From: uclahealth.org A new study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has revealed that common breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, may accelerate the biological aging process in breast cancer survivors. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, show that markers of cellular aging—such as DNA damage response, cellular …
UCLA team develops automated HER2 scoring system with deep learning and pyramid sampling
From: news-medical.net HER2 is a critical protein that plays a pivotal role in breast cancer cell growth and aggressiveness. Its expression level is a key indicator for treatment decisions, including the use of HER2-targeted therapies. Currently, HER2 status assessment relies heavily on immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of tissue slides followed by manual inspection by pathologists. This process, though widely adopted, suffers …
Chemotherapy linked to physical decline in older women with high-risk breast cancer
Source: University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences From: news-medical.net A UCLA-led study suggests women who are 65 years old or older with high-risk breast cancer and are treated with chemotherapy are more likely to develop a substantial decline in physical function. The study, published in a special issue of the Journal of Cancer Survivorship, found over 30% of older …
This revolutionary breast cancer drug has saved millions of lives in its 25-year history
By: Dennis J. Slamon, MD (FEL ’82), PhD From: uclahealth.org In the early 1990s, women who were diagnosed with the HER2-positive subtype of breast cancer weren’t expected to live more than three-to-five years after diagnosis. Now, depending on the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, women with HER2-positive breast cancer have among the highest survival rates of all women with …
Updated results on a new approach to treating advanced ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer
Source: University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences From: news-medical.net A UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher and collaborators in a multicenter study will present updated results and plans for further research on a new approach to treating advanced ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. The study is the first-in-human, open-label, three-part study of ARV-471, alone or in combination with the drug …
Breaking down barriers to care for metastatic breast cancer patients
From: Elaiza Torralba From: ucla.edu UCLA team recommends state-level policy changes to improve health insurance coverage, participation in clinical trials and access to palliative care Drawing on a series of studies and interviews with patients and caregivers, UCLA researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have published recommendations for California policymakers and patient …
Mindfulness Meditation, Survivorship Education Reduce Depression in Young Breast Cancer Survivors
By: Kristie L. Kahl From: cancernetwork.com Behavioral interventions, including mindfulness meditation and survivorship education classes, reduced depressive symptoms in younger women treated for breast cancer, according to study findings presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Approximately 20% of breast cancers occur in women aged 50 or younger, a group of patients who are at an increased risk …
Engineered killer T cells could provide long-lasting immunity against cancer
UCLA researchers use stem cells to engineer cells that attack human tumors in mice They’ve been called the “special forces” of the immune system: invariant natural killer T cells. Although there are relatively few of them in the body, they are more powerful than many other immune cells. In experiments with mice, UCLA researchers have shown they can harness the …
Drug accelerates blood system’s recovery after chemotherapy, radiation
From: ucla.edu A drug developed by UCLA physician-scientists and chemists speeds up the regeneration of mouse and human blood stem cells after exposure to radiation. If the results can be replicated in humans, the compound could help people recover quicker from chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplants. The study, published in Nature Communications, also sheds light on the basic biology …
Personalized gene-edited immune cell therapy for patients with solid cancers: New data establishes approach for verifying patient-specific cancer mutation targets
Source: PACT Pharma From: PR Newswire – PACT’s gene-edited T cells were observed to kill tumor cells by targeting patient-specific tumor mutation targets in non-clinical testing – The company is launching clinical studies of personalized targeted immune cell therapy for patients with solid cancers PACT Pharma, a leader in the fields of cancer immunology and cell therapy in collaboration with …