New Gene Study Unravels Cancer's Secrets

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2020 -- Cancer is a genetically driven disease, and a mother lode of new genetic data on dozens of different cancers is promising to break open fresh avenues of prevention and treatment.

Nineteen out of 20 cancers now can be tracked back to one or more specific genetic mutations, based on data gathered from in-depth sequencing of thousands of whole-cancer genomes, researchers say.

New Study Supports Lowering Age of First Colonoscopy

FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 -- The rate of colon cancer among Americans spikes sharply between the ages of 49 and 50, a new study finds -- supporting the case for earlier screening for the disease.

Researchers say the uptick between those two ages does not reflect an actual increase in the occurrence of colon cancer but the fact that screening for the disease has traditionally begun at age 50. So "latent" cancers that had been present for some time are caught at that age.

Study Confirms CT Screenings Can Cut Lung Cancer Deaths

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 -- A new Dutch study is being hailed as proof of the need for annual CT screenings of former and current longtime smokers to reduce deaths from lung cancer.

Dr. Debra Dyer, a spokeswoman for the American College of Radiology and chair of radiology at National Jewish Health in Denver, called the findings "wonderful news."

Progress Against Lung Cancer Fuels Record Drop in U.S. Cancer Deaths

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8, 2020 -- A 29% drop in U.S. cancer deaths between 1991 and 2017 was driven by declines in deaths from four major cancers -- lung, colon, breast and prostate, according to the latest American Cancer Society (ACS) annual report.

Cancer deaths in the United States fell 2.2% between 2016 and 2017, the largest-ever single-year decrease.

Regular Exercise Cuts Odds for 7 Major Cancers

THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2019 -- Exercise may reduce the odds you'll develop any of seven types of cancer -- and a new study suggests the more you exercise, the lower your risk.

That's the conclusion of researchers who pooled data from nine published studies that included more than 750,000 men and women.

AHA News: Statins May Do Double Duty on Heart Disease and Cancer

MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- About 40 million adults in the U.S. take a statin to lower their cholesterol and reduce the risk for heart disease. They might also be getting an added anti-cancer benefit, a growing body of evidence suggests.

Scientists first began investigating a connection between statins and cancer while looking at the drug's potential long-term side effects. Early animal studies that showed statins could spur cancer growth in rodents initially raised concerns.