Wednesday, September 22, 2010
ICR (UK) - Lynch Syndrome mutation MSH2 - 60-Year-Old Drug Shows New Promise for Inherited Cancer
"....Methotrexate is similar to a normal molecule called folinic acid, which is required for copying DNA. The drug prevents cells from making and repairing DNA - a process needed for cancer growth. It was one of the first chemotherapy drugs to be invented in the 1940s and is still used to treat a number of cancers today. But until now, it has not commonly been used to treat people with HNPCC.
Professor Alan Ashworth, who led this Cancer Research UK-funded study at the ICR, said: "The MSH2 gene plays a vital role in repairing DNA damage but if it is faulty, mistakes accumulate in cells and increase the risk of cancer developing.
"What's exciting about methotrexate is that it selectively destroys the cells lacking the MSH2 function. This indicates that it may make an excellent treatment for patients with the genetic alteration. With our colleagues at The Royal Marsden Hospital, we have set up clinical trials to test this."...cont'd
A whisper-game perspective on the family communication of DNA-test results: a retrospective study on the communication process of BRCA1/2-test results
"...Unclassified-variants were most frequently misinterpreted by probands and relatives, and had the largest differences between probands' and relatives' perceptions...."
What I wish I'd known before surgery: BRCA carriers' perspectives after bilateral salipingo-oophorectomy (abstract)
"This study illustrates that while health care providers are discussing selected side effects of PBSO, women undergoing this surgery have other concerns that should be addressed..."
Microbubble-enhanced US in Body Imaging: What Role? (abstract)
Note: CE US = contrast enhanced ultrasound
Abstract
Contrast agents for ultrasonography (US) comprise microscopic bubbles of gas in an encapsulating shell. They are unique in that they interact with the imaging process, oscillating in response to a low-intensity ultrasound field and disrupting in response to a high-intensity field. New contrast-specific imaging modes allow US to show exquisite vascularity and tissue perfusion in real time and with excellent spatial resolution. In Europe, Asia, and Canada, to name only the most obvious, characterization of focal liver masses is the first and best established use of contrast-enhanced (CE) US, allowing for the noninvasive diagnosis of commonly encountered liver masses with comparable accuracy to that of computed tomography and magnetic resonance studies. CE US is a preferred modality for the difficult task of diagnosis of liver nodules detected on surveillance scans in those at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. Newer body applications include the guidance of ablative intervention, monitoring activity of bowel inflammation in Crohn disease, characterization of kidney masses, especially cystic renal cell carcinoma, diagnosis of prostate cancer, and monitoring the response of tumors to antivascular drug therapies. Microbubble contrast agents are easy to use and robust; their use poses no risk of nephrotoxicity and requires no ionizing radiation. CE US plays a vital and expanding role that improves management and patient care.
Home : Nature Genetics re: BRCA 1/breast cancer/ polymorphisms (SNP's - international genome study)
Latest highlights
Advance Online Publication
Genetics of breast cancer
Letter by Antonius AntoniouFergus Couch and colleagues report a genome-wide association study for modifiers of breast cancer susceptibility in BRCA1 mutation carriers with breast cancer and BRCA1 mutation carriers without breast cancer. They identify a locus at 19p13 associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers, and replication studies show that this locus associates with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer in the general population.
Advance Online Publication
Simon Gayther and colleagues report a genome wide association study for ovarian cancer. They identify two new susceptibility loci at 2q31 and 8q24. Separately, Paul Pharoah and colleagues report a genome-wide association study for survival time after diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. They identify a locus at 19p13 associated with susceptibility to the serous subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer.
health media: BRCA1 Breast Cancer Risk Linked To Other Genes
"...People who carry certain mutations of the BRCA1 gene are known to have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Couch told the media that their findings should be "useful in helping determine individual risk for breast cancer in BRCA1 carriers".
"It also provides insights into hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer in the general population," he added.
For the study, Couch and colleagues conducted four phases of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that altogether involved 20 research centers in 10 North American and European countries and Israel.
For the first phase, to identify candidate gene variants, they scanned the genomes of 1,193 carriers of BRCA1 mutations who were under 40 and had invasive breast cancer and compared them to scans of about the same number of controls: BRCA1 carriers of similar age who did not have breast cancer.
In comparing the genomes from the two populations the researchers examined over half a million genetic alterations. They found 96 pieces of DNA called SNPs, or "snips", short for single nucleotide polymorphisms, that they thought would be likely candidates because they differed between the two populations...."cont'd
full free access: eMJA: Pathways to the diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer in Australia
Note: excerpts below, the tables included in the paper provide interesting information including patients with borderline tumours, 24% of patients in this study had a prior hysterectomy etc...
Objective:
To describe the diagnostic pathways experienced by a large,
representative group of Australian women with ovarian cancer, and to
document the time between first presentation to a medical professional
and clinical diagnosis.
Conclusions:
Despite anecdotal suggestions to the contrary, most women with ovarian
cancer in Australia are investigated and diagnosed promptly. The
diagnostic process is more protracted for a minority of women, and the
factors we found to be associated with diagnostic delay warrant further
investigation.
"........The numbers of symptoms reported, doctors seen and total doctor visits were all highly skewed. These variables were therefore summarised....."
"........The numbers of symptoms reported, doctors seen and total doctor visits were all highly skewed. These variables were therefore summarised....."
Maven Semantic: Ovarian Cancer Research Database - media
Note: see website/link for details by individual name and/or country etc
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Maven Semantic (http://www.mavensemantic.com) announces updates to their Ovarian Cancer research database.
The new database is now available to marketing, business development, competitor intelligence, KOL, medical affairs and related departments in the life sciences sector.
The database currently tags 42,000 individuals working in Ovarian Cancer. http://bit.ly/d0aEsH
EvidenceUpdates- A randomized controlled trial of home-based exercise for cancer-related fatigue in women during and after chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy
CONCLUSIONS: Our home-based exercise intervention had no effect on fatigue or related symptoms associated with cancer treatment. The optimal timing of exercise remains to be determined.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Clinicians need to be aware that some physical activity is better than none, and there is no harm in exercise as tolerated during cancer treatment. Further analysis is needed to examine the adherence to exercise. More frequent assessments of fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and pain may capture the effect of exercise.
Comments from Clinical Raters
Oncology - Gynecology
Impact will be muted, as this is a negative trial: exercise is not harmful but doesn't seem to improve any of the outcomes measured, including fatigue.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
HealthNewsReview.org | Independent Expert Reviews of News Stories | Holding Health and Medical Journalism Accountable
http://healthnewsreview.org/did-you-know.php
What is HealthNewsReview.org?
HealthNewsReview.org is a website dedicated to:
****************************************************
What is HealthNewsReview.org?
HealthNewsReview.org is a website dedicated to:
- Improving the accuracy of news stories about medical treatments, tests, products and procedures.
- Helping consumers evaluate the evidence for and against new ideas in health care.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is considered the gold standard of preventive health recommendations - including on screening tests. It.s a good source for journalists and consumers.
- About 70% of the stories reviewed from 2006-9 failed to adequately discuss costs, or to explain how big (or small) are the potential benefits and harms of treatments, tests, products and procedures.
- We have documented a disturbing trend of news stories taking an advocacy stance, promoting certain screening tests outside the boundaries of scientific evidence.
- Stories on new technologies like Cyberknife, DaVinci robotic surgery systems, and proton beam cancer therapy often fail to scrutinize the evidence and/or to discuss the costs involved.
- Rather than suggesting that everyone should be screened for everything, news stories could explain: "All screening tests cause harm; some may do good."
- The first 38 network TV network morning health news stories reviewed in 2009 earned an average score of 1.2 stars. 13 of the 38 stories got ZERO stars.
- Both TIME magazine and BusinessWeek have published terrific stories explaining the importance of the Number Needed to Treat - or NNT.
- Knowing relative risk reduction is like knowing you have a 50% off coupon but not knowing whether it's for a Lexus or a lollipop. Absolute risk reduction tells you what the "coupon" is worth. Read more.
- The website NoFreeLunch.org posts "a database of health care professionals who have pledged to accept no gifts from industry and to rely on non-promotional sources of information."
- To help journalists cover stories responsibly, we post a list of independent experts who state that they do not have financial ties to drug or medical device manufacturers.
- We apply the same ten standardized criteria to the review of every story.
- We have about 30 story reviewers. Each story is reviewed by 3 different people.
- Gary Schwitzer's seven words you shouldn't use in medical news: cure, miracle, breakthrough, promising, dramatic, hope, victim. Read why.
- Our reviewers include two former CNN medical reporters and a former editor of the Washington Post health section.
full free access: The Role of In Vitro Directed Chemotherapy in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) continues to be the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Efforts to personalize chemotherapy treatments by utilizing in vitro tumor assays to predict chemotherapeutic response have been tested in both the primary and recurrent treatment setting. To date, several retrospective studies have suggested improved response rates to predicted chemotherapeutic agents. However, a prospective, controlled trial merely found equivalence between in vitro prediction and empirical treatment selection. This review summarizes the current data regarding in vitro directed chemotherapy in EOC.
Conclusions: In vitro chemotherapy sensitivity and resistance testing may still hold promise for clinical decision-making, improved survival, and limiting unnecessary toxicity in the treatment of EOC. Given the current limitations and lack of randomized, controlled results, these assays are best used in the setting of a clinical trial.
Sorafenib in Combination With Gemcitabine in Recurrent Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Study of the Princess Margaret Hospital Phase II Consortium
Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; †Juravinski Cancer Centre, McMaster University,Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ‡Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; and §National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Antiangiogenic strategies have demonstrated efficacy in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Sorafenib is a novel multitargeted kinase inhibitor with antiangiogenic activity. Gemcitabine has known activity against EOC. A phase 1 clinical trial of this combination suggested activity in ovarian cancer with no dose-limiting toxicity. This phase 2 study was designed to examine the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and sorafenib in patients with recurrent EOC.CONCLUSION: This trial of gemcitabine and sorafenib in recurrent EOC did not meet its primary efficacy end point, but the combination was associated with encouraging rates of prolonged stable disease and CA-125 response.
Risk factors for non-invasive lesions of the fallopian tube in BRCA mutation carriers (study of 173 BRCA mutation carriers)
Objective
To identify risk factors for the presence of a non-invasive lesion of the fallopian tube in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.Conclusion
The prevalence of tubal p53 signature and TIC (a tubal intra-epithelial carcinoma (TIC)) increases with age at salpingectomy and with BMI. Oral contraceptive use is associated with a decrease in the prevalence of TICs.A phase I trial of dose-dense (biweekly) carboplatin combined with paclitaxel and pegfilgrastim: A feasibility study in patients with untreated Stage III and IV ovarian, tubal or primary peritoneal cancer: GOG study (serious side effects)
Purpose
Dose-dense regimens have been shown to improve outcome when given as adjuvant therapy to patients with breast cancer compared with their three weekly counterparts. We investigated the feasibility of a dose-dense regimen with carboplatin/paclitaxel followed by pegfilgrastim in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. We also investigated the toxicities including the percentage of patients with grade 2 or greater peripheral neurotoxicity and the clinical response of this regimen.Conclusion
Dose-dense carboplatin/paclitaxel appears to be effective. However, based on dose limiting toxicities occurring when administering 6 cycles of treatment, it is not feasible. Given the neuropathy and thrombocytopenia, we do not recommend 6 cycles of this regimen without modification.Genetics University of Utah - Tour of the Basics - Understanding Genes, Chromsomes
What is DNA?
What is a Gene?
What is a Protein?
What is Hereditary?
What is a Trait?
Scientists ID 5 Gene Variants Linked to Ovarian Cancer
"...The researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 10,000 women with ovarian cancer and more than 13,000 women without the disease. They found five genetic variants in regions of the genome (chromosomes 2, 3, 8, 17 and 19) associated with ovarian cancer risk.
"I think that the most important message women can take away from this work is that we are making progress in understanding ovarian cancer," Paul Pharoah, of Cancer Research UK Center for Genetic Epidemiology at Cambridge University, and senior author on two of the studies, said in the news release.....cont'd
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Terry Fox & the Terry Fox Foundation - the Marathon of Hope
Terry Fox & the Terry Fox Foundation
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977.While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.
He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.
It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.
After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario. However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age 22.The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.
To date, close to $500 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
AGENDA: Conference September 24th: Gynecologic Cancer Conference, Regina, Saskatchewan
registration:
September 24th, 2010 AGENDA
7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Conference Registration & Continental Breakfast
Exhibit Hall Marketplace Open
Exhibit Hall Marketplace Open
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Welcome!
Official opening of the first Saskatchewan Gynecologic Cancer Conference
Greetings from Co-Chair Scott Livingstone, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Opening Keynote Speaker -
Rosalee Longmoore, President - Saskatchewan Union of Nurses
Nurses are integral health care providers for the gynecologic cancer patient and her family, every step of the way. Ms. Longmoore will describe the dedication of nurses to the advancement of patient care and how they can add to the patient and her family’s quality of life.
Official opening of the first Saskatchewan Gynecologic Cancer Conference
Greetings from Co-Chair Scott Livingstone, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Opening Keynote Speaker -
Rosalee Longmoore, President - Saskatchewan Union of Nurses
Nurses are integral health care providers for the gynecologic cancer patient and her family, every step of the way. Ms. Longmoore will describe the dedication of nurses to the advancement of patient care and how they can add to the patient and her family’s quality of life.
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Dr. Vicki Holmes
Women’s Mid-Life Health Centre of Saskatchewan
Women’s Mid-Life Health Centre of Saskatchewan
Dr. Vicki Holmes’ presentation will focus on
the role of the General Practitioner in encouraging women to report symptoms,
interpretation symptoms, the use of appropriate diagnostic tests and
examinations of women of all ages, proper referral to specialists and support
during and post treatment. Although the patient’s primary physician at
the hospital is likely to be her gynecologic oncologist, the family doctor
still plays a key role in the patient’s care and treatment for pre diagnosis to
post treatment. New thoughts and methodologies for medical care, testing,
diagnosis and treatment have required today’s doctors to be more involved and
aware of symptoms for young girls to senior citizens.
10:30 a.m - 11:00 a.m Nutritious Break
Exhibit Hall Marketplace Open
Exhibit Hall Marketplace Open
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m Panel Presentations
Andrew Gilbertson, Pharmacist – Managing
Medication
The role of your pharmacist in family health and managing your medication.
The role of your pharmacist in family health and managing your medication.
Dr. Heather Fox – Complementary/Alternative
Therapies
Presenting non-traditional methods of diagnosing, preventing and treating cancer.
Presenting non-traditional methods of diagnosing, preventing and treating cancer.
Monica Milas – Support for the emotional side
effects of cancer and treatment
The side effects of gynecologic cancer and it's affect on survivors and their partners. Learning how to overcome these issues.
The side effects of gynecologic cancer and it's affect on survivors and their partners. Learning how to overcome these issues.
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.
Organic Lunch
Exhibit Hall Marketplace Open
1:00 p.m. – 2:00
p.m. Scott Livingstone,
Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
Gyneocology Cancer Program in Saskatchewan
Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
Gyneocology Cancer Program in Saskatchewan
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Panel Presentation
Dr. Muhammad Salim – Clinical Trials
Dr. Salim is the head of clinical trials in Saskatchewan, and the only Canadian
doctor on a team at the Mayo clinic for clinical trials – Learn about the basics of
clinical trials and their importance.
Dr. Salim is the head of clinical trials in Saskatchewan, and the only Canadian
doctor on a team at the Mayo clinic for clinical trials – Learn about the basics of
clinical trials and their importance.
Dr. Christopher Giede - When cancer returns
Learn about the medical options available to survivors facing recurrence and review
ways you can work with your medical team to make well-informed decisions about
your treatment.
Learn about the medical options available to survivors facing recurrence and review
ways you can work with your medical team to make well-informed decisions about
your treatment.
Wendi Stoeber, RN, MA, CCGC - Genetic
Counsellor
Learn about ovarian cancer genetics and how to identify families who may be at
heredity risk for the disease. Review the benefits, the risks and limitations of
genetic testing for ovarian cancer.
Learn about ovarian cancer genetics and how to identify families who may be at
heredity risk for the disease. Review the benefits, the risks and limitations of
genetic testing for ovarian cancer.
3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Nutritious Break
Exhibit Hall Marketplace Open
3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Closing Speaker – Sandi
Pniauskas
Sandi Pniauskas is an ovarian cancer survivor and is considered one of the
strongest and most vocal advocates for ovarian cancer women and their families.
Sandi Pniauskas is an ovarian cancer survivor and is considered one of the
strongest and most vocal advocates for ovarian cancer women and their families.
4:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks, Co-Chair Darlene Gray
Benefit Gala & Silent Auction
6:00
p.m. Cocktails & Silent Auction opens
7:00
p.m. Dinner is Served
8:00
p.m. Presentations & Dessert
8:30
p.m. An Intimate Evening with Jack Semple
media: Health care needs a cure - universal healthcare (foundation of a just society)
Universal health care in Canada is regarded as the foundation of a just society. It is so sacrosanct that schemes such as a private parallel system and user fees are considered taboo.
media (U.S.) Report Shows Significant Growth In Number Of Osteopathic Physicians
"As concerns mount over whether there will be enough physicians to meet the nation's growing demand for health care, the number of osteopathic physicians (DOs) is reaching new heights, according to a report released today from the American Osteopathic Association.
DOs are one of only two groups of physicians in the U.S.-- MDs and DOs -- who are licensed to prescribe medication and practice in all medical specialty areas, including surgery....."
The rate of the predominant Jewish mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2, MSH2 and MSH6 genes in unselected Jewish endometrial cancer patients (study number 289 patients)
Note: MSH2/MSH6 are 2 of the Lynch Syndrome genes
Objectives
The genes associated with familial Endometrial Cancer (EC) are largely unknown. While EC is an integral part of Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer, there is an ongoing debate if EC is indeed overrepresented in hereditary breast/ovarian cancer families.Conclusions
Our data do not support screening for BRCA1/2 mutations in consecutive EC patients.abstract: Correlates of the preoperative level of CA125 at presentation of ovarian cancer
Objective
CA125 at presentation of ovarian cancer carries important prognostic significance; but, other than tumor characteristics, little is known about factors that influence CA125 levels. We examined the effect of epidemiologic variables and tumor features on CA125 at diagnosis and their effects on survival.Methods
CA125 levels before treatment, tumor features, and questionnaire data from 805 women with ovarian cancer receiving care at Partners Hospitals were recorded. CA125 values were log-normalized and generalized linear, logistic, or Cox proportional hazards models used to identify predictors of CA125 and influence on survival in the subset of women with invasive, nonmucinous tumors.Results
The importance of histology, grade, stage, laterality, and presence of ascites on CA125 level was confirmed. For nonmucinous invasive cancers, Jewish ethnicity, parity, prior breast cancer, and family history of breast or ovarian cancer predicted higher CA125, and greater body mass index (BMI), recurrent yeast infections, colitis, and appendectomy predicted lower CA125. A quadratic model best described the relationship between CA125 and age with lower levels in youngest and oldest women. In multivariate modeling, stage, ascites, and prior breast cancer were the strongest predictors of high CA125 and appendectomy and yeast infections strongest predictors of low CA125. A model with these variables plus CA125 revealed high CA125 remains a predictor of poorer survival.Conclusions
Ovarian tumor features and presence of ascites are key determinants of CA125 at diagnosis, but epidemiologic features such as BMI, parity, prior breast cancer, and history of inflammatory conditions of the genitourinary or gastrointestinal tracts may also play a role.Randomized phase III trial of tamoxifen versus thalidomide in women with biochemical-recurrent-only epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal carcinoma after a complete response to first-line platinum/taxane chemotherapy with an evaluation of serum vascular endothelial growth factor
Antigen-specific active immunotherapy for ovarian cancer
" " Information on adverse events was frequently limited."
PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY:
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most frequently diagnosed ovarian malignancy and the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancers. Standard therapy consists of surgery followed by chemotherapy. Although initial response rates are high, the majority of patients with advanced disease relapse. No curative treatment is available for recurrent disease. The observation that the presence of certain immune cells in tumours is associated with improved survival, suggests that stimulation of anti-tumour immune responses, i.e. immunotherapy, might be a useful approach to improve prognosis of ovarian cancer. In this review, the feasibility of antigen-specific active immunotherapy is evaluated. Antigen-specific active immunotherapy aims at the induction of tumour-directed immune responses through the administration of a tumour-antigen, a molecule that is preferentially expressed by tumour cells and can induce immune responses. As immunotherapy is a novel (new) treatment strategy early phase studies were also included. Information on clinical and immunological responses, and adverse events was collected.
Thirty-six studies, which included 1780 ovarian cancer patients, were identified between 1966 and 2009. The most frequently described strategy (1505 patients in 15 studies) was administration of antibodies targeting CA-125. Most of these primarily evaluated safety and immunological responses. Five studies described severe flu-like and gastro-intestinal symptoms in 7 to 30% of patients. Antibodies and immune cells recognising CA-125 were frequently detected, albeit response rates varied between studies. Despite promising immunological responses, three large studies found equal survival rates for patients treated with placebo or CA-125 directed antibody. Because there is currently no high quality evidence of clinical benefit, antibody therapy targeting CA-125 should in its current form not be incorporated in standard treatment.
For strategies not relying on antibody administration, similar conclusions cannot be drawn as these have not yet been tested in large trials to evaluate clinical efficacy of treatment. These were generally small studies primarily investigating vaccine safety and immunogenicity. Overall, treatment was well-tolerated, with inflammatory side effects at injection site most frequently reported. Antibodies and immune cells were induced by most strategies studied, but their clinically efficacy still has to be evaluated in large trials.
Based on a lack of uniformity in included studies, we strongly advocate universal adoption of response definitions, guidelines for adverse events reporting, and directives for trial conduct and reporting. Furthermore, results from ongoing RCTs should be awaited and furhter RCTs should be conducted.
ABSTRACT:
Objectives
To assess feasibility of antigen-specific active immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. Primary outcomes are clinical efficacy
and antigen-specific immunogenicity with carrier-specific immunogenicity and side-effects as secondary outcomes.Cochrane Collaboration Ovarian Cancer reviews recently published 2010 (by title)
recent Cochrane Reviews: Ovary:
EvidenceUpdates- Cochrane Collaboration review: Maintenance chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Sep 8;9:CD007414.
Plain language summary
Maintenance chemotherapy for ovarian cancer
Of all the gynaecological cancers, ovarian cancer has the highest death rate and epithelial ovarian cancer accounts for about 90% of all cases. Surgery and six courses of platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment and 75% of the women may not have any evidence of disease at the end of this treatment. However, 75% of the women who respond to initial treatment will relapse within 18 to 28 months and only 20% to 40% of all women will survive beyond five years.
Some doctors suggest giving maintenance chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer. Maintenance chemotherapy refers to the chemotherapy given to women who have achieved remission after initial surgery and induction chemotherapy.The aim of maintenance chemotherapy is to prolong the duration of remission and improve the overall length of survival. Some studies indicate that maintenance chemotherapy can improve the time without cancer progression, while others do not show any effect. The aim of this review was to establish whether using maintenance chemotherapy is better than observation alone for women with epithelial ovarian cancer. We identified six trials which used different types of chemotherapy (e.g. platinum agents, doxorubicin or topotecan) but there was not sufficient evidence to prove any of the drugs were better than observation alone.
An important consideration for women with advanced disease is the balance between the benefit of treatment and the harms or adverse effects that these treatments may cause. There were insufficient data to comment on the overall impact of the maintenance chemotherapy on clinical benefit from the women's perspective.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Epithelial ovarian cancer accounts for about 90% of all cases of ovarian cancer. Debulking surgery and six courses of platinum-based chemotherapy results in complete clinical remission (CCR) in up to 75% of cases. However, 75% of the responders will relapse within a median time of 18 to 28 months and only 20% to 40% of women will survive beyond five years. It has been suggested that maintenance chemotherapy could assist in prolonging remission. To date, there has not been a systematic review on the impact of maintenance chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer.Friday, September 17, 2010
full free access: Associations Between Physician Characteristics and Quality of Care - The Commonwealth Fund
Synopsis
A Massachusetts study found many of the criteria available to patients when selecting a physician—including years of experience, paid malpractice claims, and medical school rankings—are not associated with higher quality care.Key Findings
-
- Three of the characteristics studied were associated with marginal differences in performance quality: female physicians scored 1.6 percentage points higher than male physicians; board-certified physicians scored 3.3 points higher than physicians without board certification; and U.S.-trained physicians scored 1 point higher than physicians trained abroad.
- There were no statistically significant associations between performance and malpractice claims, disciplinary actions, years of practice, medical school ranking, or type of medical degree (i.e., allopathic vs. osteopathic).
- The difference in overall performance between the average physician with the best combination of characteristics (female, board-certified, domestically trained) and the average physician with the worst combination (male, noncertified, internationally trained) is only 5.9 percent.
- Among the middle 90 percent of physicians studied who had the best combination of characteristics, there was a wide range of performance scores—from 49 percent to 75 percent—very similar to the range for all physicians. This suggests that patients are unlikely to receive higher-quality care by switching to a physician who has these characteristics.
Respecting And Reflecting On Diagnostic Errors – Health Affairs Blog
".....The neglected importance of empowering patients. Even more important than supporting clinicians in diagnosis-related functions is recognizing and supporting patients in their role as co-producers of diagnosis. This largely unexplored aspect of diagnosis improvement represents another essential pillar in making diagnoses more timely, accurate, reliable, and efficient. Patients can make valuable contributions by seeking timely access for worrisome symptoms; providing accurate and thorough histories; sharing their hunches about possible exposures or etiologies; helping ensure that test results are reported back; following up with feedback about expected improvement; adhering to empirical treatment trials permitting accurate re-assessment of preliminary diagnoses; respecting limits on staff time and societal resources; and in some cases even getting involved with disease-specific or generic patient safety advocacy organizations.
In contemplating such patient contributions to timely and accurate diagnosis, it is important that we not shift our responsibilities onto sick patient. Instead we need to imagine and facilitate an enhanced role for patients to play. The key question is: what will it take at the provider and institutional level to empower patients to take on these roles and help them flourish in them?
The journey continues: the upcoming third annual conference on diagnostic errors. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait for the “high-profile errors” Wachter cites to kill more patients for diagnostic errors to get their due respect. Enough “low-profile” diagnostic delays, needless morbidity, inefficiencies, missed diagnoses, and even deaths are already happening every day. Hopefully the next highly profiled event will instead be the upcoming 3rd Annual AHRQ-sponsored International Conference on Diagnosis Errors in Medicine next month in Toronto. Here we will again bring together engaged clinicians, researchers, academics, quality improvement and risk management professionals and patients—all dedicated to a common goal—to better understand and reduce medical errors and to reduce the harm from missed and delayed diagnoses....."
BMJ - Personal View: Researchers raise concerns over the increasing commercialization of science
"...Extreme commercialisation of science can also lead to patents on medical procedures and techniques, say the authors. However, the American Medical Association recently concluded that it is unethical for physicians to seek, secure or enforce patents on medical procedures...."
Quality of pathology reports for advanced ovarian cancer: Are we missing essential information?: (multinational study)
Note: a related is the international shortage of oncologic pathologists
Quality of pathology reports for advanced ovarian cancer: Are we missing essential information?: An audit of 479 pathology reports from the EORTC-GCG 55971/NCIC-CTG OV13 neoadjuvant trial
Conclusion This audit of ovarian cancer pathology reports reveals that in a substantial number of reports basic pathologic data are missing, with possible adverse consequences for the quality of cancer care. Specialisation by pathologists and the use of standardised synoptic reports can lead to improved quality of reporting. Further research is needed to better define pre- and post-operative diagnostic criteria for ovarian cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Controversies in Gynecology Oncology - Dr Kate O'Hanlan - video (repeat posti)
Dr. Kate O’Hanlan is a Gynecologic Oncologist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, formerly on the faculty at Stanford University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Join her as she discusses some of the latest developments in gynecological cancer and sorts fact from fiction. Series: Women’s Health Today [5/2007]
Why are we copyrighting science? -- de Silva and Hanwella 341 -- bmj.com
"...Scales are also used to assess patients’ levels of functioning, quality of life, satisfaction with services, and burden on carers. Of the many hundred scales developed for use in medicine only a few gain wide acceptance among researchers. Scales used in many specialties, such as the general health questionnaire and the mini-mental state examination, have been copyrighted. Some copyrighted scales are first published in journals and are available free to researchers. However, once a rating scale is accepted by the scientific community an updated version is copyrighted,..."
Thursday, September 16, 2010
full free access: Self-Diagnosis: A Discursive Systematic Review of the Medical Literature « Journal of Participatory Medicine
Conclusions: The predictive value of self-diagnosis is not the only factor in that medical researchers consider when determining its desirability. Self-diagnosis presents complex challenges to both the doctor and the patient, as it simultaneously threatens medical authority, and strengthens the potential for self-care, compliance and convenience.
Excerpt from paper:
"Methods
"....The interest of my work is not on the appraisal of their findings, rather on the positions they defended, for this provides insight into beliefs and rationalizations for enunciated arguments about self-diagnosis, the focus of this paper...."Fred Hutchinson Researchers Win $17.5M from NCI's Early Detection Research Network
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have won $17.5 million from the National Cancer Institute's Early Detection Research Network in five-year awards toward ongoing coordination of the EDRN, as well as projects centered on colon cancer biomarker discovery and breast and ovarian cancer biomarker validation.........Christopher Li, a member of the public health sciences division, received $2.5 million to lead a clinical epidemiology and validation center for breast and ovarian cancer – one of nine such centers in the US. Li plans to validate breast and ovarian cancer biomarkers with phase III studies, as well as share the center's breast and ovarian cancer tissue repositories with collaborators, said the Hutch...cont'd
abstract: Expanding the Criteria for BRCA Mutation Testing in Breast Cancer Survivors — JCO
Purpose Every year approximately 25% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 50 years of age, and almost 10% of them have a BRCA mutation. Not all potential carriers are identified by existing criteria for BRCA testing. We estimated the costs and benefits of different BRCA testing criteria for women with breast cancer younger than 50 years.
Conclusion Testing women with TN breast cancers who were younger than 50 years for BRCA mutations is a cost-effective strategy and should be adopted into current guidelines for genetic testing.
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR): AICR Cancer Research Conference Oct 21/22, Washington, DC
Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer
October 21 & 22, 2010 | Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC
Who Should Attend
Basic scientists, clinical investigators, epidemiologists, dietitians, nutritionists, policy makers and other health professionals interested in food, nutrition, physical activity and weight management in relation to cancer.
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
Baylor researchers advancing genetic treatment for ovarian cancer - Baylor College of Medicine press release - (microRNA - miR-31)
HOUSTON -- (September 16, 2010) -- As the understanding of the biology of ovarian cancer broadens, there is an increased need to develop treatments that are targeted toward a person's genetic makeup, said a clinician-researcher from Baylor College of Medicine.
"We have not been able to pinpoint exactly what causes ovarian cancer," said Dr. Matthew Anderson, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a member of the NCI-designated Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at BCM. "However, we do know that the molecular changes in each ovarian cancer are different and each person's response to treatment is unique."
Anderson said a major research goal is to individualize treatments for each woman, so that clinicians are able to more effectively manage or perhaps even cure ovarian cancer.
That's why Anderson and his team, including Dr. Martin Matzuk, professor of pathology at BCM, and Dr. Preethi Gunaratne, assistant professor of pathology at BCM and assistant professor of biochemistry and biology at the University of Houston, are in the process of developing treatments that target the different types of molecular changes that they have identified as playing a role in ovarian cancer development.
Identifying new genetic signatures
Their work focuses on a class of recently discovered small non-coding RNA transcripts in ovarian cancer called microRNAs. MicroRNAs are tiny messenger molecules that are generated by chromosomes that feed back to inhibit the expression of traditional, protein-coding genes. They have become a hot topic in biology because an individual microRNA can target many hundreds of different genes, making them potentially very powerful as therapeutic or diagnostic targets, Anderson said.
"Genes have many signals and rules that turn them on and off," said Anderson. "MicroRNAs are one kind of signal. When these signals do not get turned on or off appropriately, gene expression is altered, causing changes in cell behavior that we now know can lead to cancer."
Using Next Generation Sequencing, Anderson and his colleagues identified a number of microRNAs, including miR-31, involved in ovarian cancer. In the case of miR-31, decreased levels were found in every ovarian cancer studied, potentially altering the expression of more than 2,200 individual gene products.
Their work has now been published in the American Association of Cancer Research journal Cancer Research. Anderson also received a basic science award from the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists for a presentation at its 41st Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer in March 2010.
Anderson and team hypothesize that a treatment targeting this malfunction could be effective against cancers that are shown to lack miR-31.
"In the lab, we have shown that once miR-31 is turned back on, cancer growth stops and the cells die," said Anderson.
Next step in research
The next question is finding out how miR-31 can be administered safely as a treatment in humans, Anderson said. "The process will start using ovarian cancer models and then move to human trials."
Another important question is how to determine which patients are likely to benefit from these treatments.
"Physicians understand that the same drug does not always work for the same problem in all people," said Anderson. "This is particularly true for cancer. Understanding how and when microRNAs stop cancer growth can help to tell us how this new class of targets can be used for different people and diseases."
"In the future, we particularly want to be able to take a tumor and comprehensively profile the genetic changes that are specific to the ovarian cancer for each women so that we can prospectively determine what treatment works best for each person," said Anderson. "We believe that this approach will generate far superior results than the currently 'one-size-fits-all' approach used to treat this disease."
Partnership for Baylor College of Medicine campaign
Anderson, Matzuk and Gunaratne's project was selected as the main fundraising effort for 2010-2011 by the Partnership for Baylor College of Medicine, the college's primary support group.
The group will focus their community advocacy, educational programs and involvement in fundraising activities on the project.
"Translating this finding into a clinical application is critically important," said Anderson. "The Partnership support will help us to advance this process significantly."
Statement from Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis: New Census Data on Uninsured Shows Recession Hits Middle-Class Health Care Coverage Hard - The Commonwealth Fund (U.S.)
"....This is not the time to be talking about repealing health reform. It is urgently needed and should be accelerated. The nation cannot afford to ignore the plight of millions of Americans whose health is at risk, and whose health and productivity are key to revitalizing the American economy....."
Genetic Instability Influences Drug Response in Cancer Cells (abstract)
Abstract
One of the main reasons why most patients with advanced cancer are not curable with the therapies available is the broad heterogeneity of cancer cells, inherently related to their genomic instability that reflects defects of cell cycle checkpoints and DNA mismatch repair (MMR). The present paper reviews Today's knowledge of MMR. Microsatellite (DNA repetitive sequences) instability (MSI) used as a surrogate marker of MMR defects was associated with a predisposition to somatic mutations of several genes including those involved in the neoplastic transformation and tumor progression. Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome caused by germ line mutation in genes involved in MMR such as hMLH1 or hMLH2, or less frequently hMLH6 or hPMS2; it is associated with a high risk of intestinal cancer (CRC) and other tumors including endometrial, stomach, kidney and brain (AND ovarian cancer). There is ample preclinical evidence that cells deficient in MMR are resistant to methylating agents and to some antimetabolites, including 5FU, which is the drug used most for the CRC, whereas they are equally sensitive to oxaliplatin and possibly more sensitive to irinotecan. More studies are needed on the importance of MMR for sensitivity to different anticancer regimens and drugs, so this knowledge can guide rational therapy according to the tumor MMR status.
Commencement Of A Phase II Clinical Trial Of SG2000 In Ovarian Cancer
The open-label Phase II study will evaluate the overall response rate of SG2000 in approximately 50 patients with recurrent, resistant or refractory epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma. The trial will be conducted at a consortium of four leading southeast U.S. cancer centers, led by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and including Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of South Florida, Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University and Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University.
"We are delighted to have commenced this important trial for SG2000 in platinum-resistant and refractory ovarian cancer. We believe that if SG2000 demonstrates similar activity in this Phase II trial to that demonstrated in vitro and in patients in four separate Phase I trials with more than 60 patients, it has the potential to be an important new therapeutic for women with ovarian cancer," said Marta Ann Crispens, MD, FACOG, Principal Investigator, Vanderbilt University Medical Center....cont'd
Erlotinib added to carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line treatment of ovarian cancer: A phase II study based on surgical reassessment
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether adding the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib to carboplatin/paclitaxel improved pathologic complete response (pCR) at reassessment surgery in epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancers (OFPC).
CONCLUSIONS: Among unselected patients, erlotinib plus carboplatin-paclitaxel did not improve pCR rates compared with historical experience with carboplatin-paclitaxel alone in patients with stage III-IV OFPC.
abstract: A high prevalence of BRCA1 mutations among breast cancer patients from the Bahamas
"Approximately 23% of unselected cases of breast cancer in the Bahamian population are attributable to a founder mutation in the BRCA1 gene - this is the highest reported mutation prevalence for any country studied to date."
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Education Network to Advance Clinical Trials | Achieving the highest quality cancer care and research through clinical trials
ENACCT was founded in 2004 with support from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. ENACCT is the only national organization devoted solely to identifying, implementing and evaluating innovative community-centered approaches to cancer clinical trials education.
Recent News
Physician Training to Address District’s Low Cancer Clinical Trial Enrollment Rate
Open to Options staff
appeared on the show "Speaking Frankly about Cancer with the Cancer
Support Community" for their April 2010 Broadcast.
"Enhancing Access to Cancer Clinical Trials" article featured in Community View section.
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In 2006, ENACCT launched a unique and ambitious Pilot Education Program (PEP) focused on community engagement and education.
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media CBC News - Health - Cancer survival rates improve slightly - media/public commentaries
Note: see chart for selected cancers (includes ovarian)
Healing Journeys » Cancer as a Turning Point – free conference "Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to Thriving" October
October 9 & 10 - Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to Thriving™
a FREE conference for anyone touched by cancer or other life challenges
San Mateo Performing Arts Center (near San Francisco airport)
www.healingjourneys.org or (800) 423-9882
Health Advisory: Arth-Forth: Unauthorized Herbal Product May Pose Serious Health Risks - Health Canada Advisory 2010-09-15
Advisory
2010-154
September 15, 2010
For immediate release
The issue:
"Arth-Forth" (pictured below), an unauthorized product promoted as an herbal supplement and distributed by Ka Wing Hong Ltd., was tested by Health Canada and found to contain a steroid prescription drug, dexamethasone, that was not declared on the product's labelling. Prescription drugs should only be taken under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner as they may cause serious side effects.Who is affected:
Consumers who may have bought or used "Arth-Forth," particularly people with gastrointestinal ulcers, Cushing's syndrome, severe heart problems, uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, tuberculosis, severe systemic infections (viral, bacterial, fungal), certain eye disorders, and osteoporosis. Retailers who have this product in stock are also affected.NCCN Educational Opportunities - Webinar: An Overview of Gynecologic Malignancies Dept 17th
Educational Events & Programs
NCCN Oncology Case Management Program™ Webinar: An Overview of Gynecologic Malignancies
Friday, September 17, 2010 (On-line)
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare | Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Blogger's Note:
the issue of universal pharmacare is old and outstanding/outdated (eg. Romanow Commission/others) but governments have not acted primarily due to political 'infighting'
(full access $$$) FDA Increases Focus on Postmarketing Studies — J. Natl. Cancer Inst.
Note: reference to Avastin/breast cancer
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Access : Hospitalisation for venous thromboembolism in cancer patients and the general population: a population-based cohort study (abstract)
Conclusions:
Risk of VTE is higher among cancer patients than in the general population. Predictors of VTE include recency of cancer diagnosis, cancer site, stage and the type of cancer-directed treatment.
In vitro cytotoxicity of combinations of dichloroacetate (DCA) with anticancer platinum compounds
Note: in research, full paper is free to view - click on 'pdf'
Purpose: Dichloroacetate (DCA) inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK), and thus promotes glucose oxidation over glycolysis and induces apoptotic death of tumor cells. The present study investigated the potential of DCA to increase the antitumor effects of platinum-based compounds against a panel of permanent cell lines, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC), ovarian cancer, and Ewing’s sarcoma in vitro.
Methods: DCA at a concentration of 10 mM was combined with cisplatin, carboplatin, satraplatin, the satraplatin metabolite JM118, oxaliplatin, oxoplatin, and picoplatin, and the cytotoxic activity was evaluated in proliferation tests employing a panel of different cell lines. Additionally, cells were pretreated with DCA and then exposed to the platinum drugs and etoposide, or incubated with cisplatin or etoposide followed by application of DCA, respectively.
Results: DCA 10 mM significantly increased the cytotoxicity of the platinum-based drugs carboplatin, satraplatin, JM118, and oxoplatin, but not cisplatin, picoplatin, and oxaliplatin in vitro. Preincubation of cell lines with DCA 10 mM for three days reduced the antiproliferative activity of platinum-based agents in sequential application, but exposure of cells pretreated with cisplatin or etoposide to DCA resulted in minor sensitization. The inhibitory effect of DCA showed no correlation with sensitization to the platinum compounds.
Conclusion: DCA alone in a concentration that shows low antiproliferative activity is capable of increasing the cytotoxicity of selected platinum compounds upon coincubation, and such combinations may be interesting for clinical application in tumors like SCLC, Ewing’s sarcoma, and ovarian cancer refractory to cisplatin chemotherapy as standard care. The mechanism of this synergistic effect of DCA in combination with specific platinum species remains to be investigated.
abstract: 6-thioguanine selectively kills BRCA2-defective tumors and overcomes PARP inhibitor resistance
"...Altogether, our data show that 6TG efficiently kills BRCA2-defective tumors and suggest that 6TG may be effective in the treatment of advanced tumors that have developed resistance to PARP inhibitors or platinum-based chemotherapy."
Cancergazing? CA125 and post-treatment surveillanc... [Soc Sci Med. 2010] - PubMed result
Soc Sci Med. 2010 Aug 26
Cancergazing? CA125 and post-treatment surveillance in advanced ovarian cancer.
Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract
Post-treatment surveillance of advanced ovarian cancer involves regular testing of asymptomatic patients using the CA125 test. This practice is based on a rationale that is not supported by evidence from clinical trials. This paper aims to stimulate critical reflection concerning the effect of investigative tests on clinical decisions and interactions, and the experience of illness, particularly in the context of advanced malignant disease. Drawing on the idea of the "medical gaze", and building on previous health communication research, we present an analysis of in-depth interviews and psychometric tests collected in a prospective study of 20 Australian women with advanced ovarian cancer conducted between 2006 and 2009. We describe the demands placed on patients by the use of the CA125 test, some hazards it creates for decision-making, and some of the test's subjective benefits. It is widely believed that the CA125 test generates anxiety among patients, and the proposed solution is to educate women more about the test. We found no evidence that anxiety was a problem requiring a response over and above existing services. We conclude that the current debate is simplistic and limited. Focussing on patient anxiety does not account for other important effects of post-treatment surveillance, and educating patients about the test is unlikely to mitigate anxiety because testing is part of a wider process by which patients become aware of a disease that - once it has relapsed - will certainly kill them in the near future.Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer: What kind of evidence is needed to convince US gynaecological oncologists? Vergote I, Amant F, L
Note: Dr Vergote is one of Europe's top gynecologic cancer researchers; journal correspondence=pay-per-view ($$$)
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer: What kind of evidence is needed to convince US gynaecological oncologists?
Vergote I, Amant F, Leunen K.
The Wistar Institute has appointed ovarian cancer researcher José R. Conejo-Garcia, M.D., Ph.D., as associate professor in the Institute’s Immunology Program. | Medical Education
"....Conejo-Garcia’s laboratory program explores an innovative approach to fighting ovarian cancer by exploiting the tumor’s reliance on its “microenvironment,” the collection of neighboring, healthy cells that nourish the tumor and enable it to thrive. In particular, he has developed a “Trojan Horse” method that reprograms white blood cells within the microenvironment – which otherwise have the effect of preventing the spontaneous anti-tumor activity of the immune system – so that they activate immune cells to attack the ovarian tumor...."
Preferred Imaging installs Naviscan Positron Emission Mammography scanner in new Plano facility (PEM)
" PEM (Positron Emission Mammography) scanners are high-resolution breast PET systems that show the location as well as the metabolic phase of a lesion. The metabolic view assists physicians in making the optimal patient care decision by providing an unprecedented ability to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions, what researchers term “specificity.”"
Breast cancer classification algorithm to identify 20 gene signature developed using Microsoft Excel
"....The 10 most highly ranked genes predictive of poor prognosis and those 10 genes most highly predictive of good prognosis established a 20-gene expression based predictor, which was found to perform as well as two other models in the validation group. According to Hassell, "Our algorithm produces prediction models with comparable accuracy to other feature selection techniques while having generally better accessibility and useability for biological research scientists. We've begun using our algorithm to generate gene expression based prediction models of breast cancer cell sensitivity to commonly used anti-cancer therapies"....cont'd
Study finds non-hormonal therapies can relieve hot flashes in women with breast cancer
Note:
per the media headline, this was not actually a 'study' but a Cochrane Collaboration review of pertinent studies, the Cochrane Collaboration does not perform studies but conducts reviews
Cancer Newsline - CA-125 Change Over Time Shows Promise for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer - MD Anderson Cancer Center
CA-125 Change Over Time Shows Promise for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer
Cancer Newsline
Guest(s): Karen Lu, M.D., Robert Bast, M.D.
Patient Experience Defined by The Beryl Institute -- press release
Result: (definition)
"Patient Experience -- The sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization's culture, that influence patient perceptions across a continuum of care."
EvidenceUpdates - Bevacizumab (Avastin) increases risk for severe proteinuria in cancer patients including professional commentaries
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