piece, contributor Arlene Weintraub shared her thoughts in an article in Forbes.

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

• State of Cancer Care in America: 2015 Report Released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology

• While there have been numerous studies on cancer survival outcomes of non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans, very little has been known about cancer survival outcomes for Asian-Americans, until now. A recent study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital provides new insights into survival outcomes of Asian-Americans diagnosed with cancer. Read more on this study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
• Text messaging could help boost breast cancer screening according to a study conducted in the UK. A randomized control trial was carried out and it included 2,240 women. Results were published in the British Journal of Cancer.

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 revealed that a vegetarian diet might cut your risk of colorectal cancer by 20 percent. Dr. Leonard Saltz of MSK in a Fox News Health article commented on the study, stated: “The comforting takeaway is that a person doesn’t need to be vegan and cut out all eggs, dairy, and fish to get some benefit in terms of reducing the risk of cancer.” The study published in JAMA Internal Medicine provides additional insight into the very many health benefits of different types of plant-based diets.
• Scientists at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have developed a precision medical tool that could aide in personalized cancer treatments. The technique, called Dynamic BH3 Profiling, or DBP, quickly predicts whether or not a drug will work for a patient by first trying that drug on a tumor sample in the lab. More on this development can be found in the February issue of Cell.
• For patients with advanced thyroid cancer, two clinical trials of sunitinib, a drug approved for treatment of several other cancers, showed significant cancer fighting promise. The results were presented at the Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting in San Diego.
• New guidelines for the treatment of Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma have been published by International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG). One of the guidelines outlines the use of 3-D computed tomography (CT)-based radiation therapy planning and volumetric image guidance to more effectively treat pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma and to reduce the radiation dose to normal tissue, thus decreasing the risk of late side effects.
• A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter revealed that minority ethnic men were less willing than white men to be tested for prostate cancer. The results were published in the British Journal of General Practice.
• The New York Times reported in the health section that a growing number of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are considering a new hair saving treatment that requires a specialized frozen cap worn tightly on the head before, during and for a couple hours after a chemotherapy session.

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