A research blog from the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention Subscribe Cannabis and Cancer Part 2: Scientists Look for Ways to Increase Knowledge About Cannabis with Help from People with Cancer March 8, 2021 | By NCI Staff After decades of opposition to decriminalizing cannabis products (especially marijuana), a more permissive attitude toward cannabis and its derivative products has taken hold today at the state level. At the same time, inconsistencies in state policies conflict with federal law, which itself, scientists said at a recent NCI-sponsored Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Cancer Research Symposium, is hampering clinical research. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Honoring the Scientists who Shaped Cancer Prevention Research During the Last 50 Years March 1, 2021 | By Philip E. Castle, Ph.D., M.P.H. For centuries, visionary physicians have stressed preventing disease as the best option. I frequently say that the “best” cancer is the cancer that never happens. Today, we turn our attentions to the scientists who made stride after stride during the last 50 years to shape cancer prevention research. Fifty years ago, the National Cancer Act was signed into law, kick-starting research that has changed how cancer is prevented, detected, diagnosed, treated, and survived, and moving us closer to a time when no one dies of cancer. Cannabis and Cancer, Part 1: Despite Lack of Evidence, Cannabis Products Being Widely Used February 24, 2021 | By DCP Staff During chemotherapy for an advanced blood cancer, Stacey Blansky vaped marijuana daily for her nausea and used cannabis oil for anxiety and stress. The decision to add these complex, plant-derived substances to ease her treatment’s side effects came after doing her own research on possible benefits, she said. In fact, while many patients say they experience symptom relief with cannabis products, there is no clear evidence on the benefits or potential harms, how cannabis interacts with the different cancer treatment agents, and whether it might modify or reduce the efficacy of treatments. At the same time, studying the efficacy and safety of cannabis continues to be challenging for researchers due to the patchwork of various restrictions in state and federal laws. Second Report Suggests No Benefit to Starting Aspirin Therapy for Cancer Prevention for Adults 70 and Older February 11, 2021 | By Susan Jenks Millions of older Americans take aspirin daily to reduce their risk for heart disease and colorectal cancer. But, new data suggests this protective edge for colorectal cancer comes only if they begin taking aspirin before age 70. In a pooled analysis of two large U.S. cohorts of health professionals, researchers confirmed the surprise finding of an earlier clinical trial, known as ASPREE (Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly). That study found regular aspirin use confers no apparent protection against the development of these cancers in an elderly population. Study With Common Pain Drug Shows Change in Immune Biomarkers, Highlights Pathway for Prevention of Colorectal Cancer in People with Lynch Syndrome February 3, 2021 | By Susan Jenks An over-the-counter drug, readily available to consumers for years, may open a new option for preventing colorectal cancer in high-risk individuals. It's not the mouse that roared but the quiet mouse behind the scenes that inspired researchers to look at the anti-inflammatory drug, naproxen, said Asad Umar, D.V.M., Ph.D., senior advisor to the director for translational research in the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Prevention and one of the study authors. Scientific Achievements During 2020: An Unforgettable Year of Progress in the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention December 17, 2020 | By Philip E. Castle, Ph.D., M.P.H. As this unforgettable year of 2020 comes to an end, I am reaching the milestone of my first 6 months as Director of the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP). It has been a whirlwind of virtual meetings and introductions. I remain humbled and honored by this opportunity to serve and to rejoin DCP with its rich history of leading cancer prevention science in the U.S. and globally. DCP sponsors and directs groundbreaking, rigorous, collaborative research to revolutionize and accelerate prevention of cancer and its consequences. I am in awe of the breadth and depth of the division’s portfolio and excited to move forward our shared agenda in 2021. As cancer prevention researchers, our goal is to keep those who are healthy, healthy. Successful prevention is the absence of a cancer diagnosis, which is hard to see but critical to achieve. The best cancer is the cancer that never happens. Making Informed Choices on Incorporating Chemoprevention Into Breast Care: Q & A with Dr. Katherine Crew on the MiCHOICE Trial December 8, 2020 | By DCP Staff The SWOG Cancer Research Network is opening to accrual the MiCHOICE Trial to study the use of decision support tools by women with high-risk breast conditions and their healthcare providers to choose among chemoprevention options. The MiCHOICE Trial was previously mentioned in the November 19 Cancer Prevention Science blog post How Patients and Their Doctors Determine Cancer Risk—and What Happens Next. About 415 high-risk women and 200 healthcare providers will be enrolled through the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) to the cluster randomized controlled trial. The estimated completion date is June 1, 2024. Katherine D. Crew, M.D., M.S., who is a Principal Investigator along with Rita Kukafka, Dr.P.H., M.A., answers a few questions. How Patients and Their Doctors Determine Cancer Risk—and What Happens Next November 19, 2020 | By Goli Samimi, Ph.D., M.P.H. If you were concerned that you might be at increased risk for a specific kind of cancer, what would you do to confirm that risk, and what would you be willing to do to reduce that risk? The answer is likely to be, "it depends on your doctor." The ability to identify individuals at higher risk of cancer has significantly improved with technological and medical advances such as genetic testing and improved identification of precursor lesions. Individuals at higher risk for cancer are good candidates to potentially benefit from prevention interventions, including chemopreventive agents and risk-reducing surgery. However, studies have shown that acceptability, uptake, and adherence to preventive interventions is low, even among those at high risk of developing cancer. Projects Making Progress in Breast Cancer Detection and Prevention October 19, 2020 | By Philip E. Castle, Ph.D., M.P.H. In the month of October, breast cancer awareness is the health message that looms large. Yet, researchers across the National Cancer Institute and across the world are focused on breast cancer all the time. In the United States, more than 275,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and more than 3.5 million are breast cancer survivors. The best breast cancer, however, is the one that never happens. That is where the prevention and detection research supported by the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) is making a difference. Research Issues in Gynecology and Women's Health: How do Benign Conditions Become Cancer? September 28, 2020 | By Goli Samimi, Ph.D., M.P.H. Research to uncover how and why benign gynecologic conditions like endometriosis or uterine fibroids progress to invasive and deadly ovarian cancer or uterine sarcomas, is a critical and overlooked issue in women’s health. A new report on research priorities and an open funding opportunity are focused on addressing this issue. In April 2019, Program Directors from the Division of Cancer Prevention and the Division of Cancer Biology within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch within the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) organized a joint workshop with experts in benign and malignant gynecologic diseases to identify interesting and important research questions related to the biology, epidemiology and clinical characteristics involved in the processes by which gynecologic cancers progress from benign gynecologic conditions. 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