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| Cancer Treatments | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 4 Jun 2017, 01:43 AM (151 Views) | |
| skibboy | 4 Jun 2017, 01:43 AM Post #1 |
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03 June 2017 Treatment extends life for some with advanced prostate cancer ![]() © AFP/File | Most prostate cancers are discovered early, before the tumors have spread elsewhere in the body CHICAGO (AFP) - Adding a new anti-hormonal drug to the standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer has been shown to reduce the risk of dying by almost 40 percent, according to two studies published Saturday. The drug, abiraterone, is sold by Janssen Pharmaceuticals under the brand name Zytiga. According to one study, when combined with prednisone, which is typically given to men with metastatic prostate cancer, abiraterone reduced the risk of dying by 38 percent. It also doubled the amount of time before the cancer worsened -- from 14.8 to 33 months -- said the findings released at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. The clinical trial included 1,200 patients in 34 countries and ran from February 2013 to December 2014. Most prostate cancers -- 92 percent of cases, according to the National Library of Medicine -- are discovered early, before the tumors have spread elsewhere in the body. But for the five percent or so of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer that has already spread, the outlook can be dire. "There is a large unmet need to improve treatment for men with newly diagnosed metastatic cancer, who die of the disease within less than five years on average," said lead study author Karim Fizazi head of the Department of Cancer Medicine at Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Sud in Villejuif, France. A second clinical trial involving nearly 2,000 men showed that adding abiraterone to a standard initial treatment regimen for high-risk, advanced prostate cancer lowered the relative risk of death by 37 percent. The study was the largest to date abiraterone as first-line therapy for advanced prostate cancer, in combination with standard therapy. "Abiraterone not only prolonged life, but also lowered the chance of relapse by 70 percent and reduced the chance of serious bone complications by 50 percent," said lead study author Nicholas James, professor of clinical oncology at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. "Based on the magnitude of clinical benefit, we believe that the upfront care for patients newly diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer should change." The hormone testosterone fuels the growth of prostate cancer cells. Men with prostate cancer are commonly treated with androgen deprivation therapy, which slows the cancer growth by preventing testicles from making testosterone and other similar hormones -- or androgens. Even when men are on ADT, other organs in their bodies may continue to make small amounts of testosterone and other androgens. Experts say abiraterone boosts standard therapy because it stops production of both testosterone and other androgens throughout the body. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 5 Jun 2017, 12:33 AM Post #2 |
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04 June 2017 Promising cancer treatment targets rare genetic flaw ![]() © AFP/File | In the study released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, 76 percent of cancer patients -- both children and adults with 17 different kinds of cancer -- responded well to an experimental cancer medicine called larotrectinib CHICAGO (AFP) - An experimental cancer medicine called larotrectinib has shown promise treating a diverse range of cancers in people young and old, researchers said at a major cancer conference in the United States. The treatment targets a genetic abnormality which is often found in rare cancers -- including salivary gland cancer, juvenile breast cancer, and a soft tissue cancer known as infantile fibrosarcoma -- which are particularly difficult to treat. This abnormality also occurs in about 0.5 percent to one percent of many common cancers. In the study released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, 76 percent of cancer patients -- both children and adults with 17 different kinds of cancer -- responded well to the medicine. A total of 79 percent were alive after one year. The study is ongoing. Twelve percent went into complete remission from their cancer. The clinical trial included 55 patients -- 43 adults and 12 children. All had advanced cancers in various organs, including the colon, pancreas and lung, as well as melanoma. "These findings embody the original promise of precision oncology: treating a patient based on the type of mutation, regardless of where the cancer originated," said lead study author David Hyman, chief of early drug development at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "We believe that the dramatic response of tumors with TRK fusions to larotrectinib supports widespread genetic testing in patients with advanced cancer to see if they have this abnormality." Made by Loxo Oncology Inc., larotrectinib is a selective inhibitor of tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusion proteins. TRK proteins are a product of a genetic abnormality when a TRK gene in a cancer cell fuses with one of many other genes, researchers said. The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the treatment for widespread use. The treatment was well tolerated by patients, and the most common side effects were fatigue and mild dizziness. "If approved, larotrectinib could become the first therapy of any kind to be developed and approved simultaneously in adults and children, and the first targeted therapy to be indicated for a molecular definition of cancer that spans all traditionally-defined types of tumors." said Hyman. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 31 Aug 2017, 01:13 AM Post #3 |
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First cancer 'living drug' gets go-ahead By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News website 5 hours ago ![]() The US has approved the first treatment to redesign a patient's own immune system so it attacks cancer. The regulator - the US Food and Drug Administration - said its decision was a "historic" moment and medicine was now "entering a new frontier". The company Novartis is charging $475,000 (£367,000) for the "living drug" therapy, which leaves 83% of people free of a type of blood cancer. Doctors in the UK said the announcement was an exciting step forward. The living drug is tailor-made to each patient, unlike conventional therapies such as surgery or chemotherapy. It is called CAR-T and is made by extracting white blood cells from the patient's blood. The cells are then genetically reprogrammed to seek out and kill cancer. The cancer-killers are then put back inside the patient and once they find their target they multiply. 'Enormously exciting' Dr Scott Gottlieb, from the FDA, said: "We're entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient's own cells to attack a deadly cancer. "New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold out the potential to transform medicine and create an inflection point in our ability to treat and even cure many intractable illnesses." The therapy, which will be marketed as Kymriah, works against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Most patients respond to normal therapy and Kymriah has been approved for when those treatments fail. Dr Stephan Grupp, who treated the first child with CAR-T at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said the new approach was "enormously exciting". "We've never seen anything like this before," he added. That first patient had been near to death, but has now been cancer-free for more than five years. Out of 63 patients treated with CAR-T therapy, 83% were in complete remission within three months and long-term data is still being collected. However, the therapy is not without risks. It can cause potentially life-threatening cytokine release syndrome from the rapid proliferation of the CAR-T cells in the body. This can be controlled with drugs. New era But the potential of CAR-T technology goes beyond one type of cancer. Dr David Maloney, medical director of cellular immunotherapy at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said the FDA's decision was a "milestone". He added: "We believe this is just the first of what will soon be many new immunotherapy-based treatments for a variety of cancers. CAR-T technology has shown most promise against different blood-based cancers. However, it has struggled against "solid tumours" such as lung cancer or melanoma. Dr Prakash Satwani, a paediatric oncologist at Columbia University Medical, said: "The results haven't been that great when you compare it with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, but I'm sure the technology will get better in the near future." Boosting the immune system is already a cornerstone of modern cancer treatment. A range of drugs that "take the brakes off" the immune system to allow it to attack cancer more freely have already been adopted around the world. CAR-T technology, which goes a step further and redesigns the immune system, is at a much earlier stage. Prof Peter Johnson, the chief clinician at the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "The first genetically modified cell therapy to be approved by the FDA is an exciting step forward. "We still have a lot to learn about how to use it safely and who might benefit from it, so it is important to recognise this is just a first step." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 8 Sep 2017, 01:03 AM Post #4 |
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'Pen' identifies cancer in 10 seconds By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News website 7 September 2017 ![]() A handheld device can identify cancerous tissue in 10 seconds, according to scientists at the University of Texas. They say it could make surgery to remove a tumour quicker, safer and more precise. And they hope it would avoid the "heartbreak" of leaving any of the cancer behind. Tests, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest the technology is accurate 96% of the time. The MasSpec Pen takes advantage of the unique metabolism of cancer cells. Their furious drive to grow and spread means their internal chemistry is very different to that of healthy tissue. How it works The pen is touched on to a suspected cancer and releases a tiny droplet of water. Chemicals inside the living cells move into the droplet, which is then sucked back up the pen for analysis. The pen is plugged into a mass spectrometer - a piece of kit that can measure the mass of thousands of chemicals every second. It produces a chemical fingerprint that tells doctors whether they are looking at healthy tissue or cancer. The challenge for surgeons is finding the border between the cancer and normal tissue. In some tumours it is obvious, but in others the boundary between healthy and diseased tissue can be blurred. The pen should help doctors ensure none of the cancer is left behind. Remove too little tissue, and any remaining cancerous cells will grow into another tumour. But take too much, and you can cause damage, particularly in organs such as the brain. Livia Eberlin, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin, told the BBC: "What's exciting about this technology is how clearly it meets a clinical need. "The tool is elegant and simple and can be in the hands of surgeons in a short time." Trials The technology has been tested on 253 samples as part of the study. The plan is to continue testing to refine the device before trialling it during operations next year. The pen currently analyses a patch of tissue 1.5mm (0.06in) across, but the researchers have already developed pens that are even more refined and should be able to look at a finer patch of tissue just 0.6mm across. While the pen itself is cheap, the mass spectrometer is expensive and bulky. Dr Eberlin said: "The roadblock is the mass spectrometer, for sure. "We're visioning a mass spectrometer that's a little smaller, cheaper and tailored for this application that can be wheeled in and out of rooms." Dr James Suliburk, one of the researchers and the head of endocrine surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, said: "Any time we can offer the patient a more precise surgery, a quicker surgery or a safer surgery, that's something we want to do. "This technology does all three." The MasSpec Pen is the latest attempt to improve the accuracy of surgery. A team at Imperial College London have developed a knife that "smells" the tissue it cuts to determine whether it is removing cancer. And a team at Harvard are using lasers to analyse how much of a brain cancer to remove. Dr Aine McCarthy, from Cancer Research UK, said: "Exciting research like this has the potential to speed up how quickly doctors can determine if a tumour is cancerous or not and learn about its characteristics. "Gathering this kind of information quickly during surgery could help doctors match the best treatment options for patients sooner." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 5 Oct 2017, 01:17 AM Post #5 |
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05 October 2017 EU watchdog OKs cancer drugs without evidence they work: study ![]() © AFP/File | Researchers say a number of cancer treatments were approved on the basis of inconclusive, early test results PARIS (AFP) - European regulators approved 39 new cancer drugs between 2009 and 2013 despite having no evidence that they worked, unnecessarily exposing patients to toxicity, researchers said Thursday. The number represented more than half the 68 cancer treatments to become available for European patients during this period, they said, "raising serious questions about the current standards of drug regulation." Writing in The BMJ medical journal, a team of public health experts expressed concern about the approval of often-pricey cancer drugs by the EU regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA). "This situation has negative implications for patients and public health," they concluded. "When expensive drugs that lack clinically meaningful benefits are approved and paid for within publicly funded healthcare systems, individual patients can be harmed, important societal resources wasted, and the delivery of equitable and affordable care undermined." Many of the drugs were approved on the basis of inconclusive, early test results which were unable to predict whether they would actually make a patient better. Another study, published in 2015, had found that most cancer drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2008 and 2012, similarly came with no evidence that they boosted patient survival or improved quality of life. One of the authors of the American study, Vinay Prasad from the Oregon Health & Science University, pointed out that the average cancer drug in the US costs more than $100,000 (85,000 euros) per person per year. "In the US, this broken system means huge expenditures on cancer drugs with certain toxicity but uncertain benefit," he wrote in a comment also carried by The BMJ. "The US Medicare programme is legally required to pay for any drug approved by the FDA without negotiation on price." Given the toxicity and expense of cancer drugs, patients should be exposed only "when they can reasonably expect an improvement in survival or quality of life," said Prasad. Approached for comment, the EMA said it "has discussed the evidence underpinning cancer medicines widely and welcomes further debate on this." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 18 Jan 2018, 01:57 AM Post #6 |
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Chemistry 'Van Gogh' could help with cancer By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News 6 hours ago ![]() RNA polymerase III surrounding DNA "Incredible" images of DNA in action have been captured by scientists who will use them to design cancer drugs. Researcher Dr Alessandro Vannini said the pictures were "beautiful" and in artistic comparisons were "definitely a Van Gogh". They capture a fundamental part of all plant and animal life, called RNA polymerase III, reading the genetic instructions contained in DNA. It is a process that gets hijacked by cancer. Human DNA contains the genetic instructions for building and running the human body. It is RNA polymerase III's job to come along and read the genetic instruction manual. The team at the Institute of Cancer Research used a technique called cryo-electron microscopy, which won the 2017 Nobel Prize for chemistry for revolutionising biochemistry. They purified RNA polymerase III, immersed it in water and then rapidly froze it. This preserves the microscopic structure of objects and even captures them mid-movement. A beam of electrons is then used to take images from lots of angles, which are then built up into a detailed 3D image. Dr Alessandro Vannini, who published the findings in the journal Nature, told the BBC: "You don't get the structure all at once, you just see individual strokes and it takes a while to see the big picture. "It was definitely a Van Gogh." The researchers caught the molecular machinery binding to DNA, unzipping it and reading the information in the genetic code. RNA polymerase III is involved in the supply of building materials needed to make proteins. A cancerous cell that is dividing rapidly and out of control needs more, and different, building materials than a normal healthy cell. Changes to RNA polymerase III have often been implicated in cancer. Dr Vannini told the BBC: "It's very highly regulated, but it is very often hijacked in cancer and there is a complete shift in the building blocks." But now the structure of RNA polymerase III and the way it interacts with DNA has been worked out, the team plan to design drugs to alter the way it works. Dr Vannini said: "It's a new way of thinking and targeting very central machinery. If we block it completely then all cells will die, but if we can block it partially we can see if we can stop cancers." Prof Paul Workman, the chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "This beautiful study has unveiled a fundamental cog in the inner workings of cells and one that is often exploited by cancers. "It's a hugely important finding in cell biology, and I hope that in future it will lead to new treatments for cancer patients." Dr Amanda Collis, from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, said: "This exciting discovery demonstrates how fundamental understanding of biological systems can open the door to the development of potential new cancer therapies." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 19 Jan 2018, 02:37 AM Post #7 |
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Cancer blood test ‘enormously exciting’ By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News 1 hour ago ![]() Scientists have taken a step towards one of the biggest goals in medicine - a universal blood test for cancer. A team at Johns Hopkins University has trialled a method that detects eight common forms of the disease. Their vision is an annual test designed to catch cancer early and save lives. UK experts said it was "enormously exciting". Tumours release tiny traces of their mutated DNA and proteins they make into the bloodstream. The Cancer Seek test looks for mutations in 16 genes that regularly arise in cancer and eight proteins that are often released. It was trialled on 1,005 patients with cancers in the ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, oesophagus, colon, lung or breast that had not yet spread to other tissues. Overall, the test found 70% of the cancers. Dr Cristian Tomasetti, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told the BBC: "This field of early detection is critical, and the results are very exciting. "I think this can have an enormous impact on cancer mortality." The earlier a cancer is found, the greater the chance of being able to treat it. Five of the eight cancers investigated have no screening programmes for early detection. Pancreatic cancer has so few symptoms and is detected so late that four in five patients die in the year they are diagnosed. Finding tumours when they could still be surgically removed would be "a night and day difference" for survival, said Dr Tomasetti. Cancer Seek is now being trialled in people who have not been diagnosed with cancer. This will be the real test of its usefulness. The hope is it can complement other screening tools such as mammograms for breast cancer and colonoscopies for colorectal cancer. Dr Tomasetti told the BBC: "We envision a blood test we could use once a year." Universal test? The Cancer Seek test, reported in the journal Science, is novel because it hunts for both the mutated DNA and the proteins. ![]() Breast cancer can be detected by the new test Increasing the number of mutations and proteins being analysed would allow it to test for a wider range of cancers. Dr Gert Attard, team leader in the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, told the BBC: "This is of massive potential. "I'm enormously excited. This is the Holy Grail - a blood test to diagnose cancer without all the other procedures like scans or colonoscopy." He said "we're very close" to using blood tests to screen for cancer as "we have the technology". But he cautioned there was still uncertainty about what to do when a cancer was diagnosed. In some cases, the treatment may be worse than living with a cancer that is not immediately life-threatening. Men can already have slow growing prostate cancers closely monitored rather than treated. "When we detect cancer in a different way, we can't take for granted that everyone will need treatment," Dr Attard said. The cost of Cancer Seek is less than $500 (£360) per patient, which is around the same price as a colonoscopy. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 8 Feb 2018, 12:23 AM Post #8 |
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Food may influence cancer spread By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News 5 hours ago ![]() There is mounting evidence the food on your plate can alter cancer's growth and spread, say Cambridge scientists. Animal research, published in the journal Nature, showed breast tumours struggled without the dietary nutrient asparagine. It is found in the foodies' favourite asparagus, as well as poultry, seafood and many other foods. In the future, scientists hope to take advantage of cancer's "culinary addictions" to improve treatment. Asparagine is an amino acid - a building block of protein - and takes its name from asparagus. Spread The study, conducted at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, took place on mice with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Normally they would die in a couple of weeks as the tumour spread throughout the body. But when the mice were given a low-asparagine diet or drugs to block asparagine then the tumour struggled to spread. "It was a really huge change, [the cancers] were very difficult to find," said Prof Greg Hannon. Last year, the University of Glasgow showed cutting out the amino acids serine and glycine slowed the development of lymphoma and intestinal cancers. Prof Hannon told the BBC: "We're seeing increasing evidence that specific cancers are addicted to specific components of our diet. "In the future, by modifying a patient's diet or by using drugs that change the way that tumour cells can access these nutrients we hope to improve outcomes in therapy." Cancer An initial tumour is rarely deadly. It is when the cancer spreads throughout the body - or metastasises - that it can become fatal. A cancerous cell must go through huge changes in order to spread - it must learn to break off the main tumour, survive in the bloodstream and thrive elsewhere in the body. It is this process for which researchers think asparagine is necessary. But fear not asparagus lovers, these findings still need to be confirmed in people and asparagine is hard to avoid in the diet anyway. In the long run, scientists think patients would be put on special drinks that are nutritionally balanced, but lack asparagine. Prof Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "Interestingly, the drug L-asparaginase is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which is dependent on asparagine. "It's possible that in future, this drug could be repurposed to help treat breast cancer patients." Further trials are still necessary. Baroness Delyth Morgan, the chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said patients should not go on drastic diets on the back of this study. She said: "We don't recommend patients totally exclude any specific food group from their diet without speaking to their doctors. "We'd also encourage all patients to follow a healthy and varied diet." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 22 Feb 2018, 03:25 AM Post #9 |
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22 February 2018 Precision cancer therapy works in 3/4 of patients: study ![]() © AFP/File | n acquired genetic defect, known as tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions are found in a range of cancer types but tend to be unusual in common cancers, occurring in between 0.2 percent and three percent of cases MIAMI (AFP) - A precision cancer treatment that targets rare genetic mutations that exist in about 5,000 people in the United States instead of the tumor's location in the body has shown success in three-quarters of patients, researchers said Wednesday. The medicine, called larotrectinib, is made by Loxo Oncology of Stamford, Connecticut and was granted breakthrough therapy designation by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016. Taken orally once or twice a day, it interferes with an on-switch for cancer growth caused by an acquired genetic defect, known as tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions. "This is truly a magic bullet for our patients with TRK-positive cancer," said co-author Leo Mascarenhas, deputy director of the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Infants, children, adolescents and adults with a range of cancers -- including salivary gland, infantile fibrosarcoma, thyroid, colon, lung, gastrointestinal, melanoma and other cancers -- were included in the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The 55 patients ranged in age from four months to 76 years, and entered the trial from 2015 to 2017. They suffered from either locally advanced cancers or tumors that had spread to other parts of the body. Three quarters of patients enrolled responded to the therapy, typically within two months of starting the regimen. "A total of 13 percent of the patients (seven patients) had a complete response, 62 percent (34) had a partial response," said the report. Another 13 percent (seven) had stable disease. Nine percent (five) had progressive disease, and four percent (2) could not be evaluated because their conditions deteriorated or they withdrew from the study. "No patients discontinued treatment due to drug-related side effects," said the report. An initial analysis of the trial -- carried out at more than two dozen sites around the world -- was released at a major US cancer conference in June 2017. If larotrectinib gains approval for wider use, it could treat thousands of patients with these forms of cancer around the world. Researchers don't know exactly how many people could be helped by the treatment globally, since current screening practices often do not test for this particular genetic flaw. "Screening strategies that include assays with the ability to detect TRK fusions will be needed in order to identify patients who may benefit from larotrectinib," said the report. TRK fusions are found in a range of cancer types but tend to be unusual in common cancers, occurring in between 0.2 percent and three percent of cases. However, in some rare cancers, the fusions are present in nearly every case, researchers say. "In this series of studies, larotrectinib had rapid, potent and durable anti-tumor activity in children and adults who had solid tumors with TRK fusions without regard to patient age, tumor tissue and fusion status," said co-principal investigator David Hong, professor of investigational cancer therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 8 Mar 2018, 02:07 AM Post #10 |
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08 March 2018 Vitamin D linked to lower risk of cancer: study ![]() © AFP/File | The sun rises over Brooklyn, on July 4, 2017 in New York City PARIS (AFP) - Higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may be linked to a lower risk of developing certain cancers, a study in Japanese adults reported Thursday. "These findings support the hypothesis that Vitamin D has protective effects against cancers at many sites," researchers reported in a study published in The BMJ medical journal. Vitamin D is made by the skin in response to sunlight. By maintaining calcium levels in the body, it helps keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. While the benefits of Vitamin D on bone health are well known, there is some evidence that it may protect against chronic diseases as well, including some cancers. Studies to date, however, have been carried out mainly in European and North American people. As natural Vitamin D concentrations can vary by ethnicity, researchers from half-a-dozen Japanese medical schools and institutes set out to determine the potential for lowering cancer risk in Asians. They analysed the public health records of 33,736 men and women aged 40 to 69. At the start of the study, participants provided detailed information on their medical history, diet and lifestyle. Blood samples were taken to measure Vitamin D levels. The researchers did not specify whether the trial participants used vitamin supplements or not. Taking into account seasonal variations, the group was divided into four groups, ranging from the lowest to highest concentration of Vitamin D. Participants were then monitored for 16 years on average, during which time 3,301 new cases of cancer were recorded. After adjusting for well-known cancer risk factors -- age, weight, smoking, and alcohol intake, for example -- the researchers found that, overall, higher Vitamin D levels was associated with a 20 percent lower cancer risk for both genders. The risk of liver cancer dropped even more, by up to 50 percent, especially for men. Vitamin D did not appear have any impact in warding off lung or prostate cancer, however. None of the cancers examined showed an increased risk associated with higher Vitamin D levels. Previous studies have shown that low levels of Vitamin D increase the risk of bone fractures, heart disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's disease and death. But others have found no evidence of a link to disease risk. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 4 Apr 2018, 01:24 AM Post #11 |
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'One-stop shops' set to speed up cancer diagnosis 3 April 2018 ![]() The aim is for patients to get all the checks they need under one roof "One-stop shops" aimed at speeding up cancer diagnosis are being introduced across England. The aim is to catch the disease earlier and prevent patients from being referred for several tests for different forms of the illness. Patients often face delays when they have non-specific symptoms. NHS England says this is a "step change" in the way people with suspected cancer are diagnosed and treated. The rapid diagnosis and then treatment of cancer can be vital in saving lives. While cancer survival rates have improved dramatically over recent decades, patients who are not displaying very obvious signs of the illness sometimes struggle to access quickly the help they need. Those with more vague symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, reduced appetite or abdominal pain can be referred several times for different tests for different cancers, all wasting valuable opportunities to start treatment. Other symptoms can include fatigue, unexplained sweats or generally feeling unwell. NHS England is now adopting an approach first developed in Denmark - introducing 10 specialist rapid diagnostic and assessment centres where patients will receive all the necessary investigations under one roof. 'Unclear symptoms' Cally Palmer, national director for cancer at NHS England, says the new centres could play a key role in improving diagnosis and treatment. "Early diagnosis is crucial to saving lives and providing peace of mind for patients, which is why we are driving forward plans to revolutionise our approach to cancer in this country," she said. "These new one-stop shops represent a real step change in the way people with unclear symptoms are identified, diagnosed and treated." ![]() NHS England has developed the centres in collaboration with the cancer charities Macmillan and Cancer Research UK. Sara Hiom, director of early diagnosis at CRUK, said: "We're confident that these 10 pilot centres will give us a much better understanding of what's needed to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of people with less obvious symptoms, improve their experience of care and, ultimately, survival rates. "This is a first for this country and Cancer Research UK is delighted to be partnering with NHS England in this innovative initiative. "The knowledge gained will support others looking to roll out similar approaches in future." The new centres will be spread across England, with the first 10 being located at: - Royal Free Hospital, London - North Middlesex Hospital, London, - University College Hospitals London - Southend University Hospital - Queens Hospital, Romford - St James University Hospital, Leeds - Airedale General Hospital, West Yorkshire - University Hospital, South Manchester - Royal Oldham Hospital, Greater Manchester - Churchill Hospital, Oxford The aim is that every patient is either diagnosed or given the all-clear within 28 days. If the project is a success, more of the centres will be established across England. Source: .com
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| skibboy | 13 Apr 2018, 12:16 AM Post #12 |
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Why some cancers are 'born to be bad' By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News 7 hours ago ![]() A groundbreaking study has uncovered why some patients' cancers are more deadly than others, despite appearing identical. Francis Crick Institute scientists developed a way of analysing a cancer's history to predict its future. The study on kidney cancer patients showed some tumours were "born to be bad" while others never became aggressive and may not need treating. Cancer Research UK says the study could help patients get the best care. "We don't really have tools to differentiate between those that need treatment and those that can be observed," said researcher and cancer doctor Samra Turajlic. One cancer could kill quickly while a patient with a seemingly identical cancer could live for decades after treatment. It means uncertainty for both the patient and the doctor. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kidney cancer ![]() It is most common in people in their 60s and 70s. Symptoms include: - Blood in your pee - Persistent pain in the lower back or side - Sometimes a lump or swelling in your side ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The work, published in three papers in the journal Cell, analysed kidney cancers in 100 patients. The team at the Crick performed a sophisticated feat of genetics to work out the cancer's history. It works like a paternity or ancestry test on steroids. As cancers grow and evolve, they become more mutated and, eventually, different parts of the tumour start to mutate in different ways. Researchers take dozens of samples from different parts of the same tumour and then work out how closely related they are. It allows scientists to piece together the evolutionary history of the whole tumour. "That also tells us where the tumour might be heading as well," said Dr Turajlic. Chance to change care The researchers were able to classify kidney cancer into one of three broad categories: - Born to be bad - Benign -Intermediate The "born to be bad" tumours had rapid and extensive mutations and would grow so quickly they are likely to have spread round the body before they are even detected. Surgery to remove the original tumour may delay the use of drugs that can slow the disease. The benign tumours are at the complete opposite and are likely to grow so slowly they may never be a problem to patients and could just be monitored. The intermediate tumours were likely to initially spread to just one other location in the body and could be treated with surgery. ![]() Michael Malley, 72, from London, took part in the trial at the Royal Marsden Hospital after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. He said: "Clearly studies like these are really important for understanding how kidney cancer evolves over time, and I hope this one day leads to better treatments for patients like me." There is still the challenge of figuring out how best to tailor treatments to each tumour type, and even how to perform such tests in a hospital rather than a research lab. The tools used in this study are being investigated in other cancers, including lung cancer. Dr Turajlic says: "We've no doubt they will be applicable to other types of cancer." The studies also revealed that the earliest mutations that lead to kidney cancer were happening up to half a century before the cancer was detected. Sir Harpal Kumar, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said the study was "groundbreaking". He added: "For years we've grappled with the fact that patients with seemingly very similar diagnoses nevertheless have very different outcomes. "We're learning from the history of these tumours to better predict the future. "This is profoundly important because hopefully we can predict the path a cancer will take for each individual patient and that will drive us towards more personalised treatment." Source: .com
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| skibboy | 19 Apr 2018, 01:34 AM Post #13 |
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18 April 2018 'Artificial mole' could warn of cancer: study ![]() © AFP/File | The skin implant has been tested in lab animals, lasts about a year and recognizes the four most common types of cancer: prostate, lung, colon and breast cancer TAMPA (AFP) - Swiss scientists have developed an experimental skin implant that darkens like a mole when it detects subtle changes in the body that may be an early warning sign of cancer, a study said Wednesday. The implant, or "biomedical tattoo," as researchers call it, has been tested in lab animals, lasts about a year and recognizes the four most common types of cancer: prostate, lung, colon and breast cancer. It works by reacting to the level of calcium in the blood, which rises when a tumor is developing. About 40 percent of cancers could theoretically be detected this way, researchers said. "The biomedical tattoo detects all hypercalcemic cancers at a very early, asymptomatic stage," lead author Martin Fussenegger, Professor at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich, told AFP by email. "If blood calcium levels remain high over longer periods of time, the calcium sensor in the biomedical tattoo cells produces an enzyme, tyrosinase, which converts the amino acid into the black skin pigment, melanin." If the wearer notices the spot darken, they should see a doctor to clarify the reason for the change and determine if or what treatment is warranted, he said. "Early detection increases the chance of survival significantly," he said. "Nowadays, people generally go to the doctor only when the tumor begins to cause problems. Unfortunately, by that point it is often too late." The implant was tested in mice with either cancerous tumors that cause hypercalcemia or tumors that do not affect calcium blood levels. During a 38-day experiment, the tattoos appeared only on the skin of the hypercalcemic mice, which showed no symptoms of illness. More research and funding is needed to advance the tattoo to clinical trials in people, and the process could take a decade, Fussenegger said. A paper describing the prototype was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Source: france24.com
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| skibboy | 3 Jun 2018, 12:36 AM Post #14 |
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02 June 2018 Targeted cancer treatments far outperform traditional methods MIAMI (AFP) - Cancer treatments that attack tumors based on their individual genetic traits -- not their location in the body -- far outperform traditional methods, extending survival for twice as many patients, a study said Saturday. The precision medicine field of targeted therapy involves testing tumors for clues about their genetic mutations, and matching patients with new drugs designed to block cancer's growth on a molecular level. Targeted options for patients have risen dramatically in the last two decades -- and one day tumor testing and cell-free DNA analysis may become the standard of care, said lead investigator Apostolia Tsimberidou, professor of investigational cancer therapeutics at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. "I am optimistic that in the next few years we will dramatically improve the outcomes of patients with cancer with increasing implementation of precision medicine," she told reporters at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, the world's largest annual cancer conference. Tsimberidou and colleagues began studying the impact of these therapies in 2007, after seeing the success of Gleevec (imatinib) -- a breakthrough drug approved by US regulators in 2001 that showed huge success against chronic myeloid leukemia. Their study, called IMPACT, is the first and largest to look at survival across a host of cancer types and many different targeted therapies. More than 3,700 patients at Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center enrolled from 2007 to 2013. All had advanced cancers, or "end-stage disease," involving cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, breast, or lung. Melanoma and cancer of the female reproductive tract were also included, along with more rare types of cancer. Those enrolled had typically tried at least four -- and sometimes up to 16 -- other treatments that failed to halt the growth of their cancer. More than 1,300 were found to have tumors with at least one genetic change. Of these, 711 received a treatment that matched the biology of the tumor. Another 596 received a treatment was not matched, often because no matched treatment for the patient was available at the time. After three years, 15 percent of people treated with targeted cancer therapies were alive, compared to seven percent in the non-targeted group. After 10 years, six percent of the targeted group was alive, compared to just one percent in the other group. - Still far from a cure - On the whole, targeted therapies led to an average of four months of life without the cancer advancing, known as progression-free survival, and nine extra months of overall survival. Those who were treated with traditional approaches lived just under three months without cancer growing, and 7.3 months longer overall. Targeted therapies "significantly improved overall survival," said Catherine Diefenbach, an oncologist at New York University (NYU) Langone. This method of molecularly profiling tumors, understanding their genetics and how to act on that "is the wave of the future," added Diefenbach, who was not involved in the study. For Diefenbach, the study illustrates a paradigm shift in cancer treatment, whereby cancers are no longer treated on the "neighborhood" of the body in which they arise. "Prior to precision medicine, patients were treated based on what kind of cancer they had," she told reporters. "But a breast cancer patient, as we have heard, can have a cell that is much more like a lung cancer patient, genetically, than another breast cancer." Diefenbach also pointed out that "most of these patients received drugs that were already (US Food and Drug Administration) FDA-approved or in advanced clinical trials, so people did not have to go out and reinvent the wheel to treat these patients in a completely new way." The field of precision medicine has grown immensely since the study began, said Tsimberidou, recalling that back in 2007, "we tested for no more than one to two genes. "Now patients are being tested for hundreds of actionable genes, amplifications and mutations, as well as for immune markers," she said. by Kerry SHERIDAN Source: france24.com
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| skibboy | 3 Jun 2018, 10:45 PM Post #15 |
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Breast cancer: Test means fewer women will need chemotherapy By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News 3 June 2018 ![]() The findings only apply to women specific early stage breast cancers About 70% of women with the most common form of early stage breast cancer can be spared the "agony of chemotherapy", researchers say. It follows trials of a genetic test that analyses the danger of a tumour. Cancer doctors said the findings would change practice in UK clinics on Monday, and meant women in this group could be treated safely with just surgery and hormone therapy. Charities said the news, affecting 3,000 UK women a year, was "wonderful". Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to reduce the chance of breast cancer spreading or coming back. It saves lives, but side-effects of the toxic drugs range from vomiting, fatigue and infertility to permanent nerve pain. In rare cases it can lead to heart failure and leukaemia. This trial of 10,273 women analysed cancers using a genetic test that is already widely available, including on the NHS. ![]() Currently, women who get a low score on the test are told they do not need chemo, those with a high score are told they definitely do. But most women get an intermediate result meaning they are unclear as to what to do. Data presented at the world's biggest meeting of cancer doctors and scientists in Chicago shows these women have the same survival rates with or without chemo. The nine-year-survival-rate was 93.9% without chemotherapy and 93.8% with chemotherapy. 'Fundamental change' The study, led by the Albert Einstein Cancer Center in New York, is a rare cancer breakthrough as it can save money and instantly change practice. Dr Alistair Ring, a consultant at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, told the BBC: "Oncologists have been waiting for these results, it will affect practice on Monday morning. "It's a fundamental change in the way we look after women with early breast cancer. "It's a great news story." He estimates 3,000 women a year in the UK will no longer need chemotherapy because of this trial. The study is strictly about early stage breast cancers - specifically those that can still be treated with hormone therapy, have not spread to the lymph nodes and do not have the HER2 mutation, which makes them grow more quickly. ![]() Dr Alistair Ring said his practice at the Royal Marsden Hospital will change on Monday as a result of the study The test is performed on a sample of the tumour when it is removed during surgery. It works by looking at the activity levels of 21 genes, which are markers of how aggressive the cancer is. 'Transform care immediately' Rachel Rawson, from the charity Breast Cancer Care, said: "Every day, women with certain types of breast cancer face the terrible dilemma of whether or not to have the treatment, without hard facts about the benefit for them. "This life-changing breakthrough is absolutely wonderful news as it could liberate thousands of women from the agony of chemotherapy." The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr Harold Burnstein, from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said: "This study will transform care immediately, and for the better." Source: bbc.com
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| skibboy | 5 Jun 2018, 01:05 AM Post #16 |
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'Remarkable' therapy beats terminal breast cancer By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News 9 hours ago ![]() The life of a woman with terminal breast cancer has been saved by a pioneering new therapy, say US researchers. It involved pumping 90 billion cancer-killing immune cells into her body. Judy Perkins had been given three months to live, but two years later there is no sign of cancer in her body. The team at the US National Cancer Institute says the therapy is still experimental, but could transform the treatment of all cancer. Judy - who lives in Florida - had spreading, advanced breast cancer that could not be treated with conventional therapy. She had tennis ball-sized tumours in her liver and secondary cancers throughout her body. She told the BBC: "About a week after [the therapy] I started to feel something, I had a tumour in my chest that I could feel shrinking. "It took another week or two for it to completely go away." She remembers her first scan after the procedure when the medical staff "were all very excited and jumping around". It was then she was told that she was likely to be cured. Now she's filling her life with backpacking and sea kayaking and has just taken five weeks circumnavigating Florida. Living therapy The technology is a "living drug" made from a patient's own cells at one of the world's leading centres of cancer research. Dr Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute, told the BBC: "We're talking about the most highly personalised treatment imaginable." It remains experimental and still requires considerably more testing before it can be used more widely, but this is how it works: it starts by getting to know the enemy. A patient's tumour is genetically analysed to identify the rare changes that might make the cancer visible to the immune system. Out of the 62 genetic abnormalities in this patient, only four were potential lines of attack. Next researchers go hunting. A patient's immune system will already be attacking the tumour, it's just losing the fight between white blood cells and cancer. The scientists screen the patient's white blood cells and extract those capable of attacking the cancer. These are then grown in huge quantities in the laboratory. Around 90 billion were injected back into the 49-year-old patient, alongside drugs to take the brakes off the immune system. Dr Rosenberg told me: "The very mutations that cause cancer turn out to be its Achilles heel." 'Paradigm shift' These are the results from a single patient and much larger trials will be needed to confirm the findings. The challenge so far in cancer immunotherapy is it tends to work spectacularly for some patients, but the majority do not benefit. Dr Rosenberg added: "This is highly experimental and we're just learning how to do this, but potentially it is applicable to any cancer. "At lot of works needs to be done, but the potential exists for a paradigm shift in cancer therapy - a unique drug for every cancer patient - it is very different to any other kind of treatment." ![]() Around 90 billion cancer-killing cells were infused back into Judy The details were published in journal Nature Medicine. Commenting on the findings, Dr Simon Vincent, director of research at Breast Cancer Now, said the research was "world class". He told the BBC: "We think this is a remarkable result. "It's the first opportunity to see this sort of immunotherapy in the most common sort of breast cancer at the moment it has only been tested in one patient, "There's a huge amount of work that needs to be done, but potentially it could open up a whole new area of therapy for a large number of people." Source: bbc.com
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3:23 PM Jul 11