November 27, 2018

Revving Up the Immune System to Fight Lung Cancer

Like many people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer, Jodi R. had no trouble breathing and no pain. She didn’t know that lung cancer was growing in her body until she was on vacation in Alaska and began to cough up blood. “That made me think I better get go to the doctor. I […]

September 10, 2018

Understanding the Links Between Inflammation, Lifestyle and Cancer

Experts have long suspected inflammation may play some role in cancer’s development. In 1863, German scientist and physician Rudolf Virchow was the first to make the connection, observing that cancer often develops at sites of chronic inflammation. But researchers have only recently pinpointed chronic inflammation as a primary risk factor for cancer and other serious health conditions. […]

September 10, 2018

When Tumor Growth May Be a Good Thing

When you get sick, the lymph nodes in your neck may swell as your body amps up its production of white blood cells to fight the infection. The swelling is usually temporary, and once the threat has passed and the infection heals, the lymph nodes return to their normal, bean-shaped size. In a similar way, […]

August 10, 2018

Using Viruses to Attack Cancer May Help Stimulate the Immune System

New studies are finding a surprising potential ally in the fight against cancer: certain deadly viruses. In fact, since the late 1800s, doctors have observed that some cancer patients with viral infections have gone into remission, even though the reprieve was mostly temporary. The relationship may seem counterintuitive, but today researchers believe the cause and effect may […]

July 10, 2018

Dangerous Drug Interactions

Many people know that taking a sedative and an antihistamine at the same time can cause extreme drowsiness, or that taking an anti-inflammatory like Advil®, Aleve®or Motrin® while you’re on a blood thinner raises the risk of hemorrhaging. But some in the medical community, and the public, are less aware that common medicines may reduce the effectiveness of […]

June 6, 2018

Think You Know Your Age? Tiny Chromosome Tips May Say Otherwise

We all know how old we are chronologically. But do we know how old we are biologically? Everyone ages at a different pace. Lifestyle, genetics, stress and other factors contribute to keeping us younger than we look or aging us beyond our years. One telltale sign of the inner aging process may be found deep […]

June 6, 2018

What Men Need to Know About Factors that Impact Risk of Prostate Cancer

While anyone may be diagnosed with cancer, everyone has varying levels of risk based on genetics, environment and lifestyle. Certain larger populations may also be at increased risk compared to other groups. For instance, your risk of cancer may vary according to your race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographic location or gender. In the case of […]

May 2, 2018

Focused Radiation May Help Turn On the Immune System

Much of the buzz over doctors’ ability to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer has focused on targeted treatments—drugs designed to zero in on specific properties of cancer cells, disrupting their signals and exposing them to an immune attack. Now, researchers are discovering that these and other immunotherapy drugs may be even more powerful […]

April 3, 2018

Matchmaking for Transplants

Each year, thousands of people diagnosed with life-threatening diseases, including blood cancers, myelodysplastic syndrome, sickle cell disease and many others, require bone marrow or stem cell transplants to give them the best chance at beating their diseases. These patients require finding a matching donor, and while some find a match from a family member, nearly […]

April 3, 2018

Why Some Cancer Drugs Work Exceptionally Well for Some Patients and Not for Others

When researchers conduct a clinical trial on a new cancer drug, the therapy often doesn’t work for a majority of patients. But sometimes, one particular patient responds so well that the cancer stops growing, or even disappears completely. Such patients are so unique that scientists have a special name for them: unicorns. Also known as […]