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Monthly Archives: October 2020

Study of COVID-19 levels in oncology staff suggests need for more extensive testing

Second study reveals impact of COVID-19 on oncology staff and their work A study of oncology staff carried out immediately after the spring peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK indicates that many had been infected with the coronavirus … Continue reading →

Published Friday, October 30th, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Cancer, Infectious diseases

Study of emergency workers in New York City shows COVID-19 risk to firefighters and emergency medical workers

Firefighters and emergency medical workers in New York City were 15 times more likely to be infected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the general public, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research. [1] … Continue reading →

Published Friday, October 30th, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Infectious diseases, Respiratory

Artificial intelligence can help to improve prognosis and treatment for glioblastoma

In the first study of its kind in cancer, researchers have applied artificial intelligence to measure the amount of muscle in patients with brain tumours to help improve prognosis and treatment. Dr Ella Mi, a clinical research fellow at Imperial … Continue reading →

Published Thursday, October 29th, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Cancer

Study estimates exposure to air pollution increases COVID-19 deaths by 15% worldwide

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of dying from COVID-19 and, for the first time, a study has estimated the proportion of deaths from the coronavirus that could be attributed to the exacerbating effects … Continue reading →

Published Tuesday, October 27th, 2020 at 12:05 am
Posted in Cardiology, Infectious diseases, Respiratory

Inhibitor of KRAS gene mutation shows promise in lung, bowel and other solid tumours. Latest results from KRYSTAL-1 early clinical trial of adagrasib (MRTX849)

New results from early clinical trials of a drug that targets a cancer-causing mutation in the KRAS gene have shown that it can shrink tumours and is well-tolerated by patients. In two presentations at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on … Continue reading →

Published Sunday, October 25th, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Posted in Cancer

Next generation BRAF inhibitor cancer drug shows promise in early patient trial

A new drug designed to work on cancers with an altered BRAF gene has shown promise in an early patient trial presented at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, which is taking place online. The … Continue reading →

Published Sunday, October 25th, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Cancer

Achieving high concentrations of sunitinib in tumours is linked to improved survival. Intermittent high dosing regimen for patients with advanced cancers is safe and results in very high concentrations of the drug in the tumour

A strategy for giving intermittent, high doses of the anti-cancer drug sunitinib is well-tolerated by patients with advanced cancer and increases concentrations of the drug in tumours, which is associated with improved survival, according to research to be presented at … Continue reading →

Published Saturday, October 24th, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Cancer

Nobel Prize winner says scientific research has to be ‘passion-driven’

Scientists cannot be expected to drop everything they’re working on to turn their attention to beating COVID-19, according to the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe. Speaking before he delivered the prestigious … Continue reading →

Published Friday, October 23rd, 2020 at 12:05 am
Posted in Cancer, Genetics

Vaccine designed to treat and prevent lung, bowel and pancreatic cancer shows promise in the lab

An experimental vaccine, designed to enlist the body’s own immune system to target cancer cells, has shown promise for treating and preventing cancer in mice. The vaccine was created to target a gene called KRAS that is involved in the … Continue reading →

Published Friday, October 23rd, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Cancer

One mouse at a time: new approach to testing potential drugs for children’s cancers. Drugs can be tested against many more genetic variants of the same cancer

A team of researchers in the US and Australia have developed a way of testing potential drugs for children’s cancers so as to take account of the wide genetic diversity of these diseases. In new research to be presented at … Continue reading →

Published Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 at 12:01 am
Posted in Cancer