Postdoctoral opportunity SECTION OF CANCER INFORMATION

Using data mainly from population-based cancer registries around the world, the Section of Cancer Information (CIN) is working on a project that aims to assess in-depth the population impact of changes in longevity and duration of illness among patients with cancer.

A postdoctoral opportunity is available to work on this project including a data pooling study on population dynamics and major cancer trends in a global framework.

More information is here.

How metastasizing cancer cells evade organs

Physiologists and neuropathologists at the University of Zurich have uncovered the "pathway of metastasizing intestinal cancer cells out of the blood stream." This discovery lends proof to the notion that the consequences of metastasis are the cause of cancer deaths, rather than the primary tumors themselves (which only account for about 10% of deaths in industrial nations). This ground-breaking research allows scientists to focus on a new and different approach when developing drugs to combat metastasis.

To read more about this study, click here.

Albertans take private health care ban to court

CALGARY — Two Alberta men are challenging the province’s ban on private medical insurance for essential health care, questioning whether the law is constitutional. Both men paid thousands of dollars for surgery in the United States because the wait was too long in Alberta. The province then refused to reimburse them because the procedures were available at home. See the news from National Post.

Can cancer cells be reprogrammed to a state of permanent dormany?

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center have unveiled a new study whereby regulating proteins outside breast cancer cells "can send signals to the cancer cells to permanently stop proliferating." Known as senescence, the process refers to cancer cells that either die or permanently stop proliferation upon successfully undergoing chemotherapy. While this discovery is a step in the right direction towards a therapeutic strategy to reprogram cancer cells to permanent dormancy, the researchers caution that observations were based on cell cultures; there are still many avenues to consider and test before this process can be applied to cancer therapy in humans.

To learn more about the study, click here.

IARC Meetings - 1st IARC Cancer and Society Lecture now online

Research is necessary but not sufficient: Challenges in preventing occupational and environmental cancer
Dr David Michaels, DoL/OSHA, Washington, USA

See the video here.

The role of cancer research in noncommunicable disease control

Cancer control needs a targeted approach on a regional basis in order to effectively reduce the burden of disease, according to a commentary published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on 10 July.

In September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly held a high‐level meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that focused on four major contributors to the global burden of disease: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. The outcome of the meeting was a Political Declaration that highlights the need for prevention of NCDs.

The Role of Cancer Research in Noncommunicable Disease Control
J Natl Cancer Inst (2012) doi: 10.1093/jnci/djs262 Advance Access First published online: July 10, 2012

Collaboration key to better health

A collaboration announced Wednesday at the University of Calgary between Eli Lilly Canada Inc. and Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions – the Alberta/Lilly Translational Research Collaboration Fund – will provide $1.475 million to support health research at publicly funded Alberta post-secondary institutions. “Collaboration is the key to leading-edge health research,” said Fred Horne, Minister of Health. “These funds will help researchers turn collaborative ideas into solutions that will have a positive impact on the health of Albertans.” The research collaboration aims to provide health care workers with more of the tools and medicines they need to support quality primary care and promotes a stronger innovation and entrepreneurial culture in Alberta. More information is here.

Sanofi Toronto facility update regarding ImmuCyst

Health Canada has completed a thorough health risk assessment of the bladder cancer treatment ImmuCyst produced at Sanofi Pasteur's manufacturing plant in Toronto. Health Canada's review has concluded that ImmuCyst should remain available to bladder cancer patients, provided the drug continues to meet quality assurance standards. Samples from lots of ImmuCyst will be evaluated for quality by both the manufacturer and Health Canada before being released for use by Canadians. Lots that are determined to meet specific standards will be made available as required. Read more here.

Fertility drug usage and breast cancer risk

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute comments on exposure to fertility drugs, which have been known to elevate estrogen levels, and whether or not use of these drugs resulted in a pregnancy lasting at least 10 weeks.  According to Dr. Chunyuan Fei and his team of colleagues from the USA National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS): "women using fertility drugs who did not conceive a 10-plus week pregnancy were at a statistically significant reduced risk of breast cancer compared to non-users."  Conversely however, "women using the drugs who conceived a 10-plus week pregnancy had a statistically significant increased risk of breast cancer compared to unsuccessfully treated women." 

To read more about this study, click here.

Study mentioned: Fei, C., Deroo, LA., Sandler, DP, & Weinberg, CR. Fertility drugs and young-onset breast cancer: Results from the two sister study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Jul 6 [Epub ahead of print].
PMID 22773825

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer: June/July 2012 e-bulletin

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) has now released its June/July 2012 E-bulletin.  This issue's feature articles include returning to work after a cancer diagnosis, new funding announced by Health Canada to support palliative care, and a new online resource for cervical cancer screening. 

To read more and access the e-bulletin, click here.

Registration deadline for 2012 ESMO Examination extended

The registration deadline for the 2012 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Examination has been extended to July 23, 2012.  This year's exam is being held in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, India, and Egypt.  Begun in 1989, the ESMO exam "endorses that a medical oncologist possesses the knowledge, skills, and aptitude essential for the optimal treatment of cancer patients."

More information about the exam, including links to sample questions from past exams, can be found here.

Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter - July 2012

This quarterly publication alerts health professionals to potential signals detected through the review of case reports submitted to Health Canada. It is a useful mechanism to stimulate adverse reaction reporting as well as to disseminate information on suspected adverse reactions to health products occurring in humans before comprehensive risk–benefit evaluations and regulatory decisions are undertaken. Read the July 2012 issue here.

Platelet drug helps some patients with aplastic anemia

An early phase clinical trial has shown promise in treating some cases of severe aplastic anemia that hasn’t responded to other treatments. In the trial, 25 patients with aplastic anemia that hadn’t responded to treatment received a drug called Promacta (eltrombopag) that was designed to stimulate production of platelets from bone marrow. Researchers hoped it would also improve the number of blood stem cells and blood counts overall. After 12 weeks, 11 of the patients showed improved production of at least 1 kind of blood cell. Blood counts rose enough for 9 patients to stop having platelet transfusions. The drug is given orally and patients had few side effects. The researchers say that even though the drug is currently available for other diseases, it should be limited to aplastic anemia patients in clinical trials until more research is done. Read the news report here.

Study mentioned: Olnes MJ. Eltrombopag and improved hematopoiesis in refractory aplastic anemia. N Engl J Med. 2012 Jul 5;367(1):11-9. PMID: 22762314

CMA's move to expand CME offerings producing rapid results

Six months after the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) launched its first accredited online continuing medical education (CME) course, the number of registrations for courses has passed 1,000 and further growth appears guaranteed because of ongoing expansion in the number of courses being offered. Dr. Sam Shortt, the CMA's director of knowledge transfer, says only three courses were available when CMA Courses was launched last fall, but 11 new courses are expected to be added during 2012. Read more here.

Canadian Medical Association speech

In a speech to the Economic Club of Ottawa, CMA President John Haggie discussed the impact of issues such as income and housing have on Canadians' well-being. "If you are in the bottom 10 percentile of income in this country, your disease-free life expectancy at birth - the period you can expect to live before developing chronic disease - is 52 years. The Canadian average is 68 years, and if you are in the top 10 percent in terms of family income, your average disease-free life expectancy at birth is 78 years." Read the full speech here.

Strategies for reducing toxicity of cancer therapy

Whille a substantial portion of cancer research is aimed at providing the best level of treatment to the afflicted patient, investigating the side effects and toxicity of the various therapies has not received much focus.  Led by Dr. Charles Cleeland, McCullough Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, a panel of clinicians, researchers, and representatives from advocacy groups, federal agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry was recently formed "to identify gaps in cancer treatment toxicity research and provide direction for future action."  In the course of its investigations, the panel has seen how toxicity from cancer therapy affects one's treatment regimen and survival.  Developing a strategy to implement toxicity phenotypes is thus seen as an immediate need to combat these adverse effects. 

Further information on this study can be found here.

Study mentioned: Cleeland CS et al.  Reducing the toxicity of cancer therapy: Recognizing needs, taking action.  Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2012 Jul 3 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 22751283

Summary basis of decision for Caprelsa

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance to AstraZeneca Canada Inc. for the drug product, Caprelsa. Caprelsa contains the medicinal ingredient vandetanib which is a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. It is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid cancer in adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease. Read more here.

Neighbouring non-cancer cells may contribute to drug resistance in melanoma

As many cancer researchers can attest to, determining how and why cancer evades drug treatment is a continuous phenomenon.  In a new study recently published online in Nature, a team from the Broad Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Instiitute, and the Massachusetts General Hospital are focussing their research on the interaction between healthy cells and their cancer-causing counterparts.  Findings from this study indicate that "normal cells that reside within the tumor, as part of the tumor microenvironment, may supply factors that help cancer cells grow and survive despite the presence of anti-cancer drugs."

More information on this study is available here.

Study mentioned: Straussman R et al. Tumour micro-environment elicits innate resistance to RAF inhibitors through HGF secretion, Nature. 2012 Jul 4; [Epub ehad of print]. PMID: 22763439

UN strengthens regulations on melamine, seafood, melons, dried figs and labelling

The UN food standards body has agreed on new regulations to protect the health of consumers across the world. Aflatoxins, a group of mycotoxins produced by molds, are toxic and are known to be carcinogenic. They can be found in a variety of products such as dried fruits, nuts, spices and cereals at high levels if the produce is not stored properly. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WHO, has now agreed on a safe maximum limit of 10 mg/kg for dried figs, together with details on how test sampling should be conducted. Read the World Health Organization news release here.

Oncometabolite linked to acute myeloid leukemia

As reported in the July 4, 2012 issue of Nature, an international team of scientists from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Toronto), Weill Cornell Medical College (New York), and Agios Pharmaceuticals (Cambridge, Massachusetts), have discovered a definitive link between a metabolic enzyme and acute myeloid leukemia.  Lead by Dr. Tak Mak, Director of the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, these findings are substantial, as, "for the first time, the cancer scientists have demonstrated how a metabolite can cause cancer."  In fact, it is believed that this particular mutation is present in 40% of lymphomas, and is involved in 70%-90% of low-grade brain cancer. 

More information about this study is available by clicking here

Study mentioned: Sasaki M et al. IDH1 (R132H) mutation increases murine haematopoietic progenitors and alters epigenetics. Nature. 2012 Jul 4 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID 22763442
. 

European Association for Cancer Research (EACR): general assembly

The EACR general assembly will take place on July 8th at the Barcelona Congress Centre. The agenda and supporting papers are available in the members area to download and read. Read more here.

Registration now open for the Alberta Cancer Foundation Research Conference 2012

Registration is now open for the 2012 Alberta Cancer Foundation Research Conference, held at the Banff Park Lodge, November 1-3, 2012.

Plenary sessions include discussions around cancer both below and above the waist, while concurrent sessions will present information on therapeutics, imaging, diagnostics, regulatory pathways, survivorship and more. 

More information on the conference is available here.

OECI newsletter - latest release

The latest issue of OECI (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes) News is now available. Topics include developments presented at the Berlin Annual Meeting and General Assembly, and a summary of OECI policy issues, projects and initiatives. Read the newsletter here.

Addition of cetuximab to adjuvant chemotherapy not supported for resected stage III colon cancer patients

As first announced at the recent European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) World Congress on Gastrtointestinal Cancer (Barcelona, Spain, June 27 - July 1, 2012), there appears to be no benefit shown when adding cetuximab to standard adjuvant chemotherapy in patients wirth resected stage III colon cancer.  Dr. Julien Taieb and his team of researchers from the Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou in Paris, while recognizing FOLFOX as the standard adjuvant therapy for this type and stage of colon cancer, had believed that the addition of cetuximab would provided added benefit.  However, while the interim analysis may not have provided the level of support that was anticipated, gastrointestinal cancer experts have not yet given up hope.  While "large clinical trials are needed to show significant benefits from new adjuvant chemotherapy", the results of this study are still relevant in continuing to seek out the best possible course of treatment.

More information on this study is available by clicking here.

Young Adult Cancer Canada marks 12th anniversary

Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) has just celebrated its 12th year of operations.  Dedicated to supporting young adults across Canada afflicted with various types and stages of cancer, YACC programs are in high demand, and are comprised of "a community of hundreds of survivors, supporters, health professionals whose passion, support, and knowledge fuel us every day." 

Upcoming events for the YACC include the first ever Retreat Yourself Adventure, taking place in Gros Morne, Newfoundland in August, as well as the 6th annual Survivor Conference in Toronto from November 1-5, 2012. 

To read more about the YACC, click here.

July issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The July issue of WHO Bulletin, available here, includes an article that discusses the benefit and cost of protein therapy as cancer treatment, When subatomic physics research meets clinical oncology. Read more here.

Former president Bush in Zambia, Botswana to promote Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon initiative to fight cervical cancer

Former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush are traveling in Zambia and Botswana this week to promote "the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon initiative spearheaded by his foundation that seeks to expand cervical and breast cancer screening and treatment in sub-Saharan Africa," CNN reports. Read the CNN report here and the complete Times of Zambia article here.

ARTEMIS Breast Cancer Newsletter: July 2012 issue now available

The July 2012 issue of ARTEMIS, the John Hopkins Breast Center monthly newsletter is now available online by clicking here.  This month's featured articles include discovery of a new DNA marker that may indicate differences in breast cancer, and a study demonstrating the correlation between night work and women's increased health risks. 

Aging cells influence tumour growth and metastasis

A new study from the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University has demonstrated the molecular link between aging cells and cancer cell growth.  According to Dr. Michael Lisanti, Professor and Chair of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, "normal neighbouring cells that are becoming senescent or 'old' are directly making food to 'feed' the cancer."  This fact brings yet another important development to the continuous fight for cancer prevention. 

To learn more about the study, click here.

New trial alert: Bevacizumab/mFOLFOX6 for metastatic colorectal cancer

The Cross Cancer Insitute in Edmonton is current recruiting first-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients to participate in a randomized, phase II study.  Comparing the effects of bevacizumab/mFOLFOX6 versus bevacizumab/FOLFRI via repeated intravenous influsions, the primary outcome of the trial is progression-free survival. 

To learn more about the trial, including the full inclusion and exclusion criteria, click here.