February 19, 2007, 9:06 PM CT

New test for most virulent HPV strains

A test for the two strains of human papillomavirus responsible for most cervical cancers is under study.

The molecular assay uses a cervical scraping, like that for a liquid-based Pap smear, to test for HPV types 16 and 18, responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancers, says Dr. Daron G. Ferris, family medicine doctor and director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Center at the Medical College of Georgia.

"Data from a National Cancer Institute trial shows that if you have a genital infection with HPV types 16 or 18, your chance of getting moderate to severe precancerous cervical changes or cancer is much higher than if you have one of the other types," says Dr. Ferris, a principal investigator on the national study evaluating the assay.

The NCI study followed women infected with different types of the typically slow-acting virus over 10 years. It found women infected with type 18 had a 15 percent risk of cancerous or pre-cancerous changes after 10 years, those with type 16 had a 20 percent increased risk while those with the 11 other strains had a collective risk of 1-2 percent.

"Clearly, there is a big difference between HPV types 16 and 18 and all the other cancer-causing strains of HPV," says Dr. Ferris.

The type-specific assay, developed by Third Wave Technologies, Inc., in Madison, Wis., is being tested along with an assay that looks for the presence of 14 types of cancer-causing HPV. A test that detects 13 types of HPV already is commercially available, so the new test could become the second non-type-specific HPV test on the market......... Posted by: Jesmi24      Read more         Source

January 24, 2007, 6:49 PM CT

Genetic Risk Factor For Smoking-linked Head And Neck Cancer

A simple blood test may be able to identify those most at risk for developing head and neck cancer as a result of smoking. This was the finding of a recent study by Prof. Zvi Livneh, Head of the Weizmann Institute's Biological Chemistry Department, Dr. Tamar Paz-Elizur of the same department, and their research team that worked in collaboration with Dr. Rami Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center, Prof. Laurence Freedman of Sheba Medical Center and Prof. Edna Schechtman of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Livneh's research deals with repair mechanisms for DNA, the material of genes. Cells maintain sophisticated repair systems to prevent the accumulation of mutations that might lead to cancer. In these systems, molecular detectors scan the DNA for injury. A sort of local operation is then performed to cut out and dispose of the damaged segment and replace it with a new one.

In their study, which appeared in Cancer Research, the researchers asked whether a reduced individual ability (non-inherited) to repair DNA damage increases chances of getting head and neck cancer. Smoking damages DNA and is known to be a major cause of this disease, which can affect the throat, mouth and larynx. The scientists focused on a DNA repair enzyme called OGG1, for which they had previously developed a blood test to measure activity levels. By comparing OGG activity in healthy people with those in head and neck cancer patients, the research team observed that the test was able to single out those with a heightened risk of this type of cancer: Weak levels were correlated with greater risk. As per Prof. Livneh, a smoker with low OGG activity is 70 times more likely to develop head and neck cancer than a non-smoker with normal OGG levels.........

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January 8, 2007, 9:37 PM CT

How Body Fights To Control Spread Of Cancer

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found how two molecules fight in the blood to control the spread of cancer cells.

Scientists discovered that a large protein, which forms a protective shield around cancer cells and prevents them from causing secondary tumours, is attacked by a small protein that exists in the blood.

In diseases such as breast, lung and colorectal cancer, infected cells lose growth control and eventually form tumours at these sites. If caught early these tumours can be effectively removed surgically. However, when the cancer cells have invaded the blood, the effectiveness of surgery is reduced.

Malignant cells that have entered the blood, however, are still prevented from causing further disease by the protective shield of a protein called MUC1 in which the malignant cells are eventually destroyed by our immune system. Researchers have now discovered how this protective shield is broken down, allowing cancer to spread throughout the body.

Dr Lu-Gang Yu, from the University's School of Clinical Sciences, explains: "MUC1 on the cell surface prevents the cancer cells from attaching to the blood vessel wall which causes secondary tumours. We have discovered that a small protein called galectin-3, attacks MUC1 and breaks up its protective shield, forcing large areas of the cancer cell to become exposed. The exposed areas of the cell allow the cancer to attach to the blood vessel wall. The cancer cells then eventually penetrate the blood wall to form tumours at secondary sites.........

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December 28, 2006, 8:48 PM CT

New Drug Targets For Cancer

Solving a 100-year-old genetic puzzle, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have determined that the same genetic mechanism that drives tumor growth can also act as a tumor suppressor. Their findings could lead to new drug targets for cancer therapies.

According to a research findings published in the January 1 issue of Cancer Cell, Don Cleveland, Ph.D., UCSD Professor of Medicine, Neurosciences and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, looked at a common characteristic of cancer cells called aneuploidy. Aneuploidy - the occurrence of one or more extra or missing chromosomes - was first proposed as the cause of cancerous tumors nearly a century ago by German biologist Theodor Boveri, but his hypothesis had remained unproven.

"We questioned whether the wrong number of chromosomes contributed to tumor growth, or was a consequences of the accrued damage in cancerous cells," said Cleveland.

To find out, researchers in the Cleveland lab created and analyzed mouse models with cells having a highly variable number of chromosomes to discover if such aneuploidy made the mice more tumor-prone.

"We found that, with age, having cells which inherited the wrong composition of chromosomes resulted in a larger number of spontaneous tumors," said Cleveland. But the more unexpected feature of their findings was discovered when the research team added other genetic errors to mice with a high rate of aneuploidy - tumor development was slowed.........

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December 18, 2006, 8:05 PM CT

Aromasin after tamoxifen improves survival

San Antonio breast cancer conference brings the latest research work in the field of breast cancer. This is an annual event where breast cancer researchers all over the world come together to present the research findings. In one of the studies presented at the San Antonio breast cancer meeting it was shown that after surgery for early-stage breast cancer, women may be treated with tamoxifen for 5 years. After that point, treatment with Aromasin significantly improves survival, according to a new study.

The study presented finding shows that Aromasin, following tamoxifen reduces breast cancer recurrence "by about half," reported Dr. Terry Mamounas of the Aultman Health Foundation of Canton, Ohio.

The study randomly assigned 1,598 postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer to take exemestane or an inactive placebo, beginning after five years on tamoxifen.

Women taking exemestane were 50 percent less likely to see a recurrence of breast cancer. The drug was as well-tolerated, with adverse events approximately the same as with placebo. Fatigue, joint pain and bone pain were the most common complaints.........

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December 18, 2006, 7:55 PM CT

Breast Cancer Metastases Early detection

GeneSearch- Breast Lymph Node (BLN) Assay, a gene-based diagnostic test has greater sensitivity than traditional intra-operative methods of detecting the spread of breast cancer to the lymph nodes. In the recent study that was presented at 29th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium GeneSearch- Breast Lymph Node (BLN) Assay was shown to do give superior results. GeneSearch- BLN Assay demonstrated overall sensitivity at least 10 percentage points higher than traditional intra-operative tests.

"These results indicate the potential advantage of the GeneSearch- BLN Assay as an objective, standardized test that can assess breast cancer metastasis in the lymph nodes rapidly and with greater overall sensitivity than the current standard of care," said study investigator Peter W. Blumencranz, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Comprehensive Breast Health and Cancer Services, Morton Plant Mease Healthcare, and Medical Director of Moffitt Morton Plant Cancer Care, Clearwater, Florida. "This intra-operative test may provide surgeons with critical information that can help them optimize therapy decisions by allowing them to determine the scope of the surgery required".

In the study that was presented involves 416 patients across 11 clinical trial sites, sentinel lymph nodes were tested using the GeneSearch- BLN Assay and current methods for assessing nodal tissue during surgery (frozen section (FS) or touch preparations (TP)). All nodes were sampled for permanent section hematoxylin/eosin (H&E), and most were also sampled for immunohistochemistry (IHC). The GeneSearch- BLN Assay, FS and TP results were each in comparison to permanent section histology results to determine the performance of each method. The test was reviewed in terms of sensitivity and specificity, which measure how well the method correctly identifies nodes with and without clinically relevant metastases. Tests with lower sensitivity have a higher chance of false negatives, and tests with lower specificity have a higher chance of false positives.........

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December 18, 2006, 7:36 PM CT

Estrogen Use And Colon Cancer

Postmenopausal hormone therapy even though out of fashion in these days may have significant benefits when it comes to prevention of colorectal cancer. A new study from data from Dana-Farber cancer institute showed that women who have been taking estrogen supplements stand a better chance of fighting colon cancer. This study showed that postmenopausal women with colon cancer would live longer if they have been taking estrogen supplements within five years of their diagnosis. This becomes an interesting finding given the fact that postmenopausal estrogen usage has been on decline recently because of reports of increased risk of breast cancer linked to its use.

In this new study, which is reported in the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers examined the effect of estrogen use on the survival of older women already diagnosed with the disease.

The scientists are not suggesting that women should be taking postmenopausal hormone therapy to prevent colon cancer risk. With estrogen use has dropped sharply among postmenopausal women in recent years, due to concerns about its role in heart disease and breast cancer, numerous studies have shown it significantly lowers the chances of developing colorectal cancer considering the other health risks linked to its use. Scientists are hoping that this finding would lead to development of new drugs from the clues obtained.........

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December 18, 2006, 4:43 AM CT

Certain Types of Cancer Becoming More Common

Nation-wide statistics indicate that while some types of cancer are occurring less frequently, the rates of others are still surging upward. As per a new study published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, occurence rate of skin cancer is climbing in both sexes - more men are facing prostate cancer, while more women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Cancers showing a decrease in incidence in both sexes include lung, stomach and colon cancers.

"There are a variety of factors that may explain these numbers," says study author Elizabeth Ward. "Cancer trends over time could reflect changes in exposure to risk factors such as sun or smoking, changes in how we classify cancer or the introduction of new screening or diagnostic tests." Ward notes that while the occurence rate of some cancers is climbing, overall cancer mortality rates have decreased since 1991 for both men and women.

"For some cancers, the reasons for their changing incidence rates are somewhat clear," says Ward, citing well-known connections between sun exposure and smoking, with skin and lung cancers, respectively. "In a complex environment that is constantly changing, understanding the factors influencing other cancers, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma or testicular cancer, will continue to be a formidable challenge".........

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December 17, 2006, 9:48 PM CT

Use Of Mammograms In Men Is Rising

A number of men have breast symptoms, including enlarged or painful breast tissue, but the majority do not need a mammogram, say scientists from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Mammograms are used to check for the presence of breast cancers, which are very rare in males.

Their study, presented Saturday, Dec. 16, at the 2006 meeting of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, suggests physicians should reconsider ordering mammograms for men, who are most often diagnosed with non-malignant gynecomastia, a common condition which includes breast swelling, a tender mass or painful breast tissue.

"Mammography is being performed with increasing frequency in men with breast symptoms, but we observed that breast cancer in men can be felt as a firm, discrete mass on a physical exam, or seen as changes in the skin or nipple," says the study's lead author, Stephanie Hines, M.D., of Mayo's Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic and Breast Cancer Program in Jacksonville, Fla. Male breast cancer is exceedingly rare -- fewer than 2,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with the condition annually, she says.

"But the problem is that there are no guidelines about the use of mammograms in male patients and few studies have been conducted to find out if they are helpful," says Dr. Hines.........

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December 16, 2006, 12:10 AM CT

Reduce Fat Intake Say Breast Cancer Experts

For many years researchers were arguing if increased fat intake would increase the risk of breast cancer. Now a team of researchers has found that reducing the amount of dietary fat intake may actually decrease the chance of a breast cancer recurrence in women who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer. This is not just speculation, but based on solid evidence revealed by a phase III randomized, clinical trial in the latest issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Rowan T. Chlebowski, M.D., Ph.D., of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at the Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., and colleagues set out to determine whether a low-fat diet could prolong relapse-free survival in women with early-stage breast cancer.

Between February 1994 and January 2001, 2,437 women who had been treated for early-stage breast cancer were recruited from the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS). They were randomly assigned to a dietary intervention group (40%), or a control group (60%). The new study reports an analysis of all information collected as of October 31, 2003 with an average of 5 years of follow-up, when funding for the intervention ceased.

The goal of the dietary intervention was to reduce dietary fat to 15% of total calories. Women in the intervention group attended eight biweekly, 1-hour counseling sessions to learn about a low-fat eating plan, and they kept written records of their daily fat gram intake. Dieticians contacted or met with the women every 3 months, and participants could attend optional monthly dietary group sessions. Women in the control group met with a dietician when they started the trial and were contacted by dieticians every 3 months.........

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