News

An image of healthy foods, including vegetables, nuts, and eggs.
This issue reveals a metaproteomic approach to assessing the gut microbiome, genestein’s effect on remodeling pathways to suppress kidney cancer, and neferine from lotus seeds pro-oxidant anticancer mechanisms. Meet our… read more
POSTED: 10/29/2020
A side-by-side of two normal mammograms showing the difference between a dense breast (left) and a fatty breast (right).
DCP Director 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… read more
POSTED: 10/19/2020
Photo of a cancer patient.
NCI has launched the Cancer Moonshot℠ Biobank to procure and distribute longitudinal patient biospecimens for cancer research exclusively through 20 community research sites in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). Both the biobank pilot study, "NCORP Tissue Procurement Protocol: An… read more
POSTED: 10/19/2020
The National Cancer Institute was directed by Congress "to develop, validate, improve, and implement serological testing and associated technologies" to characterize the immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. As part of the response, the institute established Serological Sciences… read more
POSTED: 10/08/2020
Screen grab of the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting for NCORP Grantees.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer research and clinical trials, and the growing use of telemedicine garnered much of the focus during Part 1 of the annual meeting of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) on Aug. 31. Part 2 scheduled for October 6, will focus on progress… read more
POSTED: 09/29/2020
An illustration of the female reproductive system.
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.
POSTED: 09/28/2020
DCP Director Philip E. Castle, Ph.D., M.P.H. Coming on board as the Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) Director in July 2020 was a unique challenge. COVID is a serious problem now, but we have faith in science that it will be solved soon. While cancer is not… read more
POSTED: 09/11/2020
The Gut Microbiome's Important Role in Immunity.
As the availability and sophistication of smart technology for health (such as wearables, sensors, and micro-robotic tools) continues to increase, these devices could prove transformative in cancer prevention. Two ongoing Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) funding opportunities are promoting the… read more
POSTED: 09/08/2020
Numerous studies have suggested that people who regularly take low doses of aspirin may have reduced risks of being diagnosed with or dying from cancer. But new findings from a randomized clinical trial, called ASPREE, suggest that the same may not hold true for older adults. The study included… read more
POSTED: 08/18/2020
An image of different foods that are high in Zinc.
This issue reveals zinc’s chemopreventive activity for Barrett’s Esophagus, the nutritional environment and intestinal stem cell’s contribution to colorectal cancer, and Sirt1 signaling in astrocytes’ contribution to… read more
POSTED: 07/30/2020
A nurse at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, checks a young boy's temperature prior to testing him for COVID-19.
When the coronavirus pandemic reached the United States, thousands of people with cancer were participating in clinical trials, including many at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. At St. Jude, investigators took steps to reduce the risk that children participating in… read more
POSTED: 06/29/2020
Virus particles surround three human figures with their livers highlighted. One figure has a healthy liver, one has chronic liver disease and one has liver cancer.
Scientists have developed a new test that can help identify people who are likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. The approach uses a simple blood test to check for the patient’s previous exposure to certain viruses. A study of the new approach was… read more
POSTED: 06/11/2020
EsoCheck and EsoGuard infographic
EsoCheck™ and EsoGuard™ NCI Annual Plan & Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2020 (PDF, 17.4 MB) A new technology coupled with a new biomarker test now in clinical trials are giving patients timely access to a quick, accurate and less invasive way to… read more
POSTED: 06/01/2020
A nurse consults with a patient during Coronavirus quarantine.
With the sudden explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all living with a great deal of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. As an oncologist and cancer researcher, I know that those feelings are heightened for many people with cancer.
POSTED: 05/21/2020
3D illustration of the novel coronavirus.
COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. In addition to the information sources listed in the web header, the National Cancer Institute and the Division of Cancer Prevention have issued guidance for DCP investigators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those materials are consolidated here… read more
POSTED: 05/07/2020
3D illustration of the novel coronavirus.
The National Institutes of Health and the Foundation for the NIH (FNIH) are bringing together more than a dozen leading biopharmaceutical companies, the Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S… read more
POSTED: 05/04/2020
Logo AACR Virtual Annual Meeting I: April 27-28, 2020
Updated: July 9, 2020 NCI participated in the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meetings, held virtually on April 27 - 28, 2020 (Meeting I) and June 22 - 24, 2020 (Meeting II), including presenting the following research results from PREVENT and Early Phase Clinical Projects… read more
POSTED: 04/29/2020
An open bottle of Vitamin D on a table with eggs, fish, and vegetables.
This issue reveals there is no association between vitamin D supplementation and colorectal adenomas or polyps risk, that SAHA and EGCG promote apoptosis in breast cancer, and how the metabolome changes in colorectal cancer… read more
POSTED: 04/23/2020
A nurse administers the HPV vaccine to a participant in the NCI-funded Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial.
More than a decade after vaccination, women who had received a single dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine continued to be protected against cervical infection with the two cancer-causing HPV types targeted by the vaccine, HPV16 and 18. The new findings are from an extended follow-up of the… read more
POSTED: 04/10/2020
An older woman reading a tablet.
Women undergoing radiation therapy for cervical or uterine cancer have a much higher incidence of serious side effects than previously realized, according to results from a new clinical trial. This information may help women and their clinicians more accurately weigh the potential benefits versus… read more
POSTED: 04/08/2020
An illustration displaying the experimental drug BAI1 (yellow) which inhibits the BAX protein using a novel binding site (green) and prevents the death of heart cells.
The chemotherapy drug doxorubicin is used to treat many types of cancer, but some patients who receive the drug develop heart problems. Using new insights into how doxorubicin damages the heart, researchers have identified an experimental drug that may help protect the heart.
POSTED: 04/06/2020
NCI Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB) Guidance for the New Coronavirus: https://www.ncicirb.org/ FDA Guidance on Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medical Products during COVID-19 Pandemic Guidance for Industry, Investigators, and Institutional Review Boards… read more
POSTED: 03/19/2020
NCORP EOM initiative infographic.
While researchers have identified some of the genetic changes that lead to cancer development, a key knowledge gap remains: finding the genetic changes that drive the development of cancers that arise at an earlier age than average (early onset) in racially and ethnically diverse populations.… read more
POSTED: 03/05/2020
Image of a man holding up a glass of tomato juice.
This issue showcases how genetic variants may explain the response to tomato juice intake in men with prostate cancer, how cruciferous vegetables may inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells, and how expression of a genetic… read more
POSTED: 02/19/2020
Members of the US-Latin American-Caribbean Clinical Trials Network and National Cancer Institute staff.
Members of the US-Latin American-Caribbean Clinical Trials Network and National Cancer Institute researchers work together to improve and optimize approaches for prevention of HPV-related cancers in people living with HIV. Cervical cancer is highly preventable… read more
POSTED: 02/03/2020