Cancer News and Discussions

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Blood Test Helps Diagnose Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer With 85% Accuracy
Paired with an existing test, this could become a life-saving diagnostic tool for people with a notoriously deadly form of cancer.
By Adrianna Nine February 24, 2025

Pancreatic cancer is widely considered one of the deadliest forms of cancer, claiming nearly 52,000 lives a year in the United States alone. Compared with other aggressive cancers, though, pancreatic cancer doesn't owe its high mortality rate to treatment difficulties; rather, late diagnosis is to blame. Many people with pancreatic cancer don't experience symptoms until the disease has advanced to other areas of the body, after which treatment becomes far less effective.

It's for this reason that a quick, low-cost test for early-stage pancreatic cancer could save thousands of lives every year. Today, researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) are one step closer to making that a reality. In a paper published in Science Translational Medicine, specialists at the university's Knight Cancer Institute, Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, and Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care shared that they've developed a rapid blood assay that looks for signs of pancreatic cancer. The test reliably identifies 85% of early-stage pancreatic cancers, making it a promising screening tool for people without telltale symptoms.

https://www.extremetech.com/science/blo ... 5-accuracy

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Tardigrade Protein Could Soon Make Cancer Patients More Radiation Proof
by Jess Cockerill
February 26, 2025

Introduction:

(Science Alert) When it comes to surviving radiation, tardigrades really know their stuff, shrugging off doses that would annihilate most other life forms. Now researchers are using this knowledge to find ways to protect healthy cells during cancer treatments.

A team led by Ameya Kirtane from Harvard Medical School and Jianling Bi from the University of Iowa has isolated this superpower in the form of messenger RNA, which when injected into cells protects them from radiation.

When people undergo radiotherapy for cancer, it's not just the tumor that suffers. The radiation causes DNA breaks in healthy cells, too, leading to massive cell death and inflammation, which is responsible for the treatment's unpleasant side-effects.

"It can manifest as something as simple as mouth sores, which can limit a person's ability to eat because it's so painful, to requiring hospitalization because people are suffering so terribly from the pain, weight loss, or bleeding," University of Iowa radiation oncologist James Byrne says.

Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/tardigrad ... on-proof

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Real-time DNA analysis during neurosurgery offers personalized brain tumor treatment
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02- ... lized.html
by Gwendolyn Dorow, Max Planck Society

A team of researchers at the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel Campus, the Kiel University, and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, have developed an innovative method for real-time molecular genetic classification of brain tumors during surgery. This approach combines DNA methylation analysis with advanced machine learning technologies to provide detailed information about the tumor type during surgery.

For the first time, neurosurgery can be tailored not only to the location and proximity of a tumor to critical brain functions but also to its specific molecular characteristics. This enables a targeted approach to tumor removal, which is a decisive advantage for patients, especially in complex cases. The findings were published on 28 February 2025 in Nature Medicine.

"Only through close collaboration between basic research scientists and physicians working in translational medicine was it possible to develop a method that surpasses all previous similar approaches in terms of precision and speed," says Prof. Dr. Franz-Josef Müller, deputy Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the UKSH, Kiel Campus, and Professor in the medical faculty of the CAU.

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Cancer drug realized after researcher's chance exposure to malaria drug
By Paul McClure
March 09, 2025

When experienced researcher Renato Aguilera happened across the chemical structure of a tried-and-true antimalarial drug one day, he thought it might effectively fight cancer. He was right, and he has the research, the patent, and the pharma company to prove it.

When Renato Aguilera moved to the United States from Mexico at age 15, he spoke virtually no English. Determined, he learned the language and went on to graduate with not only a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), but also a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. Now, he’s Dr Renato Aguilera. He even has his own Wikipedia page

.

https://newatlas.com/cancer/pyronaridin ... treatment/

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New CAR-T cell therapy 'ALA-CART' shows promise for hard-to-treat cancers
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... -cart.html
by CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have successfully developed a supercharged iteration of CAR-T cell therapy that can enhance the effectiveness and longevity of the cells, particularly against cancer cells that are harder for prior CAR-T therapies to detect and fight.

The study was published today in the journal Cancer Cell.

"This next-generation approach, called ALA-CART (adjunctive LAT-activating CAR-T cells), optimizes CAR-T cells to more effectively eliminate cancer cells, including those that have been able to hide from traditional CAR-T cells," said Catherine Danis, Ph.D., lead author and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

CAR-T cell therapy involves extracting a patient's T-cells, modifying them to recognize cancer cells, and then reinfusing them into the patient where they target cancer cells throughout the body. But some cancer cells can evade detection by CAR-T cells, leading to treatment failure and relapse. Using human T cells and leukemia cells in specialized mouse models, researchers developed the novel ALA-CART cells which showed promising results in fighting acute lymphocytic leukemias that were resistant to traditional CAR-T cells.

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CRISPR cuts gene from head and neck cancers through direct injection—50% of tumors eliminated in animal models

by Tel-Aviv University

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... umors.html
Researchers from Tel Aviv University utilized CRISPR to cut a single gene from cancer cells of head and neck tumors—and successfully eliminated 50% of the tumors in model animals. This study was led by Dr. Razan Masarwy, MD, Ph.D. from the lab of Prof. Dan Peer. The findings are published in the journal Advanced Science.

The research team says, "Until now, CRISPR wasn't used for cancer because it was assumed that knocking out a single gene wouldn't topple the whole structure. We demonstrate that some genes are absolutely essential for cancer cell survival, making them excellent targets for CRISPR therapy."

"Head and neck cancers are very common, ranking fifth in cancer mortality," says Prof. Peer. "These are localized cancers, typically starting in the tongue, throat, or neck, which can later metastasize. If detected early, localized treatment can effectively target the tumor. Our aim was to use genetic editing of a single gene expressed in this type of cancer to collapse the entire pyramid of the cancerous cell. This gene is the cancer-specific SOX2, also expressed in other types of cancer, and overexpressed in these particular tumors."

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Scientists discover how to reactivate cancer's molecular 'kill switch'
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... cular.html
by Cara McDonough, Jackson Laboratory

Alternative RNA splicing is like a movie editor cutting and rearranging scenes from the same footage to create different versions of a film. By selecting which scenes to keep and which to leave out, the editor can produce a drama, a comedy, or even a thriller—all from the same raw material. Similarly, cells splice RNA in different ways to produce a variety of proteins from a single gene, fine-tuning their function based on need. However, when cancer rewrites the script, this process goes awry, fueling tumor growth and survival.

In a recent study reported in the Feb. 15 issue of Nature Communications, scientists from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and UConn Health not only show how cancer hijacks this tightly regulated splicing and rearranging of RNA but also introduce a potential therapeutic strategy that could slow or even shrink aggressive and hard-to-treat tumors. This discovery could transform how we treat aggressive cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer and certain brain tumors, where current treatment options are limited.

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Statins linked to reduced liver cancer risk in major cohort study
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... major.html
by Justin Jackson , Medical Xpress

Harvard Medical School researchers have found that statin use significantly reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic decompensation among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Statins, particularly lipophilic statins like atorvastatin and simvastatin, were associated with a substantial decrease in the likelihood of liver cancer and complications. Longer duration of statin use further increases this protective effect.

The study is published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with chronic liver disease identified as a primary risk factor. Historically, viral hepatitis was the predominant cause of HCC; yet, advances in antiviral treatments have reduced cases due to this cause. Currently, metabolic and alcohol-related liver diseases are more common, elevating the importance of strategies to prevent HCC in these populations.

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Blood test for ovarian cancer misses some Black and Native American patients, study finds

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... ative.html

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Nearly 100% of cancer identified by new AI, easily outperforming doctors
By Bronwyn Thompson
March 20, 2025
https://newatlas.com/cancer/ai-cancer-diagnostic/

In what's expected to soon be commonplace, artificial intelligence is being harnessed to pick up signs of cancer more accurately than the trained human eye. This latest AI model has a near 100% success rate and serves as a clear sign of things to come.

An international team of scientists including those from Australia's Charles Darwin University (CDU) has developed a novel AI model known as ECgMPL, which can assess microscopic images of cells and tissue to identify endometrial cancer – one of the most common forms of reproductive tumors – with an impressive 99.26% accuracy. And the researchers say it can be adapted to identify a broad range of disease, including colorectal and oral cancer.

“The proposed ECgMLP model outperforms existing methods by achieving 99.26 percent accuracy, surpassing transfer learning and custom models discussed in the research while being computationally efficient,” said the study's co-author Dr. Asif Karim, from CDU. “Optimized through ablation studies, self-attention mechanisms, and efficient training, ECgMLP generalizes well across multiple histopathology datasets thereby making it a robust and clinically applicable solution for endometrial cancer diagnosis.”

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Beating the clock: Melanoma starts evading treatment within hours; here's how to stop it

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... hours.html

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Researchers learn how a drug called zotatifin kills cancer cells

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... cells.html

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Cancer research, long protected, feels ‘devastating’ effects under Trump

Budget cuts and research delays threaten to reverse progress on what had been a bipartisan cause

March 24, 2025

Mark Vieth was stunned when he saw the numbers. Vieth coordinates the Defense Health Research Consortium, which advocates for a Pentagon program that has long received about $1.5 billion a year in federal funds for medical research — nearly half of which typically goes toward cancer.

In the funding bill passed this month, the Republican-led Congress slashed the program’s budget by 57%. “We originally thought that’d be applied proportionally to all programs,” said Vieth.

But instead, Vieth said, it looks like funding will be eliminated to several areas in the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), for which his consortium of patient and provider groups advocates. “No money for kidney cancer,” Vieth said. “No money for pancreatic cancer. No money for lung cancer. It leaves so much completely unfunded. Yeah, wow. It’s pretty devastating.” The omissions were confirmed in congressional documents obtained by STAT.

https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/24/tru ... s-worried/

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Chromatin packing domains in ovarian cancer cells: A new target for therapy
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... cells.html
by Olivia Dimmer, Northwestern University

Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered new details about the genetic structure of ovarian cancer stem cells, according to a study published in Advanced Science.

Inside cells, DNA mixes with proteins to form chromatin within the nucleus. Within chromatin, structures called packing domains form when chromatin fibers fold together. These chromatin packing domains are critical for regulating gene expression, DNA replication and preventing DNA damage.

While it's well known that DNA processes are disrupted in cancer, less is understood about how cancer impacts the organization of chromatin, said Daniela Matei, MD, chief of Reproductive Science in Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, who was co-senior author of the study.

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Platform-predicted treatments improve outcomes for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04- ... stant.html
by Tim Tedeschi, University of Cincinnati

Results from a new Phase 3 trial published in the journal npj Precision Oncology found that a cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments and lead to improved outcomes for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center's Thomas Herzog, MD, the study's first author, said epithelial ovarian cancer often initially responds to chemotherapy treatment and then enters a period of resistance to therapy and tumor regrowth.

"This is partly due to the selection and reactivation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that rebuild and repair the tumor from the damage received from chemotherapy," said Herzog, a Cancer Center physician researcher, the Paul and Carolyn Flory Professor in Gynecologic Oncology in the UC College of Medicine and director of UC Health's Gynecologic Cancer Disease Center.

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Pancreatic cells 'remember' cancer-linked epigenetic marks without mutations, study shows

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04- ... netic.html

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The following citation is from a news release, so the need for copyright related restrictions on length do not apply.

It’s Not You—It’s Cancer
April 10, 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) Cancer ravages both body and mind. If you’ve ever lost loved ones to the disease, you might recognize the physical and emotional changes cancer patients often endure during their final months. They seem drained of strength and spirit. Even people who’ve maintained a positive outlook throughout their lives can enter a state of despair. New research published in Science suggests apathy and lack of motivation are symptoms of a condition called cancer cachexia. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Associate Professor Tobias Janowitz explains:

“Many patients complain of symptoms in that category. They say, ‘I don’t know what’s going on with me. My relatives cooked my favorite meal. I don’t feel like eating it.’ Their grandchildren come for a playdate. Usually, they’d be excited and enjoy it. They just don’t seem to engage so much.”

Also frustrating, cachexia severely limits patients’ ability to tolerate common cancer treatments. CSHL scientists have been studying the condition for years. Now, in a major development, Janowitz and colleague Adam Kepecs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU Medicine) have identified a connection between the brain and the immune system that is responsible for cachexia-related apathy.

They found that as cachexia progresses, certain neurons release less and less dopamine. That’s the brain’s “feel-good” chemical. Screening for elevated immune system proteins in the brains and bodies of mice with cachexia led the team to IL-6, which gets released during inflammation and has long been associated with cachexia. Decreasing IL-6 signals in connected brain areas made the mice more motivated. Notably, the mice became less sensitive to the amount of effort required to find food. The scientists saw the same result when elevating dopamine levels in the right brain areas.

“We discovered a full brain circuit that senses inflammation in the bloodstream and sends signals that reduce motivation,” Kepecs says. “This reveals that apathy isn’t just an emotional or psychological reaction to cachexia—it’s built into the biology of the disease.”

Conclusion:

Working across cancer and neuroscience has brought the researchers this far. Their ultimate hope is that one day, through continued interdisciplinary collaboration, they will help turn cachexia into a condition patients can overcome. That would be a welcome development not only for people battling cancer but also for their loved ones who suffer alongside them.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079724

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Engineered T-cells use natural receptors as 'brakes' to target cancer while sparing healthy tissue
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04- ... althy.html
by Catherine Couturier, University of Montreal

A team of researchers has successfully created more effective immune cells that can fight cancer without damaging healthy tissue.

"This story goes back nearly 20 years," says Prof. Paul François. This biophysicist and bio-informaticist from UdeM's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine is interested in automatic learning, a field at the crossroads of various disciplines. "I'm mainly trying to develop a mathematical model for what's happening in biology in order to improve our understanding of it."

The story actually began when Prof. François attended a seminar on the immunity response detection model developed by Franco-American immunologist Grégoire Altan-Bonnet of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. "From a mathematical viewpoint, I didn't understand what was going on. So I developed an interest in the immune system."

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Microfluidic chip technology enables real-time study of cancer cell interactions with blood vessels
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04- ... -real.html
by JooHyeon Heo, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

Researchers have developed a cutting-edge chip technology capable of precisely mimicking the interactions between cancer cells and blood vessels, akin to the human body environment. This innovation is being hailed as a significant breakthrough in the quest for patient-specific cancer drug development.

On April 14, Professor Yoon-Kyoung Cho and her research team from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNIST unveiled the spheroid-endothelium interaction (ODSEI) chip, a microfluidic device designed for the large-scale real-time analysis of the interactions between cancer cells and vascular cells. The research is published in the journal Advanced Science and was selected as a cover article.

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Common antiparasitic drug shows promise in halting growth of aggressive skin cancer

by Mark Anthony Febbo, University of Arizona
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04- ... rowth.html

A common pinworm medication may stop and reverse cancer growth in Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, according to research led by University of Arizona Cancer Center researchers and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare but fast-growing neuroendocrine cancer that is three to five times more likely than melanoma to be deadly. Response rates to current therapies—surgery, radiation and immunotherapy—are limited, resulting in a need for effective and broadly applicable therapeutics.