News

Joann Sweasy, PhD, Joins UA Cancer Center as Associate Director for Basic Sciences

Joann Sweasy, PhD, an expert in DNA repair and genomic instability, has joined the University of Arizona Cancer Center as associate director for basic sciences. Dr. Sweasy also has been appointed to a joint faculty position at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in the Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Radiation Oncology. 

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Startup to Commercialize Blood Test for Most Major Cancers

When testing for such as lung cancer disease, doctors know that tissue biopsies are necessary and potentially life-saving, though the procedures used to gather tissue can lead to dangerous complications, from bleeding to lung collapse. To lower the need for invasive procedures, researchers at the University of Arizona developed a new blood test that can detect most major cancers and have launched a startup, DesertDx, to bring the invention to doctors and their patients.

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Skin Cancer Chemoprevention

In every corner of our state, the sun beats down on towering saguaros, gangly roadrunners and dry river beds. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are the primary cause of skin cancer, and although they are hard to avoid in Arizona, many steps can be taken to reduce skin-cancer risk.

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Dr. Clara Curiel examining a patient.

Novel Study Discovers ‘Metabolic Fingerprint’ to Help Treat, Diagnose and Prevent Cervical Cancer

Researchers at the University of Arizona have completed a first-of-its-kind study that could aid in the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer by identifying cervicovaginal metabolic signatures, or “fingerprints,” that distinguish patients with HPV, pre-cancerous cervical conditions and cancer.

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Healing in Motion

Native Americans have the lowest five-year cancer survival rates of any U.S. population. Jennifer Bea, PhD, associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, hopes to improve those statistics with Restoring Balance, a program tailored for a Native population that meets standards set by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

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New Radiosurgery Technique a Boon for Cancer Patients

Patients whose cancer has spread to their brain typically face hours or days of radiation treatments to combat each cancerous lesion. Now a new technique offered at the University of Arizona Cancer Center allows radiation oncologists to target as many as 10 brain lesions in a single, painless 90-minute treatment.

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Treatment Options Expand for Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients at UA Cancer Center

When physician-scientist Rachna Shroff, MD, joined the University of Arizona Cancer Center last year as the new section chief of gastrointestinal medical oncology and leader of the GI Disease-Oriented Team, she set her sights on expanding clinical trials, which give patients access to experimental drugs with the hope of ushering in safer, more effective treatments.

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Rachna Shroff, MD, Emad Elquza, MD, Aaron Scott, MD, Hani Babiker, MD

Treatment Options Expand for Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients at UA Cancer Center

Gastrointestinal cancer is a “family” of cancers that include colorectal, gastric, liver and pancreatic tumors, among others. Patients receive cutting-edge care at the UA Cancer Center. 

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Anti-Cancer Immune Response May be Boosted with Combination Therapy, UA Cancer Center Lab Helps Discover

The University of Arizona Cancer Center collaborated with researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina to uncover better ways to harness the immune system to fight cancer.

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Anti-Cancer Immune Response may be Boosted with Combination Therapy, UA Cancer Center Lab Helps Discover

The University of Arizona Cancer Center collaborated with researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina to uncover better ways to harness the immune system to fight cancer.

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