NCCS applauds the Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) commends the Supreme Court for affirming the constitutionality of the primary provisions of the Affordable Care Act. “Many cancer survivors struggle to get timely, high-quality care that they can afford, and the Affordable Care Act will help them obtain the insurance and the care they need,” said Mike Kappel, NCCS Acting CEO. Read the full press release here.

Launch of phase II of the Summary Basis of Decision project

The Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) of Health Canada is pleased to announce the launch of Phase II of the Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) project. This project is part of HPFB's ongoing commitments to enhance the transparency of the pharmaceutical, biologic and medical device regulatory review processes, and to provide access to information about Health Canada's decisions to authorize these products for sale in Canada. Read more here.

The Reader's Guide to the Phase II Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) - Drugs and the Reader's Guide to the Phase II Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) - Medical Devices describe the new Phase II question and answer format of the SBD documents including a summary of information found in the response to each question.

Lapatinib or trastuzumab not recommended as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients

After revieving  the internactions of lapatinib or trastuzumab in combination with an aromatase inhibitor for metastatic breast cancer patients, NICE has concluded that lapatinib and trastuzumab "do not provide enough benefit to patients to justifty their high costs."  Despite special considerations looking at extending lives of people with this cancer, no definite benefits could be found.  As a result, does not recommend lapatinib or trastuzumab as a course of treatment.

More information on this guideline can be found here. 

Erlotnib: First-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends erlotnib as a first-line treatment for patients afflicted with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.  NICE notes that erlotnib should, in particular, be prescribed to patients testing positive for mutations to tyrosine kinase (an epidermal growth factor receptor).  NICE has studied the effects of erlotnib, both in treatment potential and associated costs.  It recommends ernotlib since "it works as well as other treatments available...and costs about the same." 

For more information on this guideline, click here.

Novel chemotherapy agent mimics human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Preclinical results presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges Conference (held June 18-21, 2012 at Lake Tahoe, USA), unveiled a chemotherapeutic agent, MEK 1/2 inhibitor BAY 86-9766, to help understand the progression of pancreatic cancer.  Using mice as test subjects, researchers at the Technical University in Munich have shown that MEK 1/2 "led to dramatic tumor shrinkage after only one week of treatment."  While this study is thus far only in the preclinical stage, results are promosing and may lead to an improved course of treatment for patients afflicted with pancreatic cancer. 

To read more about the MEK 1/2 inhibitor, click here.

Fundraiser to honour selfless Calgary brain cancer research advocate

“When Alyson was given a terminal diagnosis, she said, ‘What can I do to leave a legacy and leave the world a better place for the ones I leave behind? Alyson Woloshyn’s fundraising after terminal diagnosis leads to cancer foundation fellowship created in her name According to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the Alyson Woloshyn Cancer Research Clinical Fellowship is set to be awarded to a top-ranking candidate to carry out research related to brain cancer. The fellowship is intended to allow the researcher to work in Alberta for up to three years. Read more: click here.

Calgary bishop’s HPV vaccine ban putting thousands of girls at risk: MDs

Staring down the edict of a Calgary bishop who says the HPV vaccine contributes to promiscuity, a newly formed advocacy group is pushing Roman Catholic schools to allow students to be immunized against the sexually transmitted virus. Calgary is the only major city in Canada with a publicly funded school board that withholds the vaccine on religious grounds, the group says. This puts the thousands of girls in the city and southern Alberta at risk of cervical cancer. See the full news from National Post on June 26.

New trial alert: Conventional versus hypofractionated radiation in high risk prostate patients

Hypofractionated regimen in high-risk prostate cancer will allow the investigators to deliver higher biological doses to targets in order to improve tumour control and with acceptable rectal toxicity compared to conventional fractionation.

Trial Start Date: March, 2012
Trial Phase: Phase 2
Medical Conditions: High-risk Prostate Cancer
Lead Sponsor: Alberta Health Services

See more details here.

New trial alert: Prostate accurately targeted radiation therapy investigation of overall treatment time

The purpose of this study is to compare the toxicity of two new radiation schedules for the treatment of prostate cancer. Patients will be randomized to receive 5 treatments delivered every other day over 11 days, or once per week over 29 days. Both of these schedules are shorter than the standard treatment which is usually 39 treatments over 8 weeks.

Trial start Date: January, 2012
Principal Investigator(s):
Andrew Loblaw, MD , Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Harvey Quon, MD , CancerCare Manitoba

See more details here.

Rio+20 outcome document lacks commitment to NCDs

Over 100 conference delegates came together at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development last week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to strategize smart solutions to global development and poverty reduction while promoting environmental concerns such as clean energy, sustainability, and equitable use of resources. Popularly known as “Rio+20” the three days of high-level meetings attended by heads of state and government and high level representatives resulted in “The Future We Want,” a 53-page document that outlines and renews global commitments to addressing, among other topics, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer. Read the full comment article here.

Comparing health systems: new OECD data looks at health indicators in 34 countries

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released the OECD Health Data 2012 electronic database. It is the most comprehensive source of statistics and indicators for comparing health systems across 34 OECD member countries, including Canada, the United States, the European Community, Australia and Japan. It is an essential tool for health researchers and policy advisors in governments, the private sector and the academic community, to carry out comparative analyses and draw lessons from international comparisons of diverse health care systems. Access the OECD Health Data 2012 database here.

Identification of a poor-prognosis braf-mutant-like population of patients with colon cancer: a step forward to personalised therapy

Little is known about the biology of BRAF mutant (BRAFm) colorectal cancer captured by gene expression and the manuscript proposed by Popovici V et al. describes a BRAF gene signature that allows an accurate identification of BRAF mutant samples, and which, when applied to BRAF wild-type tumors, identified additional colon cancer samples that manifests a similar gene expression pattern. Read the European Society for Medical Oncology summary here.

Study mentioned: Popovici V, et al. Identification of a poor-prognosis BRAF-mutant-like population of patients with colon cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Apr 20;30(12):1288-95. PMID 22393095

Interim analysis of a randomized phase III study of abiraterone acetate in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer

In patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, abiraterone acetate plus prednisone produced a statistically significant benefit in radiographic progression-free survival over placebo plus prednisone, according to a planned interim analysis of the randomized, phase III, multicenter, COUAA-302 study. The results were presented by Dr Charles Ryan of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, USA at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago (1 - 5 June 2012). With 43% of total events reported in the COUAA-302 study, the independent data monitoring committee concluded that the co-primary endpoints of overall survival and radiographic progression-free survival and secondary endpoints all favored the abiraterone acetate arm and unanimously recommended unblinding the study and crossing patients over from placebo to abiraterone acetate treatment. Read more here.

Health Canada endorsed important safety information on Paclitaxel for injection, 300mg/50mL

Hospira Healthcare Corporation, in consultation with Health Canada, would like to inform you that complaints were received from customers outside of Canada of visible vial defects for multiple products. The vial defects may manifest as particles embedded in the glass vial, as rust-like marks on the vial or as particles in the solution. Three lots of Paclitaxel distributed in Canada were manufactured using the same affected empty glass vial, however, no defects or complaints have been reported to date for these lots. Paclitaxel for Injection is a clear colorless to slightly yellow viscous solution and is indicated in the treatment of carcinoma of the ovary, breast or lung. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency approves new indication for everolimus

Everolimus approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with HR positive, HER2 negative advanced breast cancer without symptomatic visceral disease, in combination with exemestane, after recurrence or progression to a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor. The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a new indication as follows: "Afinitor is indicated for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive, HER2/neu negative advanced breast cancer, in combination with exemestane, in postmenopausal women without symptomatic visceral disease after recurrence or progression following a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor". Read more here.

Studies show effectiveness of colon screenings with easier preparation

Two recent studies found colon screenings that require a less intensive preparation than a colonoscopy are useful in finding pre-cancerous polyps, or growths. Read the American Cancer Society news article here.

1. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and colleagues found that a flexible sigmoidoscopy significantly reduced colorectal cancer death rates and the rates of new cases.

Study mentioned: Schoen RE, et al. Colorectal-cancer incidence and mortality with screening flexible sigmoidoscopy. N Engl J Med. 2012 Jun 21;366(25):2345-57. PMID 22612596

2. In another study, funded by the American Cancer Society, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and University of California, San Francisco tested a kind of screening called computed tomographic colonography (CTC), also called “virtual colonoscopy” that doesn’t require a laxative preparation.

Study mentioned: Zalis ME. Diagnostic accuracy of laxative-free computed tomographic colonography for detection of adenomatous polyps in asymptomatic adults: a prospective evaluation. Ann Intern Med. 2012 May 15;156(10):692-702. PMID 22586008

A phase III double blind trial of duloxetine to treat painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled phase III study show that duloxetine is an efficacious and well-tolerated intervention for the treatment of taxane- or platinum-related painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The results were presented by Ellen Lavoie Smith, PhD of the University of Michigan at 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting (1-5 June, Chicago, USA). Read more here.

Navigating employers’ cancer care

The good news in cancer care is that improved treatments are increasing survival rates. But as the model of care shifts from hospital-based acute care to outpatient chronic care, employers are facing new challenges, as outlined in the presentation by Stephanie Mazzei and Bernie Manente, principals with Strategic Answers Inc. - summarized in a 3-part series covering the Employers Cancer Care Summit. For more information, read Part 1: Supportive networks, Part 2: Raising awareness, Part 3: Cost pressures

Growing number of countries adopting flexible IP regulations after India issues country's first compulsory license

"A growing number of countries are adopting India's intellectual property regulations, which give enough flexibility to local companies to produce generic versions of popular drugs to safeguard public health," India's Economic Times reports, noting, "In March, India issued the country's first compulsory license, allowing [Natco Pharma] to legally manufacture and sell a low-cost version of German drugmaker Bayer AG's patented cancer drug, Nexavar, at 3 percent of the original medicine's price on the grounds that Bayer's drug was not meeting public health requirement." The news service writes, "Although multinational companies have criticized India for being lax in enforcing intellectual property (IP) laws, countries such as China, Argentina, and the Philippines are adopting similar provisions." Read the full article here.

Study of available cancer cell lines shows that many are mislabelled or contaminated

Researchers stress how easy and important it is to verify cell lines before use. Modern cancer therapies start in cells – researchers compare cancer samples to healthy cells to discover how cancer is genetically different, and use cell lines to test promising new drugs. However, a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology shows that due to a high rate of contamination, misidentification and redundancy in widely available cell lines, researchers may be drawing faulty scientific conclusions. Read the full news item here.

 

Study mentioned: Korch C., et al. DNA profiling analysis of endometrial and ovarian cell lines reveals misidentification, redundancy and contamination. Gynecol Oncol 2012 Jun 15. [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22710073

US cancer survivors to rise by a third by 2022, report says

The number of Americans living with cancer will increase by nearly a third to almost 18 million by 2022, according to a report released by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. Researchers found that even though the incidence rates of cancer are decreasing, the number of cancer survivors is on the rise due to a growing - and aging - U.S. population. Read the full news article here and the MedlinePlus summary here.

Study mentioned: Siegel R, et al. Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2012.CA Cancer J Clin. 2012 Jun 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22700443

Patented computerized system promises to accelerate cancer trials

The system matches registered patients' own molecular profiles, warehoused in a database of patient-donated biological tissue or tumor samples, to the molecular design of drugs. A new patent has been issued to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, USA for a computerized system that efficiently selects the right patient for the right clinical trial. The system matches registered patients' own molecular profiles—warehoused in a database of thousands of patient-donated biological tissue or tumor samples—to the molecular design of drugs aimed at targeting their disease at the molecular level, and does it quickly. The system promises to accelerate clinical trials and help shorten the time that it takes to get critically needed new drugs into the market. See the full news here.

Regorafenib improves progression-free survival and disease-control rate in patients with advanced GIST after failure to prior therapy with at least imatinib and sunitinib

Oral multikinase inhibitor regorafenib demonstrated substantial activity in a previous phase II trial in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) after failure of both imatinib and sunitinib. The GRID phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of regorafenib in this population with unmet clinical need. The results show improvement in progression-free survival and disease-control rate with regorafenib, and were presented by Dr George Demetri of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 1-5 June, Chicago, USA. Read more here.

Researchers identified a specific breast cancer bone metastasis-supporting gene

In this week's Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week," Roger Gomis and colleagues at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Barcelona, Spain investigated how breast cancer cells migrate to bone. In particular, they examined the role of NOG, a gene important to proper bone development. Previously, NOG was associated with bone metastasis in prostate cancer, but its specific role in breast cancer to bone metastasis remained unknown. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Tarragona M, et al. Identification of NOG as a specific breast cancer bone metastasis-supporting gene. J Biol Chem. 2012 Jun 15;287(25):21346-55. Epub 2012 Apr 30. PMID 22547073

No clinical benefit seen from adding perifosine to capecitabine in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer

Adding perifosine, an oral alkylphospholipid inhibitor, to oral capecitabine did not significantly change overall- or progression-free survival compared with capecitabine alone, according to data from the X-PECT study, presented by Dr Johanna Bendell of Sarah Cannon Research Institute, during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 1-5 June, Chicago. X-PECT is a phase III study that randomly assigned 468 patients with refractory colorectal cancer to receive perifosine/capecitabine (234 patients) or capecitabine (234 patients). Read more here.

Child CT scans could raise cancer risk slightly

Children who get several CT scans have a slightly higher chance of brain cancer and leukemia in later life, though the risk is still small and probably outweighed by the need to get the test, researchers reported. The study was paid for by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the U.K. Department of Health. It was published online Thursday in the journal Lancet. Read the full news article here.

Study mentioned: Pearce, M.S., et al. Radiation exposure from CT scans in childhood and subsequent risk of leukaemia and brain tumours: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet 2012 June 6 [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22681860

IARC scientific papers - search facility

The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) Communications Group is pleased to announce the addition to the IARC website of a Scientific Papers - Search facility. The database contains articles published in peer-reviewed journals authored by IARC staff, visiting scientists, fellows and students. The database goes back to 2003 and will be updated on a monthly basis to incorporate new publications which have complete bibliographic citations. View the database search form here.

Wait times are getting worse: report card

The physician organization that tracks the amount of time patients wait for medical care delivered some bad news June 19, warning that there has been a "decline in performance" in solving wait-time issues. "After making progress in recent years, at least against government benchmarks, it now appears that some provinces are being left behind in the battle to reduce the time patients wait for health care," said Dr. Chris Simpson, chair of the Wait Time Alliance (WTA). Read the full news report here and the WTA 2012 report card, Shedding Light on Canadians' Total Wait for Care, here.

Probing the mechanism of ADAM28-mediated cancer metastasis

ADAM28, a metalloproteinase belonging to the ADAM gene family, cleaves the von Willebrand factor (VWF) and inhibits VWF-mediated cancer cell apoptosis, thereby enhancing lung metastases, so inhibiting its expression gives a substantial reduction in lung metastases, according to a study published June 8 in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute. Read the news story here.

Study mentioned: Mochizuki S, et al. Effect of ADAM28 on carcinoma cell metastasis by cleavage of von Willebrand Factor. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Jun 1 [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22636800

Phase III study of BKM120/placebo with fulvestrant in postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor positive HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer refractory to aromatase inhibitor

Clinical trial summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the addition of daily BKM120 to fulvestrant is effective and safe in treating patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer refractory to aromatase inhibitor. Read more here.

Implementing a tool to identify risk for venous thromboembolism in cancer patients

Clinical trial summary: Cancer increases the risk of deep vein blood clots and clots traveling to the lungs (emboli) which cause morbidity (leg swelling, pain, and shortness of breath), sudden death, delays cancer treatment, and decreases cancer survival by 66% compared to similar cancer patients without blood clots. Blood thinners may prevent clots but major bleeding is also a problem, so preventive therapies are not used routinely. Identifying patients at highest risk for clots is critical. A tool exists but it has not been used outside of research. Study is proposed to determine how to apply this tool in clinical practice and test if it works. Read more here.

The effect of perioperative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen on pleural effusion formation after lung resection

Clinical trial summary: Following a lung resection procedure, patients have their pleural space drained of fluid that accumulates due to the severing of proximal vessels like lymph nodes. The volume of fluid pumped depends on the severity of the inflammation. The study is being conducted to attempt to use painkillers with intrinsic anti-inflammatory action to try and reduce the degree of inflammation in patients' pleural cavity, thus ensuring patients are discharged faster, with a greater comfort level, and a hopefully lower rate of admission. Read more here.

An open-label, phase I/Ib dose escalation study to assess the safety and tolerability of GSK1120212 in combination with Docetaxel, Erlotinib, Pemetrexed, Pemetrexed + Carboplatin, Pemetrexed + Cisplatin, or Nab-Paclitaxel in subjects with advanced solid tumours

The purpose of this study is to determine what dose of GSK1120212 can be given safely in combination with at least one other drug that is already approved to treat cancer. This study will test the safety of up to 6 different GSK1120212 study treatment combinations (GSK1120212 plus either docetaxel, erlotinib, pemetrexed, pemetrexed + carboplatin, pemetrexed + cisplatin, or nab-paclitaxel). The doses identified in this study may be used in future trials to test whether the combination treatment is a safe and effective therapy for subjects with metastatic lung and/or pancreatic cancers. The trial was conducted at Princess Margaret Hospital. Please see more information here.

One in 12 patients readmitted to Canadian hospitals within 30 days

Study examines who is returning and why Download the report: All-Cause Readmission to Acute Care and Return to the Emergency Department June 14, 2012—Soon after their discharge from hospital, more than 180,000 Canadians were readmitted to acute care in 2010, reveals a study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). In those jurisdictions where detailed emergency department (ED) data was available—Alberta, Ontario and Yukon—nearly 1 in 10 acute care patients returned to the ED within seven days of hospital discharge. The study, All-Cause Readmission to Acute Care and Return to the Emergency Department, included more than 2.1 million hospitalizations across the country. It looked at surgical, medical, pediatric and obstetric patients to better understand who returned to acute care after discharge and for what clinical reason. The report and the following figures and table are available from CIHI’s website, at www.cihi.ca. Figure 1: Distribution of Triage Levels for Patients Returning to the ED Within Seven Days, Compared With All ED Patients (Figure 8 in the report) Figure 2: Rate of Inpatient Readmissions by Urban/Rural Residence, Overall and by Patient Group (Figure 3 in the report) Table 1: Rate of Inpatient Readmissions, by Income Quintile and by Patient Group (Percentage) (Table 6 in the report)

Federal government drug shortage report falls short in protecting patients

Recommendations in a House of Commons report on drug shortages will not protect patients’ health, and cannot replace decisive government leadership on the issue, says the Canadian Cancer Society. “We are disappointed that the report’s recommendations do not provide strong, concrete action to achieve the goals MPs unanimously called for,” says Paul Lapierre, Vice President, Public Affairs and Cancer Control, Canadian Cancer Society.  “Drug shortages are a national problem, and they will not be resolved without a Canada-wide approach. If the federal government is concerned about the welfare of patients in this country, they must lead the way in developing a nationwide strategy to alleviate drug shortages.” Read the full media release here.

Natural product found in sea sponges shows promise in preventing cancer-induced muscle wasting

Researchers in Montreal have discovered that a chemical found in sea sponges can effectively prevent muscle wasting in mice. The study, funded in part by the Canadian Cancer Society, is published in the journal Nature Communications. Led by Dr Imed Gallouzi at McGill University, the study shows that a chemical known as pateamine A (PatA) extracted from sea sponges can be used at low doses to prevent cachexia in mice. Previous research has demonstrated PatA’s effectiveness in preventing some tumours and inflammation, but Dr Gallouzi’s team is the first to show PatA’s role as an anti-muscle wasting agent. Read the full news story here.

Study mentioned: Di Marco S, et al. The translation inhibitor pateamine A prevents cachexia-induced muscle wasting in mice. Nat Commun. 2012 Jun 12;3:896. PMID: 22692539

Development of a quality appraisal tool for case series studies using a modified Delphi technique

This Methodology Paper summarizes the process, a modified Delphi approach, used to develop a specific checklist for the quality appraisal of case series studies. This work was supplemented with a review of other published checklists and an initial pilot test of the newly developed quality appraisal checklist. Researchers at the Institute of Health Economics with researchers from two other Health Technology Assessment agencies in Australia and Spain were actively engaged throughout the Delphi process. Read the full document here.

Guide for patients with esophageal cancer

A new patient guide, based on ESMO clinical guidelines, has been prepared in collaboration with Reliable Cancer Therapies (RCT) as a service to patients, to help patients and their relatives better understand the nature of esophageal cancer and appreciate the best treatment choices available according to the subtype of esophageal cancer. Read the guide here.

New skin patch using P-32 shows promise in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma

A customized patch treatment for basal cell carcinoma completely destroys facial tumors without surgery or major radiation therapy in 80% of patients studied, researchers reported at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 2012 Annual Meeting (June 9, 2012, Miami Beach, USA). Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer that affects the surface layer of the skin. Researchers have developed a treatment called a phosphorus-32 (P-32) skin patch, a radiation spot-treatment in the form of a patch that can safely and easily kill cancerous cells in the skin with a few easy outpatient appointments. This therapy is ideal for patients with skin cancers that are very difficult to operate on, especially if skin grafting after surgery would be a challenge. Read more.

Cervial cancer vaccine, increased awareness could help lower disease rate in Kenya

AllAfrica.com/Guardian examines efforts to prevent and treat cervical cancer among women in Kenya, where an estimated 3,400 women die of the disease each year and only five percent receive screening. "Kenya's national reproductive health strategic plan has addressed cervical cancer largely through the roll-out of a low-cost screening tool known as VIA (visual inspection of the cervix using ascetic acid)," but experts agree that more widespread use of cervical cancer vaccines and public education campaigns about the disease would be more effective at preventing and catching cases earlier, the news service reports. Read the full article here.

Clinical trials can benefit under-represented populations in developing countries

While conducting more clinical trials in developing countries can help under-represented populations benefit from new medical developments, trials in low-income settings face challenges such as complicated regulations, Trudie Lang of the Centre for Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford and Sisira Siribaddana of the University of Rajarata and the Institute of Research & Development in Sri Lanka writes in an essay published in PLoS Medicine. According to a PLoS press release, "The authors conclude: 'the globalization of clinical trials should not be about running inexpensive trial sites to benefit distant people, but should focus on bringing research to populations who have previously been under-represented in clinical trials, and enabling these same communities the benefits resulting from new drugs, vaccines, and improvements in managing health'". Read the Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report here.

Study mentioned: Lang T, Siribaddana S (2012) Clinical trials have gone global: is this a good thing? PLoS Med 9(6): e1001228. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001228

Targeting novel immune-suppressive pathway encourages further testing

Two clinical trials led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers in collaboration with other medical centers, testing experimental immune drugs, have shown promising early results in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, and renal carcinoma. More than 500 patients were treated in the studies of two drugs that target the same immune-suppressive pathway, and according to the investigators there is enough evidence to support wider testing in larger groups of patients. Results of the phase I clinical trials are published online June 2 in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (1-5 June, Chicago, USA). Read the news release here.

Study mentioned: Topalian SL, et al (2012) Safety, activity, and immune correlates of anti-PD-1 antibody in cancer. N Engl J Med 2012 Jun 2 [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22658127

Summary basis of decision for Zelboraf

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Hoffmann-La Roche Limited for the drug product, Zelboraf. Zelboraf contains the medicinal ingredient vemurafenib which is a kinase inhibitor that slows down or stops the growth of melanoma tumour cells expressing mutated BRAF V600 proteins. BRAF is mutated in approximately half of patients with advanced melanomas. Zelboraf is indicated as a monotherapy for the treatment of BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. A validated test is required to identify BRAF V600 mutation status. Read the full document here.

IARC: Diesel engine exhaust carcinogenic

After a week-long meeting of international experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer. Read the press release here and backgrounder information here.

Rapid and durable complete response in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone

A three-drug treatment for multiple myeloma provided rapid, deep and potentially durable responses, researchers reported on June 4 online in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology, and June 3 at the 2012 Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (Chicago, USA). The researchers, led by Dr Andrzej Jakubowiak, professor of medicine and director of the multiple myeloma program at the University of Chicago Medical Center, found that combining carfilzomib, a next generation proteasome inhibitor, with two standard drugs, lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone, compared favorably to other frontline regimens. The longer patients stayed on the therapy, the better their response. After at least eight 4-week cycles of treatment, 61% of the 36 patients who remained on the therapy had a stringent complete response, defined as no detectable tumor cells or myeloma protein in the blood or bone marrow; 78% had at least a near complete response. More than 90% of patients had no progression of their disease at two years. See the full report here.

How cells communicate to activate Notch - Essential research for design of potential therapeutics for numerous Notch-related diseases, in particular cancer

The Notch signaling system allows cells to directly talk to each other to program almost every cell type in the body. Now, researchers have shown for the first time that the mechanical force produced by cell-cell interactions is critical for programming by the Notch signaling system. Researchers show for the first time that the mechanical force produced by cell-cell interactions is critical for programming by the Notch signaling system. More information about the studies may be found here.

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer applauds federal government funding commitment to palliative care

OTTAWA– June 12, 2012– Health Canada’s announcement today, to provide three million dollars over three years in support of palliative care, is welcomed by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The funding will support The Way Forward: Moving Towards Community-Integrated Hospice Palliative Care in Canada, an initiative of the Quality End-of-life Care Coalition of Canada, managed by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. See the full news here.

Bevacizumab continued beyond first progression beneficial in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer previously treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy

A new study has confirmed that continuing bevacizumab treatment beyond first progression, while modifying chemotherapy, can be beneficial for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. In the first randomized study to prospectively investigate the impact of bevacizumab continuation in this setting, the study researchers noted a significant improvement in both overall and progression-free survival. Read more here.

Newfoundland and Labrador brings legislation to ban tanning for teens under 19

A bill that puts the heat on tanning bed operators who serve teens in Newfoundland and Labrador has been introduced in the provincial legislature. Under the bill, people under the age of 19 would be prohibited from using indoor tanning facilities. Susan Sullivan, Newfoundland's health minister, said studies have linked increased rates of skin cancer among youths to ultraviolet light exposure - "It is our government's responsibility to protect public health, as well as ensure that businesses have regulations to guide their business practices." Read the Calgary Herald article here.

New therapy on the horizon for ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer

A new compound that targets anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer is well-tolerated by patients and is already showing early signs of activity, including in patients who no longer respond to crizotinib, the only FDA approved ALK inhibitor. Results of this study were presented by a researcher from Fox Chase Cancer Center during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 1-5 June, Chicago. Read the ESMO news article here.

Notice of Decision for Xalkori - Health Canada

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance under the Notice of Compliance with Conditions (NOC/c) Guidance to Pfizer Canada Inc. for the drug product Xalkori. Xalkori is indicated as monotherapy for use in patients with ALK-positive advanced (not amenable to curative therapy) or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read more here.

New treatment controls breast cancer growth in study

Researchers have found that a new drug worked better than the standard treatment for keeping a type of advanced breast cancer from worsening. The drug, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), is so far available only through clinical trials. Researchers presented their findings June 2 at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. Read the American Cancer Society news item here.

Study finds link between osteoporosis and osteoporosis treatment and a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence

New research, presented by the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (CTG) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, draws a significant link between the development of osteoporosis, osteoporosis treatment and a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence. The study involved almost 1,300 postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of early breast cancer who used AIs and who had osteoporosis. The researchers found that the women with osteoporosis experienced improved event-free survival (how effective a treatment is at preventing recurrence) and distant disease-free survival (a measure of how long patients remain free of metastasis at distant sites), pointing to the need to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment with AIs. Read the news article here.

Pivotal phase III results of afatinib as first-line treatment in patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung harboring EGFR-activating mutations

Results from LUX-Lung 3, the pivotal phase III randomized, open-label, lung cancer trial investigating the ErbB family blocker afatinib, in patients with EGFR mutations, were presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago (1 - 5 June 2012). LUX-Lung 3, which compares afatinib to standard platinum based chemotherapy, is the largest phase III trial in first-line EGFR mutation positive, advanced, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. LUX-Lung 3 is also the first study using pemetrexed/cisplatin as a comparator. Read the news article here.

AURELIA - the first randomized phase III trial of bevacizumab with standard chemotherapy in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

Speaking on behalf of the AURELIA investigators (European ovarian cancer research groups), Dr Eric Pujade-Lauraine presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago (1 - 5 June 2012) results from the first phase III trial combining bevacizumab with current standard of care - chemotherapy in the treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. This study is the first randomized phase III trial to demonstrate benefit with biologic therapy and benefit with combination therapy, rather than monotherapy, in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The researchers concluded that bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy should be considered as a new standard of care. Read the news article here.

Canadian ‘dream team’ to tackle deadly brain cancer

Some of the country’s top minds in cancer research are coming together to find new treatments for the most common and deadly form of brain cancer among adults following one of the largest investments ever made in Canada to research glioblastoma - $8.2-million from the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI), the Terry Fox Foundation (TFF), Alberta Innovates–Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Genome Canada, Genome BC and the BC Cancer Foundation. The research team is focusing on developing new drugs, the first of which are projected to be ready for clinical trials in two to four years. Read more from the University of Calgary's UToday here.

June issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The June issue of the WHO Bulletin (available here) includes an editorial on the management of non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries and an article on anti-smoking measures and tobacco consumption in Turkey.

WHO: Fighting non-communicable diseases

The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), aims to reduce preventable deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers, by 25 percent by 2025. WHO is coordinating negotiations on the surveillance, indicators and voluntary targets that will form an eventual global plan to fight NCDs, and is drafting recommendations to be considered by member governments in October 2012. Read the IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) news here.

Economist infographic depicts probability of dying from NCDs by country

The Economist's "Graphic Detail" blog features an infographic depicting the probability of dying from a non-communicable disease, by country. "You are more likely to be killed by a non-communicable disease (NCD), like cancer or heart disease, than anything else," the blog notes, adding, "In 2008 they accounted for 63 percent of the 56 million deaths worldwide". Access the daily chart here.

Many US cancer survivors still lost in transition

According to a recent Lancet article, many cancer survivors are still missing out on the close follow-up that they need. Julia Rowland, director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), explains that “there is growing pressure on the oncology community to address care after cancer” now that cancer is increasingly seen as a “chronic illness”. Empowered by their growing numbers (there are 12 million cancer survivors in the USA alone), people who survive cancer are demanding better communication about and coordination of their care, she says. Read the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship news item here.

Approval of sunitinib for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

According to a study conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a key design element present in a phase III clinical trial has led to worldwide approval of sunitinib for treating gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). 

Sunitinib, a small molecule inhibitor of KIT, was approved by the FDA in 2006 for treating patients with imatinib resistant/intolerant GIST. As indicated by this study, clinical trials are essential in understanding the drug development process: "these goals really are possible to achieve by designing studies around the best science and choosing diseases that are deeply understood at a molecular level, such as GIST." 

To read more about this trial, click here.

World's largest release of human cancer genome data

Researchers at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, have announced the largest-ever release of comprehensive human cancer genome data.  The genome data is freely accessible to the scientific community worldwide, more than doubling the data available from human genome sources.  As stated in Nature Genetics, "this information is valuable not just to cancer researchers, but also to scientists studying almost any disease." 

To learn more about this genome archive, click here.

Cancer death rate dropping in Canada

According to the 2012 Canadian Cancer Statistics report, produced by the Canadian Cancer Society, overall cancer death rates have dropped by 21 % (men) and 9% (women) between 1988 and 2007. Despite this encouraging trend, cancer still remains the leading cause of death in Canada. The 2012 report contains updates on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, as well as prevalence and risk of developing or dying from cancer. According to the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, "systematically recording and tracking these statistics is a key part of understanding the progress being made to address cancer." To access the complete report, click here.

Global cancer rates could go up 75% by 2030, study uggests

"The number of people with cancer is set to surge by more than 75 percent across the world by 2030, with particularly sharp rises in poor countries as they adopt unhealthy 'Westernized' lifestyles," according to a study published Friday in the Lancet. "If current population trends continue, the number of people with cancer worldwide will go up to 22.2 million by 2030, up from 12.7 million in 2008," CNN's "The Chart" notes, adding, "Cases are expected to surge in poorer parts of the world, which are ill-equipped to handle the burden"

REMARK checklist for reporting tumor marker studies

Researchers at the University of Oxford have created an explanatory guide detailing how the REMARK (Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies) can be used with tumor marker prognostic studies. The authors comment that incomplete reporting of prognostic marker studies in cancer happens all too frequently, and believe that using the REMARK Checklist will emphasize that "good reporting reveals the strengths and weakness of a study and facilitaties sound interpretation and application of study results." More information about the REMARK Checklist is available by clicking here.

Cancer survivors who stay active live longer

Can going for a walk improve cancer survivors’ long-term prognosis? It may, according to new research showing that exercise can lower survivors’ risk of premature death, not only from cancer but from any cause. In one report, a major new review published this month in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, scientists at the agency gathered available studies examining exercise and cancer survivorship, dating to 1950. Most had been published in the past five years. See the full news here.

June issue of Artemis (John Hopkins Breast Center) now available

The John Hopkins Breast Center has released the June 2012 issue of the Artemis newsletter. This month's feature articles include a range of diverse topics, from the importance of nutrition and physical activity to reduce level of cancer risk, to genetic predictors of breast cancer response to chemotherapy. To access the newsletter and read this month's issue, click here.

Many care doctors don't know long-term effects of chemo

From U.S. Health News: Many primary care doctors don't know the long-term side effects of the chemotherapy treatments that cancer survivors under their care may have been given, a new survey found. On the other hand, most oncologists -- though not all -- are familiar with the side effects of four common treatments used to treat breast and colon cancer, according to the results of the survey being presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. In the survey both two types of doctors were asked to identify side effects of four commonly used chemotherapy drugs for breast and colon cancer: Adriamycin (doxorubicin); Eloxatin (oxaliplatin); Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide); and Taxol (paclitaxel). Read the full article.

Human development central to changing cancer burden

Such is the conclusion of a study led by scientists of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and published Friday 1 June 2012 in the Lancet Oncology(1). Strikingly the study demonstrates not only how an increasing cancer burden will fall predominantly on those countries that are in the process of social and economic transition but also that the type of cancers that are most common is changing. Findings from the population-baseds study: In the highest HDI regions in 2008, cancers of the female breast, lung, colorectum, and prostate accounted for half the overall cancer burden, whereas in medium HDI regions, cancers of the oesophagus, stomach, and liver were also common, and together these seven cancers comprised 62% of the total cancer burden in medium to very high HDI areas. In low HDI regions, cervical cancer was more common than both breast cancer and liver cancer. Nine different cancers were the most commonly diagnosed in men across 184 countries, with cancers of the prostate, lung, and liver being the most common. Breast and cervical cancers were the most common in women. In medium HDI and high HDI settings, decreases in cervical and stomach cancer incidence seem to be offset by increases in the incidence of cancers of the female breast, prostate, and colorectum. If the cancer-specific and sex-specific trends estimated in this study continue, we predict an increase in the incidence of all-cancer cases from 12·7 million new cases in 2008 to 22·2 million by 2030. See the full press release from International Agency for Rsearch on Cancer here. (1) See http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(12)70211-5/abstract