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Genetic discovery to improve lung cancer treatment

Researchers at Edith Cowan University have found a genetic link between human leukocyte antigens and immunotherapy side effects in non-small cell lung cancer patients. The discovery enables doctors to tailor treatment to individual patients, reducing the risk of toxicities and improving overall outcomes.

SourceEdith Cowan University·JournalEuropean Journal of Cancer·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJul 13, 2022

Intensive telephone-based cessation counseling results in improved smoking quit rates

A national, randomized trial found that intensive telephone-based cessation counseling resulted in a two-fold greater cigarette quit rate than minimal counseling and nicotine replacement. The study also showed significant benefits for people with higher nicotine dependence and those who engaged more with the counseling.

SourceGeorgetown University Medical Center·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJul 12, 2022

Lung cancer: When radiotherapy fails

Researchers discovered a new biomarker for radiation resistance in lung cancer, the PTEN mutation, and developed experimental inhibitors that can block DNA repair enzymes. This may lead to more targeted treatment approaches and improved patient outcomes.

SourceUniversity of Würzburg·JournalCell & Bioscience·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 4, 2022

Cleveland Clinic researchers shed new light on importance of ecological cellular interactions in targeted therapy resistance in lung cancer

Researchers have found that tumor cells co-exist with normal tissue in a complex, heterogeneous mixture, leading to unexpected effects on therapeutic resistance. The study suggests that understanding these ecological interactions could lead to novel treatment strategies and improved patient outcomes.

SourceCleveland Clinic·JournalScience Advances·DateJul 1, 2022

New lung-cancer screening guidelines reduce disparity

The US Preventive Task Force's revised guidelines have increased the proportion of African Americans screened for lung cancer, a move expected to lead to more lives saved. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from over 800 patients and found that those eligible under the new criteria had a significantly higher rate ...

SourceThomas Jefferson University·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateJun 15, 2022

New drug combination lengthened survival for some with lung cancer

A new drug combination of ramucirumab and pembrolizumab significantly extended overall survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients who had progressed on prior immunotherapy. The study found a 31% reduction in risk of death compared to standard therapy, with median overall survival times of 14.5 months.

SourceSWOG Cancer Research Network·JournalJournal of Clinical Oncology·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJun 3, 2022

Biomarker in liquid biopsy for lung cancer appears more accurate in predicting immunotherapy response than tumor biopsy

Researchers validated a liquid biopsy test as a better predictor of immunotherapy response in lung cancer patients compared to traditional tumor biopsies. The test measures the PD-L1 biomarker in blood, showing improved accuracy in predicting treatment outcomes and survival.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalJournal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research·DateJun 2, 2022

Penn Medicine study reveals imaging approach with potential to detect lung cancer earlier, at the cellular level

Researchers at Penn Medicine have developed an imaging agent that detects cancer cells in real-time during biopsies, offering promise for earlier and more accurate diagnoses. The technology, known as NIR-nCLE, uses a combination of near-infrared tracers and confocal laser endomicroscopy to identify microscopic cancer cells.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 18, 2022

New research in JNCCN encourages harnessing health technology to help cancer patients quit smoking

A new study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (JNCCN) found that incorporating the Electronic Health Record-Enabled Evidence-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment (ELEVATE) program into electronic health records can significantly improve smoking cessation rates among cancer patients. The research demonst...

SourceNational Comprehensive Cancer Network·JournalJournal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 11, 2022

Exposure to wildfires increases risk of cancer

A new study from McGill University finds that people living near regions prone to wildfires may have a higher incidence of lung cancer and brain tumors. Exposure to carcinogenic wildfire pollutants on a chronic basis increases the risk of certain cancers, according to researchers.

SourceMcGill University·JournalThe Lancet Planetary Health·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 9, 2022

Tracing a cancer’s family tree to its roots reveals how tumors grow

A team of researchers used a CRISPR-based approach to study the evolution of lung cancer cells, tracking their history from the first activation of cancer-causing mutations. The study revealed significant diversity between subpopulations of cells within the same tumor, with certain groups becoming more fit and aggressive over time.

SourceWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research·JournalCell·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 5, 2022

Moffitt researchers develop model to predict patients with poor lung cancer outcomes

Researchers developed a model using radiomic features from screening images to identify high-risk lung cancer patients. The model divided patients into groups according to their risk of having poor outcomes, with low-risk patients having an 83.3% five-year overall survival and high-risk patients having a 25% five-year overall survival.

SourceH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute·JournalCancer Biomarkers·TypeImaging analysis·DateApr 27, 2022

Study casts doubt on impact of menthol-flavored tobacco ban

A new study by Vanderbilt University researchers has cast doubt on the impact of a proposed ban on menthol-flavored tobacco cigarettes. The study found no statistically significant difference in quit rates between menthol and non-menthol smokers, despite earlier reports that menthols were harder to quit. The study's authors suggest cau...

SourceVanderbilt University Medical Center·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·DateApr 21, 2022

How air pollution alters lung tissue, increasing cancer susceptibility

A study in eLife found that fine air pollution particles can increase the risk of lung cancer by altering lung tissue structure and reducing immune cell infiltration. The researchers identified peroxidasin as a key enzyme responsible for this effect, which could lead to new approaches for preventing or treating lung disease.

SourceeLife·JournaleLife·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 19, 2022

Immunotherapy plus chemotherapy before surgery improves outcomes for lung cancer patients

Adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy before surgery reduced the risk of recurrence and death in lung cancer patients by 37%, according to a phase III trial. The treatment also led to a nearly twelvefold increase in pathological complete response, with 24% of patients achieving no active cancer remaining when the tumor was removed.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateApr 11, 2022

Lung cancer drug could improve survival rates for bladder cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

A phase two randomised placebo controlled trial showed giving patients nintedanib, as well as chemotherapy before surgery or radiotherapy, significantly increased overall survival rates at one, two and five years. Nintedanib blocks different proteins from sending signals to cancer cells to grow, causing the cancer cells to die.

SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalThe Lancet Oncology·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateApr 11, 2022

Simple changes in care reduced heart exposure during lung cancer radiation treatment

Raising awareness about cardiac radiation exposure reduced the number of patients receiving high heart doses in lung cancer patients. The study found that standardized cardiac dose constraints improved patient care without minimizing tumor treatment or increasing dosage to other at-risk organs.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalPractical Radiation Oncology·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 8, 2022