Posts by author
Janet Fricker
NSCLC and climate change share common cause in particulate matter
Particles found in vehicle exhaust and combustion of fossil fuels are associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk. A study presented in the Presidential Symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2022, held 9-13 September, showed increasing…
UK consensus group calls for biomarker testing at point of diagnosis
All cancer patients should be offered genomic profiling of their tumours at the point of diagnosis and during treatment to shape care and track how their disease evolves and responds to treatment. These were the conclusions of a UK consensus…
Frequent aspirin use associated with ovarian cancer risk-reduction
Frequent aspirin (acetyl salicyclic acid) use is associated with lower ovarian cancer risk regardless of the presence of most ovarian cancer risk factors. The meta-analysis of data from two ovarian cancer consortia, published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, 22 July,…
Resistant starch equivalent to eating a daily banana cuts hereditary cancer risk
Consuming resistant starch (RS), also known as fermentable fibre, reduces the risk of non-colorectal cancers (non-CRCs) by nearly 50% in people with Lynch syndrome. The study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, 25 July, found that while resistant starch significantly reduced…
Abnormal collagen provides ‘invisibility cloak’ in pancreatic cancer offering new therapeutic targets
Cancer cells produce an atypical collagen in pancreatic cancer creating an extracellular matrix that influences the tumour microbiome to protect against immune responses. The study, published in Cancer Cell, July 21, suggests that such abnormal collagen could provide a new…
Study paves way for better checkpoint inhibitor response prognostication
Use of whole exome sequencing improves prediction of response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The study, published in Nature Communications, 8 July, shows incorporation of the CIRCLE tool, including new genes and pathways identified from whole exome sequencing, leads to…
Pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed early through screening achieve long-term survival
The majority of high-risk patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) while enrolled in a screening programme have stage I disease and can achieve long-term survival. The study, published in Journal of Clinical Oncology (June 15), found that in the…
Study defines increased risk of cardiovascular disease among cancer survivors
Adult survivors of cancer have a 37% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) than people without cancer. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, July 5 issue, found cancer survivors had a 52% higher…
Circulating tumour DNA provides early warning of metastatic breast cancer
In high-risk hormone receptor positive breast cancer circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) was identified a median of one year before distant metastasis. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (4th June, 2022), represents the first prospective investigation of plasma…
Study defines subset of women benefitting from digital breast tomosynthesis
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) offers an advantage over conventional digital mammography in only a tiny percentage of women, who have extremely dense breasts and a high risk of breast cancer. The cohort study, published in JAMA (June 14), found no…