More Studies by Columbia Cancer Researchers Are Retracted

The studies, pulled because of copied data, illustrate the sluggishness of scientific publishers to address serious errors, experts said. NYT > Health

Cancer Deaths Are Falling, but There May Be an Asterisk

The American Cancer Society found many deaths prevented, but an uptick in incidence of a variety of cancers. NYT > Health

Aspartame is Possibly Linked to Cancer in Humans, the WHO Says

The F.D.A. and the powerful beverage industry protested the new findings, and a second W.H.O. group stood by its standard that the sweetener is generally safe. NYT > Health

Rectal Cancer Patients May Not Need Radiation, Study Finds

A large “de-escalation” trial suggests that tens of thousands of people annually may be able to rely on only chemotherapy and surgery to treat their illness. NYT > Health

Researchers Identify Possible New Risk for Breast Cancer

Women’s breasts become less dense with age. Cancer may be more likely in breast tissue that is persistently denser over time, a new study suggests. NYT > Health

Black patients with cancer face worse COVID outcomes: study

  by Tom Wilemon Black patients with cancer experienced significantly worse outcomes after COVID-19 diagnosis than non-Hispanic white cancer patients in a study published March 28 in JAMA Network Open. Investigators of the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium, which includes more than 125 cancer centers and other organizations, studied the electronic health records of 3,506 patients for the analysis,...

“Supermeres” may carry clues to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and COVID-19

PHOTO: Members of the supermere discovery team include (front row from left) Qi Liu, PhD, Robert Coffey, MD, Qin Zhang, PhD, and (back row from left) James Higginbotham, PhD; Dennis Jeppesen, PhD; and Jeffrey Franklin, PhD. (hoto by Erin O. Smith) by Bill Snyder Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered a nanoparticle released from cells, called a “supermere,” which contains...

Cancer centers nationwide join to address the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cancer prevention and treatment

  A consortium of 17 cancer centers in the United States, including Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, have come together to better understand the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in delaying cancer detection, care and prevention. The cancer centers are working together with the National Cancer Institute on the impact of the pandemic on the continuum of cancer care from prevention to survivorship....

New data offer insights on COVID treatments for people with cancer

  by Tom Wilemon Newly released data on treatment outcomes of people with cancer diagnosed with COVID-19 reveal a racial disparity in access to Remdesivir, an antiviral drug that has been shown to shorten hospital stays, and increased mortality associated with dexamethasone, a steroid that has had the opposite effect in the general patient population. The data on 2,186 adults in the United States...

Initiative to explore COVID-19 outcomes in cancer patients

  by Tom Wilemon Early data on outcomes for cancer patients with COVID-19 will be released during the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program by a multi-institutional consortium. The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) was formed to rapidly collect data as part of an effort to understand the unique effects the coronavirus has on this vulnerable population. Participants include members of the European...