News
Gut microbiome offers new avenue for detecting colorectal cancer
Significant variations in the gut microbiome can be identified between people who develop pre-cancerous colonic lesions and those who do not. The Dutch study, abstract OP118, presented at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2023, held in Copenhagen, October 14–17, showed…
Machine learning improves accuracy of survival prediction
An artificial intelligence prototype has been developed to estimate the survival of newly diagnosed cancer patients with breast, thyroid, and pancreatic cancers. The study, abstract 4160, presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2023, October 22–25, Boston,…
Walkable neighbourhoods lower risk of obesity related cancers
Women living in US neighbourhoods with higher levels of ‘walkability’ have lower risks of obesity related cancers, including postmenopausal breast, endometrial, ovarian, and multiple myeloma. The prospective study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, 10 October, found women living in neighbourhoods…
Dichloroacetate shows promise in treating cancer-related fatigue
Dichloroacetate, a drug targeting the metabolism, helped alleviate cancer related fatigue in mouse models of melanoma and colon cancer, reports a study published in the American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2 October. “This study tackles the long-understudied conundrum of…
Combination immunotherapy with novel immune-oncology agents benefit NSCLC patients in presurgical setting
Patients with resectable non-small-cell lung cancer show improved major pathological response rates with combination immune oncology agents versus single-agent immunotherapy. The NeoCOAST trial, published in Cancer Discovery, 14 September, demonstrated that combining the anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody durvalumab with other novel…
Trial defines breast cancer population who can omit sentinel node biopsy
Breast cancer patients with no axillary lymph node involvement apparent on ultrasound scans, and with tumours less than 2cm, had similar outcomes regardless of whether they underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy or no axillary surgery. The results of the Italian…
Statin use lowers risk of colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease
Statin use was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer related mortality, and all-cause mortality in a patient population with inflammatory bowel disease. The Swedish study, published online in eClinicalMedicine, 1 September, found benefits depended on duration…
New drug breaks through fibrotic tissue in pancreatic cancer
A drug targeting scar-like ‘fibrotic’ tissue within tumours shows promise for treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In the study, reported online in Nature Cancer, 28 August, Australian investigators showed in mouse and human models of PDAC that, when the drug…
Anti-oestrogen provides novel strategy to boost checkpoint inhibitors
Adding anti-oestrogen therapy improves response to combined chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition in tumours that do not express oestrogen receptors. The Japanese study, published in British Journal of Cancer, provides a new rationale for introducing therapies blocking oestrogen signalling to…
Anticancer benefits from Mediterranean ‘lifestyle’ can be transferred to non-Mediterranean population
High adherence to a ‘Mediterranean lifestyle’ is associated with lower cancer mortality in a dose-responsive manner. The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings (16 August), showed that UK adults who are the most adherent to a Mediterranean lifestyle have a…