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Research Summaries
Using the drop-down menu below, read about highlighted scientific news from ASCO's Annual Meetings since 2002. You can select a specific year and/or a specific topic, such as a type of cancer. Selecting "All" will take you to a complete list of articles that appear under all categories.
The 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting is set for May 31-June 4, with research news beginning to be released on May 15 at 6pm Eastern. Additional research will be released each day of the meeting.
To read these summaries categorized into a yearly newsletter, you can also review Cancer Advances: News for Patients from the ASCO Annual Meeting.
Don’t forget to check out audio podcasts and videos about this news, as well. And, in addition to the highlighted studies below, thousands of scientific abstracts are released each year at the ASCO Annual Meeting. To search the entire collection of meeting abstracts, visit ASCO's website.
June 5, 2004
A new study finds an increased risk of severe digestive side effects in patients with a specific genetic variation who were treated with radiation and platinum-based chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
June 5, 2004
A new study found an association between the quality of life of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and variations in a set of genes called folate genes. The results of this study suggest that doctors may be able to identify and provide relief to those patients who are more at risk of certain side effects associated with cancer.
June 5, 2004
A new study suggests that men taking a specific type of hormone therapy, called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, for prostate cancer are at an increased risk of bone fractures. This risk increases the longer the treatment continues. GnRH agonists work by limiting production of the hormone testosterone. This type of hormone therapy is also called androgen deprivation therapy (androgens are male sex hormones).
June 5, 2004
A new study shows that giving chemotherapy after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) results in a significant survival advantage in people with stage IB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stage IB NSCLC describes a small to medium-sized tumor that has not spread to the lymph nodes. This type of lung cancer is currently treated with surgery. The purpose of this study was to learn whether chemotherapy after surgery helped people with stage IB NSCLC live longer, because the results of previous studies have been conflicting.
June 2, 2003
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer. In general, early stage NSCLC is treated with surgery.
June 2, 2003
Many health organizations recommend that women 20 years and older perform a monthly self breast examâan easy-to-learn procedure for examining one's own breastsâand have a clinical breast examâa breast exam performed by a doctorâevery three years.
June 1, 2003
Researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have found that the new cancer drug oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), when used in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (Wellcovorin), slows tumor growth and offers relief from some tumor-related symptoms in patients with advanced colorectal cancer that has spread beyond the colon and the surrounding lymph nodes.
June 1, 2003
In leukemia, immature blood cells, called blasts, become stuck in their early stage of development. In the acute phase of the disease, these blasts reproduce rapidly, take over the bone marrow, and crowd out the normal, mature red and white blood cells and platelets that are produced there.
June 1, 2003
Differences in a patient's genetic make-up not only affect how cancer progresses, but how effective different cancer treatments will be for each individual patient.
June 1, 2003
A team of researchers at the University of Indiana has conducted the largest phase III study to evaluate the effectiveness of two different therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has recurred following initial treatment.