Category: Cancer

Categories : CancerTags :

Updated Colorectal Cancer Guidelines: New Stool Tests, Limited Use of Blood Tests

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Source: CC0

With colorectal cancer a growing concern among younger people, the American Cancer Society has endorsed two new types of stool tests to encourage people to get screened while also recommending a limited role for new blood tests many patients find appealing.

The recommendations are an update to the ACS’s screening guidelines – an update led by Andrew Wolf, MD, a cancer-prevention expert at UVA Health. He and a blue-ribbon panel of cancer experts conducted a systemic review of the available colorectal cancer tests to determine which are most effective. In addition to recommending a next-generation DNA stool test and a new type of RNA stool test, the group is advising doctors to recommend blood tests only to  patients who decline all other options.

The recommendations come with a dose of pragmatism: “The most effective screening test,” the panel concludes, “is the one that the patient completes.”

“The new guidance adds a stool RNA test and an updated stool DNA test to the menu of preferred options for colorectal cancer screening, which currently include colonoscopy and stool tests that detect tiny amounts of blood, among other options,” said Wolf, a professor emeritus at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “Although the idea of a blood test for colorectal cancer sounds very attractive, they aren’t yet as good as the other tests at detecting precancerous growths and early-stage cancer, so we don’t believe they are as effective as a screening test. That said, we’re very hopeful that broadening the array of options will get more folks screened and reduce the burden of suffering from colorectal cancer.”

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, killing 55 000 people in 2026. Improvements in detection, screening and treatment have contributed to declining colorectal cancer death rates over the last several decades, but that decline has been accompanied since 2013 by an alarming increase in the cancer among people under the age of 50. Among that age group, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men and the second-leading cause for women.

In response, the American Cancer Society in 2018 lowered the recommended age for initial colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45 for people at average risk. It also affirmed the importance of screening tools such as stool-based tests as well as visual exams such as colonoscopies. Since then, however, new, multi-target stool tests and blood-based screening tests have become available. The new blood tests proved popular in a patient survey, with 53% of respondents saying they would prefer blood testing every three years to taking a stool test every year or receiving a colonoscopy every 10.

For the latest guideline update, Wolf and his colleagues examined the effectiveness of the new tests to provide doctors with guidance on if, how and when they should be used. The experts conclude that the DNA and RNA tests had high sensitivity for detecting colorectal cancer and moderate sensitivity for detecting advanced precancerous lesions that are about to turn into cancer. The blood tests, on the other hand, showed lower sensitivity for both advanced precancerous lesions and stage 1 cancers.

“While colorectal screening blood tests may not be as effective as other options, they are certainly better than not screening,” Wolf said. “So if a patient declines a stool test or a visual exam like a colonoscopy, a blood test would be the way to go, as long as the patient understands it is not as effective, and, if it is positive, they will still need to have a colonoscopy.”

Based on their results, the experts endorse the stool tests for patients at average risk but urge doctors to reserve the blood tests for patients who refuse other screening options. And they recommend that anyone who tests positive on any stool or blood test should receive a colonoscopy promptly.

It’s important, they note, that doctors explain to patients the strengths and weaknesses of the available tests so that patients can make informed decisions.

“Currently, almost a third of adults are not up to date with colorectal cancer screening, and among those ages 45 to 49, it’s twice that number,” Wolf said. “We hope these new options will help to close this gap. The most important message is that colorectal cancer is a disease you don’t have to die from, and there’s a screening test out there that’s right for you.”

Better preventing, detecting and treating cancer is the core mission of UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only 57 cancer centers in the nation to earn the prestigious “comprehensive” designation from the National Cancer Institute. That designation is awarded only to elite cancer centers with the most outstanding cancer care and research programs in the country.

Guidelines Published

The ACS researchers have published the new colorectal cancer guidelines online. 

Source: EurekAlert!

Categories : Cancer GeneticsTags :

Gene Analysis Predicts Breast Cancer Response to Chemotherapy

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that gene analysis of breast cancer tumours can identify patients who do not benefit from chemotherapy given before surgery. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, could in the long term contribute to more personalised treatment.

The study included 179 patients with hormone dependent, HER2 negative breast cancer who took part in the Swedish PREDIX LumB trial. Before surgery, all patients received both treatments, but in different sequences. They were given either chemotherapy followed by hormone blocking therapy together with the drug palbociclib, which slows the division of cancer cells, or the reverse sequence.

When the researchers analysed the results, they found that the treatments led to similar reductions in tumour size overall. Survival was also similar regardless of whether treatment started with chemotherapy or with palbociclib and hormone blocking therapy.

Not all tumours responded

At the same time, the analyses showed that there was a subgroup of tumours with a poorer response to chemotherapy but a better response to palbociclib in combination with hormone‑blocking therapy.

To understand why some tumours did not respond to chemotherapy, the researchers analysed tumour gene expression, how active different genes are in the tumour, in tissue samples taken before treatment started. Based on these analyses, they developed a model called CDKPredX, which can identify tumours that respond poorly to chemotherapy but better to palbociclib combined with hormone blocking therapy.

“Today, we lack reliable ways to determine in advance which patients will actually benefit from chemotherapy before surgery. Our results show that tumour gene expression can provide important information in this respect,” says first author Alexios Matikas, docent at the Department of Oncology‑Pathology, Karolinska Institutet. 

The model is based on patterns of gene expression in the tumour, including genes involved in cell division, hormone signalling and the immune system. When the researchers tested the model in other patient groups, they observed similar patterns.

Further studies are needed

“In the longer term, this type of analysis could help patients avoid treatments that do not benefit them, such as chemotherapy, and instead receive treatment that has a better chance of working. At the same time, further studies are needed before the method can be used in clinical practice,” says senior author Theodoros Foukakis, professor at the same department. 

The researchers emphasise that the study is exploratory and that the genetic analysis is not yet ready for clinical use. Nevertheless, the results provide new insights into why different tumours respond differently to treatment.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : CancerTags :

One‑week Radiotherapy Course Effective for Early‑stage Breast Cancer

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New UK research has found that a one-week course of post-surgery radiotherapy is just as safe and effective as the traditional three-week course for people with early-stage breast cancer. 

The FAST-Forward trial, led by Keele’s Professor Murray Brunt and sponsored by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, followed more than 4000 patients for a decade after their treatment.  

The 10-year results of this phase III randomised trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and published in the Lancet Oncology, show that a shorter, five-day radiotherapy schedule provides the same level of cancer control as the traditional three-week treatment.  

These findings build on previous five-year results that have already driven a shift in clinical practice. Since 2020, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people in the UK have already benefited from the shorter course on the NHS. Researchers expect this approach will also reduce the burden on people undergoing treatment for breast cancer worldwide and expand access to life-saving radiotherapy.  

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, and radiotherapy plays a critical role in reducing the risk of recurrence after surgery. A shorter treatment course is not only more convenient for patients – it also reduces hospital visits and eases pressure on radiotherapy services, making treatment more accessible.  

The research team compared the traditional schedule of 15 treatments over three weeks with two shorter schedules that used five treatments over one week. The two shorter courses gave slightly different amounts of radiation to allow the research team to work out the best dose.   

After 10 years, cancer coming back in the treated breast was very low in all three groups: 3.6% for the standard three-week treatment, 2.9% with the one-week treatment with a slightly higher dose, 2.1% with the one-week treatment with a slightly lower dose.   

The lower dose one-week treatment had side effects that were very similar to the standard approach, with no increase in long-term breast or chest wall changes. Because of this, this dose and schedule are now the recommended option.  

Professor Murray Brunt, chief investigator of the FAST-Forward study and Professor of Clinical Oncology at Keele University, said: “These 10-year results provide definitive long-term evidence that one-week radiotherapy given at an appropriate dose to the breast is a safe, effective, and more practical option for people with breast cancer. 

“By reducing treatment from 15 sessions to just five, we can offer patients the same excellent cancer control with fewer hospital visits, less disruption to their daily life, and reduced pressure on healthcare services. This approach has already transformed practice in the UK and has the potential to improve access to life-saving treatment for people with cancer worldwide. 

“Hearing patients talk about how much it helps to only need one week of radiotherapy has been really encouraging for everyone involved.”  

Professor Judith Bliss, Professor of Clinical Trials at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who co-led the trial, said: “The FAST-Forward trial is transforming cancer treatment by reducing standard breast radiotherapy from 3 weeks to just one week, without compromising effectiveness.  

“The streamlined schedule has made radiotherapy more accessible, particularly for people who find it difficult to attend hospital and those in lower-income countries.”  

“The FAST-Forward trial is part of a long-term programme of research into improving breast cancer radiotherapy at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).  

“These final 10-year results mark a significant milestone in breast cancer treatment and reinforce the growing shift toward more efficient radiotherapy approaches. The success of FAST-Forward has led to the ongoing NIHR-funded FAST-Forward Boost trial, which is investigating whether more extensive radiotherapy – including an additional ‘boost’ dose for some patients – can also safely be delivered in five days.  

Professor Anthony Gordon, Director for NIHR’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme, added: “The legacy of the FAST-Forward trial is clear to see, with thousands of women benefiting from shorter courses of radiotherapy and fewer hospital visits, helping the health and care sector to achieve more effective and efficient use of resources. The new 10-year results show the benefit of investing in high-quality, long-term research to improve the health and wealth of the nation.  

“NIHR’s research aims to tackle the most urgent health and social care challenges, targeting the areas of greatest need and where the most significant impact can be made. The findings from the FAST-Forward trial have already made a considerable difference to the treatment regimens that breast cancer patients undergo, making them more efficient, while at the same time, easing pressure on NHS services.”

Source: Keele University

Categories : Cancer General InterestTags :

One Mother Beat Blood Cancer Against the Odds. Thousands of Others Are Still Searching for Their Chance.

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As a professional photographer and mother of two young children, Claire had always been busy, but the long hours and constant fatigue felt like an occupational hazard. She never imagined that exhaustion could signal something far more serious than a demanding schedule.

Then, in January 2024, it happened: Claire blacked out at her desk while editing videos. It was her body’s final, unmistakable warning. What followed was a hospital stay, a bone marrow biopsy, and a diagnosis that would change her life forever. Claire had been diagnosed with blood cancer, specifically Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a serious bone marrow condition that, without treatment, can be fatal.

She was just 30 years old. And she was far from alone. Blood cancer remains one of the top five causes of cancer death in South Africa. Despite being potentially curable, countless patients never find their matching donor in time. Claire was determined not to become another statistic.

A Road Full of Obstacles

Claire’s path to diagnosis was not straightforward. Doctors initially attributed her worsening symptoms to iron deficiency, leaving her untreated as her condition quietly progressed. By the time MDS was correctly identified, the only viable path forward was a stem cell transplant.

While awaiting a donor match, Claire endured bi-weekly injections to keep her body stable, a gruelling holding pattern as her family and medical team searched for hope. That hope came through DKMS Africa, which successfully identified a fully matched, unrelated donor for Claire.

The first transplant, using cells from that 100% unrelated matched donor, was performed with great hope. Unfortunately, it was not successful.

Claire’s medical team was not deterred. Turning to family, they proceeded with a haplo-identical transplant, a “half-match” procedure using stem cells donated by Claire’s brother. This second transplant was successful.

Why Every Match Still Matters

Claire’s outcome is cause for deep gratitude and genuine celebration. But her journey also carries an urgent message that must not be lost in the relief of her survival.

Haplo-identical transplants, where stem cells are donated by a family member who is only a partial genetic match rather than a full one, can offer a path forward when a fully matched donor cannot be found. However, this option is not available or ideal for everyone. Not all patients have a suitable family donor, and even when they do, the procedure carries greater medical complexity and risk than a fully matched stem cell transplant.

For most patients, a 100% match from an unrelated donor remains the gold standard: the safest and most effective option. Yet only around 30% of patients find a compatible donor within their own family, meaning the remaining 70% depend entirely on a stranger’s decision to join the registry. The more people who register as potential donors, the greater the chance that every patient in need will find their match.

The critical shortage of registered donors, particularly from diverse ethnic backgrounds, means that for many, the search ends without a match. Despite blood cancer being potentially curable, countless patients never find their matching donor in time.

Every name added to the registry is a potential lifeline for someone, somewhere, waiting for their match.

A Family Restored

Today, Claire is recovering. Her children have their mother. Her family, who stood beside her through diagnosis, uncertainty, and two transplants, now share in a renewed sense of hope and possibility.

Her story does not end with survival. It continues with a plea to every person who has considered registering as a stem cell donor and hasn’t yet done so. “Help save others like me. We need more people to register as potential stem cell donors. Your registration could mean the difference between life and death.”

Categories : CancerTags :

New Drug Doubles One-year Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Trial

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Phase 2 randomised trial shows 38% reduction in risk of death with the drug when combined with chemotherapy

Kaplan–Meier estimates of OS in the mITT and ITT populations. Nature Medicine, 2026.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and among the hardest to treat, with most patients surviving less than a year after diagnosis. But a new drug developed at Northwestern University may soon help patients live longer.

In a randomised phase 2 clinical trial, patients who received the experimental drug elraglusib, alongside standard chemotherapy, were twice as likely to be alive after one year of treatment, compared to those receiving chemotherapy alone. The drug also reduced the risk of death by 38%.

The study is one of only a few successful randomised trials in the last decade to show a survival benefit that would be applicable to a broad population of pancreatic cancer patients, according to the authors.

The study, which was led by Northwestern Medicine, was published in Nature Medicine.

“Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging solid tumours to treat, but these findings provide cautious optimism for patients,” said study lead author Dr Devalingam Mahalingam, professor of medicine in the division of Hematology and Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“While these results will need to be confirmed in phase 3 trials, observing survival benefit in such a difficult-to-treat cancer is encouraging. Given the novel mechanism of this drug, these findings raise the possibility that it could have broader application across other tumour types,” added Mahalingam, who also is the associate director of clinical research at Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

How the trial was conducted

The phase 2 trial enrolled 233 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer across 60 sites in six countries in North America and Europe. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either standard chemotherapy or the same chemotherapy combined with elraglusib.

Those who received elraglusib lived a median of 10.1 months, compared to 7.2 months for those who only received chemotherapy. While that three-month difference may appear modest, it’s partly because the trial included patients whose cancer progressed too quickly to benefit from treatment.

Among patients who benefited from the drug, the impact was pronounced. Twice as many patients who received elraglusib were alive at one year (44% vs 22%) and about 13% of patients in the drug group were alive at two years, compared to none in the chemotherapy group.

Side effects were generally consistent with chemotherapy but slightly more common in the elraglusib group. The most frequent included low white blood cell counts, fatigue and temporary vision changes, which were reversible. Overall, the safety profile of the drug was considered manageable, the authors said in the study.

How elraglusib works

Elraglusib was developed nearly 15 years ago inside Northwestern University labs. It targets a protein known as GSK-3 beta, which plays a role in tumour growth and suppression of the immune system.

Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which aims to kill cancer cells, elraglusib seems to act on the tumour microenvironment – the mix of cancer cells, immune cells and surrounding tissue that can either support or weaken tumours.

Pancreatic tumours are hard to treat in part because of their microenvironment, which is particularly adept at suppressing immune response. In the study, patients who received elraglusib showed increases in cancer-fighting cells within their tumours, offering early evidence that the drug may help re-engage the immune system.

In addition, certain immune-related markers in the blood at the start of the trial were associated with longer survival among patients who received the drug. While these findings are preliminary, they suggest that elraglusib may be particularly effective in certain patients whose immune systems are already primed to respond.

Mahalingam and his colleagues are exploring a larger confirmatory phase 3 trial as funding and partnership allow. They are also interested in studying the drug in combination with other novel therapies to determine if broader clinical benefit can be achieved.

Source: Northwestern University

Categories : CancerTags :

Is Depression Being Overdiagnosed in Ovarian Cancer Patients?

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Study finds that physical symptoms may disproportionately inflate depression scores in patients. 

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

In addition to causing mental symptoms such as sadness and despair, depression can cause physical sensations including fatigue, headaches, back pain, gastrointestinal issues, and sleep problems.

New research indicates that individuals with ovarian cancer report more of these physical issues at lower levels of depression than people in the general population. Published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may reflect misattribution of cancer-related symptoms to depression in patients with ovarian cancer.

 Research indicates that more than one-quarter of patients with ovarian cancer develop depressive symptoms. Diagnosis is complicated because physical symptoms of depression overlap with those that can arise from cancer-related causes. Investigators examined how physical symptoms of depression are reported relative to other depression symptoms in patients with ovarian cancer at the time of diagnosis and one-year postdiagnosis, comparing the results with those from people without cancer. 

The team found that at diagnosis, patients reported physical symptoms more frequently than people without cancer and at a lower severity of depression (based on cognitive or emotional symptoms). These differences disappeared at the one-year follow-up, when disease processes no longer drove physical sympto “We intend these findings to help guide assessments of depressive symptoms to discriminate between physical symptoms that are related to cancer and cognitive or affective symptoms that may respond to more traditional interventions for depression,” said lead author Rachel Telles, MA, of the University of Iowa. “We hope that more tailored care will improve outcomes for these patients.”

Source: Wiley

Categories : CancerTags :

New Drug with Fewer Side Effects Reduces Breast Density

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Low doses of the investigational medicinal product endoxifen reduce breast density to the same extent as the standard treatment tamoxifen, but without causing such troublesome side effects. These are the findings of a new study from Karolinska Institutet which appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The results may have implications for future preventive treatment of breast cancer.

Tamoxifen is a well-established drug that has been used for more than 40 years to reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with breast cancer. The drug is also approved for prevention of breast cancer in women at increased risk.

However, the side effects of tamoxifen are a major problem. Many women experience menopausal-like symptoms, such as hot flushes, which means that many do not complete the treatment.

Endoxifen is the most active metabolite formed when tamoxifen is broken down in the body. The new study investigated whether endoxifen in tablet form could provide the same biological impact and a more predictable effect than tamoxifen.

A total of 240 healthy, premenopausal women were randomised to receive a placebo or 1 or 2 mg of endoxifen daily for six months. The researchers then measured mammographic breast density. High mammographic density can contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer but a reduction during treatment can be a good measure of therapeutic outcome.

”Both 1 and 2 milligrams of endoxifen resulted in a clear reduction in breast density compared with the placebo,” says Mattias Hammarström, co-author and PhD candidate at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.

The results show that 1mg of endoxifen reduced breast density by an average of 19% and 2mg by 26%. Data from a previous study show that 20mg of tamoxifen reduces density by approximately 18.5%. The effect of low-dose endoxifen thus corresponded to that seen with tamoxifen.

Participants who received 2mg of endoxifen reported a greater worsening of hot flushes and night sweats compared with the lower-dose group, whilst the 1 mg group had a safety profile similar to that of the placebo with respect to serious side effects and biomarkers.

”Our results suggest that a lower dose may be sufficient to affect breast density, whilst also appearing to be better tolerated,” says Mattias Hammarström.

The study is a so-called proof-of-concept trial, meaning it is designed to demonstrate that a treatment produces the expected biological effect before larger and longer trials are conducted. However, the study cannot show whether endoxifen reduces the risk of breast cancer or recurrence.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : CancerTags :

Drugging the Undruggable: A Million-fold Leap in Targeting Elusive Cancer Proteins

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Few medications can target disordered proteins, but new research outlines an enhanced approach that could lead to treatments for prostate cancer and other diseases

Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer have developed a new way to target proteins long considered ‘undruggable’, opening the door to new treatments for prostate cancer and other serious diseases.

Known as intrinsically disordered proteins, these molecular shapeshifters are extremely difficult to target with medication due to their flexible and ever-changing structure. They play a central role in a wide range of diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, heart disease and autoimmune conditions, yet only a handful of medications currently exist that can target them.

In a study published today in Nature Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, the researchers demonstrate a new approach for designing drugs that bind more strongly to these proteins and block their disease-causing activity. In some cases, the compounds they developed bound up to a million times more tightly than any previously reported.

“This study shows that proteins previously thought to be undruggable can be drugged with remarkable efficacy,” said principal investigator Dr Marianne D. Sadar, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the UBC faculty of medicine and distinguished scientist at BC Cancer. “The findings could have profound implications for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, providing a roadmap for the development of new treatments.”

A long-standing challenge in drug discovery

Unlike most proteins, which fold into stable three-dimensional shapes, disordered proteins contain flexible regions that change as they interact with molecules inside cells. Because they lack fixed binding sites, they are extremely difficult to target with traditional drugs.

“Most drug discovery is like designing a key for a very specific lock,” said Dr Sadar. “But disordered proteins don’t behave like locks at all, they’re more like moving strands of spaghetti.”

Dr Sadar and her team have spent decades studying how to target these proteins. In 2008, they developed the first compound capable of binding to them, and have since advanced two such drugs into clinical trials – another world-first milestone for the field.

Despite these advances, achieving strong and consistent binding has remained a central challenge.

A new strategy against prostate cancer

The new study focused on a specific protein, the androgen receptor, which fuels the growth of most prostate cancers.

Rather than fitting into a single fixed spot, the researchers developed compounds that interact with the moving region of the protein, freeze it in an inactive state, and prevent it from turning on genes that drive cancer growth.

“It’s a major achievement. Our target drugs had binding affinity a million times greater than existing drugs targeting these regions,” said Dr Natalie Strynadka, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the UBC faculty of medicine.

By systematically modifying the compounds at the molecular level, the researchers identified several promising candidates that effectively shut down the receptor. In animal studies, several compounds slowed prostate cancer growth more effectively than a commonly used prostate cancer treatment.

“What surprised us was how effectively these molecules could attach to a protein that doesn’t have a fixed structure,” said Dr Raymond Andersen, professor in UBC’s department of chemistry. “We were able to shut down the androgen receptor even in situations where current prostate cancer drugs stop working.”

The researchers now aim to advance the most promising candidates toward clinical trials, with the goal of developing prostate cancer drugs that can be used earlier in treatment and with fewer side-effects. Because disordered proteins are involved in many diseases, they say the approach could have a much broader impact.

“If the approach continues to prove successful, it could dramatically expand the number of proteins that scientists can target with medicines – turning what was once considered a dead end into a promising new frontier for drug discovery,” said Dr Sadar.

Source: University of British Columbia

Categories : CancerTags :

Secondary Blood Cancers from Chemo- and Radiotherapy are Increasing

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Study from Japan finds rising rates, especially after breast cancer treatment

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

Some therapies used to treat cancer may increase the risk of later developing cancers that affect the blood. A population-based study in Japan has revealed a gradual increase in the rates of therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia (tAML) in recent years, especially after breast cancer treatment. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

tAML is an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow that develops after prior chemotherapy or radiation for an earlier, primary cancer, likely arising in part due to DNA damage from these treatments. To assess whether tAML is increasing as a post-cancer therapy complication as the number of cancer survivors increases, investigators analysed data from the Osaka Cancer Registry pertaining to patients in Japan who were diagnosed with AML between 1990 and 2020.

Among 9,841 patients with AML, 636 (6.5%) had tAML. The annual tAML incidence increased from 0.13 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 0.36 per 100,000 population in 2020. The proportion of tAML cases in overall AML cases almost doubled.

The most common primary cancer that was treated before tAML developed was another form of blood cancer (23.1%), followed by breast cancer (14.6%), colorectal cancer (11.5%), and gastric cancer (8.7%). The distribution of primary cancers changed over time, with a prominent increase in breast cancer and a decrease in gastric cancer.

“The study provides an important step towards better understanding how the nature of tAML is changing with the increasing number of cancer survivors,” said lead author Kenji Kishimoto, MD, PhD, of the Osaka International Cancer Institute.

Source: Wiley

Categories : CancerTags :

Do Prostate Cancer Drugs Interact with Certain Anticoagulants?

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Study finds similar safety regardless of anticoagulant type

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In a study of adults with advanced prostate cancer taking androgen-receptor pathway inhibitors and different types of anticoagulants, investigators found no evidence of an increase in patients’ bleeding or clotting risks, despite previous lab results that raised alarms. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Thromboembolism, caused by a circulating blood clot that gets stuck and causes an obstruction, is the second leading cause of death in people with cancer, surpassed only by progression of the cancer itself. Anticoagulants (blood thinners) are standard therapy to treat or prevent thromboembolism. For individuals with advanced prostate cancer, thromboembolism can be especially worrisome because lab experiments have indicated that androgen-receptor pathway inhibitors, which are recommended for nearly all patients with advanced prostate cancer, can interact with certain anticoagulants – specifically, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

To investigate whether these lab-based findings correlate to real concerns in patients, researchers evaluated outcomes in patients taking both anticoagulants and androgen-receptor pathway inhibitors, including enzalutamide, apalutamide, and abiraterone.

In the retrospective population-based analysis of 2997 Canadian adults with prostate cancer who were prescribed anticoagulants (DOACs or non-DOACs) and enzalutamide or apalutamide between 2012 and 2023, investigators found no increased risks of clotting in the DOAC versus non-DOAC groups. Similarly, investigators compared DOAC and non-DOAC groups combined with abiraterone and did not find an increased risk of bleeding.

“As clinicians, we are faced with the question of choosing the best anticoagulant option for patients on a daily basis, and the complexity further increases in patients with cancer taking many other medications including anticancer therapies that could cause concerning drug–drug interactions,” said lead author Tzu-Fei Wang, MD, of the University of Ottawa at The Ottawa Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “Our findings suggest that pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction concerns may not translate into adverse clinical outcomes in the real world. These results can help clinicians and patients feel more confident when managing anticoagulation alongside modern prostate cancer treatments.”  

Source: Wiley