July 2011 Blog Posts (23)

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Scientists Identify Essential Signaling Molecule Guiding Balanced T Cell Differentiation

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Hospital have identified a signaling molecule that functions like a factory supervisor to ensure that the right mix of specialized T cells is available to fight infections and guard against autoimmune disease.



The research also showed the molecule, phosphatase MKP-1, is an important regulator of immune balance. Working in laboratory cell lines and mice with specially… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 22, 2011 at 8:30am — No Comments

Europe Approves Abiraterone for Treatment of Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

The Committee for Medical Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted a positive opinion recommending the approval of abiraterone acetate (Zytiga®, Janssen-Cilag International NV) for the treatment of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. The approval was based on the accelerated regulatory review procedure.… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 22, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

Trial Shows Positive Results with TAS-102 in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Results of a randomized, Phase II clinical trial for the novel oral nucleoside antitumor agent TAS-102 under development by Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd for metastatic colorectal cancer were presented at the 9th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology held in Yokohama. (Abstract no. 10428)



TAS-102 is… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 22, 2011 at 7:30am — No Comments

Diagnostic Test Assisting with Personalized Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Receives CE Mark

The cobas KRAS mutation test developped by Roche Molecular Systems , a polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic tool intended for the detection of mutations in codons 12, 13 and 61 of the KRAS gene, is now commercially available in Europe and other countries that recognize the CE mark. The system tests colorectal cancer tissue predictive of individual response to therapy with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 21, 2011 at 10:30pm — No Comments

PI3K Inhibitor Study Shows Promising Results in Early Phase I Study in Advanced Breast Cancer

A new drug targeting the PI3K gene in patients with advanced breast cancer shows promising results in an early phase I investigational study conducted at Virginia G. Piper Cancer at Scottsdale Healthcare, according to a presentation by oncologist Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P. at the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).



The drug under investigation, GDC-0941,…

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Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 20, 2011 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Draft NICE Guidance does Not Recommend NHS Funding for Eribulin in Advanced Breast Cancer Treatment

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued draft guidance on Halaven® (eribulin) for public consultation. The draft guidance does not recommend NHS (National Health Service) funding of eribulin, a treatment for locally advanced or metastatic breast… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 19, 2011 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Treatment Pathway Connections Ties Clinicians and Care Managers to Support Treatment

Oncology treatments are not what they were a decade ago. Drugs that target specific molecular pathways in a cancer cell are being added to or replacing once standard therapies, requiring a new model of patient care. Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today announced new offerings within its Advanced Oncology Solutions™, that include treatment pathways decision support with embedded pharmacogenomic testing and nutrition… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 19, 2011 at 9:00am — No Comments

Trastuzumab in Combination with Chemotherapy Improves Survival in HER2+ Breast and Brain Cancer

The use of trastuzumab (Herceptin®,Genentech) chemotherapy and surgery among women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer significantly improved survival from the time central nervous system metastases were diagnosed.



Based on these study results, lead researcher Adam Brufsky, M.D., Ph.D., said, “We clearly now know that these women should get trastuzumab and potentially chemotherapy,… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 18, 2011 at 11:30am — No Comments

Researchers Identify Tumor Suppressor Protein as Key Regulator of Immune Response and Balance

Researcher of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified a key immune system regulator, a protein that serves as a gatekeeper in the white blood cells that produce the "troops" to battle specific infections. The findin will provide insight into immune system biology and identify the mechanism that keeps white blood cell activity at a minimum until the specific immune response is needed.… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 18, 2011 at 7:30am — No Comments

Drug Candidate Receives Positive Opinion From EMA COMP in Ovarian Cancer

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has issued a positive opinion on Nektar Therapeutics'application for orphan medicinal product status for the company's lead oncology candidate, NKTR-102, for the treatment of women with ovarian cancer.



Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the…

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Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 18, 2011 at 5:00am — No Comments

Pertuzumab with Herceptin and Chemotherapy Significantly Extends PFS in HER2-positive MBC Patients

The CLEOPATRA trial, a multicenter international clinical Phase III study, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pertuzumab with trastuzumab and docetaxel vs. placebo with trastuzumab and docetaxel in previously untreated Her2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC), has met its primary endpoint: progression-free survival.



Pertuzumab is a monoclonal antibody being studied in early-stage and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. It is an…

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Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 15, 2011 at 8:30am — No Comments

European Commission Grants Marketing Authorization for Denosumab

The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for denosumab (XGEVA®,Amgen)for the prevention of skeletal-related events or SREs (pathological fracture, radiation to bone, spinal cord compression or surgery to bone) in adults with bone metastases from solid tumors. This approval of denosumab applies to all 27 European Union member states. The European Commission also granted denosumab an additional year of data and… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 15, 2011 at 4:30am — No Comments

Better Donor Selection Markedly Improved Survival for Young High-Risk Leukemia Patients

Investigators at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital reported markedly improved survival of pediatric patients transplanted for high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) regardless of donor.



The results showed that bone marrow transplant survival more than doubled in recent years for young, high-risk leukemia patients with patients who lacked genetically matched… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 14, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

Rapid Growth of Palliative Care in Hospitals Continues for 10th Straight Year

For the tenth consecutive year palliative care in U.S. hospitals has increased for. A new analysis released today by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) shows that the number of hospitals with a palliative care team increased from 658 (24.5%) to 1,568 (63.0%)– a steady 138.3% increase from 2000-2009.



Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 14, 2011 at 7:30am — No Comments

Cognitive Function Significantly Improves with Stem Cell Treatment in Patients with Brain Cancer

Stem cell therapy may restore cognition in patients with brain cancer who experience functional learning and memory loss often associated with radiation treatment, according to a laboratory study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.



Charles Limoli, Ph.D., a professor in the… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 13, 2011 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Gender Disparities in Cancer Incidence: Survival Largely Similar Between Men and Women

Overall cancer mortality rates are higher for men than women in the United States, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Michael B. Cook, Ph.D., an investigator in the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at the… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 12, 2011 at 1:00pm — No Comments

National Study Shows Majority of Bladder Cancer Patients Don't Receive Recommended Care

According to a study released this week by UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, the overwhelming majority of patients with high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer do not receive the recommended treatment and surveillance, leaving them at higher risk for bladder cancer recurrence, progression, and death.



The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 12, 2011 at 11:00am — No Comments

Supercomputer Analysis to Aid in Matching Targeted Drugs to Lung Cancer Patients

The National Cancer Institute (NCI)is collaborating with GNS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Via Science, a healthcare IT company that applies machine learning and simulation technology to optimize patient treatment, to accelerate lung cancer research with a supercomputing platform that can rapidly uncover cause-and-effect mechanisms hidden in huge data sets assembled from… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 12, 2011 at 5:30am — No Comments

Cancer Cell Study Highlighting Discovery of Key Molecules Driving Progression of Malignant Melanoma

A study published in Cancer Cell describes the identification and functional characterization of proteins that confer metastatic and invasive properties to early stage primary melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer in humans. The studies were conducted in the laboratories Lynda Chin, M.D., and Ron DePinho, M.D., from the Belfer Institute for Applied Sciences and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and David Rimm, M.D.,… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 11, 2011 at 11:00am — No Comments

Does Breast Augmentation Increase the Risk of Breast Cancer: What Women Need to Know

With the increase of negative reports in both print, online and broadcast media, many women around the world wonder if there is a connection between breast augmentation and breast cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to support the use of breast implants, as extensive studies have proven their safety.



Earlier this year, the FDA reviewed a possible link between breast implants and a rare… Continue

Added by Peter Hofland, PhD on July 5, 2011 at 5:00am — No Comments

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