The official MedZine Blog

American scientists have developed a urine test that enables detection of kidney cancer before the first symptoms are noticeable. This was published in JAMA Oncology. Diagnosis of renal cancer in an early stage allows for less invasive treatment which raises survival chances. Continue reading

Tamoxifen acts as a preventive drug in women with a family history of breast cancer. Users of tamoxifen have a 30 percent lower risk, compared to women who do not use the drug. That is the conclusion of new research conducted at the British Queen Mary University, London. The results have been published in The Lancet Oncology. Continue reading

Results have been presented on a new treatment for an aggressive breast cancer form at the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Definitive results of the CLEOPATRA study show a median overall survival of over fifteen months. That is promising news for patients suffering from this aggressive form of cancer, that accounts for nearly a quarter of all breast cancers. Continue reading

An experimental therapy can promote metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer. This is shown by cell biologist dr. Erik Danen and his team at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. If you disable integrins, cell surface molecules important for adhesion, cancer cell do not die but become more motile. “An unexpected result”, according to Danen. Continue reading

Cancer immunotherapy is this year’s biggest breakthrough in science. The journal Science announced that today, including a top 10 of other breakthroughs. According to the editorial board of Science, harassing the immune system to battle tumor cells itself is, the biggest turning point in oncology this year. Continue reading

The identification of stem cells has boosted research in many areas. This week, MedZine highlights two studies employing stem cells in different settings. The first study describes the first successful generation of lung cells from stem cells. The other study shows that targeting colon cancer stem cells is effective against colon cancer in animals. Continue reading

Also this week MedZine brings you the latest medical news on various medical specialisms. In this editorial three striking studies are highlighted. The first identifies new compound that can stop viral replication of flu viruses. The second shows that ipecac syrup can be effective against bladder cancer. The third study describes that chemotherapy against breast cancer can be injected through the nipple. Continue reading

In two days the European Cancer Congress 2013 (ECC2013) will start in the RAI in Amsterdam. There are sessions in different fields of oncology, including breast, lung and head and neck cancer, but also on basic science and nursing. A general theme during the meeting is personalized cancer treatment. With two days to go, MedZine gives you an overview of some important speakers. Continue reading

Also this week MedZine brings you the latest medical news on various medical specialisms. In this editorial two striking studies in oncology are highlighted. The first shows how putting the brake on regulatory T cells boosts anti-tumor immunity. The second describes how sugar helps to find and assess prostate cancer. Continue reading

Also this week MedZine brings you the latest medical news on various medical specialisms. In this editorial, we want to highlight an exciting scientific discovery in the field of oncology. In the journal Therapeutic Delivery researchers from the University of Colorado (CU) show how cholesterol "rafts" can deliver genetic cargo into cancer cells. With this ingenious method, drugs could sneak past the defenses of the cancer. Continue reading