Duke researchers find that new immune therapy successfully treats brain tumors in mice
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/18/2012) - Using an artificial protein that stimulates the body's natural immune system to fight cancer, a research team at Duke Medicine has engineered a lethal weapon that kills brain tumors in mice while sparing other tissue.

Case Western researchers discover new molecule linked to late-stage breast cancer
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/18/2012) - Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified a molecule linked to more aggressive forms of breast cancer.

UC Berkeley scientists suggest that to revert breast cancer cells, give them the squeeze
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/18/2012) - Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have put the squeeze -- literally -- on malignant mammary cells to guide them back into a normal growth pattern.

MD Anderson researchers find that ibrutinib has 'unprecedented' impact on mantle cell lymphoma
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/17/2012) - An international study of ibrutinib in people with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma continues to show unprecedented and durable results with few side effects.

Yale Researchers Find That Despite Hype, Costly Prostate Cancer Treatment Offers Little Relief from Side Effects, Study Finds
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/17/2012) - Prostate cancer patients receiving the costly treatment known as proton radiotherapy experienced minimal relief from side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, compared to patients undergoing a standard radiation treatment called intensity modulated radiotherapy.

Brigham and Women's Researchers Find That Low Adiponcetin Is Associated With Increased Pancreatic Cancer Risk
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/17/2012) - Low prediagnostic levels of circulating adiponectin were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer... Low adiponectin plasma levels are associated with the insulin resistance that manifests in obesity and diabetes mellitus, both of which are risk factors for pancreatic cancer.

Yale team identifies successful combination drug therapies for melanoma mutations
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/14/2012) - Yale Cancer Center researchers have identified several effective combinations of therapies that inhibit melanomas driven by two of the most formidable cancer genes. Some combinations include cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The study appears in the journal Cancer Discovery. The Yale scientists were seeking to overcome the problems of resistance and partial response to single-drug cancer therapy in patients with melanoma.

Northwestern researchers discover 'two-faced' cells in colon cancer
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/14/2012) - Northwestern Medicine researchers have discovered a "two-faced" group of cells at work in human colon cancer, with opposing functions that can suppress or promote tumor growth. These cells are a subset of T-regulatory (Treg) cells, known to suppress immune responses in healthy individuals. Northwestern University is home to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dana-Farber researchers find new culprit in castration-resistant prostate cancer
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/14/2012) - Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered a molecular switch that enables advanced prostate cancers to spread without stimulation by male hormones, which normally are needed to spur the cancer's growth. They say the finding could lead to a new treatment for prostate cancers that are no longer controlled by hormone-blocking drugs. The researchers report in the Dec. 14 issue of Science that the molecular switch occurs in a protein, EZH2, which is increased in these tumors, termed castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC).

Hunstman study finds rural dwellers less likely to follow cancer screening guidelines
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 12/14/2012) - People who reside in rural areas of Utah are less likely to follow colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations than their urban counterparts, according to researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah. This geographic disparity is evident across all risk groups, including those who have a family history of the disease.