NCI Director Dr. Kimryn Rathmell reviews some of the most noteworthy cancer research findings from 2024, including advances in immunotherapy for children with cancer, a potential therapy for cachexia, and studies that provided valuable insights into cancer biology.
The findings from a recent NCI-supported clinical trial are helpful because previous studies for people with locally advanced head and neck cancer have yielded conflicting data for and against several alternatives to cisplatin combined with radiation.
Younger cancer patients who filled out surveys about their symptoms experienced fewer cancer-related symptoms than those who did not complete the surveys, results from two clinical trials have shown. The findings show patient-reported outcome (PRO) surveys for children can give an accurate picture of how a child is feeling during the stress of treatment.
Two researcher teams have engineered a probiotic strain of E. coli called Nissle 1917 so it can help the immune system attack tumors. Although the E. coli were altered in different ways, resulting in two different immune-based treatment strategies, both were effective in mice.
Researchers have found that cancer cells containing extrachromosomal DNAs (ecDNAs) have a weakness that can be exploited by a drug that targets the CHK1 protein. In mice, combining the drug with another targeted therapy kept cancer at bay for long periods.