Is precision medicine coming of age?

Rapid advances in high-throughput genomic technology are driving the evolution of precision medicine and genomic sequencing could eventually become a routine part of clinical practice. Precision medicine has the potential to improve health outcomes, reduce toxicity and increase cost efficiency. Importantly, it puts the patient at the centre and allows physicians to optimise disease management.Oncology will be one of the areas in which the impact of precision medicine will be greatest: it could transform cancer care in the coming decades. Read more here.

Pembrolizumab shows promise in several solid tumours

Results from the studies of pembrolizumab in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, gastric cancer, urothelial cancer and head and neck carcinoma, presented during the ESMO 2014 Congress (Madrid, Spain), show promising activity and tolerability from this novel monoclonal antibody.Read more here.

Scientists detect early sign of pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have identified an early sign of pancreatic cancer, which may lead to new tests for earlier diagnosis. Following an analysis of 1500 blood samples from study participants, the early sign "is an increase in levels of certain amino acids...[occurring] before patients develop symptoms." According to study co-senior author Dr. Brian Wolpin, higher levels of branched chain amino acids were present in individuals who eventually developed pancreatic cancer. To learn more about this study, click here.

Novel compound prevents metastasis of multiple myeloma in mouse studies

In a significant advance against the problem of cancer metastasis, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have shown that a specially developed compound can impede multiple myeloma from spreading to the bones in mice. The findings suggest the technique can protect human patients, as well, from one of the most deadly aspects of cancer. In the current study, researchers explored why errant myeloma cells often settle in bones, and whether the bones could be made less hospitable to such malignant homesteading. Read more here.

Researchers engineer "Cas9" animal models to study disease and inform drug discovery

Researchers from the Broad Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a new mouse model to simplify application of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for in vivo genome editing experiments. The researchers successfully used the new “Cas9 mouse” model to edit multiple genes in a variety of cell types, and to model lung adenocarcinoma, one of the most lethal human cancers. The mouse has already been made available to the scientific community and is being used by researchers at more than a dozen institutions. Read more here.

Ottawa failing to take action on e-cigarettes

The evidence backing e-cigarettes as an effective cessation or harm-reduction device is mixed, and more rigorous study is needed to figure out how well the products work at helping people quit tobacco-based cigarettes, and whether inhaling vaporized nicotine causes any long-term health effects. At the same time, there is real – and legitimate – worry that e-cigarettes, available in dozens of candy and fruit flavours, could be a gateway for teens who will then graduate to the real thing. Despite these lingering questions, more tobacco-control experts are embracing the idea that e-cigarettes may have a crucial role to play in reducing smoking rates and want them to be available on a restricted basis in Canada, to keep them out of the hands of minors. Read more here.

Public health officers tackle hazy issue of e-cigarettes

The e-cigarette debate is particularly complicated. The battery-operated devices – which mimic the look and feel of conventional cigarettes without the tobacco, producing vapour instead of smoke – are hailed by some as the key to quitting smoking. But others, including the World Health Organization, have called for stricter regulation because of the child-friendly flavours and the addictive nicotine that many, but not all, contain. In an effort to make sense of the regulations, the e-cigarette issue is on the agenda for provincial and territorial health ministers, who are meeting in Banff, Alta., this week. Read more here.

ESMO 2014 press release: PIK3CA mutations blunt benefit of anti-HER2 drugs

Patients with HER2 positive breast cancer derive less benefit from anti-HER2 drugs when they have PIK3CA mutations, according to Dr Evandro de Azambuja, medical director of the Br.E.A.S.T. Data Centre, Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels, Belgium. de Azambuja commented on the impact of PIK3CA mutations as new data in the neoadjuvant setting was presented at the ESMO 2014 Congress in Madrid, Spain. Read more here.

ESMO 2014 press release: New data on combination treatments for melanoma

 Combination therapy with both BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib and MEK inhibitor cobimetinib achieves greater progression-free survival and response rates than vemurafenib plus placebo in BRAF-mutation positive melanoma, according to phase III data presented at the ESMO 2014 Congress in Madrid, Spain. Read more here.

ESMO 2014 press release: Studies report new findings on treatment options for mesothelioma

Treating patients with high-dose radiotherapy after chemotherapy and surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma does not achieve improvements in local relapse and overall survival, according to data from a prospective randomized phase II trial presented at ESMO 2014 Congress in Madrid. Read more here.

IARC calls on countries with high stomach cancer burden to act to prevent the disease

A new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, urges health authorities of countries with high stomach cancer burden to include stomach cancer in their national cancer control programmes and allocate more resources to control the disease. A Working Group of international experts convened by IARC reviewed evidence to evaluate strategies for stomach cancer prevention based on the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that is the primary cause of stomach cancer. Read more here.

Launch of BCNet website

The Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) Biobank and Cohort Building Network (BCNet) initiative arose from the realization that despite improvements in developed countries, population cohorts and biobanking facilities are either underdeveloped or non-existent in LMICs. In this context and in line with IARC’s mission to contribute to worldwide cancer research, BCNet was set up as an opportunity for LMICs to work together in a coordinated and effective manner and jointly address the many challenges in biobanking infrastructure, including ethical, legal, and social issues. Visit the website here.

A single genetic change can cause cancerous tumors in a child’s eyes

Researchers have answered the long-standing question of why mutations to a particular gene primarily cause tumors of the retina and not of other cell types. Led by David Cobrinik, associate professor of ophthalmology at the USC Eye Institute, the study could reveal new cellular signaling pathways relevant to retinal development, cancer development and the development of novel therapies. Read more here.

NIH exceptional responders to cancer therapy study launched

The Exceptional Responders Initiative, a study to investigate the molecular factors of tumors associated with exceptional treatment responses of cancer patients to drug therapies, was launched by the National Cancer Institute. Scientists will attempt to identify the molecular features of tumors that predict whether or not a particular drug or class of drugs will be beneficial. Investigators will examine tumor specimens from patients in clinical trials who achieved an exceptional response relative to other trial participants, or other patients who achieved an exceptional and unexpected response to a non-investigational therapy. Read more here.

Study questions accuracy of lung cancer screens with FDG-PET technology in some geographic regions

A new analysis of published studies found that FDG-PET technology is less accurate in diagnosing lung cancer versus benign disease in regions where infections like histoplasmosis or tuberculosis are common. Misdiagnosis of lung lesions suspicious for cancer could lead to unnecessary tests and surgeries for patients, with additional potential complications and mortality. Read more here.

Fine line between breast cancer, normal tissues

Up to 40 percent of patients undergoing breast cancer surgery require additional operations because surgeons may fail to remove all the cancerous tissue in the initial operation. However, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have successfully tested a tool they developed that will help surgeons better distinguish cancerous breast tissue from normal tissue, thereby decreasing the chances for repeat operations. Read more here.

Gene expression patterns in pancreatic circulating tumor cells revealed

Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer identified distinct patterns of gene expression in several groups of CTCs, including significant differences from the primary tumor that may contribute to the ability to generate metastases. In their study, investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center identified several different classes of pancreatic CTCs and found unexpected factors that may prove to be targets for improved treatment of the deadly tumor. Read more here.

ESMO 2014 press release: Discrepancies in access to new cancer drugs revealed.

Access to potentially life-extending cancer drugs varies significantly in different regions of the world, two new studies show at the ESMO 2014 Congress in Madrid, Spain. Read more here.

NCI’s Center for Global Health announces first major research grants to support portable technologies

NCI’s Center for Global Health (CGH) announced grants that will support the development and validation of low-cost, portable technologies. These technologies have the potential to improve early detection, diagnosis, and non-invasive or minimally invasive treatment of several cancer types that have a particularly high prevalence in a number of low- and middle-income countries, noted CGH director Ted Trimble, M.D. Read more here.

Cancer cells adapt energy needs to spread illness to other organs

Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found that cancer cells traveling to other sites have different energy needs from their “stay-at-home” siblings which continue to proliferate at the original tumor site. The reason may lie with the protein, PGC-1α, a type of transcription co-activator crucial to regulation of cellular metabolism. PGC-1α appears to play a role in how cancer cells are able to acquire unique energy sources that allow them to travel and spread cancer in the body. Read more here.

Stanford researchers create 'evolved' protein that may stop cancer from spreading

A team of Stanford researchers has developed a protein therapy that disrupts the process that causes cancer cells to break away from original tumor sites, travel through the bloodstream and start aggressive new growths elsewhere in the body. This process, known as metastasis, can cause cancer to spread with deadly effect. "The majority of patients who succumb to cancer fall prey to metastatic forms of the disease," said Jennifer Cochran, an associate professor of bioengineering who describes a new therapeutic approach in Nature Chemical Biology. Read more here.

Canada often takes years longer than U.S. to approve cancer drugs: study

Health authorities in Canada tend to take several months longer to approve new cancer drugs than those in the U.S., leaving Canadian patients waiting longer for the potentially life-extending medication, a new study suggests. Toronto-based cancer researchers Dr. Sunil Verma, from Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto, and PhD student Nardin Samuel looked at how long it took for 41 cancer drugs to be approved in Canada, and compared the approval times to those in the U.S. and the European Union. They found that on average, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved drugs six months earlier than for the European Union's European Medicines Agency, and 7.6 months earlier than Health Canada. Read more here.

Exercise boosts tumor-fighting ability of chemotherapy

New research from University of Pennsylvania scientists suggests that exercise may have an added benefit for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Their work, performed in a mouse model of melanoma, found that combining exercise with chemotherapy shrunk tumors more than chemotherapy alone. Joseph Libonati, an associate professor in the School of Nursing and director of the Laboratory of Innovative and Translational Nursing Research, and colleagues were particularly interested in testing whether exercise could protect against the negative cardiac-related side effects of the common cancer drug doxorubicin. Though effective at treating a variety of types of cancer, doxorubicin has is known to damage heart cells, which could lead to heart failure in the long-term. Read more here.

A better way to track emerging cell therapies using MRIs

Cellular therapeutics – using intact cells to treat and cure disease – is a hugely promising new approach in medicine but it is hindered by the inability of doctors and scientists to effectively track the movements, destination and persistence of these cells in patients without resorting to invasive procedures, like tissue sampling. In a paper published in the online journal Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and elsewhere describe the first human tests of using a perfluorocarbon tracer in combination with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to track therapeutic immune cells injected into patients with colorectal cancer. Read more here.

Improved risk identification will aid fertility preservation in young male cancer patients

A study led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators has found the chemotherapy dose threshold below which male childhood cancer survivors are likely to have normal sperm production. By clarifying which patients are at highest risk for reduced sperm production as adults, researchers expect the findings to eventually increase use of pre-treatment fertility preservation methods such as sperm banking. The study involved drugs called alkylating agents that are widely used to treat a variety of pediatric cancers. Unlike other chemotherapy, alkylating agents are known to damage sperm production. Until this study, however, there was scant information about the risk associated with different cumulative exposures. Read more here.

Cancer and the immune system: a double-edged sword

During cancer development, tumor cells decorate their surfaces with sugar compounds called glycans that are different from those found on normal, healthy cells. In the Sept. 15 online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that sialic acids at the tips of these cancer cell glycans are capable of engaging with immune system cells and changing the latter’s response to the tumor – for good and bad. Read more here.

Polyp removal doesn't always signal raised colon cancer risk, study says

People who have a single low-risk polyp removed have a much lower risk of colon cancer, compared to both the general public and patients who have multiple polyps or aggressive polyps removed, said lead author Dr. Magnus Loberg, a lecturer in health management and health economics at the University of Oslo.

"These findings support more intense surveillance of the high-risk group, but should maybe lead to reconsideration of the guidelines regarding the low-risk group," he said. The study is published in the Aug. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Current guidelines recommended by the American Cancer Society call for repeat colonoscopy at 5 to 10 years for patients who have one or two small, non-aggressive polyps removed, based on risk factors such as family history and prior health problems. People with large or aggressive polyps are encouraged to receive repeat colonoscopy every 3 years.

Study mentioned:
Magnus Loberg, M.D., lecturer, department of health management and health economics, University of Oslo, Norway; David Lieberman, M.D., chief, gastroenterology division, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Ore.; Aug. 28, 2014, New England Journal of Medicine

Family squabbles can derail recovery from cancer surgery

Cancer patients burdened by stress and family conflicts before surgery may face a higher risk for complications following their operation, a new study suggests.

Investigators found that patients with a so-called quality-of-life "deficit" appeared to have a nearly three times greater risk for complications compared to those with a normal or good quality of life.

The findings, published in a recent issue of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, were based on 431 colon cancer patients who underwent surgery in 1993. The study only found an association between quality of life and surgical outcomes; it did not prove cause and effect.

Study mentioned:

Juliane Bingener, M.D., professor, surgery, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; Otis Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer, American Cancer Society, and professor, oncology and epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.; August 2014, Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery

Urine test for HPV works well,analysis finds

A simple urine test can routinely spot human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to the risk of cervical cancer, a new analysis found.

"Our study shows that testing urine for HPV has good accuracy when compared to testing samples taken from the cervix for HPV," said lead researcher Dr. Neha Pathak. She is a resident in obstetrics and gynecology and research fellow at Queen Mary University of London, England.

Compared with cervical samples, the HPV urine test correctly identified positive results 87 percent of the time. The urine tests correctly identified negative results 94 percent of the time. When it came to the high-risk strains of the virus -- HPV 16 and 18 -- the urine test correctly identified positive results 73 percent of the time and negative results 98 percent of the time.

Although more research on the test is needed, the concept has potential, said Fred Wyand, a spokesman for the American Sexual Health Association and the National Cervical Cancer Coalition.

Study mentioned:
Neha Pathak, M.B.B.S., resident, obstetrics and gynecology, and research fellow, obstetrics and gynecology, Queen Mary University of London, England; Fred Wyand, spokesman, American Sexual Health Association and the National Cervical Cancer Coalition; Sept. 16, 2014, BMJ, online

New drug blocks gene driving cancer growth

When active, the protein called Ral can drive tumor growth and metastasis in several human cancers including pancreatic, prostate, lung, colon and bladder. Unfortunately, drugs that block its activity are not available. A study published today in the journal Nature uses a novel approach to target the activation of these Ral proteins: "When you want to keep an alligator from biting you, you can tie its mouth shut. We took another approach – we put a stick in its mouth to hold it open," says Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, professor of Urology and Pharmacology, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the study's senior author, who led a multidisciplinary team of investigators from the University of Colorado, Indiana University, the University of Virginia and Yale University. Read more here.

New knowledge of genes driving bladder cancer points to targeted treatments

A collaborative study between researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) examined a mutation-rich layer of the genome called the exome of 54 bladder tumors from primarily Caucasian patients. The study is the first to show alterations in the gene BAP1 in 15 percent of tumors; the gene is a likely tumor suppressor and so bladder cancers with alterations in this gene may be without an important check on the growth and survival of bladder cancer tissue. Somatic BAP1 alterations contribute to a high frequency of tumors (10/14, 71 percent) with defects in genes encoding BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathway proteins, pathways that have been previously implicated in breast and other cancer types. Read more here.

Single fraction radiation therapy is as effective as multiple fractions for patients with bone metastases in a broad clinical setting

A prospective study that compared patient-reported outcomes of a broad set of cancer patients with bone metastases demonstrates that single fraction radiation therapy (SFRT) is equally as effective as multiple fraction radiation therapy (MFRT) when pain, function and quality of life are considered, according to research presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO’s) 56th Annual Meeting (14-17 September 2014, San Francisco). Read more here.

New genetic risk variants identified in multiethnic analysis of prostate cancer

Researchers have newly identified 23 common genetic variants -- one-letter changes in DNA known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs -- that are associated with risk of prostate cancer. These results come from an analysis of more than 10 million SNPs in data pooled from studies that included over 43,000 men with prostate cancer and nearly 44,000 men without the disease. Study participants were from Australia, Ghana, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States and were of diverse ancestry. Read more here.

Drug combination delays worsening of disease in women with recurrent ovarian cancer

For many women with ovarian cancer that has recurred after initial treatment, a two-drug combination can significantly extend the time that the disease is kept in check, a phase 2 clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators and supported by the National Cancer Institute shows. In a report on the trial in the online edition of The Lancet Oncology, researchers compared the drugs cediranib and olaparib, versus olaparib alone, in their ability to stall the advance of ovarian cancer in women with a recurrent form of the disease that responds to platinum-based chemotherapy agents. Read more here.

Genomic analysis reveals that a high-risk leukemia subtype becomes more common with age

More than one-quarter of young adults with the most common form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a high-risk subtype with a poor prognosis and may benefit from drugs widely used to treat other types of leukemia that are more common in adults, according to multi-institutional research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators. Read more here.

UNC researchers find new genetic target for a different kind of cancer drug

Researchers from the UNC School of Medicine have discovered that the protein RBM4, a molecule crucial to the process of gene splicing, is drastically decreased in multiple forms of human cancer, including lung and breast cancers. The finding offers a new route toward therapies that can thwart the altered genetic pathways that allow cancer cells to proliferate and spread. Read more here.

NCI study examines outcomes from surgery to prevent ovarian cancer

A new study looked at women at high risk of ovarian cancer who had no clinical signs of the disease and who underwent risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO). The study results showed cancer in the removed tissues of 2.6 percent (25 of 966) of the participants. RRSO is a surgical procedure in which a woman’s ovaries and fallopian tubes are preventively removed. The participants included women known to carry a harmful mutation in the BRCA1 gene or the BRCA2 gene, as well as women considered at high risk because of a strong family history of the disease. Read more here.

Bras cause breast cancer? No support for that claim, Fred Hutch study finds

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center conducted a population-based, case-control study to consider whether the brassieres worn daily by millions of women might be linked to the disease that kills about 40,000 in the U.S. each year. What they found was a resounding no, no matter how many ways they looked at bra-use data from more than 1,000 Seattle-area women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2000 and 2004. Read more here.

Researchers find new gene mutations for Wilms Tumor

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, have made significant progress in defining new genetic causes of Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer found only in children. Wilms tumor is the most common childhood genitourinary tract cancer and the third most common solid tumor of childhood. Read more here.

UV light can turn gene into source of skin cancers, researchers find

A genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The mutation occurs in a gene called KNSTRN, which is involved in helping cells divide their DNA equally during cell division. Read more here.

The AURORA molecular screening programme for metastatic breast cancer

URORA is an academia-driven initiative that aims to boost genomic and clinical knowledge generated from metastatic breast cancer patients. It is expected that detailed molecular profiling of breast cancer makes deeper current understanding of the molecular biology underpinning this common disease, promising to lead to personalised cancer medicine, according to description of the programme goals and study plan in an article published by Dr Dimitrios Zardavas and colleagues in the British Journal of Cancer. Read more here.

Population-based cancer registration - IARC ebook

This guidance document consists of six chapters that provide technical advice to planners and health specialists in low- and middle-income countries wishing to implement and develop population-based cancer registries as information systems that inform cancer control policy. Download the full report here.

Qualifying Notice - Avastin

This Notice of Compliance with Conditions Qualifying Notice (NOC/c-QN), issued in accordance with the Health Canada NOC/c Policy, is to advise you that information submitted in support of the Supplement to a New Drug Submission for Avastin (bevacizumab), Control Number 130719, for the indication as a single agent for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma after relapse or disease progression following prior therapy, qualifies to be considered for authorization under the NOC/c Policy. Read more here.

Revisions to the Post-Authorization Activity Table (PAAT) for Giotrif

This PAAT describes post-authorization activity for Giotrif, a product which contains the medicinal ingredient afatinib (as afatinib dimaleate). Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Giotrif is favourable as monotherapy for the treatment of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naïve patients with metastatic (including cytologically proven pleural effusion) adenocarcinoma of the lung with activating EGFR mutation(s). Read more here.

Monitoring the response of bone metastases to treatment using MRI and PET

Imaging technologies are crucial in evaluating a patient’s response to cancer treatment in daily oncology practice. This can be done quite effectively for most tumours using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST). However, RECIST criteria work well for tumours located in visceral organs or soft tissues (assessed by computed tomography), but not so well for bone metastases which are frequently present, especially in prostate and breast cancers. More effort, therefore, is needed to improve understanding of how to monitor the response of bone metastases to treatment using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), and a recent European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Imaging Group review and position statement published in the European Journal of Cancer is a decidedly welcome contribution. Read more here.

Dacarbazine for injection 600 mg/vial, BP - Discoloration after reconstitution of vials

Following the receipt of customer reports, Hospira Healthcare Corporation, in consultation with Health Canada, is informing Healthcare professionals that some vials of Dacarbazine for Injection 600 mg/vial, BP may turn pink immediately after reconstitution or during storage of reconstituted product. Dacarbazine for Injection is indicated as palliative therapy for metastatic malignant melanoma. Read more here.

Chest radiation helps small cell lung cancer patients live longer

Dutch and British researchers have found that adding chest radiation to standard treatment helped people with advanced small cell lung cancer live longer and reduced the chances of the cancer coming back in the chest. The study’s authors are calling for chest radiation to be considered for everyone with extensive small cell lung cancer who has responded to chemotherapy. Read more here.

Finding drugs for hard to treat forms of leukemia

Two recently identified types of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are extremely difficult to treat with existing drugs. Children who have Philadelphia chromosome-like ALL (Ph-like ALL) and early T-cell precursor ALL (ETP ALL) are more likely to face recurrence and less likely to survive long term. Researchers are trying to figure out why this is and are working to find treatments that will give children with these types of leukemia better outcomes – ones that are more on par with what can be achieved for children with other types of ALL. The overall survival rate for ALL is currently more than 85%. But, for children with Ph-like ALL, the 5-year survival rate is closer to 60%. Read more here.

Children and adolescents with cancer have unique needs

Young children and adolescents with cancer have physical and emotional needs that differ from those of adults with cancer. Even the types of cancer young people get tend to differ based on their stage of life. Childhood cancer is often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth. Most adult cancers, in contrast, are linked to lifestyle-related risk factors or other environmental risk factors that lead to DNA damage over time. As children age, they are exposed to more environmental factors that can cause cancer. Cancers in adolescents – those between the ages of 15 and 19 – are a mix of the types of cancer that develop in children and adults. Read more here.

Genomic analysis reveals targetable kinase-activating alterations in Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

More than one-quarter of young adults with the most common form of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have a high-risk subtype with a poor prognosis. Philadelphia chromosome-like ALL (Ph-like ALL) was found to be characterised by a range of genomic alterations that activate a limited number of signaling pathways, all of which may be amenable to inhibition with approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors, according to multi-institutional research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators. The study appears in the 11th September 2014 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Read more here.

The Household Products Database (HPD) from the National Library of Medicine (NLM)

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Household Products Database (HPD) now contains over 14,000 products.

The Household Products Database links over 14,000 consumer brands to health effects from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by manufacturers and allows scientists and consumers to research products based on chemical ingredients. Each MSDS also contains information about carcinogenicity of the product. The database is designed to help answer the following typical questions:

* What are the chemical ingredients and their percentage in specific brands?
* Which products contain specific chemical ingredients?
* Who manufactures a specific brand? How do I contact this manufacturer?
* What are the acute and chronic effects of chemical ingredients in a specific brand?
* What other information is available about chemicals in the toxicology-related databases of the National Library of Medicine?

Novel immunotherapy vaccine may decrease recurrence in HER2 positive breast cancer patients

A new breast cancer vaccine candidate, GP2, provides further evidence of the potential of immunotherapy in preventing disease recurrence. This is especially the case for high-risk patients when it is administered after completing trastuzumab treatment. 

One of only a few vaccines of its kind in development, GP2 has been shown to be safe and effective for breast cancer patients, reducing recurrence rates by 57%. Further, women with the HER2 positive disease, 3+ score, had no cancer recurrences when they were administered the vaccine after completing trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody, passive immunotherapy. HER2 is an oncoprotein that promotes tumour growth. Read more here.

Stool that lights up when cancer is present

Researchers in Hamilton, Ontario, are working on what could become an inexpensive, simple, accurate and non-invasive test for colorectal cancer. They are developing fluorescent DNAzymes that will detect cancer markers in stool samples. If cancer is present, the molecules will glow, leading to early treatment and better outcomes for patients. Dr Yingfu Li, a biochemist, and Dr Bruno Salena, a gastroenterologist – both at McMaster University – thought of this novel idea while on the golf course. The doctors work in entirely different fields of science but discovered that they share an interest in early detection of disease. Dr Li has been studying fluorescent DNAzymes for many years, while Dr Salena has been treating patients with colorectal cancer and other bowel diseases. Read more here.

Youth continue to use flavoured tobacco products at high levels

Data released today based on the 2012/13 Youth Smoking Survey shows that young people are continuing to use flavoured tobacco products at high levels. Results show that 50% of high school students in Canada who used tobacco products in the previous 30 days used flavoured tobacco products. "Today’s survey proves that flavoured tobacco is a major threat to young people’s health,” says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society. "Flavoured tobacco products were used by 137,000 high school students in Canada, which is troubling. The Society is very concerned that fruit-and-candy-flavoured tobacco make it easier for youth to become addicted to tobacco. New legislation is needed as soon as possible to ban all flavoured tobacco products." Read more here.

Read the full report, Flavoured tobacco use among Canadian youth: evidence from Canada's 2012/2013 youth smoking survey, here.

Canadian Cancer Society launches interactive cancer prevention website

Research shows that about half of all cancers can be prevented, and the Canadian Cancer Society wants to help Canadians make that a reality. The Society has released an interactive online cancer-prevention tool – called It’s My Life! – to help people reduce their risk of cancer. It is the first Canadian tool of its kind. Visitors to It’s My Life! answer questions about their lifestyle, and the tool gives them tailored cancer-prevention information and tips. At the end, users are encouraged to pledge lifestyle changes and to share their pledges on social media. Read more here.

Visit the website here.

Ezine from Johns Hopkins Breast Center - Check out their September issue

Some of the featured:

Aspirin May Slow Recurrence in Breast Cancer Patients
Better Classification to Improve Treatments for Breast Cancer
Biomarker in an Aggressive Breast Cancer is Identified

Check out more here

.

Light therapy a good option for pre-cancerous skin lesions, study says

Treating pre-cancerous skin spots with a type of light therapy may be more effective than the usual therapy -- freezing the lesions with liquid nitrogen, a new study suggests.

This review of prior research found that people who underwent the light treatment -- called photodynamic therapy -- were 14 percent more likely to have the lesion completely cleared three months later than those who had the freezing treatment known as cryotherapy.

The treatment might be a good alternative for people who have 20 or 30 lesions, he said, since photodynamic therapy can treat them all at once, while cryotherapy deals with each lesion individually.

The report was published online Aug. 27 in JAMA Dermatology. Full news here.

Study mentioned:
JAMA Dermatol. 2014 Aug 27. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.1253. [Epub ahead of print]

Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy vs Other Interventions in Randomized Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

New trials recently added to Canadian Cancer Trials

Study to Evaluate Real-world Pharmacoeconomics of Crizotinib in NSCLC Patients

Study Of PF-05212384 Plus FOLFIRI Versus Bevacizumab Plus FOLFIRI In Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

A Feasibility Trial of Geriatric Assessment and Management for Older Cancer Patients

Report offers baseline to measure improvements in cancer control for Métis in Canada

A new report measuring baseline data for cancer control in the Métis population in Canada shows patients, their families and caregivers face common issues in cancer care, including challenges in access to care for rural and remote communities in relation to treatment centres; financial burden; lack of trust and confidence in the cancer care system; the need for emotional support for the patient and their family; and the need for preventative health and cancer awareness education at the community level. Read more here.

NIOSH list of antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs in healthcare settings, 2014

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Alert: Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings was published in September 2004. In Appendix A of the Alert, NIOSH identified a sample list of major hazardous drugs. The current update (2014) adds 27 drugs and includes a review of the 2004 list and the consequent removal of 12 drugs that did not meet the NIOSH criteria for hazardous drugs. Read more here.

Read the full document here.

Patient empowerment in discussing end-of-life care

In Elana Gordon’s segment with NPR titled, “Hello, May I Help You Plan Your Final Months?” she reports on the work of Vital Decisions, a company that provides counseling via phone to beneficiaries of participating insurance companies in efforts to facilitate discussions about end-of-life care. Counselors often cold-call patients after attempts to reach them via postal mail have failed. During their sessions, they encourage patients to begin to consider their goals with the hope that over time the patient will feel empowered to communicate those goals with their physicians and family members. Read more here.

Launch of IARC handbooks of cancer prevention website

The IARC Monographs Programme is pleased to announce the launch of the IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention website. The IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention provide evaluations of various approaches to primary and secondary cancer prevention. Previous volumes have evaluated the cancer-preventive activity of chemopreventive agents, the effectiveness of screening, and the effectiveness of tobacco control. The new website provides a comprehensive overview of the IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention series, with free access to PDFs of published volumes and lists of evaluations for all agents and activities evaluated so far, as well as updated Working Procedures and Guidelines for Observers for future volumes, and information about upcoming meetings. Visit the website here.

New report shows that HPV vaccine trials can be significantly shortened

A new report from a Working Group convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, and the United States National Cancer Institute(NCI) shows how the evaluation and licensing of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines could be significantly accelerated. Experts with wide-ranging expertise in HPV vaccines reviewed the scientific evidence to determine under what circumstances vaccine efficacy can be established at an earlier stage of the infection, rather than the clinical onset of disease in the cervix. The experts also looked at whether immunobridging trials could be sufficient for licensure under specific circumstances. Read more here.

Read the full report, Primary end-points for prophylactic HPV vaccine trials, here.

Nicotine, even through e-cigarettes, linked to increased cocaine in mice

Like conventional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes may function as a “gateway drug” that can prime the brain to be more receptive to harder drugs, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, add to the debate about the risks and benefits of electronic cigarettes. “With e-cigarettes, we get rid of the danger to the lungs and to the heart, but no one has mentioned the brain,” said co-author Dr. Eric Kandel of Columbia University. Read more here.

Canadian shortage of vital bladder cancer drug prompts rationing

Canada is experiencing a serious shortage of an essential drug for the treatment of bladder cancer. The shortfall, which is due to manufacturing problems at plants operated by two different pharmaceutical companies, could have major consequences for patients. “We’re struggling with how to ration our stock,” Neil Fleshner, head of urology at University Health Network in Toronto, said in an interview. The principal supplier of BCG for bladder cancer treatment is Merck Canada Inc., which sells it under the brand name OncoTICE. Ani Armenian, a spokesperson for the company, said the shortage is due to manufacturing problems at a company plant in Durham, N.C., that are not directly related to the drug. Read more here.

Pediatric oncology social workers help families move from fear to hope

For the thousands of children and adolescents grappling with cancer, the shock of diagnosis and the complexities of undergoing intensive treatment at such a young age require specialized and highly coordinated care. While doctors and nurses focus a good deal of their attention on treating the disease, it is a different member of the care team who often helps children and their families deal with the psychological, financial, and other practical issues that accompany cancer. This team member is frequently a social worker trained in pediatric cancer care. These specialized social workers help families cope with every part of the cancer journey – from understanding the diagnosis and treatment plan, to navigating financial, social, and emotional issues, to assisting with the child’s transition back to school and regular activities after his or her care is complete. Read more here.

Phase III trial of lenalidomide plus dexamethasone in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation

Data from FIRST (Frontline Investigation of REVLIMID + Dexamethasone Versus Standard Thalidomide) (MM-020/IFM 07-01), an open-label phase III randomised study of continuous lenalidomide in combination with dexamethasone in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation, have been published in the September 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Read more here

FDA approves keytruda (pembrolizumab) for melanoma

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new kind of immunotherapy drug to treat melanoma skin cancer. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is for patients with melanoma that’s advanced or can’t be treated with surgery, and isn’t getting better, even after treatment with other drugs. Keytruda is a type of anti-PD-1 drug. Melanoma cells often have a protein called PD-L1 on their surface that helps them avoid being found and destroyed by the body’s immune system. Drugs that block the PD-L1 protein, or the corresponding PD-1 protein on immune cells, can help the immune system recognize the melanoma cells and attack them. Read more here.

Managing health after childhood cancer

More than 80% of children with cancer now survive at least 5 years and most are ultimately cured, thanks to advances in cancer treatment over the past several decades. An estimated 379,112 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer are living in the US today. However, the same cancer treatment that saves children’s lives may affect their health as they grow up, and into adulthood. Specialized follow-up care is needed to catch any problems as early as possible when they are easier to treat. Read more here.

Blood test for 'nicked' protein predicts prostate cancer treatment response

Prostate cancer patients whose tumors contain a shortened protein called AR-V7, which can be detected in the blood, are less likely to respond to two widely used drugs for metastatic prostate cancer, according to results of a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. If large-scale studies validate the findings, the investigators say men with detectable blood levels of AR-V7 should avoid these two drugs and instead take other medicines to treat their prostate cancer. Read more here.

'Prepped' by tumor cells, lymphatic cells encourage breast cancer cells to spread

Breast cancer cells can lay the groundwork for their own spread throughout the body by coaxing cells within lymphatic vessels to send out tumor-welcoming signals, according to a new report by Johns Hopkins scientists. The researchers describe animal and cell-culture experiments that show increased levels of so-called signaling molecules released by breast cancer cells. These molecules cause lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in the lungs and lymph nodes to produce proteins called CCL5 and VEGF. CCL5 attracts tumor cells to the lungs and lymph nodes, and VEGF increases the number of blood vessels and makes them more porous, allowing tumor cells to metastasize and infiltrate the lungs. Read more here.

Risk factors identified for certain lymphoma subtypes

In a large international collaborative analysis of risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), scientists were able to quantify risk associated with medical history, lifestyle factors, family history of blood or lymph-borne cancers, and occupation for 11 different NHL subtypes, including less common subtypes. Analyses from a pooled population of data from over 100 scientists included 17,471 people with NHL and 23,096 without the disease. Read more here.

Scientists predict risk of infertility in women treated for Hodgkin disease

Doctors have long known that some women, especially younger women, develop fertility problems as a result of treatment for Hodgkin disease. Specifically, some treatments lead to early menopause, which reduces or takes away the ability to have children. Now researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in London have led a study that can be used to help determine the risk of early menopause from specific treatment types and doses. This personalized information, including age at which to expect early menopause, may help women and their doctors make more informed decisions about treatment and family planning. Read more here.

2014 childhood cancer statistics

American Cancer Society researchers’ 2014 special report on childhood cancer summarizes the progress made and challenges ahead in fighting childhood and adolescent cancers. The report, produced as part of the Society’s annual Cancer Facts & Figures publication, provides an overview of trends in incidence, mortality, and survival for cancers commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents. We also provide more detailed information on risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and important long-term and late effects for these cancers. The major types of cancers included are: leukemias and lymphomas, brain and CNS tumors, embryonal tumors, sarcomas of bone and soft tissue, and gonadal germ cell tumors. Read more here.

Read the full Special Section here.

Childhood cancer research challenges and opportunities

For experts in the field, the topic of childhood cancer evokes both enthusiasm about great progress and frustration with barriers they have yet to overcome. In this Q&A, the American Cancer Society invited a roundtable of top childhood cancer experts to share their perspectives on what has been accomplished, what more needs to be done, and the unique challenges children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer – and their loved ones – face during and after treatment. Read more here.

New guidelines for treating form of advanced breast cancer

HER2-negative breast tumors include cancers that don't respond to drugs that target the HER2 protein, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) explained Tuesday in a news release.

"In releasing this guideline, our aim is to improve both the length and quality of patients' lives," Dr. Ann Partridge, co-chair of the expert panel that developed the guidelines, said in the statement. "Although no clear chemotherapy winner emerged -- the guideline will help doctors and patients choose the best therapy based on what treatment would be most tolerable and convenient for the patient."

The guidelines are published in the Sept. 2 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey research reveals mechanism behind cell protein remodeling

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than a third of all human cancers are driven by mutations in the Ras family of genes. When Ras is activated, it promotes tumor growth but also activates autophagy which helps to sustain that growth. These cancers remodel proteins using the cellular self-cannibalization process known as autophagy to capture and degrade intracellular proteins and protein-containing organelles. Since Ras-driven cancers often rely on autophagy for growth and survival, this raised the question: Is proteome remodeling by autophagy important, and if so, by what mechanism? This question was answered in research by senior author Eileen White, PhD, associate director for basic science at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and colleagues. They compared the global proteome (all of the expressed proteins) of Ras-driven cancer cells where autophagy was present to those where autophagy was deficient. Read more here.

Pilot program aims to improve colorectal cancer screening rates, access to specialty care in US community health centers

Three locations will each receive $100,000 in funding to launch pilot programs to improve colorectal cancer screening rates and follow-up care for patients served by community health centers. The program is the work of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and is part of the group’s effort to reach the goal of 80 percent of adults 50 and over receiving regular screening for colorectal cancer by 2018. The pilot communities chosen after a competitive process are: Port Royal, South Carolina; New Haven, Connecticut; and St. Paul, Minnesota. Each of the three pilot communities will develop local models to address barriers to colorectal cancer screening access and follow up care for patients served by community health centers. Read more here.

Circulating tumor cell clusters more likely to cause metastasis than single cells

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters – clumps of from 2 to 50 tumor cells that break off a primary tumor and are carried through the bloodstream – appear to be much more likely to cause metastasis than are single CTCs, according to a study from investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center. Their report also suggests that a cell adhesion protein binding CTC clusters together is a potential therapeutic target. “While CTCs are considered to be precursors of metastasis, the significance of CTC clusters, which are readily detected using devices developed here at MGH, has remained elusive,” says Shyamala Maheswaran, PhD, of the MGH Cancer Center, co-senior author of the Cell paper. “Our findings that the presence of CTC clusters in the blood of cancer patients is associated with poor prognosis may identify a novel and potentially targetable step in the blood-borne spread of cancer.” Read more here.

Cancer leaves a common fingerprint on DNA

Regardless of their stage or type, cancers appear to share a telltale signature of widespread changes to the so-called epigenome, according to a team of researchers. In a study of a broad variety of cancers, the investigators say they have found widespread and distinctive changes to chemical marks known as methyl groups attached to DNA. Those marks help govern whether genes are turned “on” or “off,” and ultimately how the cell behaves. Read more here.

AMSA PD Inj 50 mg/mL - Potential low risk of microbial contamination

ERFA Canada 2012 Inc. in consultation with Health Canada is informing you of a potential but very low risk of infection with AMSA PD Inj 50 mg/mL (amsacrine injection). AMSA PD is indicated for the induction of remission in acute adult leukemia refractory to conventional therapy. Due to a manufacturing issue, a very low risk of microbial contamination of the product exists which could lead to infection. A recall has not been implemented given that the risk of contamination is minimal, this drug is medically necessary for a small number of patients and because there is limited supply of product available. However, it is advised that healthcare professionals should determine if the benefit of treatment with AMSA PD Inj 50 mg/mL outweighs the potential but very low risk of infection related to use of this product. Read more here.

Patients choosing double mastectomy don't have better survival rates: study

The number of women choosing to undergo a double mastectomy after a breast cancer diagnosis is on the rise, new research reveals. But a second study also finds that women who choose to have both breasts removed survive about as long as patients who choose less-invasive lumpectomy surgery instead. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Cancer Prevention Institute of California looked at nearly 190,000 California patients diagnosed with cancer in one breast between 1998 and 2011 to see which treatment options they chose and how they fared. The difference in the long-term survival rates between the women who underwent the double mastectomies and those who received a lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment was "not statistically significant," the study found. Read more here.

Validation of genome-driven integrated classification of breast cancer

IntClust is a classification of breast cancer comprising ten subtypes based on molecular drivers identified through the integration of genomic and transcriptomic data from around 1,000 breast tumours and validated in a further 1,000.  The new research findings, published in the journal Genome Biology, indicate that IntClust subtypes are reproducible, show clinical validity and best capture variation in genomic drivers. IntClust is likely to become increasingly relevant as more targeted biological therapies become available. Read more here.