Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer

An exciting learning collaborative of dissemination and implementation (D&I) researchers: Funded by a five year grant from the National Cancer Institute, this unique education program is positioned to build capacity in D&I research in cancer prevention and control. The deadline to submit applications is January 16, 2015. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by March 2, 2015. The 2015 MT-DIRC cohort will have on-site training June 1-5, 2015, and again June 6-10, 2016, at Washington University in St. Louis. Click here for more information: http://prcstl.wustl.edu/training/Pages/MTDIRC.aspx

Promising prognostic biomarker candidates for ovarian cancer uncovered by Roswell Park team

Cancer researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute have identified two independent classes of novel candidate prognostic markers for ovarian cancer, advancing efforts to develop targeted therapies for the disease. The findings resulted from two separate studies published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE and based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, the world’s largest public database on gene expression in different tumor types. Read more here.

Classification of gene mutations in a children's cancer may point to improved treatments

Oncology researchers studying gene mutations in the childhood cancer neuroblastoma are refining their diagnostic tools to predict which patients are more likely to respond to drugs called ALK inhibitors that target such mutations. Removing some of the guesswork in diagnosis and treatment, the researchers say, may lead to more successful outcomes for children with this often-deadly cancer. Read more here.

Next-gen melanoma drug, TAK-733, excels in lab tests

A recent University of Colorado Cancer Center study reports anti-cancer activity in 10 out of 11 patient tumor samples grown in mice and treated with the experimental drug TAK-733, a small molecule inhibitor of MEK1/2. While the drug is conceived as a second-generation inhibitor in patients harboring the BRAF mutation, the study shows drug activity in melanoma models regardless of BRAF mutation status. Treated tumors shrunk up to 100 percent. Read more here.

Study identifying cell of origin for large, disfiguring nerve tumors lays groundwork for development of new therapies

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have determined the specific type of cell that gives rise to large, disfiguring tumors called plexiform neurofibromas, a finding that could lead to new therapies for preventing growth of these tumors. "If we can isolate and grow the cells of origin for neurofibromas, then we can reconstruct the biological steps that lead these original cells to tumor stage,” said Dr. Le, a member of the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center. “Once we know the critical steps in the process, then we can design inhibitors to block each step in an effort to prevent or slow tumor formation.” Read more here.

Personalized genetic test could predict prostate cancer recurrence: researchers

Canadian researchers have developed a genetic test to identify which men are at highest risk for recurrence of prostate cancer following localized treatment with surgery or radiation therapy. The genetic test provides a quick and highly accurate tool to determine which men with prostate cancer would do well with only surgery or radiation, and those who would need additional treatment — chemotherapy and hormone therapy, say the researchers. Read more here.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT could be cost effective

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) showed that screening with low-dose computed tomography (LD-CT) as compared with chest radiography reduced lung cancer mortality. In a study reported in the 6th November 2014 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers reported that lung cancer screening in the NLST study meets a commonly accepted standard for cost-effectiveness. Read more here.

Researchers take new approach to stop 'most wanted' cancer protein

Researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center have found a way to defeat one of the most tantalizing yet elusive target proteins in cancer cells – employing a strategy that turns the protein’s own molecular machinations against it. In a study published online by the journal Cell, the scientists used a specially crafted compound to disrupt the protein’s ability to rev up its own production and that of other proteins involved in tumor cell growth. Read more here.

UCLA study finds tai chi reduces inflammation in breast cancer survivors

UCLA researchers have discovered that the Chinese practice of tai chi can reduce inflammation in people who have had breast cancer, thereby reducing a risk factor for the recurrence of the cancer. “We saw that tai chi reversed cellular inflammation, by producing a down-regulation of the genes that lead to inflammation,” said UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center member Dr. Michael Irwin. Read more here.

Half of premature colorectal cancer deaths due to socioeconomic inequality

Half of all premature deaths from colorectal cancer (described as deaths in people ages 25 to 64) in the United States are linked to ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic inequalities, and therefore could be prevented according to a new study by American Cancer Society researchers. The report found more preventable deaths occur in southern states than in northern and western states, but that in virtually all states those with the least education had significantly higher colorectal cancer death rates. Read more here.

Risk of brain cancer can triple after 25 years of cellphone use, study finds

Swedes who talked on cellphone or cordless phones for more than 25 years had triple the risk of a certain kind of brain cancer compared to those who used wireless phones for less than a year, a new study suggests. The odds of developing glioma, an often deadly brain cancer, rose with years and hours of use, researchers reported in the journal Pathophysiology. Even if the odds of developing a glioma were doubled or tripled, however, the risk would still remain low. Read more here.

Toronto hospital live-tweeting colon cancer surgery

Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital is live-tweeting colon cancer surgery this morning to raise awareness about prevention and treatment for the disease. Cancer surgeon Dr. Shady Ashmalla is performing the procedure, which got underway shortly after 8 a.m. EST and is expected to take about two hours. Ashamalla and his team are providing updates, photos and short videos as they perform a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, a minimally invasive colon cancer procedure. Read more here.

Young patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer anticipated to nearly double by 2030

In the next 15 years, more than one in 10 colon cancers and nearly one in four rectal cancers will be diagnosed in patients younger than the traditional screening age, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. This growing public health problem is underscored by data trends among 20- to 34-year-olds in the USA, among whom the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is expected to increase by 90% and 124.2%, respectively, by 2030. Read more here.

Convocating student explores impact of patient's death on nurses

When a child dies from cancer, it is almost unbearably tragic for family and friends. And, as a recent research study indicates, it may also adversely affect the career of the registered nurse who cared for that child. In her doctoral research, Faculty of Nursing graduate student Angela Morck, who will convocate on Monday, examined the effects of a death of a child on the pediatric oncology nurse. She discovered that nurses struggle to navigate the ideals of nursing versus the realities of practice when working with dying children. Read more here.

Olaparib in patients with BRCA-related cancers

Olaparib produced a tumour response rate of 26.2% in several advanced cancer types associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The response rate provides new hope for patients with ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers whose disease has not responded to standard therapies. Results of the phase II study are published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more here.

From bench to bedside: EACR collaboration with ESMO young oncologists

After the ESMO 2014 meeting in Madrid on Precision Medicine in Cancer Care, ecancer.tv interviewed Professor Joan Seoane on his work on the molecular mechanisms behind brain tumours, and on his involvement in an initiative at the Congress to bridge the gap between basic and clinical cancer research. Read more here.

Immune booster combined with checkpoint blocker improves survival in metastatic melanoma

Patients with metastatic melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab, an immune checkpoint blocker, survived 50 percent longer – a median 17.5 months vs. 12.7 months – if they simultaneously received an immune stimulant, according to a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. Patients in the clinical trial who got the combined therapies also had fewer serious adverse side effects than those who received only ipilimumab. Read more here.

Telephone counseling leads more adult childhood cancer survivors to get heart screenings

Supplementing written heart screening guidelines with telephone counseling from specially trained nurses more than doubled the likelihood that adult survivors of childhood cancer received recommended heart checks, according to results from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. This study was designed to understand and address why more survivors do not get the periodic heart screenings that are recommended to detect cardiomyopathy early when interventions may slow disease progression and prevent heart failure. Read more here.

Immunotherapy for cancer toxic with obesity

Immunotherapy that can be effective against tumors in young, thin mice can be lethal to obese ones, a new study by UC Davis researchers has found. The findings, published online today in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggest a possible link between body fat and the risk of toxicity from some types of immunotherapy. UC Davis researchers have been working with mouse models to determine if there is a subset of patients for whom certain types of immunotherapies are especially toxic. Read more here.

NSAIDs prevent colon cancer by inducing death of intestinal stem cells that have mutation

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) protect against the development of colorectal cancer by inducing cell suicide pathways in intestinal stem cells that carry a certain mutated and dysfunctional gene, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and the School of Medicine. Read more here.

Studies show exercise therapy, acupuncture benefit breast cancer survivors

Two new studies from the Abramson Cancer Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania offer hope for breast cancer survivors struggling with cancer-related pain and swelling, and point to ways to enhance muscular strength and body image. The studies appear in a first of its kind monograph from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs focusing on integrative oncology, which combines a variety of therapies, some non-traditional, for maximum benefit to cancer patients. Read more here.

Canadian Breast Cancer Network annual report, 2013-14

The Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) exists to voice the views and concerns of those affected by breast cancer to ensure equitable access to optimal breast cancer care for all Canadians. CBCN is Canada's leading survivor-directed, national network of organizations and individuals concerned about breast cancer. CBCN strives to voice the views and concerns of breast cancer survivors through promotion of information sharing, education and advocacy activities. This annual report highlights the CBCN's successes from the past year. Read the report here.

Obesity, physical inactivity drive up cancer numbers: study

Every year in Canada, more than 12,000 people develop cancer because of excess body weight and physical inactivity, according to new research by Alberta Health Services. Obesity and physical inactivity are well-known risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but people may tend to overlook the role they play in the development of cancer,” says Dr. Darren Brenner, an AHS epidemiologist and the author of the study. “The evidence is clear that thousands of cancers could be prevented each year if people paid more attention to diet and exercise.” Read more here.

Rewiring metabolism slows cancer growth

A University of Utah-led study reports that cancers select against a protein complex called the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC), and re-introduction of MPC in colon cancer cells impairs several properties of cancer, including growth. The research, which appears online in Molecular Cell, implicates changes in a key step in metabolism – the way cellular fuel is utilized – as an important driver of colon cancer that is also likely to be important in many other cancer settings. Read more here.

Staying indoors with a smoker similar to being outdoors in Beijing

Living with a smoker can be like breathing the air in the world’s most polluted cities, according to a new study from Britain. “The message is pretty simple, really – smoking in your home leads to really poor air quality and results in concentrations of fine particles, that you can’t see, that would cause real concern to us if they were found outside,” said lead author Dr. Sean Semple, of the Scottish Centre for Indoor Air at the University of Aberdeen. Read more here.

Study shows clear new evidence for mind-body connection

For the first time, researchers have shown that practising mindfulness meditation or being involved in a support group has a positive physical impact at the cellular level in breast cancer survivors. A group working out of Alberta Health Services’ Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the University of Calgary Department of Oncology has demonstrated that telomeres — protein complexes at the end of chromosomes — maintain their length in breast cancer survivors who practise meditation or are involved in support groups, while they shorten in a comparison group without any intervention. Read more here.

Oxygen-deprived RNA molecules lead to tumor progression

New research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has unearthed a previously unknown phenomenon: Key regulatory molecules are decreased when deprived of oxygen which leads to increased cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. “We showed that that hypoxia causes a downregulation of, or decrease in, quantities of Drosha and Dicer, enzymes that are necessary for producing microRNAs,” said Anil Sood, M.D., professor of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine and cancer biology. “At a functional level, this process results in increased cancer progression when studied at the cellular level.” Read more here.

New molecular imaging technology could improve bladder cancer detection

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a new strategy that they say could detect bladder cancer with more accuracy and sensitivity than standard endoscopy methods. The researchers identified a protein known as CD47 as a molecular imaging target to distinguish bladder cancer from benign tissues. In the future, this technique could improve bladder cancer detection, guide more precise cancer surgery and reduce unnecessary biopsies. Read more here.

Generic medications boost adherence to breast cancer therapy

Although oral hormonal therapy is known to substantially reduce breast cancer recurrence in women with hormone receptor–positive tumors, about one-half of patients fail to take their medications as directed. A study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers has found that the introduction of generic aromatase inhibitors (the most common type of hormone therapy), which are considerably less expensive than their brand-name counterparts, increased treatment adherence by 50 percent. Read more here.

Genomic landscape of ccRCC in Central Europe

New research by the international Cancer Genomics of the Kidney consortium ( CAGEKID) reveals an important connection between clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) and exposure to aristolochic acid, an ingredient in some herbal remedies. The findings, published in Nature Communications, have important implications for public health. Read more here.