Tag Archive for: liver cancer

January 2023 Notable News

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This month the focus is on cancer screening and education, both equally important in improving patient outcomes. A new metabolite has been found in urine of patients with a form of liver cancer, allowing for a new urine screening tool to detect the cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers; education about symptom recognition could help save lives with earlier detection. Scientists are studying how cells move through the body with the hope of preventing metastasis of cancer cells in the future.

Urine Test Hope for Early Liver Cancer Diagnosis

Staff at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute in Glasgow have identified a metabolite never found before in mammals which could indicate the presence of the disease reports BBC News. Currently, there is no urine test available for any kind of cancer. Liver cancer is usually diagnosed through blood tests, ultrasound scans, and surgery. Scientists discovered a new metabolite while studying glutamine synthetase, which is a protein present in normal liver tissue of mice. This new metabolite is called N5-methylglutamine and is present in the urine of patients with a specific type of liver cancer. This specific liver cancer has a gene mutation of beta-catenin. This urine test will indicate if the patient has this form of liver cancer and may also be used to monitor growth of tumors. Diagnosis of liver cancer is often in the late stages, making the patient’s outcome less favorable. This test could allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment, leading to better patient outcomes. Click to read the full story.

14 Signs of Deadliest Cancer You’re Most Likely to Ignore

Pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, is particularly hard to spot as it does not cause and signs of symptoms in the early stages reports The US Sun. This cancer typically has a lower survivability rate of death in less than 3 months of diagnosis. The pancreas is located behind the stomach and under the liver, this location makes it difficult to treat. The purpose of the pancreas is to put digestive enzymes in the stomach to break down food. It is also responsible for releasing hormones that regulate blood sugar. Understanding some common symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer could help with earlier cancer detection. Due to the pancreas’ functions, common symptoms are indigestion, abdominal or back pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. More symptoms can include weight loss, fatigue, changes in bowel habits, and difficulty swallowing food. Patients can experience jaundice, itchiness, and depression or anxiety. Pancreatic cancer diagnosis can sometimes be detected with a recent diabetes diagnosis since the pancreas regulates blood sugar. Finally, blood clots can occasionally be a sign of cancer. Click to read the full story.

A Look at How Cancer Cells Move and Metastasize Could Help Doctors Stop Them From Spreading

Instead of focusing on just the effect of the “solid” environment of cells, researchers are turning toward their “fluid” environment reports Popular Science. Scientists are studying how fluids affect cell migration. In cancer cells, the fluid between the cells is thicker than healthy cells. This thicker fluid causes cancer cells to move and spread quicker. The cancer cells maintain a memory after being in the thicker fluid and continue to move faster and leak out into surrounding tissue causing metastasis. Metastasis is usually what kills cancer patients. This new knowledge that fluid viscosity affects cell migration can be used to create potential drug targets to reduce the spread of cancer. Click to read the full story.

October 2022 Digital Health Roundup

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Scientists have out done themselves in the arena of innovation for cancer treatments and detection this month. Fibroscan is a tool using ultrasound for oncologists to detect liver changes that could lead to further testing for diagnosing and treating liver cancer. A group of researchers have developed artificial intelligence to help oncologists determine the best drug therapy for each patient and their individual cancer. A small wireless implant is being tested to help battle deadly brain cancer tumors with less side effects than standard treatments for the patient.

Can A Fibroscan Detect Liver Cancer

Fibroscan is a noninvasive imaging test that may help diagnose liver cancer reports Healthline.com. Fibroscan uses ultrasound or sound waves to see the liver. It bounces sound waves off of the liver and can show signs of damage such as scarring and stiffness. Scarring or stiffness can be signs of cancer. Fibroscan shows more detail than a standard ultrasound and it can show changes to the liver over time. This tool has been helpful for finding hepatocellular carcinoma which is the most common type of liver cancer. If the Fibroscan detects certain changes to the liver, a biopsy can be done to detect if cancer is present. The Fibroscan is a quick test lasting about 15 minutes that requires fasting 3 hours before the test. Early detection of liver cancer increases the patient’s chance of survival. Click to read the full story.

It’s Like Molecular Speed Dating: LSU Using Artificial Intelligence In Cancer Treatment

Using algorithms originally designed to map complex social networks, like those utilized by Facebook, researchers generated three-dimensional graphs of molecular datasets that include cancer cell lines, drug compounds and interactions among proteins inside the human body reports TheAdvocate.com. This AI helps oncologists find drug therapies that work best on each patients different cancer. The information this AI provides will help patients get the correct treatment quicker and cut cost by choosing the right treatment the first time. The graphs created are analyzed by the AI. Researchers train the AI by inputing data, then ask it for what medicine would work best for that particular cancer. The AI makes a prediction based on the data and the researchers test the results in a wet lab. The team used six combinations of cancer cell lines with the drugs most toxic to their gene profile. The AI is able to match the cancer cell lines with the best drug much quicker, giving the patient the best treatment option. Click to read the full story.

A Small Wireless Implant Could Help Kill Deadly Brain Tumors

Researchers at Stanford Medicine developed and tested a wireless device in mice that is small enough to be inserted into a mouse’s brain to kill cancerous cells reports InterestingEngineering.com. This implant is activated remotely and heats up nanoparticles that are injected into the cancerous tumor to kill the cancer. The nanopartilces treat only the tumor so it has less side effects than chemotherapy and radiation. The implant uses photothermal treatment which uses light to heat up the nanoparticles. Photothermal treatment used to only be used during surgery when the brain was exposed to a light, but with the implant it can be done remotely. The device generates heat at the precise site of the tumor and is implanted between the skin and the skull. Then gold nanoparticles are injected into the tumor through a tiny hole in the skull. The implant then sends out infrared light that penetrates the brain tissue to activate the nanoparticles, it increases the temperature by up to 5 degrees Celsius. The power of the implant and wavelength of light can be adjusted to treat the cancer. Click to read full story.

June 2022 Notable News

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This month innovative technology and research has enabled doctors and scientists to look at reasons for increasing numbers of cancer cases, leading to preventative measures. United States Veterans are at a higher risk for getting a deadly skin cancer, melanoma. Research shows that the causes of liver cancer are changing, it is the third deadliest cancer. And finally, a team of scientists using a new genomic technique have found some causes of upper gastrointestinal cancers.

U.S. Veterans at Higher Risk for Deadly Skin Cancer Melanoma

U.S. veterans are at higher risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, than most Americans, and new research finds they are also more likely to have advanced-stage disease when it is detected reports UPINews.com . When the cancer is found, it has typically spread to the lymph nodes or other areas of the body through the bloodstream. Of all the skin cancers, melanoma has the highest mortality rate. Older white males are at higher risk for developing skin cancer, which are a higher percentage of veterans. Many veterans service took place outside in high UV environments, and it is less likely that sunscreen was worn. Melanoma is now preventable by wearing protective clothing and using 30 SPF or higher sunscreen. Early screening and diagnosis increase the chances of survival. Find more information here.

Causes of Liver Cancer are Changing, Study Finds

The primary causes of liver cancer are well known, viral (hepatitis B and C), alcohol and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition in which fat builds up in the liver, resulting in chronic inflammation and damage reports Knowridge.com . The hepatitis B vaccine and use of antiviral medications have caused a decrease in Hepatitis B liver cancer. Liver cancer is the third leading cause of all cancer deaths. The causes of the rise in liver cancer are now shifting with an increase in alcohol consumption and an increase in obesity. Simple lifestyle changes can lower the risk of getting liver cancer, such as decreasing alcohol intake and making dietary changes to help prevent getting a fatty liver. Find more information here.

New Genomic Technique Identifies Roots of Upper GI Cancers

A team of scientists at Van Andel Institute findings reveal that, in upper GI cancers, the oxidative stress caused by inflammation damages specific parts of the DNA, causing guanine to be replaced with oxidized guanine. These errors prevent DNA from being copied accurately- a key hallmark of cancer reports Technologynetworks.com . Upper GI cancers are preceded by inflammatory conditions such as H. pylori bacteria, this bacterium causes stomach ulcers. Another inflammatory condition is Barrett’s esophagus, this is caused from acid reflux. This team uses circle damage sequencing to determine where mutations occur in DNA sequencing. Circle damage sequencing has also been used to study the mutations that cause melanoma. Find more information here.

April 2022 Notable News

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April brings positive news in the field of oncology. Advances in methods of chemotherapy delivery offers a new hope in the treatment of cancer. Scientists have also developed new materials to assist the body in fighting cancer. With all the amazing and lifesaving new treatments discovered with each new day, there is still much damage to be repaired in screening and diagnosis of cancer caused by the pandemic.

New Highly Effective Treatment for Liver Cancer

A new treatment for liver cancer which isolates the organ and “bathes” it in chemotherapy has been found to be effective in almost 90%of patients, reports newschain.com . This treatment uses two small balloons to make the blood supply to the liver flow around it instead of to it, for one hour. During the hour, the chemotherapy is delivered to the liver. This method allows for higher chemotherapy doses to be used because it does not go directly into the bloodstream, therefore not causing damage to other parts of the body. After the chemotherapy is delivered, the blood supply to the liver is drained and filtered. Typically, there is a poor outcome when liver cancer is diagnosed, due to how the treatment damages other parts of the body. This new treatment helps lessen that damage, therefore allowing a better outcome. Patients have a quicker recovery from this treatment and a better quality of life during the chemotherapy treatment. There is hope that this technique may be used to treat other types of cancer as well. Find more information here.

Simple Delivery Method Enhances Promising Cancer Treatment

One cutting-edge cancer treatment exciting researchers today involves collecting and reprogramming a patient’s T cells-a special set of immune cells-then putting them back into the body ready to detect and destroy cancerous cell reports MedicalXpress.com. These cells are called chimeric antigen receptor T cells or CAR-T cells. Engineers at Stanford University have developed a hydrogel to deliver these immune cells next to a tumor in the body to make the cells more effective. This gel is made of water, and a polymer from cellulose and biodegradable nanoparticles. This hydrogel makes the CAR-T cells effective in treating solid tumors, instead of only treating blood cancers. The cells are not going into the bloodstream but right next to the tumor, allowing for the tumor to have a longer exposure to the immune cells. Find more information here.

Doctor’s Warn of Cancer Survival Rates Going into Reverse

Many lives will end “prematurely” due to a combination of a reluctance of some people to come forward and seek help for symptoms and delayed treatments during the Covid-19 pandemic reports www.ShropshireStar . If cancer is diagnosed in later stages, it is harder to treat and the patients’ survivability decreases. During and since the pandemic, cancer surgeries have been backlogged or cancelled. There are significant staffing shortages which affect patient access to care, diagnosis, and treatment. There are shortages in oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and nurses to care for the cancer patients. In England, they are asking for government interference for solutions to these issues, there are dramatically fewer people getting screened for cancer since the pandemic. This decrease in screening will have a serious consequence to patient survivability. Find more information here.

June 2020 Notable News

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It’s officially summer so grab a cup of coffee and soak up some vitamin D because this month we learn that both of those things can help prevent cancer. We also learn about the recall of a popular drug and the approval of some others. In addition, there’s a new blood test to diagnose liver cancer and some tips on how to recognize skin cancer. Finally, research shows that COVID-19 remains a very real threat, especially for cancer patients.

Vitamin D and Coffee Benefits

With so much going on, your vitamin D status may not be on your mind, but you might want to give it some thought, reports sciencedaily.com. It turns out that a good vitamin D status is good for cancer prevention and prognosis, especially for colon and blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Conversely, a low vitamin D status often correlates with higher incidence of cancer and lower survival rates. You can learn more about vitamin D and cancer here.

While you’re out soaking up the vitamin D from the sun’s rays, you might want to bring your favorite cup of coffee because there’s evidence that coffee could reduce the risk of cancer, reports dailycoffeenews.com. The news comes from an update in the diet activity guidelines from the American Cancer Society. It’s not known how or why coffee seems to help prevent several types of cancers, but there’s been a decade of research that supports the claim. In addition to coffee, the American Cancer Society recommends following a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, staying active, and maintaining a healthy weight. Research shows that diet and exercise lifestyle choices are connected to 18 percent of all cancer cases in the United States. Learn more about coffee and cancer here.

Take a Look at Your Skin

All this talk about sun exposure makes it a good time to think about skin cancer. Especially since there’s room for improvement in skin cancer survival rates, says consumerreports.org. Getting to know your own skin could be the key to survival. A Consumer Reports survey found that only 52 percent of Americans have their skin regularly checked by a doctor. There’s debate about whether or not everyone should see a dermatologist every year, but early detection of skin cancer makes a big difference. When skin cancer is found early treatment is relatively non-invasive and early stage melanoma has a 98 percent survival rate. So, whether you see a doctor or not, you should perform monthly skin checks of your own. Get familiar with the moles and marks on your skin and look for any that don’t seem to fit in. If you find something that looks irregular, let your doctor know. Learn more and find examples of what skin cancer looks like here.

Metformin Hydrochloride Recall

While you’re checking your skin, you might also need to check your list of medications. A popular diabetes drug has been recalled due to cancer risk, reports webmd.com. All lots of metformin hydrochloride extended release 500 mg tablets were recalled due to the possibility that they contained high levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) which is a chemical thought to cause cancer. A test by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found higher than allowed levels of NDMA in one lot of metformin. Get more information about the recall here.

FDA Expands Indication for Gardasil 9

The FDA has given accelerated approval for the use of a vaccine to prevent head and neck cancers, reports statnews.com. The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil 9, is recommended for both males and females ages 9 through 45 to prevent several cancers. However, the vaccine was not previously recommended as prevention for head and neck cancers even though they are commonly caused by HPV in the United States. The hope is that, by including head and neck cancers in the list of cancers the vaccine prevents, it will raise awareness for and help prevent the occurrence of these types of cancers. Find more about Gardasil here.

Good News for Thyroid and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The FDA has also given accelerated approval for a drug to treat thyroid and lung cancer, says cancer.gov. The drug selpercatinib (Retevmo) will treat people with thyroid or non-small cell lung cancer with tumors that have a gene alteration called RET. The drug blocks the RET proteins and was shown to shrink tumors. Selpercatinib has fewer side effects than older RET blocking drugs. Accelerated approval means that, although the drug has not gone through all required levels of testing, it can be approved for use, but testing must continue while the product is on the market. The process is only used for drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases without better treatment options. Learn more about the accelerated approval of selpercatinib here.

Combatting Nausea

There’s another drug of note this month giving hope to advanced cancer patients who have nausea and vomiting, says cancer.gov. In a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute the drug olanzapine (Zyprexa) was found to reduce nausea and vomiting in advanced cancer patients. Olanzapine is an antipsychotic medication mainly used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and has also been used off-label to prevent nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Learn more here.

Detecting Liver Cancer

The National Cancer Institute was also involved in a study where a blood test has been developed to determine which people are most likely to develop liver cancer, says cancer.gov. The simple blood test is used to check for exposure to certain viruses that lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which is the most common form of liver cancer. The test could help lead to early diagnosis and treatment. Most patients with HCC are diagnosed when the cancer is advanced and incurable, but when caught early the prognosis is much better. With HCC on the rise in the US, a test that could help with early detection is welcome news. Learn more about the testing here.

COVID-19 Update

The not-so-welcome news continues about the novel coronavirus. There are some new studies that emphasize the danger of the coronavirus for cancer patients, reports apnews.com. The studies showed that current and former cancer patients who developed COVID-19 were more likely to die within a month than people without cancer. One study showed that 13 percent of cancer patients with COVID-19 died. Another study found the death rate to be 28 percent. The studies are a reminder of how critical it is for cancer patients to do all they can to follow safety guidelines so they can avoid contracting the virus. Find out more here.