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Giving COVID-19 survivors' blood plasma to blood cancer patients hospitalized with COVID-19 significantly improves their chances of survival, a new study finds.

"These results suggest that convalescent plasma may not only help COVID-19 patients with blood cancers whose immune systems are compromised, it may also help patients with other illnesses who have weakened antibody responses to th...

It's long been known the sun's rays can cause skin cancer.

But a new poll shows that only about 30% of American adults say they're concerned about developing skin cancer — even though nearly 70% have at least one risk factor for the disease.

The American Academy of Dermatology's survey found that 49% of respondents were more worried about avoiding sunburn than preventing skin canc...

Rates of breast cancer-related genetic mutations in Black and white women are the same, according to a new study that contradicts previous research.

It found that about 5% of both groups of women have a genetic mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer.

"The findings challenge past, smaller studies that found Black women face a greater genetic risk and the suggestion th...

Women whose diets tend to feed inflammation may have a heightened risk of breast cancer, a preliminary study suggests.

The study, of more than 350,000 women, found that the more "pro-inflammatory" foods women consumed, the higher their breast cancer risk.

The term refers to foods thought to contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body - a state implicated in vari...

After being diagnosed with bladder cancer, some patients face an almost impossible decision -- have their bladder removed or take a risk knowing that the cancer may be more likely to spread if the bladder is left intact.

But what if there was another way?

For David Cabelis, 68, the decision was more straightforward than most, as he had a unique opportunity to take part in a clinical...

Hospitalized patients with active cancer are more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who've survived cancer and patients who've never had cancer, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed the records of nearly 4,200 patients hospitalized at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Of those patients, 233 had an active...

After a diagnosis of breast cancer, Black women face a greater risk of having the disease spread to distant sites in the body - a disparity that is not readily explained, researchers say.

It's known that in the United States, Black women have the highest death rates from breast cancer of any racial or ethnic group.

Compared with white women, Black women are 40% more likely to die of...

Patients with advanced prostate cancers may have newfound hope: Researchers identified a new potential treatment for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, which has no cure.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer means the disease continues to spread despite therapies that deplete male hormones (androgens) such as testosterone, which are thought to "feed" tum...

A twice-daily pill can dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women who are genetically prone to the disease, researchers report.

The pill - olaparib (Lynparza) - works by blocking a natural enzyme called PARP that normally fixes DNA damage in healthy cells, but in these women actually promotes the growth of cancerous cells.

Early high-risk breast cancer patient...

Surgery soon after a diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer is crucial in reducing the risk of recurrence and death, a new study finds.

"Patients with early-stage cancer have the best chance for survival," said senior author Dr. Varun Puri, a thoracic surgeon and professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "That's why it's critical for patients to promptly...

About 1 in 10 U.S. cancer survivors delays follow-up care because they can't afford associated medical bills, even if they're insured.

That's the conclusion from an analysis of data from more than 5,400 survivors of various cancers. Most were insured, college-educated and had annual incomes above the national average. Their average age was 67, and most were female and white.

Up to 1...

If you're over 75, being screened for colon cancer could save your life, a new study says.

This week, the influential U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age to begin colon cancer screening from 50 to 45 for people without a family history of colon cancer, but did not change its advice to halt routine screening at age 75.

After that age, the decision to be s...

Mutations in a certain gene may increase a person's risk for an aggressive asbestos-related cancer called malignant mesothelioma, a new study claims.

The gene is called LRRK2 and is involved in regulating responses in immune cells in the brain. Mesothelioma can affect the lungs, stomach or heart.

The small study included 13 malignant mesothelioma patients who were exposed to asbesto...

An immunotherapy drug is the first to significantly reduce the risk of cancer recurrence or death in people with early-stage lung cancer, researchers report.

Atezolizumab reduced by 34% the risk of disease recurrence or death in a certain group of people with stage II to IIIA non-small cell lung cancer -- those whose tumors carry a protein that can help malignant cells evade detection by...

More lower-income Americans are surviving cancer due to expanded Medicaid health care coverage, a new study shows.

Researchers found a link between long-term survival of patients newly diagnosed with cancer -- across all stages and types of the disease -- and expanded Medicaid income eligibility. In other words, survival odds improved in states that granted Medicaid coverage at high...

A lot of people think of age 50 as the magic number for getting a first colonoscopy, but earlier is better, a prestigious U.S. expert panel now says.

Based on evidence that younger people are being diagnosed with colon cancer and would benefit from screening, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is moving the recommended age for colon cancer screening from 50 to age 45.

When checking your body for signs of skin cancer, don't overlook your nails.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) points out that skin cancer -- including melanoma, the deadliest type -- can develop under and around the fingernails and toenails. Though it's rare, it's more common in older people with darker skin.

Risk factors include personal or family history of melanoma or na...

People with heart failure are 20% more likely than those with cancer to develop depression within five years of their diagnosis, a new study finds.

Nearly 1 in 4 patients with heart failure are depressed or anxious, according to the German researchers.

"The treatment of mental illnesses in cancer patients -- psycho-oncology -- is long-established, but similar services for heart pati...

Feelings of grief are expected after the loss of a loved one, but having those feelings when your loved one has a terminal illness is also real and can fluctuate over time, experts say.

Individuals can adjust to their emotional pain, according to a new study focusing on what is known as "pre-loss grief" observed at two points in time for people whose family members had advanced can...

Being obese or overweight can increase the odds of developing several types of cancers, new research from the United Kingdom reveals.

But shedding the excess pounds can lower the risk, researchers say.

Reducing obesity cuts the risk for endometrial cancer by 44% and uterine cancer by 39%, and could also prevent 18% of kidney cancers and 17% of stomach and liver cancers, according t...

Fighting cancer can be a lonely battle, and new research shows that the coronavirus pandemic has made the experience even more isolating.

Studies conducted before the pandemic found that 32% to 47% of cancer patients were lonely, but in late May of 2020 roughly 53% of 606 cancer patients reported loneliness.

Those who were lonely had higher rates of social isolation and more severe ...

Rates of colon cancer among young Americans are on the rise, and a new study suggests that drinking too many sugary beverages may be to blame -- at least for women.

Women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, fruity drinks or sports and energy drinks per day had double the risk of developing colon cancer before the age of 50, compared to women who consumed one or ...

Having close relatives with colon polyps -- which can be precursors of cancer -- could mean that you have a higher risk for colon cancer, researchers say.

Colon cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Being overweight and inactive increases the risk, but genetics also play a role, researchers in Sweden and Boston said ...

Nearly 10 million cancer screenings have been missed in the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers report.

The investigators analyzed data on three types of cancer for which early screenings are most beneficial -- breast, colon and prostate -- and found that 9.4 million screenings for these cancers did not occur in the United States due to COVID-19.

Screenings fo...

A first-of-its-kind study suggests that slow-growing breast cancers can be treated with a highly targeted tumor-freezing technique, eliminating the need for invasive surgery.

Testing to date suggests that the technique is effective among women over 60 diagnosed with relatively low-risk breast cancer.

"Cryoablation is a minimally invasive solution that destroys breast tumors sa...

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, breast cancer experts realized space in operating rooms and hospitals could become scarce. That meant rethinking standard care, to provide the best way to treat patients under these suddenly restricted conditions.

One of the new ideas: Reverse the order of care given to patients with a type of breast cancer known as estrogen receptor-positive (ER+). ER+ ...

Cancer patients most likely to sign up for clinical trials during their treatment include people of color, those with higher incomes and those who are younger, a new study finds.

"This study informs our understanding of who is participating in cancer clinical trials," said study author Dr. Lincoln Sheets, an assistant research professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, in...

Cancer might seem like a modern problem, but new research has revealed that it affected up to 14% of adults in medieval Britain.

University of Cambridge researchers used X-rays and CT scans to search for evidence of cancer inside skeletal remains excavated as part of an ongoing study of medieval life.

The investigators found rates of cancer about 10 times higher than had been previ...

COVID-19 infections may last longer in young people with weakened immune systems, and that extended period could lead to more mutations in SARS-CoV-2, according to the authors of a new case study.

The study included two children and a young adult who had weakened immune systems due to treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For months, they tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus th...

Young Black and Hispanic cancer patients face poorer survival odds than their white counterparts, even from some cancers that are highly curable, a new study finds.

It's well known that the United States has long-standing racial disparities in cancer survival.

The researchers said the new findings bolster evidence that those disparities are not confined to older adults, who account...

If you live with a smoker, breathing in their smoke could increase your risk of oral cancer by more than 50%, a new analysis shows.

The findings highlight the need for more effective programs to prevent people from being exposed to secondhand smoke, the British authors said.

They analyzed five studies from Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America that included a total of nearly...

If hormones are part of your treatment for breast or prostate cancer, your heart health should be closely monitored, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.

Hormonal therapies for breast and prostate cancer increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, the authors noted. This increased risk is greater in patients who already have two or more heart risk factors...

A cutting-edge experimental drug cuts nearly in half the risk of death among patients with a rare but aggressive cancer of the eye, new clinical trial data show.

Tebentafusp has now become the first drug shown to improve overall survival in patients with uveal melanoma, said Dr. Antoni Ribas, immediate past president of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), in a