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The latest news, views and opinions on cancer research and cancer biology - from Cancer Research UK, the UK's largest cancer charity
Cancer Research UK
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- August 19, 2011
- 08:54 AM
- 418 views
Is ecstasy ‘being developed to treat blood cancers’? Not quite…
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Here are a few thoughts on this morning’s headlines about ecstasy and cancer. (In case you missed them, they’re based on research from Birmingham, published in the New Investigational Drugs journal, in which researchers report that they’ve ‘redesigned’ the molecular structure of ecstasy to make it more effective at killing lab-grown blood cancer cells). Many [...]... Read more »
Wasik AM, Gandy MN, McIldowie M, Holder MJ, Chamba A, Challa A, Lewis KD, Young SP, Scheel-Toellner D, Dyer MJ.... (2011) Enhancing the anti-lymphoma potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('ecstasy') through iterative chemical redesign: mechanisms and pathways to cell death. Investigational new drugs. PMID: 21850491
- August 17, 2011
- 01:17 PM
- 257 views
Destroying cells’ ‘back-up generator’ to beat kidney cancer
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
As well as the ingenuity, dedication and skill of their staff, modern hospitals can’t function properly without a reliable electricity supply. This is so critical that hospitals have a back-up generator to keep their life-saving systems working in an emergency.. In a similar way, our cells also have their own emergency back-up systems. Thanks to [...]... Read more »
Frezza, C., Zheng, L., Folger, O., Rajagopalan, K., MacKenzie, E., Jerby, L., Micaroni, M., Chaneton, B., Adam, J., Hedley, A.... (2011) Haem oxygenase is synthetically lethal with the tumour suppressor fumarate hydratase. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature10363
- August 17, 2011
- 09:02 AM
- 288 views
In the news: re-tooling the body’s police force to beat leukaemia
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Our immune system is our very own internal ‘police force’. It’s made up of disease-battling cells and proteins that travel through our bloodstream, searching out potentially harmful infections like the flu. In the past couple decades, the immune system’s role in cancer has come into sharp focus, and a whole scientific field of cancer immunotherapy [...]... Read more »
Porter DL, Levine BL, Kalos M, Bagg A, & June CH. (2011) Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells in Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia. The New England journal of medicine. PMID: 21830940
Kalos M, Levine BL, Porter DL, Katz S, Grupp SA, Bagg A, & June CH. (2011) T cells with chimeric antigen receptors have potent antitumor effects and can establish memory in patients with advanced leukemia. Science translational medicine, 3(95). PMID: 21832238
- August 16, 2011
- 01:26 PM
- 441 views
Stick with shade, clothes and sunscreen to prevent skin cancer – not coffee
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Today, a new study has led to headlines claiming that adding caffeine to sunscreen could improve its effectiveness in preventing skin cancer. But don’t chuck away the sunscreen just yet, nor pour your coffee into it – this was an interesting study in mice, but it doesn’t prove that adding caffeine to sunscreen would have any effect [...]... Read more »
Kawasumi, M., Lemos, B., Bradner, J., Thibodeau, R., Kim, Y., Schmidt, M., Higgins, E., Koo, S., Angle-Zahn, A., Chen, A.... (2011) Protection from UV-induced skin carcinogenesis by genetic inhibition of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(33), 13716-13721. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1111378108
- August 5, 2011
- 05:29 AM
- 438 views
High-Impact Science: EGFR – Wanna be starting something
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
For many, the 1980s represent social unrest and wardrobe disasters. But amidst the strikes and the legwarmers, the 1980s gave us much to be thankful for. For cancer scientists, it was a Renaissance period – a decade during which cancer research came of age and (unlike many of us) got a proper haircut. Cancer Research [...]... Read more »
Downward J, Yarden Y, Mayes E, Scrace G, Totty N, Stockwell P, Ullrich A, Schlessinger J, & Waterfield MD. (1984) Close similarity of epidermal growth factor receptor and v-erb-B oncogene protein sequences. Nature, 307(5951), 521-7. PMID: 6320011
- July 27, 2011
- 10:32 AM
- 496 views
Cats do not ‘spread brain tumours’
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
As anyone who has lost a loved one to a brain tumour knows, the disease can be devastating. So headlines claiming that cats may be responsible for brain tumours – based on limited and tentative evidence – are not only misleading but also deeply insensitive to patients and their families. Despite recent advances in treating brain [...]... Read more »
Thomas, F., Lafferty, K., Brodeur, J., Elguero, E., Gauthier-Clerc, M., & Misse, D. (2011) Incidence of adult brain cancers is higher in countries where the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is common. Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0588
- July 14, 2011
- 04:46 AM
- 488 views
Cracking the cancer code – the International Cancer Genome Consortium
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
We’re living through a revolution in cancer research. New technology is making it possible to find the genetic changes at the heart of cancer faster than ever before, unlocking the knowledge we need to save lives. Now Cancer Research UK is taking another big step towards beating cancer by taking part in the most ambitious [...]... Read more »
Stratton, M., Campbell, P., & Futreal, P. (2009) The cancer genome. Nature, 458(7239), 719-724. DOI: 10.1038/nature07943
Stratton, M. (2011) Exploring the Genomes of Cancer Cells: Progress and Promise. Science, 331(6024), 1553-1558. DOI: 10.1126/science.1204040
Gambacorti-Passerini, C., Antolini, L., Mahon, F., Guilhot, F., Deininger, M., Fava, C., Nagler, A., Della Casa, C., Morra, E., Abruzzese, E.... (2011) Multicenter Independent Assessment of Outcomes in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated With Imatinib. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 103(7), 553-561. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djr060
- July 8, 2011
- 05:44 AM
- 401 views
New horizons for lung cancer?
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Beating lung cancer is one of our greatest challenges. It’s the most common cancer in the world – a staggering 1.61 million new cases are diagnosed every year. In the UK, it is the second most common cancer, and each year more than 38,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. And improvements in survival rates [...]... Read more »
The National Lung Screening Trial Research Team. (2011) Reduced Lung-Cancer Mortality with Low-Dose Computed Tomographic Screening. New England Journal of Medicine, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1102873
Mao, J., Roth, M., Fishbein, M., Aberle, D., Zhang, Z., Rao, J., Tashkin, D., Goodglick, L., Holmes, E., Cameron, R.... (2011) Lung Cancer Chemoprevention with Celecoxib in Former Smokers. Cancer Prevention Research, 4(7), 984-993. DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0078
- July 6, 2011
- 04:50 AM
- 533 views
There’s no conspiracy – sometimes it just doesn’t work
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
At Cancer Research UK, we’re often asked about alleged “miracle cures” for cancer, usually based on claims made on the internet. There’s an impressive list of these collected on the Quackwatch website (here and here), ranging from the slightly wacky to the downright dangerous. In virtually all cases, when researchers have rigorously tested these treatments, [...]... Read more »
Bashford EF. (1911) CANCER, CREDULITY, AND QUACKERY. British medical journal, 1(2630), 1221-30. PMID: 20765638
Imperial Cancer Research Fund. (1907) IMPERIAL CANCER RESEARCH FUND. British medical journal, 2(2427), 26-9. PMID: 20763346
Power D. (1904) Notes on an Ineffectual Treatment of Cancer: Being a Record of Three Cases Injected with Dr. Otto Schmidt's Serum. British medical journal, 1(2249), 299-302. PMID: 20761353
No authors listed. (1906) THE COMPOSITION OF SOME CANCER "REMEDIES.". British medical journal, 1(2369), 1238. PMID: 20762692
- June 24, 2011
- 10:03 AM
- 600 views
A tale of two hormone receptors – could prostate cancer therapy help breast cancer patients?
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Breast cancer survival is one of the big success stories of recent years. Thanks to improvements in screening and treatment more than 70 per cent of women now survive for more than ten years, compared to around 40 per cent back in the 1970s. But while this is cause for celebration, the statistics hide the [...]... Read more »
Robinson J, MacArthur S, Ross-Innes CS, Tilley WD, Neal DE, Mills IG, & Carroll JS. (2011) Androgen receptor driven transcription in molecular apocrine breast cancer is mediated by FoxA1. EMBO Journal. info:/
- June 21, 2011
- 02:58 AM
- 558 views
Animal research is helping us beat cancer
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
More people are surviving cancer than ever before. Thanks to decades of research, survival from cancer has doubled in the last 40 years, giving thousands of people more time with their loved ones. But this progress simply wouldn’t have been possible without animal research. At Cancer Research UK, research using animals is an unavoidable part [...]... Read more »
Chinwalla, A., Cook, L., Delehaunty, K., Fewell, G., Fulton, L., Fulton, R., Graves, T., Hillier, L., Mardis, E., McPherson, J.... (2002) Initial sequencing and comparative analysis of the mouse genome. Nature, 420(6915), 520-562. DOI: 10.1038/nature01262
KÖHLER, G., & MILSTEIN, C. (1975) Continuous cultures of fused cells secreting antibody of predefined specificity. Nature, 256(5517), 495-497. DOI: 10.1038/256495a0
Gambacorti-Passerini C, Antolini L, Mahon FX, Guilhot F, Deininger M, Fava C, Nagler A, Della Casa CM, Morra E, Abruzzese E.... (2011) Multicenter independent assessment of outcomes in chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with imatinib. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 103(7), 553-61. PMID: 21422402
Druker, B., Tamura, S., Buchdunger, E., Ohno, S., Segal, G., Fanning, S., Zimmermann, J., & Lydon, N. (1996) Effects of a selective inhibitor of the Abl tyrosine kinase on the growth of Bcr–Abl positive cells. Nature Medicine, 2(5), 561-566. DOI: 10.1038/nm0596-561
Kerbl DC, McDougall EM, Clayman RV, & Mucksavage P. (2011) A history and evolution of laparoscopic nephrectomy: perspectives from the past and future directions in the surgical management of renal tumors. The Journal of urology, 185(3), 1150-4. PMID: 21255799
- June 15, 2011
- 06:22 AM
- 620 views
Learning from survivors of childhood cancer
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
As our Little Star awards remind us every year, people living with and surviving childhood cancer are very special. And our researchers know that these survivors need special attention because they face a different set of problems compared to older cancer survivors. This month, new research by Cancer Research UK scientists has shown that survivors [...]... Read more »
Reulen RC, Frobisher C, Winter DL, Kelly J, Lancashire ER, Stiller CA, Pritchard-Jones K, Jenkinson HC, Hawkins MM, & British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Steering Group. (2011) Long-term risks of subsequent primary neoplasms among survivors of childhood cancer. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association, 305(22), 2311-9. PMID: 21642683
- May 26, 2011
- 07:53 AM
- 527 views
Abiraterone for advanced prostate cancer – not completely ‘new’ results, but nevertheless encouraging
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
You may have spotted reports today about the drug abiraterone showing promise for men with advanced prostate cancer. Our Drug Development Office was heavily involved in the discovery and early development of abiraterone, so it’s heartening to see that this early lab work could soon translate into patient benefit. But we want to clarify that [...]... Read more »
Johann S. de Bono et al. (2011) Abiraterone and Increased Survival in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(21), 1995-2005. info:/
- April 27, 2011
- 12:09 PM
- 607 views
Breast cancer and the neighbourhood watch
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
IL-25 and its receptor are like a molecular Bonnie and Clyde Scientists are constantly asking why so many of us get cancer, but perhaps an equally interesting question is why so many of us don’t. Every single day, the DNA in our cells comes under constant attack – partly from toxins and radiation in our [...]... Read more »
Furuta, S., Jeng, Y., Zhou, L., Huang, L., Kuhn, I., Bissell, M., & Lee, W. (2011) IL-25 Causes Apoptosis of IL-25R-Expressing Breast Cancer Cells Without Toxicity to Nonmalignant Cells. Science Translational Medicine, 3(78), 78-78. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001374
- April 21, 2011
- 11:43 AM
- 657 views
New results cast doubt on cancer’s immortality
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
People often talk about ‘the big C’ as a single disease. But cancer is actually a group of more than 200 distinct diseases, each with their own unique set of causes. The reason we broadly group them together is that all cancers share some common traits. For example, whichever type it is, cancer happens when [...]... Read more »
Soo, J., MacKenzie Ross, A., Kallenberg, D., Milagre, C., Heung Chong, W., Chow, J., Hill, L., Hoare, S., Collinson, R., Hossain, M.... (2011) Malignancy without immortality? Evidence for cellular immortalization as a late event in melanoma progression. Pigment Cell . DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148X.2011.00850.x
- April 11, 2011
- 06:34 PM
- 374 views
Publishing bowel surgery death rates will save lives
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Today a team of researchers, led by our stats expert Dr Eva Morris from Leeds University, have completed the first detailed analysis of bowel surgery outcomes across the whole of England. The team looked at how the proportion of patients who die within 30 days of surgery – called ‘post-operative 30-day mortality’ – varies from [...]... Read more »
Morris EJA, Taylor EF, Thomas JD, Quirke P, Finan PJ, Coleman MP, Rachet B, & Forman D. (2011) Thirty-day postoperative mortality after colorectal cancer surgery in England. Gut. info:/10.1136/Gut.2010.232181
- April 11, 2011
- 06:34 PM
- 379 views
Publishing bowel surgery death rates will save lives
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Today a team of researchers, led by our stats expert Dr Eva Morris from Leeds University, have completed the first detailed analysis of bowel surgery outcomes across the whole of England. The team looked at how the proportion of patients who die within 30 days of surgery – called ‘post-operative 30-day mortality’ – varies from [...]... Read more »
Morris EJA, Taylor EF, Thomas JD, Quirke P, Finan PJ, Coleman MP, Rachet B, & Forman D. (2011) Thirty-day postoperative mortality after colorectal cancer surgery in England. Gut. info:/10.1136/Gut.2010.232181
- March 25, 2011
- 12:44 PM
- 674 views
Headline declaring ‘new’ prostate cancer drug misses the point, but the research is still crucial for some patients
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
You may have seen today’s headline talking about a ‘new drug’ for prostate cancer. Reading such headlines, men with prostate cancer could be forgiven for rushing to their doctors to find out about this advance in treatment. However, this headline paints a simplified picture of newly published clinical trial results. Building on earlier work Firstly, [...]... Read more »
Denham, JW, Steigler, A, Lamb, DS, Joseph, D, Turner, S, Matthews, J, Atkinson, C, North, J, Chritie, D, Spry, NA.... (2011) Short-term neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and radiotherapy for locally advanced prostate cancer: 10-year data from the TROG 96.01 randomised trial. Lancet Oncology. info:/10.1016/S1470-2045(11)70063-8
Parker, C. (2011) Androgen deprivation before prostate radiotherapy: how long is long enough?. Lancet Oncology. info:/10.1016/S1470-2045(11)70072-9
- March 24, 2011
- 06:01 AM
- 570 views
Arthritis drug slows melanoma growth in lab tests
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Scientists from the University of East Anglia, along with colleagues in the US, have published a paper today in the scientific journal Nature showing that a common arthritis drug could potentially be used to treat malignant melanoma – the most dangerous form of skin cancer. But although this is an interesting and potentially important finding, [...]... Read more »
Ceol, C., Houvras, Y., Jane-Valbuena, J., Bilodeau, S., Orlando, D., Battisti, V., Fritsch, L., Lin, W., Hollmann, T., Ferré, F.... (2011) The histone methyltransferase SETDB1 is recurrently amplified in melanoma and accelerates its onset. Nature, 471(7339), 513-517. DOI: 10.1038/nature09806
White, R., Cech, J., Ratanasirintrawoot, S., Lin, C., Rahl, P., Burke, C., Langdon, E., Tomlinson, M., Mosher, J., Kaufman, C.... (2011) DHODH modulates transcriptional elongation in the neural crest and melanoma. Nature, 471(7339), 518-522. DOI: 10.1038/nature09882
- March 21, 2011
- 06:56 AM
- 625 views
High-impact science: Carboplatin and the “Calvert formula”
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
Here’s another post in our occasional ‘High-impact science’ series – looking at some of the most significant discoveries made by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists over the years. This time, we take a look at the history of the Calvert formula – a mathematical equation used by doctors all over the world to calculate the required [...]... Read more »
Calvert AH, Newell DR, Gumbrell LA, O'Reilly S, Burnell M, Boxall FE, Siddik ZH, Judson IR, Gore ME, & Wiltshaw E. (1989) Carboplatin dosage: prospective evaluation of a simple formula based on renal function. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 7(11), 1748-56. PMID: 2681557
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