Vitamin D deficiency in pancreatic cancer

What could deficiencies in serum levels of vitamin D tell us about pancreatic cancer? Medscape spoke to Katherine Van Loon, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of California, San Francisco, who presented a study at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) that sought to answer this question. Read the interview here.

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BRAF-mutated colon cancer may be less responsive to aspirin's positive effects

Compiling results of two large studies, researchers have identified biomarkers of response to aspirin among those taking the oral drug either as a way to treat or prevent colorectal cancer. The analysis shows that the effect of aspirin on colorectal cancer depends on whether or not the cancer harbors a BRAF mutation: those cancers that were BRAF mutated were less sensitive to aspirin. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Nishihara R, et al. Aspirin Use and Risk of Colorectal Cancer According to BRAF Mutation Status. JAMA. 2013 Jun 26;309(24):2563-71. PMID: 23800934

USC research IDs potential treatment for HIV-related blood cancer

Researchers at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a promising new way to treat a rare and aggressive blood cancer most commonly found in people infected with HIV. The USC team shows that a class of drugs called BET bromodomain inhibitors effectively targets primary effusion lymphoma, a type of cancer for which those drugs were not expected to be effective. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Tolani B, et al. Targeting Myc in KSHV-associated primary effusion lymphoma with BET bromodomain inhibitors. Oncogene. 2013 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23792448

Human and canine lymphomas share molecular similarities, first large-scale comparison shows

A team of scientists from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Duke University have conducted one of the first studies to directly compare canine and human B-cell lymphoma by examining molecular similarities and differences between the two species. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Richards KL, et al. Gene profiling of canine B-cell lymphoma reveals germinal center and post-germinal center subtypes with different survival times, modeling human DLBCL. Cancer Res. 2013 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23783577

Men at low-risk of dying from their prostate cancer increasingly opting for advanced treatment options

A new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center examined Medicare data between 2004 and 2009 for men with prostate cancer whose disease was low-risk or those who were at a high risk to die from other causes. The researchers found that these men increasingly underwent advanced treatment options, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy and robotic prostatectomy. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Jacobs BL, et al. Use of Advanced Treatment Technologies Among Men at Low Risk of Dying From Prostate Cancer. JAMA. 2013 Jun 26;309(24):2587-2595. PMID: 23800935

Confronting the complexity of EGFR/HER targeted therapies in breast, colorectal and lung cancers

A panel of European experts met during the first ESMO Signaling Pathways Symposium on “Targeting the HER/EGFR family in breast, lung and colorectal cancers” (1-2 March 2013, Sitges, Spain) to discuss on current and emerging issues in targeting EGFR/HER pathway, and highlighting possible shared approaches in a context of personalised cancer medicine. Read the key points from the discussion here.

Impact factor for CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians hits unprecedented high

The American Cancer Society flagship journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, has been ranked with the highest impact factor on record for any journal recorded in the ISI Journal Citation Reports®. Impact factor is a measure of the average number of citations received by all articles published in a science and social science journal. It reflects the journal’s impact on the field of study. Impact factor is calculated each year and published by Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. Read more here.

Chile has highest smoking rate in Latin America-women and girls face imminent health threat

Latin American countries are facing an increasing risk from tobacco-related deaths and disease according to the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, co-publishers of The Tobacco Atlas – 4th Edition. Chilean Minister of Health Dr. Jaime Mañalich joined the two organizations and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), for the release of the Spanish version of the Atlas. Together they called for immediate attention to this looming health crisis that will escalate without the implementation of proven interventions. Read more here.

Access the 4th edition of the Tobacco Atlas here.

Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) for STIVARGA

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Bayer Inc. for the drug product, Stivarga. Stivarga, a multikinase inhibitor and antineoplastic agent, was authorized for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who have been previously treated with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, and, if KRAS wild type, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapy. Read more here.

A comprehensive genomic mutation profiling analysis of adenoid cystic carcinoma

In a brief report published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Andrew Futreal of the Cancer Genome Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, United Kingdom, reported on a whole exome sequencing performed in 24 adenoid cystic carcinoma cases. They uncovered the involvement of multiple cancer genes that are likely to be contributing to tumour development in the context of MYB activation. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Stephens PJ, et al. Whole exome sequencing of adenoid cystic carcinoma. J Clin Invest. 2013 Jun 17. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23778141

Powerful gene-editing tool appears to cause off-target mutations in human cells

In the past year a group of synthetic proteins called CRISPR-Cas RNA-guided nucleases (RGNs) have generated great excitement in the scientific community as gene-editing tools. Exploiting a method that some bacteria use to combat viruses and other pathogens, CRISPR-Cas RGNs can cut through DNA strands at specific sites, allowing the insertion of new genetic material. However, a team of Massachusetts General Hospital researchers has found a significant limitation to the use of CRISPR-Cas RGNs, production of unwanted DNA mutations at sites other than the desired target. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Fu Y, et al. High-frequency off-target mutagenesis induced by CRISPR-Cas nucleases in human cells. Nature Biotechnology. Published online 23 June 2013.

Kidney cancer progression linked to shifts in tumor metabolism

Investigators in The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network have uncovered a connection between how tumor cells use energy from metabolic processes and the aggressiveness of the most common form of kidney cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Their findings demonstrate that normal metabolism is altered in ccRCC tumor cells, and involves a shift from using one metabolic pathway to another. This change – termed a metabolic shift – correlates with tumor stage and severity in some cases. Read more here.

Study mentioned: The Cancer Genome Atlas Network. Comprehensive molecular characterization of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Nature. Online June 23, 2013.

Pluripotent stem cells made from pancreatic cancer cells are first human model of the cancer's progression

Researchers and clinicians have been searching for a human-cell model of the early-disease progression of pancreatic cancer. Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania scientists have used stem-cell technology to create a research cell line from a patient with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This first-of-its-kind human-cell model of pancreatic cancer progression was published in Cell Reports from the lab of Ken Zaret, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kim J, et al. An iPSC Line from Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Undergoes Early to Invasive Stages of Pancreatic Cancer Progression. Cell Rep. 2013 Jun 19. pii: S2211-1247(13)00269-6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23791528

Bacterial DNA may integrate into human genome more readily in tumor tissue

Bacterial DNA may integrate into the human genome more readily in tumors than in normal human tissue, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute for Genome Sciences. Researchers analyzed genomic sequencing data available from the Human Genome Project, the 1,000 Genomes Project and The Cancer Genome Atlas. They considered the phenomenon of lateral gene transfer, the transmission of genetic material between organisms in the absence of sex. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Riley DR, et al. (2013) Bacteria-Human Somatic Cell Lateral Gene Transfer Is Enriched in Cancer Samples. PLoS Comput Biol 9(6): e1003107.

Identifying and validating new kinase targets to develop a rational therapy for invasive lobular carcinoma and triple negative breast cancer

Invasive lobular carcinoma accounts for 10 percent of breast cancer worldwide, and triple negative breast cancer for 15 percent. The EU-funded RATHER (”Rational therapy for breast cancer: individualised treatment for difficult-to-treat breast cancer subtypes”) project is determined to identify and validate new kinase targets to treat both subtypes. Read more here.

Connect to the Rather project website here.

Researchers discover how a mutated protein outwits evolution and fuels leukemia

Scientists have discovered the survival secret to a genetic mutation that stokes leukemia cells, solving an evolutionary riddle and paving the way to a highly targeted therapy for leukemia. In a paper published in Cell, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center describe how a mutated protein, called Fbxw7, behaves differently when expressed in cancer cells versus healthy cells. Read more here.

Study mentioned: King B, et al. (2013) The Ubiquitin Ligase FBXW7 Modulates Leukemia-Initiating Cell Activity by Regulating MYC Stability. Cell. 153(7):1552-1566.

Fat cells in breast may connect social stress to triple-negative breast cancer

Local chemical signals released by fat cells in the mammary gland appear to provide a crucial link between exposure to unrelenting social stressors early in life, and the subsequent development of breast cancer, researchers from the University of Chicago report in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Volden PA, et al. Chronic Social Isolation Is Associated with Metabolic Gene Expression Changes Specific to Mammary Adipose Tissue. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013 Jun 18. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23780289

Diabetes drug points the way to overcoming drug resistance in melanoma

Advanced metastatic melanoma is a disease that has proven difficult to eradicate. Despite the success of melanoma-targeting drugs, tumors inevitably become drug resistant and return, more aggressive than before. In the journal Cancer Cell, however, researchers at The Wistar Institute describe how they increase the effectiveness of anti-melanoma drugs by combining anticancer therapies with diabetes drugs. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Roesch A, et al. Overcoming Intrinsic Multidrug Resistance in Melanoma by Blocking the Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain of Slow-Cycling JARID1B(high) Cells. Cancer Cell. 2013 Jun 10;23(6):811-25. PMID: 23764003

Adult survivors of childhood cancer face health risks

A study from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has found that adult survivors of childhood cancer are likely to be at high risk for a number of serious health conditions, pointing to the need for careful follow-up even many years after they have been treated. Despite the seriousness of the findings, one note of caution with the new study is that it is based on a group of adults who were diagnosed with cancer an average of 25 years ago. Due to advances in treatment, children being treated for cancer today are likely to receive less toxic doses of radiation and chemotherapy that can cause these serious side effects. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hudson MM, et al. Clinical ascertainment of health outcomes among adults treated for childhood cancer. JAMA. 2013 Jun 12;309(22):2371-81. PMID: 23757085

Ibrutinib shows potential as safe and effective for chronic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma

Following up on a study originally published in Grey Horizon on December 18, 2012, researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown, in two clinical studies, that ibrutinib has "real potential as a safe, effective targeted treatment for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)."

To read the complete press release, click here

Study mentioned: Byrd JC et al. Targeting BTK with Ibrutinib in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 19 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 23782158

Lessons learned from CancerChatCanada surprised experts

They set out to create a way for people living in rural areas, or with less common cancers, to learn from each other through scheduled live online chats – typing, not talking – with a professional facilitator as part of the group. That’s how CancerChatCanada began. “We expected that it would not be as good an experience as face-to-face groups,” says Dr. Joanne Stephen of the BC Cancer Agency. “We thought it would be better than nothing, but we totally didn’t expect that it would be as good an experience as it turned out to be.”  Read more here.

Study mentioned: Stephen J. et al. Evaluation of CancerChatCanada: a program of online support for Canadians affected by cancer. Current Oncology, [S.l.], 20(1:39-47). Jan. 2013. ISSN 1718-7729. Available at: <http://www.current-oncology.com/index.php/oncology/article/view/1210>. Date accessed: 20 Jun. 2013. doi:10.3747/co.20.1210.

Exercise program for breast cancer patients celebrates 2nd anniversary, launches cookbook

It’s a social event most attendees wish they had not been “invited” to — yet most of the partygoers wouldn’t miss it for anything. On June 18, the Thrive Centre at the Faculty of Kinesiology [University of Calgary] marked the second anniversary of the BEAUTY program and celebrated its continuation, thanks to the support of Calgary’s Wings of Hope cancer fundraising group. Read more here.

HPV vaccine lowering infection rates among girls

According to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rate of new infections with HPV strains have dropped 56% among females aged 14 to 19 since the vaccine was approved in 2006.  Data gathered by the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that "infections by HPV types covered by the vaccine fell dramatically - from 11.5% in the pre-vaccine era to 5.1% post-vaccine."  This is a significant decline, considering that nearly 79 million Americans are believed to be currently infected with HPV.

To read more about this research, click here.

Gene-based blood test for colon cancer promising

Researchers at the Baylor Research Institute gastrointestinal cancer research lab in Dallas state that early tests from trials indicate that screening checks for microRNA miR-21 in the blood "accurately spotted up to 92 percent of patients with colorectal cancer."  In addition, the test also accurately identified up to 82% of patients with advanced colorectal polyps.

While physicians are cautiously optimistic with these preliminary results, this blood test would be a less invasive screening method compared to colonoscopies.

For more information about this study, click here.

Just 11 percent of adults and 5 percent of children participate in medical research

Medical research is vital to the advancement of healthcare, but many studies attract too few participants. A new study from the University of Michigan takes an in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the United States. Through a unique survey of 2,150 households in 2011, University of Michigan researchers found that only 11 percent of adults and 5 percent of children had ever participated in medical research.  Read more here.

Study mentioned: Davis MM et al. Public Participation in, and Awareness about, Medical Research Opportunities in the Era of Clinical and Translational Research. Clinical and Translational Science, 6: 88–93. doi: 10.1111/cts.12019

Observation is safe, cost-saving in low-risk prostate cancer

Many men with low-risk, localized prostate cancers can safely choose active surveillance or “watchful waiting” instead of undergoing immediate treatment and have better quality of life while reducing health care costs, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hayes JH et al. Observation versus initial treatment for men with localized, low-risk prostate cander: A cost-effectiveness analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158(12):853-860. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-158-12-201306180-00002

Experimental drug shows promise in treating breast, ovarian cancer

A team of Canadian and U.S. researchers has developed a new "sharp-shooter" drug they hope may be a breakthrough in treating several types of aggressive cancer. The drug, known for now as CFI-400945, is a new class of cancer agent that targets an enzyme involved in some malignancies, among them certain types of breast cancer, and ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Read more here.  Read the press release from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre here.

Reforms speed initiation of NCI-sponsored clinical trials

The process of opening a cancer clinical trial for patient accrual often takes years, which can significantly slow the testing of potentially valuable therapies. Research has shown that trials which are slow to register patients often fail to finish. Following a thorough review of this sequence of events—from idea submission to trial initiation—NCI’s Operational Efficiency Working Group (OEWG), produced a series of recommendations that are now being implemented.  Read more here.

Study mentioned: Abrams JS et al. Implementation of Timeline Reforms Speeds Initiation of National Cancer Institute–Sponsored Trials. JNCI J Natl Cancer. 2013 Jun 17 [Epub ahead of print] doi:10.1093/jnci/djt137 

Early HPV testing could detect sexually transmitted oral cancer

Antibodies to a high-risk type of human papilloma virus (HPV16) could help detect oropharyngeal cancer several years before the clinical onset of the disease, reveals a new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in cooperation with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) in an article published online today by the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kreimer A et al. Evaluation of Human Papillomavirus Antibodies and Risk of Subsequent Head and Neck Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2013 Jun 17 [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1200/JCO.2012.47.2738

Cancer scientist appointed to direct national research initiative

A University of Calgary cancer researcher has been appointed by one of Canada’s top healthcare institutes to help lead a research initiative aimed at delivering a more personalized approach to healthcare for Canadians.  Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), announced the appointment of Dr. Stephen Robbins as incoming scientific director of CIHR’s Institute of Cancer Research. Read more here.

Genetic variations may help identify candidates for preventive breast cancer drugs

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have discovered genetic variations that may help predict breast cancer risk in women receiving tamoxifen and raloxifene, two estrogen receptor modulator drugs.  By analyzing the DNA of study participants, two genetic variations, or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), associated with breast cancer risk, were identified.  According to Dr. James Ingle, oncologist at the Mayo clinic, the findings are significant, as they provide "clear direction as to which women are likely and which are unlikely to benefit from tamoxifen or raloxifene." 

To read more about this study, click here

Study mentioned: Ingle JN et al. Selective estrogen receptor modulators and pharmacogenomic variation in ZNF423 regulation of BRCA1 expression: Individualized breast cancer prevention. Cancer Discov. 2013 Jun 13 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 23764426

ASCO says 'Time to raise the bar' for clinical trials

As technology and therapies evolve, so must the design of clinical trials, which provide the evidence base used to improve cancer treatments. To "raise the bar" on clinical trial standards, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO^®) has issued draft recommendations for the design of trials that provide "clinically meaningful outcomes."  During a session here at the 2013 Annual Meeting of ASCO, Lee Ellis, MD, explained why the ASCO cancer research committee decided to put together these guidelines. Read more here.

The draft document, Defining Clinically Meaningful Outcomes: ASCO Recommendations to Raise the Bar for Clinical Trials, is available for download in pdf format.

US gene-patent ruling could mean better cancer genetics tests for Canadians

While Canada is not directly affected by a U.S. Supreme Court decision this week that says human genes cannot be patented, it will likely result in better and faster genetic tests for Canadians down the road, says an expert on intellectual property law. Richard Gold, the director of the Centre for Intellectual Property at McGill University, says while the decision affects only researchers and biotechnology companies in the U.S., it puts Canadian patent laws into question. Read more here.

Canada's war on tobacco turns 50

Monday, June 17, 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of a historic statement by Canada’s Minister of National Health and Welfare, Judy LaMarsh, that smoking causes lung cancer. On that day, Minister LaMarsh rose in the House of Commons and declared: “There is scientific evidence that cigarette smoking is a contributory cause of lung cancer and that it may also be associated with chronic bronchitis and coronary heart disease.” Read more here.

Least is best in CRC follow-up

This edition of Medscape Oncology Insights, with Dr. John Marshall, Professor of Medicine from Georgetown Univrsity, talks about the gastrointestinal cancer data emerging from the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. View the short video here.

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Abandoning PETs in lymphoma

This edition of Medscape Oncology Insights looks at several noteworthy studies in lymphoma presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and tries to put these studies into some perspective for the global community. View the short video here.

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E-cigarettes help smokers kick the tobacco habit, but are they safe?

E-cigarettes are far from universally accepted as a public health tool; regulators are agonizing over whether to restrict them as “gateway” products to nicotine addiction and tobacco smoking, or embrace them as treatments for would-be quitters. A big issue is the lack of long-term scientific evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes, prompting critics to warn of the dangers of their unregulated use. Read more here.

Justices strike down gene patents

The [US] Supreme Court unanimously held Thursday that human genes cannot be patented, even when isolated from the body, a ruling expected to quickly expand access to genetic testing while potentially allowing inventors to retain rights to artificially created DNA.  The decision marked the latest step in the court's decadelong march to toughen the requirements for patents. The justices repeatedly have declared that 21st-century innovation depends less on locking up intellectual-property rights than on expanding access to discoveries in order to spur further progress. The case involved two genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, where mutations can indicate significant likelihood of breast and ovarian cancer. Read more here.

Download the Court's ruling (pdf file format) here.

Shape of nanoparticles points the way toward more targeted drugs

A new study involving Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute’s Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., contributing to work by Samir Mitragotri, Ph.D., at the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that the shape of nanoparticles can enhance drug targeting. The study found that rod-shaped nanoparticles—or nanorods—as opposed to spherical nanoparticles, appear to adhere more effectively to the surface of endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kolhar P, et al. Using shape effects to target antibody-coated nanoparticles to lung and brain endothelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23754411

Men with prostate cancer should eat healthy vegetable fats

By substituting healthy vegetable fats – such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados – for animal fats and carbohydrates, men with prostate cancer disease had a markedly lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and dying from other causes, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Richman EL, et al. Fat Intake After Diagnosis and Risk of Lethal Prostate Cancer and All-Cause Mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Jun 10:1-8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23752662

IU researcher, collaborator identify genetic risk for cancer in breast cells

David Gilley, Ph.D., associate professor of medical and molecular genetics at the IU School of Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, and Connie Eaves, Ph.D., of the Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada, identified a rare and critical subset of normal human breast cells, luminal progenitors, that possess extremely short chromosome ends known as telomeres. Dr. Gilley said the telomere’s lengths in the luminal progenitors that were studied are “dangerously short,” leaving the ends of the chromosomes unprotected and potentially leading to the development of breast cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kannan N, et al. The Luminal Progenitor Compartment of the Normal Human Mammary Gland Constitutes a Unique Site of Telomere Dysfunction. Stem Cell Reports. 2013; 1(1):28-37.

Study finds bladder cancer recurrence and mortality could improve with better treatment compliance

Researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center led by Dr. Karim Chamie, assistant professor-in-residence in the Department of Urology, have found that the burden of bladder cancer on the population is very high, and that more intense surveillance and treatment in the first two years after diagnosis could reduce the number of patients whose cancer returns after treatment and lower the death rate from this disease. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Chamie K, et al. Recurrence of high-risk bladder cancer: A population-based analysis. Cancer. 2013 Jun 4. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23737352

Study estimates children’s potential cancer risk from CT scans

Medical experts are once again advising that children undergo CT scans only when medically necessary and using the smallest radiation dose possible, following a new study. The study calculated how much use of computed tomography (CT) scans in children has increased over the past 2 decades. The researchers estimate that 4,870 future cancers could be caused by the approximately 4 million CT scans performed on children each year. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Miglioretti DL, et al. The Use of Computed Tomography in Pediatrics and the Associated Radiation Exposure and Estimated Cancer Risk. JAMA Pediatr. 2013 Jun 10:1-8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23754213

Food supplement trial presented at ASCO

A team of scientists from Bedford Hospital, UK, travelled to Chicago to present their findings at the ASCO conference after discovering that a unique food supplement, made from ingredients including green tea and broccoli, has a significant effect on men suffering from prostate cancer. Read more here.

Read Prostate Cancer UK's statement, Not yet enough evidence that Pomi-T food supplements have a significant impact, here.

Read the American Society of Clinical Oncology abstract here.

Alcohol advertising influencing teen girls; should contain health warnings

A medical journal is raising concerns about alcohol advertising, saying young girls are being influenced by the ads. The author of an editorial in CMAJ says girls need to understand that drinking increases their risk of a number of health conditions, including breast cancer. Read more here.

Editorial mentioned: Flegel K. Big alcohol catches up with adolescent girls. CMAJ. Published ahead of print June 10, 2013.

2013 Cancer System Quality Index

The 2013 update was launched in May by the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario, in partnership with Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). The Index is a web-based public reporting tool that serves as a valuable, system-wide monitor that allows the tracking of the quality and consistency of all key cancer services delivered across the spectrum of Ontario's cancer system, from prevention through to end-of-life care. Read more here
.

Mathematical technique de-clutters cancer-cell data, revealing tumor evolution, treatment leads

Two scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have published a mathematical method of simplifying and interpreting genome data bearing evidence of mutations, such as those that characterize specific cancers. Not only is the technique highly accurate; it has immediate utility in efforts to parse tumor cells, in order to determine a patient’s prognosis and the best approach to treatment. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Krasnitz A, et al. Target inference from collections of genomic intervals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23744040

Tumors disable immune cells by using up sugar

Cancer cells’ appetite for sugar may have serious consequences for immune cell function, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned. The scientists found that when they kept sugar away from critical immune cells called T cells, the cells no longer produced interferon gamma, an inflammatory compound important for fighting tumors and some kinds of infection. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Chang C, et al. (2013) Posttranscriptional Control of T Cell Effector Function by Aerobic Glycolysis. Cell. 153(6):1239-1251.

2014 workshop: Emerging oncogenic viruses

The 3rd Workshop on Emerging oncogenic viruses will be held in San Pietro in Bevagna, Manduria, Italy, from 4 to 8 June 2014. The objectives of the meeting will be the discussion and critical evaluation of the epidemiology, immunology, and biology of cancer-associated viruses. The meeting programme will emphasize new HPV-related cancers and newly discovered human polyomaviruses; advances concerning other pathogens will be incorporated as they arise. Read more here.

4th edition of the Tobacco Atlas predicts Middle-Eastern women and children face increasing risk for tobacco-related deaths and disease

The Eastern Mediterranean is one of the few remaining WHO regions where smoking prevalence is still increasing. Experts predict devastating health and economic harm from increased tobacco use in more than 20 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the latest edition of the Tobacco Atlas, WHO joined the Atlas publishers to call for immediate attention to this looming health crisis that will escalate without the implementation of proven interventions. Read more here.

Access the 4th edition of the Tobacco Atlas here.

B.C. team announces breakthrough in medical isotope research

Researchers in British Columbia say they’re reached a milestone in the development of a new medical isotope, which could help address a national shortage. A team from TRIUMF, a national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics, at the B.C. Cancer Agency says it has used a medical cyclotron designed and manufactured in Richmond, B.C., for large-scale production of TC-99m, the isotope needed for medical imaging such as CT scans. Read more here.

Study links oral contraceptives to lower risk for ovarian cancer

Women who use birth-control pills are less likely to develop ovarian cancer later in life, a new analysis of past studies suggests. However, the review paper can’t prove that using oral contraception lowers a woman’s risk of disease – because there could have been other, unmeasured differences between women who took the Pill and those who didn’t, researchers noted. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Havrilesky LJ, et al. Oral Contraceptive Pills as Primary Prevention for Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Jun 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23743450

Creative arts beneficial to cancer patients

Creative arts therapy is based on the idea that the creative act can be healing. According to therapists, it can help people express hidden emotions, and reduce stress, fear, and anxiety. Many cancer patients and survivors use creative arts therapies including music, art, dance, drama, and writing to help manage the emotional and psychological side effects that often result from cancer diagnosis and treatment. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Puetz TW, et al. Effects of Creative Arts Therapies on Psychological Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients With Cancer. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 May 13:1-10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23699646

New alliance aims to create international system for sharing genomic data

A group of top-flight geneticists from a dozen countries is creating an organization to break down barriers to data sharing in genetic research in the hope of speeding up the discovery of new ways to treat everything from common killers like cancer to rare disorders. “There’s some tremendous, groundbreaking science taking place, but it’s happening in an isolated, balkanized fashion,” Tom Hudson, president and scientific director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), said in an interview. “Now we need some technical standards and organization to accelerate that science.” Read more here.

Ewing sarcoma treatment (PDQ®): health professional version update

The PDQ cancer information summary for health professionals about the treatment of childhood Ewing sarcoma has been updated. The summary is reviewed regularly and updated as necessary by the PDQ Pediatric Treatment Editorial Board, which is editorially independent of the National Cancer Institute. The summary reflects an independent review of the literature and does not represent a policy statement of NCI or the National Institutes of Health. Read the full clinical guide here.

European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorisation for lipegfilgrastim

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation for the medicinal product lipegfilgrastim (Lonquex), 6 mg, solution for injection intended for prophylaxis against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. The active substance of Lonquex is lipegfilgrastim, an immunostimulating medicinal product (L03AA14) which regulates the production and release of functional neutrophils from the bone marrow. Read more here.

Glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab experience reduced cognitive function and quality of life

Many glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab (Avastin®) have significant deterioration in neurocognitive function, symptoms and quality of life. Not only that, the changes often predict treatment outcomes, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The findings from the large national multi-center Phase III trial, RTOG 0825, were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Read more here.

No increased risk of infection for long-term sex partners of people with HPV-related oral cancers

Spouses and long-term partners of patients with mouth and throat cancers related to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) appear to have no increased prevalence of oral HPV infections, according to results of a multicenter, pilot study led by Johns Hopkins investigators. The results of the study will be presented at the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. Read more here.

New cancer drug shows promise for treating advanced melanoma

Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center report that a new drug in preliminary tests has shown promising results with very manageable side effects for treating patients with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The results are from the first clinical trial of the drug lambrolizumab (MK3475), which was discovered and developed by Merck. Researchers analyzed 135 patients with advanced metastatic melanoma who were divided into three groups with different treatment regimens. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hamid O, et al. Safety and Tumor Responses with Lambrolizumab (Anti-PD-1) in Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23724846

Potential new way to suppress tumor growth discovered

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center, have identified a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth, opening the possibility of developing a new class of anti-cancer drugs. Willis X. Li, PhD, reports that a particular form of a signaling protein called STAT5A stabilizes the formation of heterochromatin, which in turn suppresses the ability of cancer cells to issue instructions to multiply and grow. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hu X, et al. Unphosphorylated STAT5A stabilizes heterochromatin and suppresses tumor growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23733954

Mutations linked to breast cancer in African-American women

A comprehensive genetic study has found that one in five black women already diagnosed with breast cancer and referred for genetic counselling had at least one of 18 genetic mutations known to increase the risk of the disease. The findings, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, suggest that inherited mutations may be more common than expected in blacks with breast cancer, pointing to the need for broader genetic counselling and screening among these women and their family members. Read more here.

Bevacizumab: the first agent to remarkably improve survival in recurrent cervical cancer

Bevacizumab significantly improved overall survival when added to chemotherapy in women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, according to a planned interim analysis of the Gynecologic Oncology Group 240 study presented at the Plenary session of 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology. This is the first time that a targeted agent has demonstrated such an improvement in gynecologic cancers. Read more here.

Black cohosh studied for hot flashes in breast cancer

In a current systematic review, researchers looked at data on the use of black cohosh in women who had or were at risk of breast cancer. They included 26 trials that evaluated the effectiveness of black cohosh on hot flashes. The researchers concluded that the current evidence lacks support for an association between black cohosh and breast cancer risk. Additionally, they found a lack of evidence to support the use of black cohosh in treating hot flashes in women who had breast cancer. Further study is needed before firm conclusions can be made. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Fritz H, et al. Black Cohosh and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review. Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23439657

U.K. advises smokers to use nicotine products to try to quit

In advice issued Wednesday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said people unable to give up cigarettes in a single attempt should switch to licensed nicotine products, including gum, sprays and patches to at least reduce how much they smoke. The advice doesn't recommend e-cigarettes, which aren't yet regulated in Britain. Recommendations made by NICE are typically adopted by the government. Read more here.

Read the NICE guideline, Tobacco: harm-reduction approaches to smoking, here.

Amendment to ban outdoor smoking carried

An amendment to Calgary's smoking ban has made another step towards becoming law. The amendment was carried in a city committee meeting on Wednesday with a vote of 7-2. Only Councillors Keating and Stevenson voted against the amendment. A proposed ban on public smoking, put forward by Councillor Andre Chabot, has been gaining strength ever since it was introduced late last year. The amendment to the bylaw will now proceed to council for a vote. Read more here.

Can you trust that medical journal?

"An article in the April 8 New York Times titled "Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks, Too)" caught my attention. It describes the growing availability of free online medical journals that use questionable tactics to gather and publish research of questionable quality.

The article piqued my interest because the experiences of some researchers described in it are similar to my own. I am also an editor of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, one of the American Cancer Society's medical journals, so I have an interest in the world of journal publishing.

But more importantly, I wanted to write about this topic because this is an issue that can affect cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, all of whom increasingly seek out information from medical journals." Continue reading the American Cancer Society's Expert Voices blog here.

Sunscreen slows skin aging, if used often enough, study finds

New research provides some of the strongest evidence to date that near-daily sunscreen use can slow the aging of skin. Researchers in sunny Australia used a unique study to measure whether sunscreens really help. Participants had casts made of the top of their hands to measure fine lines and wrinkles that signal sun-caused aging. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hughes MCB, et al. Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2013; 158(11):781-790.

Combination of drugs produces dramatic tumor responses in advanced melanoma patients

The combination of the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab and the investigational antibody drug nivolumab led to long-lasting tumor shrinkage in more than half of patients with metastatic melanoma, according to results from a Phase I trial simultaneously published today in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Wolchok JD, et al. Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23724867

Cytomegalovirus might speed brain-cancer growth

A virus that infects most Americans but that usually remains dormant in the body might speed the progression of an aggressive form of brain cancer when particular genes are shut off in tumor cells, new research shows. The animal study by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) and at Dana Farber Cancer Institute suggests that cytomegalovirus (CMV) might significantly accelerate the development and progression of glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer.

Study mentioned: Price RL, et al. (2013) Cytomegalovirus Contributes to Glioblastoma in the Context of Tumor Suppressor Mutations. Cancer Res. 73(11): 3441–50.

Targeted therapy boosts lung cancer outcomes

Thousands of patients with an advanced form of lung cancer that carries a specific dysfunctional gene are likely to fare better if treated with a targeted therapy than with traditional chemotherapy, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers and a team of international collaborators. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Shaw AT, et al. Crizotinib versus Chemotherapy in Advanced ALK-Positive Lung Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23724913

Oncogene mutation hijacks splicing process to promote growth and survival

An international team of researchers – led by principal investigator Paul S. Mischel, MD, a member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine – has found that a singular gene mutation helps brain cancer cells to not just survive, but grow tumors rapidly by altering the splicing of genes that control cellular metabolism. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Babic I, et al. EGFR Mutation-Induced Alternative Splicing of Max Contributes to Growth of Glycolytic Tumors in Brain Cancer. Cell Metab. 2013 May 22. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23707073

European Medicines Agency recommends approval of pomalidomide

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Pomalidomide Celgene intended for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Read more here.

Rare eye cancer yields to targeted drug

The novel kinase inhibitor selumetinib may be the first treatment to shrink advanced uveal melanoma, based on phase II trial results. Fully 15% of patients had at least a 30% reduction in tumor volume on the novel drug compared with none on temozolomide, the researchers reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. Read more here.

NIH scientists find link between allergic and autoimmune diseases in mouse study

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues, have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes. Autoimmunity can occur in infectious diseases and cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Roychoudhuri R, et al. BACH2 represses effector programs to stabilize Treg-mediated immune homeostasis. Nature. Published online 02 June 2013.

FDA Approves trametinib and dabrafenib for unresectable or metastatic BRAF-mutated melanoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved trametinib (MEKINIST tablet, GlaxoSmithKline, LLC), for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E or V600K mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test. Trametinib is not indicated for treatment of patients who have received prior BRAF inhibitor therapy.

The U.S. FDA approved dabrafenib (TAFINLAR capsule, GlaxoSmithKline, LLC), for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test. Dabrafenib is not indicated for the treatment of patients with wild-type BRAF melanoma because of the potential risk of tumour promotion.

Read more here.

Harper Government invests in programs to help Canadians quit smoking

Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Health, has announced an investment in two projects that will give health care providers tools and services to help Canadians quit smoking. The two projects are funded under the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy, which supports interventions aimed at tobacco use as a common risk factor for chronic diseases. Read more here.

Simple vinegar test helps cut cervical cancer deaths in India: study

A simple screening program for cervical cancer using vinegar and visual exams helped reduce deaths caused by the cancer by 31 per cent in a group of 150,000 poor women in India, researchers report. If implemented broadly, the screening program could lead to the prevention of 22,000 deaths from cervical cancer in India, and 72,000 deaths in the developing world each year, the team reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. Read more here.

Read the National Cancer Institute news item here.

New therapies show signs of turning immune system into cancer-fighting weapon

An experimental new approach to fighting melanoma is providing some strikingly encouraging results. And now researchers are hopeful they might be able to use the same approach against other cancers. The new approach uses something called immunotherapy medications that are designed to trigger the body’s immune system, allowing it to fight the cancer on its own. Several clinical studies are testing the drugs and the results are already a key focus at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Wolchok JD, et al. Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med. Online June 2, 2013.

Doubling time on Tamoxifen cuts odds for breast cancer's return

A new study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that patients undergoing 10 years of tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment developed a lower risk of cancer recurrence compared to the current standard 5 year treatment cycle.

Involving almost 5,000 breast cancer patients, all of which had already been treated with tamoxifen for 5 years upon entering the study, lead author Richard Gray and his team noted that an extra 5 years of tamoxifen has a definite impact: "breast cancer recurrence was lower among the 10-year group than the 5-year group, at 16.7% vs. 19.3% respectively."  These figures indicate that continuing tamoxifen treatment for double the standard treatment period thus reduces the overal risk of dying from breast cancer.

To read more about this study, presented on June 2, 2013 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, click here  

Sorafenib (Nexavar) may slow progression of thyroid cancer

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have conducted a clinical trial, indicating that sorafenib (Nexavar), already used for advanced kidney and liver cancers, may also be beneficial in patients afflicted with thyroid cancer. 

According to the study, sorafenib, taken in pill form, "nearly doubled the length of time that patients remained progression-free, from about six months to 11 months."  While these findings are not indicative of a cure, Dr. Marcia Brose, lead researcher in the study, says that this does offer hope for this highly curable cancer, diagnosed in 60,000 Americans each year. 

To read more about this study, which was presented on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, click here