Cancer Research News

1. Immunotherapy approach shows potential in some people with metastatic solid tumors

   A new cellular immunotherapy approach shrank tumors in 3 of 7 patients with metastatic colon cancer, in a small NCI clinical trial. Normal white blood cells from each patient were genetically engineered to produce receptors that recognize and attack their specific cancer cells.

2. For healthy adults, taking multivitamins daily is not associated with a lower risk of death

   A large analysis of data from nearly 400,000 healthy U.S. adults followed for more than 20 years has found no association between regular multivitamin use and lower risk of death.

3. Combination targeted treatment produces lasting remissions in people with resistant aggressive B-cell lymphoma

   More than half of clinical trial participants treated with venetoclax, ibrutinib, prednisone, obinutuzumab, and lenalidomide (ViPOR) had substantial tumor shrinkage. Of those, 38% had tumors that disappeared completely.

4. Inherited genetic factors may predict the pattern of X chromosome loss in older women

   An NCI study explores the causes and effects of a phenomenon known as mosaic loss of chromosome X, or mLOX, which may lead to several health conditions, including cancer.

5. NIH scientists develop AI tool to predict how cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy

   AI tool developed by NCI researchers uses routine clinical data, such as that from a simple blood test, to predict whether someone’s cancer will respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy.

6. Analysis identifies 50 new genomic regions associated with kidney cancer risk

   An international team of researchers has identified 50 new areas across the genome that are associated with the risk of developing kidney cancer. The analysis identified genetic variants associated with the risk of developing papillary renal cell carcinoma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

7. NIH researchers develop AI tool with potential to more precisely match cancer drugs to patients

   An artificial intelligence tool called PERCEPTION developed by NCI researchers could one day be used to help doctors more precisely match patients with drugs that will be effective for their cancer.

8. For childhood cancer survivors, inherited genetic factors influence risk of cancers later in life

   Common inherited genetic factors that predict cancer risk in the general population may also predict elevated risk of new cancers among childhood cancer survivors. Findings could potentially inform screening and long-term follow-up of those at greatest risk.

9. Cancer Grand Challenges selects five new global, interdisciplinary teams to take on four challenges

   Interdisciplinary teams will address the following challenges: reducing cancer inequities, understanding the mechanisms of early-onset cancers, developing drugs for solid tumors in children, and broadening our knowledge about how T cells recognize cancer cells.

10. NIH to address dwindling clinical trial patient enrollment with centralized staffing support

    The Virtual Clinical Trials Office aims to tackle the steep decline in participation in NCI- funded cancer clinical trials by providing a centralized team of support staff working remotely to assist with NCI-funded clinical trials activities.