Neoplasms

Bacteria may assist the immune system response against cancer
The research published in the official journal of the American Association of Immunologists, the Journal of Immunology, demonstrates that bacteria stimulate a type of immune response that results in more effective killer cell attacks against cancer. MedicalXpress

Gut microbes spur development of bowel cancer
It is not only genetics that predispose to bowel cancer; microbes living in the gut help drive the development of intestinal tumors, according to new research in mice published in the March issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine. MedicalXpress

Higher BPA Levels Associated with Prostate Cancer
Higher urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA) are linked to early-onset prostate cancer, according to a PLoS ONE study. Researchers measured urinary BPA concentrations in 60 urology patients, about half of whom had prostate cancer. Concentrations were significantly higher in patients with than without cancer, particularly among those younger than 65.  Journal Watch

Immune system-based therapy produces lasting remissions in melanoma patients
A drug that unleashes the immune system to attack cancer can produce lasting remissions and hold the disease in check – for more than two years, in some cases – in many patients with advanced melanoma, according to a new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and allied institutions.

The study, published online today, March 3, by the Journal of Clinical Oncology, provides the longest-term look so far at how melanoma patients have fared since receiving the drug, nivolumab, in a phase I clinical trial. The results indicate that the benefits of nivolumab not only occur quickly but can persist, even in some cases where use of the drug is discontinued. Eurekalert!