The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved erlotinib tablets (Tarceva®; Genentech, Astellas Pharma), a once-daily, oral non-chemotherapy medicine for the initial or first-line treatment of people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have certain epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activating mutations as detected by an FDA-approved test. In…

A large population- and health systems-based prospective study reports earlier discussions about end of life (EOL) care preferences are strongly associated with less aggressive care in the last days of life and increased use of hospice care for patients with advanced cancer. The study, published November 13, 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, provides the first-of-its –kind scientific evidence that timing of End of…

For the first time, researchers have conducted a large trial in which they tested the entire genome of individual breast cancers to help personalize treatment. They released their findings at the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna (September 28 - October 2, 2012). 

In recent years, a number of drugs have been developed that target specific genetic alterations in cancer. To choose which of these drugs are suitable for individual patients,…

Tracking the genetic pathway of a disease offers a powerful, new approach to drug discovery, according to scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine who used the approach to uncover a potential treatment for prostate cancer, using a drug currently marketed for congestive heart failure. Their findings are published in the current…

Worldwide more than eight million people die of cancer each year. The chance of survival depending on the type of cancer, the stage at which it is diagnosed and the speed with which appropriate treatment is launched. Skyline Diagnostics, a Dutch company associated with the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, has developed a unique diagnostic test for…

Genetic testing of minors is controversial, as ethical considerations depend on multiple aspects of the particular disease and familial context. For melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, there is a well-established and avoidable environmental influence and a documented benefit of early detection. The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma support genetic testing of their children or grandchildren. Results…