Stomach Bug Treatment May Work for Cancer
Eradicating a common bacterium in people with stomach cancer can reduce the risk that the cancer will recur, new research suggests. In a study of 550 people who had stomach cancer surgery, researchers found that eradication of Helicobacter pylori reduced the risk for recurrence by about 65%.
Loving Partners Are More Likely to Perform Skin Exams
Couples with close, supportive relationships who are able to overcome self-consciousness and perform regular, thorough skin checks on each other increase their chances of finding a new melanoma, according to a new study.
Anal Cancer Incidence Is Increasing in HIV-Infected Patients
According to the researchers, the increasing anal cancer incidence since the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy may reflect the fact that HIV-positive patients are living longer with human papillomavirus infection, which has been linked to anal and cervical cancers and is more common in HIV-positive patients than in the general population. An alternative explanation is that because of the increase in screening programs for anal dysplasia, anal cancers may be diagnosed more often than in the past.
Suicide Risk Is Increased in Patients With Cancer
The incidence of suicide among patients with cancer in the United States is nearly twice that of the general population, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Washington analyzed data from nearly 3.6 million patients diagnosed with cancer from 1973–2002 and found 5,838 suicides. Patients with cancer had an adjusted rate of 31.4 suicides per 100,000 person years, compared with 16.7 suicides in the general population.
Injected Vitamin C Cuts Cancer Growth in Mice
Injecting high doses of vitamin C into mice with aggressive cancers slowed the growth of their tumors without affecting normal tissues, according to a new study. The injections reduced tumor growth compared with xenografts in untreated mice. In immune-deficient mice with rapidly spreading ovarian, pancreatic, and glioblastoma tumors, the injections reduced tumor growth and weight by 41%–53%.
Noninvasive Technique Monitors Patients With NSCLC
A new study describes a novel technique that tests for epidermal growth factor mutations in circulating cancer cells by using a microfluidic device containing thousands of tiny posts covered with antibodies against the epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM. This technique is a potential alternative to invasive biopsies as a source of cancer cells for genomic studies and monitoring changes during therapy. As blood samples pass through the posts at a specific rate, tumor cells adhere to the EpCAM antibodies.
For more details about these news stories, see Just In and New Treatments, New Hope in the November issue. |
