Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
open access: Anti-idiotypic antibodies as cancer vaccines: achievements and future improvements | Frontiers in Tumor Immunity
Frontiers | Anti-idiotypic antibodies as cancer vaccines: achievements and future improvements | Frontiers in Tumor Immunity
Since the discovery of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), researchers have tried to develop immune-based anti-cancer therapies. Thanks to their specificity, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) offer the major advantage to induce fewer side effects than those caused by non-specific conventional treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy). Passive immunotherapy by means of mAbs or cytokines has proved efficacy in oncology and validated the use of immune-based agents as part of anti-cancer treatment options. The next step was to try to induce an active immune protection aiming to boost own’s host immune defense against TAAs. Cancer vaccines are thus developed to specifically induce active immune protection targeting only tumor cells while preserving normal tissues from a non-specific toxicity. But, as most of TAAs are self antigens, an immune tolerance against them exists representing a barrier to effective vaccination against these oncoproteins. One promising approach to break this immune tolerance consists in the use of anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) mAbs, so called Ab2, as antigen surrogates. This vaccination strategy allows also immunization against non-proteic antigens (such as carbohydrates). In some clinical studies, anti-Id cancer vaccines indeed induced efficient humoral and/or cellular immune responses associated with clinical benefit. This review article will focus on recent achievements of anti-Id mAbs use as cancer vaccines in solid tumors.....
open access: Cancer stem cells, tumor dormancy, and metastasis | Frontiers in Cancer Endocrinology
Frontiers | Cancer stem cells, tumor dormancy, and metastasis | Frontiers in Cancer Endocrinology
Introduction
Solid tumors account for the major cancer burden, and epithelial cancers arising in breast, lung, colon, prostate, and ovary comprise approximately 80% of all cancers (Visvader and Lindeman, 2008). However, over 90% of mortality in cancer patients is attributed to the subsequent spread of cancer cells to distant tissues....In vitro fertilization, endometriosis, nulliparity and ovarian cancer risk
ScienceDirect.com - Gynecologic Oncology - In vitro fertilization, endometriosis, nulliparity and ovarian cancer risk
Conclusions
There
is no evidence of an increased risk of ovarian cancer following IVF in
women who give birth. There is some uncertainty regarding the effect of
IVF in women who remain nulliparous. Parous women diagnosed with
endometriosis may have a slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer;
nulliparous women have a marked increase in risk.
Highlights
►
Infertile women who remain nulliparous have an increased risk of
ovarian cancer.
► In nulliparous, endometriosis increases risk and IVF may also be a risk factor.
► There is little or no increase in risk with IVF or endometriosis in parous women.
► In nulliparous, endometriosis increases risk and IVF may also be a risk factor.
► There is little or no increase in risk with IVF or endometriosis in parous women.
Destructive T10 Vertebral Lesion Leads to Diagnosis of Metastatic Ovarian Cancer
Gynecologic Oncology Case Reports - Destructive T10 Vertebral Lesion Leads to Diagnosis of Metastatic Ovarian Cancer
"In the present case, we report a patient with an initial presentation of back pain from vertebral metastasis that lacked any gross disease in her pelvis or abdomen during her staging procedure. This is an extremely rare method for ovarian cancer to initially present and, as far as we know, has never been reported."
Monday, November 05, 2012
Gairdner Foundation Genome Canada State-of-the-Science Event - Welcome Page | Online Registration by Cvent
Gairdner Foundation Genome Canada State-of-the-Science Event - Welcome Page | Online Registration by Cvent
Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - Wednesday, November 28, 2012
blogger stats: Ovarian Cancer and Us
Pageviews today:
|
424
|
Pageviews yesterday:
|
657
|
Pageviews last month:
|
12,327
|
Pageviews all time history:
|
251,155
|
Herbal supplements with estrogen-like compounds may reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk
Herbal supplements with estrogen-like compounds may reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk
- Isoflavone supplements were associated with reduced postmenopausal breast cancer risk.
- Women who used supplements with high isoflavone content had the greatest reduction in risk.
- While the results are interesting, women should not change their supplement use based on results of a single study. More research is needed.
Herbal supplements with estrogen-like compounds may reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk (Oct. 2012)
- Cancer Fact: Herbal supplements with estrogen-like compounds may reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk | 139 KB
- Download slide | 186 KB
podcast: University Health Network, defends decision to remove the nursing staff from the Princess Margaret Hospital Lodge
GFB Podcast: Dr. Bob Bell - Zoomer Radio AM740
Dr. Bob Bell, President and CEO of the University Health Network, defends his decision to remove the nursing staff from the Princess Margaret Hospital Lodge.
Association between Ambient Ultraviolet Radiation and Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Association between Ambient Ultraviolet Radiation and Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating to suggest that
higher exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is associated with
decreased
risk of internal cancers, but data for ovarian
cancer are unclear. We aimed to examine the association between lifetime
ambient
UVR and ovarian cancer in a
population-based-case–control study. The study included women aged 18 to
79 years with a new diagnosis
of invasive (n = 1,215) or borderline (n = 285) epithelial ovarian cancer identified through a network of clinics and state cancer registries throughout Australia.
Controls (n = 1,459), frequency matched to
cases by age (5-year groups) and state of residence, were randomly
selected from the National
Electoral Roll. We asked participants to report
where they had lived at different periods of their life and assigned an
estimate
of UVR using data from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping
Spectrometer database (1997–2003). We estimated the association between
ambient UVR and risk of ovarian cancer using
conditional logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders.
Women in
the highest third of average daily ambient UVR over
their lifetime were at significantly lower risk of all epithelial
ovarian
cancers than those in the lowest third [OR, 0.70;
95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56–0.88]. The inverse association was
stronger
for borderline tumors (0.47, 0.31–0.71) than
invasive tumors (0.78, 0.61–1.00). The effect sizes for overall and
borderline
tumors were unchanged after adjusting for
confounders, whereas the inverse association for invasive tumors was
attenuated.
These data suggest that exposure to ambient UVR may
reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Cancer Prev Res; 5(11); 1330–6. ©2012 AACR.
Breast Cancer Incidence After Risk-Reducing Salpingo-Oophorectomy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers
Breast Cancer Incidence After Risk-Reducing Salpingo-Oophorectomy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers
Abstract
Premenopausal risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers effectively reduces ovarian cancer risk, but also reduces breast cancer risk. Breast cancer risk reductions
up to 50% have been reported for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, but recent prospective studies were not able to reproduce this finding for BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Breast cancer incidence after RRSO was assessed in a consecutive series of 104 BRCA1 and 58 BRCA2
mutation carriers. On the basis of data from our own centre, and
assuming a 50% risk reduction through RRSO at premenopausal
age, we expected to find 8 breast cancers (range
6–10) in this population for the reported screening period (532
women-years).
In 162 carriers with a median age of 41 years at RRSO, 13 incident breast cancers were diagnosed. In BRCA1 mutation carriers, 12 incident breast cancers were found compared with 5 (range 3–6) expected and in BRCA2 mutation carriers 1 breast cancer was found compared with 3 (range 2–5) expected.
Breast cancer incidence after premenopausal RRSO is still high, especially in BRCA1 mutation carriers. Previously reported breast cancer risk reductions up to 50% were not confirmed. As a consequence, continued
intensive screening for breast cancer is warranted in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers after RRSO. Cancer Prev Res; 5(11); 1291–7. ©2012 AACR.
ANALYSIS OF INPATIENT STAY AT A TERTIARY REFERRAL CENTRE - ARE THERE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED?
ANALYSIS OF INPATIENT STAY AT A TERTIARY REFERRAL CENTRE - ARE THERE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED?
Results
Among 435 admissions in 325 individual patients (average of 1.33 admissions per patient per 3 months), the average length of stay was 8.85 days (range 1-76 days). 17% (74) of admissions were for longer than two weeks. Admissions were highest for breast (15.6%,68), colorectal (11.5%,50), head and neck (11%,48), ovarian (9.4%,41) and lung (9.2%,40) cancers. 80% (348) of admissions were urgent, and20% (87) were elective. Of the urgent hospital admissions,79% (276) were related to disease and21% (72) were related to treatment side effects. Of the disease related admissions 25%(69) were for symptom control; either pain, constipation or nausea. Elective admissions comprised of inpatient chemotherapy (48%,42), anti cancer therapies such as radiotherapy (17.2%,15), supportive procedures such as stenting (28.7%,25) and diagnostic procedures (6%,5).A Cancer Research UK Phase I Trial of Phortress (Novel Antitumour Benzothiazole) Given Intravenously in Consecutive 21 Day Cycles with Treatment on Day 1 of Each Cycle
A Cancer Research UK Phase I Trial of Phortress (Novel Antitumour Benzothiazole) Given Intravenously in Consecutive 21 Day Cycles with Treatment on Day 1 of Each Cycle
Conclusion: MTD was not determined, pulmonary and liver toxicities were being seen with increasing frequency, this and lack of efficacy led to study termination.
Current delays in setting-up investigator-driven randomised controlled trials: the MRC ICON8 experience
Current delays in setting-up investigator-driven randomised controlled trials: the MRC ICON8 experience
Conclusion
The time taken to establish clinical trials is still unacceptably long despite recent introduction of the 70-day benchmark for time from commencing R&D checks to first patient recruited. Obtaining NHS R&D approval accounts for the majority but later delays also occur. Implementation of proposed reforms to the research governance process is required.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
