UT MD Anderson study shows new approach connecting smokers to quit lines increases smoking cessation treatment enrollment

Self-identified smokers directly connected to a tobacco cessation quit line are 13 times more likely to enroll in a treatment program as compared to smokers who are handed a quit line referral card and encouraged to call on their own, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Vidrine JI, et al. Ask-Advise-Connect: A New Approach to Smoking Treatment Delivery in Health Care Settings. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Feb 25:1-7. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23440173

Masonic Cancer Center researchers identify genetic variation behind acute myeloid leukemia treatment success

Researchers from the College of Pharmacy and Medical School working within the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, have partnered to identify genetic variations that may help signal which acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients will benefit or not benefit from one of the newest antileukemic agents. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Mortland L, et al. Clinical Significance of CD33 Nonsynonymous Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Pediatric Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Gemtuzumab-Ozogamicin-Containing Chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Feb 26. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23444229

U-M study challenges notion of using Herceptin only for HER2-positive breast cancer

New research from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds that the protein HER2 plays a role even in breast cancers that would traditionally be categorized as HER2-negative – and that the drug Herceptin, which targets HER2, may have an even greater role for treating breast cancer and preventing its spread. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ithimakin S, et al. HER2 Drives Luminal Breast Cancer Stem Cells in the Absence of HER2 Amplification: Implications for Efficacy of Adjuvant Trastuzumab. Cancer Res. 2013 Feb 26. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23442322

International Innovation - research highlights: IARC

Drs Rolando Herrero, Silvia Franceschi and Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan provide an overview of the work that is being conducted at IARC in an effort to beat cancer and save lives in this edition of International Innovation. Read more here.

2012 cancer estimates for 40 countries and 25 cancer sites

The development of EUCAN estimates was funded by the Cancéropôle Lyon, Auvergne, Rhone-Alps (CLARA), the local authorities of the Rhone Department and the Greater Lyon Area, the European Commission (DG Sanco and DG Research) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The aim of EUCAN is to disseminate country-specific information on cancer burden, which is derived from data collected by the existing cancer registries and from the WHO mortality database. The current 2012 estimates for 40 countries and 25 cancer sites were launched on 4th February 2013. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ferlay J, et al. Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in Europe: Estimates for 40 countries in 2012. European Journal of Cancer, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 26 February 2013.

European Medicines Agency recommends extending the therapeutic indication of Cervarix

On 21 February 2013, the European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion recommending a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Cervarix. The marketing authorisation holder for this medicinal product is GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. Read more here.

FDA approves T-DM1 for metastatic breast cancer

The USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on 22 February 2013 antibody-drug conjugate, Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine or T-DM1), a new therapy for patients with HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer. Kadcyla is intended for patients who were previously treated with trastuzumab, another anti-HER2 therapy, and taxanes. Read more here.

Translating metastasis-related biomarkers to the clinic

In the perspectives article, published in the Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, a group of researchers led by Dr François-Clément Bidard of the Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie and Université Paris Descartes, France discuss some of the potential avenues of research including the use of adequate statistical methods and well-annotated cohorts in biomarker discovery; an objective assessment of the level of evidence provided by each biomarker; the development of robust molecular or cellular surrogates of metastasis in patients; and original designs for clinical trials. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bidard FC, et al. Translating metastasis-related biomarkers to the clinic-progress and pitfalls. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2013 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23381003

Colon cancer prevention and early detection

Over the past few decades, more people have been surviving colon cancer, and fewer people have been dying from it. This is thanks partly to improvements in colon cancer screening. Screening, the process of looking for cancer or pre-cancer in people who have no symptoms of the disease, can find colon cancer early, before symptoms develop, when it’s easier to treat. Screening can also sometimes find growths called polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Read more here.

Connect to the screening guidelines here.

Study links smoking to breast cancer risk

Researchers at the American Cancer Society have found an increased breast cancer risk among women who smoke, especially those who start smoking before they have their first child. Researchers analyzed data from 73,388 women in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) Nutrition Cohort. During more than 13 years of follow-up, researchers counted 3,721 cases of invasive breast cancer. The rate of new cases was 24% higher in smokers than in nonsmokers and 13% higher in former smokers than in nonsmokers. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Gaudet M, et al. Active Smoking and Breast Cancer Risk: Original Cohort Data and Meta-analysis. Published early online February 28, 2013 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The obesity-cancer connection, and what we can do about it

"The problem with being overweight or obese, as measured by weight and height, is that it raises our risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. But did you know that being obese can actually increase our risk of getting cancer and may even worsen our chances of surviving after a cancer diagnosis? In fact, the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II showed significant increases in cancer occurrence in people who are the most overweight." Continue reading the American Cancer Society Expert Voices blog here.

More young women being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer

An analysis of breast cancer trends in the US has found that new cases of advanced breast cancer are increasing among women ages 25 to 39. The finding is especially troubling because breast cancer in younger women tends to be more aggressive and has lower survival rates than breast cancer in older women. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Johnson RH, et al. Incidence of Breast Cancer With Distant Involvement Among Women in the United States, 1976 to 2009. JAMA. 2013;309(8):800-805.

U of C grad student uses baker’s yeast to find new ways to fight cancer

Ola Czyz, a Masters student in biological sciences assistant professor Vanina Zaremberg’s lab, has published two papers that outline work into anti-tumor lipids (ATLs), drugs that can combat cancerous cells without hurting healthy ones. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Czyz OA, et al. Alteration of plasma membrane organization by an anticancer lysophosphatidylcholine analogue induces intracellular acidification and internalization of plasma membrane transporters in yeast. J Biol Chem. 2013 Jan 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23344949

Study mentioned: Cuesta-Marbán A, et al. Drug uptake, lipid rafts and vesicle trafficking modulate resistance to an anticancer lysophosphatidylcholine analogue in yeast. J Biol Chem. 2013 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23335509

'Choosing Wisely' identifies tests and procedures whose necessity should be questioned or discussed

As part of the Choosing Wisely® initiative of the ABIM Foundation, United States specialty societies representing more than 500,000 physicians developed lists of Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question in recognition of the importance of physician and patient conversations to improve care and eliminate unnecessary tests and procedures. Access the lists here.

Read the list from the American Society of Clinical Oncology here.

Obesity, exercise may affect risk for key type of colon cancer

Obesity increases a person's risk for a certain type of colorectal cancer, while exercise lowers the risk, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from women in the U.S. Nurses' Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Study to determine if there was a link between weight, exercise and the risk for CTNNB1-positive or CTNNB1-negative colorectal cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Morikawa T, et al. Prospective Analysis of Body Mass Index, Physical Activity, and Colorectal Cancer Risk Associated with β-Catenin (CTNNB1) Status. Cancer Research. Published OnlineFirst February 26, 2013.

UNC-led study documents head and neck cancer molecular tumor subtypes

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the seventh most common form of cancer in the United States, but other than an association with the human papillomavirus, no validated molecular profile of the disease has been established. By analyzing data from DNA microarrays, a UNC-led team has completed a study that confirms the presence of four molecular classes of the disease and extends previous results by suggesting that there may be an underlying connection between the molecular classes and observed genomic events, some of which affect known cancer genes. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Walter V, et al. (2013) Molecular Subtypes in Head and Neck Cancer Exhibit Distinct Patterns of Chromosomal Gain and Loss of Canonical Cancer Genes. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56823.

UK Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank - the first biobank to operate a data-return policy

The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank was set up in 2010 as part of a coalition of four core academic centres of excellence in breast cancer research across the UK; Barts Cancer Institute, London, and the Universities of Dundee, Leeds and Nottingham, in partnership with the National Health Service. The Tissue Bank is the first widely available specialist breast cancer biobank in the UK. To make the best use of the tissues curated by biobanks, researchers require that tissues are accompanied by well-annotated data. It usually includes anonymized information relating to each tissue donor. Read more here.

FDA approves treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Monday approved the use of Stivarga (regorafenib) to treat certain advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The drug is already approved to treat colon and rectal cancer. The new approval is for GIST that cannot be removed by surgery or has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized) and is no longer responding to other drugs used to treat the disease. Read more here.

Outsmarting breast cancer, one cell at a time

Researchers in Vancouver are looking at how breast cancer cells in patients mutate and evolve over time, which can lead to the disease becoming resistant to treatment. With a $1.25 million grant from the Canadian Cancer Society, Dr Sam Aparicio and his team will answer questions about how breast cancer arises, grows and mutates. Read more here.

New trial alert: epirubicin dosage for chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

Researchers at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta are presently recruiting patients for a new trial to determine if "epirubicin dosing based on people's genetic profile" is a better method to calculate chemotherapy dosage versus the traditional means of determining dosage according to a patient's height and weight.

Led by Dr. John Mackey and Dr. Michael Sawyer, female patients with histologically confirmed non-metastatic invasive breast cancer "scheduled to receive at least three cycles of FEC100 in theh adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting" are elligible for participation in this trial. 

 Click here for further information.

"Making cancer drugs less expensive" linking clinical value to price

In an opinion piece in the Washington Post, Hagop Kantarjian, Leonard Zwelling, and Tito Fojo offer a perspective on cancer drug prices as well as advice on how to reduce prices. "We believe that the price of cancer drugs is too high. Those already-high prices, which continue to rise rapidly, are an increasingly significant issue in U.S. health-care expenditures." Continue reading here.

European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorization to Imatinib Actavis for adult patients with Ph+ CML in blast crisis

On 21 February 2013 the European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Imatinib Actavis intended for the treatment of: Paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) for whom bone marrow transplantation is not considered as the first line of treatment; Paediatric patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase after failure of interferon-alpha therapy, or in accelerated phase or blast crisis; Adult patients with Ph+ CML in blast crisis. Read more here.

Webinar: Next generation sequencing in thoracic oncology

This free, educational webinar, which took place on 31 January 2013, was produced by ESMO and Thomson Reuters and focused on the clinical application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies in the thoracic oncology personalised medicine setting. Listen to the recording here.

Ottawa will soon require that tanning beds carry skin-cancer warning labels

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Health Canada will soon require that all tanning beds carry warnings about skin cancer and other potential dangers. The proposed changes come after several provinces moved to prevent the use of tanning beds by young people. Read more here.

Lung screening could prevent 12,000 deaths: study

A new study, published in CANCER, estimated that 8.6 million Americans met the NLST (National Lung Screening Trial) criteria for lung cancer screening in 2010. The NLST included more than 50,000 people aged 55 to 74 who were current or former smokers with at least a 30 pack-year history of smoking. When the researchers combined their estimate with information on lung cancer death rates, they calculated that if all eligible Americans received low-dose CT screening, approximately 12,000 lung cancer deaths would be delayed or prevented each year. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ma J, et al. Annual Number of Lung Cancer Deaths Potentially Avertable by Screening in the United States. Cancer. Published online first February 25, 2013.

ACS introduces lung cancer screening guidelines

Clinicians should recommend annual lung-cancer screening by means of low-dose computed tomography (CT) for high-risk patients if both provider and patient meet certain conditions, according to the American Cancer Society Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines. Read more here.

Too much sitting linked to chronic health problems

People who spend hours each day without getting up and moving around should take heed: A new study suggests that the more people sit each day, the greater their risk for chronic health problems, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Study mentioned: George ES, et al. Chronic disease and sitting time in middle-aged Australian males: findings from the 45 and Up Study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013 Feb 8;10:20. PMID: 23394382

Blood thinners may boost survival for prostate cancer patients

Men with advanced prostate cancer might live longer when they are taking blood-thinning medication, a small study suggests. Prostate cancer patients who were also taking a blood thinner, usually to stave off a blood clot, had a 39 percent increase in overall survival over men who were not taking these drugs, report researchers from the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore. The findings were presented this month by Caroline Pratz and colleagues at an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Orlando, Fla. Read more here.

Cancer rates vary widely by state, race: CDC report

The latest U.S. cancer statistics find that 1.5 million new cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed among Americans in 2009, with more men than women developing malignancies and blacks at higher risk for cancer than whites. Read more here.

Read the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Invasive Cancer Incidence - United States, 2009 here.

NCCS resources included in eHealth Initiative's Health IT Cancer Resource Guide

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship is pleased to announce that the eHealth Initiative has included three of NCCS’s patient resources in the recently launched Health IT Cancer Resource Guide. The Guide allows cancer survivors, as well as their families, friends and caregivers, to access technology that can help them understand, plan for and cope with cancer care more easily. Read more and access the guide here.

Age 25 is too late to start testing for cervical cancer, say Canadian ob-gyn groups

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and two related medical organizations are taking issue with a national task force's recommendations that women wait until age 25 to start cervical cancer screening. In a newly released position paper, the SOGC, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the Society of Canadian Colposcopists say age 25 is too late to begin Pap testing because precancerous and cancerous lesions may have developed earlier in some women. Read more here.

Read the position statement here.

FDA approves new treatment for advanced breast cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine) for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread from where it started (metastasized). HER2 is a protein involved in normal cell growth. It is found in increased amounts on some types of cancer cells. In HER2-positive breast cancers, the increased amount of the HER2 protein makes the cancer more aggressive. Read more here.

Copper depletion may prevent breast cancer recurrence

Early trial findings suggest that copper depletion may promote tumor dormancy in patients at high risk for recurrent breast cancer. The phase II study indicates that treatment with the anti-angiogenic copper chelator tetrathiomolybdate (TM) reduced the number of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in women with triple-negative breast cancer, and thus halted recurrence. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Jain S, et al. Tetrathiomolybdate-associated copper depletion decreases circulating endothelial progenitor cells in women with breast cancer at high risk of relapse. Ann Oncol. 2013 Feb 13. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23406736

Alcohol and cancer connection overlooked

Drinking beer, wine and spirits accounted for about 3.5 per cent of all cancer deaths in the U.S., a finding that makes alcohol consumption a leading preventable cause of cancer deaths, according to a new report. For breast cancer deaths, 15 per cent were related to alcohol consumption, researchers said in the American Journal of Public Health. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Nelson DE, et al. Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2013 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23409916

New drug combination could prevent head and neck cancer in high-risk patients

A new drug combination shows promise in reducing the risk for patients with advanced oral precancerous lesions to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The results of the study, which included preclinical and clinical analyses, were published in Clinical Cancer Research. Based on prior research suggesting a role for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in promoting SCCHN, Dong Moon Shin, M.D., and colleagues believe combining an EGFR inhibitor and a COX-2 inhibitor could provide an effective chemopreventive approach. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Shin DM, et al. Chemoprevention of Head and Neck Cancer by Simultaneous Blocking of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Cyclooxygenase-2 Signaling Pathways: Preclinical and Clinical Studies. Clin Cancer Res. Published online first February 19, 2013.

Is proton beam therapy for prostate cancer worth the cost?

"Thousands of men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each month. These men and their loved ones often turn to the internet to learn about their disease and treatment options, and these searches may lead to medical centers offering proton beam therapy. These centers espouse the benefits of this treatment approach, and some include glowing testimonials from men who have undergone the treatment. So is proton therapy the "magic bullet" for prostate cancer?" Continue reading the American Cancer Society Expert Voices blog here.

Director of IARC: We need to act now to stop cancer

“In twenty years’ time we will see 20 million new cases of cancer every year”, says Dr. Chris Wild, the director of the WHO International Agency for Cancer Research, (IARC) on his visit to Finland. The increase from today’s 12.5 million new cases every year is mainly being driven by population growth and ageing. The growing cancer incidence will however hit lower income countries harder, where the health services are least-equipped to deal with the growing burden. Read more here.

Role of radical prostatectomy in patients with prostate cancer

Even in the presence of screening, there is benefit to radical prostatectomy (RP) in prostate cancer patients, however, the benefit is limited to a subgroup of patients and can take years to become evident according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Xia J, et al. Effects of Screening on Radical Prostatectomy Efficacy: The Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23411592

IARC contributes to Lancet Oncology Series highlighting the needs of children and young people with cancer

A new Lancet Oncology Series presents the latest results and ideas from some of the world’s most eminent cancer experts from 19 countries spanning 6 continents. The Series aims to improve information availability, research, care, and education in the field of paediatric oncology and proposes a broad range of solutions for the next decade. Read more here.

Combo of Avastin, second drug shows promise fighting brain cancer, Mayo Clinic finds

The drug bevacizumab, also known by the trade name Avastin, shrinks tumors briefly in patients with an aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma multiforme, but then they often grow again and spread throughout the brain for reasons no one previously has understood. Now, Mayo Clinic researchers have found out why this happens. They have also discovered that pairing Avastin with another cancer drug, dasatinib, can stop that lethal spread. Dasatinib is approved for use in several blood cancers. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Huveldt D, et al. (2013) Targeting Src Family Kinases Inhibits Bevacizumab-Induced Glioma Cell Invasion. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56505.

Study tracks genetic evolution of form of leukemia, may help physicians predict course of disease, tailor therapies

Tumors are not factories for the mass production of identical cancer cells, but are, in reality, patchworks of cells with different patterns of gene mutations. In a new study, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute show, more fully than ever before, how these mutations shift and evolve over time in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) – providing a strobe-like look at the genetic past, present, and future of CLL tumors. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Landau DA, et al. Evolution and impact of subclonal mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cell. 2013 Feb 14;152(4):714-26. PMID: 23415222

Young Oncologists' Journal Club: Association between treatment effects on disease progression end points and overall survival in clinical studies of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

"Treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) was once limited to the treatment with interleukin-2 and interferon (INF)-α. Major efforts in understanding the molecular mechanism of the disease have led to a better understanding of the molecular biology of renal cancer, and this has subsequently led to the development of a multitude of drugs acting on the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. The registration of many of these new drugs (sunitinib, sorafenib, axitinib, lapatinib, pazopanib, bevacizumab, everolimus or temsirolimus) has led to the situation where it is increasingly difficult to show improvement of overall survival (OS) with even newer drugs, and to define the best sequence of this various compounds in patients with mRCC." Read the complete ESMO journal club article here.

Study mentioned: Delea TE, et al. Association between treatment effects on disease progression end points and overall survival in clinical studies of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer. 2012 Sep 25;107(7):1059-68. PMID: 22935581

Researchers discover biological diversity in triple-negative breast cancer

In a study published in The Oncologist conducted by UNC and the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain, a team lead by Charles Perou, PhD, of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, examined more than 1,700 breast tumors, including 412 triple negative (TN) breast cancers, and concluded that triple-negative cancers, and basal-like breast cancers should not be considered as a single type, since more than 30 percent of triple-negative cancers lack biological markers associated with basal-like tumors. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Prat A, et al. Molecular Characterization of Basal-Like and Non-Basal-Like Triple-Negative Breast Cancers. Oncologist. 2013 Feb 12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23404817

Drug shown to reverse radioiodine resistance in some advanced thyroid cancers

The experimental drug selumetinib may allow some patients with advanced thyroid cancer to overcome resistance to radioiodine (RAI), the most effective therapy for the disease, according to new research from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study offers new hope for patients with a disease that can have a poor prognosis. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ho AL, et al. Selumetinib-enhanced radioiodine uptake in advanced thyroid cancer. N Engl J Med. 2013 Feb 14;368(7):623-32. PMID: 23406027

NIH study finds increases in risk of certain leukemias related to treatment

A new study describes the pattern of risk for one form of cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), that has risen over the past three decades for adults who have previously been treated with chemotherapy for other forms of cancer, notably non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Morton LM, et al. Evolving risk of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia following cancer chemotherapy among adults in the United States, 1975-2008. Blood. Published online before print February 14, 2013.

Acupuncture may reduce hot flashes in breast cancer patients

In a new study, researchers investigated the effect of acupuncture on breast cancer patients with anti-estrogen therapy-related hot flashes. Ten women who were receiving tamoxifen or anastrozole, another anti-estrogen drug, were assigned to receive acupuncture treatments three times weekly for four weeks. Participants rated their hot flash severity by the visual analogue scale and a hot flash score. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Jeong YJ, et al. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Hot Flashes in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Antiestrogen Therapy: A Pilot Study in Korean Women. J Altern Complement Med. 2013 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23383974

International Childhood Cancer Day February 15, 2013

IARC supports the campaign to raise worldwide public awareness of childhood cancer by observing International Childhood Cancer Day on 15 February. In particular, incidence, mortality, and survival data for childhood cancer produced at IARC in collaboration with population-based cancer registries around the world provide an indispensable resource for researchers and public health policy-makers. Read more here.

Safety of targeted agent combinations in solid tumours

There is increasing interest in combining targeted agents because of the growing understanding of the complexity and heterogeneity of the signalling networks controlling solid tumour growth. Such combination strategies are being used to inhibit multiple aberrant pathways in the hope of optimizing anti-tumour efficacy, but also to prevent development of resistance. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Park SR, et al. Safety and feasibility of targeted agent combinations in solid tumours. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2013 Jan 29. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23358316

Upcoming webinar: Latest in Colorectal Cancer Research

On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 8:00 p.m..-9:30 p.m. EST (6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. MST), Dr. Richard Goldberg, "an internationally renowned gastrointestinal oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancer" will lead a webinar on the latest news and trends in colorectal cancer research from the January 2013 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. 

To register for this webinar, a partnership between Fight Colorectal Cancer and the Colon Cancer Alliance, click here

Mouse model of clear cell sarcoma improves understanding of rare, deadly cancer

Geneticists led by University of Utah Nobel Prize Laureate Mario R. Capecchi, Ph.D., have engineered mice that develop clear cell sarcoma (CCS), a significant step in better understanding how this rare and deadly soft tissue cancer arises. The mouse model also can potentially speed the development of drugs to target genes that must be activated for the cancer to form. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Straessler KM, et al. Modeling Clear Cell Sarcomagenesis in the Mouse: Cell of Origin Differentiation State Impacts Tumor Characteristics. Cancer Cell. Online 11 February 2013.

Prostate-specific antigen screening: Values and techniques shape decisions

An international team of scientists led by the University of North Carolina has published a study evaluating different ways of helping men consider their values about PSA screening. They report that the decision-making process was influenced by the format in which information was presented. Michael Pignone, MD, MPH, study senior author, says, “Whether to undergo PSA screening is a difficult decision for middle-aged men. PSA screening at best seems to produce only a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths and has considerable downsides." Read more here.

Study mentioned: Pignone MP, et al. Comparing 3 Techniques for Eliciting Patient Values for Decision Making About Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Feb 11:1-7. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23400279

Deep genomic analysis identifies a micro RNA opponent for ovarian cancer

Researchers employed an extensive analysis of genomic information to identify a new, high-risk cohort of ovarian cancer patients, characterize their tumors, find a potential treatment and test it in mouse models of the disease. The exhaustive analysis that led to micro RNA 506 (miR-506) as a potential therapeutic candidate for advanced or metastatic ovarian cancer is the cover article in the Feb. 11 edition of Cancer Cell. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Yang D, et al. Integrated Analyses Identify a Master MicroRNA Regulatory Network for the Mesenchymal Subtype in Serous Ovarian Cancer. Cancer Cell. 2013; 23(2):186-199.

Lung cancer set to overtake breast cancer as the main cause of cancer deaths among European women

Lung cancer is likely to overtake breast cancer as the main cause of cancer death among European women by the middle of this decade, according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology. In the UK and Poland it has already overtaken breast cancer as the main cause of cancer deaths in women.
 
Read more here.

Study mentioned: Malvezzi M, et al. European cancer mortality predictions for the year 2013. Annals of Oncology. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdt010
 


Effect of passenger mutations

A typical cancer cell has thousands of mutations scattered throughout its genome and hundreds of mutated genes. However, only a handful of those genes, known as drivers, are responsible for uncontrolled growth of cancers. Cancer biologists have largely ignored the other mutations, believing they had little or no impact on cancer progression, but a new study from MIT, Harvard University, the Broad Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital reveals, shows for the first time, when enough of these so-called passenger mutations accumulate, they can slow or even halt tumour growth. Read more here.

Study mentioned: McFarland CD, et al. Impact of deleterious passenger mutations on cancer progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23388632

Physician views on end-of-life issues vary widely: CMA survey

A survey of CMA members' views on major end-of-life issues has found that only 20% of respondents would be willing to participate if euthanasia is legalized in Canada, while twice as many (42%) would refuse to do so. Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) are not sure how they would respond, while 15% did not answer. The results are similar for physician-assisted suicide: 16% of respondents would assist, while 44% would refuse. More than a quarter of respondents (26%) are not sure how they would respond to such a request, and 15% did not answer. Read more here.

Experts call for more research on breast cancer and the environment

A committee established by Congress is calling for more research to identify preventable causes of breast cancer. The Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee (IBCERCC) was formed to study the current research about breast cancer and the environment, and make recommendations for eliminating any knowledge gaps. Yesterday the committee released its first report. Read more here.

Read the full report, Breast Cancer and the Environment: Prioritizing Prevention, Report of the IBCERCC here.

Genetically engineered virus extends the lives of terminally-ill liver cancer patients

A genetically-engineered virus has prolonged the lives of terminally ill liver cancer patients in a small clinical trial. The results will need confirming in larger studies, but Cancer Research UK welcomed the advance as "an exciting step forward". Read more here.

Study mentioned: Heo J, et al. Randomized dose-finding clinical trial of oncolytic immunotherapeutic vaccinia JX-594 in liver cancer. Nat Med. 2013 Feb 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23396206

The Patient and Family Advisory Council Toolkit

Cancer Care Ontario has created a toolkit intended for any organization that wishes to engage patients and their families in advisory councils as a means to improve patient experiences with health services. The Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) Toolkit is intended to be continually enhanced with input and insight from organizational staff and council members. The toolkit is structured around the major themes of creating and maintaining a PFAC. Read more here.

New legislation on artificial tanning: The Canadian Cancer Society highlights its speedy implementation

“This legislation, which prohibits the sale of artificial tanning services to those under 18 years of age, is a great victory for public health,” says Suzanne Dubois, Executive Director of the CCS – Quebec Division. “The Canadian Cancer Society strongly believes in working to stop preventable cancers even before they occur. In this respect, the legislation is a clear message from the government to the whole population about the risk and danger of artificial tanning.” Read more here.

Ban the tobacco industry’s secret weapon

The federal government banned flavoured cigarettes two years ago. Not long before that, Barack Obama did the same thing south of the border. So why is the Canadian Cancer Society still talking about it? For one thing, loopholes allow the tobacco industry to continue targeting young consumers with an array of other equally dangerous, flavoured tobacco products. And neither ban restricts menthol. Read more here.

DAI provides potential imaging biomarker to indicate brain tumor response to RT

Diffusion abnormality index shows promise as an imaging biomarker to measure brain tumor response to radiation therapy, according to research being presented at the 2013 Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium. This Symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the Radiological Society of North America. Read more here.

Hepatic function testing can assist in treatment planning for liver cancer patients

Monitoring the hepatic function of unresectable liver cancer patients, measured by 99mTc-labeled iminodiacetic acid via single-photon emission computed tomography prior to and during radiation therapy, provides vital information that could guide more customized treatment plans and reduce risks of liver injury, according to research being presented at the 2013 Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium. This Symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the Radiological Society of North American. Read more here.

Selumetinib in patients with recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum

Low-grade serous ovarian cancer is less common and aggressive than the high-grade variety, yet exceptionally difficult to treat when frontline therapy fails. After surgery, with or without pre-surgical chemotherapy, when low-grade serous ovarian cancer persists or returns, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are relatively ineffective, according to Dr David Gershenson, professor in the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Gynecological Oncology and Reproductive Medicine. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Farley J, et al. Selumetinib in women with recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum: an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol. 2013 Feb;14(2):134-40. Epub 2012 Dec 21. PMID: 23261356

Avoid eight cancer screenings, says Consumer Reports

Consumer reports evaluated eleven cancer screening tests, and has found that most of us should avoid eight of them. The non-profit consumer's organization says that most preventive cancer screenings are oversold and may confuse rather than clarify. Read more here.

Study mentioned: The cancer tests you need—and those you don't. Consumer Reports magazine: March 2013.

Work stress link to cancer in doubt

Work stress is unlikely to be an important risk factor in developing common cancers, a large, long-term study suggests. After analyzing data from studies involving 116,000 participants aged 17 to 70 in six European countries, occupational health experts concluded work-related stress is "unlikely to be an important risk factor for colorectal, lung, breast or prostate cancers." Read more here.

Study mentioned: Heikkilä K, et al. Work stress and risk of cancer: meta-analysis of 5700 incident cancer events in 116 000 European men and women. BMJ. 2013 Feb 7;346:f165. PMID: 23393080

MammaPrint breast cancer test can help women avoid chemotherapy

The MammaPrint breast cancer test can dramatically reduce the number of women who need to undergo chemotherapy to treat the disease, according to a newly published study. The prospective, outcome-based study of 427 breast cancer patients showed the genomic test, which analyzes 70 key genes, accurately determines which patients are at low risk of breast cancer recurrence and can therefore safely choose not to undergo chemotherapy. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Drukker CA, et al. A prospective evaluation of a breast cancer prognosis signature in the observational RASTER study. Int J Cancer. 2013 Jan 31. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28082. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23371464

Hospice use rises

A study published in JAMA finds that while more seniors are dying with hospice care than a decade ago, they are increasingly doing so for very few days right after being in intensive care. The study's lead author, Dr Joan Teno, professor of health services policy and practice in the Public Health Program at Brown University and a palliative care physician at Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, questions if for many seniors palliative care happens only as an afterthought. Additionally, Prof. Teno warns that for many patients, hospice is an 'add-on' to a very aggressive pattern of care during the last days of life and it might not be what patients want. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Teno JM, et al. Change in end-of-life care for Medicare beneficiaries: site of death, place of care, and health care transitions in 2000, 2005, and 2009. JAMA. 2013 Feb 6;309(5):470-7. PMID: 23385273

Triple-negative breast cancer subtypes identified using microRNA

A new, large-scale study of triple-negative breast cancer shows that small molecules called microRNA can be used to define four subtypes of this aggressive malignancy. The findings, by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) working with collaborators in Italy, could lead to new screening methods, prognostic markers and perhaps new targeted treatments for this aggressive and often-fatal form of breast cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Cascione L, et al. (2013) Integrated MicroRNA and mRNA Signatures Associated with Survival in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. PLoS ONE 8(2): e55910.

Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women

Among older women, getting a mammogram every two years was just as beneficial as getting a mammogram annually, and led to significantly fewer false positive results, according to a study led by UC San Francisco. The national study of more than 140,000 women between the ages of 66 and 89 appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Braithwaite D, et al. Screening Outcomes in Older US Women Undergoing Multiple Mammograms in Community Practice: Does Interval, Age or Comorbidity Score Affect Tumor Characteristics or False Positive Rates? J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23385442

Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs

In a new study, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers assess the complete landscape of a cancer’s “kinome” expression and determine which kinases are acting up in a particular tumor. They go on to show that those particular kinases can be targeted with drugs – potentially combining multiple drugs to target multiple kinases. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kothari V, et al. Outlier Kinase Expression by RNA Sequencing as Targets for Precision Therapy. Cancer Discov. 2013 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23384775

University of Minnesota researchers discover enzyme behind breast cancer mutations

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have uncovered a human enzyme responsible for causing DNA mutations found in the majority of breast cancers. The discovery of this enzyme – called APOBEC3B – may change the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated. The findings from a team of researchers led by Reuben Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics and also a researcher at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, are published in Nature. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Burns MB, et al. APOBEC3B is an enzymatic source of mutation in breast cancer. Nature. 2013 Feb 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23389445

Bevacizumab significantly improves survival for patients with recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer

Patients with advanced, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer that was not curable with standard treatment who received the drug bevacizumab (Avastin) lived 3.7 months longer than patients who did not receive the drug, according to an interim analysis of a large, randomized clinical trial. The clinical trial, known as GOG240, was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by a network of researchers led by the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). Read more here.

GOG 240: A randomized phase III trial of cisplatin plus paclitaxel with and without NCI-supplied bevacizumab (NSC #704865, IND #113912) versus the non-platinum doublet, topotecan plus paclitaxel, with and without NCI-supplied bevacizumab, in stage IVB, recurrent or persistent carcinoma of the cervix. The full protocol for this trial can be found at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00803062.

NCI study finds that sunitinib benefits patients with renal cell carcinoma

Findings from clinical trial patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, a common kidney cancer, show they did not have accelerated tumor growth after treatment with sunitinib, in contrast to some study results in animals. Sunitinib is one of several drugs, either on the market or undergoing testing, that target blood vessel growth. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Blagoev KB, et al. Sunitinib Does Not Accelerate Tumor Growth in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cell Reports, 07 February 2013.

Underuse of radiotherapy in lung cancer patients treated in Andalusia health care centres

A study conducted by University of Granada and Virgen de las Nieves U.H. researchers has revealed that in Andalusia public hospitals radiotherapy is provided to lung cancer patients with a frequency 25% below that established by clinical protocols. Failure to provide such treatment results in a total of 3,000 survival-day loss for all lung cancer patients. To carry out this study, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the researchers reviewed the medical records and radiotherapy provided to all lung cancer patients in 2007 in the 12 Andalusia public hospitals equipped with radiotherapy facilities. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Tovar I, et al. Underuse of Radiotherapy in Lung Cancer Has Negative Consequences for Patients. Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 2013; 8(1):62–67.

Folic acid supplementation may not affect cancer risk

Supplementation with folic acid may not affect cancer risk, reports a new study published in the journal Lancet. A total of fourteen studies and 49,621 participants were included for analysis. Researchers found a similar number of individuals developed cancer in the folate supplement groups and the placebo groups. Furthermore, a longer period of folate supplementation was not linked to an increased risk of cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Vollset SE, et al. Effects of folic acid supplementation on overall and site-specific cancer incidence during the randomised trials: meta-analyses of data on 50 000 individuals. Lancet. 2013 Jan 24. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23352552

First Canadian to receive U.S.-based award

Dr. Doug Mahoney is the first Canadian to receive the Young Investigator Award from the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. The U.S. non-profit foundation supports research in cell- and gene-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Mahoney is a new recruit at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, a medical research institute at the University of Calgary dedicated to health issues involving children and mothers. Read more here.

FDA warns of counterfeit version of Avastin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors about a counterfeit version of Avastin being sold in the U.S.  Lab tests have revealed that a batch of this drug, distributed in the U.S. by Medical Device King, "contains no active ingredient."  This is the third incident of counterfeit Avastin in the U.S. over the past year, prompting the FDA to warn doctors, hospitals and patients to be particularly cautious "if the price of a medicine sounds too good to be true." 

To read more about this news story, click here

Cost-effectiveness of screening for KRAS and BRAF mutations in metastatic colorectal cancer

Ajay Behl, PhD of the HealthPartners Research Foundation in Bloomington, USA and colleagues decided to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of screening for KRAS and BRAF mutations in patients with mCRC. Previous economic analyses of mutation testing have not fully explored the roles of alternative therapies, resection of metastases, and survival for the different types of metastases. The research by Behl and his colleagues was based on a decision analytic framework that forms the basis of a cost-effectiveness analysis of screening for KRAS and BRAF mutations in mCRC in the context of treatment with cetuximab. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Behl AS, et al. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Screening for KRAS and BRAF Mutations in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012;104(23): 1785-1795.

Roswell Park study finds substantial use of e-cigarettes by smokers

“This study offers a snapshot in time on the use of e-cigarettes from mid-2010 to mid-2011 and examines awareness, use and product-associated beliefs among current and former cigarette smokers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom,” said Dr. Richard O’Connor, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology and Director of the Tobacco Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). Read more here.

Study mentioned: Adkison SE, et al. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey. Am J Prev Med 2013;44(3):207–215.

Blood vessel cells coax colorectal cancer cells into more dangerous state

Blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to tumors can also deliver something else - a signal that strengthens nearby cancer cells, making them more resistant to chemotherapy, more likely to spread to other organs and more lethal, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Cancer Cell. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Lu J, et al. Endothelial Cells Promote the Colorectal Cancer Stem Cell Phenotype through a Soluble Form of Jagged-1. Cancer Cell. 2013 Jan 29. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23375636

Growth factor aids stem cell regeneration after radiation damage

Epidermal growth factor has been found to speed the recovery of blood-making stem cells after exposure to radiation, according to Duke Medicine researchers. The finding could open new options for treating cancer patients and victims of dirty bombs or nuclear disasters. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Doan PL, et al. Epidermal growth factor regulates hematopoietic regeneration after radiation injury. Nat Med. 2013 Feb 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23377280

Researchers discover mutations linked to relapse of childhood leukemia

After an intensive three-year hunt through the genome, medical researchers have pinpointed mutations that leads to drug resistance and relapse in the most common type of childhood cancer—the first time anyone has linked the disease's reemergence to specific genetic anomalies. The discovery, co-lead by William L. Carroll, MD, director of NYU Langone Medical Center's Cancer Institute, is reported in a study published in Nature Genetics. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Meyer JA, et al. Relapse-specific mutations in NT5C2 in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nat Genet. 2013 Feb 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23377183

How cancer cells rewire their metabolism to survive

Cancer cells need food to survive and grow. They’re very good at getting it, too, even when nutrients are scarce. Many scientists have tried killing cancer cells by taking away their favorite food, a sugar called glucose. Unfortunately, this treatment approach not only fails to work, it backfires—glucose-starved tumors actually get more aggressive. In a study published in the journal Cell, researchers discovered that a protein called PKCζ is responsible for this paradox. The research suggests that glucose depletion therapies might work against tumors as long as the cancer cells are producing PKCζ. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ma L, et al. Control of Nutrient Stress-Induced Metabolic Reprogramming by PKCζ in Tumorigenesis. Cell. 2013 Jan 31;152(3):599-611. PMID: 23374352

Changes to DNA on-off switches affect cells' ability to repair breaks, respond to chemotherapy

Roger A. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., associate investigator, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and associate professor of Cancer Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, together with postdoctoral researcher Jiangbo Tang Ph.D. and colleagues, found a key determinant in the balance between two proteins, BRCA1 and 53BP1, in the DNA repair machinery. Breast and ovarian cancer are associated with a breakdown in the repair systems involving these proteins. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Tang J, et al. Acetylation limits 53BP1 association with damaged chromatin to promote homologous recombination. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2013 Feb 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23377543

NIH scientists identify molecular link between metabolism and breast cancer

A protein associated with conditions of metabolic imbalance, such as diabetes and obesity, may play a role in the development of aggressive forms of breast cancer, according to new findings by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues. Metabolic imbalance is often caused by elevated carbohydrate intake, which can lead to over-activating a molecule called C-terminal binding protein (CtBP). This over-activation, in turn, can increase the risk of breast cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Di L, et al. Genome-wide profiles of CtBP link metabolism with genome stability and epithelial reprogramming in breast cancer. Nature Communications 4:1449. Published 05 February 2013.

High-dose Vorinostat effective at treating relapsed lymphomas

Patients whose aggressive lymphomas have relapsed or failed to respond to the current front-line chemotherapy regimen now have an effective second line of attack against their disease. Reporting the results of a first-of-its-kind phase 1 clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a new class of drugs to augment standard chemotherapy, a team led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists found that giving patients high doses of Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) in combination with another round of commonly used second-line drugs resulted in a 70 percent response rate, including several patients whose lymphoma cells disappeared entirely. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Budde LE, et al. A phase I study of pulse high-dose vorinostat (V) plus rituximab (R), ifosphamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE) in patients with relapsed lymphoma. Br J Haematol. 2013 Jan 29. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23356514

Antibody hinders growth of Gleevec-resistant gastrointestinal tumors in lab tests, researchers say

An antibody that binds to a molecule on the surface of a rare but deadly tumor of the gastrointestinal tract inhibits the growth of the cancer cells in mice, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The effect remains even when the cancer cells have become resistant to other treatments, and the findings may one day provide a glimmer of hope for people with the cancer, known as gastrointestinal stromal tumor, or GIST. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Edris B, et al. Anti-KIT monoclonal antibody inhibits imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumor growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 4. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23382202

Identification of genetic marker for placebo response could influence trial design

Although placebos have played a critical role in medicine and clinical research for more than 70 years, it has been a mystery why these inactive treatments help to alleviate symptoms in some patients and not others. Now researchers have for the first time identified genetic differences between placebo responders and non-responders, providing an important new clue to the placebo effect. Led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, the new findings demonstrate that genetic differences that account for variations in the brain's dopamine levels help to determine the extent of a person's placebo response. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hall KT, et al. Catechol-O-methyltransferase val158met polymorphism predicts placebo effect in irritable bowel syndrome. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e48135. PMID: 23110189

Proposed change to rodent carcinogenicity testing of pharmaceuticals - regulatory notice for public input

A change to the current ICH S1 guidance on rodent carcinogenicity testing is being considered. The goal of this potential change is to introduce a more comprehensive and integrated approach to address the risk of human carcinogenicity of small molecule pharmaceuticals, and to define conditions under which 2-yr rodent carcinogenicity studies add value to that assessment. Read more here.

Canadian-made therapeutic cancer vaccine showing promise

A promising Canadian-developed cancer vaccine is about to go into clinical trials in Italy to see whether it can be used safely on patients diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. Immunovaccine Inc. of Halifax announced Wednesday it has signed an agreement with researchers at the Busto Arsizio Hospital in northern Italy to continue a study of its experimental vaccine, called DPX-0907. Read more here.

ACS: Cancer death rates drop for African Americans, but racial gaps remain

The cancer death rate for men in the United States declined faster among African Americans than among men of any other racial or ethnic group according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. The reduction in overall cancer death rates since the early 1990s translates to the avoidance of nearly 200,000 deaths from cancer among African Americans. And yet, African Americans continue to have higher death rates for many types of cancer. Read more here.

Report mentioned: DeSantis C, et al. Cancer Statistics for African Americans, 2013. CA. First published online 5 Feb 2013.

Download the companion report, Cancer facts & figures for African Americans 2013-2014, here.

FDA approves generic version of doxil to address shortage.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic version of the cancer drug Doxil (doxorubicin liposome). The drug is approved to treat Kaposi sarcoma, ovarian cancer, and multiple myeloma. It is also sometimes used for other types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Doxorubicin liposome is currently on the FDA’s drug shortage list. The FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs is speeding up its review of generic applications to help resolve the shortages. Read more here.

Second-line docetaxel in patients with relapsed esophagogastric adenocarcinoma

A phase III study presented as a late breaking abstract at the tenth annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (24-26 January, 2013) in San Francisco, showed that second-line treatment with docetaxel results in longer overall survival compared with active symptom control in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer whose disease progressed despite first-line chemotherapy. While this strategy is already widely used, this UK study provides more evidence of survival benefit from second-line therapy with docetaxel. Read more here.

Transition in cell type parallels treatment response, disease progression in breast cancer

A process that normally occurs in developing embryos – the changing of one basic cell type into another – has also been suspected of playing a role in cancer metastasis. Now a study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center researchers has associated this process, called epithelial-mesenchymal transition or EMT, with disease progression and treatment response in breast cancer patients. The report also identifies underlying mechanisms that someday may become therapeutic targets. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Yu M, et al. Circulating Breast Tumor Cells Exhibit Dynamic Changes in Epithelial and Mesenchymal Composition. Science. 2013 Feb 1;339(6119):580-584. PMID: 23372014

UCI team finds new target for treating wide spectrum of cancers

UC Irvine biologists, chemists and computer scientists have identified an elusive pocket on the surface of the p53 protein that can be targeted by cancer-fighting drugs. The finding heralds a new treatment approach, as mutant forms of this protein are implicated in nearly 40 percent of diagnosed cases of cancer, which kills more than half a million Americans each year. In a study published online in Nature Communications, the UC Irvine researchers describe how they employed a computational method to capture the various shapes of the p53 protein. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Wassman CD, et al. Computational identification of a transiently open L1/S3 pocket for reactivation of mutant p53. Nat Commun. 2013 Jan 29;4:1407. PMID: 23360998

Two-step immunotherapy attacks advanced ovarian cancer, report

Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with late stage disease that is unresponsive to existing therapies. In a new study, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine show that a two-step personalized immunotherapy treatment — a dendritic cell vaccine using patients’ own tumor followed by adoptive T cell therapy — triggers anti-tumor immune responses in these type of patients. Four of the six patients treated in the trial responded to the therapy, the investigators report this month in OncoImmunology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kandalaft LE, et al. Autologous lysate-pulsed dendritic cell vaccination followed by adoptive transfer of vaccine-primed ex vivo co-stimulated T cells in recurrent ovarian cancer. OncoImmunology. 2013; 2(1): e22664.

1 in 2 countries unprepared to prevent and manage cancers, says WHO survey

More than half of all countries worldwide are struggling to prevent cancer and provide treatment and chronic care to cancer patients, warns a recent World Health Organization (WHO) survey for World Cancer Day. This means, currently many of these countries do not have a functional cancer control plan that includes prevention, early detection, treatment and care. There is an urgent need to help countries to reduce cancer deaths and provide appropriate long-term treatment and care to avoid human suffering and protect countries’ social and economic development. Read more here.

Download the survey, Assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report of the 2010 global survey, here.

World Cancer Day 2013: Cancer - Did you know?

“Did you know?” is the question posed for World Cancer Day 2013, which focuses on debunking damaging myths and misconceptions about the disease, reinforcing that there are still too many preconceived ideas about cancer that need demystifying and putting right. Prevention involves various approaches, and one aspect of this many-pronged effort, led by multiple agencies, is conveying clear messages to the public to improve general knowledge about cancer. Visit the World Cancer Day Website here.

ESMO supports World Cancer Day cautioning that the era of personalised cancer medicine is not here yet

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) supports the 2013 World Cancer Day by trying to dispel the myth that personalised medicine is already a reality for all cancer types and all cancer patients, highlighting the need for more in-depth education and wider collaborations between researchers, oncologists and patients. Read more here.

Study confirms long-term side effects from prostate cancer treatment

A new study has found that 15 years after treatment with surgery or radiation, most prostate cancer patients have sexual side effects, and many also have urinary and bowel problems. The study authors say these findings may be useful to men when choosing a treatment plan after diagnosis with prostate cancer. The team of researchers from several US cancer centers and universities based their findings on 1,655 men who were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer – cancer that had not spread beyond the prostate. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Resnick MJ, et al. Long-term functional outcomes after treatment for localized prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jan 31;368(5):436-45. PMID: 23363497