A new multi-center trial of high dose Interleukin-2 (HD rIL-2; Aldesleukin for Injection/Proleukin®; Prometheus Laboratories Inc, San Diego, CA/Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Emeryville, CA)[1] plus vemurafenib (Zelboraf®, Genentech/Roche) therapy in patients with BRAF ^V600 mutation-positive…

Results of the ASPECCT ('763) trial, a phase III head-to-head study evaluating panitumumab (Vectibix®; Amgen Inc.) versus cetuximab (Erbitux®; ImClone LLC/Eli Lilly and Company and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) as a single agent for the treatment of chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in patients with wild-type KRAS tumors (n=1,010) met its primary endpoint…

Results from a behavioral research study designed to learn more about mood and physiological responses in different groups of people attempting to quit smoking published in the March 27 edition of JAMA Psychiatry shows that smokers have a higher probability of quitting smoking and a better overall cessation experience when taking varenicline compared to bupropion and to placebo or unmedicated…

Food is an important factor in determining cancer incidence. Generally, vegetables rich in antioxidants and fibers tend to reduce the development of cancer, while fat-rich food may be associated with increases in breast, colon and prostate cancers. Other factors. such as a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie diet, are also associated with the development of cancer.

A major new study that tracked the diets and disease rates of nearly 380,000 people over 13 years, shows…

New research published online in Clinical Chemistry, the journal of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry AACC, shows that decreased levels of vitamin D may predispose smokers to developing tobacco-related cancer. This study illustrates that simple vitamin D blood tests and supplements have the potential to improve smokers' health.

In the United States alone, cigarette smoking accounts for more deaths annually than…

Despite significant improvement in survival rates of patients with breast cancer, the prognosis of metastatic disease is still dismal. Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) are considered to play a role in metastatic progression of breast cancer; however, the exact pathologic role of these cancer stem-like cells is still unclear. Now, for the first time, researchers from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss, have identified…

Although a large majority of head and neck cancers have a deregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, data recently published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, indicated that deregulation of this pathway does not necessarily signify that the tumor is dependent on it for survival and…

The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase or PI3K signaling pathway has been identified as a valid target in a large number of cancers. It is probably one of the most important pathways in cancer metabolism and growth. Mutations in the PI3K pathway are frequent in breast cancer, ovarian and endometrial cancers, causing resistance to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–targeted agents and, possibly, to hormonal agents as well. Available agents that affect the PI3K pathway include monoclonal…

About 5% of all breast cancers are attributed to an inherited mutation in one of two cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. Researchers how now developed a new multiple gene expression profile test was able to predict the presence of either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations in otherwise healthy women carrying the mutations, according to data published in Cancer Prevention Research, a…

Women with breast cancer aged 35 or younger were more likely than older women to achieve a pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, according to data presented at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 4-8 in san Antonio, Texas.

“Young women with breast cancer are rare, and some data indicate that their prognosis is worse than it is for older women,” said…

A large study reports that a new real-time performance tracking system, which monitors adherence to five National Quality Forum endorsed quality care metrics for breast and colon cancer, significantly improved quality standard adherence rates over a four-year period in a group of 64 cancer centers participating in the Rapid Quality Reporting System or RQRS “beta test.” Use of the system also reduced reported…

The first trial of safety and toxicity shows promise for stereotactic radiosurgery as a therapeutic option for patients with localized primary renal cancer who are considered poor surgical candidates and who do not have a prior history of pelvic or abdominal radiation, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s 54th Annual Meeting (ASTRO) held in Boston, October 28 – 31,…

Whole genome sequencing — spelling out all 3 billion letters in the human genome — “is an obvious and powerful method for advancing our understanding of pancreatic cancer,” according to a new study from TGen, Mayo Clinic and Scottsdale Healthcare published today.

The Translational Genomics Research Institute/TGen demonstrated that the use of WGS “represents a compelling solution to obtaining detailed molecular information on tumor biopsies in order to provide guidance for…

One third of cancer patients are unaware of the fact that it is now possible to determine who is most likely to benefit from particular treatments, according to new survey data presented at ESMO 2012, the meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna, Austria (September 28 - October 2, 2012).…

A key driver behind the poor response seen with many chemotherapies and targeted agents evaluated in this setting is thought to be the stroma, which acts as a mechanical barrier to stop drug penetration and also hinder neovascularization, creating a hypoxic microenvironment. The study results of a clinical trial including TH-302, a novel anticancer agent that is converted to bromo-isophosphoramide mustard (Br-IPM), presented at ESMO 2012,…

New studies that reveal for the first time the real economic and human costs of caring for cancer patients in Europe were presented during the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna, Austria (September 28 - October 2, 2012).

“Here we have two studies of…

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) aiming to raise funds to hasten the pace of groundbreaking translational research in cancer, earlier today announced that Hollywood is once again rallying together and lending its support to the third SU2C primetime television fundraising special. The event will air simultaneously on all major networks in the United States, on Friday, September…

According to findings published by the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance (AACII), cancer was last year (2011) the leading cause for critical illness insurance claims. Nearly half of all claims were for patients between ages 35 and 54. Stroke was the second leading cause followed by heart attack.



"Every year millions of Americans hear the dreaded words from a doctor, you have cancer or…

The 2012 ASCO Impact Report, a survey of physicians and healthcare professionals attending the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO), published by Encuity Research, the market research and analytics subsidiary of Campbell Alliance, revealed that this year's event had a significant impact on the treatment plans of…

Results from an exploratory biomarker analysis evaluating MET expression as a predictor of clinical response to rilotumumab (AMG 102) conducted on a previously reported Phase II study of rilotumumab in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal cancer, showed that treatment with the trial drug in combination with chemotherapy improved median overall survival (OS) in patients whose tumors exhibited high MET protein expression. Full results of the…