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Leukemia News
Related terms: Cancer, Leukemia
Experimental Immune Cell Rx Shows Promise for Leukemia
Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21, 2016 – An experimental therapy that revs up the immune system's cancer-fighting ability may help treat some leukemia patients who face a grim prognosis, a small study suggests. The treatment involves infusions of "natural killer" (NK) cells taken from a healthy donor and chemically "trained" to go after tumor cells. Researchers found that of nine patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received the therapy, four went into complete remission for as long as six months. The findings are preliminary, and the therapy remains experimental, the researchers pointed out. But experts said the results are encouraging considering the outlook these AML patients faced before the trial. Their cancer had either failed to respond to standard chemotherapy or had come back, and they had run out of options. "When you see this kind of response in these patients, it's ... Read more
Related support groups: Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Diagnosis and Investigation
Childhood Cancer Death Rates Continue to Fall: CDC
Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 16, 2016 – The number of U.S. children who die from cancer has fallen 20 percent since 1999, and leukemia is no longer the top killer, a new federal government report shows. The decline continues a trend that began back in the 1970s, experts said. What's new is that leukemia – the most common type of childhood cancer – is no longer the leading cause of cancer deaths. Survival among children with leukemia has improved to the degree that brain cancer now tops the list. "It had been leukemia for decades, but only recently has there been this switch," said lead researcher Sally Curtin, who is with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). It's not that deaths from childhood brain cancer are rising, according to Curtin. Instead, the rate has remained stubbornly stable, while leukemia deaths keep declining, she ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Hairy Cell Leukemia, Leukemia, Brain Tumor
For Teens With Leukemia, Pregnancy Tests Often Neglected
Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Sept. 12, 2016 – Many teen girls with leukemia aren't checked for pregnancy before they receive chemotherapy drugs that can cause birth defects, a new study finds. Despite the risk of birth defects posed by these drugs, there are no standardized guidelines for pregnancy screening in teen cancer patients, the researchers said. "Since nearly all chemotherapy agents used for childhood/adolescent acute leukemia can cause potential harm to a developing fetus, our findings indicate a need for standardized pregnancy screening practices for adolescent patients being treated for cancer," said study author Dr. Pooja Rao. She was with a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia when the study was conducted. The researchers analyzed data from 10- to 18-year-old girls in the United States diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia ... Read more
Related support groups: Birth Control, Contraception, Emergency Contraception, Postcoital Contraception, Leukemia, Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation during Pregnancy/Lactation
Strides Made in Treating Childhood Cancer: Report
Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 9, 2016 – Significant progress has been made in treating childhood cancers, but more needs to be done to fight tougher cancers and protect the long-term health of survivors, a new report says. In 2016, more than 14,600 children aged 19 and younger will be diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer, and 1,850 will die, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), which compiled the report with the Alliance for Childhood Cancer. "The numbers here tell a compelling story," said Katherine Sharpe, senior vice president of patient and caregiver support at the ACS. "We have seen significant progress when it comes to developing effective treatments for a variety of pediatric cancer sites and ultimately saving lives," she said in an ACS news release. "But when we expand our view to look at all pediatric cancers, as well as long-term health and survival, it becomes clear that ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Leukemia, Brain Tumor, Neuroblastoma
Cord-Blood Transplants Show Promise in Leukemia Treatment
Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7, 2016 – Bone marrow or stem cell transplants can save the lives of adults and children with leukemia, but an ideal donor often isn't available. In those cases, umbilical cord blood may work as well as current alternatives – or even better in some cases, a new study suggests. "Often, cord-blood transplant is thought to be only as the last resource for patients without donors. But cord blood does not have to be considered only an alternative donor source," said study lead author Dr. Filippo Milano. "In centers with experience, it can yield to great outcomes," said Milano, an assistant member of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. At issue: How best to treat the blood cancer leukemia and a related condition called myelodysplastic syndrome? One approach replaces a patient's blood-producing bone marrow through a ... Read more
Related support groups: Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Diagnosis and Investigation
Cancer Drug Shows Early Promise for Parkinson's Disease
Posted 13 Jul 2016 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 12, 2016 – A drug used to treat leukemia has shown initial signs of promise for advanced cases of Parkinson's disease, researchers are reporting. Experts stressed that the study was small, and primarily designed to see whether the drug – called nilotinib (brand name Tasigna) – is even safe for Parkinson's patients. It did appear "relatively safe" among the dozen patients studied, said Dr. Charbel Moussa, the senior researcher on the work. One patient had to withdraw from the study because of heart complications. But the drug was "well tolerated" in the remaining patients, according to Moussa, an assistant professor of neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center, in Washington, D.C. Plus, he said, there were hints of benefit. The researchers found signs that the drug boosted the brain's production of dopamine, a chemical that helps regulate movement. It also ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Leukemia, Tasigna, Parkinsonian Tremor, Nilotinib, Parkinsonism, Parkinson's Disease Psychosis
Exercise May Cut Risk of 13 Cancers, Study Suggests
Posted 16 May 2016 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 16, 2016 – Exercise may significantly reduce your risk for many types of cancer, including some of the most lethal forms of the disease, a large review suggests. Working out for even a couple of hours a week appears to shrink the risk of breast, colon and lung cancer, said researchers who looked at 1.4 million adults. "Those are three of the four major cancers that affect Americans today," said Marilie Gammon. She is a professor of epidemiology with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Public Health. And fitness buffs, take heart – your cancer risk appears to continue to decline as you rack up hours of physical activity, with no apparent upper plateau, said study lead author Steven Moore, an investigator with the U.S. National Cancer Institute. "The more activity, the more the benefit," Moore said. "As people did more, their risk continued to ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Leukemia, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Endometrial Cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Stomach Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Head and Neck Cancer, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Gastric Cancer, Osteolytic Bone Lesions of Multiple Myeloma, Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia, Urinary Tract Cancer
Radon in the Home May Be Linked to Blood Cancers in Women
Posted 3 May 2016 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 3, 2016 – New research suggests a strong link between exposure to high levels of radon in the home and women's risk of blood cancers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. It's known to cause lung cancer and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, the researchers said. The American Cancer Society collected information over 19 years on more than 140,000 Americans as part of a prevention study. During that time, just over 3,000 cases of blood cancer were diagnosed. The cancers included leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, the study found. Women who lived in counties with the highest radon levels were 63 percent more likely to develop blood cancers than those in counties with the lowest radon levels. There was no link seen among men, the study noted. The study was published online recently in the ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Leukemia, Lung Cancer, Lymphoma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Poisoning, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
FDA Approves Venclexta (venetoclax) for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with 17p Deletion
Posted 12 Apr 2016 by Drugs.com
April 11, 2016 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Venclexta (venetoclax) for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have a chromosomal abnormality called 17p deletion and who have been treated with at least one prior therapy. Venclexta is the first FDA-approved treatment that targets the B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) protein, which supports cancer cell growth and is overexpressed in many patients with CLL. According to the National Cancer Institute, CLL is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults, with approximately 15,000 new cases diagnosed each year. CLL is characterized by the progressive accumulation of abnormal lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Patients with CLL who have a 17p deletion lack a portion of the chromosome that acts to suppress cancer growth. This chromosomal abnormality occurs in approximately 10 ... Read more
Related support groups: Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Venclexta, Venetoclax
Male Childhood Cancer Survivors Less Likely to Have Kids, Study Finds
Posted 24 Feb 2016 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 2016 – Men who survived cancer when they were children, teens or young adults seem to be less likely to have children of their own than men who never had cancer, a new study reveals. The likelihood of having children was especially low among those who survived testicular cancer, bone cancer, brain tumors, lymphoma and leukemia, researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway found. The findings "are important for male cancer survivors, seeing as we can identify groups at risk of having reproduction problems," study author Maria Winther Gunnes, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of global public health and primary care, said in a university news release. For the study, researchers reviewed data from all Norwegian men born between 1965 and 1985. Male cancer survivors were three times more likely to use assisted fertilization than those who never had cancer, the ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Leukemia, Female Infertility, Lymphoma, Brain Tumor, Oligospermia, Testicular Cancer
New Immune Therapy Achieves Complete Remission in Blood Cancer Patients
Posted 16 Feb 2016 by Drugs.com
A new therapy that uses a person's immune system to attack tumors led to complete remission in terminally ill blood cancer patients, according to researchers. In a clinical trial, symptoms vanished in 94 percent of leukemia patients who received the treatment. The response rate was more than 80 percent in patients with other blood cancers, and half achieved total remission, CNBC reported. The results were presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Detailed data will be published later this year. They therapy involves removing immune system T-cells from patients, loading them with anti-cancer molecules, and placing them back in the body. The altered T-cells then seek and destroy cancer, CNBC reported. The results are unprecedented, according to researcher Stanley Riddell. "In the laboratory and in clinical trials, we are seeing ... Read more
Related support groups: Blood Disorders, Cancer, Hairy Cell Leukemia, Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Diagnosis and Investigation, Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia, Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Infection Prophylaxis, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Meningeal Leukemia, Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia
Could IVF Raise Children's Odds for Blood Cancer?
Posted 4 Feb 2016 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 – Children conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) might have a slightly increased risk of developing blood cancer, a new study suggests. Children born via IVF had a 67 percent increased risk of leukemia and a more than tripled risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma compared to children conceived naturally, researchers found in an analysis of more than 1.6 million children in Norway. Parents shouldn't panic, however. The risk of childhood cancer is still very small, even after factoring in the results of this study, said lead author Dr. Marte Myhre Reigstad. She is a researcher with the Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Women's Health at Oslo University Hospital. "For example, in Norway, the risk of being diagnosed with leukemia within the first 10 years of life is 0.5 in 1,000," Reigstad said. "A risk increase of such magnitude as found in our study would amount to ... Read more
Related support groups: Leukemia, Female Infertility, Lymphoma, Ovulation Induction, Primary Ovarian Failure, Follicle Stimulation
Genmab Announces U.S. FDA Approval of Arzerra (ofatumumab) as Extended Treatment for Recurrent or Progressive CLL
Posted 20 Jan 2016 by Drugs.com
Copenhagen, Denmark; January 19, 2016 — Genmab A/S (Nasdaq Copenhagen: GEN) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for the use of Arzerra (ofatumumab) for extended treatment of patients who are in complete or partial response after at least two lines of therapy for recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The application was submitted by Novartis under the ofatumumab collaboration between the two companies. This FDA approval is based on data from an interim analysis from a Phase III study, PROLONG (OMB112517) which evaluated ofatumumab maintenance therapy versus no further treatment in patients with a complete or partial response after second or third line treatment for CLL. "The approval of Arzerra in the U.S. as extended treatment provides patients with relapsed CLL with a ... Read more
Related support groups: Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Arzerra, Ofatumumab
Antibody May Lower Rejection Rates After Stem Cell Transplant in Leukemia Patients
Posted 7 Jan 2016 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6, 2016 – People with acute leukemia who were given antibody therapy before a stem cell transplant fared better than those who didn't receive the treatment, a small study found. Stem cell transplantation allows doctors to give higher doses of cancer-killing chemotherapy, according to the American Cancer Society. However, the odds of the body rejecting the transplanted stem cells are very high – a condition called graft-versus-host disease, the study authors explained. By treating patients first with animal-derived antibodies, called antihuman T-lymphocyte immune globulin (ATG), the researchers were able to lower the threat of rejection in patients. "Graft-versus-host disease is the most serious complication after stem cell transplantation," said lead researcher Dr. Francesca Bonifazi, from the Institute of Hematology at Bologna University in Italy. "Using [ATG] reduces ... Read more
Related support groups: Hairy Cell Leukemia, Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia, Infection Prophylaxis, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia, Meningeal Leukemia
End-of-Life Talk Often Comes Too Late for Blood Cancer Patients
Posted 21 Dec 2015 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Dec. 21, 2015 – Many doctors wait too long to have end-of-life discussions with blood cancer patients, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed surveys completed by 349 blood cancer specialists, and found that 56 percent said end-of-life discussions with patients happen too late. Nearly 43 percent said they had their first end-of-life discussions with patients at less-than-ideal times, the findings showed. About 23 percent of the doctors said they waited until death was imminent before discussing hospice care. And nearly 40 percent waited until death was imminent before they asked patients where they wanted to die. Several factors may contribute to the delay in end-of-life discussions with blood cancer patients, according to Dr. Oreofe Odejide, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues. While solid tumors are incurable after they reach an advanced stage, ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Hairy Cell Leukemia, Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia, Infection Prophylaxis, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Meningeal Leukemia, Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia
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Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia, Hairy Cell Leukemia, Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia, Meningeal Leukemia, Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia, Blood Disorders
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