Cervial cancer vaccine, increased awareness could help lower disease rate in Kenya

AllAfrica.com/Guardian examines efforts to prevent and treat cervical cancer among women in Kenya, where an estimated 3,400 women die of the disease each year and only five percent receive screening. "Kenya's national reproductive health strategic plan has addressed cervical cancer largely through the roll-out of a low-cost screening tool known as VIA (visual inspection of the cervix using ascetic acid)," but experts agree that more widespread use of cervical cancer vaccines and public education campaigns about the disease would be more effective at preventing and catching cases earlier, the news service reports. Read the full article here.

Clinical trials can benefit under-represented populations in developing countries

While conducting more clinical trials in developing countries can help under-represented populations benefit from new medical developments, trials in low-income settings face challenges such as complicated regulations, Trudie Lang of the Centre for Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford and Sisira Siribaddana of the University of Rajarata and the Institute of Research & Development in Sri Lanka writes in an essay published in PLoS Medicine. According to a PLoS press release, "The authors conclude: 'the globalization of clinical trials should not be about running inexpensive trial sites to benefit distant people, but should focus on bringing research to populations who have previously been under-represented in clinical trials, and enabling these same communities the benefits resulting from new drugs, vaccines, and improvements in managing health'". Read the Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report here.

Study mentioned: Lang T, Siribaddana S (2012) Clinical trials have gone global: is this a good thing? PLoS Med 9(6): e1001228. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001228

Targeting novel immune-suppressive pathway encourages further testing

Two clinical trials led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers in collaboration with other medical centers, testing experimental immune drugs, have shown promising early results in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, and renal carcinoma. More than 500 patients were treated in the studies of two drugs that target the same immune-suppressive pathway, and according to the investigators there is enough evidence to support wider testing in larger groups of patients. Results of the phase I clinical trials are published online June 2 in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (1-5 June, Chicago, USA). Read the news release here.

Study mentioned: Topalian SL, et al (2012) Safety, activity, and immune correlates of anti-PD-1 antibody in cancer. N Engl J Med 2012 Jun 2 [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22658127

Summary basis of decision for Zelboraf

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to Hoffmann-La Roche Limited for the drug product, Zelboraf. Zelboraf contains the medicinal ingredient vemurafenib which is a kinase inhibitor that slows down or stops the growth of melanoma tumour cells expressing mutated BRAF V600 proteins. BRAF is mutated in approximately half of patients with advanced melanomas. Zelboraf is indicated as a monotherapy for the treatment of BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. A validated test is required to identify BRAF V600 mutation status. Read the full document here.

IARC: Diesel engine exhaust carcinogenic

After a week-long meeting of international experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer. Read the press release here and backgrounder information here.

Rapid and durable complete response in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone

A three-drug treatment for multiple myeloma provided rapid, deep and potentially durable responses, researchers reported on June 4 online in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology, and June 3 at the 2012 Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (Chicago, USA). The researchers, led by Dr Andrzej Jakubowiak, professor of medicine and director of the multiple myeloma program at the University of Chicago Medical Center, found that combining carfilzomib, a next generation proteasome inhibitor, with two standard drugs, lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone, compared favorably to other frontline regimens. The longer patients stayed on the therapy, the better their response. After at least eight 4-week cycles of treatment, 61% of the 36 patients who remained on the therapy had a stringent complete response, defined as no detectable tumor cells or myeloma protein in the blood or bone marrow; 78% had at least a near complete response. More than 90% of patients had no progression of their disease at two years. See the full report here.

How cells communicate to activate Notch - Essential research for design of potential therapeutics for numerous Notch-related diseases, in particular cancer

The Notch signaling system allows cells to directly talk to each other to program almost every cell type in the body. Now, researchers have shown for the first time that the mechanical force produced by cell-cell interactions is critical for programming by the Notch signaling system. Researchers show for the first time that the mechanical force produced by cell-cell interactions is critical for programming by the Notch signaling system. More information about the studies may be found here.

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer applauds federal government funding commitment to palliative care

OTTAWA– June 12, 2012– Health Canada’s announcement today, to provide three million dollars over three years in support of palliative care, is welcomed by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The funding will support The Way Forward: Moving Towards Community-Integrated Hospice Palliative Care in Canada, an initiative of the Quality End-of-life Care Coalition of Canada, managed by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. See the full news here.

Bevacizumab continued beyond first progression beneficial in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer previously treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy

A new study has confirmed that continuing bevacizumab treatment beyond first progression, while modifying chemotherapy, can be beneficial for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. In the first randomized study to prospectively investigate the impact of bevacizumab continuation in this setting, the study researchers noted a significant improvement in both overall and progression-free survival. Read more here.

Newfoundland and Labrador brings legislation to ban tanning for teens under 19

A bill that puts the heat on tanning bed operators who serve teens in Newfoundland and Labrador has been introduced in the provincial legislature. Under the bill, people under the age of 19 would be prohibited from using indoor tanning facilities. Susan Sullivan, Newfoundland's health minister, said studies have linked increased rates of skin cancer among youths to ultraviolet light exposure - "It is our government's responsibility to protect public health, as well as ensure that businesses have regulations to guide their business practices." Read the Calgary Herald article here.

New therapy on the horizon for ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer

A new compound that targets anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer is well-tolerated by patients and is already showing early signs of activity, including in patients who no longer respond to crizotinib, the only FDA approved ALK inhibitor. Results of this study were presented by a researcher from Fox Chase Cancer Center during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 1-5 June, Chicago. Read the ESMO news article here.

Notice of Decision for Xalkori - Health Canada

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance under the Notice of Compliance with Conditions (NOC/c) Guidance to Pfizer Canada Inc. for the drug product Xalkori. Xalkori is indicated as monotherapy for use in patients with ALK-positive advanced (not amenable to curative therapy) or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read more here.

New treatment controls breast cancer growth in study

Researchers have found that a new drug worked better than the standard treatment for keeping a type of advanced breast cancer from worsening. The drug, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), is so far available only through clinical trials. Researchers presented their findings June 2 at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. Read the American Cancer Society news item here.

Study finds link between osteoporosis and osteoporosis treatment and a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence

New research, presented by the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (CTG) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, draws a significant link between the development of osteoporosis, osteoporosis treatment and a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence. The study involved almost 1,300 postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of early breast cancer who used AIs and who had osteoporosis. The researchers found that the women with osteoporosis experienced improved event-free survival (how effective a treatment is at preventing recurrence) and distant disease-free survival (a measure of how long patients remain free of metastasis at distant sites), pointing to the need to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment with AIs. Read the news article here.

Pivotal phase III results of afatinib as first-line treatment in patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung harboring EGFR-activating mutations

Results from LUX-Lung 3, the pivotal phase III randomized, open-label, lung cancer trial investigating the ErbB family blocker afatinib, in patients with EGFR mutations, were presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago (1 - 5 June 2012). LUX-Lung 3, which compares afatinib to standard platinum based chemotherapy, is the largest phase III trial in first-line EGFR mutation positive, advanced, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. LUX-Lung 3 is also the first study using pemetrexed/cisplatin as a comparator. Read the news article here.

AURELIA - the first randomized phase III trial of bevacizumab with standard chemotherapy in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

Speaking on behalf of the AURELIA investigators (European ovarian cancer research groups), Dr Eric Pujade-Lauraine presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago (1 - 5 June 2012) results from the first phase III trial combining bevacizumab with current standard of care - chemotherapy in the treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. This study is the first randomized phase III trial to demonstrate benefit with biologic therapy and benefit with combination therapy, rather than monotherapy, in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The researchers concluded that bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy should be considered as a new standard of care. Read the news article here.

Canadian ‘dream team’ to tackle deadly brain cancer

Some of the country’s top minds in cancer research are coming together to find new treatments for the most common and deadly form of brain cancer among adults following one of the largest investments ever made in Canada to research glioblastoma - $8.2-million from the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI), the Terry Fox Foundation (TFF), Alberta Innovates–Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Genome Canada, Genome BC and the BC Cancer Foundation. The research team is focusing on developing new drugs, the first of which are projected to be ready for clinical trials in two to four years. Read more from the University of Calgary's UToday here.

June issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The June issue of the WHO Bulletin (available here) includes an editorial on the management of non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries and an article on anti-smoking measures and tobacco consumption in Turkey.

WHO: Fighting non-communicable diseases

The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), aims to reduce preventable deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers, by 25 percent by 2025. WHO is coordinating negotiations on the surveillance, indicators and voluntary targets that will form an eventual global plan to fight NCDs, and is drafting recommendations to be considered by member governments in October 2012. Read the IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) news here.

Economist infographic depicts probability of dying from NCDs by country

The Economist's "Graphic Detail" blog features an infographic depicting the probability of dying from a non-communicable disease, by country. "You are more likely to be killed by a non-communicable disease (NCD), like cancer or heart disease, than anything else," the blog notes, adding, "In 2008 they accounted for 63 percent of the 56 million deaths worldwide". Access the daily chart here.

Many US cancer survivors still lost in transition

According to a recent Lancet article, many cancer survivors are still missing out on the close follow-up that they need. Julia Rowland, director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), explains that “there is growing pressure on the oncology community to address care after cancer” now that cancer is increasingly seen as a “chronic illness”. Empowered by their growing numbers (there are 12 million cancer survivors in the USA alone), people who survive cancer are demanding better communication about and coordination of their care, she says. Read the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship news item here.

Approval of sunitinib for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

According to a study conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a key design element present in a phase III clinical trial has led to worldwide approval of sunitinib for treating gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). 

Sunitinib, a small molecule inhibitor of KIT, was approved by the FDA in 2006 for treating patients with imatinib resistant/intolerant GIST. As indicated by this study, clinical trials are essential in understanding the drug development process: "these goals really are possible to achieve by designing studies around the best science and choosing diseases that are deeply understood at a molecular level, such as GIST." 

To read more about this trial, click here.

World's largest release of human cancer genome data

Researchers at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, have announced the largest-ever release of comprehensive human cancer genome data.  The genome data is freely accessible to the scientific community worldwide, more than doubling the data available from human genome sources.  As stated in Nature Genetics, "this information is valuable not just to cancer researchers, but also to scientists studying almost any disease." 

To learn more about this genome archive, click here.

Cancer death rate dropping in Canada

According to the 2012 Canadian Cancer Statistics report, produced by the Canadian Cancer Society, overall cancer death rates have dropped by 21 % (men) and 9% (women) between 1988 and 2007. Despite this encouraging trend, cancer still remains the leading cause of death in Canada. The 2012 report contains updates on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, as well as prevalence and risk of developing or dying from cancer. According to the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, "systematically recording and tracking these statistics is a key part of understanding the progress being made to address cancer." To access the complete report, click here.

Global cancer rates could go up 75% by 2030, study uggests

"The number of people with cancer is set to surge by more than 75 percent across the world by 2030, with particularly sharp rises in poor countries as they adopt unhealthy 'Westernized' lifestyles," according to a study published Friday in the Lancet. "If current population trends continue, the number of people with cancer worldwide will go up to 22.2 million by 2030, up from 12.7 million in 2008," CNN's "The Chart" notes, adding, "Cases are expected to surge in poorer parts of the world, which are ill-equipped to handle the burden"

REMARK checklist for reporting tumor marker studies

Researchers at the University of Oxford have created an explanatory guide detailing how the REMARK (Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies) can be used with tumor marker prognostic studies. The authors comment that incomplete reporting of prognostic marker studies in cancer happens all too frequently, and believe that using the REMARK Checklist will emphasize that "good reporting reveals the strengths and weakness of a study and facilitaties sound interpretation and application of study results." More information about the REMARK Checklist is available by clicking here.

Cancer survivors who stay active live longer

Can going for a walk improve cancer survivors’ long-term prognosis? It may, according to new research showing that exercise can lower survivors’ risk of premature death, not only from cancer but from any cause. In one report, a major new review published this month in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, scientists at the agency gathered available studies examining exercise and cancer survivorship, dating to 1950. Most had been published in the past five years. See the full news here.

June issue of Artemis (John Hopkins Breast Center) now available

The John Hopkins Breast Center has released the June 2012 issue of the Artemis newsletter. This month's feature articles include a range of diverse topics, from the importance of nutrition and physical activity to reduce level of cancer risk, to genetic predictors of breast cancer response to chemotherapy. To access the newsletter and read this month's issue, click here.

Many care doctors don't know long-term effects of chemo

From U.S. Health News: Many primary care doctors don't know the long-term side effects of the chemotherapy treatments that cancer survivors under their care may have been given, a new survey found. On the other hand, most oncologists -- though not all -- are familiar with the side effects of four common treatments used to treat breast and colon cancer, according to the results of the survey being presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. In the survey both two types of doctors were asked to identify side effects of four commonly used chemotherapy drugs for breast and colon cancer: Adriamycin (doxorubicin); Eloxatin (oxaliplatin); Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide); and Taxol (paclitaxel). Read the full article.

Human development central to changing cancer burden

Such is the conclusion of a study led by scientists of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and published Friday 1 June 2012 in the Lancet Oncology(1). Strikingly the study demonstrates not only how an increasing cancer burden will fall predominantly on those countries that are in the process of social and economic transition but also that the type of cancers that are most common is changing. Findings from the population-baseds study: In the highest HDI regions in 2008, cancers of the female breast, lung, colorectum, and prostate accounted for half the overall cancer burden, whereas in medium HDI regions, cancers of the oesophagus, stomach, and liver were also common, and together these seven cancers comprised 62% of the total cancer burden in medium to very high HDI areas. In low HDI regions, cervical cancer was more common than both breast cancer and liver cancer. Nine different cancers were the most commonly diagnosed in men across 184 countries, with cancers of the prostate, lung, and liver being the most common. Breast and cervical cancers were the most common in women. In medium HDI and high HDI settings, decreases in cervical and stomach cancer incidence seem to be offset by increases in the incidence of cancers of the female breast, prostate, and colorectum. If the cancer-specific and sex-specific trends estimated in this study continue, we predict an increase in the incidence of all-cancer cases from 12·7 million new cases in 2008 to 22·2 million by 2030. See the full press release from International Agency for Rsearch on Cancer here. (1) See http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(12)70211-5/abstract