January 2022 Notable News

January 2022 Notable News

January offers hope. This year is starting with many new and exciting advances in the areas of cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. A simple blood test has been found to detect if a patient has cancer and if it has metastasized in the body. There are now new clues as to how ovarian cancer begins and therefore might be prevented. Cancers have been found to be sorted by immune archetypes to make more precise immunotherapies to treat the cancer. It is encouraging to see the results of the prevention efforts, there is new research to show that the HPV cancer vaccine is saving lives.

Blood Test for Cancer Detection

A University of Oxford study outlines a new type of blood test that can be used to detect a range of cancers and whether these cancers have spread (metastasized) in the body, reports MedicalXpress.com. This blood test can be helpful in finding and staging cancer in the future for patients with non-specific symptoms that concern the provider. This is the first simple blood test to find metastatic cancer without any prior knowledge of the cancer type. A different technique is used with this blood test, it uses magnetic fields and radio waves to profile metabolites from the cancer tumors in the blood. Early diagnosis of cancer offers a better prognosis for patients, this blood test is easily, quickly, and affordably done by a primary doctor. Find more information here.

Clues into Ovarian Cancer

In a new study, scientists used stem cells created from the blood samples of women with BRCA mutations and ovarian cancer to fashion a model of fallopian tube tissue. There, they found first hints of ovarian cancer in the fallopian tube tissue, reports U.S.News.com. The hope is that by studying this tissue, they can predict ovarian cancer many years in advance of it developing. Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths for women due in part to the subtlety of the symptoms. Women with BRCA-1 mutations have a much higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. If scientists can find the abnormalities in the fallopian tube tissue, they may be able to stop the cancer. Using this fallopian tissue, they may be able to test which drug is most effective on the cancer without having to expose the patient to the drug first. The findings of this study may allow doctors to have early detection of ovarian cancer and have more effective treatments for the patient. Find more information here.

Sorting Cancers to Develop Precision Treatments

Using data from over 300 patient tumors, researchers have described 12 classes of ‘immune archetypes’ to classify cancer tumors, reports Sciencedaily.com. This study showed that cancers from different parts of the body respond similarly immunologically. Tumors are made up of immune cells that are supposed to fight the cancer cells, but with cancer cells, they overpower the body’s immune cells and take over. These ‘immune archetypes’ allow for doctors to personalize each patient’s cancer immunotherapy. This information helps researchers explain why immunotherapy works for some patients and not others. These archetypes increase information needed by physicians to appropriately treat the cancer tumors with the right immunotherapy, thereby significantly improving patient outcomes. Find more information here.

HPV Vaccine Saves Lives

New data confirms that the vaccine is already saving lives. The number of cervical cancer cases and deaths among American women dropped after the HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, according to a November 2021 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports mskcc.org. While this study speaks for itself, there are still many people afraid to get this vaccine for their children. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection with very severe consequences to the body. There is an increase in throat and neck cancer caused by HPV, this has greatly affected both men and women. Physicians want to emphasize that this vaccine does not promote sexual activity, this vaccine saves lives. This simple vaccine can save the lives of many people and prevent cancer caused by HPV from ever occurring. Find more information here.