(Posted: 09/13/2012) - Proscar (finasteride), a drug used to treat an enlarged prostate, does not reduce the quality of life of men who use it for a prolonged period of time, found a new study funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Published Sept. 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the research involved men aged 55 and older enrolled in a seven-year randomized clinical trial looking at the drug's possible use for prostate cancer prevention.

(Posted: 09/11/2012) - [Subscription Required]: For its latest recommendations, the panel relied heavily on a large (NCI-sponsored) study published last year in The Journal of the American American Medical Association of 78,216 women ages 55 to 74. Half were screened and half were not, and they were followed for 11 to 13 years. The screening consisted of ultrasound exams and blood tests for elevated levels of a substance called CA-125, which can be a sign of ovarian cancer. There was no advantage to screening: the death rate from ovarian cancer was the same in the two groups.

(Posted: 09/10/2012) - [Subscription Required]: The first large and comprehensive study of the genetics of a common lung cancer has found that more than half the tumors from that cancer have mutations that might be treated by new drugs that are already in the pipeline or that could be easily developed. For the tens of thousands of Americans with that cancer — squamous cell lung cancer — the results are promising because they could foretell a new type of treatment in which drugs are tailored to match the genetic abnormality in each patient, researchers say.

(Posted: 08/27/2012) - [Subscription Required]: Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan stared at a printout of gene sequences from a man with cancer, a subject in one of his studies. There, along with the man’s cancer genes, was something unexpected — genes of the virus that causes AIDS... In laboratories around the world, genetic researchers using tools that are ever more sophisticated to peer into the DNA of cells are increasingly finding things they were not looking for, including information that could make a big difference to an anonymous donor.

(Posted: 08/21/2012) - Studies have long shown an increased risk of breast cancer in women whose breasts are considered "dense," or less fatty. So some doctors say they were surprised by new research showing that breast cancer patients with dense breasts were no more likely to die than other patients in the study. Yet women with less dense breasts were more likely to die of their breast cancers if they also were obese, according to the study, involving more than 9,000 women, in today's Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

(Posted: 08/20/2012) - The National Institutes of Health provides 24-7 medical care, including chemotherapy and other intensive treatments, and a fully equipped emergency room. With the help of 60 volunteers and nearly 70 medical staffers, campers are able to safely participate in a variety of activities.

(Posted: 08/13/2012) - Researchers found that fifth graders in states with strong "competitive food laws" packed on fewer pounds than did kids in states with no such legislation.

(Posted: 08/07/2012) - The federal government says its graphic ad campaign showing diseased smokers has been such a success that it is planning another round next year to nudge more Americans to kick the habit.

(Posted: 08/02/2012) - Three studies, which included NCI funding, bolster the theory that specific stem cells within tumors are responsible for a cancer's persistent growth. When cancers are treated, tumors may shrink but then come roaring back. Now studies on three different types of tumors suggest a key reason why: The cancers are fueled by stem cells thatchemotherapy drugs don't kill.