Curated News: NCI highlights

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Among the research institutions the National Cancer Institute funds across the United States, it currently designates 68 as Cancer Centers. Largely based in research universities, these facilities are home to many of the NCI-supported scientists who conduct a wide range of intense, laboratory research into cancer’s origins and development. This profile provides some history of the Siteman Cancer Center as well as a look at its current initiatives.

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Among the research institutions the National Cancer Institute funds across the United States, it currently designates 68 as Cancer Centers. Largely based in research universities, these facilities are home to many of the NCI-supported scientists who conduct a wide range of intense, laboratory research into cancer’s origins and development. This profile provides some history of the Albert Einstein Cancer Center as well as a look at its current initiatives.

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For Dario Altieri, M.D., the future of cancer medicine at The Wistar Institute reads something like a treatment for a superhero film. Dr. Altieri is director of Wistar’s NCI-designated Cancer Center and the Institute’s Chief Scientific Officer, and he wants to accelerate the rate at which bench science affects cancer medicine.

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Among the research institutions the National Cancer Institute funds across the United States, it currently designates 68 as Cancer Centers. Largely based in research universities, these facilities are home to many of the NCI-supported scientists who conduct a wide range of intense, laboratory research into cancer’s origins and development. This profile provides some history of Abramson Cancer Center as well as a look at its current initiatives.

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Cancer immunotherapy is showing promise in treating patients with a variety of advanced, metastatic tumors, as evidenced by two newly unveiled studies from Yale Cancer Center.

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Investigators for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network have detailed and broadly classified the genomic alterations that frequently underlie the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a deadly cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Their work paints a picture of a cancer marked by relatively few mutations compared to other types of cancer occurring in adults.

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A comprehensive genomic analysis of nearly 400 endometrial tumors suggests that certain molecular characteristics – such as the frequency of mutations – could complement current pathology methods and help distinguish between principal types of endometrial tumors, as well as provide insights into potential treatment strategies. In addition, the study, led by investigators in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, revealed four novel tumor subtypes, while also identifying genomic similarities between endometrial and other types of cancers, including breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers.

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The Cancer News Source, made possible through a collaboration between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Newswise, provides up-to-date, comprehensive, quality content on the latest developments in cancer research, patient care, treatment innovations, and scientific advances. The Cancer News Source, and the weekly Cancer News Wire sent by email each Tuesday, serves as a resource for journalists, communicators, and members of the public interested in cancer news.

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Patients with advanced, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer that was not curable with standard treatment who received the drug bevacizumab (Avastin) lived 3.7 months longer than patients who did not receive the drug, according to an interim analysis of a large, randomized clinical trial.

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On a clear evening in Seattle last September, a hundred people gathered silently in the courtyard of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The usually talkative group had just watched Bringing Light, a 3-minute documentary about a new drug that could transform the field of cancer surgery.

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In 2009, more than 30,000 people in the U.S. learned they had cancer linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV. This virus is best known for causing cervical cancer, but it’s also the culprit behind many cancers of the mouth, throat, anus, and genitals. Unlike many forms of cancer, for which we lack the knowledge and tools to prevent, scientists have figured out how to dodge HPV-triggered cancers — by HPV vaccination. Vaccination against HPV thwarts the viruses’ spread, wrecking its ability to jump between people. Wiping out HPV could mean shutting down a big source of cancer cases — more than 3 percent of all diagnoses nationwide.

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Have questions about the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer? We have answered some common inquiries about the report and the findings.

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The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2009, shows that overall cancer death rates continued to decline in the United States among both men and women, among all major racial and ethnic groups, and for all of the most common cancer sites, including lung, colon and rectum, female breast, and prostate. However, the report also shows that death rates continued to increase during the latest time period (2000 through 2009) for melanoma of the skin (among men only) and for cancers of the liver, pancreas, and uterus. The special feature section on human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers shows that incidence rates are increasing for HPV-associated oropharyngeal and anal cancers and that vaccination coverage levels in the U.S. during 2008 and 2010 remained low among adolescent girls.

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How do viruses attach to cells? How do proteins interact and mediate infection? How do molecular machines organize themselves in healthy cells? How do they differ in diseased cells? These are the types of questions National Institutes of Health researchers ask in the recently established Living Lab for Structural Biology, questions they strive to answer through the most sophisticated of imaging techniques.