Adult cancer drugs show promise against an aggressive childhood brain tumor

The quest to improve survival of children with a high-risk brain tumor has led St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators to two drugs already used to treat adults with breast, pancreatic, lung and other cancers. Researchers demonstrated that the drugs pemetrexed and gemcitabine killed cells from mouse and human brain tumors, called group 3 medulloblastoma, growing in the laboratory. Medulloblastoma is diagnosed in about 400 children annually in the U.S., making it the most common pediatric brain tumor. Read more here.

Some breast cancer tumors hijack patient epigenetic machinery to evade drug therapy

A breast cancer therapy that blocks estrogen synthesis to activate cancer-killing genes sometimes loses its effectiveness because the cancer takes over epigenetic mechanisms, including permanent DNA modifications in the patient’s tumor, once again allowing tumor growth, according to an international team headed by the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Read more here.

25% of breast cancer survivors report financial decline due to treatment

Four years after being treated for breast cancer, a quarter of survivors say they are worse off financially, at least partly because of their treatment, according to a new study led by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers. The researchers surveyed women in Detroit and Los Angeles who had been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, based on data obtained from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results population-based registry. Read more here.

Meta-analysis of Vitamin D sufficiency for improving survival of patients with breast cancer

Breast cancer patients who have higher vitamin D blood levels are more likely to survive breast cancer than those with lower levels, according to a recent study.

Researchers analyzed data from five studies to assess the relationship between vitamin D blood levels and breast cancer survival rates. Data was assessed based on death rates following the diagnosis of breast cancer.

The researchers found that patients with the highest vitamin D blood levels had about half the risk of death from breast cancer when compared to the patients with the lowest vitamin D levels. The authors noted that vitamin D levels should be monitored to ensure levels are maintained within a normal range of 30-80 nanograms per milliliter of blood.

African Breast Cancer - Disparities in Outcomes study

The African Breast Cancer - Disparities in Outcomes (ABC-DO) study is a within-Africa, multi-country study of factors that affect breast cancer outcomes for patients at public hospitals across different sub-Saharan African settings. In four public hospital settings, ABC-DO will examine the full journey of breast cancer patients, from pre-diagnosis right through the post-diagnosis treatment period for up to 3 years. ABC-DO will study both immediate biological factors (prognostic factors, tumour biology, and treatment received) and distal factors that represent barriers to early presentation and diagnosis, and receipt of timely and appropriate treatment. Connect to the website here.

Modelling mutational landscapes of human cancers

A new report by investigators from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) describes how key aspects of cancer development can be modelled in cultured cells treated with carcinogenic chemicals. This study uses innovative genomics and bioinformatics approaches to establish specific mutation fingerprints left in the cellular DNA by carcinogens during cellular immortalization and clonal expansion, two characteristics of cancer development.

Olivier M, et al. Modelling mutational landscapes of human cancers in vitro. Scientific Reports (NPG). 4:4482; published on 27 March 2014.

IMURAN (azathioprine) or PURINETHOL (mercaptopurine) - Association with hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma

Triton Pharma Inc. and Teva Canada Ltd., in consultation with Health Canada, would like to inform you of the association between the use of purine antagonists IMURAN® (azathioprine) or PURINETHOL® (mercaptopurine) and the development of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare but serious cancer, mostly in patients where it is used for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IMURAN® (azathioprine) is a drug used to treat adult rheumatoid arthritis and help prevent kidney transplant rejection. PURINETHOL® (mercaptopurine) is a drug approved to treat cancer (leukemias). Read more here.

Wait for breast cancer diagnosis too long, report says

Women across Canada are waiting weeks longer than they should be to find out if they have breast cancer, according to a sweeping new report evaluating the country’s efforts to fight all types of cancer. No province is meeting a national benchmark for how quickly the majority of patients receive a diagnosis after an abnormality is spotted during a breast screening, with Quebec missing the target by the widest margin. Read more here.

Outpatient cancer care experiences in BC

The purpose of this 2014 report is to describe British Columbians’ perceptions and reported experiences with outpatient cancer care, to compare their responses to those of other Canadians, and to determine if there have been changes in patient experiences for comparable BC patients who were surveyed in 2005/06. Read the full report, Patient Experiences with Outpatient Cancer Care in British Columbia, 2012/13, here.

Inherited mutated gene raises lung cancer risk for women, those who never smoked

People who have an inherited mutation of a certain gene have a high chance of getting lung cancer — higher, even, than heavy smokers with or without the inherited mutation, according to new findings by cancer researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Although both genders have an equal risk of inheriting the mutation, those who develop lung cancer are mostly women and have never smoked, the researchers found. Read more here.

Oncologists differ widely on offering cancer gene testing, study finds

Many cancer researchers believe that cutting-edge advances in genomics will pave the way for personalized or “precision” cancer medicine for all patients in the near future. A new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, however, suggest that not all doctors are ready to embrace tests that look for hundreds of DNA changes in patients’ tumor samples, while others plan to offer this type of cancer gene testing to most of their patients. Read more here.

Study reveals a major mechanism driving kidney cancer progression

In a recent issue of Cancer Cell, researchers from Chicago and Beijing describe the mechanisms that enable hypoxia to cause the overexpression of SPOP. They show that hypoxia also stimulates the shuttling of SPOP out of the nucleus, where it normally prevents tumor growth, to the cytoplasm, where it shuts down protective pathways that should restrict tumor growth. Read more here.

Implementation of the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network

The National Cancer Institute is launching a new clinical trials research network intended to improve treatment for the more than 1.6 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year. The new system, NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), will facilitate the rapid initiation and completion of cancer clinical trials based on improvements in data management infrastructure, the development of a standardized process for prioritization of new studies, consolidation of its component research groups to improve efficiency, and the implementation of a unified system of research subject protection at over 3,000 clinical trials sites. Read more here.

Genetic, non-invasive test could improve colon cancer screening

A non-invasive test that includes detection of the genetic abnormalities related to cancer could significantly improve the effectiveness of colon cancer screening, according to research published by a team of scientists including David Ransohoff, MD, professor of medicine at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member. Read more here.

Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 45th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer

Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 45th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer is being held in Tampa, FL for four days (March 22-25). Follow the latest news from the premier scientific and educational event for those who treat and care for women with gynecologic cancer.

Some of the releases include:
Bariatric Surgery May Lower Risk of Uterine Cancer (March 22, 2014)
Women With Gynecologic Cancers May Live Longer When Treated at High-Volume Medical Centers (March 24, 2014)
Targeted Cancer Therapy May Treat Resistant Gynecologic Cancers (March 25, 2014)

Study ties breast cancer gene to high-risk uterine cancer

Women with a faulty breast cancer gene might face a greater chance of rare but deadly uterine tumours despite having their ovaries removed to lower their main cancer risks, doctors are reporting. A study of nearly 300 women with bad BRCA1 genes found four cases of aggressive uterine cancers years after they had preventive surgery to remove their ovaries. That rate is 26 times greater than expected. Read more here.

Tattoos can camouflage melanomas, experts warn

The popularity of tattoos has exploded in recent decades, turning body art from a badge worn mainly by sailors and tough guys to a much more mainstream form of personal expression. Tats can be safely acquired, as long as the shop you visit follows proper procedures. But they can actually pose a bit of an increased risk when it comes to skin cancer, experts in the field say. To be clear, there is no evidence linking tattoo ink to an increased likelihood of developing a skin cancer. But tattoos can mask a burgeoning melanoma, making it difficult to track changes in an existing mole or spot a new one as it forms. Read more here.

FDA has questions about accuracy of 2 colon cancer screening tools

The Food and Drug Administration is weighing the benefits and risks of two experimental colon cancer screening tests which use DNA from a patient's stool to detect dangerous tumors and growths. FDA scientists have questions about the accuracy and the potential real-world impact of the kits from Epigenomics and Exact Sciences, according to briefing documents posted online. The agency released its reviews of the tests ahead of a two-day meeting. Read more here.

Organizations commit to goal of 80% colon cancer testing rate by 2018

Dozens of health-related organizations are pooling their resources to increase the nation’s colon cancer testing rate to 80% by the year 2018. The National Colorectal Screening Roundtable (NCCRT) officially launched the effort in Washington, DC. The NCCRT was co-founded by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce colon cancer incidence and death rates. Read more here.

2014 Colorectal cancer fast facts

Every 3 years, American Cancer Society researchers analyze and report on colorectal cancer statistics and trends in the United States. They summarize the data in the publications Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures. The recently released 2014 publications provide in-depth information about colorectal cancer occurrence, risk factors, prevention, early detection, and treatment. Read more here.

Read the full document here.

Diabetes and colon cancer: an emerging link

Even though the two diseases share several common risk factors, research shows that type 2 diabetes itself is indeed linked to increased risk of developing colon cancer. Studies also show that among patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, those with diabetes were more likely than those without it to die – even after controlling for other factors such as disease stage, body weight, and smoking habits. There are a few major hypotheses for the link, according to Peter Campbell, Ph.D., an American Cancer Society researcher who has been studying the connection between diabetes and colon cancer for a number of years. Read more here.

Using big data to identify triple-negative breast, oropharyngeal, and lung cancers

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and colleagues used “big data” analytics to predict if a patient is suffering from aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, slower-moving cancers or non-cancerous lesions with 95 percent accuracy. If the tiny patterns they found in magnetic resonance images prove consistent in further studies, the technique may enable doctors to use an MRI scan to diagnose more aggressive cancers earlier and fast track these patients for therapy. Read more here.

Health gap between adult survivors of childhood cancer and siblings widens with age

Adult survivors of childhood cancer face significant health problems as they age and are five times more likely than their siblings to develop new cancers, heart and other serious health conditions beyond the age of 35, according to the latest findings from the world’s largest study of childhood cancer survivors. Read more here.

Precision Oncology 3.0

The emerging paradigm of Precision Oncology 3.0 uses panomics (genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, etc.) and sophisticated methods of statistical reverse engineering to hypothesise the putative networks that drive a given patient's tumour, and to attack the tumour drivers with combinations of targeted therapies. Read more here.

Coordinating Action Systems Medicine: systems biology application across Europe

Within the FP7 project entitled Coordinating Action Systems Medicine (CASyM), funded by the European Union, clinicians, researchers, companies and funding organisations from across Europe work together to bring basic life science research and everyday clinical practice together. Their effort is based on the rapid development of a young scientific field called Systems Biology, which analyses and describes biological entities such as cells, organs and whole organisms in an all-encompassing or systems level. Read more here.

Idelalisib in relapsed indolent lymphoma

Dr Ajay Gopal of the Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, USA and colleagues have reported results from an international non-randomised phase II study of idelalisib monotherapy in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The overall response rate was impressive 57%, with a median progression-free survival of 11 months, values suggesting that the efficacy of idelalisib is similar or superior to those of other active treatment options in relapsed or refractory indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Read more here.

NCCS’ push for cancer care planning

In a recent article posted online via CURE Magazine, NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso describes experiences that underscore the need for improved communication between patients and providers, as well as the evidence-base that informs NCCS’ push for cancer care planning. The Institute of Medicine recently proposed a framework for quality cancer care that centers on engaged patients and emphasizes informed decision-making. NCCS continues to work towards policy initiatives that will encourage cancer care planning. Read more here.

New Schulich software helps spot breast cancer earlier

Software developed at the Schulich School of Engineering in collaboration with the Alberta Breast Cancer Screening Program has been shown to flag subtle signs of breast cancer sooner than ever before.

The system focuses on detecting architectural distortion, which refers to specific patterns in breast tissue that are often missed during routine screening. These patterns can be precursors to tumours and they may appear more than a year before more obvious signs of breast cancer such as lumps in breast tissue.

Read more here.

Dartmouth researchers develop new approach to chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment

Dartmouth researchers have developed a novel and unique approach to treating Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The researchers, led by Alexey V. Danilov, MD, PhD, assistant professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Hematologist-Oncologist at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, modeled the lymph node microenvironment where CLL cells are found in the laboratory. They were able to disrupt the activity of a pathway (NF-kappaB) that ensures the survival and resistance of the CLL cells in such microenvironments. Read more here.

Genomic testing links 'exceptional' drug response to rare mutations in bladder cancer

A patient with advanced bladder cancer in a phase I trial had a complete response for 14 months to a combination of the targeted drugs everolimus and pazopanib, report scientists led by a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher, and genomic profiling of his tumor revealed two alterations that may have led to this exceptional response. This information can help identify cancer patients who may respond to everolimus, according to the report published in Cancer Discovery. Read more here.

2013: A year of progress in oncology

A recent issue of Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology hosts reports on advances in six tumour types, as seen and interpreted by internationally-renowned experts. Highlights in advances in lung, breast, cervical, colorectal, hepatocellular cancers and melanoma are examined. Read more here.

Managing the side effects of novel cancer immunotherapeutics

In a recent review article, Drs Tara Gangadhar and Robert Vonderheide of the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, describe the adverse-event profiles for several novel immune therapy approaches for cancer, and discuss the appropriate management of patients receiving these therapies. Read more here.

Post-Authorization Activity Table (PAAT) for Mekinist

The PAAT describes post-authorization activity for Mekinist, a product which contains the medicinal ingredient Trametinib dimethyl sulfoxide. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Mekinist is favourable as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation. Read more here.

Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) for Pomalyst

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Celgene Inc. for the drug product Pomalyst. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Pomalyst is considered favourable, in combination with dexamethasone (Pomalyst+LD-dex), for patients with multiple myeloma for whom both bortezomib and lenalidomide have failed and who have received at least two prior treatment regimens and have demonstrated disease progression on the last regimen. Read more here.

Pilot lung cancer screening program launched

Study aims for earlier detection and more effective screening protocols

The Alberta Cancer Foundation has invested more than $7 million into four new research programs across the province, all designed to transform patient care and impact outcomes here in Alberta.

One of the programs which have received the funding is Dr. Alain Tremblay’s program. The research program will screen 800 Albertans for lung cancer over three years to determine how effective the screening method is and which patients can benefit the most. Additionally, 200 Albertans who have previously participated in a national lung cancer screening pilot program will be screened again to determine how often patients need to be screened. At the end of the three year project, Dr. Tremblay and his team hope to be in a position to start a full province-wide screening program.

Read more from UToday.

Whole-genome sequencing for clinical use faces many challenges, study finds

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that although life-changing discoveries can be made, significant challenges must be overcome before whole-genome sequencing can be routinely clinically useful. In particular, they found that individual risk determination would benefit from a degree of improved sequencing accuracy in disease-associated genes. Furthermore, up to 100 hours of manual assessment by professional genetic counselors or informatics specialists is required for detailed genome analysis. Read more here.

Screening for breast cancer results in increased diagnoses of early stage cancer

Screening for breast cancer appeared to have a very limited effect on the occurrence of serious and aggressive cancer cases. On the other hand, it appeared to detect more early cancer cases, cases which would otherwise never have developed – but which are treated due to screening. In this study, the researchers examined the stage distribution of breast cancer diagnosed before the introduction of screening, during the introduction and after the scheme was fully implemented. Read more here.

Report: Cancer will be no. 1 killer in U.S.

In 16 years, cancer will become the leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing heart disease, according to a new report from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The number of new cancer cases is expected to increase nearly 45% by 2030, from 1.6 million cases to 2.3 million cases annually. Read more here.

Why so many struggle to follow cancer prevention strategies: an American Cancer Society expert roundtable discussion

A roundtable of experts from the American Cancer Society’s Behavioral Research Center and Cancer Control department discuss what current research shows in terms of why it is so hard for people to change their habits – even when it comes to helping prevent cancer. Read more here.

Researchers identify target for shutting down growth of prostate cancer cells

Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified an important step toward potentially shutting down the growth of prostate cancer cells. Dr. Ralf Kittler, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, studies ERG, a protein that facilitates the transformation of normal prostate cells into cancer cells. His lab found that an enzyme called USP9X protects ERG from degradation and subsequently found that a molecule called WP1130 can block USP9X and lead to the destruction of ERG. Read more here.

Anti-psychotic medications offer new hope in the battle against glioblastoma

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that FDA-approved anti-psychotic drugs possess tumor-killing activity against the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer, glioblastoma. The team of scientists, led by principal investigator, Clark C. Chen, MD, PhD, vice-chairman, UC San Diego, School of Medicine, division of neurosurgery, used a technology platform called shRNA to test how each gene in the human genome contributed to glioblastoma growth. Read more here.

Common mutation is culprit in acute leukemia relapse

Harvard stem cell scientists have identified a mutation in human cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia that likely drives relapse. The research, published in Cancer Cell, could translate into improved patient care strategies for this particular blood cancer, which typically affects children but is more deadly in adults. Harvard Stem Cell Institute Principal Faculty member David Langenau, PhD, and his lab members in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital used zebrafish to search for rare, relapse-driving leukemia cells and then designed therapies that could kill these cells. Read more here.

Impact of nivolumab on survival, tumour remission and long-term safety in patients with advanced melanoma

A dose-escalation, cohort expansion study with nivolumab in patients with advanced melanoma aimed to observe its impact on overall survival, long-term safety, and response duration after treatment discontinuation. The results are seen as remarkable for patients with treatment-resistant, advanced/metastatic melanoma, with overall survival comparing favourably to literature studies of similar patient populations. Responses were durable and persisted after drug discontinuation with acceptable long-term safety. Read more here.

Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) for Xofigo

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Bayer Inc. for the radiopharmaceutical product Xofigo. The market authorization was based on quality (chemistry and manufacturing), non-clinical (pharmacology and toxicology), and clinical (pharmacology, safety, and efficacy) information submitted. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Xofigo is favourable for the treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease. Read more here.

Cervical cancer screening in Canada

This report presents data for the years 2009–11 for the 12 cervical screening program performance indicators for women aged 20 to 69 years, plus descriptive information about the use of HPV testing and immunization. This report also provides more detailed cervical cancer information for 20 to 24 year old women and by histological subtype (squamous cell carcinoma and non–squamous cell carcinomas).

Although the degree of cervical cancer screening program organization varies across the country, eight provinces contributed data for this report: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Each provincial cervical screening program reviewed and approved its data and report and all provinces and territories were kept informed of the process.

The results provide updated information about cervical cancer screening outcomes from across Canada.

Examining disparities in cancer control: A system performance special focus report

Report highlights:

Examining Disparities in Cancer Control: A System Performance Special Focus Report is part of the System Performance Special Focus
Report series by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The series focuses on specific topics or domains within the cancer control system,
providing indicators and analyses that help highlight best practices and identify opportunities for system improvements across the country.
This report focuses on equity by providing some objective, data-driven answers to the following question: To what extent are there disparities among Canadians in their risk of cancer, their access to cancer control services and their care outcomes, based on their income, whether they are immigrants or Canadian-born and whether they live in urban, rural or remote communities?

View the report here.

First ever global atlas identifies unmet need for palliative care

Only 1 in 10 people who need palliative care - that is medical care to relieve the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness - is currently receiving it. This unmet need is mapped for the first time in the "Global atlas of palliative care at the end of life", published jointly by the WHO and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA).

More than just pain relief
Palliative care is more than just pain relief. It includes addressing the physical, psychosocial and emotional suffering of patients with serious advanced illnesses and supporting family members providing care to a loved one.

Read more here.

Investigational drug may increase survival for some patients with advanced melanoma

An experimental drug aimed at restoring the immune system's ability to spot and attack cancer halted cancer progression or shrank tumors in patients with advanced melanoma, according to a multisite, early-phase clinical trial at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and 11 other institutions. All patients had experienced disease progression despite prior systemic therapies, and most had received two or more prior treatments. Read more here.

Younger men benefit most from surgery for localized prostate cancer

A new study by researchers from Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and colleagues—which draws from one of the few randomized trials conducted to directly address determining course of treatment for men with prostate cancer—finds a substantial long-term reduction in mortality for men with localized cancer who undergo a radical prostatectomy. While the benefit on mortality appears to be limited to men less than age 65, surgery did reduce the risk of metastases and need for additional treatment in older men. Read more here.

Breast Cancer Startup Challenge announces ten winning teams of entrepreneurs; Promising technologies identified to speed cancer research

The Breast Cancer Startup Challenge is comprised of 10 research technologies that were judged to show great promise to advance breast cancer research. These 10 inventions were developed at NCI or at an Avon Foundation-funded university lab and include therapeutics, diagnostics, prognostics, one device, one vaccine, one delivery system and one health IT invention. Read more here.

Meat and cheese may be as bad as smoking

In a new study that tracked a large sample of adults for nearly two decades, researchers have found that eating a diet rich in animal proteins during middle age makes you four times more likely to die of cancer than someone with a low-protein diet — a mortality risk factor comparable to smoking. Read more here.

Yoga regulates stress hormones and improves quality of life for women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy

Researchers found that while simple stretching exercises counteracted fatigue, patients who participated in yoga exercises that incorporated controlled breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques into their treatment plan experienced improved ability to engage in their daily activities, better general health and better regulation of cortisol (stress hormone). Women in the yoga group were also better equipped to find meaning in the illness experience, which declined over time for the women in the other two groups. Read more here.

New ASTRO white paper provides practice guidelines for high-dose-rate brachytherapy

Commissioned by ASTRO’s Board of Directors as part of the Target Safely campaign, the white paper evaluates the current safety and practice guidance for HDR brachytherapy, makes recommendations for guidance applications to the delivery of HDR brachytherapy, suggests topics where additional guidance is needed and examines the adequacy of general physics, quality assurance (QA) and clinical guidance currently available for the most common treatment sites with regard to patient safety. The manuscript also addresses HDR brachytherapy procedures, the use of checklists and forms, the multidisciplinary treatment team, challenges to maintaining safe use of HDR brachytherapy and key measures for avoiding catastrophic failure. Read more here.

Optimizing targets and therapeutics in high risk and refractory multiple myeloma

Researchers have to date focused on therapy aimed primarily at the cancer cells, but recently, however, scientists have realised that not enough attention was being paid to the impact of the bone marrow microenvironment on multiple myeloma. The microenvironment often provides a protective niche for the tumour and in many cases optimal conditions for growth. The concept of the OPTATIO (OPtimizing TArgets and Therapeutics In high risk and refractOry Multiple Myeloma) project is to develop tools to interfere with the cancer microenvironment and in this way improve the chances of therapy in the fight against multiple myeloma. Read more here.

New studies may help reduce colon cancer screening disparities

While many Americans in general are not getting the recommended colon cancer screenings, there are certain groups that are lagging behind more than others. Colon cancer screening rates are lowest among: low-income individuals, those with no health insurance, those with less education, certain racial and ethnic minorities, those living in rural areas. There are various reasons that these groups do worse than others. These include lack of access to health care, low health literacy, and language and cultural barriers. A number of American Cancer Society-funded researchers are currently working on new ways to address these barriers. Read more here.

E-cigarette use linked to conventional cigarette smoking among adolescents

Researchers from University of California San Francisco have found that middle and high school students who use electronic cigarettes are more likely to become regular smokers of conventional cigarettes. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, looked at data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2011 and 2012. It also found adolescents who used e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes were less likely to quit. Read more here.

Addressing priority cancer control gaps with and for First Peoples

March 6, 2014 - A new initiative was launched today to improve cancer control with and for First Peoples. While cancer affects everyone, rates of common cancers have increased among First Nations, Inuit and Métis in the past few decades and in some populations are now at or above those in the general Canadian population. The new initiative will help reduce the cancer burden for these communities and improve the experience for patients.

See more from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

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Cholesterol-metabolism study suggests new diagnostic, treatment approach for aggressive prostate cancer

Researchers have discovered a link between prostate cancer aggressiveness and the accumulation of a compound produced when cholesterol is metabolized in cells, findings that could bring new diagnostic and treatment methods. Findings also suggest that a class of drugs previously developed to treat atherosclerosis might be repurposed for treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Read more here.

Study shows more hospital deaths and invasive care for dying cancer patients who receive chemotherapy

Terminal cancer patients who receive chemotherapy in the last months of their lives are less likely to die where they want and are more likely to undergo invasive medical procedures than those who do not receive chemotherapy, according to new research. The findings underscore a disconnect between the type of care many cancer patients say they want and the kind they receive, and highlight the need for clearer and more balanced discussion of palliative chemotherapy at the end of life by doctors, patients and families, the study authors say. Read more here.

Improved lab screening technique opens door for new pediatric neuroblastoma therapies

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common and lethal types of childhood cancers. In a paper published in OncoTarget, a researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio unveils the important role of microRNAs in regulating neuroblastoma development, pointing to new therapeutic possibilities. Read more here.

Study reveals mechanisms cancer cells use to establish metastatic brain tumors

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering provides fresh insight into the biologic mechanisms that individual cancer cells use to metastasize to the brain. The study found that tumor cells that reach the brain — and successfully grow into new tumors — hug capillaries and express specific proteins that overcome the brain's natural defense against metastatic invasion. Read more here.

Breast cancer cells less likely to spread when one gene is turned off

New research suggests that reducing production of a protein, called myoferlin, affects cancer cells in two primary ways: by changing the activation of many genes involved in metastasis in favor of normal cell behavior, and by altering mechanical properties of cancer cells – including their shape and ability to invade – so they are more likely to remain nested together rather than breaking away to travel to other tissues. Read more here.

Nanoparticles and magnetic fields train immune cells to fight cancer in mice

Using tiny particles designed to target cancer-fighting immune cells, Johns Hopkins researchers have trained the immune systems of mice to fight melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. The experiments, described on the website of ACS Nano, represent a significant step toward using nanoparticles and magnetism to treat a variety of conditions, the researchers say. Read more here.

Penn researchers show nuclear stiffness keeps stem cells and cancer cells in place

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that cell migration through micron-size pores is regulated by lamin-A, a nuclear protein that is very similar to the fibrous ones that make up hair. They have also shown that a cell’s ability to survive the mechanical stress of migration depends on proteins called “heat shock factors.” Using an anti-cancer drug that inhibits heat shock responses, they showed that this drug’s effectiveness relies on inhibiting the invasive migration of cells via the same mechanism. Read more here.

Immune system-based therapy produces lasting remissions in melanoma patients, study reports

A drug that unleashes the immune system to attack cancer can produce lasting remissions and hold the disease in check – for more than two years, in some cases – in many patients with advanced melanoma, according to a new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and allied institutions. Read more here.

A paper diagnostic for cancer

MIT engineers have developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve cancer diagnosis rates and help people get treated earlier. The diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer. This approach has helped detect infectious diseases, and the new technology allows noncommunicable diseases to be detected using the same strategy. Read more here.

Experimental treatment eradicates acute leukemia in mice

A diverse team of scientists from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed an experimental treatment that eradicates an acute type of leukemia in mice without any detectable toxic side effects. The drug works by blocking two important metabolic pathways that the leukemia cells need to grow and spread. Read more here.

Cancer patients turning to mass media and non-experts for info: increasing inappropriate use of high-cost advanced imaging procedures

The increasing use of expensive medical imaging procedures in the U.S. like positron emission tomography (PET) scans is being driven, in part, by patient decisions made after obtaining information from lay media and non-experts, and not from health care providers. That is the result from a three-year-long analysis of survey data appearing in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Read more here.

Blocking autophagy with malaria drug may help overcome resistance to BRAF drugs in melanoma

Half of melanoma patients with the BRAF mutation have a positive response to treatment with BRAF inhibitors, but nearly all of those patients develop resistance to the drugs and experience disease progression. Now, a new preclinical study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Investigation from Penn Medicine researchers found that in many cases the root of the resistance may lie in a never-before-seen autophagy mechanism induced by the BRAF inhibitors vermurafenib and dabrafenib. Read more here.

Yoga improves quality of life and physiological changes associated with radiotherapy in breast cancer patients

For patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Researchers found that while simple stretching exercises counteracted fatigue, patients who participated in yoga exercises that incorporated controlled breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques into their treatment plan experienced improved ability to engage in their daily activities, better general health and better regulation of stress hormone cortisol. Patients in the yoga group were also better equipped to find meaning in the illness experience, which declined over time for the patients in the other two groups. Read more here.

Prophylactic oophorectomy in BRCA1 mutation carriers should be performed by age 35

The findings of a large international prospective study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggest for the first time that women with BRCA1 mutations should have prophylactic oophorectomy by age 35, as waiting until a later age appears to increase the risk of ovarian cancer before or at the time of the preventive surgery. Women with a BRCA2 mutation, however, do not appear to be at an increased risk by age 35, suggesting they may delay this procedure until later. Read more here.

Secondary thyroid cancer in adolescents and young adults

A new analysis has found that adolescents and young adults who develop thyroid cancer as a secondary cancer have a significantly greater risk of dying than those with primary thyroid cancer. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings stress the importance of screening young cancer survivors to detect early signs of a potentially life-threatening thyroid malignancy. Read more here.

New trial alert: stereotactic body radiation therapy for treatment of early stage breast cancer

A new trial sponsored by the Juravinski Cancer Centre and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is presently recruiting women aged 70 and over for a new experimental radiation technique to combat early stage breast cancer.  Known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), this treatment method delivers "large doses of radiation precisely to the tumour while avoiding critical organs, therefore destroying the cancer and avoiding surgery altogether."

To learn more about this trial, click here.

Projects in Progress from CADTH (Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health)

The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) provides decision-makers with the evidence, analysis, advice, and recommendations they require to make informed decisions in health care. Funded by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments, CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit agency that delivers timely, evidence-based information to health care leaders about the effectiveness and efficiency of health technologies.

We will be including their projects in progress in our blog every month to help you with their latest information on new projects in cancer.

Project Type: Summary with Critical Appraisal
- Non-Drug Interventions for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: Guidelines and Recommendations

Project Type: Reference List

- Nutritional Supplementation for Patients with Cancer: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines

Project Type: Summary with Critical Appraisal

More here.