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Opinion Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with millions of new cases reported each year. In 2022 alone, approximately 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed globally, and 9.7 million lives were lost to the disease. In India, the numbers are equally alarming, with around 100 out of every one lakh people diagnosed with cancer. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), more than 14 lakh cancer cases were estimated in 2023. [1 lakh = 0.1 million] Despite advancements in early detection and treatment, many myths surrounding cancer testing prevent people from undergoing timely...

New research has found that biomarker testing in individuals at risk of lung cancer led to a major reduction in deaths. This study, conducted with 12,000 smokers and ex-smokers, demonstrates how biomarkers—measurable indicators of biological changes—can identify individuals at high risk of lung cancer, leading to earlier detection and significantly improved outcomes. Professor Frank Sullivan led a large-scale trial involving 12,000 smokers and ex-smokers. The study found that testing high-risk individuals with biomarkers led to a 40% reduction in deaths from lung cancer and other causes over five years. Biomarkers are measurable indicators of biological processes, such as proteins or...

Already the go-to drug of choice for millions with type 2 diabetes, metformin might also fight lung cancer if those patients have it as well, new research shows. Metformin appears to help boost the benefits of immunotherapy drugs used to fight lung tumors, according to a team led by Dr. Sai Yendamuri. There was one big catch to the new finding, however. "Our work shows that the anticancer effect of metformin is active only in the context of obesity," Yendamuri said in a Roswell news release. "We observed longer recurrence-free survival in overweight patients who took metformin and underwent surgery."...

The test aims to speed the detection of lung cancer, which often isn’t found until the later stages.UK scientists have developed a new test to speed up the detection of lung cancer – by finding “zombie cells” in people’s urine. Lung cancer, the deadliest type of cancer worldwide, killed nearly 227,000 people in the European Union in 2021. It often isn’t diagnosed until later stages when symptoms appear or it has spread to other parts of the body, making it more difficult to treat. The new tool, which uses an injectable sensor to test urine samples, aims to help...

A research team found positive effects of tai chi and aerobic exercise on sleep quality, psychological well-being, physical function, and circadian rhythm in patients with advanced lung cancer. The study, conducted over a four-year period, discovered additional advantages in terms of improving one-year survival rates and reducing fatigue. The research has demonstrated remarkable potential of tai chi as a non-pharmacological intervention for improving survival in advanced lung cancer patients. The research team conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of aerobic and mind-body exercises, two widely recognized forms of physical exercises, which differ in intensity and modality. The study showed...

The state has confirmed an additional case of pertussis — or whooping cough — on Hawaii Island amid an outbreak that has so far sickened 11 since March. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state has confirmed an additional case of pertussis — or whooping cough — on Hawaii Island amid an outbreak that has so far sickened 11 since March. Several of the recent cases have been in infants too young to be fully vaccinated. Officials said the cases indicate “community spread” of pertussis on Hawaii Island. Because of that, the state Health Department is strongly recommending that parents stay up...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease with irreversible airflow limitation and a leading cause of death worldwide. Many studies have reported that the three major nutrients, namely protein, lipids, and glucose, along with nucleotide metabolites, are closely associated with COPD development and progression. They found levels of lipids are significantly changed in individuals with COPD. Various studies suggested that reversing abnormal lipid metabolism and administration of beneficial lipids might alleviate COPD effects and cardiopulmonary comorbidities. COPD patients have abnormal levels of amino acids and reduced synthesis capacity of antioxidant carnosine. Some studies suggested supplementation with amino...

Research suggests that the gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), paving the way for new therapeutic treatments. Key discoveries include the identification of distinct gut bacteria associated with COPD and the potential effectiveness of fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) as a COPD treatment. The study also demonstrated improved outcomes for COPD patients through nutritional interventions tailored to the microorganisms found in the gut. "The gut hosts the largest and most diverse microbiome in the body that, depending upon its composition, can either trigger or inhibit inflammation, including in the lung," said Professor...

Pulmonary researchers looked at the association between blood plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids—the heart-healthy fats found in foods such as salmon and flaxseeds—and the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and how long patients could go without needing a transplant. The researchers found that higher levels of omega-3 were associated with better lung function and longer transplant-free survival. The researchers say their findings warrant clinical trials to determine if interventions that raise omega-3 levels could be a useful tool to improve outcomes for patients with pulmonary fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases. "We found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids...

An 'extremely high' number of children are being diagnosed with pneumonia in Ohio — which is now the first US state to report an outbreak like the one in China. Health officials in Warren County, 30 miles north of Cincinnati, said there have been 142 pediatric cases of the condition — dubbed 'white lung syndrome' — since August. 'Not only is this above the county average, it also meets the Ohio Department of Health definition of an outbreak,' the county's health department said Wednesday. The spread of cases has raised fears that an American outbreak of the infection that has...

A regimen of pre-surgical immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by post-surgical immunotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates compared to chemotherapy alone for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of a Phase III trial. The AEGEAN trial evaluated durvalumab given perioperatively, meaning therapy is given both before and after surgery. Participants on the trial received either pre-surgical (neoadjuvant) durvalumab and platinum-based chemotherapy followed by post-surgical (adjuvant) durvalumab or neoadjuvant placebo and chemotherapy followed by adjuvant placebo. Of the patients receiving perioperative durvalumab, 17.2% had a pCR compared to just 4.3% of...

Osimertinib plus chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival benefit compared to osimertinib alone, according to research. The FLAURA2 study was led by Dr. Pasi A. Jänne from the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass. Osimertinib, a potent third-generation EGFR-TKI with central nervous system activity, has garnered attention for its targeted inhibition of both sensitizing and resistance EGFR mutations. According to Dr. Jänne, The FLAURA2 trial builds on the favorable results observed in the phase III FLAURA trial, where osimertinib displayed superiority over comparator EGFR-TKIs. The study enrolled 557 patients and...

Research has found that when alectinib—a safe and effective small molecule kinase inhibitor used to treat some types of advanced lung cancer—was taken with a fuller breakfast, or with lunch, it resulted in significantly higher drug concentrations than when taken with a low-fat breakfast. The researchers evaluated 20 randomized patients who took one of two daily alectinib doses with either low-fat yogurt alone, a full continental breakfast, or a lunch of their choosing. Taking alectinib with low-fat yogurt resulted in 14% less exposure than in the continental breakfast group, and 20% less than in those who took the medication with...

The FDA-approved lung cancer drug osimertinib (sold under the brand name Tagrisso) slashes the risk of death by 51% for certain patients whose cancer is caught early, according to new trial data. “This should be the new standard of care for these patients,” Nathan Pennell, co-director of the Cleveland Clinic Lung Cancer Program, who wasn’t involved in the drug’s development, said in a statement for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The drug: Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer in the world, with 2.2 million new diagnoses every year. The vast majority fall into a category called “non-small cell...

A pill has been shown to halve the risk of death from a certain type of lung cancer when taken daily after surgery to remove the tumor, according to clinical trial results. The treatment developed by the pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca is called osimertinib and is marketed under the name Tagrisso. It targets a particular type of lung cancer in patients suffering from so-called non-small cell cancer, the most common type, and showing a particular type of mutation. These mutations, on what is called the epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR, affect 10 percent to 25 percent of lung cancer patients...

More patients are choosing radiation therapy over surgery to treat their early-stage lung cancer, but a new study argues they might be making a mistake. People who are good surgical candidates for lung cancer appear to have a five-year survival rate that's 15 percentage points lower if they opt to have radiation treatment instead, according to findings. Said Dr. Brooks Udelsman: "If you have a patient who is expected to live more than two years, they're probably going to benefit from the surgery." The data included about 24,700 patients whose tumors were surgically removed and nearly 6,000 who underwent targeted...

One of the newest types of cancer drugs, immunotherapies called immune checkpoint inhibitors, has transformed the treatment of lung cancer over the last decade—dramatically improving the survival of some patients with the most common form of this disease, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only about 20% of patients experience a benefit. A new study reveals key molecular features of lung tumors that could explain why some patients respond to these treatments while others do not. The team has pinpointed factors that may influence the response of NSCLC patients to immunotherapies that inhibit the PD-1 or PD-L1 proteins. The PD-1/PD-L1...

A regimen of pre-surgical immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by post-surgical immunotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates compared to chemotherapy alone for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to Phase III trial results presented by researchers. The AEGEAN trial evaluated durvalumab given perioperatively, meaning therapy is given both before and after surgery. Participants on the trial received either pre-surgical (neoadjuvant) durvalumab and platinum-based chemotherapy followed by post-surgical (adjuvant) durvalumab or neoadjuvant placebo and chemotherapy followed by adjuvant placebo. "Throughout decades of research with adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we only succeeded in increasing...

Old blood clots in lung arteries can obstruct blood flow and lead to pressure build-up in the affected arteries. When this happens, symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, and fainting spells may develop, which severely impair quality of life. While this condition, known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), is often effectively treated with open heart surgery, many CTEPH patients cannot undergo surgery, because of other medical problems or because blockages in their arteries are beyond the reach of surgery. Said Riyaz Bashir, MD, FACC: "CTEPH patients treated with balloon pulmonary angioplasty come away having fewer symptoms,...

Controversies surrounding hormone therapy (HT) and its benefits and risks have dominated the women's health field for more than 2 decades. A large new study demonstrates that, despite some commonly held misperceptions, HT doesn't increase a woman's risk of developing lung cancer, and it could actually help reduce the risk. Lung cancer remains one of the most common malignancies and the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. After breast cancer, it is the most common cancer in women, with its incidence increasing in women over the past few decades. Although smoking remains the number-one risk factor for developing lung cancer,...