Latest News
- UCLA brain cancer program designated a specialized program of research excellence by the National Cancer Institute
The brain cancer program at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCLA Brain Tumor Center has been designated a Specialized Program of Research Excellence, or SPORE by the National Cancer Institute, making it one of only five brain cancer programs nationwide to receive this national recognition and substantial research funding.
September 19, 2017 10:00 AM
detail - Treatment-resistant melanoma may be vulnerable to a drug holiday, UCLA study finds
A UCLA study has uncovered the mechanisms by which treatment-resistant melanoma become vulnerable to cessation of a class of drugs called MAP kinase (MAPK)-targeted inhibitors. By identifying these mechanisms, the scientists discovered that therapeutic benefits for patients could derive from a one-two punch of cessation of MAPK inhibitors followed by a class of drugs called DNA repair inhibitors.
September 18, 2017 12:00 PM
detail - UCLA receives $650,000 gift from Avon to fund breast cancer program
Avon Cares for Life, a program of UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to enhancing the quality of care for uninsured and underinsured patients who have been diagnosed with or are at risk for breast cancer, has received a $650,000 donation from Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.
September 12, 2017 10:00 AM
detail - University of California Cancer Consortium takes on California’s $14 billion killer
The University of California’s five academic cancer centers, home to some of the world’s leading scientists and physicians, have formed a consortium to better address California’s most pressing cancer-related problems and opportunities, UC President Janet Napolitano and Dr. John Stobo, executive vice president of UC Health, announced today.
September 11, 2017 10:00 AM
detail - UCLA opens first engineered blood stem cell clinical trial for cancers with the NY-ESO-1 tumor marker
UCLA scientists have initiated a phase 1 clinical trial to test a novel cancer treatment for certain kinds of cancers that have a specific tumor marker called NY-ESO-1. Directed by Dr. Antoni Ribas, the trial is the first to genetically engineer blood-forming stem cells to produce cancer-fighting white blood cells called T cells, which constitute part of the immune system.
September 11, 2017 9:00 AM
detail - Study unlocks how changes in gene activity early during therapy can establish the roots of drug-resistant melanoma
A UCLA-led study of changes in gene activity in BRAF-mutated melanoma suggests these epigenomic alterations are not random but can explain how tumors are already developing resistance as they shrink in response to treatment with a powerful class of drugs called MAP kinase (MAPK)-targeted inhibitors.
September 08, 2017 9:00 AM
detail - Adding modified herpes virus to immunotherapy shows promise for treating advanced melanoma
In a two-year UCLA-led study, nearly two-thirds of people with advanced melanoma responded positively to a treatment that combines the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab with a herpes virus called talimogene laherpareovec, or T-VEC.
September 07, 2017 9:00 AM
detail - Understudied consequences of peripheral neuropathy after chemotherapy
In two papers published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute researchers from UCLA, UC Davis and other institutions have found that peripheral neuropathy, which causes pain, numbness, and tingling in hands and/or feet, can bother early-stage breast cancer patients years after completing chemotherapy.
August 29, 2017 9:00 AM
detail - Communication in cancer care has fallen short for many deaf survivors
A cancer diagnosis can trigger a sudden and intense investigation into how cancer works--how the disease forms, how it spreads, and how it can be stopped. Cancer patients turn to an ecosystem of care-including support groups, online medical information, and the advice of one’s health care team--for answers that may be critical to their survival.
August 28, 2017 9:00 AM
detail - Study provides insight into link between two rare tumor syndromes
UCLA researchers have discovered that timing is everything when it comes to preventing a specific gene mutation in mice from developing rare and fast-growing cancerous tumors, which also affects young children. This mutation can also cause a benign tumor condition in humans in adulthood.
August 21, 2017 6:00 AM
detail - Findings pave way for three-drug combination treatment for childhood leukemia
A new study by UCLA scientists has found that the breakthrough immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can be more effective in improving survival in people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if they have previously received radiation therapy, compared to those without a history of radiation treatment.
August 14, 2017 6:00 AM
detail - Michael Teitell named director of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Michael Teitell, a renowned molecular immunologist and biochemist, has been named director of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and president of the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.
August 10, 2017 12:00 PM
detail - Study offers road map to personalized therapies for sarcoma and other aggressive cancers
Sarcoma is a rare and deadly form of cancer occurring in the bones and connective tissue that affects individuals of all ages. Its aggressiveness, rarity and diversity continue to hinder efforts to identify effective therapies for people with this malignancy. Patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) are unique models where a patient’s individual tumor is grown in mice. Such xenografts have long shown great promise in modeling how sarcoma and other cancers can respond to and resist therapies, but their feasibility for use in individual patients in clinical settings remains unknown.
August 04, 2017 1:00 PM
detail - World Lung Cancer Day 2017
In honor of World Lung Cancer Day, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Dr. Edward Garon provides an update on the current state of lung cancer research and treatments.
August 01, 2017 6:00 AM
detail - UCLA scientist awarded prestigious grant to identify the drivers of prostate cancer metastasis
Dr. Nicholas G. Nickols, an attending physician at the West LA VA and assistant professor of radiation oncology at the David School of Medicine, has been awarded the prestigious 2017 VALOR Young Investigator Award by the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
July 19, 2017 6:00 AM
detail - Renowned UCLA researcher assumes editorial leadership of prestigious cancer journal
As of July 1, 2017 Dr. Patricia Ganz will assume editorial leadership of one of the oldest and most internationally respected oncology journals, JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
July 05, 2017 9:00 AM
detail - Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment have evolved. Here’s where we are.
Dr. Mark Litwin discusses his new review of the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in JAMA, and how he assesses the optimal methods for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer based on current evidence.
July 03, 2017 10:00 AM
detail - Grill out cancer
Did you know grilling can increase your risk for cancer? Don't worry, our own Dr. Catherine Carpenter, professor of clinical nutrition, has some healthy tips to keep your summer barbecue lit!
June 30, 2017 1:00 PM
detail - People making a difference: UCLA's Sheila Henry
Cancer survivor Sheila Henry spent 18 years raising money for cancer research at the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation at UCLA and UCLA Health. Watch her story on KCAL 9 and CBS Los Angeles.
June 29, 2017 12:00 PM
detail - Renowned UCLA physician-scientist to receive highest honor for advancing the science and practice of radiation oncology
Dr. Michael Steinberg, Director of Clinical Affairs at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, has received the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2017 Gold Medal for his outstanding lifetime contributions in the field of radiation oncology.
June 27, 2017 10:00 AM
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