Research on chemotherapy and its side effects. Covers nerve-injury prevention, gold-nanorod therapy, less-intensive regimens, and combination treatments.
A new study from Lund University found that women with a high expression of the ER-beta estrogen receptor in their tumours had better outcomes after undergoing chemotherapy. The research could lead to more frequent check-ups and additional treatment for high-risk patients.
Researchers review newly discovered anticancer molecules and their interactions with DNA, aiming to improve chemotherapy efficiency. New cancer treatment strategies also emerge, targeting tumor cell cycles and promoting apoptosis.
The technology platform, Phenotypic Personalized Medicine, uses visual representations to identify optimal drug and dose combinations for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This approach reduces side effects while maintaining or enhancing efficacy, offering a game-changer for cancer treatment.
Patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer survived four months longer on immunotherapy drug atezolizumab compared to chemotherapy, with atezolizumab also having fewer side effects. The trial found that the drug worked best for patients with high levels of PD-L1 protein, doubling their survival.
A study presented at EuroEcho-Imaging 2016 found that chemotherapy caused heart damage in cancer patients with diabetes, leading to a higher risk of heart failure. The researchers also discovered that patients with diabetes experienced a significant decrease in global longitudinal strain, an early predictor of heart failure.
A new study at SABCS finds EndoPredict, a second-generation test, superior to Oncotype Dx in predicting breast cancer recurrence. The test accurately identified patients with low risk of recurrence, allowing them to forgo chemotherapy.
Patients with large breast tumors and no axillary lymph node signs before chemotherapy showed low risk of recurrence with SLNB. Follow-up data revealed high disease-free survival rates comparable to ALND, suggesting SLNB as a safe alternative.
Supportive care, including pain relief and medication to prevent side effects, remains insufficient for many cancer patients, especially those on government-funded schemes in India. This can lead to delayed treatment cycles and poor quality of life. Researchers emphasize the need for better policies and access to effective treatments.
Researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center developed a model that can predict which triple negative breast cancer patients will respond to chemotherapy. The model was moderately successful, accurately predicting response in 68% of cases with pathologic complete response.
The study found no difference in progression-free survival among patients receiving standard care, additional chemotherapy, or a second round of autoHCT. Researchers suggest that adding new therapies to the standard treatment may not provide significant benefits for patients with multiple myeloma.
A combination therapy of thioguanine and decitabine has shown promising results in a small Phase I clinical trial for patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Eight out of 12 patients responded to the treatment, including six who achieved complete remission.
A combination of brentuximab vedotin and nivolumab has been found to be safe and effective in treating recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma, with 64% of patients experiencing significant tumor reduction. The therapy has manageable side effects and shows promise as an alternative curative regimen for relapsed disease.
A Phase IB/II study found that combining nivolumab with azacitidine improved response rates (34%) and overall survival (9.3 months) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, compared to a historic response rate of 12-15% with azacitidine alone.
A proposed biosimilar drug has shown equivalent results to trastuzumab in treating metastatic breast cancer. The study's findings suggest that a biosimilar treatment option could increase global access to biologic cancer therapies, particularly for women in non-high-income countries.
Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a unique genomic signature and chromosomal changes that drive sensitivity to chemotherapy in testicular tumors. The findings suggest that testicular cancers are already primed for self-destruction, making them highly susceptible to treatment.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new nanocarrier system that can deliver chemotherapy drugs and imaging molecules to tumors, sparing healthy tissue from toxic side effects. The hybrid nanocarriers can also provide sustained imaging for months, enabling doctors to visualize tumors more effectively.
Researchers discovered that low-dose chemotherapy regimens can prevent the secretion of proteins by fibroblast cells surrounding tumors, reducing the likelihood of tumor recurrence. Mice with breast or pancreatic cancer treated with these regimens survived longer than those receiving high-dose chemotherapy.
A University of Liverpool research team has discovered that tumour-associated macrophages and fibroblasts secrete insulin-like growth factors, which activate a survival signalling pathway in pancreatic cancer cells, making them resistant to chemotherapy. This mechanism is found in 72% of patients, paving the way for new therapeutic tar...
A synthetic version of diazonamide, produced by UCLA chemists, shows promise in treating various types of cancer while minimizing harm. The compound DZ-2384 disrupts the mitotic spindle, allowing it to target growing cancer cells without harming healthy ones.
Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have shown efficacy and acceptable toxicity, surpassing radionuclide conjugates in certain tumor types. Targeting cancer stem cells may further improve treatment outcomes.
Researchers found that tailored dose-dense chemotherapy did not improve 5-year breast cancer recurrence-free survival, overall survival, or distant disease-free survival compared to standard chemotherapy. However, the tailored group experienced more nonhematologic toxic effects.
Researchers at Georgia Tech develop a targeted therapy using nanoparticles to deliver short interfering RNA that knocks down EGFR protein, leading to massive reduction or complete eradication of ovarian cancer tumors. The treatment, combined with chemotherapy, shows promising results in limited in vivo tests on mice.
Researchers at IDIBELL have found a common cause of multiple resistance in cancer chemotherapy, highlighting the loss of TP53TG1 molecule as a key driver. This discovery has significant implications for understanding treatment failure and may lead to new therapeutic strategies to overcome chemoresistance.
A study found that breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy with high genetic susceptibility had the highest risk of VTE. The one-year cumulative incidence of VTE was 9.5% in these patients, compared to 1.3% in those without high genetic susceptibility.
Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered a drug combination that targets mitotic slippage, allowing for complete cell death and improving chemotherapy's effectiveness. The study focuses on inactivating CRL2-ZYG11, which promotes mitosis, and has potential to treat various cancers.
Researchers have developed a powerful screening method to identify drugs that more effectively target and kill pre-leukemic stem cells. By mimicking the bone marrow environment in a drug screening assay, they identified a compound called 2-methyoxyestradiol that reduces survival of pre-leukemic cells without affecting normal cells.
A research team has solved the three-dimensional structure of PrimPol, a key protein that helps damaged cellular DNA repair itself. The knowledge gained from this study will likely aid in designing anti-cancer agents.
Research suggests that inhibiting autophagy can improve chemotherapy's immune-targeting effects without compromising overall immune system function. In mouse models, autophagy inhibitors did not disrupt the immune response to tumors during chemotherapy.
A new study found that a genetic test assessing breast cancer recurrence risk is being used to guide chemotherapy decisions in early-stage breast cancer patients. The test, which looks at 21 genes known to increase the risk of cancer recurrence, has been shown to align treatment recommendations with individual patient profiles.
A study found that tumor genome testing helped physicians identify patients who could benefit from chemotherapy, while those for whom it could be safely omitted received personalized recommendations. The test eliminated racial/ethnic disparities in testing or treatment, but many women inaccurately recalled their results.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine found that chemotherapy kills urothelial cancer cells but shapes their genetic evolution, leading to drug-resistant cell clones. This study provides a framework for understanding the biological basis of chemotherapy resistance in bladder cancer and may lead to improved diagnostics and treatments.
Researchers explore using human pluripotent stem cells to identify cardiotoxicity risks in patients taking chemotherapy agents and other drugs. This approach may boost the number of successful clinical trials for cardiovascular disease treatments.
Researchers from the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology project found that propranolol has significant anti-cancer properties, particularly in angiosarcoma. The study highlights the potential of propranolol to act on multiple points of the metastatic cascade, reducing metastatic spread and saving lives.
A MGH team found that treating metastatic colorectal cancer with antiangiogenic drugs increases extracellular matrix components and stiffness, contributing to treatment resistance. Antiangiogenic therapy also attracts suppressor immune cells, reducing the immune response against tumors.
Scientists at Harvard's Wyss Institute have developed a way to analyze the effect of mechanical stiffness on chemotherapy treatment. The new method uses alginate hydrogels to mimic tumor and normal tissue environments, revealing that softer matrix conditions lead to increased resistance.
A multi-center study found significant survival gains in patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcoma of the trunk or extremities treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with an anthracycline plus ifosfamide. The regimen showed a 20% improvement in prognosis for these patients compared to those receiving histology-driven regimens.
A study by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital found that triple-drug chemotherapy with topotecan improved survival of eyes and useful vision in patients with advanced localized disease, compared to standard chemotherapy including etoposide.
A new treatment harnesses the immune system to shrink tumors in bladder cancer patients that cannot take the most effective chemotherapy. In a clinical trial, injections of pembrolizumab reduced tumor size by at least one third in 24% of patients, with six% experiencing complete responses.
The phase III KEYNOTE-024 trial found pembrolizumab significantly improved progression-free survival by approximately four months compared to chemotherapy, with 80% of patients alive at six months on pembrolizumab. The treatment was also associated with a higher overall response rate and lower adverse events.
The CheckMate 141 trial found that nivolumab maintained or improved function and reduced symptoms in patients with relapsed metastatic head and neck cancer. In contrast, standard chemotherapy resulted in worse scores. Nivolumab's superior clinical activity also suggests fewer side effects, leading to a better quality of life for patients.
Researchers observed a significantly greater objective response rate (55% vs. 29%) in patients who received pembrolizumab as well as chemotherapy, compared to those treated with chemotherapy alone. Participants also experienced an improved progression-free survival (median 13.0 months vs. 8.9 months) in the pembrolizumab arm.
The CheckMate 026 trial found that nivolumab did not improve progression-free survival over chemotherapy in patients with PD-L1 positive tumours. However, combination immunotherapies are being investigated to potentially increase the proportion of patients who benefit from treatment.
In a phase III trial, nivolumab showed improved patient-reported outcomes, including reduced symptoms and maintained functional capacity, compared to standard chemotherapy. The study found that nivolumab not only prolongs life but also improves quality of life.
The ASCEND-5 study showed ceritinib significantly improved progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy in crizotinib-pre-treated patients with non-small-cell lung cancer harbouring an ALK rearrangement. Ceritinib also increased overall response rate, but did not improve overall survival.
In the ASCEND-5 study, ceritinib significantly improved progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer harbouring an ALK rearrangement. The primary endpoint was a median progression-free survival of 5.4 months with ceritinib versus 1.6 months with chemotherapy.
A phase III clinical trial found that nivolumab significantly extended life among patients with relapsed head and neck cancer without worsening quality of life. The treatment also showed fewer side effects compared to chemotherapy, with only 13% of patients experiencing serious side-effects.
Two phase II trials, KEYNOTE-052 and CheckMate 275, demonstrate the efficacy of PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab and nivolumab in treating metastatic bladder cancer. The trials show a median survival benefit for patients with high PD-L1 expression.
Researchers identified genes that control cellular senescence, a process that permanently arrests cell growth. These findings have potential applications for creating new anticancer drugs and developing anti-aging products.
Researchers have identified a strategy to selectively sensitize certain cancer cells to radiation therapy using antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), which could improve tumor control and reduce treatment-related side effects in HER2-positive tumors. The study shows promise in sensitizing these cancers to radiation and chemotherapy.
Researchers identify two gut bacteria that activate cancer-fighting T cell immune responses, enhancing the effects of cyclophosphamide. These microbial-driven immune responses predicted longer progression-free survival in advanced lung and ovarian cancer patients treated with chemo-immunotherapy.
Researchers at the University of Bradford have discovered a way to prevent chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer by blocking a protein called Ran-GTP. Suppressing this protein also causes cancer cells resistant to gefitinib to become re-sensitized, offering new hope for treatment.
Engineering researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new method for delivering chemotherapy directly and efficiently to individual cells using nanoparticles called 'connectosomes.' This approach has been shown to reduce the dose required to kill cancer cells by up to 10 times, potentially decreasing side effects.
Researchers developed a computer program to automatically count the number of tubules in breast cancer tissue specimens, finding a correlation with Oncotype DX gene expression test risk scores. The study aims to provide an affordable and quick alternative to current genomic tests for predicting chemotherapy needs.
Researchers developed an assay to identify chemotherapy-resistant cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) tumors. The least sensitive cells can predict a patient's response to chemotherapy, improving therapeutic outcomes.
A cardioprotective drug, dexrazoxane, has been found to prevent long-term heart damage in children receiving chemotherapy. The use of dexrazoxane can allow anthracyclines to be given more safely and at higher doses without risking damage to the heart.
Scientists combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy to destroy a majority of dormant cancer cells, preventing recurrence. The study shows that quiescent but not indolent cancer cells can evade immunotherapy, offering new hope for cancer treatment.
A study presented at ESC Congress 2016 found that nebivolol treatment prevented anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients. New echocardiographic techniques revealed significant alterations in heart function after chemotherapy, but no changes were noted in the nebivolol-treated group.
Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital found a molecule associated with Oxaliplatin treatment resistance, where patients with high levels have a six times higher risk of not responding to the drug. Eliminating this microRNA biomarker from tumors may restore sensitivity to Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.
Patients with relapsed or resistant AML experienced responses to venetoclax, a selective BCL-2 inhibitor, with complete remissions in some. The study's results support the mechanism of action of venetoclax and offer potential as a predictive biomarker for BH3 mimetics.
A study published in BMC Cancer found that the chemotherapy drug etoposide can damage developing ovaries in female fetuses, potentially affecting their fertility. Researchers exposed mouse ovaries to etoposide before follicle formation and found significant damage, leading to reduced egg supply and early menopause.