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.