Happy Holidays!

Dear the Grey Horizon Blog Readers:

Apologies for not having been able to post as regularly as in the past, due to the service transition this past 7 months. Thank you for staying with us for over 3 years. We will strive to come back to regular postings starting the New Year.

Happy Holidays!

Time is of the essence in breast cancer: 'Don't delay'

JAMA Oncology. Published online December 10, 2015. Bleicher et al,abstract; Chavez-MacGregor et al, abstract; Editorial

The publications revealed that patients whose treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated longer than 91 days following surgery experienced the worst overall survival (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.15 - 1.57). In a subgroup analysis, the worst outcomes were seen for patients with TNBC (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17 - 2.00). Similar observations were reported for breast cancer–specific survival.

Annual blood test may help prevent deaths from ovarian cancer

A British clinical trial conducted at University College London indicates that an annual blood test screening postmenopausal women for ovarian cancer, could reduce death rates by as much as 20%.  According to lead researcher Dr. Ian Jacobs, ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis, as it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage.  While further research pertaining to this new blood test screening mechanism is required, Dr. Jacobs states that "this is the first time that there has been evidence of a reduction in deaths from ovarian cancer through early detection by screening."

To read more about this study, click here.

Could a scan someday replace lymph node biopsy?

Research being conducted at the Vein Center, University Hospital in Essen, Germany indicates that an audio-visual imaging technique may be a viable alternative to lymph node biopsy for "detecting early signs that melanoma skin cancer has spread."  According to lead study author Dr. Ingo Stoeffels, the current lymph node biopsy via a radioactive tracer indicates that "in most cases, tis approach uncovers no sign of cancer spread while exposing patients to unnecessary risks."

To read more about this study, click here.

Alternative endings: lure of the unproven can prove fatal to cancer patients

Research undertaken at the University of Alberta, and never before publicly reported, indicates that at least 1 in every 100 breast cancer patients reject standard treatment, opting for more alternative therapies.  According to study author Dr. Kurian Joseph, radiation oncologist at the University of Alberta, rejection of "standard care doubles (the) likelihood of death as a result."

To read more about this study, click here 

European Medicines Agency’s review concludes evidence does not support that HPV vaccines cause complex regional pain syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

On 5 November 2015, the European Medicines Agency announced that its Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has completed a detailed scientific review of the evidence surrounding reports of two syndromes, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in young women given human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. These vaccines are given to protect them from cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers and pre-cancerous conditions. This review concluded that the evidence does not support a causal link between the vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil/Silgard and Gardasil-9) and development of CRPS or POTS. Therefore, there is no reason to change the way the vaccines are used or amend the current product information. Read more here.

Patient-derived tumour xenograft models encyclopedia

Researchers from the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research established 1,075 patient-derived tumour xenograft models (PDXs) with a diverse set of driver mutations. With these PDXs, they performed in vivo compound screens to assess the population responses to 62 treatments across six indications. They demonstrated both the reproducibility and the clinical translatability of this approach by identifying associations between a genotype and drug response, and established mechanisms of resistance. Read more here.

Prostate cancer treatment varies widely in Canada

Low-risk prostate cancer patients in Canada may be opting for treatment with major life-changing side-effects without fully understanding other options, including the choice to forego treatment unless the disease progresses, a new report reveals.
The Prostate Cancer Control in Canada: A System Performance Spotlight Report, produced by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, shows more could be done to help patients understand their disease, treatment options and side effects and to provide patient-centred care.Read more here.

New treatment for melanoma gets FDA approval

A genetically engineered cold sore virus has recently been approved by the FDA has a new treatment for melanoma.  According to Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, this new therapy, known as Imlygic, showed promising results in a study of 436 patients; those injected with Imlygic had a 16% decrease in tumor size compared to those receiving other forms of treatment.

To read more about this study, click here.

IVF users at higher risk of ovarian cancer

A new study from University College in London has stated that women using in vitro fertilization are 33% more likely to develop ovarian cancer.  According to Alastair Sutcliffe of the Institute of Child Health, "compared to other women...of the same age range and time frame...the rates of breast and uterine cancer were no different...as a whole.  However, there was an increased risk of ovarian cancer."  While the London study of more than 250,000 women indicated that the cancer risk was relatively small (15 cases per 10,000 patients), it does lend to further discussions about this procedure.

To read more about this study, click here

Vitamin D and calcium may not prevent colon cancer

A new clinical trial conducted at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire, and recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicates that "neither calcium nor vitamin D, taken alone or together after precancerous colon polyps were removed significantly reduced the risk of new polyps developing." While study co-author Elizabeth Barry, assistant professor of epidemiology and community family medicine at Dartmouth, states that this particular trial studied low doses of calcium and vitamin D taken over a period of 3-5 years, she does caution against the thought that taking calcium or vitamin D will automatically reduce one's risk of developing colon cancer.

To read more about this study, click here 

Local researcher explores how breast cancer cells spread to bone

Carrie Shemanko, an associate professor of integrative cell biology in the Faculty of Science, is conducting extensive research on what happens when breast cancer spreads to the bone. The research shows that certain signaling pathways for normal breast development are likely misused by cancer cells, giving them certain advantages that normal cells keep under tight regulation.

More from UToday.

AACR releases 2015 cancer progress report: Transforming lives through precision medicine

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has released its fifth Cancer Progress Report, a comprehensive summary of the current status of cancer research and treatment. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency recommends granting marketing authorisation for cinacalcet mylan

On 24 September 2015, the European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation for the medicinal product cinacalcet (Cinacalcet Mylan), intended for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism and reduction of hypercalcaemia in patients with parathyroid carcinoma. Read more here

Height may be linked to increased cancer risk

A new study of 5 million Swedish men and women purports a link between cancer risk and height.  According to Susan Gapstur of the American Cancer Society, "height may be a reflection of early age exposures...since adult height is a reflection of genetics and what you are exposed to while yo are growing up."  However, Gapstur cautioned that height alone does not indicate a definite risk of developing cancer; there are a number of factors at play.

To read more about this study, click here.

Signs of brain tumor may show in blood years before diagnosis

A new study indicates that changes in immune function may occur in brain tumors for as long as 5 years before the cancer is detected.  Following an analysis of blood samples collected over 40 years in Norway, researchers determined that "cytokines are activated during an allergy-related immune response...[and] have been linked to reduced risk for glioma [brain tumors]."

To read more about this study, click here.  

Could a laser skin test someday replace biopsy to spot melanoma?

Researchers at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom have developed a new "non-invasive test that can spot melanoma skin cancer without a biopsy."  According to lead researcher Aneta Stefanovska, the test was conducted via a laser that was able to detect slight variations in blood flow in a lesion, thus differentiating melanoma from a non-cancerous mole.  While further research is needed, melanoma experts are optimistic that this new skin test will reduce the need for invasive biopsies.

To read more about this study, click here.

Hairy cell leukaemia: ESMO clinical practice guidelines

Hairy cell leukaemia accounts for 2% of adult leukaemia, and occurs more often in men than in women. The new ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline provides up-to-date information on the management of hairy cell leukaemia, including recommendations for diagnosis and staging, as well as detailed treatment sections referring to the latest studies and reviews. Read more here.

New trial alert: Screening of Alberta asbestos exposed workers for lung cancer and Mesothelioma

A recent trial, sponsored by the University of Calgary is looking at a combined lung cancer and mesothelioma screening program for 200 asbestos-exposed workers in Alberta.  Presently in the recruiting phase, inclusion criteria for the trial includes an age range of 50-80 years, exposure to asbestos for a minimum of one year and at least 10 years prior to entry in the study, while exclusion factors pertain to individuals with severe heart or lung disease, among other factors.

To read more about this trial, listed on clinical trials.gov, click here.

Yo-yo dieting won't raise cancer risk

A new study conducted by the American Cancer Society indicates that weight cycling, perhaps more commonly known as yo-yo dieting, featuring "repeated episodes of weight loss followed by weight gain", does not cause an increased risk of cancer.  According to Victoria Stevens, strategic director of laboratory services at the American Cancer Society, this study is believed to be the largest and most comprehensive regarding this issue.

Click here to read more.

A systemic immunomodulator IMM-101 extends survival and maintains quality of life in the IMAGE1 study

The survival benefits in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with a systemic immunomodulator, IMM‑101 plus gemcitabine in a randomised, open-label phase II IMAGE1 trial were accompanied by an improvement in several quality of life (QoL) scores. Read more here.

EMA to further clarify safety profile of HPV vaccines

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started a review of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to further clarify aspects of their safety profile.....The review does not question that the benefits of HPV vaccines outweigh their risks....The current review will look at available data with a focus on rare reports of two conditions: complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS, a chronic pain condition affecting the limbs) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS, a condition where the heart rate increases abnormally after sitting or standing up, causing symptoms such as dizziness and fainting, as well as headache, chest pain and weakness). Read more here.

Too much sitting may raise woman's cancer risk

A new cancer prevention study conducted by the American Cancer Society indicates that excessive amounts of sedentary activity (in particular, sitting), was linked to a 10% overall higher risk of cancer in women.  However, a similar correlation was not found in men.  According to team lead Dr. Alpa Patel, "longer leisure time spent sitting was associated with a higher risk of total cancer risk in women...specifically with multiple myeloma, breast, and ovarian cancers...but sitting time was not not associated with cancer risk in men."  While Dr. Patel acknowledges that further research is necessary to better understand and explain these findings, it does raise awareness of the need to reduce the amount of time spent sitting and considerations for leading a more physically active lifestyle.

To read more about this study, click here.

Nicotinamide reduces skin cancer risk

From Natural Medicine:
New research shows that taking 500 mg of nicotinamide (vitamin B3) by mouth twice daily for one year reduces the risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer in people who have already had common skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Nicotinamide might be beneficial for people who are at high risk of developing common skin cancers, particularly because it is very accessible and inexpensive. It does not appear to reduce melanoma skin cancer risk.

 

Too few men with low-risk prostate cancers get "watch and wait" approach

A new report indicates that the majority of U.S. men with low-risk prostate cancer are receiving treatment in lieu of active surveillance.  According to study co-author Dr. Hui Zhu, chief of urology at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in Ohio, active surveillance, "the careful monitoring of prostate cancer for progression of the cancer that would indicate a need for treatment", may be gaining acceptance among urologists and patients, although it has been met with controversy.  Zhu's study stated that older men over 60, as well as those patients without insurance were more likely to have active surveillance.

To read more about this study, click here

Patients with Lowest BMI Have Shortest Survival in Pooled Analysis of Bevacizumab in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Patients with the lowest body mass index (BMI) had the shortest overall survival in an analysis of bevacizumab studies in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) presented for the first time today (1 July 2015) at the ESMO 17th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer 2015 in Barcelona. Read more here.

World GI 2015: Abstracts online!

All abstracts for the ESMO 17th world congress on gastrointestinal cancer, can now be found on Annals of Oncology! Read more here.

Unique data set made possible by 300,000 canadians

A landmark research portal that includes health and biological data from 300,000 Canadians — nearly one in every 50 individuals between the ages of 35 and 69 – is being launched today by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership). Read more here.

HPV vaccination tied to drop in precancerous cervical lesions in U.S.

HPV vaccination has gained greater credibility with the release of a new study indicating that administration of the Gardasil and Cervarix vaccines leads to a decline in the "number of young American women with cervical tissue changes than can lead to cancer."  Study lead Susan Hariri of the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control attributes the decline in cervical lesions to greater awareness and recommendation of HPV vaccination.  While Hariri cautions that more research is required to investigate the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer incidence, the results disseminated thus far are encouraging. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Rise in colon cancer screening rates in the U.S. attributed to The Affordable Care Act

A new study conducted by the American Cancer Society indicates that the rise of colon cancer screening rates in the U.S. over the past few years may well be attributed to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.  According to lead researcher Stacey Fedewa, since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, "colon cancer screening rates among people ages 50 to 75 rose from 57% in 2008 to 61% in 2013."  This increase was predominantly seen in people with low incomes who were covered by Medicare.

To read more about this study, click here.

Results of the CheckMate 057 study reported at ASCO 2015 annual meeting

Nivolumab is the first PD-1 inhibitor to statistically significantly improve overall survival (OS) vs docetaxel in previously treated patients with advanced non-squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It significantly improved overall response rate (ORR) as well. Safety profile of nivolumab was favourable in comparison to docetaxel and consistent with prior studies. CheckMate 057 is the second randomised phase III trial to demonstrate superior survival over docetaxel in patients with advanced NSCLC. Read more here

Breast cancer screening cuts chance of dying from disease by 40%, say experts

Women who undergo breast cancer screening cut their risk of dying from the disease by 40%, according to a global panel of experts attempting to end a long-running controversy about mammograms. Read more here.

Mediterranean diet tied to lower odds of uterine cancer

A new study conducted out of the IRCCS-Instituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche in Milan, Italy suggests that adherence to a Mediterranean diet can reduce risk of uterine cancer.  Following an analysis of the diet of over 5,000 Italian women, those who followed components of the Mediterranean diet had up to a 57% reduced risk of uterine cancer.  According to study author Cristina Bosetti, "our everyday choices, like what we eat and how active we are, affect our risk of cancer."

To read more about this study, click here.

2015 edition of canadian cancer statistics predicts surge in age-related cancers

The 2015 edition of Canadian Cancer Statistics, recently released by the Canadian Cancer Society, provides updated estimates of the state of cancer in Canada, with a special focus on future predictions to 2030.

Publication features modeling of lung cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer screening generated by the Partnership’s Cancer Risk Management Model. Read more here.

WHO model list of essential medicines revised

On 8 May 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the new edition of its Model List of Essential Medicines which includes ground-breaking new treatments for a variety of cancers. The move opens the way to improve access to innovative medicines that show clear clinical benefits and could have enormous public health impact globally. Read more here.

Pembrolizumab seems to be a new immune checkpoint inhibitor option for NSCLC, however is our knowledge on tumour biomarkers enough?

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths around the world. Despite the development of third-generation drugs combined with platinum compounds and different maintenance therapies, the overall survival achieved by cytotoxic agents was no longer than 15 months. 

Pembrolizumab has shown a manageable toxicity profile with less than 10% of grade 3 or 4 adverse events and pneumonitis incidence of less than 4% with a severity of grade 3 to 5 in half the patients.

The most important question is: this treatment is indicated for whom?

Read more here.

Chemotherapy before surgery may help women with advanced ovarian cancer

A new study conducted at the University of Birmingham has revealed that women undergoing chemotherapy prior to surgery for advanced ovarian cancer had a reduced risk of complications and death within 28 days after surgery.  In addition, study lead author Sean Kehoe, professor of gynecological cancer at the University of Birmingham, states that the trial showed that "shrinking the tumor with chemotherapy before surgery reduced side effects and hospital stay", thus improving a patient's quality of life.

To read more about this study, click here.

Statins may slow prostate cancer progression

A new study conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston indicates that statins, used to lower cholesterol levels, "may slow the progression of prostate cancer in patients receiving hormone therapy."  According to study senior author Dr. Philip Kantoff, chief of solid tumor oncology at Dana-Farber, this study, applicable only with advanced prostate cancer that has relapsed after hormone therapy, resulted in the cancer remaining stable for a longer time period (27.5 months compared to 17.4 months) for those taking statins.

To read more abut this study, click here.

Study looks at attitudes toward personalized medicine and breast cancer

Women, doctors and the general public highly value a test that helps determine if breast cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy, says a study by a Canada-wide research team led by University of Calgary scientists.

This was a two-part study on how women, medical oncologists and the general population regarded gene expression profiling. The test is a form of personalized medicine that analyzes a set of genes in tumours.

The first part of the research effort by Marshall’s team involved qualitative studies that included focus groups, along with interviews with patients and medical oncologists. Views were gathered on the value of — and challenges with — gene expression profiling for making decisions about chemotherapy.

The results were released in two articles in Current Oncology in 2014, including one on patient perceptions, followed by a third published this year in The Oncologist on the views of physicians.

Cloudy climate may increase risk of pancreatic cancer

A new study conducted at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine indicates that people living in areas with low levels of sunlight, thus not receiving adequate vitamin D, may be more susceptible to developing pancreatic cancer.  While study co-author Dr. Cedric Garland cautions that this study does not, at this point, offer irrefutable proof that sunlight deficiency leads to pancreatic cancer, the link is strongly suggested, particularly since similar research has "linked higher vitamin D levels to lower levels of breast and colorectal cancer."

Click here to read more about this study.

Ovary removal reduces breast cancer death in BRCA1 carriers

A new study conducted at the Women's College Research Institute of the University of Toronto is lending support to ovary removal in women with breast cancer who carry the BRCA1 genetic mutation. According to researcher Kelly Metcalfe, of the 676 women, carriers of the BRCA1 or BRCA2, who participated in the study, more than 77% survived over a 20 year follow-up, a 56% in breast cancer death following ovary removal.

Click here to read more about this study

Immune-focused drugs show promise against melanoma

A new pair of clinical trials conducted at the Johns Hopkins' Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, indicate that two drugs, the immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda, along with the immune-boosting Yervoy, show promising signs for treating advanced melanoma.  According to Dr. Suzanne Topalian, director of the Melanoma Program at Johns Hopkins, these drugs "prod the immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells."

Click here to read more about this trial, presented on April 20, 2015 at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Philadelphia.

Mammograms most beneficial starting at age 50: U.S. task force

Women should get a mammogram every two years starting at age 50 -- and while routine screening brings little benefit in the 40s, beginning it that early should be a personal choice, a U.S. government task force said Monday. Also, there's not enough evidence to tell if new 3-D mammograms are the best option for routine screening, or if women with dense breasts need extra testing to find hidden tumors, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded. Read more here.

ELCC 2015 News: VEGF SNPs identified as prognostic markers for bevacizumab response in patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC

Patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC) achieved median overall survival (OS) longer than one year in ANGIOMET, a prospective clinical trial of bevacizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel, leading the investigators to look for and identify biomarkers for this response. Read more here.

ELCC 2015 news: Promising results for surgical salvage of local recurrences after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with early-stage NSCLC

Results from two retrospective studies using data from a large registry confirmed that the rate of local recurrence (LR) following stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for treatment of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is low, but recurrence detected at 87 months suggests that a long follow-up is needed post SABR. Further findings showed that, in some cases, surgical salvage following LR can be done with limited post-surgical complications and may prolong overall survival. Read more here.

ELCC 2015 news: ‘Real-world’ EGFR mutation frequency results from a large population of chemotherapy naive patients with advanced NSCLC

Findings from IGNITE, a large, multinational (China, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, South Korea and Malaysia), diagnostic, non-comparative, interventional study, were presented by lead investigator Dr Baohui Han, Pulmonary Department, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai, China during the New Treatment Avenues Proffered Papers session at the European Lung Cancer Conference, 15-18 April 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more here.

Cancer researchers urge double-checking gene tests used in treatment decisions

More cancer patients are getting the genes in their tumors mapped to help guide their treatment. New research suggests that isn't always accurate enough, and a second test could help ferret out the culprit genes. This study found that mapping only the tumour's genome could provide misleading results and lead to treatment that's less likely to work. Comparing the two genomic sequences ensures that a mutation found in a tumour really helped fuel that cancer and isn't a harmless mutation sitting in the person's normal cells, too, explained lead researcher Dr. Victor Velculescu of Johns Hopkins University. Read more here.

Researchers find new approach to treat drug-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer

Resistance to therapy is a major problem in the cancer field. Even when a treatment initially works, the tumors often find ways around the therapy. Using human cell lines of the HER2-positive breast cancer subtype, researchers from the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have detailed the surprising ways in which resistance manifests and how to defeat it before it happens. The discovery provides the experimental evidence for the potential development of a novel combination therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. Read more here.

ESMO Guides for Patients in Italian

The European Society for Medical Oncology cervical cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer patient guides are now available in Italian.

ESMO Guides for Patients are designed to assist patients, their relatives and caregivers to better understand the nature of different types of cancer and evaluate the best available treatment choices. Read more here.

Most Canadians have been touched by cancer, but many don’t feel prepared to support themselves or their loved ones

More than 75% of Canadians have had a personal connection with cancer, whether through their own diagnosis or that of a loved one, according to a new survey commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society. The survey also shows that more than half (56%) do not feel well equipped to support themselves, a friend or loved one with cancer. The survey was conducted by Angus Reid in March 2015 and includes responses from 2,198 Canadians across the country. The results also show that upon learning of a cancer diagnosis, fewer than half of Canadians (49%) searched for information, while only 19% looked into support services. Read more here.

ESMO Guides for Patients in Romanian

We are pleased to announce that our breast cancer and prostate cancer Guides for Patients are now available in Romanian!

ESMO Guides for Patients are designed to assist patients, their relatives and caregivers to better understand the nature of different types of cancer and evaluate the best available treatment choices. Read more here.

Penn study shows risk of breast and ovarian cancer may differ by type of BRCA1, BRCA2 mutation

In a study involving more than 31,000 women with cancer-causing mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, researchers at the Basser Center for BRCA, the Abramson Cancer Center, and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, identified mutations that are associated with significantly different risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Authors say the results – which show that some mutations confer higher risks of breast cancer, while other mutations show higher risks of ovarian cancer – may lead to more effective cancer risk assessment, care and prevention strategies for health care providers and carriers. Read more here.

Using sound waves to detect rare cancer cells

Cancer cells often break free from their original locations and circulate through the bloodstream, allowing them to form new tumors elsewhere in the body. Detecting these cells could give doctors a new way to predict whether patients’ tumors will metastasize, or monitor how they are responding to treatment, but finding these extremely rare cells has proven challenging because there might be only one to 10 such cells in a 1-milliliter sample of a patient’s blood. A team of engineers from MIT, Penn State University, and Carnegie Mellon University is developing a novel way to isolate these cells: using sound waves to separate them from blood cells. Read more here.

Income inequality affects who gets an underutilized test for breast cancer

Wealthier women who live in communities with the greatest income divide between rich and poor had better access to a new genetic test that can determine the most effective form of treatment for early-stage breast cancer, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Aetna. The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, also indicated that only a small minority of women with breast cancer received the test at all. Read more here.

Childhood cancer survivors face chronic health problems

The number of childhood cancer survivors in the U.S. has increased, but the majority of those who have survived five or more years after diagnosis face chronic health problems related to their treatment, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "We've been able to increase the number of survivors of pediatric cancer, but simply curing their disease isn't enough," said lead author Siobhan Phillips, assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "We need a more coordinated approach to their care to help prevent or delay some of these chronic health problems that affect the quality of their lives." Read more here.

Study reports peak longevity benefit with an hour of daily exercise

A new study has found that people who engage in three to five times the recommended minimum level of leisure-time physical activity derive the greatest benefit in terms of mortality reduction when compared with people who do not engage in leisure-time physical activity. This study confirms that much of the mortality benefit is realized by meeting the minimum recommended levels of physical activity and describes the increased mortality benefit associated with higher levels of physical activity. Read more here.

'Big Bang' model of cancer heterogeneity

A new commentary, published in Nature Genetics discusses integrative approach to study cancer heterogeneity. Heterogeneity is the single most important factor driving cancer progression and treatment failure, yet little is understood about how and when this heterogeneity arises. A new study shows that colorectal cancers acquire their dominant mutations early in development and that subsequent mutations, even if they confer greater fitness, are unlikely to sweep through the tumour.Read more here. 

Researchers develop new potential drug for rare leukemia

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new drug candidate that shows potential in laboratory studies against a rare type of acute leukemia. The compound was developed in the labs of Jolanta Grembecka, Ph.D., and Tomasz Cierpicki, Ph.D., who have been working for several years to identify a small-molecule inhibitor that would block the interaction between the protein menin and MLL fusion proteins that cause a rare type of acute leukemia. Read more here.

Circulating tumor DNA in blood can predict recurrence of the most common type of lymphoma

Measurement of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood can be used to detect disease recurrence in patients with a curable form of cancer known as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In most patients, measurement of ctDNA enabled detection of microscopic disease before it could be seen on computerized tomography (CT) scans, which is the current standard for disease assessment. Read more here.

New analysis of breast cancer subtypes could lead to better risk stratification; Annual Report to the Nation shows that mortality and incidence for most cancers continue to decline

For the first time, researchers have used national data to determine the incidence of the four major molecular subtypes of breast cancer by age, race/ethnicity, poverty level, and several other factors. These four subtypes respond differently to treatment and have different survival rates. The new data will help researchers more accurately stratify breast cancer by clinically relevant degrees of risk and potentially have an impact on breast cancer treatment. Moreover, armed with this information, women will be able to better understand the implications for their health based on their breast cancer subtype. Read more here.

Study explores power of digital storytelling on childhood cancer patients

It is an ancient art that, in this digital age of computers, cameras and cellphones, takes on an entirely new and compelling form — the art of telling stories. And while a component of weaving a tale has often included some element of learning, a new study conducted by Catherine Laing, assistant nursing professor, will hopefully take it a bit further. Laing will look at the therapeutic value of digital storytelling on young people affected by cancer and on the health-care professionals who care for them. “Although there is widespread anecdotal evidence about the benefits of digital storytelling, to the best of my knowledge, there is no research about its efficacy or therapeutic value — especially in childhood cancer patients and survivors,” Laing says. “This study will answer that.” Read more here.

MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, June 25-27, 2015

Being held in Copenhagen, Denmark, the MASCC/ISOO 2015 Annual Meeting will spotlight excellent science and cutting edge research aimed at enhancing the lives of people coping with cancer. In a few short years, MASCC/ISOO annual meetings have developed a reputation for providing the most current data and innovative techniques with regards to how best minimize therapy-induced side effects and complications associated with cancer. Read more here.

Health community welcomes Skin Cancer Prevention Act as vital law to protect youth

The health community is applauding the Alberta government’s decision to introduce legislation that will ban youth under the age of 18 from accessing tanning equipment. This much-anticipated new law will regulate the indoor tanning industry to address the significant cancer risk that tanning beds pose to young people. “Too many Alberta teens are put at a significantly higher risk of developing melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — by using indoor tanning equipment,” says Sarah Hawkins of the Canadian Cancer Society. “We applaud the Alberta government for introducing Bill 22 and believe this legislation is an important step to protect youth from the harms of indoor tanning. We encourage the government to pass and proclaim this legislation without delay.” Read more here.

Society urges Canada to follow the lead of Great Britain and others on tobacco plain packaging

The British House of Commons has approved final regulations for plain packaging for tobacco products. The law will come into force on May 20, 2016. With plain packaging, all tobacco company logos, colours, graphics and promotional features are banned but health warnings remain. “Canada should follow the lead of Australia, Britain, Ireland and other countries and implement plain packaging as soon as possible,” says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society. “Plain packaging is a key measure to reduce smoking and to protect kids from the tobacco industry. The Canadian Cancer Society has for years urged plain packaging requirements.” Read more here.

Measuring treatment response proves to be a powerful tool for guiding leukemia treatment

Measuring the concentration of leukemia cells in patient bone marrow during the first 46 days of chemotherapy should help boost survival of young leukemia patients by better matching patients with the right intensity of chemotherapy. The findings stem from a study of 498 children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) enrolled in a St. Jude-led protocol between 2000 and 2007. The clinical trial was the first to use measurement of residual leukemia cells - or minimal residual disease (MRD) - in bone marrow to help guide therapy. Read more here.

Kidney cancer detected early with urine test

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a noninvasive method to screen for kidney cancer that involves measuring the presence of proteins in the urine. The researchers found that the protein biomarkers were more than 95 percent accurate in identifying early-stage kidney cancers. In addition, there were no false positives caused by non-cancerous kidney disease. Read more here.

Scientists trace genomic evolution of high-risk leukemia

By genomic sequencing of leukemia cells from relapsed patients at different stages, scientists have discovered key details of how acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells mutate to survive chemotherapy. These mutations enable the cells to proliferate, causing relapse and often death. The researchers said their findings will lead to new tests to monitor children in remission and to detect signs of relapse. Read more here.

Indicators related to lung cancer recurrence, metastases and survival can inform treatment of patients

A new study describes prognostic factors for lung cancer spread and recurrence, as well as subsequent risk of death from the disease. The researchers estimated risks of metastasis and recurrence for surgically-treated (stage IA-IIIA) and non-surgically treated patients (stage IIIB-IV). The investigators observed that regardless of cancer stage, grade, or type of lung cancer, patients in the study were more likely to have distant metastasis than local recurrence. The experts noted that their estimates are likely applicable to the general population. Read more here.

Smoking may be linked to prostate cancer's return

A new study conducted at the University Hospital in Basel Switzerland indicates that smoking doubles the recurrence of prostate cancer after surgery.  According to lead author Dr. Malte Rieken, the study of 7,200 men, followed over a 28-month period shows that "current smokers and patients who had only quit smoking within the previous 10 years were about twice as likely to have their cancer return as those who never smoked."

Click here to read more about this study, presented on March 21, 2015 at the European Association of Urology annual meeting in Madrid, Spain.

Doctors say women with aytpia or DCIS should seek second opinions after breast biopsies

The accuracy of breast biopsy diagnoses has not been well studied, but it is a critical element in treating women with breast disease appropriately. This work takes a new approach to informing what is known about the over- and under-interpretation for breast cancer and benign breast disease, and identifies the greatest clinical challenge for accurate interpretation. This study involved 115 participating pathologists from 8 states, providing a total of 6,900 breast pathology interpretations. The overall concordance rate was 75.3%, with a rate of 96% for biopsies with invasive carcinoma. The concordance rate for atypia was just 48%, and it was 84% for DCIS. Read more here.

Study suggests precision medicine for adrenal cancer

A new international study gives a glimmer of hope for personalizing treatment for one of the most rare and aggressive forms of cancer. In a randomized phase 3 trial, adrenal cancer patients receiving the investigational drug linsitinib fared no better than patients receiving a placebo. But the researchers noticed a small subset of patients who had significant response and remained on the drug for an extended time. “While it was only a small subset of patients who responded to linsitinib, this remains very promising in the era of precision medicine,” says co-principle investigator Gary D. Hammer, M.D., Ph.D., Millie Schembechler Professor of Adrenal Cancer at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Read more here.

Does aspirin prevent colorectal cancer? Depends on your DNA

A new study by public health researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has discovered that the benefits of using aspirin and NSAIDs like ibuprofen to cut colorectal cancer risk actually hinge on a person’s particular DNA. The researchers compared genetic and lifestyle data from 8,624 people who developed colorectal cancer with that of 8,553 people who did not (both groups were matched by age and gender) and found some intriguing differences. “People with different genetic backgrounds, even if they’re exposed to the same thing like NSAID use, will react differently with the same exposure,” said Fred Hutch co-author Dr. Li Hsu. Read more here.

Scientists discover how to change human leukemia cells into harmless immune cells

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that when a certain aggressive leukemia is causing havoc in the body, the solution may be to force the cancer cells to grow up and behave. After a chance observation in the lab, the researchers found a method that can cause dangerous leukemia cells to mature into harmless immune cells known as macrophages. Read more here.

When cancer cells stop acting like cancer

Cancer cells crowded tightly together suddenly surrender their desire to spread, and this change of heart is related to a cellular pathway that controls organ size. These two stunning observations are reported by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. "What we really need in cancer treatment is a way to stop cancer from growing in the organ it has spread to, and we have discovered a mechanism that seems to do that," says the study's senior investigator, Anton Wellstein, MD, PhD, a professor of oncology and pharmacology at Georgetown Lombardi. Read more here.

Aspirin users with common genes may get less colon cancer: study

Researchers have identified common genetic traits that may explain how aspirin can help protect against colon cancer. The researchers pooled genetic and lifestyle data from 10 studies involving more than 17,000 people, about half had colon or rectal cancer. Overall, frequent aspirin use reduced chances of developing colo-rectal cancer by an average of about 30 per cent, compared with nonusers. The studies used different definitions of frequent use, but in most it was at least twice weekly for more than a month. Read more here.

Breast biopsy accuracy varies, especially with pre-cancer conditions: study

Biopsy specialists frequently misdiagnose breast tissue, potentially leading to too-aggressive treatment for some women and under-treatment for others, a study suggests. The results indicate that pathologists are very good at determining when invasive cancer is present in breast tissue, but less adept at making the right diagnosis with less serious conditions or when biopsied tissue is normal. The study involved 115 U.S. pathologists and 240 breast biopsy specimens. Read more here.

Tetanus shot may help boost brain cancer survival

A study conducted at the Duke Cancer Institute indicates that adding a tetanus short to another vaccine as a treatment option for glioblastoma, a lethal brain cancer, can have a profound effect on increasing a patient's life span.  According to study author Kristen Batich, a dual medical-doctoral degree student at Duke University, the average survival period for a gliobastoma patient is 12 to 15 months; the addition of the tetanus shot caused patients to live "years longer than expected."  While the Duke University study was conducted on a small scale, the findings put new forms of therapy into perspective.

To read more about this study, click here

'Super seniors' study hopes to identify genes that resist cancer

500 "super seniors" have been selected to take part in a new study funded by the Canadian Cancer Society. Researchers plan to analyze the genetic factors that have helped the seniors live cancer-free into their 80s, 90s and beyond. Angela Brooks-Wilson, lead investigator and professor at Simon Fraser University, says the super seniors involved in the study could be "genetically protected" from "cancer-causing mutations." Read more here.

FDA approves first therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma

On 10 March 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dinutuximab (Unituxin) as part of first-line therapy for paediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Read more here.

Hippo ‘crosstalk’ may be vital to tumor suppression

Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered new information about a key pathway known as Hippo, a metaphoric name referencing its link to tissue “overgrowth.” The Hippo pathway has been shown to regulate cell death and cell growth, thus playing a role in the development or prevention of tumors. Junjie Chen, Ph.D., chair of Experimental Radiation Oncology, has revealed that the Hippo pathway can be manipulated to regulate the fuel, or glucose, that feeds all cells including those in tumors, thus presenting a potentially new avenue for cancer therapy. Read more here.

Innovative light therapy reaches deep tumors

Using a mouse model of cancer, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a way to apply light-based therapy to deep tissues never before accessible. Instead of shining an outside light, they delivered light directly to tumor cells, along with a photosensitive source of free radicals that can be activated by the light to destroy cancer. Read more here.

FDA approves first biosimilar product in the USA

On 6 March 2015 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved filgrastim-sndz (Zarxio), the first biosimilar product approved in the United States.

Sandoz Inc.’s Zarxio is biosimilar to Amgen Inc.’s Neupogen (filgrastim), which was originally licensed in 1991. Zarxio is approved for the same indications as Neupogen, and can be prescribed by a health care professional for:

• patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy;
• patients with acute myeloid leukaemia receiving induction or consolidation chemotherapy;
• patients with cancer undergoing bone marrow transplantation;
• patients undergoing autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell collection and therapy; and
• patients with severe chronic neutropenia.

Read more here.

Researchers map "genomic landscape" of childhood adrenocortical tumors for the first time

In an advance that could lead to better identification of malignant pediatric adrenocortical tumors, and ultimately to better treatment, researchers have mapped the “genomic landscape” of these rare childhood tumors. Their genomic mapping has revealed unprecedented details, not only of the aberrant genetic and chromosomal changes that drive the cancer, but the sequence of those changes that trigger it. The study was led by Raul Ribeiro, M.D., Jinghui Zhang, Ph.D., and Gerard Zambetti, Ph.D., all members respectively, of the Departments of Oncology, Computational Biology and Pathology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Read more here.

Chromosomal rearrangement is the key to progress against aggressive infant leukemia

The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project reports that a highly aggressive form of leukemia in infants has surprisingly few mutations beyond the chromosomal rearrangement that affects the MLL gene. The findings suggest that targeting the alteration is likely the key to improved survival. The study is the most comprehensive analysis yet of this rare but aggressive subtype of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that occurs during the first year of life and is sometimes diagnosed at birth. Read more here.

Annual report on progress against cancer from ASCO

Now in its 10th year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO’s) report, “Clinical Cancer Advances 2015: An Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer,” for the first time identifies ASCO’s Advance of the Year. Other new features in this special anniversary issue include: A Decade in Review, which recounts the biggest changes in cancer care since this report’s introduction; The 10-Year Horizon, which previews trends likely to shape the next decade of cancer care; and a special series of research, which highlights exciting new leads for treatment of rare cancers. In keeping with this report’s tradition, ASCO also explores the clinical advances of the prior year that stand to make the biggest impact on improving cancer prevention, treatment, and care. Read the full report here.

European Medicines Agency recommends a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation for panitumumab

The change concerns first-line combination treatment with FOLIFIRI.

• On 26 February 2015, the European Medicines Agency’s 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 panitumumab (Vectibix).  Read more here.

US women's awareness of breast density varies

Researchers conducted a national cross-sectional survey of 2,311 women ages 40 to 74 in English and Spanish. The survey response rate was 65 percent. Overall, more than half of women who responded (58 percent) had heard of breast density, 49 percent were aware that breast density affects breast cancer detection and 53 percent knew that breast density is associated with cancer risk. Read more here.

New nanodevice defeats drug resistance

Chemotherapy often shrinks tumors at first, but as cancer cells become resistant to drug treatment, tumors can grow back. A new nanodevice developed by MIT researchers can help overcome that by first blocking the gene that confers drug resistance, then launching a new chemotherapy attack against the disarmed tumors. The device, which consists of gold nanoparticles embedded in a hydrogel that can be injected or implanted at a tumor site, could also be used more broadly to disrupt any gene involved in cancer. Read more here.

MD Anderson study shows why some brain cancers resist treatment

Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may have discovered why some brain cancer patients develop resistance to standard treatments including radiation and the chemotherapy agent temozolomide. “A major obstacle to effective treatment is acquired resistance to treatment,” said Wei Zhang, Ph.D., professor of Pathology. “Enhanced DNA repair can allow these cancer cells to survive, contributing to resistance and tumor recurrence. We have identified Aktr3 as having the ability to robustly stimulate glioma progression.” Read more here.

MASCC Comes to Australia: announcing Adelaide as host city to the MASCC Symposium, 2016

The MASCC/ISOO (Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer) Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer is designed to educate and inform an international audience of healthcare professionals on ways to minimize symptoms and complications associated with cancer as well as therapy-induced side effects. This meeting is intended for physicians, nurses, dentists, oral surgeons, dental hygienists, pharmacists, social workers, nutritionists, and other healthcare providers involved in the care of cancer patients. Read Professor Ian Olver (CEO, Cancer Council Australia) and Professor Dorothy Keefe (Service Director, South Australia Cancer Service) comments on holding the 2016 MASCC Symposium in Adelaide here.

Canada reports first-ever cancer stage data

The need for reliable pan-Canadian data on cancer stage was recognized more than 25 years ago. Data for at least 90% of Canadians diagnosed with breast, colorectal, prostate or lung cancers (2010 diagnosis year) in nine provinces are now available. This is the result of the Partnership’s investment in the National Staging Initiative and the efforts of our partners in the cancer control community. This report provides a first look at how these efforts can help us better understand cancer system performance and quality.

Read the full report, Cancer stage in performance measurement: a first look: a system performance spotlight report, here.

Society study looking at the role of avoidable cancer risk factors

A new study, funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, will for the first time determine the most comprehensive estimates of how many cancer cases could be avoided if Canadians improve their lifestyles and reduce their exposure to environmental carcinogens. When complete, this new study will provide the most comprehensive and accurate breakdown of cancer risk factors across the country. This information can then be used to promote the creation of the most effective and targeted programs and policies to reduce our risk of developing cancer. Read more here.

Novel precision medicine tool could help personalize cancer treatments

By measuring how vigorously tumor cells turn on “self-destruct” signals when exposed to different cancer drugs, a novel lab test can predict within less than 24 hours which agent is most likely to work against a particular tumor, say researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The scientists say this technique could lead to more reliable and rapid tools for “personalizing” cancer treatments than are now available. Clinical testing has already begun. Read more here.

IU researchers identify pancreatic cancer patients who benefit from personalized treatment

Cancer researchers at Indiana University report that about 15 percent of people with pancreatic cancer may benefit from therapy targeting a newly identified gene signature. Using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas, 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 a sub-group of pancreatic cancer patients who possess a strong angiogenic gene signature could benefit from personalized therapies that cut off the pathways that feed the cancer's growth. This particular gene signature enables abnormal blood vessels to form in tumors, which feeds the tumor's growth. Read more here.

Inherited gene variation leaves young leukemia patients at risk for peripheral neuropathy

Researchers have identified the first genetic variation that is associated with increased risk and severity of peripheral neuropathy following treatment with a widely used anti-cancer drug. Investigators also found evidence of how it may be possible to protect young leukemia patients without jeopardizing cures. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists led the study, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study involved 321 children and adolescents whose acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment included between 36 and 39 doses of the drug vincristine. Read more here.

Even low-androgen triple-negative breast cancer responds to anti-androgen therapy

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study shows that only about 1 percent of triple-negative breast cancer cells in a tumor must be "androgen-receptor-positive" to show benefit from anti-androgen therapies. There are no FDA-approved targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer. Clinical trials currently underway are showing promising preliminary results of anti-androgen-receptor therapies against triple-negative breast cancers expressing a higher percentage of androgen-receptor-positive cells. Read more here.

Disparities in breast cancer care linked to net worth

Household net worth is a major and overlooked factor in adherence to hormonal therapy among breast cancer patients and partially explains racial disparities in quality of care. The findings suggest that physicians, health insurers, and policy makers need to pay more attention to this economic variable to ensure that breast cancer patients receive this potentially life-saving treatment. Read more here.

MD Anderson studies skin cancer patients resistant to leading therapy

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may have found a way to more accurately predict which patients will likely respond to genomic-based follow-up therapies, by looking at unique “protein patterns” in melanoma patients. “There are patients whose DNA does not reveal how their melanomas became resistant to BRAF inhibitors,” said Lawrence Kwong, Ph.D., instructor in Genomic Medicine at MD Anderson. “So we looked at patterns of changes in 150 proteins which can give clues to the causes of resistance, even when DNA sequencing data is uninformative.” Read more here.

Genomic profiling of cancer of unknown primary site

Genomic profiling of cancer of an unknown primary site (CUP) found at least one clinically relevant genomic alteration in most of the samples tested, an indication of potential to influence and personalise therapy for this type of cancer, which responds poorly to classical chemotherapy, according to a study published online on February 12 by JAMA Oncology. Read more here.

Journalism and cancer-related issues

Journalists stand as a buffer between researchers, clinicians and other experts, and the general audience; they hold the key for the public to understand cancer-related issue by turning experts’ technical language into simple information. ... ecancermedicalscience, the open access cancer journal from the European Institute of Oncology and the OECI (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes), published a few weeks ago an article on “How do medical journalists treat cancer-related issues?”. Considering the wide range of sources cancer patients now have access to, how medical journalists treat cancer-related issues is very important.Read more here.

'Big Bang' model of colon cancer identifies role time plays in tumor-growth dynamics

Natural selection is thought to govern tumor growth, which means that the cells present in a full-grown tumor are the most evolutionarily fit, or likely to survive. But the Big Bang model asserts that when a mutation occurs is more important than its evolutionary fitness in determining its prevalence in a full-grown tumor. Read more here.

New screening tool could speed development of ovarian cancer drugs

University of Chicago Medicine researchers have built a model system that uses multiple cell types from patients to rapidly test compounds that could block the early steps in ovarian cancer metastasis. Their three-dimensional cell-culture system, adapted for high-throughput screening, has enabled them to identify small molecules that can inhibit adhesion and invasion, preventing ovarian cancers from spreading to nearby tissues. Read more here.

One-two punch catches cancer cells in vulnerable state

Timing may be decisive when it comes to overcoming cancer's ability to evade treatment. By hitting breast cancer cells with a targeted therapeutic immediately after chemotherapy, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) were able to target cancer cells during a transitional stage when they were most vulnerable, killing cells and shrinking tumors in the lab and in pre-clinical models. Read more here.

Donor telomere length and survival after hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with severe aplastic anemia

A new NCI study has found that, among patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who received a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) from an unrelated donor, those whose donor white blood cells had longer telomeres had higher survival rates five-years after transplantation than those whose donor white blood cells had shorter telomeres. Read more here.

Study shows elevated number of cancers in US HIV positive population

In 2010, an estimated 7,760 new cancers were diagnosed among the nearly 900,000 Americans known to be living with HIV infection. According to the first comprehensive study in the United States, approximately half of these cancers (3,920) were in excess of what would be expected if HIV-infected people had the same cancer risk as the general population. Read more here.

Alberta cancer rates continue to trend downwards

The rate at which Albertans are being diagnosed with cancer, or dying from the disease, is continuing to decrease, according to data from Alberta Health Services (AHS). Alberta’s cancer incidence rates have steadily declined by about one per cent annually between 2002 and 2012. Mortality rates have also decreased over the past 20 years, falling by 2.2 per cent annually between 2005 and 2012. “We’re making tremendous progress with cancer control in Alberta,” says Dr. Paul Grundy, Chief Program Officer and Senior Medical Director, CancerControl Alberta, AHS. Read more here.

Calculate your cancer risk with My CancerIQ

Ontarians now have a new digital tool in the fight against cancer, called My CancerIQ. With support from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, My CancerIQ was developed by Cancer Care Ontario to allow men and women to calculate their personalized risk of developing breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer. It takes less than 10 minutes to answer a series of interactive questions that will produce individualized recommendations on how to reduce cancer risks. Read more here.

Canadian Cancer Society welcomes announcement by the Minister of Health on mandatory reporting of drug shortages

“Cancer patients suffer when they can’t access the drugs they need. That’s why drug shortages have been a major priority for the Society, and why we’re pleased to see the Government move on this important issue,” said Gabriel Miller, Director of Public Issues. The Society looks forward to contributing to the details of the mandatory reporting plan, and urges the Minister of Health to take the next steps in proactively managing and anticipating shortages. Read more here.

Cell signaling pathway goes awry in common pediatric brain tumor

A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers links a well-known cell communication pathway called Notch to one of the most common -- but overall still rare -- brain tumors found in children. Their study suggests the pathway's involvement with a low-grade brain tumor called pilocytic astrocytoma, or PA. According to Fausto Rodriguez, M.D., associate professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, he and his colleagues made their discovery while comparing the expression of genes -- as measured by the amount of RNA the genes made -- in the Notch pathway between brain tissue from a mix of healthy children and those with PA. Read more here.

Lung passes breast as top female cancer killer in wealthy nations

For the first time, lung cancer has passed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths for women in rich countries. The reason is smoking, which peaked years later for women than it did for men. Lung cancer has been the top cancer killer for men for decades. "We're seeing the deaths now" from lung cancer due to a rise in smoking by women three decades ago, said Lindsey Torre of the American Cancer Society. The society released a report Wednesday, based on new numbers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Read more here.

Read the full report here.

National poll shows cancer strategy a priority for Canadians

Canadians overwhelmingly support a national strategy to reduce the burden of cancer, saying the plan should prioritize providing timely access to cancer treatments, timely and effective access to cancer screening and spreading the use of effective prevention techniques. Read more here.

Queen Elizabeth prize winner: Put pharmacies on chips

The New Scientist published yesterday on its website an interview with Robert Langer, the recent winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Langer pioneered the development of drug-release systems, tissue building and microchip implants. Working with surgeons at Boston Children's Hospital, he developed the first substances that could block the spread of blood vessels in tumours. Read more here.

ESMO press release: Making equal access to cancer treatment a priority

Access to treatment and care is a fundamental right of any patient. Yet despite the fast rate of new agent development, there are still astounding inequalities in the availability of and accessibility to cancer medications across Europe. On World Cancer Day 2015, ESMO confirms its commitment to acknowledging this patient right and highlights our collaborative efforts towards improving access for all. Read more here.

FDA expands approved use of ibrutinib to waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia

On 29 January, 2015 the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the approved use of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to treat patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia. The drug received a breakthrough therapy designation for this use.

Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia is a rare disease. It accounts for 1%–2% of haematological neoplasms with a reported age-adjusted incidence rate of 3.4 per million among males and 1.7 per million among females in the USA and 7.3 and 4.2 per million European standard population. Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia is a disease of the elderly with a median age of 63–68 years with a male predominance. Read more here.

Analysis of key breast cancer genes reveals distinct profiles for African-American, European-American women

Researchers have uncovered new information that may begin to explain why many African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive, often deadly forms of breast cancer, which strengthens the evidence that increased dietary folate intake may prove to be an effective strategy for reducing risk for the disease in African-American women. In the first large study of its kind, the team, led by Roswell Park Cancer Institute epidemiologists Zhihong Gong, PhD, and Christine Ambrosone, PhD, identified patterns in gene variations associated with breast cancer risk that diverged significantly between African-American women and women of European descent. Read more here.

The surprising dangers of CT scans and X-rays

Patients are often exposed to cancer-causing radiation for little medical reason, a Consumer Reports investigation finds. Researchers estimate that at least 2 percent of all future cancers in the U.S.—approximately 29,000 cases and 15,000 deaths per year—will stem from CT scans alone. Even some standard X-rays, which expose you to much smaller amounts of radiation, can pose risks if you undergo multiple ones. Read more here.

Colorectal cancer screening in Canada

This newly released report from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer presents colorectal cancer screening program quality indicators in Canada for the calendar years 2011 and 2012. It builds on the 2009–2010 report, which described the first round of screening. Data are provided for Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. The evaluation framework includes 12 quality indicators that were measured in the previous report, as well as three additional indicators (retention rate, 14 day unplanned hospitalization after follow-up colonoscopy, and interval colorectal cancer rate). Read the full report, Colorectal cancer screening in Canada: monitoring & evaluation of quality indicators – results report, January 2011 – December 2012, here.

NIH-funded study uncovers range of molecular alterations in head and neck cancers, new potential drug target

Investigators with The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network have discovered genomic differences – with potentially important clinical implications – in head and neck cancers caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). The researchers also uncovered new smoking-related cancer subtypes and potential new drug targets, and found numerous genomic similarities with other cancer types. Taken together, this study’s findings may provide more detailed explanations of how HPV infection and smoking play roles in head and neck cancer risk and disease development, and offer potential novel diagnostic and treatment directions. Read more here.

MRI improves prostate cancer biopsy accuracy

A new study conducted at the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Centre for Cancer Research indicates that the combination of MRI with ultrasound in prostate biopsies is better able to diagnose 30% more high-risk cancers compared to standard biopsies alone.  According to senior author Dr. Peter Pinto, the MRI-targeted biopsy "finds the aggressive tutors that need to be treated but also not finding those small microscopic low-grade tutors that are not clinically important but lead to over treatment."

Click here to learn more about this study, recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A new study links XRCC2 mutations to cisplatin resistance in testicular cancer

A major research study has uncovered several new genetic mutations that could drive testicular cancer and also identified a gene which may contribute to tumours becoming resistant to platinum chemotherapy. The study is the first to use whole-exome sequencing technology to explore in detail testicular germ cell tumours, which make up the vast majority of testicular cancers and are the most common cancers in young men. Read more here.

OECI newsletter from December 2014 available online

Since 2012, The OECI has regularly released a newsletter presenting the latest news and development on OECI activities.

The last issue mostly focuses on the BenchCan Project, a cooperation initiative set up in 2013, aiming at identifying possible solutions to the unacceptable inequalities in cancer care among Member States and at cooperating in EU research projects. Read more here.

Lung cancer screening framework can help maximize benefits, reduce risks

Following new evidence that suggests screening via low-dose CT scans could help reduce lung cancer-related deaths in high-risk populations, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s pan-Canadian Lung Cancer Screening Initiative has developed the Lung Cancer Screening Framework for Canada to help interested provinces and territories design targeted early detection programs for high-risk populations. Read more here.

IMAGINE Project focuses on patient-first health-care culture

The Alberta health-care system includes extraordinary talent and forward-thinking initiatives. But it is also faced with challenges to patient safety, frequent patient dissatisfaction, and a culture that can struggle with always putting the patient first. That is the picture of the health-care system that emerged during a nearly five-hour forum attended by almost 400 people, streamed live and hosted by the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the Cumming School of Medicine. The forum marked the launch of the IMAGINE Project, a grassroots, citizen-led initiative that aims to refocus the health-care system on the patient. Read more here.

More than 300 million people in at least 70 countries use smokeless tobacco

The first-ever report on the global use and public health impact of smokeless tobacco finds that more than 300 million people in at least 70 countries use these harmful products. The report, Smokeless Tobacco and Public Health: A Global Perspective, was released by the CDC and the National Cancer Institute at the National Conference on Smoking or Health in Mumbai, India. Thirty-two leading experts from around the world contributed to the report. The serious health effects of smokeless tobacco have been documented. As the report explains, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that smokeless tobacco causes oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer in humans. Read more here.

Read the full report here.

A key molecular defect in a childhood gastrointestinal tumor may have important diagnostic implications

NCI scientists have identified a key molecular defect that may have important diagnostic implications in a tumor in children known as gastrointestinal stromal tumor, or GIST. Patients with pediatric GIST typically are deficient in the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), which is essential for cell metabolism and energy production. Some tumors in patients with pediatric GIST have mutations in one of the four genes that code for SDH (SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD—collectively termed SDHx). However, in some patients with pediatric GIST these genes do not have mutations. Read more here.

Researchers make progress understanding a rare pediatric cancer

Investigators at the Cumming School of Medicine have made key new findings about an extremely rare childhood cancer called neurocutaneous melanocytosis. This malignant cancer is characterized by an excessive growth of melanin-producing cells in both the skin and the brain. The study’s authors found potential drug targets for the disease by using a molecular analysis of patient tumour cells grown in animal models. The study was led by Drs. Aru Narendran and Ronald Anderson, in the division of hematology, oncology and transplant at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Read more here.

Wait times for health care in Canada have not improved

Waiting for treatment has become a defining characteristic of Canadian Healthcare. In order to document the lengthy queues for visits to specialists and for diagnostic and surgical procedures in the country, the Fraser Institute has—for over two decades—surveyed specialist physicians across 12 specialties and 10 provinces. This edition indicates that, overall, waiting times for medically necessary treatment have not improved since last year. Read the full report, Waiting your turn: wait times for health care in Canada, 2014, here.

Second-line treatment with FOLFIRI/ramucirumab delays disease progression and extends overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

New findings from the international RAISE phase III study of 1,072 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) whose disease progressed on or after first-line therapy with bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, and a fluoropyrimidine, indicate that a combination of ramucirumab and FOLFIRI provides an overall survival (OS) advantage over standard second-line treatment with FOLFIRI alone. On average, patients treated with the ramucirumab combination lived six weeks longer than those treated with FOLFIRI plus placebo. The study was presented at 2015 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (15-17 January 2015, San Francisco, USA). Read more here.

The Partnership promotes greater integration of tobacco control and cancer control

During National Non-Smoking Week, January 18-25, Canadians are reminded of the dangers of tobacco use and encouraged to quit smoking. While there have been marked reductions in tobacco use in Canada over the past 40 years, smoking remains the number one cause of cancer and approximately 20 percent of Canadians continue to use tobacco on an occasional or regular basis. Read more here.

Cancer Care Ontario responds - Cancer risk is not just about bad luck

A recent study published in the journal Science, has caused much confusion in the media and the public. The study, from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center indicated that the majority of cancers are the result of bad luck. While this concept makes a great headline, it’s not actually true. The most common cancers – lung, breast, colorectal and prostate – are influenced by many lifestyle factors, including smoking, obesity, poor diet, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and sun exposure. These are all factors that can be modified through changes in behaviour; meaning you can lower your risk for developing cancer (and don’t have to rely on luck). Read more here.

Many cancer survivors have unmet physical and mental needs

Even decades after being cured, many cancer survivors face physical and mental challenges resulting from their disease and its treatment. That's the conclusion of a new study published early online in the journal Cancer. The findings could help clinicians and other experts develop interventions that are tailored to the specific types of problems and concerns that cancer survivors may experience. Read more here.