Post-Authorization Activity Table (PAAT) for Adcetris

This table describes post-authorization activity for Adcetris, a product which contains the medicinal ingredient brentuximab vedotin. Based on Health Canada's review, the benefit/risk profile of Adcetris is favourable for: The treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates; The treatment of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. Read more here.

EMA recommends granting a marketing authorisation for trametinib and extending indications for sorafenib

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended granting a marketing authorisation for trametinib (Mekinist) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation. The CHMP has also recommended adding a new indication to the use of the cancer medicine sorafenib (Nexavar) to treat patients with papillary/follicular/Hürthle cell thyroid carcinoma, refractory to radioactive iodine. Read more here.

Physician, scientist, and author: Siddhartha Mukherjee

In this segment of Medscape One-on-One, Eric J. Topol, MD, talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD, about his career as a writer, researcher, and practicing oncologist. Dr. Mukherjee is the author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer and is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University in New York.

You may watch the video or read the interview transcripts here.

"An intellectual history of cancer", characterized for his book on The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - interested in reading it when you are not being a physician? Check out this book from your library at the TBCC!

ESMO/BIG curriculum in translational research in breast cancer

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Breast International Group (BIG) recognised a gap in the formal educational criteria for medical professionals involved in translational research activities in breast cancer. The goal for the trainees is to introduce them to advances and pitfalls in translational research and to facilitate the involvement in translational research. This document served as a basis for the development of the Pre-IMPAKT 2014 Training Course programme. Read more here.

Unemployment common after breast cancer treatment

Nearly one-third of breast cancer survivors who were working when they began treatment were unemployed four years later. Women who received chemotherapy were most affected, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Researchers surveyed woman in Detroit and Los Angeles who had been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. They narrowed their sample to the 746 women who reported working at the time they were diagnosed. Participants were surveyed about nine months after diagnosis, and then given a follow-up survey about four years later. Read more here.

Y chromosome loss linked to higher cancer risk in men

Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden have uncovered a correlation between an increased risk of cancer among elderly men due to loss of the Y chromosome. While the loss of Y chromosome has long been considered part of the normal aging process, recent studies have shown that the "Y chromosome actually contains a large number of genes, whose jobs are not fully understood yet."

To read more about this study, click here.

Study mentioned: Forsberg L.A. et al. Mosaic loss of chromosome Y in peripheral blood is associated with shorter survival and higher risk of cancer. Nature Genetics, published online 28 Apr 2014.

Gold nanoparticles help target, quantify breast cancer gene segments in a living cell

Purdue University researchers have developed a way to detect and measure cancer levels in a living cell by using tiny gold particles with tails of synthetic DNA. A team led by Joseph Irudayaraj, professor of agricultural and biological engineering, used gold nanoparticles to target and bind to fragments of genetic material known as BRCA1 messenger RNA splice variants, which can indicate the presence and stage of breast cancer. Read more here.

A gene within a gene contributes to the aggressiveness of acute myeloid leukemia

A small gene that is embedded in a larger, well-known gene is the true leukemia-promoting force usually attributed to the larger host gene, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. The larger host gene is called BAALC. The smaller embedded gene is called microRNA-3151. The study investigated the degree to which each of the genes contributes to the development of acute myeloid leukemia. Read more here.

Cancer stem cells linked to drug resistance

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a molecule, or biomarker, called CD61 on the surface of drug-resistant tumors that appears responsible for inducing tumor metastasis by enhancing the stem cell-like properties of cancer cells. The findings may point to new therapeutic opportunities for reversing drug resistance in a range of cancers, including those in the lung, pancreas and breast. Read more here.

Scientists identify source of most cases of invasive bladder cancer

A single type of cell in the lining of the bladder is responsible for most cases of invasive bladder cancer, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Their study, conducted in mice, is the first to pinpoint the normal cell type that can give rise to invasive bladder cancers. Read more here.

EORTC and SIOG update expert opinion on management of elderly patients with NSCLC

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Cancer in the Elderly Task Force and Lung Cancer Group - along with the International Society for Geriatric Oncology have updated their 2010 recommendations on managing treatment for elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The update includes recommendations for screening, surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, treatment of locally advanced and metastatic disease as well as new data on patient preferences and geriatric assessment. Read more here.

Biomarker enrichment strategies

A recent article considers which clinical trial designs and analysis strategies are appropriate for use in phase III, biomarker-driven, randomised clinical trials, on the basis of pre-existing evidence that the biomarker can successfully identify patients who will respond to the treatment. In the article, authors describe enrichment strategies based on the use of prognostic biomarkers to separate a population into subgroups with better and worse outcomes, regardless of treatment. Read more here.

FDA approves ramucirumab for gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ramucirumab (Cyramza) to treat patients with advanced gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. It is a fully human monoclonal antibody of the IgG1 class, directed against the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Ramucirumab is intended for patients with unresectable or metastatic disease after treatment with a fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing therapy. Read more here.

European Medicines Agency alerts EU healthcare professionals after vials of falsified anti-cancer medicines identified

The European Medicines Agency has issued alerts with the latest information related to the stolen vials of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pemetrexed (Alimta) in Italy. The vials, some of which (in case of trastuzumab) were tampered with, were later re-introduced illegally into the supply chain in some countries. The situation goes beyond European Union (EU) and national current practices for handling quality or product defects; these are extraordinary circumstances driven by criminal activities that require special measures and strong collaboration from authorities across the EU. Read more here.

Aspirin halves colon cancer risk in people who carry specific gene: study

Aspirin can reduce the risk of colon cancer by half, but only in people who carry high levels of a specific type of gene, a study released Wednesday found. Researchers previously were aware that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin could reduce colorectal cancer risks, but they did not understand why some saw a benefit and others did not, according to the study. Scientists studied tissues from people who developed colon cancer while on an aspirin regimen then set out to understand why people with a particular gene appeared to get a protective benefit from aspirin and others did not. Read more here.

Nurses' experience key to better patient care, study says

Patients may get the best care when treated in hospital units staffed by highly experienced nurses, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 900,000 patients admitted over four years to U.S. Veterans Administration hospitals and found that for each one-year increase in the average tenure of registered nurses in a hospital unit, patients spent 1.3 percent less time in the hospital.

The study appears in the current issue of American Economic Journal: Applied Economics:
Human Capital and Productivity in a Team Environment: Evidence from the Healthcare Sector

Cancer trial alert - A study of CH5424802/RO5424802 in patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer

This non-randomized, open-label, multicentre study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of CH5424802/RO5424802 in patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer who failed crizotinib treatment. In Phase I, cohorts of patients will receive escalating doses of CH5424802/RO5424802 orally twice daily. In Phase II, patients who failed crizotinib treatment will receive the recommended phase II dose (600 mg) daily in two oral doses.

Need to know what trials are currently undergoing? You can sign up for new trial alert here.

Dana-Farber researchers uncover link between Down syndrome and leukemia

Although doctors have long known that people with Down syndrome have a heightened risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during childhood, they haven’t been able to explain why. Now, a team of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators has uncovered a connection between the two conditions. In a recent study, the researchers track the genetic chain of events that links a chromosomal abnormality in Down syndrome to the cellular havoc that occurs in ALL. Read more here.

Alcohol consumption from a cancer perspective

Cancer Risk Factors in Ontario: Alcohol, the third report in the Cancer Risk Factors in Ontario series, provides: Detailed information on the prevalence and distribution of alcohol consumption in Ontario, with special attention to the recommendation related to alcohol from the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research; Estimates of the cancer burden in the province related to alcohol consumption; Information on socio-demographic differences in alcohol consumption, including consumption among Ontario’s off-reserve Aboriginal population. Read the report here.

New gene variant found that increases the risk of colorectal cancer from eating processed meat

A common genetic variant that affects one in three people appears to significantly increase the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of processed meat. Lead author, Jane Figueiredo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, explained that eating processed meat is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and for about a third of the general population who carry this genetic variant, the risk of eating processed meat is even higher compared to those who do not. Read more here.

Chronic inflammation linked to high-grade prostate cancer

Men who show signs of chronic inflammation in non-cancerous prostate tissue may have nearly twice the risk of actually having prostate cancer than those with no inflammation, according to results of a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The link between persistent inflammation and cancer was even stronger for men with so-called high-grade prostate cancer — those with a Gleason score between 7 and 10 — indicating the presence of the most aggressive and rapidly growing prostate cancers. Read more here.

Study identifies a likely key driver of colorectal cancer development and progression

A new study identifies a molecule that is a probable driving force in colorectal cancer and suggests that the molecule could be an important target for colorectal cancer treatment and a valuable biomarker of tumor progression. The researchers demonstrate that miR-135b is present at abnormally high levels in both mouse and human colorectal (CRC) tumors. The overexpression can be induced by mutations in either well-known oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes that frequently occur in CRC, the researchers say. Read more here.

Body mass index associated with breast cancer, regardless of body shape

A study of predominantly white women finds a larger waist circumference is associated with higher risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, but not beyond its contribution to BMI. The study, by American Cancer Society researchers, fails to confirm previous findings that body shape itself is an independent risk factor for breast cancer. Read more here.

Does a more refined categorisation of tumour response and/or progression improve prediction of overall survival in RECIST 1.1?

In a recent analysis by the RECIST Working Group, EORTC researchers had explored whether a more refined categorisation of tumour response or various aspects of progression could improve prediction of overall survival in the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) database. They found that modelling target lesion tumour growth did not improve the prediction of overall survival above and beyond that of the other components of progression. Read more here.

Anti-cancer medicines availability study

Study objectives: to provide European health authorities with data on the availability of licensed anti-neoplastic medicines across Europe. This ESMO study is conducted under the auspices of the ESMO Emerging Countries Committee in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Kings College London Institute of Cancer Policy, the Union for International Cancer Control, and the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (liaising with the European Association of Hospital Pharmacy). Read more here.

Patient centered perspective initiatives in Canada

A newly released background document on Patient Centered Perspective Initiatives funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer this month outlines the goal of the Patient Experience through Patient-reported Outcomes Initiative is to improve the patient experience across the cancer journey through standardized measurement that accelerates optimal care and measures impact (health-related outcomes for patients) across Canada.

See the document here.

Canine cancer study aimed at improving survival for humans and dogs

With a Innovation Grant from the Canadian Cancer Society, a University of Saskatchewan research team will treat dogs with drug-resistant lymphoma to uncover the reasons for this resistance and to identify ways to reverse it. "The cancer we’re studying – lymphoma – is very similar to human non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It’s spontaneous and responds to drug therapy. The same therapies are used, and both the canine and human cancers develop similar drug resistance,” says study leader Dr Troy Harkness, a molecular geneticist and professor at the university. “Because dogs age faster than humans, their disease advances more quickly and we are able to observe results that much sooner.”
Read more here.

Gene panel effectively screens dozens of genes for cancer-associated mutations

As many as 10 percent of women with a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer have at least one genetic mutation that, if known, would prompt their doctors to recommend changes in their care, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Read more here.

In-depth focus on effective cancer control and care in China, India, and Russia

The Lancet Oncology has published a major new Commission examining the challenges to effective cancer control in China, India, and Russia – which together experience 46% of all new cancers worldwide, and account for more than half (52%) of all cancer deaths globally. The Commission was led by Professor Paul Goss, of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, USA, in collaboration with over 40 leading cancer experts from the regions studied, and across the world. Read more here.

Report highlights the need for culturally safe cancer care in Inuit communities

Although relatively unknown to past generations, cancer has become the second-highest cause of death in the Inuit population and is having a profound effect on patients, their families and communities.

A new report released Monday on April 14, 2014 examines cancer control for Inuit across Canada and provides a baseline against which progress can be measured over the coming years.

The Inuit Cancer Control in Canada Baseline Report provides context for the cancer pathway for Inuit and includes information on promising practices across the cancer control continuum. It looks at the patient experience from screening and diagnosis through to survivorship or palliative care, as well as challenges experienced by Inuit patients throughout their cancer journey.