6 recent cancer study and research findings

Here are six findings from cancer studies and other research efforts Becker's has covered since Oct. 4:

1. Augusta-based Medical College of Georgia researchers found chronic stress increases the risk of cancer death by 14 percent.
   
   
2. Massachusetts has the highest rate of mammograms at 88 percent. Here are the five states with the highest and lowest mammogram rates.
   
   
3. New cancer vaccine research shines a positive light on the possibility of cancer vaccines. Three new vaccines are being studied in patients with pancreatic and breast cancer and colon polyps.
   
   
4. A landmark study published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests colonoscopies are not as effective as previously thought, though they can still be helpful.
   
   
5. Researchers at Richmond, Va.-based VCU Massey Cancer Center discovered a driver of deadly brain tumor growth that could serve as a novel target for treatment.
   
   
6. Breast cancer deaths have declined over the past three decades; however, a racial gap persists in the U.S., according to the most recent statistics from the American Cancer Society.