A new study in mice suggests that a biological process known as cellular senescence, which can be induced by cancer treatments, may play a role in bone loss associated with chemotherapy and radiation. Senescence occurs when a cell permanently stops dividing but does not die. Senescent cells release a variety of substances into their environments that may affect neighboring cells. “Senescent cells release many molecules,” said Sheila Stewart, Ph.D., of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who led the study. “We found that some of the molecules released by senescent cells drive bone loss in mice receiving…
Author: Brett Johnson
Over the course of several decades, NCI scientists laid extensive groundwork for a novel treatment that would eventually go on to become axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta), a CAR T-cell therapy for adults with lymphoma. While the therapy can lead to long-lasting remissions for some patients with very advanced cancer, it can also cause neurologic side effects such as speech problems, tremors, delirium, and seizures. Some side effects can be severe or fatal. So, in 2017, NCI researchers tweaked their original CAR T-cell design with the goal of creating a safer and more effective therapy. Now results from the first clinical trial of the remodeled CAR T cells suggest that they…
In the United States, African American men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men, tend to be diagnosed at younger ages and with more advanced disease, and are more than twice as likely to die of the disease. The reasons for these disparities have not been clear. “There is a perception among some in the medical community that prostate cancer is inherently more aggressive among African American men, and that there’s nothing we can do about” disparities in deaths from the disease, said Brent Rose, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the University of California at San Diego.…
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February is Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month. Although rare, these cancers affect thousands of people and their families around the world each year. It’s estimated that nearly 12,000 individuals will be diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in 2020, while approximately 8,000 people will be impacted by bile duct cancer. Learn the signs and symptoms associated with these serious illnesses and find out what steps you can take to help reduce your risk and live a healthier life. A Small Organ with Big Responsibilities The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located under the liver. Its primary job is to store bile, a substance…
It’s that time of year again where sunny days are few and far between for many parts of America. Winter strikes down victim after victim with seasonal affective disorder, leaving thousands of people desperate for a glimpse of sunshine. Other people may spend their winters fighting a vitamin D deficiency. During these dark months of the year, many people don’t see the sunshine and don’t protect themselves against it. In fact, on sunny days in snow-filled cities, many people try to absorb as much sunlight as they can by standing outside unprotected. These behaviors spark the debate: is it more important…
Scientists at the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in the United Kingdom have developed a prostate cancer screening test that uses urine and can be completed at home. This new method, called the PUR test (Prostate Urine Risk), is designed to be used first thing in the morning and shows biomarkers associated with prostate cancer far more clearly than after a digital rectal exam. PUR can help doctors determine treatment. As in the United States, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, but doctors nevertheless find it difficult to differentiate those…
“Can I get a second opinion?” is part of the popular lexicon; having branched out from a doctor-patient query, the phrase can now be used in just about any situation involving a potentially bad outcome. But if we get back to the saying’s origin, and when a diagnosis of cancer is involved, when should a patient seek a second opinion? How should people go about it? The When In most instances of cancer, there is a lag-time between diagnosis and treatment. This gives the patient a window to seek out a second opinion, and to think about and research available…