FDA approves eribulin mesylate for advanced liposarcoma

On January 28, 2016 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved eribulin mesylate for some patients with liposarcoma. The approval is for patients whose cancers are advanced (metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) and are no longer responding to anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

“The approval offers a therapeutic option for a disease with minimal treatment options,” said Chris Heery, M.D. Read more here.

Persistent peripheral neuropathy increases fall risk among cancer survivors

On February 5, 2016, a new study finds many female cancer survivors have problems with mobility and other physical functioning as a result of persistent peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy treatment. The problems with physical functioning were associated with a substantial increase in the women’s risk for injurious falls.

The study findings were presented on January 11 at the 2016 Cancer Survivorship Symposium in San Francisco. Read More here.

Newer treatment may be easier on children with brain tumors

On January 29, 2016 A new type of treatment called proton radiotherapy is as effective as standard photon (X-ray) radiation therapy in treating a common type of brain tumor in children, a new study reports.

The new therapy causes fewer long-term side effects, the researchers said. Read more here.

Mouse study points to mechanism linking obesity and colorectal cancer risk

On February 8, 2016 researchers have identified a biological mechanism that may help explain a longstanding association between obesity and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in humans.

In mice, the researchers found, the excess intake of calories reduced the production of a hormone that activates a signaling pathway involved in suppressing the development of tumors in the colon and the rectum. Read more here.

Exploring the growing interest in drug repurposing in oncology

There is a rapidly growing degree of global interest in the field of drug repurposing in oncology among members of the public and from some policy makers. Drug repurposing is defined as the reuse of drugs as anticancer therapies, according to press release of Anticancer Fund (ACF) issued on 4 February 2016. The promise of repurposing is that drugs with low toxicity and relatively low costs can be made available to patients in a rapidly reduced time-frame compared to the development of totally new drugs. Now a new joint project between the ACF, based in Belgium, and the Institute of Cancer Policy (ICP), King’s College London aims to change that. Read more here.

Allergies, asthma tied to lower risk of brain cancer

A new study conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine's Cancer Center indicates that people with respiratory allergies, asthma, and eczema may be less likely to develop glioma brain cancer.  According to study author Melissa Bondy, Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Population Science at Baylor College, "people with respiratory allergies or eczema were 30 percent less likely to develop the deadly brain cancer than those without such conditions."

To read more about this study, click here.

Meditation may ease pain, anxiety from breast cancer biopsy

A new study conducted at the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, North Carolina, indicates that meditation and music can reduce pain, anxiety and fatigue associated with a breast cancer biopsy.  According to study lead author Dr. Mary Scott Soo, "patients who experience pain and anxiety may move during the procedure, which can reduce the effectiveness of the biopsy."  Meditation in particular was noted as an alternative to anti-anxiety drugs, and in Dr. Soo's study, patients in the mediation group experienced considerably less pain during their biopsy.

To read more about this study, click here.

NIH researchers identify striking genomic signature shared by five types of cancer

On February 5, 2016 the National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a striking signature in tumor DNA that occurs in five different types of cancer. They also found evidence that this methylation signature may be present in many more types of cancer. Read more here.

World Health Organization's European code against cancer

On February 2, 2016 WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has issued a new edition of a code of actions that individuals can take to help prevent cancer. Supported by government policy and action, the code can help reduce cancer in the Region. Read more here.

Feasibility of a minimally invasive thoracoscopic ultrasound for localization of pulmonary nodules using resected human lungs - Canadian cancer trial

This clinical trail started on May 15, 2015 and is hosted by the university Health Network. The primary focus of this trail is the comparison of XLTF-UC180 nodule measurement with pathological morphology.

Read more about the clinical trail here.

FDA approves eribulin mesylate for the treatment of unresectable or advanced liposarcoma

On 28 January, 2016 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a chemotherapy drug eribulin mesylate (Halaven) for the treatment of unresectable or advanced liposarcoma. This treatment is approved for patients who received prior chemotherapy that contained an anthracycline. Read more here.

Two drugs show efficacy against common form of leukemia

On January 15 2016, reports from two early-stage trials of new oral drugs provide hope for patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that has returned after prior treatment. Read more here.

Studies mentioned in article:
Byrd J. C., Harrington B., O'Brien S., (2016). Acalabrutinib (ACP-196) in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 374, 323-332.

Roberts A. W., Davids M. S., Pagel J. M., (2016). Targeting BCL2 with venetoclax in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 374, 311-322.

Halaven approved for advanced soft tissue cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Halaven for advanced liposarcoma, a type of soft tissue cancer.  As the first chemotherapy drug shown to improve survival, Halaven was administered to 140 patients with liposarcoma in clinical studies; average survival period was 15.6 months compared to 8.4 months for those who were administered another chemotherapy drug.

To read more about this study, click here.

Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR) detailed information for 2012

On October 23, 2015 the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR) published their data on the cancer incidence from all provincial and territorial cancer registries in Canada.

The primary objective of the CCR is to provide a national database of information that can be used to produce standardized and comparable statistics for cancer incidence and survival data for each primary type of cancer. Read more here.

Study finds stool test effective for detecting colon cancer

On January 25, 2016, A new study finds that tests for blood in the stool can consistently detect colon cancer when used on an annual basis, and they are effective even in the second, third and fourth years of screening.

The researchers said these findings suggest that the stool test could be a reasonable screening alternative to colonoscopy -- currently considered the gold standard for colon cancer screening. Read more here.

Patient reported outcomes empower patients to be active partners in their care

Symptoms of a cancer diagnosis are not just physical. Patients often have concerns that affect their health but are seldom talked about with their care teams. The impact of their cancer can also be felt emotionally and mentally, in ways less apparent to physicians. The patient’s perspective is key in such situations.
The Partnership’s Person-Centred Perspective (PCP) program and its Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) Initiative aim to improve the patient experience across the cancer journey, with the goal of all jurisdictions establishing a measurement and reporting cycle for the patient experience by 2017. Read more here.

Rationale for anti-OX40 cancer immunotherapy

In the January 2016 edition of the EJC, authors from the Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, Villejuif, France present their rationale for anti-OX40 immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Lead author, Sandrine Aspelaugh, explains why blocking the OX40 molecule could become an important new approach in immunotherapy in the EJC’s January podcast. Read more here.

Personal care plans tied to better follow-up in breast cancer survivors

On January 15, 2016 a new study finds that personalized care plans may lead to better health outcomes for low-income breast cancer survivors.

Follow-up care for cancer survivors includes managing the long-term side effects of treatment and monitoring for tumor recurrence, among other things. An individualized care plan can help breast cancer survivors follow those recommendations, the researchers said. Read more here.

FDA approves alectinib for ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer

On December 11, 2015 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved alectinib (Alecensa®) for some patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutations in the ALK gene.

The agency granted an accelerated approval for alectinib for patients whose cancer is no longer responding to the ALK-targeted agent crizotinib (Xalkori®) or who are unable to tolerate further treatment with crizotinib because of side effects. Read more here.

Nerve damage from chemotherapy may affect cancer survivors for years

A new study conducted at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, indicates that peripheral neuropathy, a form of nerve damage, can persist in patients for years after chemotherapy treatment.  In the Oregon study conducted on 463 female cancer survivors, 45% had "symptoms of nerve damage, such as loss of feeling in their hands and feet."  This can cause an increased risk of falls.

Click here to read more about this study, presented on January 16, 2016 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in San Francisco.

Palliative care in critical condition: Canadian Cancer Society

The Canadian Cancer Society released a report on Tuesday January 12th 2016 on the state of care across the country. In its findings, the society said critically ill patients are falling through the cracks of the health care system and improvements are needed to address the patchwork of service that exists. In the absence of national standards, individual jurisdictions are left to develop their own policies, programs and guidelines that result in inconsistent and inadequate palliative care, the report said.

Read more here.

The full report is available from the Canadian Cancer Society website.

Aspirin may decrease death from prostate cancer

A study conduced at the Harvard Medical School in Boston suggests that regular aspirin intake may lower the risk of dying from prostate cancer.  According to lead researcher Dr. Christopher Allard, urologic oncology fellow at Harvard, it is too early to recommend aspirin as a prevention method for lethal prostate cancer, however due to its cardiovascular effects, "regular aspirin intake after prostate cancer diagnosis decreased the risk of prostate cancer death by almost 40%."

Click here to read more about this study, findings of which were presented at the January 4th meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

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.