Tuesday, January 03, 2012
NIH launches first online genetics course for social and behavioral scientists, January 3, 2012 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH launches first online genetics course for social and behavioral scientists
A new genetics educational program will provide social and behavioral scientists with sufficient genetics background to allow them to engage effectively in interdisciplinary research with genetics researchers. The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health, partnered with the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics to create the free, Web-based project...........Genetics education and resources for social scientists
Genetics vs. Genomics
In popular media and common speech, the words "genetic" and "genomic" are often used interchangeably. However, to a geneticist, these terms have specific meanings. To appreciate the difference, we must first understand something about the structure of genetic material.
Genetic information is stored in the molecule DNA, which consists of a string of chemicals called bases. The order of bases on the string, called the "sequence", determines the meaning of the genetic message. A gene is a specific stretch of bases that provides instructions for making a particular product, such as a piece of a hormone or enzyme. Humans have many thousands of genes, spaced across the entire set of DNA, which is packaged into 23 pairs of chromosomes. However, there are many DNA sequences in-between genes that do not directly encode specific products. Some of these sequences modify the way that genes are expressed. Other sequences do not have a known function.
Genetic information is stored in the molecule DNA, which consists of a string of chemicals called bases. The order of bases on the string, called the "sequence", determines the meaning of the genetic message. A gene is a specific stretch of bases that provides instructions for making a particular product, such as a piece of a hormone or enzyme. Humans have many thousands of genes, spaced across the entire set of DNA, which is packaged into 23 pairs of chromosomes. However, there are many DNA sequences in-between genes that do not directly encode specific products. Some of these sequences modify the way that genes are expressed. Other sequences do not have a known function.
Potentiation of a p53-SLP vaccine by cyclophosphamide in ovarian cancer, a single arm phase II study.
Abstract
The purpose of the current phase II single-arm clinical trial was to evaluate whether pre-treatment with low-dose cyclophosphamide improves immunogenicity of a p53-synthetic long peptide (SLP) vaccine in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer patients with elevated serum levels of CA-125 after primary treatment were immunized four times with the p53-SLP vaccine.........The outcome of this phase II trial warrants new studies on the use of low-dose cyclophosphamide to potentiate the immunogenicity of the p53-SLP vaccine, or other anti-tumor vaccines.Attitudes of Patients With Gynecological and Breast Cancer Toward Integration of Complementary Medicine in Cancer Care
Conclusion:
Although patients with gynecological malignancies use CAM significantly more than patients with breast cancer, both groups share similar conceptions regarding the active role of their gynecologist oncologists in the process of CAM integration within supportive care and expect CAM consultation to focus on improving their well-being.
Impact of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting on Quality of Life in Indonesian Patients With Gynecologic Cancer
Conclusions:
Patients reported a negative impact on the QoL of delayed emesis after chemotherapy. Poor prophylaxis of patients’ nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy interferes with patients’ QoL. Medical and behavioral interventions may help to alleviate the negative consequences of chemotherapeutic treatment in patients with gynecologic cancers treated with suboptimal antiemetics.
Intravenous/Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel and Intraperitoneal C... : International Journal of Gynecological Cancer
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate intravenous (IV)/intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel and IP carboplatin (TCipTip therapy) feasibility in epithelial ovarian (EOC), fallopian tube (FTC), or peritoneal carcinoma (PC) patients.
Methods:
From December 2007 to August 2010, 20 women with histologically confirmed stage IC to IV EOC, FTC, or PC.....
Identifying Clinical Improvement in Consolidation Single-Arm Phase 2 Trials in Patients With Ovarian Cancer in Second or Greater Clinical Remission
Abstract
Objective: Estimates of progression-free survival (PFS) from single-arm phase 2 consolidation/maintenance trials for recurrent ovarian cancer are usually interpreted in the context of historical controls. We illustrate how the duration of second-line therapy (SLT), the time on the investigational therapy (IT), and patient enrollment plan can affect efficacy measures from maintenance trials and might result in underpowered studies.
Conclusions:
Designs of nonrandomized consolidation trials that aim to prolong PFS must consider the effect of the duration of SLT on the end point definition and on required sample size. If IT is given concurrently with SLT, and after SLT, then SLT duration must be restricted per protocol eligibility, so that a comparison with historical data from other single-arm phase 2 studies is unbiased. If IT is given after SLT, the duration of SLT should be taken into account in the design stage because it will affect statistical power and sample size.
Phase II Study of Docetaxel Weekly in Combination With Carboplatin Every 3 Weeks as First-Line Chemotherapy in Stage IIB to Stage IV Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to assess the response rate, toxicity, progression-free survival, and overall survival in a series of patients with advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma treated with a first-line weekly docetaxel and 3 weekly carboplatin regimen.
Conclusions:
The tolerable hematologic toxicity (no need for colony-stimulating factors) and the low rate of neurotoxicity (only grades 1–2) and response rates in line with the standard 3-week paclitaxel-carboplatin regimen for advanced primary ovarian carcinoma after suboptimal cytoreductive surgery make this regimen an interesting alternative in selected patients.
published Oct 2011 - full free access: The Role of Hormonal Therapy in Gynecological Cancers-Curren... : International Journal of Gynecological Cancer
Abstract (and full free access to full paper)
Many gynecological cancers, including epithelial and
stromal ovarian cancers; endometrial carcinomas; and some gynecological
sarcomas, in particular endometrial stromal sarcomas, express estrogen
and/ or progesterone receptors. Hormonal therapy, typically progestogens
or tamoxifen, is commonly prescribed to patients with potentially
hormone-sensitive recurrent or metastatic gynecological cancers with
very variable response rates and clinical benefit reported. Aromatase
inhibitors are now widely used to treat postmenopausal women with
hormone receptor-positive breast cancers as they have greater activity
than tamoxifen and are generally better tolerated. The role of aromatase
inhibitors in gynecological cancers is uncertain and has not been well
studied, although they do appear to be active. The current evidence to
support the use of hormonal therapies including aromatase inhibitors in
gynecological cancers is reviewed, and the gaps in our knowledge
highlighted.
Loss of ARID1A-Associated Protein Expression is a Frequent Event in Clear Cell and Endometrioid Ovarian Cancers
Abstract
Conclusions:
These data confirm that loss of the ARID1A-encoded protein BAF250a is a frequent event in the genesis of clear cell and endometrioid ovarian cancers. Loss of BAF250a was not associated with clinical or epidemiologic characteristics. One explanation for these findings is that inactivation of the chromatin remodeling pathway may be a requisite event in the development of these cancers.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology : Using short information leaflets as recruitment tools did not improve recruitment: a randomized controlled trial
Objective
To assess if the type of patient information leaflet (PIL) received at an initial invitation to participate in a randomized trial influences the number of patients recruited.
Providing patients with shorter PILs when inviting them to participate in research does not affect the numbers who are subsequently recruited and yields more ineligible patients. Therefore, it is recommended to use the full PIL as a recruitment tool.
Can Canada get on with national pharmacare already? (the politics of cancer/healthcare)
We believe the public’s choice would be health care. With Canadians suffering and, indeed, dying every day from inadequate drug coverage, and with a national pharmaceutical strategy already in place, the lack of action on pharmacare is inexcusable.
BMC Medicine | Abstract/free full text: Septin 9 methylated DNA is a sensitive and specific blood test for colorectal cancer (small study)
The complete article is available as a provisional PDF.
Background
About half of Americans 50 to 75 years old do not follow recommended colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines, leaving 40 million individuals unscreened. A simple blood test would increase
screening compliance, promoting early detection and better patient outcomes. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the performance of an improved sensitivity blood-based Septin 9 (SEPT9) methylated
DNA test for colorectal cancer. Study variables include clinical stage, tumor location and histologic grade.
Quality control in ovarian cancer surgery
If the profession does not institute adequate internal regulation of the quality of ovarian cancer surgery, regulation is likely to be imposed by government.
Correction: ABCB1 (MDR1) Polymorphisms and Progression-Free Survival among Women with Ovarian Cancer following Paclitaxel/Carboplatin Chemotherapy
link to original article:
The authors of this article (Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:5594-601), which was published in the September 1, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research (1), wish to inform the scientific community that the results of the analysis of the ABCB1 3435C>T and 1236C>T SNPs presented were incorrectly reported due to a corrupted analysis file.
Completion of Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Use of Health Services for Older Women (65 yrs+) With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (SEER data/Medicare)
Results
Among 4,617 patients with untreated ovarian cancer, 1,329 (28.8%) received no chemotherapy, 1,139 (24.7%) received a partial course of chemotherapy, and 2,149 (46.5%) completed chemotherapy.
Conclusion
There is considerable room for improvement in helping older patients with ovarian cancer initiate and complete chemotherapy. The oldest women who completed chemotherapy in this study did not use health services more than younger women did.
Skin Tumors Induced by Sorafenib; Paradoxic RAS–RAF Pathway Activation and Oncogenic Mutations of HRAS, TP53, and TGFBR1
Conclusion:
Sorafenib induces keratinocyte proliferation in vivo and a time- and dose-dependent activation of the MAP kinase pathway in vitro. It is associated with a spectrum of lesions ranging from benign follicular cystic lesions to KA-like SCC. Additional and potentially preexisting somatic genetic events, like UV-induced mutations, might influence the evolution of benign lesions to more proliferative and malignant tumors.
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