Cancer
TGen And Washington University Researchers Discover New Approach To Treating Endometrial Cancer
Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) announced a new approach to treating endometrial cancer patients that not only stops the growth of tumors, but kills the cancer cells. In a potentially major breakthrough, TGen scientists and collaborators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discovered that introducing a particular inhibitor drug can turn "off' receptors responsible for the growth of tumors in a significant number of patients with endometrial cancer. And, they found that the inhibitor drug proved effective even in cancer tumors containing a commonly occurring mutant gene, PTEN, previously associated with resistance to drug treatment. TGen's findings appear today in a paper publ... More »
Trimgen Launches New KRAS Assay Test For Colon Cancer Patients
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND --The new assay screens all 12 mutations in codons 12 and 13 of the KRAS gene with 1% detection sensitivity, which has significant implications for patients with colon cancer receiving chemotherapy. There are 12 possible mutations in codons 12 and 13 of the KRAS gene that may affect chemotherapy. Sequencing is the most common method used to screen these mutations, however, it cannot detect low-level mutations due to lack of sensitivity. Other KRAS assays do not cover all 12 mutations, whereas TrimGen's KRAS assay can detect all these mutations with conclusive results. Thirty to 40% of colorectal cancer patients carry KRAS mutations. Through screening, doctors can effectively determine a treatment plan,... More »
People Can Trim Cancer Risks, Expert Says: Choosing Where, How You Live Can Make A Difference, She Says.
Alaska causes cancer. So do California, Kansas and New Jersey. So says University of Pittsburgh epidemiologist and environmental cancer expert Devra Davis, who spoke at UAA Thursday evening. Alaska, however, may have special problems. Hold that thought for a moment. Studies today show that only about one in 10 cases of breast cancer is caused through inherited traits from parents, Davis says, citing research from the National Cancer Institute. All the rest are a result of where and how you live. In one sense, that's good news, says Davis, who serves as director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. "You can't pick your parents and you can't go back and change w... More »
M. D. Anderson Study Finds Racial Disparities In Radiation Therapy Rates For Breast Cancer
Black women are less likely than white women to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy, the standard of care for early stage breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The study, the largest of its kind, was presented today in advance of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Breast Cancer Symposium, and is the first national study to examine such racial disparities in radiation therapy. Led by Grace Li Smith, M.D., Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in M. D. Anderson's Department of Radiation Oncology, the researchers reviewed the Medicare records of more than 37,000 patients diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2003. "Although there have been small... More »
Agendia Launches TargetPrint For Breast Cancer Patients
Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, announced the launch of TargetPrint(R), a new diagnostic test that allows physicians to quantitatively determine the gene expression levels of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer tumor biopsies. The accurate measurement of these receptors is of paramount importance in planning treatment of breast cancer patients after surgery and assists physicians and patients in making informed treatment decisions. TargetPrint runs on Agendia's new High Density Chip, which received market clearance last month (August 2008) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "Currently available targeted therapie... More »
Risk Of Breast Cancer Mutations Underestimated For Asian Women
STANFORD, Calif. -- Oncologist Allison Kurian, MD, and her colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine were perplexed. Computer models designed to identify women who might have dangerous genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer worked well for white women. But they seemed to be less reliable for another ethnic group. "We've been repeatedly surprised when Asian women who the models predicted would probably not have the mutations do in fact have them," said Kurian. She recently showed that in a head-to-head comparison between whites and Asians, two of the most commonly used models failed in predicting the presence of mutations in almost half of the Asian women studied. "Docto... More »
First Day Of Ovarian Cancer Symposium Focuses On Early Detection
Leading ovarian cancer researchers and clinicians from around the world gathered at the Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium today to hear about cutting-edge developments that may increase the chances of early detection of the disease. Dr. Patricia Kruk, from the University of South Florida, presented her research that could lead to using a non-invasive urine test for detecting ovarian cancer. Kruk said her research found that the amount of Bcl-2 levels was generally negligible in urine samples from healthy women and low in women with benign gynecologic disease. In contrast, urinary levels of Bcl-2 in women with ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer were over 10 times that of healthy controls. "We have submitted a patent for the urine te... More »
Task force: Colon cancer screenings can stop at 75 (AP)
AP - Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology. More »
Research on AIDS virus and cancer wins Nobel Medicine Prize (AFP)
AFP - French and German scientists credited with the discovery of the viruses behind AIDS and cervical cancer won Monday the Nobel Medicine Prize, the first of the prestigious awards to be announced this year. More »
New Test Detects Rare Leukemia More Quickly (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A new technique may help doctors diagnose a rare form of leukemia in a matter of hours instead of weeks, researchers say. More »