Individuals born after 1965 have a 17% higher risk of developing accelerated aging compared to those born from 1950–1954, researchers reported at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024. They demonstrated an association between accelerated aging and an increased risk for several types of early-onset solid tumors.

Confounding researchers and clinicians alike, colorectal cancer rates are dramatically increasing among younger populations. In the latest study results published in Gastroentrology, researchers quantified the drastic shift of colorectal cancer diagnoses in various young groups aged 10–24 years.

Lifting the veil on prostate cancer and sharing lifesaving information, former National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, revealed in April 2024 that his active surveillance, slow-growing prostate cancer had advanced to a Gleason score of 9. Collins made the announcement in a Washington Post perspective piece in which he accounted his experience from both a patient and clinician lens.

In 2019, 20% of colorectal cancer diagnoses occurred in patients younger than 55—approximately double the diagnosis rate in 1995. Since 2010, rates of advanced disease have increased about 3% annually in people younger than 50. Researchers are actively investigating the reasons behind that trend.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can detect smaller colon polyps that may be missed by the human eye during a colonoscopy, according to recent research. In studies evaluating how computer-aided detection (CAD), a form of AI, can assist in colon cancer screening, CAD increased detection rates for small adenomas (polyps) compared to a standard colonoscopy, but it did not surpass the skilled eyes of experienced gastroenterologists in finding larger adenomas.

Veterans younger than age 40 who may have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service are now eligible for breast cancer risk assessments and clinically appropriate mammograms in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, the department announced in July 2023.

Compared to standard double reading from two radiologists, artificial intelligence (AI)–supported mammography screening detected one additional breast cancer per 1,000 patients, researchers reported in Lancet Oncology. AI mammography also cut radiologists’ screening workload nearly in half. 

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 20–39 account for the steepest increase in the rising rates of early-onset colorectal cancer, but identification of early warning signs and vigilant screening can prevent the predictions of the incidence doubling by 2030 in patients younger than 50 years. According to the results of a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, four red flags should trigger clinicians to refer younger individuals for early detection testing. 

Ultrasound imaging guided with artificial intelligence (AI) noninvasively detects almost all malignant thyroid nodules, researchers reported at the 2022 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. It is also accurate when predicting T stage, extracapsular extension, and presence of a BRAF variant.

For the past two years, patients and providers have turned their attention to combatting a global health threat. We’ve nearly crumbled amid the chaos, but carried on through acts of comfort and innovation. However, as we pled for an end to this nightmare, for heard immunity through vaccination, another health threat took a backseat. Cancer screening rates plummeted, particularly among communities of color. Oncology nurses can use evidence-based interventions to increase screening rates for all patients with cancer.  

A dermatologist-performed total-body skin examination (TBSE) identifies more than two times the number of skin cancers than patients or other providers discovered, researchers reported in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. The cancers may otherwise have gone undiagnosed, leading to later-stage disease and poorer outcomes.

Multimedia tools and resources can help patients learn more about a cancer diagnosis, treatment regimens, procedures, and follow-up care, among other important topics, and many institutions and organizations have jumped onto the bandwagon to create those resources for their patients. A new video series on gynecologic cancers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds another patient education resource to oncology nurses’ toolbox.

Combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing allows clinicians to detect twice as many clinically significant prostate cancers than PSA testing alone, according to study results published in JAMA Oncology.

The miR-181a microRNA may turn off two genes and lead to the development of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, researchers reported in Nature Communications. The finding is significant because not much is known about how ovarian cancer develops and it’s difficult to detect in its earlier stages.

Identifying a panel of tumor-associated antigens and autoantibodies through a simple blood test may one day help providers diagnose the earliest stages of breast cancer, before clinical signs appear.

As the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, lung cancer is pervasive and deadly. But like many cancers, patients have a better chance at successful treatment outcomes and survival if caught early through screening and early detection efforts. Despite lung cancer being the second most diagnosed cancer for men and women, not all Americans are aware of its screening recommendations. To address the gap in awareness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is promoting a new public health campaign on the issue.

A blood test evaluating several biomarkers was able to reduce the number of lung cancers detected at later stages, according to study results presented at the 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

A test that looks at circulating DNA rather than specific mutations is accurate in detecting 72% of early cancer cases and correctly identifying the tissue of origin in 75% of cases, researchers reported in study findings published in Nature.

Health care is the top domestic policy issue for Americans, but with so many different ideas to make the healthcare system more accessible and affordable, the issue is becoming increasingly complex. Because of its far-reaching impact, health care is often a politically charged topic and little change has yet been seen on a legislative level.

Researchers have developed a device that can separate various cell types in patient blood samples based on the cell size, which may one day enable rapid, inexpensive liquid biopsies to help clinicians detect cancer and develop targeted treatment plans. Findings from the research that led to the device are reported in Microsystems and Nanoengineering.

What does the “E” mean in the National Cancer Institute’s “ABCDE” tool for recognizing melanoma?

A. Extension

B. Evolution

C. Equal

D. Expand

Researchers have developed a test that detects tiny amounts of cancer-specific DNA in the blood and used it to accurately identify more than half of 138 people with early-stage colorectal, breast, lung, or ovarian cancers. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine.

Earlier in 2017, a group of 12 nurses traveled to Cuba to learn about cancer care and the healthcare system there. Cubans are very proud of their healthcare and educational systems, which are offered without charge to their citizens. We learned so much on this trip, but my take-home message from this experience was the importance of prevention and early detection.

As Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, May is the perfect time to encourage people to examine their skin and seek medical assistance if they recognize signs of a melanoma. Early detection and prompt treatment is associated with a much higher survival rate for skin cancer diagnoses.

After the GOP spent weeks lobbying for support, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) informed President Trump on March 24 that the replacement healthcare proposal, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), did not have enough support in the House of Representatives. The bill was pulled from voting, which ensured that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be in place for the foreseeable future. The Republican party failed to garner enough support for the bill, with some moderates fearing it would strand many without access to health care, whereas more conservative factions believed the AHCA didn’t dismantle enough portions of the ACA.