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Cancer News from UC San Diego

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Offers New Hope for Deadly Brain Tumor
February 03, 2012

One of few clinical trial sites, worldwide Jim Black is fighting the meanest, most aggressive, most common kind of brain tumor in the United States: recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In the United States, each year, approximately 10,000 pat... (More)

Four Breast Cancer-Related Studies Seeking Participants
January 25, 2012

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers examine role of diet and exercise An active lifestyle and a healthy diet can help you feel more energetic, control your weight, help you sleep better, and reduce your risk of many diseases. Researchers... (More)

UC San Diego Health System Expands, Acquires Nevada Cancer Institute
January 23, 2012

UC San Diego Health System has received approval to acquire the Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI), the official cancer institute of the state of Nevada, as an affiliate health care provider. The expansion represents a partnership between California and... (More)

UC San Diego Researchers Review Cessation Studies and Call for Change in Policy
January 17, 2012

Smoking is a major public health issue and quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health. In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Annual Review of Public Health, researchers at the University of California, San D... (More)

Old Drugs Find New Target For Treating Brain Tumor
November 18, 2011

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with colleagues in Boston and South Korea, say they have identified a novel gene mutation that causes at least one form ... (More)

New Drug Combo Targets Multiple Cancers
November 16, 2011

Sugar molecule primes cancer cells for early death from second compound Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Kyushu University Medical School say a novel combination of a specific sugar molecule with a pair ... (More)

New Way to Target – And Kill – Proliferating Tumors
November 14, 2011

UC San Diego researchers find surprising role for enzyme in tumor cell division and new drug to combat it Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center have identified a new drug... (More)

NIH-Funded Study Shows Increased Prostate Cancer Risk from Vitamin E Supplements
October 11, 2011

UC San Diego Experts Available to Discuss Results/Risks Men who took 400 international units (I.U.) of vitamin E daily had more prostate cancers compared to men who took a placebo, according to an updated review of data from the Selenium and Vitami... (More)

Progression of Lung Fibrosis Blocked in Mouse Model
October 05, 2011

Study points to a phosphorylation pathway that may contribute to the development of lung injury and fibrosis A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine may lead to a way to prevent the progression, or induc... (More)

New Technique to Remove Large Colon Polyps, California First
August 18, 2011

For the first time in the western United States, a surgical team lead by Elisabeth McLemore, MD, has used a novel operating platform to perform the scarless removal of rectal tumors. Called Trans-Anal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS), the techniqu... (More)

Most Top Doctors Named by U.S. News & World Report
August 09, 2011

UC San Diego Health System has been recognized as having 83 Top Doctors in more than 30 specialties by U.S. News & World Report. Based on a peer nomination process, UC San Diego Health System’s results represent the majority of San Diego physici... (More)

Kidney Preserving Surgery Saves Bone Health
August 04, 2011

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shed new light on how surgery impacts both chronic kidney disease and bone health, particularly in women. For the first time, their findings point to the importance of pu... (More)

UC San Diego Cancer Researchers Target Link between Obesity and Breast Cancer Risk
July 28, 2011

A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center will be participating in a cooperative agreement initiative, funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National In... (More)

UC San Diego Health System Ranked Number One Adult Hospital in San Diego
July 19, 2011

US News & World Report ranks health system among best in nation UC San Diego Health System ranks #1 among San Diego’s adult hospitals and among “America’s Best Hospitals” according to U.S. News & World Report’s “2011 - 2012 Best Hospitals”... (More)

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Patient Care Leader Named President of Society
July 14, 2011

Wayne Bardwell, PhD, MBA, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Director of the Patient and Family Support Service and the Doris A. Howell Palliative Care Service at UC San Diego Moores Canc... (More)

Novel Combined Therapy Extends Life, Diminishes Pain in Brain Cancer Patients
July 13, 2011

Approximately five to ten percent of patients with primary or metastatic cancer suffer from devastating neurological complications such as headaches, seizures, confusion, difficulty swallowing and visual disturbances. These deficits are caused by a ... (More)

UCSD Experts Urge Skin Cancer/Melanoma Awareness, Even in “June Gloom”
June 28, 2011

San Diego is one of the top 10 sunniest cities in the United States. Even when “June Gloom” clouds our skies, the sun is still very powerful. With that in mind, experts with UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center are helping raise awareness of the dange... (More)

Promising New Target for Stifling the Growth and Spread of Cancer
June 13, 2011

UCSD researchers find inhibiting single protein blocks the inflammation that fuels tumors Cancer and chronic inflammation are partners in peril, with the latter increasing the likelihood that malignant tumors will develop, grow and spread. Research... (More)

“Chemobath” for Colon Cancer Evaluated at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
June 09, 2011

As part of a multicenter clinical trial, surgical oncologists at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center are comparing the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy to a tri-modality approach to halt advanced colon cancers. The objective is to determine if t... (More)

Blood Simpler
June 08, 2011

UCSD researchers parse the origins of hematopoietic stem cells Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene and a novel signaling pathway, both critical for making the first hematopoietic stem cel... (More)

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center “Making Hope Happen” for Body and Mind
May 27, 2011

The word “salon” first appeared in popular use in the 1600s – meaning a gathering of people in an important place to exchange ideas with an inspiring host. With that definition in mind, leaders from UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center are reviving th... (More)

Christopher Kane, MD, Appointed C. Lowell & JoEllen Parsons Endowed Chair
May 26, 2011

Internationally-recognized cancer surgeon, Christopher Kane, MD, professor of surgery and chief, division of urology, has been named the inaugural holder of the C. Lowell and JoEllen Parsons Endowed Chair in Urology. The $2.5 million endowed faculty... (More)

Powerful Approach to the Analysis of Protein Motions
May 18, 2011

DXMS analysis provides novel tool for studying how movements allow proteins to perform their functions as molecular machines Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTM... (More)

A Gene That Fights Cancer, But Causes It Too
May 16, 2011

Over-activation of a single gene promotes leukemia, but its loss causes liver cancer An international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospit... (More)

Plasticity of Hormonal Response Permits Rapid Gene Expression Reprogramming
May 16, 2011

Gene expression reprogramming may allow cancer cell growth as well as normal differentiation Gene expression is the process of converting the genetic information encoded in DNA into a final gene product such as a protein or any of several types of ... (More)

Finding Molecular Targets of an HIV Drug used in Cancer Therapy
April 28, 2011

Use of chemical systems biology may represent the future of drug discovery Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) have identified potential human molecular targets of the ... (More)

Scientists Create Stable, Self-Renewing Neural Stem Cells
April 25, 2011

Abundant precursor cells can become many types of neurons without introducing tumor risk In a paper published in the April 25 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of California, ... (More)

Thomas Kipps Receives ACGT Investigator Award
April 20, 2011

Grant will help fund further testing of gene therapy treatment for leukemia patients Citing his on-going development of an immune-mediated gene therapy for intractable B cell leukemia, the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) has awarded Thomas ... (More)

Jean Y.J. Wang Elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
April 19, 2011

UCSD researcher noted for her studies of cell signaling and cancer genetics Jean Yin Jen Wang, PhD, professor of medicine and biology in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, was elected today with 211 other distinguished scie... (More)

A Cancer Marker and Treatment in One?
April 19, 2011

UC San Diego Researchers Finds Promise in Non-Human Sialic Acid Antibodies Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say antibodies to a non-human sugar molecule commonly found in people may be useful as a future bio... (More)

UC San Diego Selected as Study Site for National Research Network
April 13, 2011

27 institutions looking for ways to boost immune system to fight cancer The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine is among 27 research institutions selected across North America to be a part of the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Netwo... (More)

UCSD Scientists Receive Prestigious Hartwell Biomedical Research Awards
April 06, 2011

Three scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine are among this year’s 12 winners of Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards, honoring researchers whose work advances children’s health. The UC San Diego recipie... (More)

Call of the Riled
April 04, 2011

Stress Signal in Cancer Cells Triggers Similar Response in Other Cells, Aiding Tumor Growth Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say a “stress response” mechanism used by normal cells to cope with harsh or deman... (More)

Radical Surgery Removes Half of Pelvis, Saves Leg
March 21, 2011

During a radical surgery to treat a rare bone cancer, surgeons at UC San Diego Health System and Moores Cancer Center removed 50 percent of a patient’s pelvis. Instead of amputating the connected leg, the surgical team, comprised of orthopaedic, vas... (More)

Number of Heavy Smokers Decreased Dramatically in California and U.S. Since 1965
March 15, 2011

The days of “pack-a-day” smoking are all but a memory A study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego shows that high-intensity smoking – more than 20 cigarettes per day – declined markedly in both California and the remainin... (More)

Tumor Metastasis with a Twist
March 14, 2011

Protein is key to early embryonic development, but later promotes spread of cancer In the early stages of human embryogenesis, a transcription factor called Twist1 plays a key regulatory role in how the embryo assumes form and function. Much later... (More)

Trial Treats Prostate Cancer with Diet
March 10, 2011

UC San Diego Launches Nation’s First Non-Supplement Study on Prostate Cancer/Diet : Less meat, more vegetables, an active lifestyle, and phone calls The vegetables most boys wanted to avoid in childhood – such as kale and broccoli – just may be th... (More)

Mutations Found In Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
March 02, 2011

Ordinary human cells reprogrammed as induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) may ultimately revolutionize personalized medicine by creating new and diverse therapies unique to individual patients. But important and unanswered questions have persiste... (More)

Higher Vitamin D Intake Needed to Reduce Cancer Risk
February 22, 2011

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha have reported that markedly higher intake of vitamin D is needed to reach blood levels that can prevent or markedly cut th... (More)

Key Culprit Identified in Breast Cancer Metastasis
February 16, 2011

When doctors discover high concentrations of regulatory T cells in the tumors of breast cancer patients, the prognosis is often grim, though why exactly has long been unclear. Now new research at the University of California, San Diego School of M... (More)

Novel Cancer Surgery Enabled by NOTES Tools
February 07, 2011

Surgeons at UC San Diego Health System have identified a new application for “scarless” surgery tools that are normally used for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). In what is believed to be the first case in the United States, ... (More)

UC San Diego Health System Expands Cancer-Related Services in North Coastal Area
February 07, 2011

San Diego Cancer Center patients will now have access to dozens of clinical trials UC San Diego Health System is expanding its services in the North Coastal Community and is acquiring San Diego Cancer Center (SDCC). This acquisition is effective Fe... (More)

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Open House
January 20, 2011

The region’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center honors patients, physicians, staff and supporters For more than three decades, researchers and clinicians at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have led the way in... (More)