Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Precision Oncology Raises Hope Among Caregivers, For Better or Worse, Study Finds

Precision medicine is having a significant impact on the level of hope experienced by laypeople caring for cancer patients, while also adding complexity to their roles as science rapidly evolves, according to a study appearing in BMJ Open this week. The effect of precision therapies on cancer patient outcomes is well-documented, yet there has been no research into how these new treatments influence the experiences of informal caregivers. A group led by University of Sydney investigators has now conducted interviews with 28 nonprofessional caregivers of cancer patients receiving targeted treatments at hospitals across Australia, focusing on their personal experiences during diagnosis, treatment, and care. The researchers find that hope was the most pervasive theme among the caregivers but that this hope is not universally positive, such as in cases where caregivers feel obligated to project and maintain hopefulness. Overall, the study's authors write, clinicians should work to develop "a better understanding of informal caregivers' experiences of caring for patients receiving precision therapies is important for improving support to patients and their caregivers."

The Scan

ChatGPT Does As Well As Humans Answering Genetics Questions, Study Finds

Researchers in the European Journal of Human Genetics had ChatGPT answer genetics-related questions, finding it was about 68 percent accurate, but sometimes gave different answers to the same question.

Sequencing Analysis Examines Gene Regulatory Networks of Honeybee Soldier, Forager Brains

Researchers in Nature Ecology & Evolution find gene regulatory network differences between soldiers and foragers, suggesting bees can take on either role.

Analysis of Ashkenazi Jewish Cohort Uncovers New Genetic Loci Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

The study in Alzheimer's & Dementia highlighted known genes, but also novel ones with biological ties to Alzheimer's disease.

Tara Pacific Expedition Project Team Finds High Diversity Within Coral Reef Microbiome

In papers appearing in Nature Communications and elsewhere, the team reports on findings from the two-year excursion examining coral reefs.