Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/cancer-oncology/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171750.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171750.php A team of scientists from the US and the UK have shown that blocking an enzyme called lysyl oxidase (LOX) that causes tissue to stiffen reduces the likelihood of abnormal but non-malignant breast tissue turning into tumors, suggesting that LOX and similar enzymes could be new targets for effective anti-cancer drug therapies. Breast Cancer Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171678.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171678.php Scientists have identified an enzyme that is crucial for turning abnormal but non-malignant breast tissue into tumours, according to a study published today in Cell online. Blocking the enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX) reduced the chance a tumour would form, and also meant tumours that did develop were smaller and less aggressive. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171677.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171677.php There are minimal data assessing the relationship between diabetes and gallbladder, biliary and pancreatic cancer. Recent small studies have suggested an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer only in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A research article published on November 14, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team, lead by Dr. Diabetes Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171662.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171662.php Experts agree that the urological cancer patient will benefit greatly if the delivered treatment is the result of a combined effort. Collaboration of experts from various fields is, therefore, necessary to take cancer-related research and medical practice to the next level. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171604.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171604.php The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising the use of sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients for whom surgery or therapies in the region the cancer arose have failed or are not suitable. In its latest draft guidance, published yesterday (19 November 2009), NICE does not recommend sorafenib. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171580.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171580.php A condition that affects the memory and concentration of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is sustained in a subgroup of patients, compromising their ability to function and long-term quality of life, according to research presented on wednesday at a major cancer conference. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171584.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171584.php Patients with heart disease in Norway, a country with no fortification of foods with folic acid, had an associated increased risk of cancer and death from any cause if they had received treatment with folic acid and vitamin B12, according to a study in the November 18 issue of JAMA. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171589.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171589.php Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced new pre-clinical data from its ALN-VSP program presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics International conference being held November 15 - 19, 2009 in Boston, Mass. ALN-VSP is an RNAi therapeutic currently in a Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other solid tumors with liver involvement. Liver Disease / Hepatitis Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171591.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171591.php Roche Applied Science announces the availability of the new CIM-Plate 16 for their xCELLigence System for cell analysis, for use in cancer research. The 16-well culture plate features electronic sensors for the direct study of cell migration and invasion on the xCELLigence RTCA DP Instrument. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171544.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171544.php Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. These cells, known as circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can provide critical information for examining and diagnosing cancer metastasis, determining patient prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapies. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171556.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171556.php The pedal-to-the-metal signals driving the growth of several types of cancer cells lead to a common switch governing the use of glucose, researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have discovered. Scientists who study cancer have known for decades that cancer cells tend to consume more glucose, or blood sugar, than healthy cells. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171562.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171562.php For cancer patients on chemotherapy, the "cure" can be as deadly as the disease itself. Adverse drug reactions are one of the leading causes of death among patients receiving cancer treatment. Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill wants to change that. With a new two-year, $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, Churchill is launching a radical new approach to testing three chemotherapeutic drugs for potential toxic effects. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171568.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171568.php Laryngeal cancer (cancer of the larynx) is a rare type of cancer. It can cause hoarseness of the voice and swelling of the throat. The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a tube-like structure found at the entrance of the trachea (windpipe). The lump at the front of the throat, commonly known as the Adam's apple, is the larynx. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171561.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171561.php Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq:EXEL) reported interim data from an ongoing phase 1 dose-escalation trial of XL147 (SAR245408) in combination with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib in patients with advanced solid tumors. XL147 is a selective, orally available small molecule inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K). Activation of the PI3K pathway is a frequent event in human tumors, promoting cell proliferation, survival, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171555.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171555.php Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), and Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a complete response on the companies' applications for Rituxan® (rituximab) plus fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) for the treatment of people with previously untreated and previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171521.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171521.php HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued the following statement today on new breast cancer screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: "There is no question that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The U.S. Breast Cancer Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171570.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171570.php Individualised radiotherapy treatment based on a person's genetic make up could soon become a reality, according to Breast Cancer Campaign. Professor Kevin Prise from Queen's University Belfast has been awarded a three year project grant by the charity to study how genes are involved in the effectiveness of radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The grant, worth more than £160,000, is part of £2 million awarded to 20 projects in the UK and Ireland. Breast Cancer Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171571.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171571.php CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical company, today announced plans to initiate an open-label, multinational Phase 2 clinical trial with its doxorubicin prodrug INNO-206 as a second-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric (stomach) cancer. CytRx President and CEO Steven A. Kriegsman said, "This planned clinical trial is a key step forward in our plans to build a commercial oncology franchise for CytRx. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171429.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171429.php PEOPLE looking for detailed information about cancer outside of hospitals need a range of different information sources, reveals a Cancer Research UK survey published in the November issue of Cancer Nursing Practice*. Cancer Research UK's information nurse team used data from 300 telephone and email user satisfaction surveys** to examine why and how Cancer Research UK's Information Services*** were being used. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171439.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171439.php Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. Two new studies advance that argument and demonstrate how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduces cell proliferation, invasion and migration in both cell-culture and mouse models. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171440.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171440.php The public may have problems this week sorting through news articles about a government task force's opposition to routine mammograms for women under 50 and articles about breast cancer survivors touting the benefits of early mammograms. But to properly interpret the news, the public must learn to balance the research with the anecdotal evidence says University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Associate Professor of English Cynthia Ryan, Ph.D. Breast Cancer Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171414.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171414.php NeoPharm, Inc. (Other OTC: NEOL.PK) announced the results of a Phase I clinical trial of Liposome Encapsulated Docetaxel (LE-DT) an active component of Taxotere® at a joint International Conference of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) being held in Boston, MA. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171372.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171372.php Bone cancer is an uncommon cancer that begins in a bone. It can originate in any bone in the body, but the long bones that make up the arms and legs are most commonly affected. Several types of bone cancer exist. Some types of bone cancer occur primarily in children, while others affect mostly adults. Primary bone cancer is cancer that starts in the bone. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171402.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171402.php Family caregivers can significantly reduce suffering in cancer patients at home through use of simple touch and massage techniques. These findings were recently reported at the 6th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology. The study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, evaluated outcomes of a 78 minute DVD instructional program and illustrated manual in a sample of 97 patients and their caregivers. Caregivers / Homecare Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171390.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171390.php ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMGN), a biopharmaceutical company that develops targeted anticancer therapeutics, today reported encouraging clinical data with its IMGN901 product candidate in the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Meaningful evidence of anticancer activity has been noted among the limited number of patients with MCC who have received IMGN901. Cancer / Oncology