media: UNBC Closer To Unique Cancer Drug Research Program - News for Northern/Central Interior British Columbia

"...Dr. Lee says the research will be the first of its kind in Canada - its goal is to develop a method of flagging chemicals that interfere with cancerous activity. Lee has been studying the protein CRD-BP, which is only over-produced in many cancers including: breast, lung, ovarian, colon, and skin cancers. Research at UNBC, and around the world, so far indicates that CRD-BP is associated with cancers because it physically interacts with certain RNA molecules that code for cancer-causing proteins. Dr. Lee and his team hope to find chemical molecules that have the ability to break that interaction....."

ASCO 2011 abstract: A North American population-based outcome for early-stage ovarian clear cell (stages 1-11) carcinoma (OCCC). - ASCO 2011 (including w/wo irradiation)

Abstract:

Background: OCCC is regarded as having a poor outcome and being relatively treatment resistant. Recent Japanese data instead have demonstrated high survival in early stage and radiation sensitivity. This study was carried out to reproduce/refute these findings in a North American setting.

Methods: Women with OCCC who had attended one of the four British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) centers have staging, pathological, treatment, and outcome data recorded in a computerized database. Irradiation (XRT) plus platin-based chemotherapy was the standard treatment. XRT usage mandated all such women provincially attending a BCCA centre. However, individual physicians within BCCA differed in their uptake of XRT. Outcomes with or without XRT could be compared. Univariate and multivariate (decision-tree analysis) analyses for disease-free survival (DFS) were performed.

Results: 241 Stage I-II women attended between January 2000 and December 2008 (IA/IB n=64; Ic n=147; II n=30). 5 year and 10 year DFS for stage IA/B; IC and II were 85 and 70%; 64 and 58%; and 43 and 43% respectively. IC subsets faired differently: rupture alone (spontaneous and surgical were equivalent) - 5 yr DFS 80% versus 34% if cytologically positive and 43% with surface involvement. Decision-tree analysis identified cytologic positivity as the most important factor (recurrence 27% if negative, 72% if positive). Surface involvement then further subdivided the cytologically positive: surface involved 93% recurrence, if not involved 60%. XRT had no effect in stage IA (85% DFS at 5 yrs with or without it) but was superior to chemotherapy alone in IC (5 yr DFS 68% vs 58%, 10 yr DFS 63% vs 52%, HR 0.59).
Conclusions: Stage IA OCCC has an excellent long-term outcome as does IC (rupture only). IC otherwise has a poor outcome as does stage II. XRT and chemotherapy improves outcome in stage IC versus chemotherapy alone.

Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Evaluation - Research Links - Mon Mar 7, 2011 British Columbia

B.C. (British Columbia, Canada) tops in breast and ovarian cancer survival rates | media Vancouver re: Lancet article

Sunnybrook, Mount Sinai, British Columbia- Terry Fox cancer research funding

"...Through a new partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research called the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program, the foundation is giving $9.7 million to institutions and researchers in Ontario including Sunnybrook and Mount Sinai Hospital, $2 million to projects in Quebec and $3.1 million to programs in British Columbia. The funding is aimed at four areas of cancer research: improving ultrasound techniques for radiation therapy, understanding how cancer spreads, exploring genetic aspects of rare cancers and developing new approaches to childhood leukemia....cont'd

'Heated political dynamics exist . . .': examining the politics of palliative care in rural British Columbia, Canada — Palliat Med

Blogger's Note: see prior blog post on palliative care/Vancouver for more insight into the 'lived' experience on this issue

abstract: (repost) Differences in tumor type in low-stage versus high-stage ovarian carcinomas

Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2010
Köbel M, Kalloger SE, Huntsman DG, Santos JL, Swenerton KD, Seidman JD, Gilks CB; Cheryl Brown (ovarian cancer survivour/deceased) Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Unit of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver BC.
Department of Pathology, University of Calgary, Calgary AB, Canada T2N 2T9. martin.kobel@cls.ab.ca


Abstract

Although there are recognized differences in the type of ovarian carcinomas between those tumors diagnosed at low versus high stage, there is a lack of data on stage distribution of ovarian carcinomas diagnosed according to the current histopathologic criteria from large population-based cohorts. We reviewed full slide sets of 1009 cases of 2555 patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma that were referred to the British Columbia Cancer Agency over a 16-year period (1984 to 2000).
On the basis of the reviewed cases we extrapolated the distribution of tumor type in low-stage (I/II) and high-stage (III/IV) tumors. We then compared the frequencies with those seen in a large hospital practice.
The overall frequency of tumor types was as follows: high-grade serous-68.1%, clear-cell-12.2%, endometrioid-11.3%, mucinous-3.4%, low-grade serous-3.4%, rare types-1.6%. High-grade serous carcinomas accounted for 35.5% of stage I/II tumors and 87.7% of stage III/IV tumors.
In contrast, clear-cell (26.2% vs. 4.5%), endometrioid (26.6% vs. 2.5%), and mucinous (7.5% vs. 1.2%) carcinomas were relatively more common among the low-stage versus high-stage tumors.
This distribution was found to be very similar in 410 consecutive cases from the Washington Hospital Center. The distribution of ovarian carcinoma types differs significantly in patients with low-stage versus high-stage ovarian carcinoma when contemporary diagnostic criteria are used, with consistent results seen in 2 independent case series. These findings reflect important biological differences in the behavior of the major tumor types, with important clinical implications.

The British Gynaecological Cancer Society Delphi Consultation Exercise on Expected Standards of Practice for Doctors Specializing in the Area of Gynecological Oncology

Ovarian Cancer Advocate

Ovarian Cancer Advocate

"This webpage has been established by a group of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in British Columbia. "