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Model Predicts Follicular Lymphoma Survival
National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers have developed a
model to predict survival of patients with follicular lymphoma based on the
genetic "signatures" of their tumors at diagnosis. According to the model, the
activity of two sets of genes - termed "survival-associated signatures" by lead
researcher Dr. Louis Staudt and colleagues - was associated with either more
aggressive forms of the cancer and shorter survival times, or slower moving
forms of the cancer and longer survival times.
The findings, published in the
Nov. 18 New England Journal of Medicine, could have implications for treatment
of follicular lymphoma. Survival among follicular lymphoma patients varies
dramatically, explains Dr. Staudt, a principal investigator in the NCI Center
for Cancer Research Metabolism Branch. "Understanding the molecular causes of
such differences in survival could provide a more accurate method to determine
patient risk," Dr. Staudt says, "that could be used to guide treatment and may
suggest new therapeutic approaches."
To perform gene expression profiles for
this study, researchers used DNA microarray analysis, a method for quickly
scanning thousands of genes for activity in a tumor sample. The researchers
used the Lymphochip - a glass chip with DNA "spots" on it from approximately
18,500 genes expressed in lymph tissue - created in Dr. Staudt's laboratory to
study lymphoid cancers. Read
more 1
Achieving Success and Addressing Challenges in Tobacco Control
In the landmark 1964 U.S. Surgeon General's report on smoking and health,
then-Surgeon General Dr. Luther L. Terry called for "appropriate remedial
action" to combat smoking and its detrimental effects. Over the last few weeks,
we have seen the cancer community's continued dedication to combating the
smoking scourge, and witnessed the impact it has had. As reported in last
week's Bulletin, there is now a new, single access number to the existing
network of tobacco quitline services, 1-800-QUITNOW. The launch of this
centralized quitline - and related Web site,
www.smokefree.gov - is an integral
component of our nationwide effort to help tobacco users end their deadly
habit. And last Thursday brought us the 28th annual Great American Smokeout,
the excellent campaign spearheaded by the American Cancer Society. Last year
approximately 20 percent of current smokers participated in this 1-day event - a
clear indication that there is a sincere desire among many tobacco users to
quit. Read
more 2
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The NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute
(NCI). NCI, which was established in 1937, leads the national effort to
eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. Through basic, clinical, and
population-based biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and supports
research that will lead to a future in which we can identify the environmental
and genetic causes of cancer, prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers
that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative
treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot
eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases.
For more information on cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit
http://www.cancer.gov 3.
NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at
ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.
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Model Predicts Follicular
Lymphoma Survival
National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers have developed a model to predict
survival of patients with follicular lymphoma based on the genetic "signatures"
of their tumors at diagnosis. According to the model, the activity of two sets
of genes - termed "survival-associated signatures" by lead researcher Dr. Louis
Staudt and colleagues - was associated with either more aggressive forms of the
cancer and shorter survival times, or slower moving forms of the cancer and
longer survival times.
The findings, published in the Nov. 18 New England
Journal of Medicine, could have implications for treatment of follicular
lymphoma. Survival among follicular lymphoma patients varies dramatically,
explains Dr. Staudt, a principal investigator in the NCI Center for Cancer
Research Metabolism Branch. "Understanding the molecular causes of such
differences in survival could provide a more accurate method to determine
patient risk," Dr. Staudt says, "that could be used to guide treatment and may
suggest new therapeutic approaches."
To perform gene expression profiles for
this study, researchers used DNA microarray analysis, a method for quickly
scanning thousands of genes for activity in a tumor sample. The researchers
used the Lymphochip - a glass chip with DNA "spots" on it from approximately
18,500 genes expressed in lymph tissue - created in Dr. Staudt's laboratory to
study lymphoid cancers.
Researchers analyzed follicular lymphoma biopsies of 191
patients before treatment; biopsies came from institutions participating in the
NCI-sponsored Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project. After biopsy, all
patients received standard treatments; subsequent medical records were examined
to determine survival. The Lymphochip was used to determine which genes were
active in the first group of 95 tumor biopsies (the "training set") and at what
levels; researchers then determined which of these genes were statistically
associated with survival. Next, researchers identified subsets of good- and
bad-prognosis genes that tended to be expressed together; these subsets
constituted the survival- associated signatures. In the remaining 96 samples
(the "test set"), two signatures - indicating poor and good prognosis - had strong
synergy and together predicted survival better than any other model tested.
Unexpectedly, both came from nonmalignant immune cells that infiltrate the
tumors.
Based on the two-signature model, the NCI team divided patients into
four equal groups with average survival rates of 3.9, 10.8, 11.1, and 13.6
years. For the 75 percent of patients with survival rates of 10 years or
longer, "watchful waiting is appropriate," Dr. Staudt says. "On the other hand,
those patients in the group with the lowest survival rate should be considered
for newer treatments and clinical trials."
That the most predictive signatures
came from immune cells suggests an important interplay between the host immune
system and malignant cells in follicular lymphoma. "One possibility is that
immune cells with the good-prognosis signature are attacking the lymphoma and
keeping it in check," he suggests. "Alternately, these immune cells may provide
signals that encourage the cancer cells not to leave the lymph node, preventing
or delaying the spread of the cancer."
In 2002, Dr. Staudt's group published a
study on a similar model identifying a single 17-gene signature that predicted
patient survival for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This model will be
used in a phase III trial testing the current standard of care for untreated
DLBCL against a new regimen. Patient biopsies will undergo gene expression
profiling to determine what tumor features influence patient response to the
therapies.
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Achieving Success and Addressing Challenges in Tobacco Control
In the landmark 1964 U.S. Surgeon General's report on smoking and health,
then-Surgeon General Dr. Luther L. Terry called for "appropriate remedial
action" to combat smoking and its detrimental effects. Over the last few weeks,
we have seen the cancer community's continued dedication to combating the
smoking scourge, and witnessed the impact it has had. As reported in last
week's Bulletin, there is now a new, single access number to the existing
network of tobacco quitline services, 1-800-QUITNOW. The launch of this
centralized quitline - and related Web site, www.smokefree.gov - is an integral
component of our nationwide effort to help tobacco users end their deadly
habit. And last Thursday brought us the 28th annual Great American Smokeout,
the excellent campaign spearheaded by the American Cancer Society. Last year
approximately 20 percent of current smokers participated in this 1-day event - a
clear indication that there is a sincere desire among many tobacco users to
quit.
The success that state comprehensive tobacco control programs can have
appeared in the November 12, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. An
NCI-funded study revealed that in 2003, the prevalence of cigarette smoking
among adults in Utah was 12 percent or less - this is the first time any state
has reached the Healthy People 2010 health objective for smoking prevalence.
The report warned, however, that a number of states continue to struggle in
this area, with a median smoking prevalence in all 50 states of approximately
22 percent.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to
provide support for state tobacco control programs, NCI-funded investigators
collaborate with local program leaders to test program components and develop
new strategies. For example, NCI is supporting a randomized trial testing
existing smoking prevention programs in 36 school districts in Oregon. Results
should provide real-world evidence for the effectiveness of combined school-
and community-based tobacco interventions, and factors that influence their
success.
The NCI Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB), part of the Division of
Cancer Control and Population Sciences, continues to lead NCI's investment in
tobacco control. A flagship of TCRB's efforts is the Transdisciplinary Tobacco
Use Research Centers (TTURC) initiative. Launched in 1999, the centers are at
the forefront of advancing tobacco control research, pushing it in new and
novel directions. Earlier this year, researchers at the University of
Pennsylvania TTURC published the first study linking specific genes and
psychosocial factors to whether teen smokers progress to become adult smokers.
At the Roswell Park Cancer Institute TTURC, investigators are examining the
impact of national tobacco control policies around the world.
We continue to be
proactive in addressing emerging research needs. NCI is one of the primary
funders of a program announcement (PA) intended to stimulate multidisciplinary
research on so-called reduced-exposure tobacco products. There is a severe lack
of scientific evidence on whether these modified tobacco products do, in fact,
reduce users' exposures to toxins in tobacco smoke or their risk for
tobacco-related diseases. This PA is a proactive effort to understand the
impact of tobacco products on smokers' behavior and health.
The breadth of the
tobacco control efforts going on nationwide is striking. At NCI, we are
committed to comprehensive tobacco control, and I am confident that - working
with partners on the federal, state, and local levels - we can indeed turn the
tide against tobacco use.
Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach
Director, National Cancer Institute
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Family Studies: Unlocking Genetic Secrets, Promoting Team Science
When Dr. Peggy Tucker talks of "funny looking moles," she's not complaining
about vermin in her yard. Rather, she's using shorthand for what dermatologists
and melanoma experts call dysplastic nevi. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Dr.
Tucker, chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch in NCI's Division of Cancer
Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), and colleagues discovered in studies of
melanoma-prone families that this previously unrecognized class of pigmented
lesions was strongly related to melanoma risk. Subsequently, Dr. Tucker and
colleagues conducted a large-scale case-control study of melanoma risk in the
general population. The result: Half of the people with melanoma had dysplastic
nevi.
"What we found as a risk marker in families translated directly to the general
population," Dr. Tucker says. The finding now has even more import: Annual
melanoma incidence in the United States exceeds 50,000 cases, and has tripled
in men and doubled in women over the last 30 years. "We still don't have a
population estimate of the prevalence of dysplastic nevi," she adds, but the
risk conferred by these misshapen moles "gives important information about
potential screening for an epidemic cancer."
The discovery of dysplastic nevi is an excellent example of the enormous impact
that high-risk families have had on cancer research. According to DCEG Director
Dr. Joseph Fraumeni, Jr., a pioneer in family studies research and
co-discoverer of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), the influence of family studies
has been far-reaching, especially in the booming area of genomics. "There has
been a sea change in the recognition of genetics' importance in cancer
induction and progression," Dr. Fraumeni says. "And discovery of the genetic
underpinnings of familial cancer syndromes has fueled that shift."
The clinical and epidemiologic patterns that distinguish the hereditary and
nonhereditary forms of retinoblastoma (a rare eye cancer in children) provided
the foundation for one of the bellwether moments in cancer genetics. In 1971,
Dr. Alfred Knudson reported his "two-hit" mathematical model indicating that
one genetic mutation is inherited and the second is acquired in the target
tissue of hereditary tumors, whereas both mutations of the same gene are
acquired in nonhereditary tumors.
Guided by this model, laboratory scientists in 1986 uncovered the first
identified tumor-suppressor gene, RB1, in retinoblastoma. That was followed by
family-based studies that made it possible, for example, to identify the p53
gene in LFS, the p16 gene in hereditary melanoma, the BRCA1 and 2 genes in
hereditary breast/ovarian cancer, the APC gene in familial polyposis, and the
mismatch repair genes in familial colon cancer. In line with Knudson's
hypothesis, the genetic mutations inherited in familial cancer syndromes have
proven to be mechanistically important in the nonhereditary cancers that are
much more common in the population. "The observations made in high-risk
families," says Dr. Mark H. Greene, chief of DCEG's Clinical Genetics Branch,
"have given us a window into the molecular pathogenesis of many cancers."
A Team Effort
Family studies at NCI and other centers were forerunners to the recent wave of
collaborative studies linking epidemiology with clinical and laboratory
approaches to uncover the causes of cancer and the means of prevention. While
this interdisciplinary strategy has provided insights into many hereditary
syndromes, adds Dr. Greene, there are questions about some familial tumors that
can't be answered by a single group of investigators. "It requires increasingly
large numbers of patients," he says, "which means creating collaborations
between research groups willing to pool information and resources."
That realization has led the NCI intramural program to participate in a number
of coalitions of investigators involved, most recently, in family-based studies
of testicular cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
In the end, Dr. Fraumeni says, "The application of genomic and other emerging
technologies to clinical and epidemiologic studies of familial cancer has paid
huge dividends in understanding the mechanistic pathways that inform
preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches toward cancer in the general
population. At the same time, the findings are providing new clinical options
and realistic hope to those high-risk families that have been so devastated by
cancer." |
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NCI Funds EDRN Labs to Sustain Biomarker Discovery
NCI has awarded $9.8 million in first-year funding for 17 Biomarkers
Developmental Laboratories within the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN).
Biomarkers are substances found in the blood, other body fluids, or tissues
that alone or in combination may signal the presence of cancer or the risk for
the disease. These laboratories are now charged with discovering new biomarkers
relevant to major cancers and identifying what combinations of biomarkers may
best detect cancer or predict cancer risk.
Other EDRN components are Biomarkers
Validation Laboratories, which work to validate the biomarker tests; Clinical
and Epidemiologic Centers, which conduct the early phases of clinical and
epidemiological research on the application of biomarkers; and the Data
Management and Coordinating Center, which provides logistical, informatics, and
statistical development and support.
These new Biomarkers Developmental
Laboratories have one of the biggest challenges in biomarker research:
searching through hundreds of samples using a variety of technologies to
identify candidate biomarkers. Investigators will examine the human genome
(genetic material), proteome (proteins made by genes), epitome (immune response
biomarkers via antibody-antigen patterns), and metabolome (metabolic pathways
and regulation), looking for potential ways to identify cancer and cancer risk.
In a quest to discover cancer at the earliest stage of progression, biomarkers
are often used as mileposts of cancer progression; they mark the critical
events along the progression pathway from normal, to precancerous, to malignant
cell.
More information on EDRN scientific components and projects, including a
listing of Biomarkers Validation Laboratories, can be found at
http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/cbrg/edrn/components.html.
BRCA1 Mutation Increases Sensitivity to Chemotherapy
When choosing between chemotherapy agents for patients with breast or ovarian
cancer, until now, clinicians have not had available biomarkers to help guide
their decisions. But a review published in the November 17 Journal of the
National Cancer Institute reveals that BRCA1 gene mutations - biomarkers for
breast and ovarian cancer - are associated with sensitivity to DNA-damaging
chemotherapy and resistance to spindle poisons.
Researchers at Queen's
University Belfast in Northern Ireland (supported by several groups, including
the Research and Development Office of Northern Ireland, Breast Cancer Campaign
UK, and Cancer Research UK) searched preclinical and clinical papers published
between Jan. 1, 1994 and Aug. 31, 2004, finding that BRCA1 is a DNA-damage
response gene as well as a regulator of mitosis, possibly through the
microtubules that help cells divide. As a result of this dual role, tumors that
lack functional BRCA1 may be more sensitive to DNA-damaging chemotherapy agents
such as cisplatin, carboplatin, anthracycline, and cyclophosphamide, but may be
more resistant to drugs that thwart microtubule assembly and function, such as
paclitaxel, docetaxel, vincristine, and vinorelbine, which are known
collectively as spindle poisons. Conversely, tumors that overexpress BRCA1, and
are therefore resistant to DNA-damaging agents, may be vulnerable to spindle
poisons.
Because of conflicting results between preclinical and clinical
studies, however, the authors recommend that these associations be tested
further, and that patients with BRCA1 mutations have this gene sequenced so
that the specific type of mutation they have can be characterized with their
response to DNA-damaging chemotherapy and/or spindle poisons. Ultimately, it is
hoped that BRCA1 mutation analysis can be used as a predictive marker when
choosing chemotherapy options for breast and ovarian cancer patients.
Inverse Association Found Between Selenium and Colorectal Cancer
A study in the November 17 Journal of the National Cancer Institute has found
an inverse relationship between selenium blood levels and adenoma recurrence
risk. Researchers from the Arizona Cancer Center, in collaboration with other
cancer centers and government agencies such as NCI, CDC, and the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), as well as medical and public health schools across
the country, found that higher blood selenium concentrations in study
participants were associated with lower risk for developing recurrent adenomas. This study was funded by grants from the U.S. Public
Health Service as well as NCI's Specialized Program of Research Excellence
(SPORE) in gastrointestinal cancer.
Selenium received attention as a possible
cancer preventive agent after initial findings of a trial that examined its
effects on nonmelanoma skin cancer. Other epidemiological studies have had
mixed results; some have shown selenium to have a protective effect against
colorectal cancer, while others have found no association. However, most
individual studies analyzed small sample sizes, resulting in greater
variability of results. This study pooled data from three separate studies in
order to increase the precision of risk estimates.
Selenium concentrations were
measured and baseline characteristics were tabulated from a total of 1,763
blood specimens from trial participants. Adenoma recurrence was analyzed for
each study, as well as for the pooled population. In the pooled analysis, a
linear decrease in the odds of adenoma recurrence was reported with increasing
blood selenium levels higher than 100 ng/ml, and a statistically significant
inverse relationship was observed between blood selenium levels and adenoma
recurrence. Researchers concluded that, based on study results, selenium has a
role in reducing the risk of colorectal adenoma recurrence.
Immunosuppressant Drug May Increase Risk of Lymphoma
Methotrexate (MTX) may promote Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive lymphomas in
rheumatoid arthritis and polymyositis patients by reactivating latent EBV,
according to a study published in the November 17 Journal of the National
Cancer Institute. Supported by grants from NCI, U.S. Public Health Service, and
National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers from the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, NIH, and the German Research Cancer Centre, also found
that withdrawal of MTX therapy can result in regression in some EBV-positive
lymphomas in patients.
Patients receiving MTX for rheumatoid arthritis or for
polymyositis are at increased risk of developing EBV-associated
lymphoproliferative disorders compared with the general population. EBV
infection is common, with more than 90 percent of the adult population having a
lifelong persistent infection, but normally EBV does not cause B-cell
lymphomas. However, in immunosuppressed patients undergoing MTX therapy, an
increased level of infectious EBV might overwhelm the capacity of the host
immune system to eliminate early EBV-positive tumor cells.
Results from the
study indicated that MTX treatment was found to enhance expression of EBV genes
in two cell types using the doses expected in the serum of rheumatoid arthritis
patients. MXT was also found to induce the release of infectious EBV progeny
from the host cells. The authors conclude that "future studies should explore
whether MTX treatment of other patients, such as those with malignancies, may
increase the risk of EBV reactivation and other EBV-associated tumors."
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New NCI Booklet Explains Biological Therapy
The growing use of interleukin-2 for the treatment of melanoma, the approval of
Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) for treating chronic myeloid leukemia, and the use
of Herceptin (trastuzumab) for HER2+ breast cancer have one thing in common:
They are all biological agents used as treatment options for cancer patients.
Biological therapy uses the body's immune system, either directly or
indirectly, to fight cancer or reduce the side effects of some cancer
treatments.
Biological therapy is a relatively new addition to the cancer
treatment arsenal of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. However,
biological agents are not only used for treatment, they also help manage side
effects associated with chemotherapy. As new agents are discovered and
approved, nearly every cancer patient in the country is likely to encounter a
biological agent at some point during the course of treatment.
NCI has developed
a new booklet, Biological Therapy, to provide patients with essential
information as they prepare for biological treatment. The booklet also
encourages patients to discuss any questions they have with their doctors or
nurses, and can serve as a complement to this patient-caregiver dialogue.
To
order the free booklet, call 1-800-4-CANCER, or visit
www.cancer.gov/publications. The booklet can be viewed online at
http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/biologicaltherapy. To access promotional materials
for the booklet, visit www.ncipoet.org.
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NCI Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity
PAR-05-011
Application Receipt Dates: Jan. 10, May 10, Sept. 10, 2005;
Jan. 10, May 10, Sept. 10, 2006;
Jan. 10, May 10, Sept. 10, 2007
The NCI Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K22) will provide "protected
time" for recipients to develop and receive support for their initial cancer research program. This award will facilitate the transition of underrepresented
postdoctoral research scientists from the mentored to the independent stages of their careers in cancer research. Past patterns of cancer incidence and mortality predict that a disproportionate share of the increase in U.S. cancer incidence and mortality will be borne by minorities. A major obstacle to developing a stronger national minority cancer research effort has been the lack of significant strategic training programs for minority students and scientists in cancer research. The K22 mechanism establishes a unique pathway for recruiting and retaining advanced postdoctoral students and new investigators from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research into investigative fields that address problems pertinent to the biology,
etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, control, and treatment of
human cancer.
This funding opportunity
will use the Transition Career
Development Award (K22) mechanism.
For more information see: http://cri.nci.nih.gov/4abst.cfm?initiativeparfa_id=2420
Inquiries: Belinda M. Locke - lockeb@mail.nih.gov
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Vaccine Therapy for
Advanced Prostate Cancer
Name of the Trial
Phase I/II Randomized Pilot Study of Sequential Vaccination with
Vaccinia-PSA-TRICOM Vaccine and Fowlpox PSA TRICOM Vaccine with or without
Sargramostim (GM-CSF), or Fowlpox-GM-CSF in Patients with Metastatic Prostate
Cancer (NCI-03-C-0176). See the protocol summary at
http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ NCI-03-C-0176.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Philip Arlen, NCI Center for Cancer Research
Why Is This Trial Important?
Prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men,
recurs in 30 to 40 percent of patients despite advances in early detection and
treatment. Patients with advanced or recurrent prostate cancer often are
treated with hormonal therapies, which are designed to slow tumor growth by
reducing levels of male hormones in the body. Resistance to hormonal therapies
eventually develops in almost all patients with prostate cancer that has
recurred or spread (metastasized).
The lack of effective therapies for
metastatic or recurrent prostate cancer has inspired researchers to begin
exploring new approaches that precisely target prostate cancer cells.
Vaccine-based immunotherapy, which stimulates the immune system to attack
cancer cells, represents a particularly promising approach. The researchers
conducting this trial have developed a comprehensive vaccine- based
immunotherapy regimen that targets prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein
made by both normal and cancerous epithelial cells of the prostate. Men with
prostate cancer often have elevated PSA levels in their blood, and PSA levels
are thought to indicate the amount of prostate cancer in the body.
"What is most
exciting about this study is that we are looking at the safety and
effectiveness of third-generation vaccines with dramatically increased
potency," said Dr. Arlen. "If the results prove positive, we will undertake
additional studies to assess their effectiveness when combined with other forms
of treatment."
Who Can Join This Trial?
Accrual for phase I has been completed. For the phase II part of the trial,
researchers seek to enroll 32 patients with confirmed metastatic prostate
cancer that is unresponsive to hormone therapy. See the complete list of
eligibility criteria at
http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/NCI-03-C-0176.
Where Is This Trial Taking Place?
The study is taking place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Contact Information
Contact the NCI Clinical Studies Support Center at 1-888-NCI-1937. The call is
toll-free and confidential.
An archive of "Featured Clinical Trial" columns is available at
http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ft-all-featured-trials 4
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Rowland to Appear on CBS's Sunday Morning
On Sunday, November 28, Dr. Julia Rowland, director of NCI's Office of Cancer
Survivorship, is scheduled to appear on the CBS news program Sunday Morning.
She was interviewed for a 10-minute segment on survivorship, reported by senior
correspondent Martha Teichner. The segment will appear after 9:00 a.m. EST.
Rowland said of the experience, "It was an incredible opportunity to
participate in the survivorship dialogue that's been in the press in recent
months. Our office was established 8 years ago, yet most Americans don't know
it exists. We want survivors and their families to know that we're making their
issues a critical part of the national cancer program. Through research and
application, we must ensure that all survivors are offered hope for a full and
meaningful life after cancer."
In addition to Dr. Rowland, several cancer specialists and advocates are
scheduled to appear on the program, including Lance Armstrong, six-time Tour de
France winner and member of the Presidents' Cancer Panel, and Ellen Stovall,
President and CEO of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Sunday
Morning is seen by 5 million viewers.
Waldmann Lectures on Role of IL-2 and IL-15 in Immunotherapy
Abnormal cells overexpress receptors for IL-2 and IL-15 cytokines, creating an
excellent opportunity for targeted treatment and prevention of cancer and other
immunologic diseases, said Dr. Thomas Waldmann, chief of the Metabolism Branch
at NCI's Center for Cancer Research, during his Grand Rounds lecture on
November 9. The IL-2 receptor blocker daclizumab (Zenapax), is already being
used in humans to prevent organ transplant rejection, and has shown promise in
mice as a treatment for advanced T-cell lymphoma. The more recently discovered
IL-15 and its receptor pose other opportunities for targeted therapy. IL-15 in
vaccines may be superior to IL-2, Dr. Waldmann said, particularly for diseases
such as cancer, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and anthrax, where long-term
response is needed. He also noted that agents targeting the IL-2/IL-15 system
hold great promise for people with leukemia, lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis,
psoriasis, and other autoimmune diseases.
ASCO Issues Clinical Recommendations on Aromatase Inhibitors
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has issued an updated
technology assessment stating that aromatase inhibitors are appropriate to use
as adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive
breast cancer to lower the risk of tumor recurrence. The assessment, which
focused on anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane, was published online at
http://www.jco.org on Nov. 15, ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical
Oncology.
This new technology assessment updates ASCO's previous recommendation
on adjuvant hormonal therapy for this patient group. These new recommendations,
based on results from multiple large randomized trials, indicate that aromatase
inhibitors can be used either following initial adjuvant treatment with
tamoxifen or as initial treatment. Options include treatment with tamoxifen for
2 to 5 years, followed by treatment with aromatase inhibitors, or treatment for
5 years with an aromatase inhibitor alone.
"Many practicing oncologists have
incorporated aromatase inhibitors into their standard practice," explains Dr.
Jo Anne Zujewski, senior investigator in NCI's Clinical Trials Evaluation
Program. "This update signifies that there is agreement that aromatase
inhibitors are now considered standard therapy for these patients."
A patient
version of the clinical practice recommendations is available online at
http://www.PLWC.org.
FDA Approves Tarceva for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
After fast-track review, the FDA has approved Tarceva (erlotinib) for treatment
of locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. The drug, which
targets the EGFR1 pathway, is recommended once a day for patients who have
failed to improve after at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. The FDA based
its approval on results from a randomized phase III trial in which patients
receiving Tarceva had a median survival that was 42.5 percent higher than
patients who received a placebo - the first time that an EGFR-targeted therapy
has gone beyond shrinking tumors to show a survival effect. A year after
treatment, 31.2 percent of patients receiving Tarceva were still alive,
compared with 21.5 percent of patients who had received placebo. In addition,
Tarceva has fewer side effects (the most common being rash and diarrhea) than
most other chemotherapeutic agents.
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This is a list of selected scientific meetings sponsored by NCI and other organizations. For locations and times and a more complete list of scientific meetings, including NCI's weekly seminars and presentations open to the public, see the NCI Calendar of Scientific Meetings at http://calendar.cancer.gov.
NCI Advisory Committee Upcoming Meetings |
Date
Dec. 30- Dec. 1 |
Advisory Committee
National Cancer Advisory Board |
Dec. 14 |
NCI Director's Consumer Liaison Group |
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Selected Upcoming Meetings of Interest |
Date
Jan. 6-11 |
Meeting
Molecular Targets for Cancer Therapy
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NCI Speakers
Dr. J. Carl Barrett, Director, Center for Cancer Research; Dr. Elise Kohn, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research
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Jan. 16-21 |
New Frontiers in Cancer Detection & Diagnosis
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Dr. J. Carl Barrett, Director, Center for Cancer Research; Dr. Peter Greenwald, Director, Division of Cancer Prevention; Dr. Richard Simon, Chief, Biometric Research Branch, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis; Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Chief, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention
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Jan. 20-22 |
6th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology
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Dr. Robert Croyle, Director, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
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NCI Exhibits
NCI Exhibits are presented at various professional and society meetings. Further information about the
NCI Exhibits program can be found at http://exhibits.cancer.gov.
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Table of Links
1 | http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/NCI_Cancer_Bulletin_112304/page2 |
2 | http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/NCI_Cancer_Bulletin_112304/page3 |
3 | http://www.cancer.gov |
4 | http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ft-all-featured-trials |
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