In the News

Liver cancer, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the third most common contributor to cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early-stage HCC has a better prognosis than advanced-stage HCC and can be treated with minimally invasive surgery, including robotic-assisted and laparoscopic options. However, few studies have examined the presumably unique and discrepant short-term and long-term outcomes of robotic-assisted and laparoscopic surgeries. Read more.

In the clinical care of people living with HIV, various types of blood cells are routinely counted to assess the immune system, among them CD4+ cells, or T helper cells, and CD8+ cells, or cytotoxic T cells. These types of white blood cells work together to clear infections and prevent and kill cancer cells. While a normal CD4/CD8 ratio is about 2:1, it’s typically lower in people with HIV. Read more.

Polyphenols — antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, teas and spices — have promising anti-cancer properties. 

New research from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center provides insight into how genetic variants convey breast cancer susceptibility by altering the transcription factor proteins that convert DNA strands into RNA.

Uterine fibroids — muscular tumors that grow in the uterus — are inconsistently linked with preterm birth. Katherine Hartmann, MD, PhD, and colleagues sought to determine the association between fibroids and preterm birth by using ultrasounds early in pregnancy. 

Researchers from Vanderbilt’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension have identified an under-studied characteristic that may have a protective effect on end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) risk among vulnerable populations.

A study by Vanderbilt researchers that analyzed both smoking history and genetic risk variants for lung cancer supports modifying current guidelines to include additional smokers for lung cancer screening.

A first look into where early onset mortality spikes among U.S. women. Women with early onset colorectal cancer have a greater risk of dying from the disease depending upon their county of residence, according to a study published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.

Scientists are just beginning to understand the impact of diet on the gut microbiome and how this interaction affects human health, but baselines must first be established to yield answers. The first large-scale, longitudinal study to evaluate this interaction among Chinese adults indicates that long-term healthy eating yields microbiome diversity and an abundance of fiber-fermenting bacteria.