Blood test may help to diagnose pancreatic cancer

Indiana University cancer researchers have found that a simple blood test might help diagnose pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of the disease. In research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Murray Korc, M.D., the Myles Brand Professor of Cancer Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, and colleagues found that several microRNAs – small RNA molecules -- circulate at high levels in the blood of pancreatic cancer patients. Read more here.

Incretin-based therapies and the risk of pancreatic cancer

From the Canadian adverse reaction newsletter 24(4): Incretin-based drug products are new therapies indicated for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Scientific studies have suggested that incretin-based therapies could possibly be associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. In addition, cases of pancreatic cancer with the use of incretin-based therapies have been reported in Canada and internationally. A causal relationship between incretin-based therapies and the development of pancreatic cancer has not been established and investigations are ongoing. Health care professionals are encouraged to document and report to Health Canada any adverse reactions suspected of being associated with incretin-based therapies. Read more here.

Google wants to detect cancer earlier with a tiny pill in blood

Google is working on a cancer-detecting pill in its latest effort to push the boundaries of technology. Still in the experimental stage, the pill is packed with tiny magnetic particles, which can travel through a patient's bloodstream, search for malignant cells and report their findings to a sensor on a wearable device. The project announced this week is the latest effort to emerge from Google's X lab, which has been trying to open new technological frontiers to solve nettlesome problems and improve the quality of people's lives. Read more here.

Tobacco plain packaging a global trend

There is increasing global momentum to implement plain packaging for tobacco products, says an international report released by the Canadian Cancer Society. Plain packaging means tobacco company colours, logo and design elements on the brand part of the package are not allowed. Health warnings would still appear on plain packages. “Plain packaging is an important and logical next step for Canada to curb tobacco marketing, reduce smoking and save lives,” says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society. Read more here.

Download the report, Cigarette package health warnings: international status report, here.

Radiation exposure linked to aggressive thryoid cancers

For the first time, researchers have found that exposure to radioactive iodine is associated with more aggressive forms of thyroid cancer, according to a careful study of nearly 12,000 people in Belarus who were exposed when they were children or adolescents to fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Researchers examined thyroid cancers diagnosed up to two decades after the Chernobyl accident and found that higher thyroid radiation doses estimated from measurements taken shortly after the accident were associated with more aggressive tumor features. Read more here.

Choosing Wisely rethinks unnecessary testing and treatment

Choosing Wisely Canada launched its second phase and released 61 new physicians’ recommendations, including the Canadian cancer list.  Choosing Wisely Canada is a campaign to help physicians and patients engage in healthy conversations about potentially unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures.Read more here.

Killam scholar focuses on supporting cancer patients' families

Nursing PhD candidate Colleen Cuthbert is researching the benefits of exercise for caregivers. "There are lots of dedicated programs for patients, but our health-care system doesn't function well in supporting the families of patients," says Cuthbert, a registered nurse who graduated in 2008 with a master of nursing and a nurse practitioner diploma. "I want to discover ways to improve their care. In my practice, I tell family members it's good to relieve stress; they often don't participate in self-care and so are prone to conditions like depression, insomnia, poor quality of life and exacerbation of chronic health conditions," she says. Read more here.

New evidence that colonoscopy reduces cancer risk, mortality

PHILADELPHIA — Colonoscopy reduces cancer risk and mortality in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, according to the largest study of its kind, presented here at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting.

From their study, there was a clear association between colonoscopy and colorectal cancer. During the follow-up period, the incidence of colorectal cancer was significantly lower in those who had a recent colonoscopy than in those who had not (1.6% vs 2.7%; P < .001), Dr Ananthakrishnan reported.

American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting: Abstract 9. Presented October 20, 2014

Unsuspected gene found frequently mutated in colorectal, endometrial cancer

Scientists have identified a genetic mutation in about 20 percent of colorectal and endometrial cancers that had been overlooked in recent large, comprehensive gene searches. With this discovery, the altered gene, called RNF43, now ranks as one of the most common mutations in the two cancer types. Investigators from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard said the mutated gene helps control an important cell-signaling pathway, Wnt, that has been implicated in many forms of cancer. Read more here.

Chest radiation to beat childhood Wilms tumor may boost later risk of breast cancer

Young girls who receive full-chest radiation after contracting Wilms tumor, a rare childhood kidney disease, may face a much higher risk of developing breast cancer when they grow up, a new study finds. The effects of radiation exposure boosted the chance of breast cancer nearly 30 times higher than expected, suggesting that current screening guidelines should be changed to ensure early diagnosis and treatment in female Wilms tumor survivors who received radiation therapy. Read more here.

Experimental breast cancer drug holds promise in combination therapy for Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma tumors disappeared and did not return in more than 70 percent of mice treated with combination therapy that included drugs from a family of experimental agents developed to fight breast cancer, reported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists. The treatment paired two chemotherapy drugs currently used to treat Ewing sarcoma with experimental drugs called poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors that interfere with DNA repair. PARP inhibitors are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of certain breast and ovarian cancers as well as other solid tumors. Read more here.

EMA adopts a positive opinion for a new indication for enzalutamide

On 23 October 2014, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion recommending a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product enzalutamide (Xtandi). Read more here.

Cancer exosomes are 'micro factories' that aid in tumor growth

Exosomes, tiny, virus-sized particles released by cancer cells, can bioengineer micro-RNA (miRNA) molecules resulting in tumor growth. They do so with the help of proteins, such as one named Dicer. New research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests Dicer may also serve as a biomarker for breast cancer and possibly open up new avenues for diagnosis and treatment. Read more here.

Fast modeling of cancer mutations

Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of genetic mutations linked with cancer. However, sifting through this deluge of information to figure out which of these mutations actually drive cancer growth has proven to be a tedious, time-consuming process. MIT researchers have now developed a new way to model the effects of these genetic mutations in mice. Their approach, based on the genome-editing technique known as CRISPR, is much faster than existing strategies, which require genetically engineering mice that carry the cancerous mutations. Read more here.

PSA test for prostate cancer can lead to more harm than good: task force

A national task force that issues guidelines for doctors says PSA testing should not be used to screen men for possible prostate cancer because it can lead to more harms than benefit. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care says measuring prostate specific antigen, or PSA, in blood is not an effective screening tool because it often produces false-positive results that lead to unnecessary treatment. Task force member Dr. Neil Bell says almost one in five men aged 55 to 69, for instance, have at least one false-positive PSA test and about 17 per cent end up with unnecessary biopsies. Read more here.

Silencing the speech gene FOXP2 causes breast cancer cells to metastasize

A research team led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has identified an unexpected link between a transcription factor known to regulate speech and language development and metastatic colonization of breast cancer. Currently described online in Cell Stem Cell, the new findings demonstrate that, when silenced, the FOXP2 transcription factor, otherwise known as the speech gene, endows breast cancer cells with a number of malignant traits and properties that enable them to survive – and thrive.

Click here to view the full press release.

TCGA study improves understanding of genetic drivers of thyroid cancer

A comprehensive analysis of the genomes of nearly 500 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) – the most common form of thyroid cancer – has provided new insights into the roles of frequently mutated cancer genes and other genomic alterations that drive disease development.

Investigators with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network identified new molecular subtypes that will help clinicians determine which tumors are more aggressive and which are more likely to respond to certain treatments.

The researchers, led by Thomas Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Gad Getz, Ph.D., Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, reported their results online October 23, 2014, in Cell.

View the full news here.

UNC scientists discover hidden subpopulation of melanoma cells

UNC School of Medicine researchers have pinpointed a set of intriguing characteristics in a previously unknown subpopulation of melanoma cancer cells in blood vessels of tumors. These cells, which mimic non-cancerous endothelial cells that normally populate blood vessels in tumors, could provide researchers with another target for cancer therapies. The research provides evidence for how these particular melanoma cells help tumors resist drugs designed to block blood vessel formation. Read more here.

Trastuzumab continues to show life for HER2-positve early stage breast cancer

After following breast cancer patients for an average of eight-plus years, researchers say that adding trastuzumab (Herceptin) to chemotherapy significantly improved the overall and disease-free survival of women with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer. They found that the use of trastuzumab produced a 37 percent improvement in survival and a 40 percent reduction in risk of cancer occurrence, compared to patients treated with chemotherapy alone. These findings demonstrate how important trastuzumab has been to the treatment of this form of breast cancer, says the study's lead author, Edith A. Perez, M.D., deputy director at large, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and director of the Breast Cancer Translational Genomics Program at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Read more here.

Many older people have mutations linked to leukemia, lymphoma in their blood cells

At least 2 percent of people over age 40 and 5 percent of people over 70 have mutations linked to leukemia and lymphoma in their blood cells, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Mutations in the body's cells randomly accumulate as part of the aging process, and most are harmless. For some people, genetic changes in blood cells can develop in genes that play roles in initiating leukemia and lymphoma even though such people don't have the blood cancers. The findings, based on blood samples from nearly 3,000 patients, don't mean that people with these genetic mutations are destined to develop a blood cancer. In fact, the vast majority of them won't as the incidence of blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma is less than 0.1 percent among the elderly. Read more here.

MD Anderson study first to compare treatments, survival benefits for early-stage lung cancer

Removal of the entire lobe of lung may offer patients with early-stage lung cancer better overall survival when compared with a partial resection, and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) may offer the same survival benefit as a lobectomy for some patients, according to a study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The research is the largest population-based study to review modern treatment modalities for early-stage lung cancer. Read more here.

UA led study finds a good diet before diagnosis is linked with lower mortality

The quality of a woman’s diet was linked to lower mortality and may have a protective effect after ovarian cancer, according to a new study published this month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. To evaluate diet quality and the overall influence of diet on ovarian cancer survival, Cynthia A. Thomson, PhD, RD, professor of health promotion sciences at the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, and colleagues analyzed data from 636 cases of ovarian cancer among postmenopausal women within the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study or Clinical Trials from 1993 to 1998. Read more here.

Genetic variant protects some Latina women from breast cancer

An international research collaboration led by UC San Francisco researchers has identified a genetic variant common in Latina women that protects against breast cancer. The variant, a difference in just one of the three billion “letters” in the human genome known as a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), originates from indigenous Americans and confers significant protection from breast cancer, particularly the more aggressive estrogen receptor–negative forms of the disease, which generally have a worse prognosis. Read more here.

Post-Authorization Activity Table for Tafinlar

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

Colon cleansing for colonoscopy: New guidelines for optimizing outcomes

The US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer has just released new evidence-based guidelines on how to improve and perform colon cleansing before a colonoscopy. This is a joint publication, and it is published in the October 2014 issues of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Gastroenterology.

Please read the full guideline here.

And so chemotherapy was born

Last week, Naomi Elster, a scientist researching for a PhD in cancer medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons, published a three-part series on the origin, evolution and future of chemotherapy in the Guardian newspaper.

The articles provide a good introduction to the concept of targeted drugs and how researchers are investigating drug resistance. The conclusion looks toward a challenging future for cancer research. Read more here.

Inviting Ontarians to screen for cancer

Cancer Care Ontario is reaching out to men and women to encourage them to screen for breast, colorectal and for the first time, cervical cancer, with an expanded direct-mail correspondence campaign. Previously, letters were used to invite and remind eligible Ontarians to get screened for breast and colorectal cancer. With the addition of cervical cancer screening letters, all three screening programs in Ontario are now sending letters directly to eligible men and women encouraging them to get checked. Read more here.

Launch of new European code against cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has launched the 4th edition of the European Code Against Cancer with the participation of the European Commission. Based on the best available scientific evidence, the new Code provides 12 ways to adopt healthier lifestyles and boost cancer prevention across Europe. It is the outcome of a two-year collaborative work between cancer specialists, scientists, and other experts from across the European Union (EU). Read more here.

Physician survey results on unnecessary tests

The ABIM Foundation commissioned PerryUndem Research/Communication to conduct a national survey of physicians. The purpose of the survey was to gauge physicians’ attitudes toward the problem of unnecessary tests and procedures in the health care system, views on the causes of the problem, and their perspectives on various solutions. The survey also measured exposure to the Choosing Wisely® campaign and compared self-reported behaviors between those with and without exposure to the campaign.

Read the full report, Unnecessary tests and procedures in the health care system: what physicians say about the problem, the causes, and the solutions: results from a national survey of physicians, here.

Connect to the Choosing Wisely website here.

Aboriginal Stem Cell Network

Through the Aboriginal Stem Cell Network, view the resources which focus on supporting Aboriginal people through their cancer journey.

Read more from Canada’s Unique Need: Supporting Aboriginal Peoples.

Cancer in young people: an infographic

More than 2,000 adolescents and young adults are diagnosed with cancer each year. Check out this infographic to learn about the changes we have seen in survival for this age group in Canada.

Human cancer prognosis is related to newly identified immune cell

A newly discovered population of immune cells in tumors is associated with less severe cancer outcomes in humans, and may have therapeutic potential, according to a new UC San Francisco study of 3,600 human tumors of 12 types, as well as mouse experiments. Molecules associated with these cells, newly identified by the UCSF researchers, could be the focus of new immunotherapies that are more precisely targeted than current immunotherapies now in clinical trials, said Matthew Krummel, PhD, professor of pathology at UCSF and the leader of the study. Read more here.

Pitt/McGowan Institute team discovers stem cells in the esophagus

Despite previous indications to the contrary, the esophagus does have its own pool of stem cells, said researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in an animal study published online today in Cell Reports. The findings could lead to new insights into the development and treatment of esophageal cancer and the precancerous condition known as Barrett’s esophagus. The research team grew pieces or “organoids” of esophageal tissue from mouse samples, and then conducted experiments to identify and track the different cells in the basal layer of the tissue. They found a small population of cells that divide more slowly, are more primitive, can generate specialized or differentiated cells, and have the ability to self-renew, which is a defining trait of stem cells. Read more here.

Two-faced gene: SIRT6 prevents some cancers but promotes sun-induced skin cancer

A new study shows SIRT6—a protein known to inhibit the growth of liver and colon cancers—can promote the development of skin cancers by turning on an enzyme that increases inflammation, proliferation and survival of sun-damaged skin cells. Previously considered protective, SIRT6 is part of a family of seven proteins called sirtuins that help regulate genomic stability and prevent some of the genetic flaws associated with aging. SIRT6 helps repair DNA damage, which can lead to cancer. This study reveals its activity can vary from one tissue type to another. Read more here.

Prostate cancer’s penchant for copper may be a fatal flaw

Researchers at Duke Medicine have found a way to kill prostate cancer cells by delivering a trove of copper along with a drug that selectively destroys the diseased cells brimming with the mineral, leaving non-cancer cells healthy. The combination approach, which uses two drugs already commercially available for other uses, could soon be tested in clinical trials among patients with late-stage disease. Read more here.

Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant

In rare cases, patients with allergies to metals develop persistent skin rashes after metal devices are implanted near the skin. New research suggests these patients may be at increased risk of an unusual and aggressive form of skin cancer. Metal alloys help make orthopedic implants stronger and more durable. But people with sensitivity to these metals can develop chronic inflammation that promotes the development of skin cancers, report researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Read more here.

Drug may prevent development of invasive bladder cancer, researchers say

A drug already approved for use in humans may prevent invasive bladder cancer, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The drug, FK506, is commonly used to suppress the immune system in organ transplant recipients to combat rejection. The researchers found that low doses of FK506, also known as tacrolimus, prevented the development of invasive bladder cancer in 110 out of 10 laboratory mice that were given a carcinogen over five months. Read more here.

Trial results show high remission rate in leukemia following immune cell therap

Children and young adults with chemotherapy-resistant B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) experienced high remission rates following treatment with an experimental immunotherapy. This finding, from an early-phase clinical trial, is important because children and young adults with chemotherapy-resistant leukemia who do not achieve remission have very poor outcomes. Results from this ongoing clinical trial, headed by Crystal L. Mackall, M.D., chief of the Pediatric Oncology Branch in NCI’s Center for Cancer Research, demonstrated that the immunotherapy treatment had anti-leukemia effects in patients and that the treatment was feasible and safe. Read more here.

New computational approach finds gene that drives aggressive brain cancer

Using an innovative algorithm that analyzes gene regulatory and signaling networks, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have found that loss of a gene called KLHL9 is the driving force behind the most aggressive form of glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer. The CUMC team demonstrated in mice transplants that these tumors can be suppressed by reintroducing KLHL9 protein, offering a possible strategy for treating this lethal disease. Read more here.

RNA molecules found in urine, tissue that detect prostate cancer

Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have identified a set of RNA molecules that are detectable in tissue samples and urine of prostate cancer patients, but not in normal healthy individuals. The study sets the stage for the development of more-sensitive and specific non-invasive tests for prostate cancer than those currently available, which could result in fewer unnecessary prostate biopsies with less treatment-related morbidity, according to a new study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Read more here.

Researchers reveal genomic diversity of individual lung tumors

Known cancer-driving genomic aberrations in localized lung cancer appear to be so consistently present across tumors that a single biopsy of one region of the tumor is likely to identify most of them, according to a recent paper. The study, led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, addresses the challenge of what scientists call genomic heterogeneity, the presence of many different variations that drive tumor formation, growth and progression, and likely complicate the choice and potential efficacy of therapy. Read more here.

Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides may increase the risk for prostate cancer recurrence

Higher levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, two types of fat, in the blood of men who underwent surgery for prostate cancer, were associated with increased risk for disease recurrence, according to a recent study. "While laboratory studies support an important role for cholesterol in prostate cancer, population-based evidence linking cholesterol and prostate cancer is mixed," said Emma Allott, PhD, postdoctoral associate at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Read more here.

Hormone loss could be involved in colon cancer

New evidence suggests that human colon cells may become cancerous when they lose the ability to produce a hormone that helps the cells maintain normal biology. If verified by further studies, it suggests that treating patients at high risk for colon cancer by replacing the hormone guanylin could prevent the development of cancer. Read more here.

Circulating tumor cells provide genomic snapshot of breast cancer

The genetic fingerprint of a metastatic cancer is constantly changing, which means that the therapy that may have stopped a patient's cancer growth today, won't necessarily work tomorrow. Although doctors can continue to biopsy the cancer during the course of the treatment and send samples for genomic analysis, not all patients can receive repeat biopsies. Taking biopsies from metastatic cancer patients is an invasive procedure that it is frequently impossible due to the lack of accessible lesions. Research published in the journal Breast Cancer Research suggest that tumor cells circulating in the blood of metastatic patients could give as accurate a genomic read-out as tumor biopsies. Read more here.

Tumours might grow faster at night

In a study recently published in Nature Communications, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers showed that night time favours cancer enlargement and its spread in the body.

This finding arose out of an investigation into the relationships between different receptors in the cell, specifically the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, and the glucocorticoid (GC) receptor. Read more here.

Harnessing 3D imagery for early tumour detection

The European Union-funded research project ENTERVISION is developing a new way of harnessing radiotherapy, using 3D digital imagery, to provide earlier tumour detection and more effective treatments.

The project team has created a prototype camera that ensures real-time positioning of the radiation beam onto the exact location of the tumour. “This is only one of the tools that we are developing for greater precision,” says Manjit Dosanjh, ENTERVISION’s project coordinator and Life Sciences Advisor at CERN in Meyrin, Switzerland. Read more here.

University of Calgary research leads to brain cancer clinical trial

Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute have made a discovery that could prolong the life of people living with glioblastoma — the most aggressive type of brain cancer. Samuel Weiss, PhD, professor and director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), along with research assistant professor Artee Luchman, PhD, and colleagues published their work Oct. 15 in Clinical Cancer Research, which is leading researchers to start a human phase I/II clinical trial as early as spring 2015. Researchers used tumour cells derived from 100 different glioblastoma patients to test drugs that could target the disease. When these human brain tumour-initiating cells were inserted into an animal model, researchers discovered that when using a drug, AZD8055, combined with Temozolomide (TMZ) — a drug already taken by most glioblastoma patients — the life of the animals was extended by 30 per cent. Read more here.

Free webinar on navigating life with a brain tumour

The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada will be running a free webinar discussing support and therapeutic programs for those afflicted with brain tumours. The webinar is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT. Click here for more information and to register for this event.

A research that looked at genetic variability in different regions of lung tumours

From Globe and Mail:

Lung cancer can lie dormant for more than 20 years before turning deadly, helping to explain why a disease that kills more than 1.5 million a year worldwide is so persistent and difficult to treat, scientists said on Thursday.

Two papers detailing the evolution of lung cancer reveal how after an initial disease-causing genetic fault – often due to smoking – tumour cells quietly develop numerous new mutations, making different parts of the same tumor genetically unique.

To get a clearer understanding of the disease, the two groups of British and American scientists looked at genetic variability in different regions of lung tumours removed during surgery and worked out how genetic faults had developed over time.

What they found was an extremely long latency period between early mutations and clinical symptoms, which finally appeared after new, additional faults triggered rapid disease growth.

The research was published in the journal Science.

Read the full news here.

Health Canada Drug Update - SPRYCEL (dasatinib)

Health Canada has issue a Notice of Compliance under the Notice of Compliance with Conditions (NOC/c) policy for SPRYCEL(dasatinib) tablets in the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase.

This NOC/c is based on the results of an open-label, multicenter, international (Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific regions), randomized, Phase 3 study (CA180056) conducted in adult patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML. Patients were randomized to receive either SPRYCEL 100 milligram (mg) once daily or imatinib 400 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was the rate of confirmed complete cytogenetic response (cCCyR) within 12 months. Secondary endpoints included time-in cCCyR (measure of durability of response), time-to cCCyR, major molecular response (MMR) rate, time-to MMR, progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints will be evaluated after a minimum of 5-year follow up.

Please read more here.

UCSD researchers identify new at-risk group for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have, for the first time, clearly defined the epidemiology of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), which occur primarily in the lining of the stomach and small intestine. One key finding: Patients of Asian descent, who have not previously been identified as an at-risk population, are 1.5 times more likely than other patient groups to be diagnosed with this type of tumor. Results of the study were published this week in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Study mentioned:
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014 Oct 2. pii: cebp.1002.2014. [Epub ahead of print]
Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors in the Era of Histology Codes: Results of a Population-Based Study.

Laxative type might influence colon cancer risk, study finds

A new study suggests that the type of laxative a person takes might be a factor in their odds for colon cancer.

The study involved data on more than 75,000 adults, aged 50 to 76, in western Washington state. The investigators found that people who used fiber-based laxatives at least four days a week for four years were 56 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who didn't use them.

In contrast, people who used non-fiber laxatives five or more times a year had a 49 percent increased risk for colorectal cancer, according to the findings published in the Oct. 7 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Study mentioned:
Am J Gastroenterol. 2014 Oct;109(10):1640-9. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2014.233. Epub 2014 Sep 16.
A prospective study of the effect of bowel movement frequency, constipation, and laxative use on colorectal cancer risk.

European Medicines Agency adopts a final negative opinion for an extension of indications for bevacizumab

On 22 May 2014, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a negative opinion, recommending the refusal of a change to the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product bevacizumab (Avastin). The change concerned an extension of indication to add treatment of glioblastoma. The applicant requested a re-examination of the opinion. After considering the grounds for this request, the CHMP re-examined the initial opinion, and confirmed the refusal of the marketing authorisation on 22 September 2014. Read more here.

New publication from BIG (Breast International Group) on research

From September 2014, BIG (Breast International Group) will issue twice a year a publication aiming to address key and timely breast cancer research themes in depth, in order to improve the understanding of issues that are relevant to the breast cancer research community. Read more here.

MD Anderson study indicates possible new way to treat endometrial, colon cancers

A study led by Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of Systems Biology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with Lydia Cheung, Ph.D. as the first author, points to cellular mutations in the gene PIK3R1 which activate ERK and JNK, thus allowing tumor growth. Results from the study, were published in this month’s issue of Cancer Cell.

Standard therapies today center on the cancer gene as a whole. Mills’ and Cheung’s study suggests that targeted therapies may need to focus on the gene mutation specifically.

Read the full press release here.

Study mentioned:
Cancer Cell. 2014 Oct 1. pii: S1535-6108(14)00349-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2014.08.017. [Epub ahead of print]
Naturally Occurring Neomorphic PIK3R1 Mutations Activate the MAPK Pathway, Dictating Therapeutic Response to MAPK Pathway Inhibitors.

Experimental cervical cancer vaccine looks promising in rial

An experimental vaccine meant to protect against nine types of human papillomavirus (HPV) could prevent 90 percent of all cervical cancers, a new study suggests.

Researchers examined data from more than 2,500 women with precancerous cervical lesions and found that nearly all were caused by the nine types of HPV targeted by the vaccine being developed by Merck and Co.

The new vaccine, currently undergoing clinical trials, protects against more types of HPV than current vaccines, according to the study published Oct. 1 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Study mentioned:
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014 Oct 2. pii: cebp.0566.2014. [Epub ahead of print]
Evaluation of Human Papillomavirus Type Replacement Post-vaccination Must Account for Diagnostic Artifacts: Masking of HPV52 by HPV16 in Anogenital Specimens.

Scientists discover new roles for estrogen in the pathology of breast cancer

Researchers at the University of Illinois have uncovered a previously unknown method whereby estrogen prepares cells to divide and grow, while also resisting cancer drugs in estrogen-positive breast cancers. According to the research team, "estrogen pre-activates the unfolded-protein response (UPR)", a process that protects cells from stress. The UPR enhances the production of molecular chaperones, enabling cells to divide and grow. Without the chaperone proteins, cancer cells cannot divide. Click here to read more about this new target for breast cancer therapy, along with other articles appearing in the October 2014 issue of Artemis, the monthly newsletter produced by the John Hopkins Breast Center.

Putting breast cancer cells to sleep

Recently in the lab of Xiaoting Zhang, Ph.D., breast cancer cells were multiplying out of control as usual. Then the unexpected happened—all that tumor-building bustle came to an abrupt halt. It happened when Zhang, a cancer biologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and his research team disabled a protein called MED1. Now they’re trying to uncover the biological mechanisms for how this happens, raising the prospect that a MED1-targeted therapy could be developed to lull breast cancer cells into a permanent sleep, known as senescence. Read more here.

Health Canada cracks down on flavoured tobacco targeting young smokers

Health Minister Rona Ambrose is proposing regulatory amendments that would further restrict access to the tobacco products and close what Health Canada calls a “loophole” in the current rules. Her office has announced a 30-day consultation period starting Oct. 10, during which stakeholders will be asked to submit their recommendations to the government. Canada was the first country in the world to take action on flavoured tobacco products in 2010, banning the use of flavoured additives that contributed to making cigarettes, little cigars and blunt wraps more appealing to youth. Read more here.

NCI scientists find protective mechanism against cancer in the cells of progeria patients

NCI scientists have studied cells of patients with an extremely rare genetic disease that is characterized by drastic premature aging and discovered a new protective cellular mechanism against cancer. They found that cells from patients with Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), who typically do not develop cancer, contain a tumor protection mechanism that is mediated by BRD4 (Bromodomain-containing protein 4, a protein that is encoded by the BRD4 gene). Read more here.

Crizotinib treatment effective against ROS1-positive lung cancer

Treatment with the targeted therapy drug crizotinib effectively halts the growth of lung tumors driven by rearrangements of the ROS1 gene. In an article receiving Online First publication in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with a presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting, an international research team reports that crizotinib treatment led to significant tumor shrinkage in 36 of 50 study participants and suppressed tumor growth in another 9. Read more here.

Researchers identify early sign of pancreatic cancer

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other institutions have discovered a sign of the early development of pancreatic cancer – an upsurge in certain amino acids that occurs before the disease is diagnosed and symptoms appear. Although the increase isn’t large enough to be the basis of a new test for early detection of the disease, the findings will help researchers better understand how pancreatic cancer affects the rest of the body, particularly how it can trigger the sometimes deadly muscle-wasting disease known as cachexia. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency refuses a change to the marketing authorisation for vinflunine

On 25 September 2014, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a negative opinion, recommending the refusal of a change to the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product vinflunine (Javlor). The change concerned an extension of indication to add treatment of breast cancer. Read more here.

Specific clinical trial methodology needed for rare cancers

 A consensus paper (1) published in the Annals of Oncology today by Rare Cancers Europe (RCE), calls for new methodologies to be applied to clinical studies in rare cancers. RCE - a multi-stakeholder initiative representing patient associations, medical societies and industry - is calling both the community of researchers and European authorities to address research methodologies and regulatory criteria that could limit rare cancer patient access to new therapies. This would mean discrimination against this patient population. Read more here.