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The FDA-approved drug daclizumab improves the survival of breast cancer patients taking a cancer vaccine by 30% compared with those patients not taking daclizumab, according to a recent study published in Science Translational Medicine.

A team from the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania proposed that daclizumab would be effective in diminishing regulatory T cells (Tregs) and rebuilding the immune system’s ability to fight tumors.

A hormone-depleting drug can help eliminate or nearly eliminate aggressive, nonmetastatic prostate cancer tumors, according to a clinical study.

For women who have ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, breast brachytherapy with a strut-based applicator appears to be an effective treatment, according to a groundbreaking multisite study. This form of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a 5-day therapy that follows lumpectomy surgery.

In a study of more than 20,000 patients 65 and older with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treatment rates declined more in relation with increasing age than with the worsening of other illnesses.

The study, led by a team at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and University of California San Francisco (UCSF), found that for all stages of cancer, younger patients were more apt to receive treatment than older patients, regardless of general health and prognosis.

In recent years, researchers have considered a potential link between beta-blockers and a decreased risk of cancer. This theory stems from the fact that beta-blockers inhibit the actions of the stress hormone norepinephrine. This, along with studies that found norepinephrine can promote the growth and spread of cancer cells, led researchers to reason that the beta-blockers could have anticancer properties.

However, a recent study published early online in Cancer revealed that the use of beta-blockers showed no reduction of colorectal cancer risk.

Beta-carotene, selenium, and folic acid taken at high levels, as some supplement manufacturers suggest, are now proven to increase the risk of developing various cancers.

“It’s not that these nutrients are toxic – they’re essential and we need them, but we need them in a certain balance,” says Tim Byers, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and associate director for prevention and control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

According to a landmark study published recently in The Lancet Oncology, 2 million (16.1%) of the worldwide 12.7 million new cancer cases in 2008 were attributable to infections. This percentage was higher in less developed countries (22.9%) compared with more developed countries (7.4%). The numbers also varied 10-fold by region, from 3.3% in Australia and New Zealand to 32.7% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Oftentimes, patients with multiple myeloma experience disease progression even after receiving a stem cell transplant. However, according to a recent study, a new long-term therapy, lenalidomide, can be used after transplantation to slow down the progression of the disease.

An analysis recently published in JAMA found that clinical trials are not producing the high-quality evidence needed to guide medical decision making. According to the largest comprehensive study of ClinicalTrials.gov, the majority of clinical trials is small, and there are significant differences in methodical approaches.

A new study shows that nearly half of patients see value in taking an active role in their care, even when they are dealing with a debilitating illness.

Navigating Cancer surveyed 295 cancer patients. The majority, 72%, was drawn to using personalized tools and resources to manage their care. More specifically, 77% was interested in reading cancer education materials from expert sources. Having online access to their medical records was a common interest of 74% of those surveyed.