A head-to-head comparison of pazopanib versus sunitinib in the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

The randomised, open label, phase III COMPARZ (Comparing the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Pazopanib vs. Sunitinib) trial was a head-to-head comparison of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of pazopanib versus sunitinib in treatment-naive patients with clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma with measurable disease. Pazopanib demonstrated non-inferiority to sunitinib and shows a more favourable safety profile and improved patient reported quality of life domains. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Motzer RJ, et al. Pazopanib versus sunitinib in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2013 Aug 22;369(8):722-31. PMID: 23964934

Young women who drink alcohol daily may face higher breast cancer risk

Young women who drink alcohol every day may be raising significantly their risk of breast cancer, according to U.S. research published Wednesday. Each alcoholic drink a woman takes daily from when her menstrual periods start until her first full-term pregnancy ups her lifetime risk of breast cancer by 13 per cent, said the study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The findings were based on a survey of 91,005 mothers in a major U.S. health study from 1989 to 2009. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Liu Y, et al. Alcohol Intake Between Menarche and First Pregnancy: A Prospective Study of Breast Cancer Risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. First published online: August 28, 2013.

Words affect treatment choice

New research indicates that when ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is described as a high-risk condition, women make different treatment choices to some extent than when it is described as "noninvasive breast cancer." When the word "cancer" was not used, 65% of the study participants choose nonsurgical management of the condition. Read more here.

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Article mentioned: Omer ZB, et al. Impact of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Terminology on Patient Treatment Preferences. JAMA Intern Med. Published online August 26, 2013.

FDA grants marketing approval for VALCHLOR gel for treatment of early stage CTCL

Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, specialty pharmaceutical company, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for the orphan drug VALCHLOR™ (mechlorethamine) gel for the topical treatment of stage IA and IB mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients who have received prior skin-directed therapy. Read more here.

Study finds genomic differences in types of cervical cancer

A new study has revealed marked differences in the genomic terrain of the two most common types of cervical cancer, suggesting that patients might benefit from therapies geared to each type’s molecular idiosyncrasies. The study, published by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), is the first to compare the spectrum of cancer-related gene mutations in the two main subtypes of cervical cancer – adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Wright AA, et al. Oncogenic mutations in cervical cancer. Cancer. Article first published online: 23 AUG 2013.

NIH study links Hodgkin lymphoma treatment to possible risk of stomach cancer

Hodgkin lymphoma survivors who received certain radiation and chemotherapy regimens were at increased risk of subsequently developing stomach cancer, according to a study by scientists at the National Cancer Institute. To better understand the relationship between Hodgkin lymphoma treatments and subsequent stomach cancer risk, Lindsay M. Morton, Ph.D., NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, and her colleagues analyzed data from the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the United States and Canada. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Morton LM, et al. Stomach cancer risk after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. Published online before print August 26, 2013.

Updated ESMO breast cancer guidelines now available

The ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) are intended to provide the user with a set of recommendations for the best standards of cancer care, based on the findings of evidence-based medicine. The latest enhanced and revised set of ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines on Breast Cancer cover both primary and locally recurrent/metastatic breast cancer and include information on staging and diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. There is also a specific guideline focussing on BRCA in breast cancer. Read more and access the guidelines here.

ALK rearrangement in ALK-positive NSCLC reflected in circulating tumour cells

A group of researchers from the Institut Gustave Roissy, Villejuif, France, led by Dr Françoise Farace has evaluated whether circulating tumour cells (CTCs) might represent a non-invasive source of tumour material in NSCLC. The researchers isolated CTCs from 32 patients with metastatic NSCLC, 18 of whom had ALK-positive tumours. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Pailler E, et al. Detection of circulating tumor cells harboring a unique ALK rearrangement in ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Jun 20;31(18):2273-81. PMID: 23669222

New hope for early detection of ovarian cancer

A new study conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston indicates that a blood test in combination with an ultrasound exam can lead to earlier detection of ovarian cancer.  As there is currently no reliable screening test to detect ovarian cancer, this study, which ran over 11 years and involved 4,000 women, has been deemed "accurate at ruling out...harmful false alarms in postmenopausal women", false positive results requiring invasive surgery which can cause further harm. 

Presently, a substantially larger study involving 200,000 women is taking place in the U.K, final results of which are expected by 2015. 

To read more, click here

Study mentioned: Lu K, et al. A 2-stage ovarian cancer screening strategy using the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm (ROCA) identifies early-stage incident cancers and demonstrates high positive predictive value.  Cancer 2013 Aug 26; [Online first]

How red hair may increase melanoma risk

A person’s skin pigment is influenced by the melanocortin-1 (MC1R) gene receptor. For the population’s 1 to 2 percent of redheads, a mutation in MC1R accounts for their red hair color and typical light skin. Now researchers from Harvard Medical School have discovered that the same MC1R mutation responsible for the red-hair phenotype also promotes an important cancer-causing pathway. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Cao J, et al. MC1R Is a Potent Regulator of PTEN after UV Exposure in Melanocytes. Molecular Cell 2013; 51(4): 409-422.

Drug used for blood cancers may stop spread of breast cancer cells, Mayo Clinic finds

A drug used to treat blood cancers may also stop the spread of invasive breast cancer, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have discovered. Their study, published online in Breast Cancer Research, found that in the lab and in animals, the drug decitabine turns on a gene coding for protein kinase D1 (PRKD1) that halts the ability of cancer cells to separate from a tumor and spread to distant organs. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Borges S, et al. Pharmacologic reversion of epigenetic silencing of the PRKD1 promoter blocks breast tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Breast Cancer Research 2013, 15:R66.

Canada’s cancer research community to convene in November 2013 at Canadian Cancer Research Conference

This fall, Canada’s cancer research community will come together in Toronto to showcase recent innovations in cancer research and share ideas that will help shape the future of cancer discovery and care. The 2013 Canadian Cancer Research Conference, to be held November 3-6 and hosted by the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, is Canada’s only conference devoted to the continuum of cancer research from discovery to palliation. It is targeted to professionals who work in cancer research, whether in the lab, the clinic or in policy. This year, special sessions will be held for trainees and new principal investigators. As well, a community forum for the general public will take place on Sunday, November 3. Read more here.

Better Together: Annual Highlights 2012/13 presents recent achievements of Canada’s cancer strategy

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is pleased to present Better Together: Annual Highlights 2012/13, which showcases selected achievements in the Partnership’s recent work with partners throughout the cancer community. As the first year of the Partnership’s second five-year mandate, 2012/13 was our first year delivering against a new strategic plan that will further our coordinated long-term efforts to improve cancer outcomes for Canadians. Read more here.

Brain cancer survival improved following FDA approval of bevacizumab

"There has been a great deal of debate about the effectiveness of bevacizumab in treating patients with glioblastoma," says Derek Johnson, M.D., a neuro-oncologist at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and lead author of a new population-based study. "Our study found that, at the population level, treatment strategies involving bevacizumab prolonged survival in patients with progressive glioblastoma." Read more here.

Study mentioned: Johnson DR, et al. Glioblastoma survival in the United States improved after Food and Drug Administration approval of bevacizumab: A population-based analysis. Cancer. 2013 Jul 18. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23868553

Pazopanib shows better quality-of-life in advanced kidney cancer

Two oral targeted drugs approved for metastatic kidney cancer worked equally well, but one proved superior in tolerability, according to results of a large international clinical trial led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Pazopanib (Votrient) and sunitinib (Sutent), both recently approved as first-line treatments for advanced renal cell cancer, had similar benefits in delaying progression of the disease, but the safety profile and many measures of quality of life favored pazopanib, suggesting a potential shift in standard of care in metastatic kidney cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Motzer RJ, et al. Pazopanib versus Sunitinib in Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:722-731.

Brushing, flossing could cut risk of HPV infection: study

A new study suggests there could be a link between poor dental health and infection with a key cancer-causing virus. Research published this week found that people who poor oral health, including gum disease and lost teeth, were more likely to be have oral infections of HPV, or human papillomavirus. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bui TC, et al. Examining the Association between Oral Health and Oral HPV Infection. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013 Aug 21. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23966202

BIT's 7th Annual World Cancer Congress, 2014

BIT's 7th World Cancer Congress (WCC-2014) will be held at Nanjing, China, May 16-18, 2014. Over the last six years, WCC has been a destination for researchers, specialists, clinicians and entrepreneurs to update milestone breaking research from all cancer research disciplines including anti-cancer medicine development, and to encourage these researchers to interact and forge new collaborations. WCC-2014 is keeping the momentum to enhance the further communication among government organizations, universities, institutes, and enterprises to push forward the development of medicine and biotechnology in China and beyond. Read more here.

Access the conference website here.

Study sees risk of childhood cancer among those with specific birth defects

Children with certain types of major birth defects not caused by chromosome abnormalities are at increased risk for childhood cancer, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from Arizona, Iowa and Utah and found that children born with eye defects, cleft palate, some heart and kidney defects, and a condition in which the head is smaller than normal (microcephaly) were two times more likely to develop cancer before age 15 than children without these birth defects. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Botto LD, et al. Cancer risk in children and adolescents with birth defects: a population-based cohort study. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 17;8(7):e69077. PMID: 23874873

GTx reports results for enobosarm POWER trials for the prevention and treatment of muscle wasting in patients with NSCLC

GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI) has announced results of its two Phase 3 enobosarm clinical trials, the POWER trials, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy. The Company announced that the clinical trials failed to meet the overall criteria for the co-primary responder endpoints of lean body mass and physical function as agreed upon with the United States Food and Drug Administration; the responder endpoints showed mixed results (for POWER1 and POWER2, p values at Day 84 for LBM were 0.036 and 0.113, respectively; p values at Day 84 for SCP were 0.315 and 0.289, respectively). Read more here.

A brief look: Cancer genomic medicine at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology®

A few highly provocative abstracts presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology® demonstrate how a shift toward more molecular-targeted therapies is changing the paradigm of cancer medicine. Although these abstracts may not have been the most unique or important molecular studies presented at the meeting, they clearly emphasize the scope and complexity of this rapidly evolving arena. Read more here.

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Ontario Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Care Ontario Knowledge Translation Network announce the 2013 request for proposals

Funds are available from the Knowledge Translation Research Network (KT‐Net) of the Health Services Research (HSR) Program for projects that address important knowledge translation aspects relevant to the clinical priority areas defined in OICR’s 2010 to 2015 strategic plan (outlined below). Total funding available for the 2013 competition is at least $150,000. It is anticipated that 1 or 2 teams will be funded under this initiative. Read more here.

Expert highlights from the inaugural NCCN guideline for penile cancer

Dr Philippe Spiess, an associate member in the Department of Genitourinary Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, presents highlights from the inaugural NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for penile cancer. In his article, Dr Spiess focuses on four areas, but primarily on treatment strategies for primary penile tumours and management of regional lymph nodes, while the recommendations regarding general surveillance strategies and guidelines for recurrent and metastatic disease are briefly explored. Read more here.

Article mentioned: Spiess PE. New treatment guidelines for penile cancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2013 May;11(5 Suppl):659-62. PMID: 23704237

Cancer-surgery complications rise while death risk drops

Upon analysis of data from 2.5 million cancer patients having undergone major cancer surgery in the U.S. between 1999-2009, researchers have noted that while fewer patients are dying from operations, complications from these surgeries is rising.  According to study co-author Dr. Jesse Sammon, urologist at Henry Ford Hospital, post-surgery complications include blood clots, infections, respiratory failure and pressure ulcers.  Dr. Sammon thus cautions that "just because physicians have been increasingly effective at managing these adverse events once they occur does not obviate the fact that there's still a lot of room for improvement in reducing the actual occurrence of these adverse events in the first place."

To read more about this study, click here

Study mentioned: Sukumar S., et al. National trends in hospital-acquired preventable adverse events after major cancer surgery in the USA. NMJ Open. 2013 Jun 26; 3(6). PMID 23804313

ZELBORAF (vemurafenib) - Risk of progression of certain types of cancer and risk of serious rash

Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada), in collaboration with Health Canada, would like to inform you of important new safety information associated with ZELBORAF regarding the risk of malignancy progression as well as the risk of Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS Syndrome). ZELBORAF is indicated as a monotherapy for the treatment of proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Read more here.

Device aims for early detection of cancer cells by identifying their sound

A Toronto-based researcher is working on a potential way of detecting cancer early, even before symptoms occur, by using a custom microscope to detect the sound of cancerous cells in the bloodstream. Dr. Michael Kolios from Ryerson University told CTV's Canada AM that the microscope uses ultrasound technology, but with a "little bit of a twist." By combining ultrasound and laser technology, the laser is fired on drops of a patient's blood to help produce sounds. Read more here.

New MR analysis technique reveals brain tumor response to anti-angiogenesis therapy

A new way of analyzing data acquired in MR imaging appears to be able to identify whether or not tumors are responding to anti-angiogenesis therapy, information that can help physicians determine the most appropriate treatments and discontinue ones that are ineffective. In their report, investigators from the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, describe how their technique, called vessel architectural imaging, was able to identify changes in brain tumor blood vessels within days of the initiation of anti-angiogenesis therapy. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Emblem KE, et al. Vessel architectural imaging identifies cancer patient responders to anti-angiogenic therapy. Nature Medicine. Published online 18 August 2013.

Dialing back treg cell function boosts the body's cancer-fighting immune activity

By carefully adjusting the function of crucial immune cells, scientists may have developed a completely new type of cancer immunotherapy—harnessing the body's immune system to attack tumors. To accomplish this, they had to thread a needle in immune function, shrinking tumors without triggering unwanted autoimmune responses. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Liu Y, et al. Inhibition of p300 impairs Foxp3+ T regulatory cell function and promotes antitumor immunity. Nature Medicine. Published online 18 August 2013.

Experts call for more support for tumour biomarker tests

Despite advances in tumour biology research, few tumour biomarker tests have been adopted as standard clinical practice. This lack of reliable biomarker tests stems from undervaluation, inconsistent regulatory standards and reimbursement, as well as insufficient investment in research and development, scrutiny of biomarker publications by journals, and evidence of analytical validity and clinical utility wrote USA researchers in a commentary published in the Science Translational Medicine. Read more here.

Article mentioned: Hayes DF, et al. Breaking a vicious cycle. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Jul 31;5(196):196cm6. PMID: 23903752

Quebec looks to Australia as it mulls stricter cigarette packaging rules

A National Assembly committee in Quebec is hearing from prominent speakers as it considers an update to the Quebec Tobacco Act. The Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac (the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control) has invited former Australian attorney-general Nicola Roxon to speak about the Australian experience. Read more here.

Targeting aggressive prostate cancer

A team of researchers has identified a key mechanism behind aggressive prostate cancer. Published in Nature, the study shows that two long non-coding RNAs (PRNCR1 and PCGEM1) activate androgen receptors, circumventing androgen-deprivation therapy. In their active state, these receptors turn on genes that spur growth and metastasis, making these cancers highly treatment-resistant. The study illustrates how prostate cancer can thrive, even when deprived of hormones, and provides tempting targets for new therapies. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Yang L, et al. lncRNA-dependent mechanisms of androgen-receptor-regulated gene activation programs. Nature. 2013 Aug 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23945587

Growing use of MRIs leading to more invasive breast cancer surgery

Heavy use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be leading to unnecessary breast removal in older women with breast cancer, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the current issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Killelea BK, et al. Trends and clinical implications of preoperative breast MRI in Medicare beneficiaries with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013 Aug 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23942872

Sugar helps scientists find and assess prostate tumors

A natural form of sugar could offer a new, noninvasive way to precisely image tumors and potentially see whether cancer medication is effective, by means of a new imaging technology developed at UC San Francisco in collaboration with GE Healthcare. The technology uses a compound called pyruvate, which is created when glucose breaks down in the body and which normally supplies energy to cells. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Nelson SJ, et al. Metabolic Imaging of Patients with Prostate Cancer Using Hyperpolarized [1-13C]Pyruvate. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Aug 14;5(198):198ra108. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3006070. PMID: 23946197

Signatures of mutational processes in cancer

All cancers are caused by somatic mutations. However, understanding of the biological processes generating these mutations is limited. A group of international researchers led by scientists from the Cancer Genome Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, one of the world's leading genome centres, analysed 4,938,362 mutations from 7,042 cancers and extracted more than 20 distinct mutational signatures. They published their findings in Nature. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Alexandrov LB, et al. Signatures of mutational processes in human cancer. Nature. 2013 Aug 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23945592

Healthy diet linked to lower risk of pancreatic cancer

People who most closely follow healthy eating guidelines may have a lower risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute and other institutions studied more than 500,000 people (ages 50-71) who were already taking part in a long-term study that tracked their eating habits. They compared participants’ eating habits with the federal government’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Those guidelines recommended eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and beans; whole grains instead of refined grains; and low-fat or fat-free dairy. They also recommended limiting fat and added sugars. (The government updated these guidelines in 2010.). Read more.

Study mentioned: Arem, H et al. The Healthy Eating Index 2005 and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in the NIH-AARP Study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2013 Aug 15. [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1093/jnci/djt185

IOM releases “Partnering with Patients” meeting summary

The Institute of Medicine released a meeting summary today of a workshop that took place in February, “Partnering with Patients to Drive Shared Decisions, Better Value, and Care Improvements.” A short video capturing the key messages of the workshop, and including the voice of patients, has also been released. In an efficient health care system, care choices are democratized and based on the best evidence. Empowering patients to become partners in — rather than customers of — health care is a critical step on the road to achieving the best care at lower cost, although the infrastructure and cultural changes necessary to transform the patient role are significant. Encouraging patient engagement in care decisions, value, and research is crucial to achieving better care, improved health, and lower health care costs. Read more.

Study reveals genes that drive brain cancer

A team of researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center has identified 18 new genes responsible for driving glioblastoma multiforme, the most common—and most aggressive—form of brain cancer in adults. “Cancers rely on driver genes to remain cancers, and driver genes are the best targets for therapy,” said Antonio Iavarone, MD, professor of pathology and neurology at Columbia University Medical Center and a principal author of the study. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Frattini V, et al. The integrated landscape of driver genomic alterations in glioblastoma. Nat Genet. 2013 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23917401

Noninvasive test optimizes colon cancer screening rates

A study of nearly 6,000 North Texas patients suggests sweeping changes be made to the standard of care strategy for colorectal screenings, finding that participation rates soared depending on the screening method offered and how patient outreach was done. The results also suggest that a noninvasive colorectal screening approach, such as a fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) might be more effective in prompting participation in potentially lifesaving colon cancer screening among underserved populations than a colonoscopy, a more expensive and invasive procedure. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Gupta S, et al. Comparative Effectiveness of Fecal Immunochemical Test Outreach, Colonoscopy Outreach, and Usual Care for Boosting Colorectal Cancer Screening Among the Underserved: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23921906

Mechanism offers promising new approach for harnessing the immune system to fight cancer

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have discovered a way to target the immune system to shrink or eliminate tumors in mice without causing autoimmune problems. Researchers also found evidence that the same mechanism may operate in humans. The findings provide a new target for ongoing efforts to develop immunotherapies to harness the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Delgoffe GM, et al. Stability and function of regulatory T cells is maintained by a neuropilin-1-semaphorin-4a axis. Nature. 2013 Aug 4. doi: 10.1038/nature12428. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23913274

Prostate cancer screening: New data support watchful waiting

Prostate cancer aggressiveness may be established when the tumor is formed and not alter with time, according to a study published in Cancer Research. Researchers found that after the introduction of widespread prostate-specific antigen screening, the proportion of patients diagnosed with advanced-stage cancers dropped by more than six-fold in 22 years, but the proportion diagnosed with high Gleason grade cancers did not change substantially. This suggests that low-grade prostate cancers do not progress to higher grade over time. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Penney KL, et al. Gleason Grade Progression Is Uncommon. Cancer Res. 2013; 73: 5163.

Chronicling cancer experience online can reduce depressive symptoms in breast cancer patients

In the first known study of its kind, UCLA researchers discovered that creating a personal website to chronicle the cancer experience and communicate with one's social network can reduce depressive symptoms, increase positive mood and enhance appreciation for life among women diagnosed with breast cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Stanton AL, et al. Project Connect Online: Randomized Trial of an Internet-Based Program to Chronicle the Cancer Experience and Facilitate Communication. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Aug 12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23940228

Milestone study probes cancer origin

Scientists are reporting a significant milestone for cancer research after charting 21 major mutations behind the vast majority of tumours. The disruptive changes to the genetic code, reported in Nature, accounted for 97% of the 30 most common cancers. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Alexandrov L, Nik-Zainal S, Wedge DC, et al.. Signatures of mutational processes in human cancer. Nature. 2013 August 14. Online first. doi:10.1038/nature12477.

Colon cancer linked to mouth infection and gum disease

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine have conducted a new study indicating that a mouth infection can lead to a colorectal cancer diagnosis.  According to lead investigator Yiping Han, fusobacterium nucleatum "is much higher in people with gum disease", which can attach to colon cells and lead to colon cancer.  Thus it is important to maintain good oral health.

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: Rubinstein M et al. Fusobacterium nucleatum promotes colorectal carcinogenesis by modulating e-cadherin/β-catenin signaling via its FadA adhesin. Cell Host & Microbe 2013;14:195-206.

Hormone-blocking drug lowers men's risk for prostate cancer, study finds

Long-term results from a major federal study ease worries about the safety of a hormone-blocking drug that can lower a man's chances of developing prostate cancer. The drug cut prostate cancer risk by 30 per cent without raising the risk of dying of an aggressive form of the disease as earlier results hinted it might. The new work could prompt a fresh look at using the drug for cancer prevention. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Thompson Jr. IM, et al. Long-Term Survival of Participants in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:603-610.

Connect to NCI Questions and Answers about PCPT here.

Scientists use genome sequencing to prove herbal remedy causes upper urinary tract cancers

Genomic sequencing experts at Johns Hopkins partnered with pharmacologists at Stony Brook University to reveal a striking mutational signature of upper urinary tract cancers caused by aristolochic acid, a plant compound contained in herbal remedies used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments such as arthritis, gout and inflammation. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hoang ML, et al. Mutational signature of aristolochic Acid exposure as revealed by whole-exome sequencing. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Aug 7;5(197):197ra102. PMID: 23926200

Cell maturity pathway is deleted or weak in glioblastoma multiforme

A program that pushes immature cells to grow up and fulfill their destiny as useful, dedicated cells is short-circuited in the most common and deadly form of brain tumor, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report this week in PNAS. Stuck in what amounts to cellular adolescence, these precursor cells accumulate, contributing to the variability among glioblastoma multiforme cells that make it so difficult to treat, said first author Jian Hu, Ph.D., instructor of Genomic Medicine. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hu J, et al. Neutralization of terminal differentiation in gliomagenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23918370

IU chemists' work will aid drug design to target cancer and inflammatory disease

Chemists at Indiana University Bloomington have produced detailed descriptions of the structure and molecular properties of human folate receptor proteins, a key development for designing new drugs that can target cancer and inflammatory diseases without serious side effects. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Wibowo AS, et al. Structures of human folate receptors reveal biological trafficking states and diversity in folate and antifolate recognition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Aug 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23934049

CMA denounces new medical marijuana rules

The CMA says the federal government's new for medical purposes ignore one of the bedrock tenets of mainstream medicine - that there be clinical evidence supporting a drug's use before it is employed as a medical therapy. When the new rules take full effect April 1, 2014, the federal government will no longer be involved in authorizing the use of medical marijuana or in distributing it. Instead, "health care practitioners will sign a medical document enabling patients to purchase the appropriate amount for their medical condition from a licensed producer approved by Health Canada." Essentially, says the CMA, physicians will become the drug's gatekeepers. Read more here.

Autism’s surprising link to cancer gene

Researchers studying two seemingly unrelated conditions – autism and cancer – have unexpectedly converged on a surprising discovery. Some people with autism have mutated cancer or tumour genes that apparently caused their brain disorder. Ten per cent of children with mutations in a gene called PTEN, which causes cancers of the breast, colon, thyroid and other organs, have autism. So do about half of children with gene mutations that can lead to some kinds of brain and kidney cancer and large tumours in several organs, including the brain. That is many times the rate of autism in the general population. Read more here.

Study mentioned: He X, Arrotta N, Radhakrishnan D, Wang Y, Romigh T, Eng C. Cowden syndrome-related mutations in PTEN associate with enhanced proteasome activity. Cancer Res. 2013 May 15;73(10):3029-40. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-3811. Epub 2013 Mar 8. PubMed PMID: 23475934; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3655114.

Virtual human with ‘dissect-able’ body parts now available on Apple mobile devices

Medical students and the rest of the world can now touch, move and even ‘dissect’ the human body on an Apple iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, thanks to University of Calgary scientists. The university’s computer scientists and medical experts have developed interactive computer software, an “app,” that enables users to learn about anatomy by manipulating onscreen a virtual 3D human with more than 3,000 searchable body parts. Read more here.

NIH scientists visualize how cancer chromosome abnormalities form in living cells

For the first time, scientists have directly observed events that lead to the formation of a chromosome abnormality that is often found in cancer cells. The abnormality, called a translocation, occurs when part of a chromosome breaks off and becomes attached to another chromosome. The results of this study, conducted by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), appear in the journal Science. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Roukos V, et al. Spatial Dynamics of Chromosome Translocations in Living Cells. Science. 2013; 341(6146):660-664.

Summary Basis of Decision for XTANDI

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Astellas Pharma Canada Inc. for the drug product, Xtandi. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Xtandi is favourable for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the setting of medical or surgical castration who have received docetaxel therapy. Read more here.

VOTRIENT (pazopanib hydrochloride) - Important change to frequency of liver test monitoring

GlaxoSmithKline Inc., in consultation with Health Canada, would like to inform you of an important safety update to the Warnings & Precautions section of the Product Monograph for VOTRIENT®, regarding a change in frequency of serum liver test monitoring for hepatotoxicity. VOTRIENT® is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell (clear cell) carcinoma as first-line systemic therapy or as second line systemic therapy after treatment with cytokines for metastatic disease. Read more here.

U.S. researchers using dogs to help sniff out ovarian cancer

Researchers trying to develop a diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer are hoping dogs' keen sense of smell will lead them down the right path. An early detection device that combines old-fashioned olfactory skills, chemical analysis and modern technology could lead to better survival rates for the disease, which is particularly deadly because it's often not caught until an advanced stage. Using blood and tissue samples donated by patients, the University of Pennsylvania's Working Dog Center has started training three canines to sniff out the signature compound that indicates the presence of ovarian cancer. Read more here.

Some experts question evidence of harm from outdoor smoking

Some experts question the main rationale for outdoor smoking bans, saying there's not good medical evidence that cigarette smoke outdoors can harm the health of children and other passers-by. Whether it is a long-term health issue for a lot of people "is still up in the air," said Neil Klepeis, a Stanford University researcher whose work is cited by advocates of outdoor bans. Ronald Bayer, a Columbia University professor, put it in even starker terms. "The evidence of a risk to people in open-air settings is flimsy," he said. Read more here.

Henrietta Lacks’ famous cells offered new and unique protection

The National Institutes of Health has announced that it had reached an agreement with the family of the late Henrietta Lacks, the African-American woman whose cancer cells scientists took without her permission 62 years ago and used to create an endlessly replicating cell line now used in countless labs worldwide. NIH director Dr Francis Collins and bioethicist Kathy Hudson, NIH deputy director for science, outreach, and policy, wrote about the agreement in an essay published in Nature. Read more here.

Article mentioned: Hudson KL, Collins FS. 2013. Biospecimen policy: Family matters. Nature. 500: 141–142.

Long-term use of some high blood pressure drugs associated with increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women

Older women who take certain types of medication to combat high blood pressure may be putting themselves at greater risk for developing breast cancer, according to a new study by a team of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists led by Christopher Li, M.D., Ph.D. The study is the first to observe that long-term use of a class of antihypertensive drugs known as calcium-channel blockers in particular are associated with breast cancer risk. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Li CI, et al. Use of Antihypertensive Medications and Breast Cancer Risk Among Women Aged 55 to 74 Years. JAMA Intern Med. Published online August 5, 2013.

Tumor cell vaccination trial to promote anti-leukemia responses

In the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Catherine Wu and colleagues at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston report the results of a clinical trial that tested the effectiveness of vaccination with a CLL patient's own leukemia cells in the development of anti-tumor responses and relapse reduction. Patients with advanced CLL were vaccinated with their own irradiated tumor cells following allo-HSCT. Nearly 3 years after vaccination, 13 of the 18 vaccinated patients were in complete remission. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Burkhardt UE, et al. Autologous CLL cell vaccination early after transplant induces leukemia-specific T cells. J Clin Invest. 2013 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23912587

Mayo Clinic researchers decode origin of inflammation-driven pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have revealed the process by which chronic inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis, morphs into pancreatic cancer. They say their findings point to ways to identify pancreatitis patients at risk of pancreatic cancer and to potential drug therapies that might reverse the process. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Liou GY, et al. Macrophage-secreted cytokines drive pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia through NF-κB and MMPs. J Cell Biol. 2013 Aug 5;202(3):563-77. PMID: 23918941

Researchers map a new metabolic pathway involved in cell growth and implicated in cancer as well as metabolic disorders

Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute now have a more complete picture of one particular pathway that can lead to cancer and diabetes. In the study published by Molecular Cell, the scientists uncovered how a protein called p62 has a cascade affect in regulating cell growth in response to the presence of nutrients such as amino acids and glucose. Disrupting this chain may offer a new approach to treating disease. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Linares JF, et al. K63 Polyubiquitination and Activation of mTOR by the p62-TRAF6 Complex in Nutrient-Activated Cells. Mol Cell. 2013 Jul 31. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23911927

Ginseng may improve cancer-related fatigue

In a current study, researchers set out to determine the potential effects of ginseng on cancer-related fatigue. They enrolled 364 cancer survivors and randomly assigned them to receive either 2,000 milligrams of American ginseng or placebo daily for eight weeks. They looked at changes in the subjects' level of fatigue after four weeks and eight weeks of treatment. The results showed a significant difference after eight weeks of treatment in the group that had been given ginseng. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Barton DL, et al. Wisconsin Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to Improve Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial, N07C2. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Jul 13. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23853057

Some women with abnormal breast lesions may avoid surgery

Surgery is not always necessary for women with a type of breast tissue abnormality associated with a higher risk of cancer, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Researchers said that periodic imaging and clinical exam are effective in these patients when radiology and pathology findings are benign and concordant, or in agreement. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Atkins KA, et al. Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia and Lobular Carcinoma in Situ at Core Breast Biopsy: Use of Careful Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation to Recommend Excision or Observation. Radiology. 2013 Jul 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23901123

Detecting breast cancer: 3-D screening reduces recall rates

Tomosynthesis, or 3-dimensional (3-D) mammography, significantly reduced the number of patients being recalled for additional testing after receiving a mammogram, a Yale Cancer Center study found. The Yale researchers studied more than 13,000 patients who were screened. Of these, 6,100 received tomosynthesis plus mammography, and 7,058 underwent conventional digital mammography alone. The recall rate was 8.4% for patients in the tomosynthesis group, and 12% for the mammography-alone group. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Haas BM, et al. Comparison of Tomosynthesis Plus Digital Mammography and Digital Mammography Alone for Breast Cancer Screening. Radiology. 2013 Jul 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23901124

Researchers uncover an interesting link between poor sleep and the risk of getting prostate cancer

Researchers in Iceland have uncovered an interesting link between poor sleep and the risk of getting prostate cancer. A study of 2,425 men aged 67 to 96 in Reykjavik revealed that those who had difficulty falling asleep had a 1.6 times increased risk of developing prostate cancer in the next five years. The effect was even more pronounced, over two times the risk, for those with more severe sleep problems. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Sigurdardottir LG, et al. Sleep disruption among older men and risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 May;22(5):872-9. PMID: 23652374

IOM workshop summary

The Institute of Medicine has released a workshop summary, “Implementing a National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century – Second Workshop Summary.” The workshop recommended these actions: 1) improve the speed and efficiency of the design, launch, and conduct of clinical trials, 2) incorporate innovative science and trial design into cancer clinical trials, 3) improve the means of prioritization, selection, support, and completion of cancer clinical trials, and 4) incentivize the participate of patients and physicians in clinical trials. Read more here.

Connect to the report here.

The definition of “cancer”: JAMA opinion piece triggers medical, scientific, and policy debate

With the online publication of an opinion piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Drs. Laura J. Esserman, Ian M. Thompson, and Brian Reid have triggered a medical, scientific, and policy debate about the definition of “cancer” and strategies for diagnosis and treating cancer. The authors wrote for a working group that was convened by the National Cancer Institute in 2012 to address the problem of overdiagnosis of cancer, when tumors are detected through screening that would otherwise not become clinically apparent or cause death. Read more here.

Article mentioned: Esserman LJ, et al. Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment in CancerAn Opportunity for Improvement. JAMA. Published online July 29, 2013.

Calcimar (synthetic salmon calcitonin-solution for injection) - labelling changes to the product monograph due to an increased risk of cancer with long-term use

Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. (Sanofi Canada), in collaboration with Health Canada, would like to inform you about important changes to the conditions of use for Calcimar® regarding an increased risk of malignancies with long term calcitonin use. Health Canada has evaluated information on the risk of malignancies from randomised controlled trials in patients with osteoporosis or osteoarthritis receiving calcitonin (salmon) nasal spray or an unlicensed oral calcitonin formulation. Patients treated with calcitonin in these trials had a low, but observable increased rate of malignancies compared with patients taking placebo. Read more here.