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Foremost international meeting highlights breakthroughs in cancer research. Chicago, Ill. , March 31 – April 4, 2012.

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The American Association for Cancer Research supports World Cancer Day on Saturday, Feb. 4, and the efforts of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to bring the looming world cancer crisis to the forefront by urging the public, government leaders and health policy makers to take proactive steps in the global fight against cancer.

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• Findings suggest the effects of food may be more complex. • Adverse effect observed in younger women.

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Briefing to feature leading researchers, congress members and cancer survivors.

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• A20 E3 ubiquitin ligase could be a therapeutic target. • Targeting this ligase may overcome TRAIL resistance. • No current therapy available for glioblastoma.

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The American Association for Cancer Research is currently accepting applications for the 2012 Caring for Carcinoid Foundation-AACR Grants for Carcinoid Tumor and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Research. This is the second year of the AACR’s grant-giving partnership with the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation.

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• Changes to specific proteins can lead to tumor growth and development. • Glioblastoma patients often have a poor prognosis. • Understanding molecular mechanisms can lead to new treatments.

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• Smokers are more likely to have molecular features of cancerization in the large airway epithelium. • Smokers with COPD had significant changes in the small airway epithelium. • Findings could lead to development of a diagnostic test.

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• Novel Hsp90 inhibitor shows activity in slowing KRAS-mutant NSCLC tumor cell growth. • Use with traditional chemotherapy resulted in increased cancer cell death. • Phase 2b/3 trial combined with docetaxel underway.

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• Survival rates were “unsatisfactory” in patients with NSCLC and a KRAS mutation. • “Great need” exists for new treatment combinations in this patient population.

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• Progress made in identifying ways lung cancer develops in never-smokers. • New mutations and pathway changes not found in patients who smoked. • Ten percent of lung cancers are found in patients who never smoked.

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• Certain genes can be used to define the lung tumor’s type and ability to clone. • Genetic status information might be used to presume genetic background.

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• Early results reported from a preclinical mouse study. • Combination included an antiestrogen and aromatase inhibitor. • Effect seen before and after precancerous development.

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• Extremely sensitive methodology can analyze a DNA sample size as small as three cells. • Analysis method may be able to detect mutations in CTCs from patients with NSCLC. • Method could help track progress of NSCLC and guide choice of targeted therapies.

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• Melanoma risk was 60 percent higher among those not taking antiestrogen therapy. • Researcher cautions against widespread antiestrogen supplementation use. • Study included 7,360 women with breast cancer.

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1) Brain metastasis remains an unconquered challenge in cancer treatment. 2) Pigment epithelium-derived factor suppressed brain damage. 3) Agent is already being studied for macular degeneration.

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1) Mutations in the ATM gene increase hereditary pancreatic cancer risk. 2) Information could help with risk counseling. 3) Screening methods are undergoing clinical trials.

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Conference to highlight new developments in lung cancer research, San Diego, Jan. 8-11, 2012.

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Team will pursue targeted therapies for patients with a melanoma subtype for which there are few treatment options.

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• A woman received a transplant from her sister to treat leukemia. • Both sisters later developed lymphoma, suggesting transfer of a common ancestor. • Finding gives scientists new insight into lymphoma development.

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• Intermittent, low-carbohydrate diets were superior in lowering blood levels of insulin, which can lead to cancer. • Low-carbohydrate diet two days per week resulted in greater weight loss than standard daily dieting.

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• Increased carbohydrate intake was associated with a higher rate of breast cancer recurrence. • Changes in starch intake comprised 48 percent of changes in carbohydrate intake. • Dietary modifications targeting starch intake warrant further research.

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The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) welcomes the newest addition to its publication family, Cancer Today. A relaunch of the award-winning CR magazine, Cancer Today provides knowledge, expert guidance and inspiration to recently diagnosed patients, long-term survivors and caregivers facing the challenges of cancer.

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• Women who had both ovaries removed before age 45 had lower bone mineral density, an important predictor of osteoporosis, than women with intact ovaries. • These women were also more likely to report a diagnosis of arthritis. • Few other studies have measured bone mineral density among women who underwent oophorectomy.

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• Less than a quarter of women are undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction. • Patients’ insurance status impacts the likelihood of undergoing reconstruction. • Rates of reconstruction are increasing but still remain low, even among young women.

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• Survivors with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation had a more than 10 percent greater risk for developing cancer in their other breast. • Age at diagnosis and triple-negative or estrogen receptor status of first cancer further affected risk. • Guidelines should be amended to consider these factors when counseling women with the mutation.

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• MRI is valuable in assessing the extent of breast cancer and monitoring treatment response. • Diffusion-weighted MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI reflect tumor cellularity and vascularity. • Both correlated with histopathological markers and prognostic factors

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• Obese patients have larger tumors and increased cancer in lymph nodes. • Obese patients treated with chemotherapy alone had the worst disease-free survival rate. • Addition of trastuzumab improved survival rates, regardless of body mass index.

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• Bevacizumab demonstrated benefit as first-line therapy in treating HER2-positive disease. • AVEREL study is the first randomized trial of bevacizumab in HER2-positive breast cancer. • Biomarkers are being studied to determine the best use of bevacizumab.

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• Everolimus in combination with exemestane was well tolerated. • BOLERO-2 results establish “a new standard of care” in advanced breast cancer.

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• Two agents blocking HER2 led to an additional six months of progression-free survival. • Side effects were minimal with the addition of pertuzumab. • Results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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• Hispanic women had a 20 percent increased risk for death from breast cancer. • Tumor-related factors may primarily account for this difference. • Hispanic women may be more likely to have a tumor phenotype resistant to chemotherapy.

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• In the overall group, obese patients had an increased risk for worse survival. • Obese patients who received chemotherapy had significantly worse survival outcomes. • Overweight patients who received tamoxifen had significantly better survival outcomes.

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• Patients treated with dose-dense chemotherapy did not show signs of improvement with oral bisphosphonates. • Other studies have shown bisphosphonates are beneficial for patients receiving endocrine treatment. • Results do not confirm the use of bisphosphonates in the adjuvant setting.

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• Low rates of toxicity and adverse events were seen with clodronate. • Clodronate modestly affected breast cancer disease events. • Clodronate was more favorable in patients aged 50 years or older at diagnosis.

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Although women have little or no control over some of the risk factors for breast cancer, such as those related to aging and genetics, they may be able to reduce their chances for developing the disease by avoiding certain environmental risks.

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• Long-term data confirm overall survival benefit with zoledronic acid. • Women five years postmenopause had greatest benefit. • Even delayed use of zoledronic acid reduced recurrence vs. no use.

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• Zoledronic acid and endocrine treatment improved survivorship in early-stage, premenopausal ER-positive breast cancer. • Risk for recurrence decreased by 28 percent, and risk for death decreased by 36 percent. • No patients have experienced osteonecrosis of the jaw or renal failure.

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• Multigene assay predicts risk for local recurrence for patients with DCIS. • This advance combines knowledge of the genome and new molecular technologies. • Test allows physicians to individualize treatment so that lower-risk patients avoid radiation.

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• Brachytherapy treatment was the “most important factor” affecting mastectomy risk. • Brachytherapy was associated with an increased risk for postoperative side effects. • Patients treated with brachytherapy also had an increased risk for infection.

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• Molecular differences exist at diagnosis of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. • Understanding tumor biology will help tailor treatment.

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• Diabetes and obesity after age 60 are independent risk factors for breast cancer. • Abnormally low blood lipids were found to increase breast cancer risk. • Use of a specific diabetes drug is indicated in raising cancer risk.

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• Those who attended three screenings before diagnosis had lower mortality. • Strongest reduction seen in women aged between 70 and 75 years old. • Stage IV tumors were most prevalent among those never screened.

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• Press conferences will be held throughout the week. • Reporters who cannot attend in person can call in using 1 (888) 647-7462. • Full press kit with news releases below.

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• Drinking more than four cups of coffee per day cut risk by 25 percent. • Coffee is a fast-emerging protective agent against a number of diseases. • Antioxidant properties, rather than caffeine, may be the mechanism.

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Media alert announcing the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium press program.

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• Neuroendocrine prostate cancers overexpress the AURKA and MYCN genes. • PHA-739358, an investigational aurora kinase inhibitor, inhibited these cancers.

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• Panel is a valuable tool for hypothesis generation and testing. • BRAF is the most common melanoma mutation. • Findings validate patient-derived tumor models.

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• Concomitant tumor resistance to metastasis seen in laboratory models. • Cancer-associated forms of the amino acid tyrosine act as anti-metastasis factors. • Process might be manipulated chemically for therapeutic benefit.

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• Aggressive lung cancers harboring KRAS mutations are sensitive to antifolates. • Antifolates decrease KRAS gene expression. • Large clinical trials needed to investigate antifolate effects in cancers with respect to driving mutations.