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Treatment Research
Altering Diet Enhances Response to Cancer Treatments in Mice
Posted: September 3, 2019
A new NCI-supported study showed that altering cancer cell metabolism by feeding mice a diet very low in the nutrient methionine improved the ability of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink tumors.
Study Tests Immunotherapy in People with Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases
Posted: August 26, 2019
An NCI-funded clinical trial is testing the immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo) in people who have advanced cancer and an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or multiple sclerosis, who are often excluded from such trials.
Newly Discovered ‘Don’t Eat Me’ Signal May be a Target for Cancer Immunotherapy
Posted: August 20, 2019
Researchers have identified a protein called CD24 that may be a new target for cancer immunotherapy. The protein is a ‘don’t eat me’ signal that prevents immune cells called macrophages from engulfing and eating cells.
Could A Form of Cell Death Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy?
Posted: July 29, 2019
Injecting cells undergoing necroptosis, a form of cell death, into tumors in mice kickstarted an immune response against the tumors, researchers have found. When combined with immunotherapy, the treatment was effective at eliminating tumors in mice.
Improving Cancer Immunotherapy: Overcoming the Problem of ‘Exhausted’ T Cells
Posted: July 18, 2019
Researchers have identified proteins that may play a central role in transforming T cells from powerful destroyers to depleted bystanders that can no longer harm cancer cells. The findings could lead to strategies for boosting cancer immunotherapies.
Helping Dogs—and Humans—with Cancer: NCI’s Comparative Oncology Studies
Posted: July 10, 2019
Did you know that NCI supports clinical trials of new treatments for pet dogs with cancer? Learn more about NCI’s comparative oncology studies and how they may also help people with cancer.
Researchers Turn On PTEN Tumor-Suppressor Protein in Cancer Cells
Posted: June 14, 2019
Researchers have discovered a potential way to turn on one of the most commonly silenced tumor-suppressor proteins in cancer, called PTEN. They also found a natural compound, I3C, that in lab studies could flip the on switch.
When Cancer Spreads to Bone, A Single Dose of Radiation Therapy May Control Pain
Posted: May 21, 2019
New findings from a clinical trial suggest that a single dose of radiation therapy may control painful bone metastases as effectively as multiple lower doses of radiation therapy.
New Drugs, New Side Effects: Complications of Cancer Immunotherapy
Posted: May 10, 2019
The expanding use of cancer immunotherapy has revealed a variety of side effects associated with this treatment approach. Researchers are now trying to better understand how and why these side effects occur and develop strategies for better managing them.
Immunotherapy Drug with Two Targets Shows Promise against HPV-Related Cancers
Posted: April 25, 2019
The investigational immunotherapy drug bintrafusp alfa (also called M7824), a bifunctional fusion protein, shrank the tumors of some patients with advanced HPV-related cancers, according to results from a phase 1 clinical trial.
Treating KSHV-Associated Multicentric Castleman Disease
Reviewed: April 4, 2019
In this pilot study, patients with KSHV-associated multicentric Castleman disease will receive intravenous tocilizumab every other week for up to 12 weeks. Patients who do not benefit from tocilizumab therapy alone may go on to receive high-dose AZT and valganciclovir in addition to tocilizumab.
Harnessing T-cell “stemness” could enhance cancer immunotherapy
Posted: March 28, 2019
A new study provides insight into how cancer immunotherapy works and suggests ways to enhance the treatment’s effectiveness. The NCI-led study, published in Science, examined the effect of high potassium levels on T cells.
Managing Cancer Pain: Are Better Approaches on the Horizon?
Posted: January 23, 2019
Pain is a common and much-feared symptom among people with cancer and long-term survivors. As more people survive cancer for longer periods, there is a renewed interest in developing new, nonaddictive approaches for managing their chronic pain.
Study finds elevated risk of certain rare blood cancers after chemotherapy for most solid tumors
Posted: December 20, 2018
In a new study, NIH investigators found that patients treated with chemotherapy for most solid tumors had an increased risk of tMDS/AML, a rare but often fatal blood cancer. The study, which used population-based data, was published in JAMA Oncology.
Tailored Radiation to Treat Brain Metastases Reduces Impact on Cognitive Function
Posted: November 26, 2018
Results from a clinical trial suggest that, in patients with brain metastases, an advanced radiotherapy technique limits harm to patients’ cognitive function without affecting the treatment’s effect on tumors.
NCI-MATCH Update: More Labs, New Arms, and Initial Findings
Posted: November 15, 2018
NCI’s Dr. Lyndsay Harris provides an update on the NCI-MATCH trial, including the opening of new trial treatment arms and the addition of new laboratories to perform testing on tumor samples of prospective trial participants.
Heart Problems: Investigating the Cardiac Side Effects of Cancer Treatments
Posted: September 21, 2018
Certain cancer treatments can damage the heart and the cardiovascular system, a problem known as cardiotoxicity. Cardiologists and oncologists met recently to discuss strategies and future research directions for addressing these side effects.
Integrating Geriatric Assessment into Cancer Care: A Conversation with Dr. Supriya Mohile
Posted: September 11, 2018
Dr. Supriya Mohile discusses the unique issues experienced by older adults with cancer and efforts to incorporate geriatric assessment into patient care, including the publication of recent ASCO clinical guidelines on geriatric cancer care.
High-Fat Diet or Diabetes Drug May Enhance Response to Targeted Cancer Drug
Posted: August 8, 2018
A study in mice may have identified a way to help overcome resistance to targeted cancer drugs known as PI3K inhibitors. The approach appears to work by reducing insulin levels in patients receiving these drugs.
Mouse Study Links Immune Cells to Diarrhea Caused by Chemotherapy
Posted: July 20, 2018
A study in mice sheds light onto how some chemotherapies cause diarrhea. The findings could be the basis for developing new treatments for patients with cancer who develop gastrointestinal side effects from chemotherapy.
The Opioid Epidemic and Cancer Pain Management: A Conversation with Dr. Judith Paice
Posted: July 16, 2018
Dr. Judith Paice, of the Cancer Pain Program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses the impacts of the opioid epidemic on cancer patients and how providers can address concerns about opioid misuse when managing cancer pain.
Can Age Affect Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?
Posted: July 6, 2018
A new study has linked age with how well patients with melanoma responded to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Experiments in mice suggested that the response pattern may be due to an age-related shift in the kinds of immune cells in tumors.
NExT: Advancing Promising Cancer Therapies from the Lab to Clinical Trials
Posted: June 29, 2018
The NCI Experimental Therapeutics (NExT) program works with researchers and top scientific experts to advance promising or novel cancer therapies from the earliest stages of research to human clinical trials.
Biosimilars for Cancer Emerge as Patents on Widely Used Biological Drugs Expire
Posted: June 18, 2018
As the patents on some widely used drugs to treat cancer expire in the coming years, biosimilar drugs are being developed for the treatment of patients with cancer. Are biosimilars effective and will they expand treatment options for patients?
New approach to immunotherapy leads to complete response in breast cancer patient unresponsive to other treatments
Posted: June 4, 2018
A novel approach to immunotherapy developed by NCI researchers has led to the complete regression of breast cancer in a patient who was unresponsive to all other treatments. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.
NCI-MATCH precision medicine clinical trial releases new findings, strengthens path forward for targeted cancer therapies
Posted: June 4, 2018
The NCI-MATCH precision medicine clinical trial has reached a milestone with the release of results from several study treatment arms. Findings from three arms were released at the 2018 ASCO annual meeting, adding to findings from one arm released in 2017.
Cancer Immunotherapy Drug Simultaneously Targets Two Proteins that Block Immune Response
Posted: April 4, 2018
Two independent groups of researchers have fused a TGF-beta receptor to a monoclonal antibody that targets a checkpoint protein. The result is a single hybrid molecule called a Y-trap that blocks two pathways used by tumors to evade the immune system.
Targeted Therapy Larotrectinib Shows Promise in Early Trials, Regardless of Cancer Type
Posted: March 9, 2018
Initial results from a series of three small clinical trials of a targeted cancer therapy called larotrectinib suggest that it may be effective in patients—children and adults—with a wide variety of cancer types.
New Cancer Treatment Approach Targets Circadian Clock
Posted: February 13, 2018
Two compounds that target components of the circadian clock killed several types of cancer cells in the lab and slowed the growth of brain tumors in mice without harming healthy cells, a new study showed.
Oncolytic Virus Therapy: Using Tumor-Targeting Viruses to Treat Cancer
Posted: February 9, 2018
A small but growing number of patients with cancer are being treated with oncolytic viruses, which infect and kill tumor cells. But research now suggests that these treatments also work against cancer by spurring an immune response.
Gut Bacteria Influence Effectiveness of a Type of Immunotherapy
Posted: February 5, 2018
Using mouse models of cancer, researchers found that altering the gut microbiome could affect whether tumors responded to checkpoint inhibition.
Study Identifies Potential Cause of Hearing Loss from Cisplatin
Posted: January 26, 2018
A new study has found the commonly used chemotherapy drug cisplatin is retained in the inner ear of mice and humans for long periods. The finding may explain why many patients treated with the drug develop hearing loss and could point toward potential ways to prevent it.
Acupuncture May Reduce Treatment-Related Joint Pain for Breast Cancer Patients
Posted: January 8, 2018
Joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with breast cancer can cause some women to stop taking the drugs. Reducing their symptoms may translate into better adherence to therapy.
CAR T Cells: Engineering Patients’ Immune Cells to Treat Their Cancers
Updated: July 30, 2019
CAR T-cell therapy is a rapidly emerging form of cancer treatment, primarily for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. An article about research to improve CAR T-cell therapy and expand its use.
Fat Cells May Hinder Effectiveness of Chemotherapy
Posted: December 4, 2017
Researchers have shown that fat cells can absorb two commonly used chemotherapy drugs and break them down chemically into a less toxic form, potentially reducing the drugs’ effectiveness.
Expanding Cancer Clinical Trial Access for Patients with HIV
Posted: December 1, 2017
People with HIV are often excluded from clinical trials to protect their safety. Preliminary results from an NCI-sponsored study of an immunotherapy drug show that people with HIV can safely participate in clinical trials.
Liquid Biopsy: Using DNA in Blood to Detect, Track, and Treat Cancer
Posted: November 8, 2017
Research studies show tests that analyze tumor DNA in blood, called liquid biopsies, may help detect cancer early, guide precision cancer treatment, and track treatment response.
Timing and Sequence Critical for Immunotherapy Combination
Posted: October 3, 2017
When given at the same time, two immune checkpoint inhibitors were ineffective against breast cancer growth in mice, a new study found. The combination was more effective and safer if the two inhibitors were given in a specific sequence.
Forgoing Conventional Cancer Treatments for Alternative Medicine Increases Risk of Death
Posted: September 12, 2017
In a large study, patients with nonmetastatic breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who chose alternative therapies had substantially worse survival than patients who received conventional cancer treatments.
Study Uncovers Previously Unrecognized Effect of Chemotherapy
Posted: August 15, 2017
A new study conducted primarily in mice suggests that chemotherapy given before surgery for breast cancer can cause changes in cells in and around the tumor that are tied to an increased risk of the cancer spreading to other areas of the body.
Ibrutinib Becomes First FDA-Approved Drug for Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Posted: August 11, 2017
A drug used to treat several blood cancers, ibrutinib, has been approved by FDA to treat chronic graft-versus-host disease, making it the first approved therapy for this potentially fatal side effect of cancer-related stem cell transplants.
NCI study identifies essential genes for cancer immunotherapy
Posted: August 7, 2017
A new NCI study identifies genes in cancer cells that are necessary for them to be killed by T cells, and therefore could be partially responsible for why immunotherapy doesn’t work in some patients.
FDA Clears Wider Use of Cooling Cap to Reduce Hair Loss during Chemotherapy
Posted: July 21, 2017
The FDA has cleared a cooling cap—a device designed to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy called the DigniCap Scalp Cooling System—for use by patients with any type of solid tumor.
Cancer Researchers Report Progress in Studying Exceptional Responders
Posted: July 6, 2017
Researchers who study exceptional responders—patients who have dramatic and long-lasting responses to treatments for cancer that were not effective for most similar patients—met recently to discuss the state of the science in this emerging field.
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Tumors with Specific Genetic Features
Posted: June 20, 2017
FDA approved pembrolizumab for patients with solid tumors that have specific genetic features, called mismatch repair deficiency and high microsatellite instability. This is the first approval based on a genetic feature, rather than cancer type.
NCI ALMANAC: A New Tool for Research on Cancer Drug Combinations
Posted: May 12, 2017
NCI has released a new, easy-to-use resource called the NCI ALMANAC to help researchers identify potentially promising combinations of cancer drugs.
Collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes Feasible in Cancer Clinical Trials
Posted: May 10, 2017
Cancer patients, even those who are undergoing difficult treatments, are willing to devote time to completing thorough assessments of the side effects they encounter in clinical trials, a new study finds.
Understanding “Chemobrain” and Cognitive Impairment after Cancer Treatment
Updated: March 28, 2017
Researchers are investigating factors that might predict who’s more at risk for experiencing “chemobrain” after cancer treatment and what can be done to lessen its impact.
Stem-Cell Based Tool May Help Measure Heart Toxicity of Cancer Drugs
Posted: March 21, 2017
Researchers have used adult stem cells to create a tool for ranking how toxic a group of cancer drugs, called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are to human heart cells. Such a test could potentially identify toxic side effects earlier in the drug development process.
Researchers Use CRISPR Gene-Editing Tool to Help Turn Immune Cells against Tumors
Posted: March 20, 2017
Using a new tool for editing genomes, known as CRISPR, researchers have genetically engineered immune cells and improved the ability of these cells to kill cancer cells in mice.
Study Shows Platelets Can Deliver Immunotherapy, Reduce Tumor Regrowth
Posted: March 3, 2017
In experiments in mice, researchers show platelets linked to an immunotherapy drug can help eliminate residual cancer cells that remain after surgery. The engineered platelets may also prevent leftover cancer cells from spreading.
Potential New Cancer Therapy Could Target Tumors Two Ways
Posted: February 15, 2017
A team of researchers has developed a potential new therapy that may work in two distinct ways to attack tumors, by directly killing cancer cells and immune cells that can suppress the anti-cancer immune response.
Identifying Novel Drug Combinations to Overcome Treatment Resistance
Posted: December 21, 2016
Drug resistance is a common occurrence that can lead to tumor relapse and patient death. Scientists are exploring combinations of different cancer drugs that have the potential to kill more cancer cells and overcome or delay drug resistance.
Cellular Immunotherapy Targets a Common Human Cancer Mutation
Posted: December 7, 2016
In a study of an immune therapy for colorectal cancer that involved a single patient, researchers identified a method for targeting the cancer-causing protein produced by a mutant form of the KRAS gene.
Device Uses Cancer Cells' Mass to Predict Response to Treatment
Posted: November 22, 2016
Scientists have designed a device that measures the mass of single cancer cells to predict how cells respond to drug treatment. The technology could potentially help clinicians determine whether a drug effectively kills cancer cells.
Educating Patients about Genetic Test Results: An Interview with Carol Weil about the COMET Study
Posted: October 14, 2016
The recently launched COMET study will examine whether educating patients with cancer about genetic testing will increase their knowledge and reduce their stress levels after receiving genomic testing results.
Chromosomal Instability Score May Predict Response to Cancer Treatment
Posted: September 23, 2016
A new study suggests that a chromosomal instability score may help guide treatment choices for patients with cancer.
Tumor DNA in Blood May Signal Response to T-Cell Transfer Immunotherapy
Posted: August 31, 2016
A study suggests that doctors could use circulating tumor DNA to quickly identify patients who are responding to T-cell transfer immunotherapy.
Olanzapine Helps Prevent Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Chemotherapy
Posted: July 21, 2016
A drug currently used to treat several psychiatric conditions can help prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy, a large clinical trial showed.
Anthrax Toxin-Based Cancer Therapy Targets Tumor Blood Vessels
Posted: July 20, 2016
A therapy that uses the anthrax toxin selectively targets blood vessels that feed tumors and support their growth and spread, researchers have found.
Early-Stage Cancer Trials Support Promise of Precision Medicine, Immunotherapy
Posted: June 17, 2016
Encouraging findings from several early-stage clinical trials featured at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting support the promise of precision medicine and immunotherapy.
Blood Test for Genetic Changes in Tumors Shows Promise as Alternative to Tumor Biopsy
Posted: June 14, 2016
The largest study of its kind to date has shown that a test that assesses DNA mutations and other changes in genetic material shed from tumors into the blood—a liquid biopsy—produced results highly similar to those of traditional tumor biopsies.
Patient-Derived Antibody Appears to Selectively Target Tumor Cells, Spur Immune Attack
Posted: June 6, 2016
The CFH antibodies killed tumor cells in cell lines of several cancer types and slowed tumor growth in mouse models of brain and lung cancer, without evidence of side effects.
Targeted Photoimmunotherapy Approach for Cancer Moves Forward
Posted: April 25, 2016
Two new studies from NCI researchers add to growing evidence of the promise of a novel type of cancer immunotherapy that uses infrared light to activate rapid and selective killing of cancer cells.
Nanoparticle Generator Slips Chemotherapy Past Tumor Cells’ Protective Barriers
Posted: April 11, 2016
Researchers have developed a new injectable nanoparticle-generating technology that can deliver a cancer drug to the nucleus of metastatic breast cancer cells.
Persistent Peripheral Neuropathy Increases Fall Risk among Cancer Survivors
Posted: February 5, 2016
Many female cancer survivors have problems with mobility and other physical functioning as a result of persistent peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy treatment, according to a new study.
