Cancer discovery news
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Study shows benefit of thalidomide in treatment of myeloma
The controversial drug thalidomide could play an important role in treatment of myeloma by eradicating the final, residual traces of cancerous cells in patients.
Losing weight could lower women's risk of breast cancer
Losing weight could help women lower their risk of developing breast cancer by reducing levels of key sex hormones, a new study reports.
New drug that targets DNA packaging passes phase I trial
A new potential cancer drug is due to move into trials to test its effectiveness in patients with cancer, after a successful phase I trial led by Institute of Cancer Research, London researchers at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
New drug targets systems protecting cancer from DNA damage
A new drug that blocks the ability of tumours to repair their DNA has shown positive results in a phase I trial including patients with ovarian, breast, prostate and lung cancer.
Kinase inhibitors: the science behind a revolution
A little more than a decade ago, the prospects for people with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) were rather bleak. Common treatments included high-risk bone marrow transplants, which required at least four weeks in hospital and often led to severe complications down the line.
High-tech scan could help women avoid radical cervical cancer surgery
New high-resolution MRI scan technology gives doctors and patients the detailed information they need to plan precisely targeted surgery.
Scientists uncover ‘switch-flipping’ stem cell mechanism that could lead to new breast cancer therapies
The discovery of a pathway that helps stem cells grow into different types of breast tissue could lead to new treatments for aggressive breast cancer.
Double-pronged attack overcomes bladder cancer’s drug resistance
Combining two different targeted therapies could greatly increase the effectiveness of bladder cancer treatments by blocking a tumour’s path to drug resistance, a new study reports.
Pioneers receive honorary ICR degrees
Postgraduate degrees have been awarded to over 80 students, while honours were received by Professor Dame Janet Husband, Professor Sir Mike Stratton and The Honourable Thomas Henderson for their contributions to cancer research.
‘Homing’ radioactive injection shows benefit in prostate cancer trial
A new treatment for advanced prostate cancer that homes in on tumours has shown significant patient benefit in clinical trials, say ICR researchers.
Using cancer epidemiology to understand the causes of the disease
The roots of the modern-day study of cancer risk lie all the way back in the nineteenth century at a nunnery in Italy. It was here in 1842 that a doctor called Rigoni-Stern noticed that nuns virtually never suffered from cervical cancer but had a higher than usual incidence of breast cancer, and wondered whether the explanation might lie in the nuns’ celibacy.
New report pushes for stratified medicine
Read the ICR response to the Academy of Medical Sciences report, which makes recommendations to remove barriers to the development and adoption of stratified medicine.