Saturday, June 20, 2015

Cancer Research:Abdominal blood clots may indicate undiagnosed cancer ♦ Discovery may lead to targeted melanoma therapies ♦ Tests to gauge genetic risks for prostate cancer now are feasible

Abdominal blood clots may indicate undiagnosed cancer  A blood clot in an abdominal vein may be an indicator of undiagnosed cancer. The study also suggests that these clots predict poorer survival in patients with liver and pancreatic cancer.
Discovery may lead to targeted melanoma therapies Melanoma patients with high levels of a protein that controls the expression of pro-growth genes are less likely to survive. The research team found that the protein, called H2A.Z.2, promotes the abnormal growth seen in melanoma cells as they develop into difficult-to-treat tumors. H2A.Z.2 is part of the chromosome structure that packages genes, and has the ability to switch them on off.
New biomarkers might help personalize metastatic colorectal cancer treatment Metastatic colorectal cancer patients tend to live longer when they respond to the first line of chemotherapy their doctors recommend. To better predict how patients will respond to chemotherapy drugs before they begin treatment, researchers conducted a proof-of-principle study with a small group of metastatic colorectal cancer patients. The results revealed two genes that could help physicians make more informed treatment decisions for patients with this disease
Tests to gauge genetic risks for prostate cancer now are feasible Men with an elevated, genetically inherited risk for prostate cancer could be routinely identified with a simple blood or urine test potentially paving the way to better or earlier diagnosis. The study included 7,783 men with prostate cancer and 38,595 without the disease.
Discovery promises new treatments to thwart colon cancer Scientists have discovered how an immune system protein, called AIM2 (Absent in Melanoma 2), plays a role in determining the aggressiveness of colon cancer. They found that AIM2 deficiency causes uncontrolled proliferation of intestinal cells. Surprisingly, they also discovered that AIM2 influences the microbiota -- the population of gut bacteria -- apparently fostering the proliferation of 'good' bacteria that can protect against colon cancer

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