ACS News Today

A paper by American Cancer Society researchers published this week in Cancer, one of the Society's peer-reviewed journals, offers one of the largest and most detailed portraits of complementary and alternative therapy use among cancer survivors in the United States.

This week the US House of Representatives voted 326 to 102 to pass the Family Smoking Prevention Tobacco Control Act, which would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) power to regulate tobacco products. If the legislation is enacted, consumers would see tougher warning labels on cigarettes, as well as tighter restrictions on how they're marketed, especially to youth.

Women with breast cancer who undergo breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) may not have realistic expectations of what their breasts will look like after treatment, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Doctors and patients need to do a better job discussing the issue, researchers say, because disappointing cosmetic results can have a negative impact on women's quality of life.

Promising--yet preliminary--results from an early clinical trial show that the experimental drug abiraterone can significantly reduce the size of prostate cancer tumors in men who haven't responded to other therapies.

A study of nearly 20,000 men aged 66 and older with early-stage prostate cancer found that those who were prescribed androgen deprivation hormone therapy instead of other treatments were no better off than their counterparts who adopted a "wait and see" approach. However, younger men who aren't good candidates for surgery or radiation should still consider the therapy, which reduces androgen levels and often makes prostate cancers shrink or grow more slowly.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved another test that can help doctors determine whether a breast cancer patient is a good candidate for the drug Herceptin (trastuzumab). The test, called the SPOT-Light HER2 CISH kit, may help labs run more efficiently, but it won't ultimately change who gets the drug.

Following 11 preventive health strategies over the next 30 years could add an average of 1.3 years onto a US adult's life expectancy, according to a new report by researchers from 3 top health organizations. Approximately three-fourths of US adults could benefit from adopting at least one of these life-saving preventive activities, the scientists say.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are testing a non-surgical technique that may help doctors monitor how well non-small cell lung cancer patients are responding to treatment. Using a device known as a CTC-chip to analyze circulating tumor cells from patients' blood samples, the scientists were able to identify whether patients had genetic mutations that would make them less likely to respond to certain therapies.

Emory University researchers have developed a two-pronged outreach program that appears to significantly improve early-stage breast cancer detection among African American women. The program, which emphasizes health education and patient support, owes its success in large part to the work of specially-trained Community Health Advocates, who encourage women to get screened for breast cancer, and Patient Navigators, who help women if they're diagnosed.

The US Food and Drug Administration is taking action to protect consumers from fake cancer treatments. The agency issued 25 letters this week to 23 US-based companies and 2 foreign individuals warning them to stop promoting and selling products that fraudulently claim to prevent and cure cancer. The agency also posted a list of crackpot “cures” on its Web site, warning consumers to avoid 125 tablets, creams, teas, black salves, and tonics known to be scams.

Numerous studies have shown your risk of getting colon cancer is higher if you have a first-degree family member who had the disease. New research shows that your chances of surviving the disease may be influenced in part by your family ties, too.

This weekend top cancer researchers and physicians head to the Windy City for the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held May 30th through June 3rd.

Results from two pioneering studies led by researchers from Duke University Medical Center offer hope to patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the more common and deadliest types of brain tumors.

The benefits of exercise are well-documented in people without cancer. A growing body of research also shows that exercise can help people with the disease, too -- by reducing fatigue, improving physical functioning, and boosting overall wellbeing. And according to preliminary findings from researchers at Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, even some of the most challenged patient groups can reap the rewards. ...

The 3 major television networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—will join forces this fall to raise funds for cancer research. On Friday, September 5, 2008, instead of airing usual prime-time fare, all 3 plan to simultaneously broadcast an hour-long, commercial-free telethon benefitting cancer research.