European Medicines Agency recommends changes in use of ponatinib in order to minimise risk of thrombosis

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has made a number of recommendations to help minimise the risk of thrombs obstructing arteries or veins in patients taking the leukaemia medicine ponatinib (Iclusig). Recommendations follow a review of updated clinical trial data indicating that thrombosis was occurring at a higher rate than was observed at the time of the ponatinib’s initial authorisation. Read more here.

Using microRNA fit to a T (cell)

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have successfully targeted T lymphocytes – which play a central role in the body’s immune response – with another type of white blood cell engineered to synthesize and deliver bits of non-coding RNA or microRNA (miRNA). The achievement in mice studies may be the first step toward using genetically modified miRNA for therapeutic purposes, perhaps most notably in vaccines and cancer treatments, said principal investigator Maurizio Zanetti, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine and director of the Laboratory of Immunology at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Almanza G, et al. Synthesis and delivery of short, noncoding RNA by B lymphocytes. PNAS. Published online before print November 25, 2013.

Cancer researchers translate new laboratory findings to enhance melanoma treatment

Translational researchers from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have published results of two back-to-back studies in the journal Cancer Discovery that provide critical insights into two key areas of how tumors resist BRAF inhibitors: the key cell-signaling pathways BRAF-mutant melanoma cells use to learn how to become resistant to inhibitor drugs, and how the limited focus of BRAF inhibitors allows melanoma cells to evolve and develop drug resistance. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Shi H, et al. Acquired Resistance and Clonal Evolution in Melanoma during BRAF Inhibitor Therapy. Cancer Discov. 2013 Nov 21. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24265155

Study mentioned: Shi H, et al. A Novel AKT1 Mutant Amplifies an Adaptive Melanoma Response to BRAF Inhibition. Cancer Discov. 2013 Nov 21. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24265152

Two human proteins found to affect how "jumping gene" gets around

Using a new method to catch elusive “jumping genes” in the act, researchers have found two human proteins that are used by one type of DNA to replicate itself and move from place to place. The discovery breaks new ground, they say, in understanding the arms race between a jumping gene driven to colonize new areas of the human genome and cells working to limit the risk posed by such volatile bits of DNA. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Taylor MS, et al. Affinity Proteomics Reveals Human Host Factors Implicated in Discrete Stages of LINE-1 Retrotransposition. Cell. 2013 Nov 21;155(5):1034-48. PMID: 24267889

Targets of anticancer drugs have broader functions than what their name suggests

Drugs that inhibit the activity of enzymes called histone deacetylases (HDACs) are being widely developed for treating cancer and other diseases, with two already on the market. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, show that a major HDAC still functions in mice even when its enzyme activity is abolished, suggesting that the beneficial effects of HDAC inhibitors may not actually be through inhibiting HDAC activity, and thus warranting the reassessment of the molecular targets of this class of drugs. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Sun Z, et al. Deacetylase-Independent Function of HDAC3 in Transcription and Metabolism Requires Nuclear Receptor Corepressor. Mol Cell. 2013 Nov 19. pii: S1097-2765(13)00788-0. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24268577

UCLA researchers' new technique improves accuracy, ease of cancer diagnosis

A team of researchers from UCLA and Harvard University have demonstrated a technique that, by measuring the physical properties of individual cells in body fluids, can diagnose cancer with a high degree of accuracy. The technique, which uses a deformability cytometer to analyze individual cells, could reduce the need for more cumbersome diagnostic procedures and the associated costs, while improving accuracy over current methods. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Tse HT, et al. Quantitative diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions by single-cell mechanophenotyping. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Nov 20;5(212):212ra163. PMID: 24259051

European Medicines Agency recommends refusal of the marketing authorisation for masitinib

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a negative opinion, recommending the refusal of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product masitinib (Masican), intended for the treatment of malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST). Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends extension of indications for paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension (albumin-bound)

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 Abraxane. The CHMP adopted a new indication as follows: "Abraxane in combination with gemcitabine is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas". Read more here.

European Medicines Agency issues positive recommendation on generic zoledronic acid

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 Zoledronic Acid Accord 4mg/5ml concentrate for solution for infusion intended for the prevention of skeletal related events (pathological fractures, spinal compression, radiation or surgery to bone, or tumour-induced hypercalcaemia) in adult patients with advanced malignancies involving bone, and the treatment of tumour-induced hypercalcaemia (TIH). Read more here.

Eating nuts may lower pancreatic cancer risk

In a recent study, researchers analyzed data on 75,680 women from the Nurses' Health study to assess the potential association between nut consumption and the risk for pancreatic cancer. After adjusting the data for various risk factors such as smoking, age and physical activity, the researchers found that women who ate at least one ounce of nuts twice weekly had a 35 percent significantly reduced risk of pancreatic cancer when compared to those who principally did not eat nuts. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bao Y, et al. Nut consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer in women. Br J Cancer. 2013 Nov 26;109(11):2911-6. Epub 2013 Oct 22. PMID: 24149179

Researchers receive Movember Discovery Grant: Findings could lead to new diagnostic tool

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canadian men, but some men may have a type of the disease that doesn't require aggressive treatment.

As part of a Movember Discovery Grant from Prostate Cancer Canada, University of Calgary researchers are trying to understand indolent (dormant) prostate cancer better, in hopes of developing a test to differentiate dormant versus aggressive disease upon initial diagnosis. Dormant prostate cancer is not aggressive and does not spread, thereby making it less of an immediate threat than aggressive prostate cancer. Read more here.

Seven key findings from 8-year study of cancer caregivers

To better understand the effects of cancer on the quality of life of caregivers, the American Cancer Society’s Behavioral Research Center conducted an 8-year study – the American Cancer Society National Quality of Life Survey for Caregivers – initiated in 2002. It is the largest nationwide, long-term study of its kind, encompassing surveys of nearly 2,000 cancer caregivers. Read more here.

FDA approves Nexavar for advanced thyroid cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) to treat some people with advanced thyroid cancer. The drug was already on the market for treating some types of kidney cancer and liver cancer. The new approval is for treating differentiated thyroid cancer – the most common type – that has come back after treatment or that has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized), and is no longer responding to radioactive iodine treatment. Read more here.

The international pooling project of mammographic density

The International Pooling Project of Mammographic Density will create the first standardized pooled data/imaging resource, which will include women from more than 20 countries worldwide, spanning low- to high-incidence countries. It will be used to describe and account for international variations in mammographic density and investigate to what extent they contribute to international variations in breast cancer incidence rates. After the first year of fieldwork for the study, participating studies have now been identified, and anonymized images and data are being assembled at IARC. Read more here.

IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42 now freely available on-line

We are pleased to announce that IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42 are now available on-line in PDF format. This huge body of work, previously available only in print, represents all evaluations made by IARC Monographs Working Groups between 1972 and 1987. Access the monographs here.

NIH mouse study finds gut microorganisms may determine cancer treatment outcome

An intact population of microorganisms that derive food and benefit from other organisms living in the intestine is required for optimal response to cancer therapy, according to a mouse study by scientists at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and their collaborators. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Iida N, et al. Commensal bacteria control cancer response to therapy by modulating the tumor microenvironment. Science. 2013 Nov 22;342(6161):967-70. PMID: 24264989

Drug strategy blocks a leader driver of cancer

Using a new strategy, UC San Francisco researchers have succeeded in making small molecules that irreversibly target a mutant form of protein, called ras, without binding to the normal form. This feature distinguishes the molecules from all other targeted drug treatments in cancer, according to the researchers. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ostrem JM, et al. K-Ras(G12C) inhibitors allosterically control GTP affinity and effector interactions. Nature. 2013 Nov 20. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24256730

Worldwide trends show oropharyngeal cancer rates increasing

NCI scientists report that the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer significantly increased during the period 1983-2002 among people in countries that are economically developed. The results of this study, by Anil K. Chaturvedi, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, and his colleagues, appeared online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Chaturvedi AK, et al. Worldwide Trends in Incidence Rates for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Nov 18. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24248688

Oral drug may improve survival in men with metastatic prostate cancer

An investigational prostate cancer treatment slows the disease’s progression and may increase survival, especially among men whose cancer has spread to the bones, according an analysis led by the Duke Cancer Institute. The study adds long-term survival and safety data for the drug tasquinimod, a new candidate for treating advanced and recurrent prostate cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Armstrong AJ, et al. Long-term Survival and Biomarker Correlates of Tasquinimod Efficacy in a Multicenter Randomized Study of Men with Minimally Symptomatic Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Nov 19. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24255071

European Medicines Agency recommends change in indication for cetuximab to RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer

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 cetuximab (Erbitux). The CHMP changed the indication for use in metastatic colorectal cancer to clarify the particular genetic makeup of the cancer that must be present before treatment with Erbitux, which is described as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing, RAS wild-type disease. Read more here.

Smartphone smoking cessation apps need an upgrade

Smokers are increasingly turning to smartphone apps to help them quit. But many of these apps fail to incorporate proven quit-smoking practices, according to an analysis of the 98 most popular iPhone and Android smoking cessation apps. The American Cancer Society and George Washington University researchers identified the most popular apps as of February 2012 for the study. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Abroms LC, et al. A content analysis of popular smartphone apps for smoking cessation. Am J Prev Med. 2013 Dec;45(6):732-6. PMID: 24237915

Ontario’s successes in pathology reporting have potential to improve practice across Canada

As is your pathology, so is your medicine.

So said Dr. William Osler, a Canadian physician and one of the founding fathers of modern medicine. He was referring to the critical role that pathology – the study of tissue samples to diagnose disease – plays in diagnosing cancer and identifying treatment options.

Almost 100 years later, we’ve made tremendous progress in diagnosing and treating cancer, and there continue to be opportunities to improve. A recent article in the Journal of Oncology Practice has showcased the advancement of pathology reporting in Ontario. Initiated in 2008, Cancer Care Ontario’s Pathology Reporting Project uses structured electronic checklists to make the reporting of diagnostic findings by pathologists more complete. This has resulted in the vast majority of Ontario hospitals implementing electronic tools to report cancer diagnosis, standardized reporting and more complete pathology reports. This leads to more effective care planning and better outcomes for patients. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Srigley J, et al. Closing the quality loop: facilitating improvement in oncology practice through timely access to clinical performance indicators. J Oncol Pract. 2013 Sep 1;9(5):e255-61. doi: 10.1200/JOP.2012.000818. Epub 2013 Jul 2. PubMed PMID: 23943888.

Lung cancer kills more women in Canada than in other OECD countries

In Canada, 47 out of 100,000 women die of lung cancer every year—almost double the average rate of 26.5 per 100,000 among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) notes that this may be related to the fact that the percentage of Canadian women who smoked in the 1980s was more than double that of today, and a lag time of up to 30 years exists between a reduction in smoking rates and a decline in lung cancer rates. Read more here.

Study ties nuts to a lower risk of death, including from heart disease or cancer

Researchers tracked 119,000 men and women and found that those who ate nuts roughly every day were 20 per cent less likely to die during the study period than those who never ate nuts. Eating nuts less often also appeared to lower the death risk, in direct proportion to consumption. The risk of dying of heart disease dropped 29 per cent and the risk of dying of cancer fell 11 per cent among those who had nuts seven or more times a week compared with people who never ate them. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Bao Y, et al. Association of Nut Consumption with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:2001-2011.

Cancer patients prefer healthy meals to greasy foods, study finds

A study released by the Cancer Nutrition Consortium aims to improve the lives of cancer patients by helping them get the meals they want while combatting the weight loss and fatigue that often comes with aggressive treatment. Researchers surveyed 1,203 patients at seven of the world’s leading cancer centres, including Dana-Farber and the Mayo Clinic, and found that 40 per cent developed more sensitive palates after starting treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Read more here.

Read the full report here.

More blood clots in chemotherapy patients, researchers say

Blood clots may be more prevalent in patients undergoing chemotherapy than previously thought, according to new research from Duke University and King’s College Hospital, London. Lung, pancreatic and stomach cancers were associated with the highest incidences of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Read more here.

Study mentioned: Lyman GH, et al. Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Patients With Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy: A Real-World Analysis. Oncologist. 2013 Nov 8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24212499

FIRE-e: kindling for a CRC practice change?

In this short Medscape video, David Kerr, Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and past President of ESMO, discusses the updated results of the FIRE-3 study, which were presented recently by the German/Austrian group at the 2013 European Cancer Congress. This is a front-line, randomized study comparing FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab vs FOLFIRI plus cetuximab. View the video here.

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Screening Programme for Efficient Clinical Trial Access – lung cancer biomarker screening platform

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer has announced that it will build a Screening Programme for Efficient Clinical Trial Access (SPECTA) for patients with lung cancer. This programme, SPECTAlung, will prospectively collect biological materials from patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer, starting with non-small cell lung cancer and enable efficient clinical trial access for these patients. Read more here.

Clinical predictors of acute urinary symptoms after radiotherapy for prostate cancer

An interim study by Italian researchers showed that using a modelling programme together with IPSS questionnaire and dosage measure can predict the severity of acute urinary symptoms in patients with early prostate cancer who underwent radiotherapy. The findings were presented by Dr Cesare Cozzarini of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy at the 5th European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC) held in Marseille, France (15-17 November 2013). Read more here.

Obesity found to be major risk factor in developing basal-like breast cancer

Using a mouse model developed to study the basal-like subtype of breast cancer, a team led by Liza Makowski, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition with the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Sneha Sundaram, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in the Makowski Lab, discovered that obesity radically alters the cellular microenvironment of mammary glands in ways favorable to the growth of basal-like tumors. One major change is that obesity promotes a growth factor signaling pathway between the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) protein and an oncogene known as c-Met that is linked with basal-like cancer formation. In animals with elevated levels of HGF, the development of basal-like tumors increased. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Sundaram S, et al. Role of HGF in obesity-associated tumorigenesis: C3(1)-TAg mice as a model for human basal-like breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013 Nov 12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24218051

POEM of the week podcast: Finasteride prevents low-grade prostate cancers, but does not reduce mortality

Dr. Ebell and Dr. Wilkes discuss the POEM titled "Finasteride prevents low-grade prostate cancers, but does not reduce mortality" Download podcast here.

Kids' Cancer Treatments May Cause Heart Trouble

A new study conducted at the University of Minnesota indicates that doctors should be monitoring young child cancer patients for heart disease risk factors. According to the study, conducted on more than 300 boys and girls ages 9-18, "childhood leukemia survivors had a 9% decrease in arterial health after completing chemotherapy." With the five-year survival rate for childhood cancers in the U.S. currently around 83%, the findings from this study indicate that lifestyle changes aimed at lowering cardiovascular risk in childhood cancer survivors are necessary. To read more about this study, presented on November 17, 2013 at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Dallas, click here

Low-intensity therapy very effective in Burkitt lymphoma

For patients with Burkitt's lymphoma, a low-intensity treatment consisting of infused etoposide, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide with vincristine, prednisone, and rituximab (EPOCH-R) is highly effective, according to a study published in the Nov. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Dunleavy K, et al. Low-intensity therapy in adults with Burkitt's lymphoma. N Engl J Med. 2013 Nov 14;369(20):1915-25. PMID: 24224624

New research shows tea may help slow progression of prostate cancer

The December 2013 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition features 12 new articles about the relationship between tea and human health. Each paper is based on presentations from world-renowned scientists who participated in the Fifth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health, held at USDA in September 2012. Highlights of some of the compelling reports published through the AJCN include the following papers. Read more here.

Yuan JM. Cancer prevention by green tea: evidence from epidemiologic studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24172305

Lambert JD. Does tea prevent cancer? Evidence from laboratory and human intervention studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24172300

Qigong fights fatigue in prostate cancer survivors

Because cancer patients are often advised to participate in physical activity as a nonpharmacologic way to manage cancer-related fatigue and levels of distress, this trial study was launched to determine if the mind-body activity Qigong holds any promise for older cancer survivors in this regard. The study took place at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, and it was led by Anita Y. Kinney, MSN, PhD, of the University of New Mexico Cancer Center in Albuquerque and by Rebecca Campo, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Campo RA, et al. Levels of fatigue and distress in senior prostate cancer survivors enrolled in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of Qigong. J Cancer Surviv. 2013 Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24170679

E-cigarettes, hookahs gain popularity among US youth

Middle and high school students in the United States are using more non-conventional tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and hookahs. At the same time they are not significantly decreasing their use of cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more here.

Study mentioned: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tobacco product use among middle and high school students - United States, 2011 and 2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013 Nov 15;62(45):893-7. PMID: 24226625

Researchers work to improve outcomes of lymphoma patients

Researchers at UNMC have discovered that patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma don't respond well to the standard drug therapy used to treat this type of cancer if they have high levels of a gene called STAT3. "These results are significant in that it gives oncologists a better understanding of the best way to personalize medical treatment for these patients and offer them hope for more positive outcomes," said Kai Fu, M.D., associate professor in the department of pathology and microbiology. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Huang X, et al. Activation of the STAT3 Signaling Pathway Is Associated With Poor Survival in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated With R-CHOP. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Nov 12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24220556

How a common chemo drug thwarts graft rejection in bone marrow transplants

Results of a Johns Hopkins study may explain why a chemotherapy drug called cyclophosphamide prevents graft-versus-host (GVHD) disease in people who receive bone marrow transplants. The experiments point to an immune system cell that evades the toxic effects of cyclophosphamide and protects patients from a lethal form of GVHD. The findings could pave the way for improvements in preventing GVHD and rejection of transplanted bone marrow and new therapies to prevent or treat a relapse of the underlying cancer after a transplant. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Kanakry CG, et al. Aldehyde dehydrogenase expression drives human regulatory T cell resistance to posttransplantation cyclophosphamide. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Nov 13;5(211):211ra157. PMID: 24225944

Deletion of any single gene provokes mutations elsewhere in the genome

Johns Hopkins researchers report that the deletion of any single gene in yeast cells puts pressure on the organism’s genome to compensate, leading to a mutation in another gene. Their discovery, which is likely applicable to human genetics because of the way DNA is conserved across species, could have significant consequences for the way genetic analysis is done in cancer and other areas of research, they say. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Teng X, et al. Genome-wide Consequences of Deleting Any Single Gene. Mol Cell. 2013 Nov 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24211263

Prevention Policies Directory supports change at the local level to improve the lives of Canadians

More than one in three Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Yet the World Cancer Research Fund estimates that a full third of cancer cases can be prevented by eliminating tobacco use, and another third avoided by a combination of eating nutritious food, limiting alcohol consumption, participating in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight.

While Canadians can take steps on their own to try to prevent these cancers, healthy public policies such as banning smoking on all city property or keeping junk food out of public buildings are just a few ways local governments can influence the health of residents directly, and help to reduce their risk of getting cancer. Read more here.

Lung cancer top killer, but research dollars and donor support poor: oncologist

Lung cancer kills more Canadians each year than any other malignancy, but the disease receives a disproportionate amount of research and donation dollars compared with far less deadly cancers, says a national advocacy organization. Lung Cancer Canada says the disease causes more than 28 per cent of Canadian cancer deaths -- more than those from breast, colon and prostate cancer combined -- but receives only seven per cent of cancer-specific research funding and 0.1 per cent of charitable cancer donations. Read more here.

FDA approves ibrutinib for mantle cell lymphoma

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to treat some people with mantle cell lymphoma. The drug is intended for patients who have stopped responding to treatment, or whose cancer has come back after treatment. Ibrutinib was granted “breakthrough therapy” status, which qualified it for faster FDA review. “Imbruvica’s approval demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to making treatments available to patients with rare diseases,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement. Read more here.

Report forecasts worsening smoking epidemic in Africa

Africa is poised to become the “future epicenter of the tobacco epidemic,” according to a new analysis from the American Cancer Society. It warns that the number of adults in Africa who smoke could increase to 572 million by 2100, from 77 million today, unless leaders take steps to curb current trends. “The cost of having to intervene in the future rather than preventing it now will be massive,” says Evan Blecher, Ph.D., one the report’s authors and an economist with the International Tobacco Control Research program at the American Cancer Society. Read more here.

Read the full report, Tobacco use in Africa: tobacco control through prevention, here.

Study finds hormonal levels affect endometrial cancer drug efficiency

Modulating the hormonal environment in which endometrial cancers grow could make tumors significantly more sensitive to a new class of drugs known as PARP inhibitors, a researcher at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has shown for the first time. The findings could lead to a novel one-two punch therapy to fight endometrial cancers and provide an alternative option for conventional treatments that, particularly in advanced disease, have limited efficacy. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Janzen DM, et al. Low Levels of Circulating Estrogen Sensitize PTEN-null Endometrial Tumors to PARP Inhibition In Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther. 2013 Nov 12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24222661

Combination therapy not necessary to achieve remission in breast cancer patients with HER-2-positive disease

Giving trastuzumab and anthracyclines at the same time is effective at treating HER-2-positive breast cancer, but there is concern that this combination can be associated with an increased risk of cardiac toxicity. New research from Aman Buzdar M.D., professor and vice president of clinical research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and colleagues in the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, shows these agents do not need to be given concurrently to achieve a high rate of complete pathological remission. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Buzdar AU, et al. Fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC-75) followed by paclitaxel plus trastuzumab versus paclitaxel plus trastuzumab followed by FEC-75 plus trastuzumab as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (Z1041): a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet Oncology, Early Online Publication, 13 November 2013.

NIH study finds low-intensity therapy for Burkitt lymphoma is highly effective

Adult patients with a type of cancer known as Burkitt lymphoma had excellent long-term survival rates—upwards of 90 percent—following treatment with low-intensity chemotherapy regimens, according to a new clinical trial finding. Wyndham H. Wilson M.D. Ph.D., head of NCI’s Lymphoma Therapeutics Section, and colleagues conducted the trial at NIH’s Clinical Center. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Dunleavy K, et al. Low-Intensity Therapy in Adult Burkitt Lymphoma. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:1915-1925.

Compression bandages work as well for lymphedema as daily massage: study

A new study suggests compression bandages work as well as daily massage for the treatment of a complication of breast cancer treatment called lymphedema. Researchers from McMaster University wanted to compare the available treatments -- compression bandages and daily lymphatic drainage massage with trained therapists. They found no difference in the outcomes and they say that should reassure women for whom lymphatic massage is not an option. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Dayes IS, et al. Randomized trial of decongestive lymphatic therapy for the treatment of lymphedema in women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Oct 20;31(30):3758-63. PMID: 24043733

Whites', blacks' pancreatic cancer death rates diverge

Pancreatic cancer death rates for whites and blacks in the United States are going in two different directions. Rates among whites have been climbing since the late 1990s. The rates for blacks have been falling since peaking in 1989, according to an American Cancer Society analysis published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ma J, et al. Pancreatic Cancer Death Rates by Race Among US Men and Women, 1970-2009. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24203988

Young breast cancer patients with poorer financial status may experience delays in seeking care

Researchers who sought to determine why breast cancers are more deadly in young women found that only a minority of young women experience long delays between the time they detect a breast abnormality and the time they receive a diagnosis, but delays in seeking care are more common in women with fewer financial resources. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Ruddy KJ, et al. Breast cancer presentation and diagnostic delays in young women. Cancer. Article first published online: 11 NOV 2013.

Reclaiming a sex life after prostate cancer

Don Truckey, journalist, screenwriter, and prostate cancer survivor, wrote an e-book called My Prostate Cancer (Sex) Diary: The Story of a Young Survivor Who Didn’t Go Limp, to give comfort and personal information to other prostate-cancer patients and their spouses who likely feel as lost as he did at the time. The Torontonian tells The Globe and Mail that his 50-page story – released appropriately in Movember – is very much a “book of experience … and one I would very much have liked to read.” Read more here.

Canadian Cancer Society: Knowledge to Action grant application forms available

The Canadian Cancer Society is pleased to announce that the online application form is now available for the upcoming Knowledge to Action competition. Please visit the newly redesigned Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute website for application information and research news.

Knowledge to Action Grants: This grant program is designed to support primary knowledge translation (KT) research projects in behavioural and psychosocial sciences that build on existing cancer research findings and aim to improve outcomes and experiences through KT for people and populations at risk, patients, their families and communities across the cancer trajectory. Read more here.

Common genetic pathway could be conduit to pediatric tumor treatment

Investigators at Johns Hopkins have found a known genetic pathway to be active in many difficult-to-treat pediatric brain tumors called low-grade gliomas, potentially offering a new target for the treatment of these cancers. In laboratory studies, researchers found that the pathway, called mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), was highly active in pediatric low-grade gliomas, and that mTOR activity could be blocked using an experimental drug, leading to decreased growth of these tumors. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Hütt-Cabezas M, et al. Activation of mTORC1/mTORC2 signaling in pediatric low-grade glioma and pilocytic astrocytoma reveals mTOR as a therapeutic target. Neuro Oncol. 2013 Nov 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24203892

HPV can damage genes and chromosomes directly, sequencing study shows

The virus that causes cervical, head and neck, anal and other cancers can damage chromosomes and genes where it inserts its DNA into human DNA, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Akagi K, et al. Genome-wide analysis of HPV integration in human cancers reveals recurrent, focal genomic instability. Genome Res. 2013 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24201445

Prognostic value of baseline quality-of-life data for survival in different types of cancer

Results of an European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) study point out the prognostic value of baseline recorded health-related quality of life for survival in eleven types of cancer: brain, breast, colorectal, oesophageal, head and neck, lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and testicular cancer. For each cancer type, at least one health-related, quality-of-life parameter provided additional prognostic information over and above the clinical and socio-demographic variables. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Quinten C, et al. A global analysis of multitrial data investigating quality of life and symptoms as prognostic factors for survival in different tumor sites. Cancer. 2013 Oct 11. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24127333

Long term results of EORTC trial of perioperative FOLFOX4 versus surgery alone

Phase III study in patients with resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer
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Long term results of the randomized phase III EORTC intergroup trial 40983, recently reported in The Lancet Oncology, show that observed 4.1% difference in overall survival at five years for patients with initially resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer is not significant for perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 compared with surgery alone. Earlier results of the same study had shown that perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 increases progression-free survival (PFS), which was the primary endpoint of the study, compared with surgery alone in these patients. Overall survival was a secondary endpoint, and the trial was not initially powered to compare overall survival in the two groups. In this new article, the authors presented overall survival data after long-term follow-up and concluded that no difference in overall survival was found with the addition of perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4. In addition, they wrote that previously observed benefit in PFS means that perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 should remain the reference treatment in this population of patients. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Nordlinger B, Sorbye H, Glimelius B, et al. Perioperative FOLFOX4 chemotherapy and surgery versus surgery alone for resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer (EORTC 40983): long-term results of a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet Oncology 2013, 14(12): 1208-15. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(13)70447-9. Epub 2013 Oct 11.

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation makes $4.77 million research investment in Western Canada

As Canada’s leading community-driven breast cancer charity dedicated to funding relevant, innovative research, and supporting and advocating for the breast cancer community, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Prairies/NWT Region Thursday announced an investment of more than $4.77 million to support breast cancer research programs.
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A total of 14 research projects – including three at the University of Calgary — will benefit from the grants with funding spanning the next three years. Read more here.

SEMI-NUC project: “Prospective cohort study of residents living near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site – feasibility assessment”

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announces the launch of the web site for the SEMI-NUC project: “Prospective cohort study of residents living near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site – feasibility assessment”. The two-year project is coordinated by the Section of Environment and Radiation at IARC and supported by the European Commission Euratom FP7 grant No 323310. Read more here.

A pilot study shows next-generation sequencing feasibility in patients with advanced cancers

A pilot study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare shows that, even for patients with advanced and rapidly transforming cancer, next generation sequencing is feasible. While the initial effort was a slower process than anticipated due to a variety of issues, treatments for patients with progressing tumours may be improved. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Weiss GJ, et al. (2013) A Pilot Study Using Next-Generation Sequencing in Advanced Cancers: Feasibility and Challenges. PLoS ONE 8(10): e76438.

A new study evaluates early autologous stem cell transplantation for aggressive non-hodgkin's lymphoma

Performing early stem cell transplantation in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma does not improve overall survival in high-risk patients, according to a study published on 31 October, 2013 in the New England Journal of Medicine. But early transplantation does appear to be beneficial among a small group of patients who are at the very high risk, the study found. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Stiff PJ, et al. Autologous transplantation as consolidation for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. N Engl J Med. 2013 Oct 31;369(18):1681-90. PMID: 24171516

International osteoporosis foundation working group provides guidance on fracture prevention in cancer-associated bone disease

Bones are often affected in cancer patients, frequently because of bone metastases, or as a result of anti-cancer therapies which can contribute to bone loss and fragility. A new paper published by an International Osteoporosis Foundation Committee of Scientific Advisors Working Group reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology of cancer-associated bone disease and provides information about fracture prevention in cancer patients. The review summarises the pertinent recommendations of leading societies, providing guidance for clinical decision making and information on evidence-based pathways to prevent skeletal-related events and bone loss. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Rizzoli R, et al. Cancer-associated bone disease. Osteoporos Int. 2013 Oct 22. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24146095

About a third of US adults not getting colon cancer screenings

About one-third of US adults who should be getting screened for colon cancer aren’t getting screened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency reports that just 65.1% of eligible adult Americans, about two-thirds, are up-to-date with colon cancer screening tests. Of the rest, most have never been screened at all. Read more here.

Read the CDC report here.

Microbes in the gut help determine risk of tumors

Transferring the gut microbes from a mouse with colon tumors to germ-free mice makes those mice prone to getting tumors as well, according to the results of a study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The work has implications for human health because it indicates the risk of colorectal cancer may well have a microbial component. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Zackular JP, et al. The gut microbiome modulates colon tumorigenesis. MBio. 2013 Nov 5;4(6). pii: e00692-13. PMID: 24194538

Mutations linked to breast cancer treatment resistance

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a type of mutation that develops after breast cancer patients take anti-estrogen therapies. The mutations explain one reason why patients often become resistant to this therapy. The discovery stems from a program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center called Mi-ONCOSEQ in which patients with advanced cancer have their DNA and RNA sequenced to identify all types of genetic mutations that could play a role in the cancer. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Robinson DR, et al. Activating ESR1 mutations in hormone-resistant metastatic breast cancer. Nat Genet. 2013 Nov 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24185510

Imaging studies may predict tumor response to anti-angiogenic drugs

Advanced imaging techniques may be able to distinguish which patients' tumors will respond to treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs and which will not. Massachusetts General Hospital researchers studied patients newly diagnosed with the dangerous brain tumor glioblastoma and treated with the anti-angiogenic agent cediranib. They report that those patients for whom cediranib rapidly 'normalized' abnormal blood vessels around their tumors and increased blood flow within tumors survived significantly longer than did patients in whom cediranib did not increase blood flow. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Batchelor TT, et al. Improved tumor oxygenation and survival in glioblastoma patients who show increased blood perfusion after cediranib and chemoradiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Nov 4. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24190997

Researchers closing in on the future of lung cancer drugs

Researchers in medical centers around the world are learning more about lung cancer and developing new types of drugs to treat it. New therapies are badly needed because lung cancer causes more deaths among Americans than any other cancer. Lung cancer is difficult to treat, and most patients don’t have any symptoms until the cancer has spread too far to be cured. Read more here.

Fewer doses of HPV vaccine result in immune response similar to three-dose regimen

NCI scientists report that two doses of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, trademarked as Cervarix, resulted in similar serum antibody levels against two of the most carcinogenic types of HPV (16 and 18), compared to a standard three dose regimen. Among women who received only one dose, antibody levels were also high and remained stable four years after vaccination. The results suggest that fewer doses of an HPV vaccine may confer necessary long-term protection against new infection and appeared in Cancer Prevention Research. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Safaeian M, et al. Durable Antibody Responses Following One Dose of the Bivalent Human Papillomavirus L1 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine in the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial. Cancer Prev Res. November 2013;6:1242.

New study analyses barriers to academic-based cancer research commercialisation

A new study led by the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Assistant Director for Research, Nathan Vanderford, cites a combination of factors that prevent academic-based cancer research faculty from ultimately commercialising their work. The study utilised an electronic survey sent to faculty at the University of Kentucky with questions addressing general barriers inhibiting cancer research commercialisation and whether mitigation of the barriers could potentially enhance faculty engagement in commercialisation activities. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Vanderford NL, et al. A survey of the barriers associated with academic-based cancer research commercialization. PLoS One. 2013 Aug 21;8(8):e72268. PMID: 23991077

Afatinib activity in uncommon EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer

Results from the first prospective data series on afatinib activity, the irreversible HER family blocker, in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with tumours harbouring uncommon EGFR mutations, were presented at Oral Abstract Session on Targeted Therapies during the 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer (27 - 30 October 2013, Sydney, Australia). Afatinib showed activity in tumours harbouring mutations, such as G719X, L861Q and S768I. Read more here.

Alberta medical students take case against flavoured tobacco products to provincial government

Medical students from Edmonton and Calgary are meeting with Members of the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Nov. 4 to advocate for a ban on flavoured tobacco products. Since 2008, medical students from across Alberta have gathered once a year at the legislature for Political Action Day, lobbying the provincial government about an important health-care topic. This year, there will be about 53 medical students meeting with MLAs. The students hope banning flavoured tobacco products, such as menthol cigarettes, flavoured cigars/cigarillos, water pipe tobacco or chewing tobacco, will deter youth from smoking. Read more here.

U.S. FDA approves drug for leukemia based on research that it slows disease

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug from Roche to help treat patients with a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The agency cleared Gazyva to fight chronic lymphocytic leukemia in combination with chemotherapy in patients who haven't previously been treated for the disease. Gazyva works by killing cancer cells and encouraging the immune system to fight against them. Read more here.

Fox Chase study uncovers secrets behind the process of some cancers

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have discovered new clues about how some genes are turned on and off inside a cell—a process that, when it goes awry, can lead to cancer. Richard Katz, PhD, research professor at Fox Chase and lead author on the study, worked with colleagues to uncover details about how a single protein is able to physically "silence" gene clusters. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Poleshko A, et al. (2013) The Human Protein PRR14 Tethers Heterochromatin to the Nuclear Lamina during Interphase and Mitotic Exit. Cell Reports. 5(2): 292-301.

Study finds new genetic error in some lung cancers

A fine-grained scan of DNA in lung cancer cells has revealed a gene fusion – a forced merger of two normally separate genes – that spurs the cells to divide rapidly, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Colorado Cancer Center report in a new paper in the journal Nature Medicine. Treating the cells with a compound that blocks a protein encoded by one of those genes – NTRK1 – caused the cells to die. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Vaishnavi A, et al. Oncogenic and drug-sensitive NTRK1 rearrangements in lung cancer. Nat Med. 2013 Oct 27. doi: 10.1038/nm.3352. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24162815

Therapy matched to oncogenic drivers improves survival in metastatic lung adenocarcionoma

Results from the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium presented at the Presidential Symposium of the 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer (27-30 October 2013, Sydney, Australia) show that patients with lung adenocarcinoma with oncogenic drivers receiving a corresponding targeted agent, lived longer than similar patients who did not. An actionable driver was detected in 64% of tumours from patients with lung adenocarcinomas and more than one was present in 3%. Multiplexed testing aided physicians in choosing therapies and targeted trials in 28% of patients. Read more here.

Government of Canada works with private sector to invest in breast health

Eve Adams, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament (Mississauga-Brampton South), on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, today announced funding to support the Breast Health Program, led by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - Ontario Region. The Program will help women in Ontario aged 40+ make informed decisions about their breast health by increasing their understanding of breast cancer risk factors, and by encouraging the healthy behaviours that can help reduce that risk. Read more here.

New York votes to make tobacco-buying age 21

The New York City Council has voted overwhelmingly to raise the age for purchasing cigarettes from 18 to 21, a move that would make the nation’s most populous city among only a handful in the United States to target young smokers by barring them from buying smokes. It also approved a bill that sets a minimum $10.50-a-pack (U.S.) price for tobacco cigarettes and steps up law enforcement on illegal tobacco sales. Read more here.