European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorisation for afatinib

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 afatinib (Giotrif) 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg and 50 mg film-coated tablets intended for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-naïve adult patients with locally-advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with activating EGFR mutation(s). Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends changes to the use of metoclopramide

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended changes to the use of metoclopramide-containing medicines in the European Union (EU), including restricting the dose and duration of use of the medicine to minimise the known risks of potentially serious neurological side effects. Metoclopramide-containing medicines have been authorised separately in individual Member States of the EU, with differing licensed indications such as nausea and vomiting of various causes (for example after treatment with anticancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy, after surgery, or associated with migraine) and gastrointestinal motility disorders. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorisation for filgrastim (Grastofil)

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 filgrastim (Grastofil), 30 MU/0.5 ml and 48 MU/0.5 ml, solution for injection or infusion intended for the treatment of neutropenia. Read more here.

US task force makes recommendations for lung cancer screening

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued a draft statement recommending that certain people at high risk for lung cancer get a low-dose CT scan every year. The task force is an independent panel of experts authorized by Congress to make recommendations about specific preventive services for patients with no signs or symptoms of disease. The draft recommendation is for people who are current smokers (or have quit within the last 15 years) aged 55 to 79 years old who have a smoking history of 30 pack-years or greater. Read more here.

Connect to the USPSTF draft statement here.

FDA investigates menthol in cigarettes

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is gathering evidence to decide whether it should regulate menthol in cigarettes. It has issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which requests information from the public regarding the effects of menthol in cigarettes. The public comment lasts for 60 days before the FDA makes its decision. Read more here.

IARC fellowships for cancer research

The next call for applications for IARC Fellowships will be open as from 1st October 2013, with a deadline of 30 November 2013 Since 1966, IARC has awarded more than 500 fellowships to junior scientists for research training in cancer. Approximately 85% of Fellows return to their home country on completion of their training, and around 82% remain active in cancer research. As a result, IARC Fellowships have made a substantial contribution to the development of cancer research in many countries. Read more here.

Women's cancer risk increases with height

A woman’s cancer risk appears to increase with her height, a new study shows. An analysis of 20,928 postmenopausal women showed that the taller a woman is, the greater her risk for a number of cancers, including breast, colon and skin cancer, among others. The finding, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, is not expected to change screening recommendations and shouldn’t alarm those with a tall stature. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kabat GC, Anderson ML, Heo M, et. al. Adult Stature and Risk of Cancer at Different Anatomic Sites in a Cohort of Postmenopausal Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Published OnlineFirst July 25, 2013. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0305

New trial launches to identify ways to prevent recurrence of colorectal cancer

To address concerns of colorectal cancer recurring after initial treatment, the National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with SWOG, one of the five cooperative groups that together will comprise NCI's National Clinical Trials Network, and Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals, Inc., recently announced a phase III trial. The Preventing Adenomas of the Colon with Eflornithine & Sulinidac (PACES) trial looks at whether someone who has been treated for colon cancer in the past can lower his or her risk of having a second primary colorectal cancer or an adenoma (a type of polyp on the colon wall that may be precancerous) by regularly taking one or both of the study drugs, eflornithine and sulindac. Read more here.

First major study to examine cancer incidence among Asian Americans

Based on a comprehensive study that included more than half the Asian American population, scientists from the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) have produced the first ever analysis of national trends in cancer incidence among the eight largest Asian American groups. The researchers, led by CPIC Research Scientist Scarlett Lin Gomez, Ph.D., examined cancer incidence data from 1990 through 2008 in 10 regions of the country, representing 54 percent of all Asian Americans. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Gomez SL, et al. Cancer Incidence Trends Among Asian American Populations in the United States, 1990 to 2008. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Jul 22. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23878350

Novel gene target shows promise for bladder cancer detection and treatment

Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine have provided evidence from preclinical experiments that a gene known as melanoma differentiation associated gene-9/syntenin (mda-9/syntenin) could be used as a therapeutic target to kill bladder cancer cells, help prevent metastasis and even be used to non-invasively diagnose the disease and monitor its progression. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Dasgupta S, et al. Novel Role of MDA-9/Syntenin in Regulating Urothelial Cell Proliferation by Modulating EGFR Signaling. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Jul 19. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23873690

Healing garden at Daffodil Place, St. John's, NL

Guests at Daffodil Place have a comfortable new place to relax and unwind thanks to a donation from Husky Energy. “The healing garden is much more than simply an aesthetically pleasing environment,” said Matthew Piercey, Executive Director, Canadian Cancer Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Division. “This garden will have a profound impact on the physical and mental wellness of everyone who enters. Our goal is to provide an environment that energizes the body and promotes emotional, social, and physiological health.” Read more here.

Celgene will discontinue phase III ORIGIN® trial in previously untreated elderly patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Celgene Corporation has announced that after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Celgene will discontinue treatment with REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) in the open-label, phase III ORIGIN® trial, which enrolled 450 patients in over 100 sites in 26 countries. An imbalance was observed in the number of deaths in patients treated with lenalidomide versus patients treated with chlorambucil. Read more here.

Soy may not reduce the risk of prostate cancer recurrence

In a recent study, researchers randomly assigned 177 men at high risk of prostate cancer recurrence to receive a beverage powder containing 20 grams of soy protein isolate or placebo daily. Each participant started treatment within four months of initial prostatectomy and continued for a maximum of two years. Prostate-specific antigen measurements were taken every two months within the first year of treatment, and then every three months for the second year. The study was halted before completion due to lacking treatment effects. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bosland MC, et al. Effect of soy protein isolate supplementation on biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2013 Jul 10; 310(2):170-8. PMID: 23839751

Integrative therapies for sun protection and skin health

In this short news item, Natural Standard highlights several integrative therapies that have been studied for their potential to protect the skin from the sun and to treat damage including lycopene, Polypodium leucotomos, vitamin A, pomegranate, and selenium. Read more here.

Digital PCR technology detects brain-tumor-associated mutation in cerebrospinal fluid

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers and their colleagues have used digital versions of a standard molecular biology tool to detect a common tumor-associated mutation in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with brain tumors. The investigators describe using advanced forms of the gene-amplification technology polymerase chain reaction to analyze bits of RNA carried in membrane-covered sacs called extracellular vesicles for the presence of a tumor-associated mutation in a gene called IDH1. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Chen WW, et al. (2013) BEAMing and Droplet Digital PCR Analysis of Mutant IDH1 mRNA in Glioma Patient Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Extracellular Vesicles. Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids. 2: e109.

Race survival disparity for women with breast cancer linked to health

Differences in the health and tumour characteristics of white and black women with breast cancer at the time of their diagnoses may be largely to blame for the disparity in survival between the two groups, a new study suggests. Disparities in treatment quality are not the main problem, the researchers conclude, after finding that if differences in the women’s overall health and the degree to which the cancer had advanced at the time of diagnosis were eliminated, the survival gap would shrink dramatically. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Silber JH, et al. Characteristics Associated With Differences in Survival Among Black and White Women With Breast Cancer. JAMA. 2013;310(4):389-397.

Paradoxical oncogenic transformation

Authors of a recent article in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology describe the clinical and mechanistic manifestations of secondary cancers that have thus far been observed to arise as a consequence of BRAF inhibition. They discuss the concept of pre-existing populations of partly transformed cells with malignant potential that might be present in various organ systems, and the rationale for novel therapeutic strategies for the management of BRAF-inhibitor-induced neoplasia. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Gibney GT, et al. Paradoxical oncogenesis-the long-term effects of BRAF inhibition in melanoma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2013 Jul;10(7):390-9. PMID: 23712190

WINTHER trial aims to offer improved cancer care

The WINTHER trial was heralded at the WIN (Worldwide Networking in personalised medicine) Symposium as a new generation personalized medicine study that aims to provide biology-oriented therapy to patients with advanced solid tumors. The Symposium was held in Paris from the 10th to 12th of July, 2013 and was sponsored by the WIN Consortium, which also planned this hallmark trial around the ambitious goal of extending personalised approaches to the 60 to 70% of patients with advanced malignancies whose tumours do not express drugable targets. Read more here.

Thwarting protein production slows cancer cells' malignant march

Protein production or translation is tightly coupled to a highly conserved stress response that cancer cells rely on for survival and proliferation, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. In mouse models of cancer, targeted therapeutic inhibition of translation disrupts this survival response, dramatically slowing tumor growth and potentially rendering drug-resistant tumors vulnerable to other therapies. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Santagata S, et al. Tight coordination of protein translation and HSF1 activation supports the anabolic malignant state. Science. 2013 Jul 19;341(6143):1238303. PMID: 23869022

Aussie smokers think twice with graphic cigarette labels

Australian laws requiring cigarettes to be sold in drab olive-green packets with graphic health warnings are making smokers think more about quitting, a study has shown, but cigarette makers say they have seen little impact on sales. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Wakefield MA, et al. Introduction effects of the Australian plain packaging policy on adult smokers: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2013;3:e003175.

Menthol cigarettes pose greater public health risk: FDA

An FDA evaluation concluded that there is little evidence to suggest that menthol cigarettes are more or less toxic or contribute to more disease risk to smokers than regular cigarettes. However, there is adequate data to suggest that menthol use is likely associated with increased smoking initiation by younger people and that menthol smokers have a harder time quitting, the review said. Read more here.

Read the FDA review, Preliminary scientific evaluation of the possible public health effects of menthol versus nonmenthol cigarettes, here.

Menopausal hot flashes might be more intense for cancer survivors

Cancer survivors have more frequent and severe menopausal hot flashes than other women, a new study reveals. But the researchers also found that cancer survivors coped better with menopausal symptoms and reported a better quality of life than other women, and had similar levels of sexual activity and function. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Marino JL, et al. Nature and severity of menopausal symptoms and their impact on quality of life and sexual function in cancer survivors compared with women without a cancer history. Menopause. Online first 15 July 2013.

Radium-223 in metastatic prostate cancer

The results of Alpharadin in Symptomatic Prostate Cancer Patients (ALSYMPCA), a phase III, randomised, double-blind, multinational study comparing the efficacy and safety of radium-223 versus placebo in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases have been reported by Dr Chris Parker and colleagues in The New England Journal of Medicine. The authors concluded that in this study, which was terminated for efficacy at the pre-specified interim analysis, radium-223 improved overall survival. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Parker C, et al. Alpha emitter radium-223 and survival in metastatic prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jul 18;369(3):213-23. PMID: 23863050

IARC postdoctoral opportunity - Genetic Epidemiology Group

The Genetic Epidemiology Group investigates genetic factors involved in cancer in diverse populations and their interaction with environmental factors, with the aim of contributing to primary prevention of cancer. Two postdoctoral opportunities are immediately available within the Group to work on large multi-centre case control and cohort studies concerning the molecular and genetic epidemiology of lung, oral and kidney cancers. Read more here.

Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) for Perjeta

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Hoffmann-La Roche Limited for the drug product, Perjeta. Perjeta (pertuzumab) is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody based upon the human IgG1(κ) framework sequence and is a first-in-class human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 dimerization inhibitor. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Perjeta in combination with Herceptin (trastuzumab) and docetaxel is favourable for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Read more here.

U.S. researchers about to put chemotherapy cold caps to the test

Near-freezing temperatures are supposed to reduce blood flow in the scalp, making it harder for cancer-fighting drugs to reach and harm hair follicles. Later this summer, researchers in the U.S. will begin enrolling 110 early stage breast cancer patients in a study of the DigniCap brand of scalp cooling. The tight-fitting, insulated cap is attached to a cooling machine to stay around a shivery 41 degrees as patients undergo chemo. Participants' hair will be photographed for experts to assess, and they'll be compared with a small group of similarly ill patients who get chemo alone. Read more here.

Event: Computer-aided detection of breast masses in mammograms

Event Date: Jul 25 2013 - 10:00am - 11:00am

Location: ICT 516, 856 Campus Place, University of Calgary.

Description: Breast masses exhibit a great variability in margins, shapes, and dimensions, and their detection represents a difficult task to be solved for computer-aided detection (CAD) of breast cancer with mammography. Masses detection is usually a two-step procedure: mass identification and false-positive reduction. We propose a method to automatically detect masses in mammographic images. The algorithm is tuned according to the breast tissue density in order to improve the overall performance in breast mass detection. The method uses modified phase portrait analysis, based on the condition number (CN), a new eigenvalue intensity map (EIM), a novel iterative and tissue-density-adaptive segmentation procedure, and extraction of geometric features. Read more here.

The stigma of lung cancer

Because many people perceive lung cancer as self-induced -- the result of cigarette smoking -- there is a stigma associated with lung cancer that does not afflict patients with other cancers. At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Medscape spoke with lung cancer expert Joan H. Schiller, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, about her poster presentation on attitudes toward lung cancer vs breast cancer and the stigma associated with a lung cancer diagnosis. Read the interview here.

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Aflibercept in colorectal cancer: indication of minor added benefit

The drug aflibercept (trade name: Zaltrap) has been approved in Germany since February 2013 in combination with a certain chemotherapy for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer in whom chemotherapy with oxaliplatin could not stop the disease from progressing. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care examined whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the current standard therapy. Read more here.

HPV vaccine shown to also protect against oral HPV infection

Women who received a vaccine targeting two types of the human papilloma virus (HPV) that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers had the added benefit of protection against oral HPV infection, which can lead to cancer of the tonsils and throat (oropharyngeal cancer). Researchers at NCI, in collaboration with researchers from Costa Rica, showed that the vaccine reduced oral infections by more than 90 percent. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Herrero R, et al. (2013) Reduced Prevalence of Oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 4 Years after Bivalent HPV Vaccination in a Randomized Clinical Trial in Costa Rica. PLoS ONE 8(7): e68329.

UCLA researchers find link between intestinal bacteria and white blood cell cancer

Researchers led by Robert Schiestl, member of the Jonsson Cancer Center and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, environmental health sciences, and radiation oncology, wanted to determine whether differences in peoples' microbiomes affect their risk for lymphoma, and whether changing the bacteria can reduce this risk. They studied mice with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), a genetic disease that in humans and mice is associated with a high rate of B-cell lymphoma. They discovered that, of mice with A-T, those with certain microbial species lived much longer than those with other bacteria before developing lymphoma, and had less of the gene damage (genotoxicity) that causes lymphoma.. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Yamamoto ML, et al. Intestinal Bacteria Modify Lymphoma Incidence and Latency by Affecting Systemic Inflammatory State, Oxidative Stress, and Leukocyte Genotoxicity. Cancer Res. 2013 Jul 15;73(14):4222-4232. PMID: 23860718

New study finds strong pregnancy outcomes for survivors of childhood cancer

Although women who survived childhood cancer face an increased risk of infertility, nearly two-thirds of those who tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for at least a year eventually conceived, according to clinical researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital. This is comparable to the rate of eventual pregnancy among all clinically infertile women. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Barton SE, et al. Infertility, infertility treatment, and achievement of pregnancy in female survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. Lancet Oncol. 2013 Jul 12. pii: S1470-2045(13)70251-1. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23856401

Summary Basis of Decision for Adcetris

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance under the Notice of Compliance with Conditions Guidance to Seattle Genetics, Inc. for the drug product Adcetris. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Adcetris is favourable for: 1. The treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates; 2. The treatment of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. Read more here.

New surgical knife can help identify cancer

An experimental surgical knife can help surgeons make sure they've removed all the cancerous tissue, doctors reported Wednesday. Surgeons typically use knives that heat tissue as they cut, producing a sharp-smelling smoke. The new knife analyzes the smoke and can instantly signal whether the tissue is cancerous or healthy. Dr. Zoltan Takats of Imperial College London suspected the smoke produced during cancer surgery might contain some important cancer clues. So he designed a "smart" knife hooked up to a refrigerator-sized mass spectrometry device on wheels that analyzes the smoke from cauterizing tissue. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Balog J, et al. Intraoperative Tissue Identification Using Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry. Sci Transl Med. 2013; 5(194):194ra93.

Study raises red flag over commonly used prostate cancer therapy

A new study raises a red flag about a therapy commonly used in advanced prostate cancer. The work suggests that what's known as androgen deprivation therapy may increase a patient's risk of developing acute kidney injury. The team behind the study says the risk they've identified doesn't outweigh the benefits of the treatment in men who have metastatic prostate cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Lapi F, et al. Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Risk of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Prostate Cancer. JAMA. 2013; 310(3):289-296.

Researchers turn to yoga exercises to help men recovering from prostate cancer

A new prostate cancer exercise program developed at the University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology is helping men regain their strength and flexibility using some methods that many older men have never tried before – like yoga. The program, called Strength and Stretch, is partly based on a recent paper published in Integrative Cancer Therapies. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ross Zahavich AN, et al. Examining a therapeutic yoga program for prostate cancer survivors. Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Mar;12(2):113-25. PMID: 22740082

Comprehensive list of gene variants developed for cancer cells from nine tissue types

NCI scientists have developed a comprehensive list of genetic variants for each of the types of cells that comprise what is known as the NCI-60 cell line collection. This new list adds depth to the most frequently studied human tumor cell lines in cancer research, molecular pharmacology, and drug discovery. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Abaan OD, et al. The Exomes of the NCI-60 Panel: A Genomic Resource for Cancer Biology and Systems Pharmacology. Cancer Research. Published Online First July 15, 2013.

Low-dose Aspirin may prevent colon cancer in women

Healthy women who take low-dose Aspirin on alternate days may reduce their risk for colorectal cancer but increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, a large study suggests. Researchers in the U.S. randomly assigned 38,876 women aged 45 years or older to take either 100 milligrams of Aspirin or a placebo every other day. "After a median follow-up of 18 years, a difference in colorectal cancer by Aspirin group emerged," Julie Buring of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and her co-authors concluded. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Cook NR, et al. Alternate-Day, Low-Dose Aspirin and Cancer Risk: Long-Term Observational Follow-up of a Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(2):77-85.

DNA flaw boosts cancer risk from diabetes: study

A DNA flaw may explain why people with Type 2 diabetes are more prone to blood cancers than the rest of the population, according to a recent study. Doctors have long known that Type 2 diabetes is associated with leukaemia and lymphoma, but the reasons for this have been unclear. Researchers in France and Britain, looking at blood samples from nearly 7,500 people, including 2,200 patients with Type 2 diabetes, suggest the answer lies in cellular mutations called clonal mosaic events (CMEs). Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bonnefond A, et al. Association between large detectable clonal mosaicism and type 2 diabetes with vascular complications. Nat Genet. 2013 Jul 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23852171

Researchers pinpoint sources of fibrosis-promoting cells that ravage organs

Scientists have tracked down and quantified the diverse origins of cells that drive fibrosis, the incurable, runaway wound-healing that scars and ultimately destroys organs such as the lungs, liver and kidneys. “Answering a fundamental question about the origin of these cells by identifying four separate pathways involved in their formation allows us to look at ways to block those pathways to treat fibrosis,” said senior author Raghu Kalluri, Ph.D., M.D., MD Anderson chair and professor. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Lebleu VS, et al. Origin and function of myofibroblasts in kidney fibrosis. Nat Med. 2013 Jun 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23817022

Gene that controls aggressiveness in breast cancer cells identified

In a discovery that sheds new light on the aggressiveness of certain breast cancers, Whitehead Institute researchers have identified a transcription factor, known as ZEB1, that is capable of converting non-aggressive basal-type cancer cells into highly malignant, tumor-forming cancer stem cells. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Chaffer CL, et al. Poised Chromatin at the ZEB1 Promoter Enables Breast Cancer Cell Plasticity and Enhances Tumorigenicity. Cell. 2013 Jul 3;154(1):61-74. PMID: 23827675

Moms often talk to children about the results of cancer genetic testing

Mothers commonly talk to their children about genetic test results even if they test positive for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, which sharply increases a woman's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. That is among the findings of a new study from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, which also suggests mothers who don't discuss their test results are unsatisfied with that decision. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Tercyak KP, et al. Decisional Outcomes of Maternal Disclosure of BRCA1/2 Genetic Test Results to Children. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 Jul;22(7):1260-6. PMID: 23825307

FDA approves afatinib for the first line treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved afatinib (Gilotrif tablets, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), for the first line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutations as detected by an FDA-approved test. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation for panitumumab

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion recommending a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product panitumumab (Vectibix). Vectibix is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer. Read more here.

Treatment without chemotherapy effective for leukemia patients in study

A group of Italian and German researchers has found that people with a certain type of leukemia can be successfully treated without using chemotherapy. The study included 156 people with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a type of acute myeloid leukemia. In the study, researchers compared 2 drug combinations in patients with low- to intermediate-risk levels of the disease. They wanted to test whether patients taking ATRA plus arsenic trioxide would do as well as patients taking ATRA plus chemotherapy, thereby avoiding the side effects from chemotherapy. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Lo-Coco F, et al. Retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide for acute promyelocytic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jul 11;369(2):111-21. PMID: 23841729

Why this cancer website is a ‘game changer’

Decreasing anxiety, expense and suboptimal care of cancer patients is the goal of a new website tracking the inconsistent availability of cancer drugs by province across the country. Launched by the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada, the free site cancerdrugaccess.ca reveals the access to and funding for drugs for current cancer treatment, as well as their usage by type of cancer and when they were approved by Health Canada. Read more here.

Study finds link between fish oil and higher prostate cancer risk

A new study is raising questions about omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish and fish supplements, suggesting that men with high levels of the oils in their bloods might also have a higher risk of prostate cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids have long been hailed for their apparent ability to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and perhaps protect against heart disease. They’ve also thought to have anti-inflammatory properties that might help prevent a number of forms of cancer. But a new study has found that men with prostate cancer were more likely to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood than similar men without prostate cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Brasky TM, et al. Plasma Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Prostate Cancer Risk in the SELECT Trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Jul 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23843441

ASCO: Breast cancer chemoprevention talk encouraged

Kala Visvanathan, M.D., M.H.S., from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues on ASCO's Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Guideline Update Committee, conducted a literature review to identify randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses published from June 2007 through June 2012 with breast cancer incidence as the primary outcome of interest. The resulting updated American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) clinical practice guideline appears in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Visvanathan K, et al. Use of Pharmacologic Interventions for Breast Cancer Risk Reduction: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Jul 8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23835710

Soy protein supplementation does not reduce risk of prostate cancer recurrence

Among men who had undergone radical prostatectomy, daily consumption of a beverage powder supplement containing soy protein isolate for 2 years did not reduce or delay development of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer compared to men who received placebo, according to a study in JAMA. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bosland MC, et al. Effect of soy protein isolate supplementation on biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2013 Jul 10;310(2):170-8. PMID: 23839751

FDA approves new treatment for a type of late-stage lung cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Gilotrif (afatinib) for patients with late stage (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors express specific types of epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. Gilotrif is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks proteins that promote the development of cancerous cells. Read more here.

Experimental melanoma vaccine promising

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are experimenting with a new vaccine for treating advanced melanoma patients.  This vaccine, considered cutting-edge and quite possibly the future of cancer treatment, "uses a patient's own cells to enhance an immune response to the attacking cancer cells and slow their growth."

To read more about this study, click here 

Why young adults with cancer have distinct needs

There’s a growing realization that traditional methods of dealing with cancer are not working for the 15-29 age group, who account for 30 per cent of all new cancer cases and 17 per cent of cancer-related deaths in Canada. A conference hosted by Young Adult Cancer Canada this week in Nova Scotia provides the opportunity for young adults to discuss these issues. Read more here.

Connect to the Young Adult Cancer Canada website here.

Annual report card on cancer in Canada

The recently released Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada (CACC) 2012-2013 Report Card on Cancer in Canada™ reveals that government funding and support is desperately needed consistently across the country to improve the current landscape for cancer care, treatment and prevention in Canada. The Report Card highlights the crucial need for regulatory approval and funding of precision medicine through targeted therapy and biomarker testing, which would lead to more efficient use of expensive cancer drugs. Read more here.

Download the document here.

Particulate air pollution contributes to lung cancer risk in huge European study

A study including 17 cohorts with a total of more than 300,000 individuals found that ambient air pollution of various types contributes to lung cancer incidence across nine European countries. The new study, known as ESCAPE, analyzed data from a number of cohorts across Europe featuring patients with a wide range of exposure levels to pollution. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Raaschou-Nielsen O, et al. Air pollution and lung cancer incidence in 17 European cohorts: prospective analyses from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE). The Lancet Oncology, Early Online Publication, 10 July 2013.

AHRQ Releases New Guide to Help Hospitals Engage Patients and Families in Their Health Care

A new resource available online today from HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) gives hospitals four evidence-based strategies to engage patients and families in their care. The field-tested strategies outlined in AHRQ's new Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Safety and Quality can help hospitals make care better and safer by bridging the communication gaps among patients and families and their health care providers. Read more here.

The European Medicines Agency extends indications for lapatinib

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion recommending a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product lapatinib (Tyverb). Lapatinib is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with breast cancer whose tumours overexpress HER2 (ErbB2) in combination with capecitabine or an aromatase inhibitor. The CHMP has now recommended it for the treatment in combination with trastuzumab. Read more here.

New trial alert: High dose-rate brachytherapy in low and intermediate risk prostate cancer

The Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is presently recruiting patients for a clinical trial aimed at determining the effects of a single high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR) treatment together with a short course of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for men with low and intermediate risk prostate cancer.  The primary outcome of this study is to investigate patient reported toxicity and health-related quality of life after a one-year period. 

To read more about this randomized phase II trial, click here

Canadian Community Health Survey, 2012

This release presents data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey, featuring information on more than 30 health indicators, including perceived health, smoking, second-hand smoke at home, access to a regular medical doctor (family doctor or specialist), physical activity during leisure time, obesity, high blood pressure, drinking, fruit and vegetable consumption, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and perceived life stress. The CCHS is an on-going survey that collects a wide range of information about the health status of Canadians, factors determining their health status and their use of health care services. Read more here.

Hitting the road to improve cancer screening rates

Cancer Care Ontario is driving access to cancer screening – literally – with the introduction of two new Screen for Life coaches for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening. The new Screen for Life coaches are capable of travelling to different communities in northern Ontario and the Hamilton-area, bringing much needed services closer to home for women who face barriers to screening. Read more here.

MASCC/ISOO symposium webcasts available online

Webcasts from the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer held in Berlin, Germany, June 27-29, 2013 are now available online. View the webcasts here.

Measuring patient experiences in primary health care: a review and classification of items and scales used in publicly-available questionnaires

Monitoring information about patients’ experiences is essential to stimulate innovation, track changes in quality, and help Canadians become more informed about their health care system. Measuring the quality of the primary health care system from patients’ perspectives has been identified as a crucial step towards defining areas of improvement and monitoring the impact of change. The purpose of this review was to identify items and scales to inform the composition of a core Patient Experience Survey for use across Canada. Read more and download the full report here.

Higher risk for development of brain metastases in long-survivors from colorectal cancer with concomitant lung metastases and KRAS mutations

An Italian study met its primary endpoint of reporting an high incidence of brain metastases in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and concomitant KRAS mutations, lung metastases and a survival time from the first occurrence of metastases ≥ 10 months. The study was presented by Dr Federica Zoratto of the Oncology Department, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, University of Rome, Latina, Italy at the ESMO 15th World Congress in Gastrointestinal Cancer (3-6 July 2013, Barcelona, Spain). Read more here.

Influence of prognostic factors on survival in phase III, MPACT study of weekly nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in metastatic pancreatic cancer

Dr Josep Tabernero of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain presented on the first day of the ESMO 15th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (3-6 July 2013, Barcelona, Spain) the results from a sub-study on influence of prognostic factors on overall- and progression-free survival from the MPACT phase III trial of weekly nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The most important predictors of longer overall survival and progression-free survival were higher Karnofsky performance status, age < 65 years, absence of liver metastases, and geographic region. Read more here.

Study helps answer question: How do you stop children from smoking?

A recent systematic review published in The Cochrane Library found that smoking prevention programs do work. Overall, smoking rates dropped by 12 per cent compared to the control group. “Helping young people avoid smoking is a widely endorsed public health goal,” says Dr. Roger Thomas, a University of Calgary professor and family doctor who was the lead author on the paper. “It makes sense to target kids with smoking prevention in schools, that’s the simplest way.”

Study mentioned: Thomas RE, McLellan J, Perera R. School-based programmes for preventing smoking. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Apr 30;4:CD001293. PMID: 23633306

'Low-risk' prostate cancer diagnosis may not work for black men

Black men diagnosed with very-low-risk prostate cancer are much more likely than white men with the same diagnosis to actually have aggressive cancer that is not detected by current diagnostic methods, a new study reveals. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Sundi D, et al. African American Men With Very Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Exhibit Adverse Oncologic Outcomes After Radical Prostatectomy: Should Active Surveillance Still Be an Option for Them? J Clin Oncol. 2013 Jun 17. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23775960

European Medicines Agency recommends granting marketing authorisation for sipuleucel-T

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 sipuleucel-T (Provenge) to Dendreon UK Ltd. The indication recommended by the CHMP is as follows: “Provenge is indicated for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic (non-visceral) castrate resistant prostate cancer in male adults in whom chemotherapy is not yet clinically indicated.” Read more here.

Pancreatic cancer: tackling the tumour by targeting its surroundings

The EU funded researchers hope that with the project entitled “Targeting the tumour microenvironment to improve pancreatic cancer prognosis” they will get a much clearer picture of the mechanics involved in the complex network between the microenvironment's components and cancer cells, their resistance to chemotherapy, and how the pancreatic cancer spreads. Once the team has identified the stromal cells that mediate the spread of cancer and chemoresistance, they will be able to pinpoint novel drug targets. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorisation for dabrafenib

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 dabrafenib (Tafinlar), 50 and 75 mg capsules, hard, intended for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorisation for regorafenib

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 regorafenib (Stivarga) 40 mg film-coated tablet intended for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have been previously treated with, or are not considered candidates for, available therapies. These include fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy, an anti-VEGF therapy and an anti-EGFR therapy. Read more here.

Biomarker predicts risk of breast cancer recurrence after tamoxifen treatment

A biomarker reflecting expression levels of two genes in tumor tissue may be able to predict which women treated for estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer should receive a second estrogen-blocking medication after completing tamoxifen treatment. In their report, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center investigators describe finding that the HOXB13/IL17BR ratio can indicate which women are at risk for cancer recurrence after tamoxifen and which are most likely to benefit from continuing treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole (Femara). Read more here.

Study mentioned: Sgroi DC, et al. Prediction of Late Disease Recurrence and Extended Adjuvant Letrozole Benefit by the HOXB13/IL17BR Biomarker. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23812955

Protein in blood exerts natural anti-cancer protection

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University’s Kimmel Cancer Center have discovered that decorin, a naturally occurring protein that circulates in the blood, acts as a potent inhibitor of tumor growth modulating the tumor microenvironment. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Buraschi S, et al. Decorin causes autophagy in endothelial cells via Peg3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23798385

New understanding of oral HPV infections in healthy men

Scientists report that newly acquired oral HPV infections in healthy men are uncommon and, when present, tend to go away within one year. HPV infection has recently been established as a cause of the majority of oropharyngeal cancers. Aimée R. Kreimer, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, and her collaborators at the Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, also determined that acquisition of oral HPV appeared more common among smokers and unmarried men. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kreimer AR, et al. Incidence and clearance of oral human papillomavirus infection in men: the HIM cohort study. Lancet. Early online publication, 2 July 2013.

Caregivers and patients receiving palliative care share their experiences in new The Truth of It videos

Sisters. Husbands. Daughters. Fathers. Familiar roles transform when one cares for a family member or close friend living with cancer. The experiences of patients moving to the palliative stage of their cancer journey are uniquely dynamic and difficult. A new selection of videos from the Partnership’s patient video series, The Truth of It, aims to support people taking on caregiver roles or those receiving end-of-life care, as well as the health-care providers working with them.  Read more here.

Red meat tied to worse colon cancer outcomes: study

People who report eating the most red and processed meat before being diagnosed with colon cancer are more likely to die during the next eight years, according to a new study. Marjorie McCullough from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta and her colleagues used data from a study on 184,000 Americans who didn't have cancer between 1992 and 1993, and who were periodically asked about what they ate. Read more here.

Study mentioned: McCullough ML, et al. Association Between Red and Processed Meat Intake and Mortality Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors. J Clin Oncol. Published online before print July 1, 2013.

Long-term night work linked to higher breast cancer risk

Working night shifts for more than 30 years could double women's risk of developing breast cancer, a new study from Canadian researchers suggests. Researchers with Queen's Cancer Research Institute, the British Columbia Cancer Agency and elsewhere, looked at 1,134 Canadian women who had developed breast cancer and compared them to 1,179 similar women without the disease. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Grundy A, et al. Increased risk of breast cancer associated with long-term shift work in Canada. Occup Environ Med. Published online first 1 July 2013.