May 2014

Gad Getz, PhD, MSc, focuses on cancer genome analysis, particularly cataloging all of the genomic events that occur during the development of cancer, in his laboratory at the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard.

Even as technological advances make it possible to sequence DNA on a large scale at relatively lower costs and in shorter time-frames, emerging evidence from the world's top research laboratories suggests that scientists are still a long way from having a complete catalog of cancer genes.

A multitude of studies presented over the course of the past year have emphasized the importance of broader RAS mutational analyses outside of traditional KRAS testing for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Researchers are making progress in identifying biomarkers and developing assays that will help clinicians improve the management of patients with prostate cancer from screening strategies to making therapy choices

Oncology practitioners now have several resources to consult for advice on genetic testing for their patients following the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) December 2013 update of its 2005 BRCA recommendations.

Improved imaging modalities are needed to help advance treatment of men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, and several novel techniques are under study

As with other new therapies that have been approved in recent years for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), researchers are not entirely certain about how best to fit radium Ra 223 dichloride (Xofigo) into the emerging paradigm

While the combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) has demonstrated survival benefits for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, oncologists are interested in knowing whether the regimen will transfer well into the adjuvant setting

Although we've known for decades that heredity is a major factor in cancer susceptibility and management, the insights gained in the past decade are still breathtaking.

Having a robust armamentarium to treat childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a major triumph in oncology.

Patients with advanced cancer who received early specialized palliative care reported better quality of life and satisfaction.

Einhorn, now a distinguished professor and Livestrong Foundation Professor of Oncology at the IU School of Medicine, has driven other major advances in the treatment of testicular cancer, coming up with a more effective and less toxic standard regimen and revealing important principles that are being applied to the treatment of other cancer types.

Although many patients with cancer now receive chemotherapy as outpatients, most cancer treatment centers do not extend this practice to patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or advanced myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who are receiving initial intensive induction therapy.

Cervical cancer screening based on identification of human papillomavirus (HPV) strains outperformed primary liquid cytology for detection of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), data from a large cohort study showed.

When the mapping of the human genome was completed more than a decade ago, there was unbridled excitement about the impact that the wealth of new knowledge would have on medicine, particularly on cancer treatment.