Stories related to: lung cancer

A powerful new cancer drug has been developed from a fungus discovered by accident, Reuters reports. The drug, called lodamin, is dramatically effective against a range of cancers and works by starving tumors of blood, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. Mice infected with cancer cells were nearly cancer free within days. More »

Movie legend Paul Newman has quietly turned over his ownership of Newman's Own cookies and salad dressing company—worth $120 million—to his charitable foundation, which helps ill and impoverished kids, reports Fox TV. News of the gift comes amid reports the gaunt 83-year-old star is dying of lung cancer; asked about his health, the former chain-smoker told Reuters, through a spokesman, he's "doing nicely." More »

Smokers who kick the habit see their risk of dying drop drastically after 5 years, and their risk level nears that of nonsmokers within 20 years, new research finds. In a study that followed 100,000 women over 3 decades, researchers recorded a 13% drop in death from all causes for ex-smokers 5 years after their last puffs, WebMD reports. More »

The human papillomavirus, or HPV, has been linked to increased risk of lung cancer, but conservatives are standing firm in opposition to the new vaccine. Parents and activists charge that Gardasil encourages promiscuous sex, ABC News reports. "If you give kids the vaccine, you're giving them a license to go have sex," insists the head of an abstinence advocacy group. More »

A study claiming to dramatically reduce the risk of lung-cancer death is the object of intense scientific debate, Philip Boffey writes in the New York Times . Researchers screened asymptomatic smokers with spiral CT scans, which are more sensitive than the traditional chest X-ray. They estimate 92% of those found to have early-stage tumors, and get them removed, would survive the next decade. More »

A simple test on cells from the mouth could help doctors predict which smokers will develop lung cancer, Reuters reports. In a test group, 95% of subjects with the genetic damage associated with cancer in their lungs had the same damage in their mouths. More »

Three new studies have found a genetic variation that may increase smokers' chances of getting lung cancer. A smoker who inherits the variations from both parents has a 70% to 80% greater risk of developing the cancer. The findings could shed light on why some  smokers get cancer and some don't, and why some are more prone to getting hooked. They also could lead to better anti-smoking treatments, the Telegraph reports. More »

Tobacco money paid for research that said CT scans could prevent 80% of lung cancer deaths, the New York Times reports. The news has shocked cancer researchers, who are generally loathe to have anything to do with cigarette companies. “If you’re using blood money, you need to tell people you’re using blood money,” said the head of the American Cancer Society. More »

The FDA has approved a drug currently prescribed to treat lung and colon cancer for use on breast cancer patients, the AP reports. The decision defies the advice of the FDA's own advisory panel, which recommended that Avastin not be used to treat breast cancer on the grounds that it slowed tumor growth without increasing life expectancy. Patient advocates are thrilled with the ruling. More »

Cancer deaths in the US rose slightly in 2005, according to the American Cancer Society's latest report, but the news isn't all bad: the cancer mortality rate declined 1%, continuing the downward trend since the early 1990s, the Dallas Morning News reports. "As an aging population, we will see more cancers," a researcher says, explaining the increase, despite gains from early detection and treatment. More »

Women who live in areas with a large about of night-time light face an increased risk of breast cancer, and scientists believe it may be because the light interferes with a tumor- fighting hormone, reports the Washington Post . Researchers compared satellite images at night with cancer registries and found breast cancer rates up to 64% higher in well-lit areas than in regions with the least amount of night-time illumination. Scientists called it a "clear and strong correlation." More »

Lack of exposure to sunlight may increase the risk of lung cancer, a study of 111 countries shows. Smoking is the risk factor most closely associated with the disease, accounting for as many as 85% of cases, but limited access to UV rays is second, the Telegraph reports. Vitamin D, which is generated by exposure to the sun, can slow or even halt tumor growth, reports the BBC. More »

A diet rich in red meat has long been linked to a higher risk of colon cancer, but new research also ties it to lung, esophageal and liver cancers. A new study of over a half million participants focuses on consumption of beef, pork, lamb and processed meats—cold cuts, bacon and hot dogs. Researchers speculate that the increased risk stems from compounds within the meat, as well as some generated by cooking. More »

Grand Ole Opry star Porter Wagoner died of lung cancer in Nashville last night, just as the Country Music Hall of Fame—which enshrined him in 2003—gathered to induct new members. He was 80. Wagoner will be remembered as a rhinestone-clad innovator who pioneered the country concept album and introduced the world to longtime collaborator Dolly Parton, the Tennessean reports. More »

Smoking, everybody's favorite target, is now drawing fire from employers looking to cut medical costs by helping workers kick the habit, the New York Times reports. Employers gain significantly when employees quit, because a typical smoker racks up $16,000 in additional lifetime medical costs and saps productivity with smoking breaks and absenteeism. More »

Cancer death rates are falling faster than ever thanks to successful screening and improved treatments, according to expert analysis of the latest statistics. The death rate dropped an average of 2.1% a year between 2002 and 2004, nearly twice the 1.1% average drop between 1993 and 2001, according to the annual "Report to the Nation" compiled by several cancer organizations. More »

UK researchers may have found a natural way to combat certain cancers. In tests, a chemical compound in tangerine peel attacked and destroyed cancer cells. The findings could lead to treatments for cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, and ovaries, Reuters says. “It is very exciting to find a compound in food that can target cancers specifically,” said one chemist. More »

An American Cancer Society survey of 1,000 adults, as reported in Time, determined five major misconceptions about the disease. The risk of dying from cancer in the United States is increasing. Living in a polluted city is a greater risk for lung cancer than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. More »

Two scientists may be fishing cancer cures out of an abandoned, poisonous lake, Wired reports. Don and Andrea Stierle are finding microbes in the green goup of an old Montana pit lake that don’t exist anywhere else – and happen to make compounds that inhibit a lung cancer and an ovarian cancer. So far Big Pharma hasn’t taken enough notice to fund a full investigation of the underwater slime.  More »

Elizabeth Murray, a painter whose vivid, cartoon-based work was part of a contemporary movement away from minimalism, died yesterday of lung cancer. She was 66. A leading figure in the New York art scene, Murray won a MacArthur genius grant in 1999 and enjoyed a retrospective at MoMA last year. More »