Dr. Laura Kerbin, MD

WEDNESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- The American Cancer Society, which is celebrating on Wednesday a century of fighting a disease once viewed as a death sentence, is making a pledge to put itself out of business.

Since 1913, the cancer society has played a role in nearly every major c...Full Article

TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Racial disparities exist in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer among hospitals in the United States, according to a large new study.

Although most patients with this condition undergo surgery as part of their initial treatment, researchers foun...Full Article

THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a test designed to detect a faulty gene that's present in about 10 percent of cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The cobas EGFR Mutation Test, a companion diagnostic to the approved cancer dr...Full Article

THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental drug that taps the power of the body's immune system to fight cancer is shrinking tumors in patients for whom other treatments have failed, an early study shows.

The drug binds to a protein called PD-L1 that sits on the surface of cance...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- People diagnosed with cancer are almost three times more likely to declare bankruptcy than are those without the disease, a large new study suggests.

And younger people with cancer have up to five times higher bankruptcy rates compared to older patie...Full Article

MONDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer patients who participate in the creative arts -- such as music therapy, dance, art therapy and writing -- may be helping to reduce the anxiety, depression and pain that can be associated with their diagnosis, according to a new report.

Taking part...Full Article

THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Having fun with family and friends can help relieve breast cancer patients' pain and improve their quality of life, a new study indicates.

The study included more than 3,100 women in California who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2006 and 2011...Full Article

THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- In the war against cancer, it looks like matchmaking -- between genes and drugs -- could be an important tool, according to new research into the genetic underpinnings of two rare forms of leukemia.

By matching a patient's genetic mutation responsible ...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise appears to change the way women's bodies metabolize the hormone estrogen, and this could help explain how aerobic activity reduces a woman's breast cancer risk, a new study suggests.

Previous research has suggested that exercise lowers breast ...Full Article

THURSDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- A delay in breast cancer treatment shortens young women's survival time, especially if they are black or Hispanic, have no insurance or are low-income, a new study indicates.

"A delay does influence the outcome, which is survival," said researcher H...Full Article

SUNDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Hundreds of potential targets for new cancer drugs that could starve tumors have been identified by scientists who analyzed gene expression data from 22 types of malignancies.

The study revealed a number of cancer-associated ...Full Article

THURSDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Monica Barlow, a 35-year-old from Maryland, was training for a half-marathon when she noticed she couldn't shake a bad cough and ongoing fatigue. After a couple of rounds of antibiotics from an urgent care clinic didn't work, she sought another opinion.

SUNDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- A method designed to target, freeze and destroy a tumor's cellular function seems effective in combating lung tumors, a small ongoing study finds.

At least in the short-run -- meaning three months after the procedure -- the intervention known as "cryo...Full Article

THURSDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to cancer prevention, the latest report from the American Cancer Society offers mostly good news but some bad news as well.

Cigarette smoking rates continue to drop, with significant declines seen in high school-aged smoking. But, in ...Full Article

THURSDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Living near asphalt that's sealed with coal tar may raise the risk of getting cancer, a new study shows. The potential threat appears to be greatest for young children.

Coal tar, a byproduct of steel manufacturing, is a comm...Full Article