The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network are pleased to announce the opening of the 2014 research grants program, which offers close to $5 million to support research that has direct application and relevance to pancreatic cancer.
Poor oral health, including gum disease and dental problems, was found to be associated with oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which causes about 40 percent to 80 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
A phase I clinical trial showed diffuse, large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) resistant to chemotherapy can be reprogrammed to respond to treatment using the drug azacitidine, according to a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Prostate cancer aggressiveness may be established when the tumor is formed and not alter with time, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The taller a postmenopausal woman is, the greater her risk for developing cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have generated a data set of cancer-specific genetic variations and are making these data available to the research community, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
A new molecular pathway involving the gene ZNF365 has been identified and abnormalities in that pathway may predict worse outcomes for patients with breast cancer, according to data published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Genetic variations, known as SNPs, in or near the genes ZNF423 and CTSO were associated with breast cancer risk among women who underwent prevention therapy with tamoxifen and raloxifene, according to data published in AACR's Cancer Discovery.
Novel abnormalities in the FGFR gene were identified in a spectrum of cancers, and preliminary results with cancer cells harboring FGFR fusions suggested that some patients with these cancers may benefit from treatment with FGFR inhibitor drugs.
The Spring 2013 issue of Cancer Today, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), features poignant stories on surviving cancer a second time and increasing participation of African-American patients in clinical trials, as well as a touching photo essay on young breast cancer patients.
A subset of colorectal cancers responds to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapies, but develops resistance within months. Among cancers that develop resistance to anti-EGFR therapy, some showed overexpression of a gene called MET, according to a study published in the June issue of Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Preliminary data published in this study showed human tumors with MET amplification, grown in mice, responded to MET inhibitor drugs.
A newly developed, single-step Raman spectroscopy algorithm has the potential to simultaneously detect microcalcifications and enable diagnosis of the associated breast lesions with high precision.
• Frequent history of heartburn elevated risk for throat and vocal cord cancers. • Use of antacids lowered risk. • Further studies are needed to confirm the protective effect of antacids.
Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), was honored with the 2013 Stanley P. Reimann Honor Award for her deep and far-reaching contributions to cancer science and medicine at a celebration hosted by Fox Chase Cancer Center, held last night in Philadelphia, Pa.
• Data on obesity and prostate cancer conflict. • Precancerous lesions were more common in benign biopsy specimens from obese men. • After benign biopsy, obese men at higher risk for future prostate cancer.
• Water-pipe smoking led to exposure to agents that may cause cardiovascular diseases and leukemia. • Comparison of cigarette and water-pipe smoking showed different patterns of exposure to tobacco toxicants.
• Prior studies associating calcium intake and colorectal adenoma risk have been inconsistent. • Variations in two specific genes were shown to modify the association. • Genetic tests may help determine which patients would benefit from higher calcium intake.
• RNA interference drugs silence specific genes. • Investigational drug silences the PLK1 gene involved in tumor growth. • Most patients tolerated the drug well; some showed therapeutic benefit.
• The PD-L1 antibody MPDL3280A displayed antitumor activity across a range of cancer types, including lung, kidney, colon and stomach cancers. • MPDL3280A was well tolerated. • Phase I study results demonstrated no limiting toxicities.
• Prevalence of benign lung disease ranged from 1.2 percent in Vermont to 25 percent in Hawaii. • 2.1 percent of patients with a benign diagnosis died in the hospital after surgery. • Benefits of lung cancer screening may differ widely by state.
• Higher toenail selenium levels were associated with a reduced risk for advanced prostate cancer. • Toenail selenium levels reflect long-term selenium intake. • Further studies in low-selenium populations are required.
• Statement calls for greater efforts in smoking cessation. • Tobacco use should be evaluated as a confounding factor in clinical trials. • Surveys show tobacco use is often not measured.
• Exposure during pregnancy was associated with an increased incidence of three cancers. • The highest increases were found for retinoblastoma and germ cell tumors. • Findings require replication in other large studies.
• Study used direct measures of physical activity and comprehensive analysis of urinary estrogen levels. • Increased physical activity was related to lower urinary levels of estrogens and four estrogen metabolites. • These data have implications for understanding the link between physical activity and breast cancer risk.
• ARQ 092 was active and had a manageable safety profile. • Hyperglycemia in patients indicated effective AKT pathway inhibition. • Hyperglycemia occurred prior to dose-limiting skin toxicity and could be treated.
• Ibrutinib disrupts the CLL-driving B-cell receptor signaling pathway. • Phase II trial showed the drug was well tolerated and effective against CLL regardless of del 17p status. • The drug was effective against disease in blood, lymph nodes, spleen and bone marrow.
• Most melanoma survivors engage in more sun protection practices than the general public. • More than 2 percent of melanoma survivors use tanning beds. • Twenty-seven percent of melanoma survivors never wear sunscreen.
• Patients with BRCA1 mutations were 1.2 times more likely to die from breast cancer. • There was no significant difference in survival for those with BRCA2 mutations. • ER-positive tumors were less prevalent among those with BRCA1 mutations.
• Effective targeted treatments for NSCLC with KRAS mutations are lacking. • MEK/PI3-kinase inhibitor combination is a promising treatment for this type of cancer. • Use of biomarkers could help guide treatment decisions.
• The drug GDC-0032 demonstrated a favorable safety profile in a phase I clinical trial. • The agent showed promising activity in PI3 kinase alpha-mutant tumors.
• Late-stage melanomas develop resistance to vemurafenib treatment. • Treatment cessation decreased tumor growth in patients with vemurafenib-resistant melanoma. • An intermittent treatment regimen may help overcome drug resistance.
• Patients received sapacitabine and seliciclib as sequential treatments. • Several patients with BRCA mutations achieved disease response or experienced prolonged stable disease. • BRCA mutation carrier status may be a potential biomarker for response.
• The AKT signaling pathway is often involved in cancer development and drug resistance. • AZD5363 inhibits AKT and is effective against tumor cells with mutations in the PI3K pathway. • Two phase I studies showed the drug was well tolerated; partial response and stable disease were achieved.
• The therapy targets ERK, a component of the MAPK pathway. • The therapy led to tumor regression in mice. • A phase I study of the investigational ERK inhibitor is under way.
• Serum metabolites are emerging biomarkers for lung cancer detection. • Bilirubin identified by metabolomic profiling had biomarker potential. • Men who were smokers and had low bilirubin levels had increased risk for cancer incidence and mortality.
• Data showed melanoma-driving mutations vary by demographic area. • Different treatment options are required for patients without a BRAF mutation. • c-MET mutation was found in 12 percent of Irish patients.
• The protein KDM1 was overexpressed in gliomas. • KDM1 inhibition reduced glioma cell proliferation in vitro. • KDM1 inhibition reduced glioma growth in a mouse model.
• Time from last mammogram to diagnosis significantly affected breast cancer mortality for women diagnosed after age 75. • Data suggest a role for continued mammography screening in older women.
Robert C. Young, M.D., will receive the Seventh Annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 during the opening ceremony on Sunday, April 7, at 8:15 a.m. ET in Ballroom A-B in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will award the 16th Annual AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Memorial Lectureship to Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Genetics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, for her contributions toward the current understanding of the regulation of the p53 tumor suppressor pathway.
Harold L. Moses, M.D., will be honored with the 10th Annual American Association for Cancer Research Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.
• The currently used marker has demonstrated inaccuracy. • Researchers identified and verified two biomarkers. • Findings could lead to a simple urine test to detect the effectiveness of epigenetic drug treatment.
• Black women had worse survival compared with other racial/ethnic groups. • They were more often diagnosed with less treatable cancer subtypes. • The survival difference was not attributable entirely to differential subtype diagnosis.
• Sophisticated test of DNA in blood yielded a more informative summary of cancer mutations. • Testing blood provided a more complete picture than probing tumor samples from the same patient. • Blood-based summary of mutations could help tailor targeted treatments. • Test has the potential to become standard part of cancer care.
• Study was part of The Cancer Genome Atlas. • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma was found to be genomically heterogeneous. • Many genomic alterations were shared with other squamous tumors. • Data could lead to new targeted therapies.
Hagop M. Kantarjian, M.D., will receive the 18th Annual AACR Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10. Kantarjian is chair of the leukemia department and a professor of medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
• Ovarian cancer has an unmet need for novel, alternate therapies. • Patients received a personalized vaccine developed from their own blood cells and tumor.
• Women with highest expression of drug’s target protein benefited most. • If further confirmed, drug may represent new treatment option in ovarian cancer. • Future study will compare the drug to standard chemotherapy.
• Patients with the highest tumor HER2 levels benefited most. • The EMILIA phase III clinical trial led to FDA approval of T-DM1. • Presence of tumor PIK3CA mutations did not diminish treatment response.
• Treatment used patients’ own immune cells. • After brief manipulation in the laboratory, cells were returned to patients. • Treatment was tolerated; three patients with ALL responded.
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