Second-generation inhibitors may change prognosis for patients with FLT3-positive acute myeloid leukemia
The FLT3 gene helps stem cells mature to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a process known as differentiation. The gene also helps control the number of cells produced.
But if development of the stem cells stops, the gene can mutate. “A large number of these poorly differentiated cells can transition into acute leukemia,” says Naval Daver, M.D.
30% to 35% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) carry...
T cells, B cells and the immune system
Our bodies naturally heal after our skin gets cut, and they can defend against the common cold. So, why not cancer?
The relationship...
What’s new with CAR T cell therapy?
Last updated July 1, 2022.
For patients with lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia, CAR T cell therapy offers an effective treatment...
Diabetes and pancreatic cancer: What is the link?
Insulin is a hormone produced by clusters of cells in the pancreas called islets. It helps our bodies use sugars from food for energy. When we’re active, we burn that energy and use up the sugar. But a poor diet and an inactive lifestyle can lead to an overload of sugar in the bloodstream and, with time, lead to insulin resistance.
“That means the insulin produced doesn’t work as efficiently as it normally would, so the pancreas...
7 questions about double-hit lymphoma, answered
If you’ve never heard of double-hit lymphoma or you’re unfamiliar with the specifics of the disease, you’re not alone. This rare and aggressive...
Liquid biopsies: Understanding ctDNA and circulating tumor cells
What if we could know more about a tumor just from a patient’s blood sample? While this concept is well-established with blood cancers like...
How fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) fits into cancer care
Many cancers grow when there’s a glitch in the DNA of our cells. Sometimes that error is passed down from a parent to their child, and sometimes...
Can immunotherapy treat cancer in patients with autoimmune diseases?
Historically, cancer patients with autoimmune disease likes lupus, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis have been excluded from clinical...
How surgery can treat neuroendocrine tumors in the gastrointestinal tract
From your growth to your digestion, your hormones regulate many basic functions within your body. These chemical messengers are produced and...
Chronic versus acute leukemia: Different diagnoses, different treatments
Stem cells come from our bone marrow and grow to become red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. These cells make up our blood and...
6 questions about cancer of the unknown primary (CUP)
Cancer is defined by where it starts and not by where it spreads. Where it starts helps determine how it’s treated and even the way people...
Women in science: 3 cancer researchers' perspectives
From Marie Curie’s discovery of radium that eventually led to radiation therapy, to the pioneering work in chemotherapy by Jane Cooke Wright...
Immunotherapy and colorectal cancer: Where we are and what’s ahead
The immune system defends the body from viruses and bacteria. But it’s not as successful in killing cancer on its own. Immune checkpoint inhibitors...
Can mRNA vaccines be used in cancer care?
The COVID-19 vaccines mark the first widespread use of mRNA technology. They work by using synthetic genetic code to instruct the patient’...
Do lung cancer patients need molecular profiling?
For some patients with non-small lung cancer, chemotherapy isn’t the most effective treatment option. But based on a tumor’s molecular profile...