Penn team makes cancer glow to improve surgical outcomes

With a new technique, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have established a new strategy to help surgeons see the entire tumor in the patient, increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome. This approach relies on an injectable dye that accumulates in cancerous tissues much more so than normal tissues. When the surgeon shines an infrared light on the cancer, it glows, allowing the surgeon to remove the entire malignancy. Read more here.

Acupuncture improves quality of life for breast cancer patients using aromatase inhibitors

Use of electroacupuncture (EA) – a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles – produces significant improvements in fatigue, anxiety and depression in as little as eight weeks for early stage breast cancer patients experiencing joint pain related to the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) to treat breast cancer. The results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial examining the intervention led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are published online this week in the journal Cancer. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency Recommends Granting a Marketing Authorisation for Ibrutinib

On 24 July 2014, the European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation for the medicinal product ibrutinib (Imbruvica) 140 mg hard capsule intended for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Read more here

Cell's recycling center implicated in division decisions

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have now identified a mechanism that overrides the cells’ warning signals, enabling cancers to continue to divide even without a robust blood supply. In the process, the researchers found that lysosomes — the cell’s protein “recycling centers” — help govern cell division decisions. They also uncovered new evidence that certain drugs can halt the growth of tumors that have high levels of the protein HIF-1alpha. Read more here.

NCI statement on the U.S. Surgeon General's "Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer"

As the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research and training, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) endorses The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer, which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the current state of skin cancer prevention efforts in the United States and recommends actions for improvement in the future. Read more here.

Study shows epigenetic changes can drive cancer

Researchers at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital have now created a mouse model providing the first in vivo evidence that epigenetic alterations alone can cause cancer. “We knew that epigenetic changes are associated with cancer, but didn’t know whether these were a cause or consequence of cancer. Developing this new approach for ‘epigenetic engineering’ allowed us to test whether DNA methylation changes alone can drive cancer,” said Dr. Lanlan Shen, associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor and senior author of the study. Read more here.

Discovery of protein's role in making platelets may aid multiple myeloma patients

A University of Utah School of Medicine-led study has identified a previously unknown but crucial component in the process to make platelets, a discovery that could help spare multiple myeloma patients from a dangerous side effect of the primary drug (bortezomib) used to treat their cancer. The researchers show that when the proteasome, which is a protein complex that breaks down the proteins that regulate cellular processes, is pharmaceutically inhibited platelet production in human and mice cells was blocked. Read more here.

Healthy habits may help childhood cancer survivors avoid chronic ills

A new study conducted at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, reinforces the notion that adhering to a healthy lifestyle for adults who had childhood cancer can reduce risk for chronic health issues. Following analysis of 1,600 childhood cancer survivors who were cancer-free for at least 10 years, researcher Kirsten Ness and her team found that male and female childhood cancer survivors who did not follow a healthy diet "were more than twice as likely to have metabolic syndrome". To read more about this study, click here

Hodgkin's Lymphoma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines

This guideline covers recommendations for diagnosis, staging and risk assessment, treatment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, response evaluation, prognosis, and follow-up. Read more here: 

BIT's 8th Annual World Cancer Congress-2015

BIT’s 8th Annual World Cancer Congress - 2015 will be held on 27-29, May, 2015 in Chongqing, China. The congress consists of twelve cooperative, specialized programs tailored to highlight the latest and most exciting discoveries in every area of cancer research and it will provide a unique opportunity for researchers from all over the world to meet, network, and forge new scientific interactions. Read more here.

Cancer incidence in Canada, 2010

About 170,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Canada in 2010, which translates to an incidence rate of almost 500 cases per 100,000 people. Although this is an 11.1% increase compared with a decade earlier, the age-standardized incidence rate, which controls for aging in the population, has actually decreased by 3.4% to 391.1 cancers per 100,000 people. Read more here.

Featured interview videos and articles from MASCC 2014 meeting

The 2014 meeting of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) took place June 26-28, 2014, in Miami. Featured videos and conference articles, primarily highlighting the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and other side effects, have been made available on the MASCC website. Read more here.

Physician and cancer survivor shares what cancer patients really want to hear

Early last fall, physician Nikhil Joshi was alarmed to find a lump on his neck. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In March, he published The End of Suffering, a book of personal musings, to give hope to other cancer patients. Now 28, and with a clean bill of health, he talks with The Globe about his book, the things you should – and should not – say to cancer patients, and how his struggles in recent months have made him a better, more empathetic doctor. Read the interview here.

Vanderbilt-led study identifies genes linked to breast cancer in East Asian women

A new study in East Asian women has identified three genetic changes linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. While breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide, most studies of the genetic risk factors for the disease have focused on women of European ancestry. Given the differences in genetic heritage and environmental exposures between East Asian women and those of European ancestry, the Vanderbilt University investigators decided to conduct a study in East Asians to search for genetic changes that are linked to breast cancer development. Read more here.

Defining cancer survivorship

In 1986, the founders of NCCS saw a need for language that truly told the story of life after a cancer diagnosis. The phrase “cancer survivorship” was created to describe this broad experience on the cancer continuum — living with, through, and beyond a cancer diagnosis. Defining cancer survivorship was important for the millions of people who shared an experience. It also helped to create a common language for discussing survivorship issues. Read more here.

A ‘disturbing’ increase in some HPV-related cancers

Although cervical cancer is declining, human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers of the base of the tongue and tonsils (oropharynx) as well as anal canal cancers are increasing, according to a population-based study in Alberta. The study, which includes cancers diagnosed over the last 35 years from the Alberta Cancer Registry, looked at trends in HPV-related cancers. During the study period, 8120 HPV-associated cancers were diagnosed in the province, of which 56 per cent were cervical cancers and 18 per cent oropharyngeal cancers. Read more here.

TCGA researchers identify four subtypes of stomach cancer

Stomach cancers fall into four distinct molecular subtypes researchers with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Network have found. In the study, scientists report that this discovery could change how researchers think about developing treatments for stomach cancer, also called gastric cancers or gastric adenocarcinomas. Instead of considering gastric cancer as a single disease, as has been done in the past, researchers will now be able to explore therapies in defined sets of patients whose tumors have specific genomic abnormalities. Read more here.

CAREX Canada

CAREX (CARcinogen EXposure) is a multi-institution research project that combines academic expertise and government resources to generate an evidence-based carcinogen surveillance program for Canada. This surveillance project estimates the number of Canadians exposed to substances associated with cancer in workplace and community environments. These estimates provide significant support for targeting exposure reduction strategies and cancer prevention programs. Read the July e-Bulletin here.

Visit the website here.

MED12 somatic mutations in breast fibroadenoma

Clinicians often face of challenge of distinguishing fibroadenomas from breast cancer. To facilitate this diagnostic question, scientists from the National Cancer Centre Singapore, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, and Singapore General Hospital embarked on a study to identify if there are any genetic abnormalities in fibroadenomas that may be used to differentiate them. The team showed that 59% of breast fibroadenomas contain somatic mutations in exon 2 of MED12. This mutation pattern is shared with another female-specific benign tumour, uterine leiomyoma. Read more here.

Researchers report first large-scale integrated proteomic and genomic analysis of a human cancer

Investigators who analyzed 95 human colorectal tumor samples have determined how gene alterations identified in previous analyses of the same samples are expressed at the protein level. The integration of proteomic and genomic data, or proteogenomics, provides a more comprehensive view of the biological features that drive cancer than genomic analysis alone and may help identify the most important targets for cancer detection and intervention. Read more here.

Metabolic enzyme stops progression of most common type of kidney cancer

In an analysis of metabolites used by the body to make fuel in normal and cancerous cells in human kidney tissue, a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania identified an enzyme key to applying the brakes on tumor growth. The team found that an enzyme called FBP1 – essential for regulating metabolism – binds to a transcription factor in the nucleus of certain kidney cells and restrains energy production in the cell body. What’s more, they determined that this enzyme is missing from all kidney tumor tissue analyzed. These tumor cells without FBP1 produce energy at a much faster rate than their non-cancer cell counterparts. Read more here.

NIH study finds negative HPV screening test result is a better predictor of low cervical cancer risk than a negative Pap test

Based on a study that included more than 1 million women, investigators at the National Institutes of Health have determined that a negative test for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection compared to a negative Pap test provides greater safety, or assurance, against future risk of cervical cancer. That is, women who test negative on the HPV test have an extremely low risk of developing cervical cancer. Read more here.

New gene discovered that stops the spread of deadly cancer

Scientists at the Salk Institute have identified a gene responsible for stopping the movement of cancer from the lungs to other parts of the body, indicating a new way to fight one of the world's deadliest cancers. By identifying the cause of this metastasis—which often happens quickly in lung cancer and results in a bleak survival rate—Salk scientists are able to explain why some tumors are more prone to spreading than others. The newly discovered pathway may also help researchers understand and treat the spread of melanoma and cervical cancers. Read more here.

Webinar: Latest news about colorectal cancer research & treatment

Fight Colorectal Cancer has now posted the webinar, "The Latest News About CRC Research & Treatment" on its website. Presented by Dr. Cathy Eng, Associate Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, , the session looks at the latest studies, treatments, and developments impacting colorectal cancer patients. To watch a record of the webinar and view/download the corresponding slides, click here.

Early onset prostate cancer - more aggressive subtype often linked to genetic mutations

The number of younger men diagnosed with prostate cancer has increased nearly 6-fold in the last 20 years, and the disease is more likely to be aggressive in these younger men, according to a new analysis from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

See the full report here.

Study mentioned:
Salinas C, Tsodikov A, Ishak-Howard M,et al.Prostate cancer in young men: an important clinical entity. Nature Reviews Urology 2014; 11: 317–323.

Provinces taking too long to approve potentially life-saving cancer drugs: study

Canada’s two-tiered process of approving potentially life-saving oncology drugs is preventing cancer patients in some provinces from accessing medication that’s readily available in other parts of the country, according to a new study. The study, released by think-tank Fraser Institute, looks at the effectiveness of the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR), which was established in 2010 to recommend new cancer drugs to all the provinces and territories, except Quebec. Read more here.

Read the report, Has pCODR improved access to oncology drugs?, here.

CLARINET study in metastatic enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

A strong anti-proliferative response was demonstrated for the somatostatin analogue lanreotide in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuro-endocrine tumours. The final analyses of data from a phase III trial showed that treatment with lanreotide significantly prolonged progression-free survival in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours compared to treatment with placebo. The results presented by lead investigator Dr. Martyn Caplin, Professor of Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrinology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK, last year have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read more here.

Clinical experience with MEK inhibitors and future developments

Aberrant activation of the RAS–RAF–MEK–ERK pathway occurs in more than 30% of human cancers. As part of this pathway, MEK1 and MEK2 have crucial roles in tumorigenesis, cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. Highly selective and potent MEK inhibitors have been developed and assessed in numerous clinical studies. However, only hints of antitumour activity have been seen in tumours other than melanoma. In an article published in the Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Drs Yujie Zhao and Alex Adjei of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, USA review MEK1/2 signalling, activity of MEK inhibitors and common toxic effects. Read more here.

Post-Authorization Activity Table for Perjeta

The PAAT table describes post-authorization activity for Perjeta, a product which contains the medicinal ingredient pertuzumab. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Perjeta in combination with Herceptin (trastuzumab) and docetaxel is favourable for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Read more here.

New combination drug controls tumor growth and metastasis in mice

Researchers at UC Davis, University of Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School have created a combination drug that controls both tumor growth and metastasis. By combining a COX-2 inhibitor, similar to Celebrex, and an epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor, the drug controls angiogenesis (blood vessel formation), limiting a tumor's ability to grow and spread. "We've been studying the effects of COX and sEH inhibitors, both by themselves and in combination, for several years," said senior author and UC Davis Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock. "We were surprised to find that the dual inhibitor was more active than higher doses of each compound, either individually or together. By combining the two molecules into one we got much greater potency against several diseases and completely unique effects in terms of blocking tumor growth and metastasis." Read more here.

Antibody halts cancer-related wasting condition

New research raises the prospect of more effective treatments for cachexia, a profound wasting of fat and muscle occurring in about half of all cancer patients, raising their risk of death, according to scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Scientists led by Bruce Spiegelman, PhD, demonstrated that in mice bearing lung tumors, their symptoms of cachexia improved or were prevented when given an antibody that blocked the effects of a protein, PTHrP, secreted by the tumor cells. Read more here.

Depressed men with prostate cancer are diagnosed with later stage disease, and get less effective therapies

Depressed men with localized prostate cancer were more likely to be diagnosed with more aggressive prostate cancer, received less effective treatments and survived for shorter times than prostate cancer patients who were not depressed, a UCLA study has found. The negative outcomes may be the result of several factors such as bias against the mentally ill, depression's impact on biological cancer processes, the depressed man's lack of investment in his general health and disinterest in receiving more effective care, and missed opportunities by physicians to educate patients about prostate cancer screening and treatment, said study lead author Dr. Jim Hu, UCLA's Henry E. Singleton Professor of Urology and director of robotic and minimally invasive surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Read more here.

Cultured CTCs reveal genetic profile, potential drug susceptibility of breast cancer cells

Circulating tumor cells captured with a microchip-based device developed at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Engineering in Medicine and the MGH Cancer Center can be cultured to establish cell lines for genetic analysis and drug testing. An MGH research team reports that the cultured cells accurately reflect a tumor's genetic mutation over time and changing susceptibility to therapeutic drugs. "We now can culture cells from the blood that represent those present in metastatic deposits, which allows testing for drug susceptibility as the tumor evolves and acquires new mutations," says Shyamala Maheswaran, PhD, of the MGH Cancer Center, co-senior author of the Science paper. "We need to improve culture techniques before this is ready for clinical use, and we are working on doing that right now." Read more here.

Researchers create tool to help unravel secrets of cancer

An interdisciplinary team of chemists, oncologists and one statistician at Stanford has taken the first step toward developing a technique that can identify the origin of certain types of cancer — a potential boon to doctors prescribing therapies for their patients. “The same cancer can occur because of different genes, but in certain cases the aggressiveness and the type of treatment actually depend a lot on what oncogene caused that cancer,” said Livia Eberlin, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in chemistry and lead author of the paper. Read more here.

Bonuses Ontario paid to MDs had little effect on 3 cancer screening rates

More than $100-million in bonuses the Ontario government paid to doctors did little to increase screening rates for three kinds of cancer, according to a new study that undermines the popular notion that financial incentives can change how physicians care for their patients. Researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto found a program introduced in 2006 produced no significant change, despite the province spending $28.3-million, $31.3-million and $50-million, respectively, on bonuses over three years for family doctors who hit targets for cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening. Read more here.

Physical fitness associated with less pronounced effect of sedentary behavior

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Cancer Society, the Cooper Institute, and the University of Texas indicates that physical fitness may neutralize the health effects of excessive sitting. Sedentary behavior has long been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This current study, led by Dr. Kerem Shuval, and conducted on more than 1300 men in Dallas, shows that higher fitness levels were "associated with reduced adiposity and metabolic measures." To read more about this study, click here.

Vitamin D linked to colon cancer survival

Colon cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are more likely to survive the disease, according to research published this week. Scientists who studied almost 1,600 patients after surgery for colon cancer (also known as bowel or colorectal cancer) found those with the highest levels of vitamin D have half the risk of dying of the disease compared with those with the lowest levels. The study is the first to correlate the long-term survival prospects of colon cancer patients after diagnosis with their total blood levels of vitamin D. Read more here.

Vasectomy may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer

Vasectomy was associated with a small increased risk of prostate cancer, and a stronger risk for advanced or lethal prostate cancer according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The researchers found that the association remained even among men who received regular PSA screening, suggesting the increased risk of lethal cancer cannot be explained by diagnostic bias. It is the largest and most comprehensive study to date to look at the link between vasectomy and prostate cancer. Read more here.

Study identifies novel genomic changes in the most common type of lung cancer

Researchers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network have identified novel mutations in a well-known cancer-causing pathway in lung adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype of lung cancer. Knowledge of these genomic changes may expand the number of possible therapeutic targets for this disease and potentially identify a greater number of patients with treatable mutations because many potent cancer drugs that target these mutations already exist. Read more here.

NCI study finds extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a younger age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries. The study, led by researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that people with class III (or extreme) obesity had a dramatic reduction in life expectancy compared with people of normal weight. Read more here.

Affluent teens choosing hookah over cigarettes

Wealthier high-school students may be more likely to try smoking the hookah, according to a new study. The water-pipe device with its series of tubes and mouthpieces looks nothing like a cigarette, but is often used to smoke tobacco, and as such carries many of the dangers inherent in cigarette smoking. Read more here.

New study reveals how tumors remodel their surroundings to grow

A team of scientists from Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) has found that the loss of a protein called p62 in the cells and tissue surrounding a tumor can enhance the growth and progression of tumors. The study suggests that therapies targeting the tumor microenvironment may be as important as targeting the tumor itself. The findings contribute to the increasing acknowledgement that the cells and tissue surrounding a tumor—the stroma—are an integral part of cancer initiation, growth, and expansion. Read more here.

Pseudogenes may provide clearer understanding of biomarkers

Han Liang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the Cancer Center, and his team completed a study that generated pseudogene expression profiles in 2,808 patient samples representing seven cancer types. That meant analyzing 378 billion RNA sequences to measure the expression levels of close to 10,000 pseudogenes. The results indicated that the science of pseudogene expression analysis may very well play a key role in explaining how cancer occurs by helping medical experts in the discovery of new biomarkers. Read more here.

Bone marrow fat tissue secretes hormone that helps body stay healthy

A University of Michigan-led study shows that the fat tissue in bone marrow is a significant source of the hormone adiponectin, which helps maintain insulin sensitivity, break down fat, and has been linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity-associated cancers. The study found that both marrow adipose tissue and adiponectin increased in humans with anorexia, and in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for ovarian or endometrial cancer. Read more here.

Purdue-designed tool helps guide brain cancer surgery

A tool to help brain surgeons test and more precisely remove cancerous tissue was successfully used during surgery, according to a Purdue University and Brigham and Women's Hospital study. The Purdue-designed tool sprays a microscopic stream of charged solvent onto the tissue surface to gather information about its molecular makeup and produces a color-coded image that reveals the location, nature and concentration of tumor cells. Read more here.

Is There an Expanding Role of Hepatic Resection for Melanoma?

Surgical resection of hepatic metastasis markedly improves survival among melanoma patients, according to new study findings published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. These results challenge a current dogma in melanoma, as it is most often considered fatal once it has spread to the liver with a 4- to 6-month median overall survival. Read more here

Cancer in the UK 2014

Cancer in the UK 2014, the first in a regular series of state of the nation reports from Macmillan Cancer Support, shows for the first time how the UK is performing on the issues that matter most to people with cancer. A comprehensive review of the available evidence was carried out and applied to Macmillan’s ‘Nine Outcomes’ – nine statements that people with cancer have said they want to be able to say about their cancer experience. Read more here.

Comprehensive Review of Treatments for Depression in Cancer Patients

Depression is common in cancer patients, up to half of all patients facing the disease experience depressive symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. When depression co-exists with cancer, patients may be at an increased risk of death from cancer and from suicide. Antidepressants are commonly prescribed, but the evidence on their efficacy is mixed. The role of antidepressants in treating cancer-related depression has not been rigorously studied. To identify best practice for the treatment of depression in cancer, Dartmouth researchers completed a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research. The paper was published in General Hospital Psychiatry in June 2014. Read more here

A little fear can lead to better use of sunblock: study

Fear of developing skin cancer is the driving force behind sunblock use, more so than existing statistics reflecting the likelihood that it will happen, a new study suggests. Marc Kiviniemi, lead researcher and assistant professor of community health and health behaviour at the University of Buffalo, used the data collected during a U.S. study by the National Cancer Institute that involved approximately 1,500 participants. Study participants were selected based on an absence of personal history of skin cancer and answered questions about sunblock use and their worries and estimated risks of developing the disease. Read more here.

3 D breast imaging could revolutionize cancer screening

Researchers at Washington Radiology Associations have conducted a study on more than 59,000 patients exposed to 3D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) versus traditional 2D digital mammography. According to study results, there was "an increase in the detection rate for cancer overall of 28.6% and a 43.8% increase in detecting invasive cancers" when screening patients with 3D DBT compared to 2D DM. According to corresponding author Julianne Greenberg, these findings give support to the use of tomosynthesis as a viable method for population-based breast cancer screening. To read more about this study and other articles in the July 2014 issue of Artemis, the monthly newsletter produced by the Johns Hopkins Breast Center, click here

World GI: CONCUR Study Shows Improvement in Survival Outcomes with Regorafenib

The results of this double blind, placebo controlled trial show that patients with stage IV adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum have increased overall survival when treated with regorafenib. The median OS in the regorafenib group was 8.8 months compared to 6.3 months with placebo (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.550, p=0.0002). Secondary endpoints showed similar results with an increase in PFS for patients receiving regorafenib 3.2 months compared to 1.7 months, (HR= 0.311, p=<0.0001); and disease control rate (DCR) 52% vs 7%, respectively. Click here to read more.

MASCC/ISOO symposium webcasts available online

Webcasts from the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer held in Miami, Florida, June 26-28, 2014 are now available online. View the webcasts here.

Having a sweet tooth may increase breast cancer risk

A diet high in sweet foods and sugar-sweetened drinks is associated with increased breast density, according to a new study funded in part by the Canadian Cancer Society. Increased breast density is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer. The study, which involved 776 premenopausal and 779 postmenopausal women, found that postmenopausal women with a high intake of sweet foods and premenopausal women with a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages had higher breast density. The findings mark the first time a specific association has been studied between diets high in sweet foods and drinks, breast density and menopausal status. Read more here.

Proton therapy has advantages over IMRT for advanced head and neck cancers

A new study by radiation oncologists at Mayo Clinic comparing the world’s literature on outcomes of proton beam therapy in the treatment of a variety of advanced head and neck cancers of the skull base compared to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has found that proton beam therapy significantly improved disease free survival and tumor control when compared to IMRT. “We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the clinical outcomes of patients treated with proton therapy with patients receiving photon IMRT,” says senior author Robert Foote, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic. “Our findings suggest that the theoretical advantages of proton beam therapy may in fact be real.” Read more here.

Scientists engineer nanoparticles to prevent bone cancer progression, strengthen bones

A research collaboration between Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and has utilized nanomedicine technologies to develop a drug-delivery system that can precisely target and attack cancer cells in the bone, as well as increase bone strength and volume to prevent bone cancer progression. “There are limited treatment options for bone cancers,” added Michaela Reagan, PhD, of Dana-Farber’s Center for Hematologic Oncology, co-lead study author. “Our engineered targeted therapies manipulate the tumor cells in the bone and the surrounding microenvironment to effectively prevent cancer from spreading in bone with minimal off-target effects.” Read more here.

HIV-infected people with early-stage cancers are up to four times more likely to go untreated for cancer

HIV-infected people diagnosed with cancer are two to four times more likely to go untreated for their cancer compared to uninfected cancer patients, according to a new, large retrospective study from researchers in Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute. “In my clinical experience, I have seen uncertainty surrounding treatment of HIV-infected cancer patients,” said the study’s lead author, Gita Suneja, MD, an adjunct assistant professor in the department of Radiation Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and in the Abramson Cancer Center . “Patients with HIV have typically been excluded from clinical trials, and therefore oncologists do not know if the best available treatments are equally safe and effective in those with HIV.” Read more here.

A single gene separates aggressive and non-aggressive lymphatic system cancer

For a rare form of cancer called thymoma, researchers have discovered a single gene defining the difference between a fast-growing tumor requiring aggressive treatment and a slow-growing tumor that doesn’t require extensive therapy. Thymoma is a cancer derived from the epithelial cells of the thymus, an organ critical to the lymphatic system where T-cells, or so-called “killer cells,” mature. Very little is known about the role of the gene mutation GTF2l in human tumors, but scientists from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute say almost all indolent (slow growing and non-aggressive) forms of thymoma they tested have the mutation. Read more here.