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New Treatment Brings Hope for Rare, Deadly  Cancer Linked to Asbestos

Mick worked in a factory boiler room in the 1970s, where he was exposed to asbestos.

He didn't think much of it until 2018, when he began to feel ill and dropped more than 40 pounds.

The diagnosis: malignant mesothelioma, a rare but rapidly fatal cancer linked to asbestos.

“It was a bit of a shock: I was given four months to live,” Mick recalled in a Queen Mary University ...

Cancer Drug Shortages Persist Across U.S.

U.S. cancer centers continue to have shortages of commonly used chemotherapy drugs, a new survey shows, though the medications are not as scarce as they were last June.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers,

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 5, 2023
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  • Aerobic Exercise Might Ease Pain for Women Who've Survived Ovarian Cancer

    Patients being treated for ovarian cancer often experience peripheral neuropathy, a side effect from their chemotherapy that can cause both pain and numbness for months, or even years.

    Now, a new study suggests that six months of aerobic exercise may ease this unpleasant side effect.

    "The results from this trial hold the potential to transform supportive care for ovarian cancer surv...

    New Type of Treatment Tackles Tough-to-Treat Prostate Cancer

    A preclinical study offers a potential new therapy for treatment-resistant prostate cancer, offering new hope for men with the disease.

    The study used the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, administered orally, to disrupt the metabolism of prostate cancer cells and bring the medication directly into treatment-resistant cells.

    University of Miami researchers validated their targets in huma...

    Can Some Cancer Patients Safely Skip Radiation Therapy? New Studies Say Yes

    Radiation therapy might not be necessary in treating some forms of rectal cancer and lymphoma, sparing patients from the toxic treatment, a pair of new clinical trials shows.

    One trial found that rectal cancer patients whose tumors shrink in response to chemotherapy can safely skip the radiation therapy that's normally provided prior to surgery, researchers reported at the American Societ...

    Ultrasound Breaches Blood-Brain Barrier, Helping Drugs Fight Tumors

    Brain cancers are notoriously difficult to treat because most chemotherapy drugs can't breach the blood-brain barrier, a microscopic layer of cells that protect the brain from toxins.

    But researchers now say they can temporarily open that barrier and get more chemo to brain tumors, using an experimental ultrasound device.

    The technology led to a four- to sixfold increase in chemo dr...

    Black Cancer Patients Much More Prone to Chemo-Linked Heart Trouble

    Sometimes cancer, and the treatments meant to eradicate it, can damage the heart and blood vessels. Now, a new analysis finds that damage may be much more likely if the patient is Black.

    Black patients had 71% higher odds of developing what is known as cardiotoxicity following chemotherapy when compared to white patients. They also had increased odds of being diagnosed with congest...

    Implant Delivers Chemo Directly to Brain in Patients Battling Brain Tumors

    Researchers have found a way to safely deliver a steady supply of chemotherapy directly to brain tumors -- in what they hope will be an important advance for patients with currently incurable cancers.

    The treatment involves an implantable pump system that supplies a steady drip of chemo straight to the brain tumor. Researchers have tested it in five patients who had recurrent glioblastoma...

    Exercise During Chemo Helps Your Heart, Lungs Recover

    When you are getting chemotherapy, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. Now, new research suggests it should be the first.

    Exercising during chemotherapy is safe, improves long-term cardiac and respiratory function and may help ease some of the ravages of tr...

    Hearing Loss, Tinnitus Can Strike Cancer Survivors

    People who've had chemotherapy to treat a range of common cancers should also have a hearing test.

    In a new study of 273 cancer survivors, researchers found more than half experienced significant hearing loss even if they didn't realize it.

    “While hearing loss associated with the admin...

    Keytruda Extends Survival for Women With an Aggressive Breast Cancer

    Adding the drug Keytruda to standard chemotherapy can extend the lives of some women with an aggressive form of breast cancer, a new study finds.

    The study involved women with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, a hard-to-treat form of the disease. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is already approved in the Un...

    Abortion Bans Could Put Lives of Cancer Patients in Jeopardy

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will limit cancer treatment options for pregnant women and put lives needlessly at risk, America's leading cancer societies warn.

    About one in every 1,000 women who are pregnant will wind up being diagnosed wi...

    Cancer Survivors Face Higher Heart Risks Later

    If you survive cancer, you're more apt to have heart trouble later on, a new study shows.

    Researchers found that compared to others, cancer survivors had a 42% greater risk of heart disease, most likely due to

  • Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 30, 2022
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  • Surviving Childhood Cancer Can Take Toll on Adult Heart

    Adult survivors of childhood cancer have a higher risk of heart problems than other adults, but are much less likely to be treated for heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, new research shows.

    The findings highlight the need for greater awareness among both doctors and patients of the increased risk of heart disease among the estimated 500,...

    Gene Test Lets Some Colon Cancer Patients Safely Skip Chemo

    A blood test could save some colon cancer patients from getting unnecessary chemotherapy following surgery, while making sure that those who would benefit from the treatment get it, researchers report.

    The circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test looks for minute amounts of genetic material that are released by...

    Placebo Pill Eases Cancer-Related Fatigue in Study

    Patients with advanced cancer often suffer crippling fatigue, but there has been little in the way of relief for them as they battle their disease.

    Now, a new investigation may have landed on a surprising solution -- a dummy pill that contains no medication of any kind.

    "Cancer-related fatig...

    U.S. Spends More on Cancer Than Any Other Country. Why Are Survival Rates Low?

    The United States spends far more on cancer care than other wealthy nations, but it's not seeing a return on that investment in terms of lives saved, a new study shows.

    Compared with the average high-income country, researchers found the U.S. spends twice as much on cancer care -- more tha...

    Women at Higher Odds for Side Effects From Some Cancer Treatments

    Gender differences extend to cancer treatments, with women having a higher risk of severe side effects from certain treatments than men, a new study finds.

    Previous research concluded women tend to have more side effects from chemotherapy, and this new paper shows the same is true for

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  • February 15, 2022
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  • Exercise Might Boost Outcomes for People Battling Esophageal Cancer

    Alan Holman didn't stop exercising when told he had cancer, and he's glad of it, now that U.K. researchers say moderate exercise may improve chemotherapy outcomes in esophageal cancer patients.

    Holman, 70, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December 2016, shortly after retiring from his job as a facilities manager at a shopping mall in Britain. Like many patients, he underwent

    Drug Combo May Fight a Tough Form of Breast Cancer

    An experimental drug, added to chemotherapy, may benefit women with an aggressive form of breast cancer, suggests an early study offering much-needed good news.

    The study involved women with "triple-negative" breast cancer, which accounts for about 15% to 20% of breast cancers among U.S. women. It is so called because the cancers lack receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone, ...

    Drug Can Keep Leukemia in Remission for Years in Younger Patients

    For certain leukemia patients, some welcome findings: New research confirms long remissions after treatment with the drug ibrutinib and chemotherapy.

    The study involved 85 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). All were 65 or younger, and 46 had more aggressive, unmutated IGHV subtype of the d...

    New Treatment Greatly Boosts Survival for Kids With Aggressive Brain Cancer

    Children with the rare cancer neuroblastoma often succumb to the disease despite aggressive treatment. But researchers have found that adding an experimental antibody to that treatment, right off the bat, may improve their outlook.

    Of 64 children treated with the antibody in a clinical trial, 74% were still alive and free of a recurrence three years later. That compares with historical ra...

    Black Women Have Triple the Odds for Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Surgery

    A condition called lymphedema is a well-known side effect of breast cancer treatment that can lead to swelling in the arms and legs.

    New research suggests that Black women experience are at more than three times the risk of this painful issue compared to white women.

    "Lymphedema worsens quality of life for breast cancer patients," said the study's lead author, Dr. Andrea Barrio. S...

    What You Need to Know About Stomach Cancer

    New treatment options are giving hope to patients with stomach cancer.

    Also known as gastric cancer, the disease is the world's sixth most common cancer with 1.09 million new cases in 2020, according to the World Health Organization.

    It's an abnormal growth of cells that can affect any part of the stomach, but typically forms in the main part.

    "I tell patients who have been re...

    Breast Cancer Diagnosis Linked to Higher Odds for Dangerous A-Fib

    Women with breast cancer are known to have heart problems related to treatment, and now a new study shows their odds of developing an abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation (a-fib) may increase in the wake of a breast cancer diagnosis.

    Women who develop a-fib within a month of a breast cancer diagnosis are more likely to die from heart- or blood vessel-related problems within ...

    More Evidence That COVID Vaccines Are Safe for Cancer Patients

    COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for most cancer patients, a new study confirms.

    Cancer patients have an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID because their immune systems have been weakened by their disease or treatments.

    "We pursued this study because there were limited data on the safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in people with active cancer; no published pro...

    50 Years On, Real Progress in War Against Cancer

    Since 1971, when the U.S. government made defeating cancer a goal and put major funding behind it, death rates for many cancers have plummeted, but some are increasing, according to a new American Cancer Society report.

    Death rates for all cancers combined have declined since passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, according to the report. For example, in 2019, deaths from lung c...

    Targeted High-Dose Radiation Helps Fight Advanced Lung Cancer

    High-dose radiation therapy may stall tumor growth in patients with advanced lung cancer who are not fully responding to drug therapies, a preliminary study suggests.

    The study involved patients whose lung cancer was considered "oligoprogressive." That means the cancer had spread to other sites in the body, and the patients were having a mixed response to standard systemic treatments -- i...

    Nearly Half of U.S. Breast Cancer Patients Use Pot or CBD; Many Don't Tell Doctors

    When Brooklyn-based mom and fashion designer Suzanne Weiner began treatment for breast cancer three years ago, her medical marijuana card was her best friend.

    "Pot helped me tremendously with the anxiety and stress of my diagnosis," she said. "I was a mess." Weiner still smokes marijuana regularly to help lessen the side effects of an ongoing treatment that helps keep her cancer at bay.

    Tough Choices: Chemo That Can Save Kids With Cancer Can Also Damage Hearing

    The cancer drug cisplatin can save children's lives, but often with the side effect of hearing loss. Now a new study shows that young children are especially vulnerable, and the hearing damage may begin early in the course of treatment.

    The researchers said the findings highlight the need to screen kids' hearing during each round of cisplatin treatment, to catch problems early.

    Trials Show COVID Vaccines Well Worth It for Cancer Patients

    If you have cancer and you think coronavirus vaccines may do you little good, don't let your hesitation stop you from getting the shots: A pair of clinical trials finds that patients' immune systems ramped up after vaccination.

    The findings were presented this week during a virtual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO Congress 2021).

    "We have to vaccinate all o...

    Jeff Bridges Says Cancer Is in Remission, But COVID Fight Was Tougher

    Jeff Bridges has had a rough year.

    Almost a year ago, the actor was diagnosed with lymphoma. Then in January, he was exposed to the COVID-19 virus while receiving chemotherapy.

    "Covid kicked my (expletive) pretty good," Bridges wrote in a blog post on his website, USA Today reported.

    Bridges, 71, said he spent five weeks in the hospital with COVID-19 because his immun...

    Exercise Could Help Fight 'Chemo Brain' in Breast Cancer Patients

    For breast cancer patients battling "chemo brain," regular exercise may be a powerful prescription, a new study suggests.

    The term "chemo brain" refers to thinking and memory problems often experienced by patients who undergo chemotherapy.

    It's "a growing clinical concern," said study first author Elizabeth Salerno, an assistant professor of surgery at Washington University School o...

    Immune-Based Therapy May Help Some Battling Advanced Colon Cancers

    Immunotherapy helped extend the lives of some patients with the most common type of advanced colon cancer, researchers report.

    The new findings are important, they noted, because immunotherapy doesn't typically work against microsatellite stable (MSS) colon cancer. These patients have few treatment options once their disease no longer responds to chemotherapy.

    This study included 95...

    Fatigue Before Treatment Starts Might Affect Cancer Survival

    Significant fatigue at the start of cancer treatment is associated with a greater risk of severe side effects and shorter survival, a new study finds.

    Researchers analyzed data from four clinical trials of lung cancer or prostate cancer treatments that were conducted by the SWOG Cancer Research Network, a cancer clinical trials group funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

    The...

    Almost All Cancer Patients Respond Well to COVID-19 Vaccines

    Most cancer patients have a good immune response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, new research shows.

    Two of the three approved vaccines in the United States -- Pfizer and Moderna -- are mRNA vaccines.

    Researchers assessed 131 cancer patients and found that 94% developed antibodies to the new coronavirus three to four weeks after their second dose of a mRNA vaccine.

    Patients' median...

    Can You Keep Your Bladder After Bladder Cancer Strikes?

    After being diagnosed with bladder cancer, some patients face an almost impossible decision -- have their bladder removed or take a risk knowing that the cancer may be more likely to spread if the bladder is left intact.

    But what if there was another way?

    For David Cabelis, 68, the decision was more straightforward than most, as he had a unique opportunity to take part in a clinical...

    Many Americans Take Meds That Weaken COVID Vaccine Response

    A small but significant percentage of Americans take medications that can hamper their immune system and its response to COVID-19 vaccines, researchers say.

    Their analysis of data from more than 3 million adults under 65 with private insurance found that nearly 3% take immunosuppressive drugs. Those include chemotherapy medications and steroids such as prednisone.

    Two-thirds took an...

    Breast Cancer Treatments Don't Raise COVID Risks

    Early in the pandemic, some were concerned that breast cancer treatments that weaken the immune system might increase a person's risk of catching or dying from COVID-19.

    Now, new research shows that women who have these treatments are no more likely to become sick from the novel coronavirus or to die from it than women being treated with other cancer treatments that do not weaken immune d...

    How the Pandemic Changed Breast Cancer Care

    As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, breast cancer experts realized space in operating rooms and hospitals could become scarce. That meant rethinking standard care, to provide the best way to treat patients under these suddenly restricted conditions.

    One of the new ideas: Reverse the order of care given to patients with a type of breast cancer known as estrogen receptor-positive (ER+). ER+ ...

    New Hope Against a Rare but Incurable Eye Cancer

    A cutting-edge experimental drug cuts nearly in half the risk of death among patients with a rare but aggressive cancer of the eye, new clinical trial data show.

    Tebentafusp has now become the first drug shown to improve overall survival in patients with uveal melanoma, said Dr. Antoni Ribas, immediate past president of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), in a

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • April 20, 2021
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  • She's Beating Leukemia With a Healthy Change to Her Diet

    Angie Gaytan never cared much for beets, but beets sure do love her -- doctors say that veggie shakes, fruits, beet juice and other healthy foods likely helped the 16-year-old defeat her life-threatening leukemia.

    Such a healthy diet helped more than Angie: A new study found that adopting a low-fat, low-sugar diet appeared to boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy in a group of 40 childr...

    Surgery Can Boost Outcomes After Chemo for People With Pancreatic Cancer

    Even in patients with stage 2 pancreatic cancer, surgery is typically worthwhile after chemotherapy, because it appears to extend patients' lives, a new study concludes.

    In stage 2 cancer, the tumor has already grown large enough to be close to vessels that supply blood to nearby organs, such as the liver or intestines.

    That can complicate surgeries and cause doctors to hesitate go...

    Drug Boosts Survival for Women With Advanced Ovarian Cancer

    Women with advanced ovarian cancer often face grim statistics, with less than half surviving for five years after their diagnosis. However, a new study suggests that so-called "maintenance therapy" with a targeted cancer drug may add years to some patients' lives.

    In findings described by some experts as "remarkable," the study showed that women with advanced ovarian cancer linked to the ...

    Could Stem Cell Therapy Be a Breakthrough Against MS?

    Stem cell transplants may have long-lasting benefits for some people with aggressive cases of multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests.

    Italian researchers found that among 210 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received a stem cell transplant -- with cells from their own blood -- two-thirds saw no worsening in their disability 10 years out.

    That included 71% of patients with rela...

    Surgery Could Boost Survival for Women With Advanced Breast Cancers: Study

    Women with advanced breast cancer who undergo surgery to remove the tumor after chemotherapy or another type of systemic treatment may live longer than those who don't have surgery, a new study suggests.

    The findings challenge a long-held belief that surgery confers little benefit for women with stage 4 breast cancer unless the cancer is causing pain, bleeding or other symptoms. Stage 4 i...

    Some Older Breast Cancer Patients Can Safely Cut Down on Chemo

    More women with early-stage breast cancer may be able to safely skip chemotherapy after having surgery, according to initial results from a major clinical trial.

    The trial, conducted in nine countries, found that adding chemotherapy to hormone-blocking drugs brought no added benefit to a particular group of patients. Those were postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer tha...

    Many Breast Cancer Survivors Have Healthy Babies: Study

    When a young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, many questions go through her mind.

    What treatments does she need? Will she survive? And will she still be able to have a baby?

    In a review of recent research, an international team of investigators say the answer to that critical third question is yes. Though breast cancer survivors are less likely to become pregnant than the ave...

    Certain Cancer Treatments May Heighten Danger From COVID-19

    People with cancer are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Now, a preliminary study suggests that certain cancer therapies may heighten those odds even further.

    Researchers found that of 3,600 U.S. cancer patients who contracted COVID-19, the highest risk of death was among those who'd received cancer treatment within the past three months.

    And the type of therapy mattere...

    Mother and Son Draw Hope, Healing From Shared Cancer Treatment

    Families bond over lots of shared experiences -- but one Leslie Seigel and her adult son, Josh, never expected to share was battling cancer.

    Soon after Leslie finished chemotherapy for an aggressive form of breast cancer, however, Josh found himself waging his own battle with testicular cancer.

    The mother and son soon learned they shared something else -- a genetic mutation ...