New Targeted Treatments Emerge For Gastric and Esophageal Cancer 

For years, patients with advanced forms of gastric and esophageal cancer have had relatively few treatment options. Most patients with inoperable tumors would receive chemotherapy, usually a combination of fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and leucovorin (known as FOLFOX). While this regimen is often effective, patients eventually develop resistance to the treatment and their tumors progress. Now, the … Read more

What Should I Eat if I Have Esophageal Cancer?

Eating with esophageal cancer can present difficulties for patients before, during, and after treatment. Patients may go through radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, or any combination of these in an effort to eliminate or beat back the cancer. Esophageal cancer and its treatment can also cause the esophagus to narrow and/or become dry, sore, and irritated, … Read more

Do Hot Drinks Increase the Risk of Esophageal Cancer?

Based on a review of numerous scientific studies, the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) recently concluded that routine consumption of “very hot” drinks probably raises the risk of esophageal cancer. The review, by a panel of 23 experts around the world, found that drinking beverages such as coffee or tea at very high … Read more

Veteran ‘Thriving’ Years After Advanced Esophageal and Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

It was anything but a routine hospital visit, but Bradley Graham handled his 100th chemotherapy infusion like he has all the rest — with a friendly smile and a steely determination. That’s his makeup. As a principal engineer specializing in submarines and nuclear emergency planning, and a Navy veteran who served more than 20 years … Read more

What You Should Know About Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk 

A growing body of research points to a connection between alcohol consumption and elevated cancer risk. Studies from the American Institute for Cancer Research have found that having even less than one drink a day, of any kind of alcohol, increases the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, stomach, mouth, … Read more

What You Need to Know About Cooking Oils and Cancer 

In the culinary world, cooking oils like olive, avocado, vegetable, and canola, are indispensable. But amid the frying, sautéing, and dressing, whispers of concern have arisen regarding the potential link between cooking oils and cancer.   There is ongoing research into the relationship between cooking oils and cancer, as well as the chemical reactions created during … Read more

Tailored Treatment and Support for Older Adults with Breast Cancer 

The trip from Nantucket to Boston, involving a long drive and ferry ride, is an arduous four-hour journey (not counting summer traffic). But when Nantucket resident and retired educator, Claudia Kilvert, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she committed to regularly getting in the car with her husband and 80-pound golden retriever Luna to get treatment … Read more

How is Standard of Care for Cancer Treatment Determined? 

In general, standard of care is treatment accepted by medical experts for a certain type of disease and that is widely used by healthcare professionals. It is also called best practice, standard medical care, and standard therapy.  The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology lay out the recognized standards for cancer … Read more

Stomach Cancer in the African American Community: Information to Know

Although stomach cancer is a rare disease, African Americans have a higher risk of developing it than white Americans do. Incidence rates of stomach cancer are 1.8 times higher in non-Hispanic Black men and 2.2 times higher in non-Hispanic Black women than in white men and women, respectively, according to the American Cancer Society. (These … Read more

Which Cancers Can Be Treated With Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy for cancer is a form of treatment that uses the body’s immune system to combat the disease. Today, immunotherapy is being applied to a wide range of cancers, often in combination with other agents, and clinical trials are exploring ways of improving and expanding its effectiveness. A particularly promising form of immunotherapy, known as … Read more

How Does Chemotherapy Affect Cancer Cells?

Chemotherapy agents can be divided into three major classes, based on the manner in which they act on cancer cells: Drugs that are active against dividing cells by targeting a specific phase of the cell cycle—the process by which cells duplicate their DNA and separate into two daughter cells. Drugs that are active against dividing … Read more

What is a Precancerous Condition?

A condition is considered precancerous if it consists of abnormal cells that have an increased risk of turning cancerous. In many cases, people with such conditions can take steps to reduce the chance that cancer will develop. Physicians may prescribe treatments to prevent the cancer or recommend monitoring the condition for signs that it is … Read more

How Has Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers Advanced Recently?

Scientists have made numerous gains recently in treating gastrointestinal malignancies, which include cancers of the colon and rectum, stomach, pancreas, liver, esophagus, and related tissues. Some advances are reflected in the approval of new drug therapies or changing practice to use existing drugs more effectively. In other cases, protocols are being revised to reduce toxic … Read more

Study Resolves Decades-Long Mystery About the Most Commonly Mutated Gene in Cancer

The most commonly mutated gene in cancer has tantalized scientists for decades with the message of its mutations. Although mutations can occur at more than 1,100 sites within the TP53 gene, they arise with greatest frequency at a handful of points dubbed “hot spots.” Does this imbalance suggest that hotspot mutations are especially conducive to … Read more