ScienceDaily: Lung Cancer News

Promising new approach to treatment of lung cancer

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:12:12 EDT

Researchers have developed a new drug delivery system that allows inhalation of chemotherapeutic drugs to help treat lung cancer, and in laboratory and animal tests it appears to reduce the systemic damage done to other organs while significantly improving the treatment of lung tumors -- the tumors virtually disappeared.

First prospective trial shows molecular profiling timely for tailoring therapy

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:30:30 EDT

CUSTOM is the first completed prospective clinical trial that used genetic analysis alone to assign cancer treatment for patients with one of three different cancers. Findings suggest patients, and their physicians, are eager to jump into next-era cancer care -- analysis of an individual's tumor to find and target genetic mutations that drive the cancer.

New cause for common lung problem

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

New research has found that in cases of lung edema, or fluid in the lungs, not only do the lungs fail to keep water out as previously believed, but they are also allowing water to pump in.

New, more accurate way of imaging lung cancer tumors

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

Scientists have devised a new computational method for assessing lung cancer tumors using CT, PET or MRI diagnostic technologies. The method, called single click ensemble segmentation (SCES), uses a new computer algorithm developed by the researchers to help segment and extract features of a tumor. The new approach not only improves diagnosis and prognosis assessments, but also saves time and health care dollars.

Clarifying the effect of stem cell therapy on cancer

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:04:04 EDT

Injection of human stem cells into mice with tumors slowed down tumor growth, finds new research. Human mesenchymal stem cells, isolated from bone marrow, caused changes in blood vessels supplying the tumor, and it is this modification of blood supply which seems to impact tumor growth.

Researchers observe an increased risk of cancer in people with history of non-melanoma skin cancer

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:27:27 EDT

Researchers found that people with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer had a modestly increased risk of getting cancer in the future, specifically breast and lung cancer in women and melanoma in both men and women.

Lung cancer mortality rates linked to primary care provider density

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:33:33 EDT

Researchers found lower mortality was associated with higher primary care provider density.

Discovery brings hope of new tailor-made anti-cancer agents

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:38:38 EDT

Scientists have tailor-made a new chemical compound that blocks a protein that has been linked to poor responses to treatment in cancer patients. The development of the compound, called WEHI-539, is an important step towards the design of a potential new anti-cancer agent.

Testing lung cancer drugs and therapies in mice

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:39:39 EDT

Researchers have designed a genetically engineered mouse for use in the study of human lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Gene signature can predict who will survive chemotherapy

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:48:48 EDT

An eight gene ‘signature’ can predict length of relapse-free survival after chemotherapy, finds new research.

Icy therapy spot treats cancer in the lung

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:11:11 EDT

Frozen balls of ice can safely kill cancerous tumors that have spread to the lungs, according to the first prospective multicenter trial of cryoablation.

Asbestos exposure, asbestosis, and smoking combined greatly increase lung cancer risk

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:42:42 EDT

The chances of developing lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, asbestosis and smoking are dramatically increased when these three risk factors are combined, and quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of developing lung cancer after long-term asbestos exposure, according to a new study.

Some lung cancers linked to common virus

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:27:27 EDT

A common virus known to cause cervical and head and neck cancers may also trigger some cases of lung cancer, according to new research.

Engineered antibody demonstrated safety, efficacy in wide range of advanced tumors

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:58:58 EDT

The engineered antibody MPDL3280A, which targets a protein called programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), was safe and effective for several cancers, according to phase I study results.

New software identifies and stratifies risk posed by lung nodules

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:30:30 EDT

Scientists have developed a new software tool to noninvasively characterize pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common type of cancerous nodule in the lungs.

Novel serum biomarker bilirubin predicted lung cancer risk in smokers

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:29:29 EDT

Smokers with low bilirubin levels were at increased risk for lung cancer incidence and mortality compared with those who had the highest bilirubin levels, making serum bilirubin a potential biomarker for lung cancer risk prediction.

Researchers uncover a genetic vulnerability of lung cancer to lay the foundation for new drug options

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:22:22 EDT

Physician-researchers at UT Southwestern have identified a vulnerability of certain lung-cancer cells – a specific genetic weakness that can be exploited for new therapies.

Advances in molecular testing offer new hope for lung cancer patients

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EDT

The emergence of molecular diagnostic testing in lung cancer offers new hope for patients battling the number one cancer killer in the United States and abroad. Now, for the first time after a decade of biomarker testing in lung cancer, a uniform approach for testing for the EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement along with the availability of targeted therapies offer lung cancer patients the chance for improved quality of life and more time with their loved ones.

Cisplatin-resistant cancer cells sensitive to experimental anticancer drugs called PARP inhibitors

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:14:14 EDT

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors may be a novel treatment strategy for patients with cancer that has become resistant to the commonly used chemotherapy drug cisplatin, according to data from a preclinical study.

Smoking immediately upon waking may increase risk of lung and oral cancer

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:51:51 EDT

The sooner a person smokes a cigarette upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, according to researchers.

Number of cancer survivors in U.S. expected to increase to 18 million by 2022

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:25:25 EDT

A new report shows that as of January 2012, there were approximately 13.7 million cancer survivors in the United States, a number that is expected to rise by 31 percent to 18 million by 2022.

Higher soy intake prior to lung cancer diagnosis linked to longer survival in women

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:38:38 EDT

A new study finds that Chinese women who consumed more soy before being diagnosed with lung cancer lived longer compared with those who consumed less soy.

New lung cancer study takes page from Google's playbook

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:11:11 EDT

A new study shows that the same sort of mathematical model that Google uses to predict which websites people want to visit may help researchers predict how lung cancer spreads through the human body.

Strong anti-cancer properties discovered in soybeans

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:50:50 EDT

Proteins found in soybeans could inhibit the growth of colon, liver and lung cancers. Soybean meal is a bi-product following oil extraction from soybean seeds. It is rich in protein, which usually makes up around 40% of the nutritional components of the seeds and dependent on the line, and can also contain high oleic acid (a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid).

For smokers, low levels of vitamin D may lead to cancer

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:08:08 EDT

New research shows that decreased levels of vitamin D may predispose smokers to developing tobacco-related cancer. This study illustrates that simple vitamin D blood tests and supplements have the potential to improve smokers’ health.

Will having one lung limit Pope Francis?

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:41:41 EDT

A pulmonologist explains why a person can function normally on one lung.

Protein that may control the spread of cancer discovered

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 EST

Researchers have uncovered a novel mechanism that may lead to more selective ways to stop cancer cells from spreading. Cancer biologists have identified the role of the protein RSK2 in cancer cell migration, part of the process of cancer metastasis.

Cell scaffolding protein fascin-1 is hijacked by cancer

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:18 EST

A protein involved in the internal cell scaffold is associated with increased risk of metastasis and mortality in a range of common cancers finds a meta-analysis. The protein, fascin-1, is involved in bundling together the actin filaments which form the internal scaffolding of a cell and are involved in cell movement.

Tweaking gene expression to repair lungs

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:30:30 EST

A healthy lung has some capacity to regenerate itself like the liver. In COPD, these reparative mechanisms fail. HDAC therapies may be useful for COPD, as well as other airway diseases. The levels of HDAC2 expression and its activity are greatly reduced in COPD patients. Decreased HDAC activity may impair the ability of the lung epithelium to regenerate.

Screening could avert 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 EST

Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in all screening-eligible current and former smokers has the potential to avert approximately 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. By providing a national estimate of potentially avertable lung cancer deaths, the study will help policy makers better understand the possible benefits of LDCT lung cancer screening.

Researchers find potential new therapeutic target for treating non-small cell lung cancer

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:47:47 EST

Researchers have found a potential targeted therapy for patients with tobacco-associated non-small cell lung cancer. It is based on the newly identified oncogene IKBKE, which helps regulate immune response.

Emerging cancer drugs may drive bone tumors

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:22:22 EST

Cancer drugs should kill tumors, not encourage their spread. But new evidence suggests that an otherwise promising class of drugs may actually increase the risk of tumors spreading to bone, according to researchers.

RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:21:21 EST

MALAT1, an RNA molecule, is a marker for progression of lung cancer. Researchers have now found out that MALAT1 activates metastasis-promoting genes in cancer cells. In mice, blocking of MALAT1 reduced the number and size of lung cancer metastases.

Indoor air puts Chinese women nonsmokers at risk

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

The hazards of breathing outdoor air in some Chinese cities have been well-documented. Now a study confirms that breathing indoor air also carries significant cancer risks, especially for Chinese women.

Genetic test identifies small but deadly lung cancers

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:44:44 EST

A novel genetic test can help identify small but aggressive lung tumors associated with poor survival, according to a new study.

Risk of lung cancer death has risen dramatically among women smokers in recent decades

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:52:52 EST

Female smokers have a much greater risk of death from lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease in recent years than did female smokers 20 or 40 years ago, reflecting changes in smoking behavior.

Smoking cessation more successful for cancer patients who quit before surgery

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:37:37 EST

Lung and head and neck cancer patients who smoked before surgery are more likely to relapse than those who had quit before surgery, researchers say. They found that smoking-relapse prevention interventions are needed immediately after surgery to help prevent relapse.

Rice-cell cocktail tough on cancer cells, nice to normal cells

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:22:22 EST

In lab tests, juice from rice cells knocked out two kinds of human cancer cells as well or better than the potent anti-cancer drug Taxol. Plus, it did something extra: it left normal cells unharmed.

Cancer mortality down 20 percent from 1991 peak

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:58:58 EST

An annual report from the American Cancer Society finds as of 2009, the overall death rate for cancer in the United States had declined 20 percent from its peak in 1991, translating to the avoidance of approximately 1.2 million deaths from cancer, 152,900 of these in 2009 alone.

Body's ibuprofen, sparc, reduces inflammation and thus bladder cancer development and metastasis

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:57:57 EST

Cancer researchers are increasingly aware that in addition to genetic mutations in a cancer itself, characteristics of the surrounding tissue can promote or suppress tumor growth. One of these important tissue characteristics is inflammation – most cancers prosper in and attach to inflamed tissue and so many cancers have developed ways to create it.

Lung cancer: Comparable patterns of failure between SBRT, lobectomy or pneumonectomy for stage I NSCLC

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:45:45 EST

For patients with medically operable clinical stage I non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), lobectomy or pneumonectomy is the standard approach. For patients with medically inoperable stage I NSCLC, stereotactic body radiotherapy has become a standard of care. Researchers wanted to compare the patterns of failure between each method.

Lung cancer patients live longer if they use beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:15:15 EST

Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer survive longer if they are taking beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy, according to a new study.

New marker of drug response may speed pace of lung cancer prevention trials

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:21:21 EST

Testing medicines to prevent lung cancer requires treating many thousands of high-risk individuals and then waiting five, 10 or 15 years to discover which of them develop cancer and which, if any, experience survival benefit from the treatment. A new study proposes a possible point on the way to benefit, which if validated, could dramatically reduce the number of patients needed and time required to test drugs for lung cancer prevention.

Tumor boards linked to little association with effects on cancer care

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:31:31 EST

There is little association of multidisciplinary tumor boards with measures of use, quality, or survival, and measuring only the presence of tumor boards may not be adequate in determining their effects on cancer care, according to a new study.

Why and how patients with lung cancer initially get diagnosed with the disease

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 23:31:31 EST

An oncologist has used the electronic medical records data of more than 400 patients in a single-center study that is further exploring results from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) released in 2010.

COPD is not independent risk factor for lung cancer, study concludes

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:15:15 EST

A recent study concludes that COPD is not an independent risk factor for lung cancer.

Opiates already in body may encourage cancer growth, certain medications could slow it

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:21:21 EST

A new study has shown that, even without the addition of further opioids such as morphine, opioids already in the body can enhance the malignant tendencies of human cancer cells.

The current state of lung cancer treatment

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:04:04 EST

A new review outlines the current state of lung cancer treatment. It points out that in the lung cancer varieties whose driver oncogenes can be matched with targeted therapy, tend to give a 70-80 percent patient response as opposed to 20-30 percent response to traditional chemotherapies, and with much reduced side effects.

Lung cancer patients with pockets of resistance prolong disease control by 'weeding the garden'

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 08:59:59 EST

This study of 65 patients showed that continuing either crizotinib or erlotinib after the treatment of resistant pockets with focused radiation ("weeding the garden") was associated with more than half a year of additional cancer control.

Gene involved in lung tumor growth identified

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:21:21 EST

Lung cancer researchers have identified a gene that plays a role in the growth and spread of non-small cell lung cancer tumors, opening the door for potential new treatment options.

First success of targeted therapy in most common genetic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:15:15 EST

Chemotherapy and a new, targeted therapy work better in combination than chemotherapy alone in treating patients with the most common genetic subtype of lung cancer, new research suggests.

Old habits die hard: Helping cancer patients stop smoking

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:04:04 EST

It's a sad but familiar scene near the grounds of many medical campuses: hospital-gowned patients, some toting rolling IV poles, huddled in clumps under bus shelters or warming areas, smoking cigarettes.

Drug resistance biomarker could improve cancer treatment

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:08:08 EST

Cancer therapies often have short-lived benefits due to the emergence of genetic mutations that cause drug resistance. A key gene that determines resistance to a range of cancer drugs has been reported in a new study. The study reveals a biomarker that can predict responses to cancer drugs and offers a strategy to treat drug-resistant tumors based on their genetic signature.

New tumor tracking technique may improve outcomes for lung cancer patients

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:35:35 EST

Researchers have shown that a real-time tracking technique can better predict and track tumor motion and deliver higher levels of radiation to lung cancer patients and others with moving tumor targets, and also successfully be implemented into existing clinical equipment.

Bone metastases treatment can improve overall survival

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:16:16 EST

One of the most frequent sites of metastases is the bone, with an estimated 30 to 40 percent of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer developing bone loss. A study shows that the bone metastases drug denosumab was associated with improved overall survival compared with zoledonic acid.

Large-scale genomic testing feasible, impacts therapy

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:16:16 EST

Targeted cancer therapy has been transforming the care of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is now standard practice for tumor specimens from NSCLC patients to be examined for EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements to identify patients for therapy with EGFR and ALK inhibitors, respectively. Now, researchers say large-scale genomic testing is feasible within the clinical workflow, impacting therapeutic decisions.

Study shows different approach after progression in non-small cell lung cancer patients

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:37:37 EST

A new study shows that other approaches to overcome acquired resistance should be considered.

Five things everyone should know about lung cancer

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:31:31 EST

More than an estimated 160,000 people in the United States will die from lung cancer this year, making it the country's leading cause of cancer death. According to the National Cancer Institute, it surpassed breast cancer as the number one killer in women back in 1987. It causes more deaths than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined, according to the American Lung Association.

Stem cell finding could advance immunotherapy for lung cancer

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:49:49 EST

A lung cancer research team reports that lung cancer stem cells can be isolated -- and then grown -- in a preclinical model, offering a new avenue for investigating immunotherapy treatment options that specifically target stem cells.

Gene variations linked to lung cancer susceptibility in Asian women

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:37:37 EST

An international group of scientists has identified three genetic regions that predispose Asian women who have never smoked to lung cancer. The finding provides further evidence that risk of lung cancer among never-smokers, especially Asian women, may be associated with certain unique inherited genetic characteristics that distinguishes it from lung cancer in smokers.