Category Archives: Cancer Knowledge

Common chemotherapeutic agent reduces resistance to virus therapy in brain tumor patients

Preclinical studies of oncolytic virus therapy in malignant glioma are promising; however, a potential problem with this approach is that the body’s own immune system can recognize the virus and clear the infection, resulting in reduced therapeutic effects. For this study, researchers used a mouse model with an intact immune system to mimic what would occur in humans to determine how the immune system clears the oncolytic virus. They found that the area surrounding malignant gliomas has a high number of immune cells called microglial cells and macrophages…

Dscovery may help breast cancer treatment — ScienceDaily

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) have a high mortality rate owing to aggressive proliferation and metastasis and a lack of effective therapeutic options. However, Professor Auguste’s team, discovered the overexpression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in human TNBC cell lines and tissues, and demonstrated that it is a potential molecular target and biomarker for TNBC therapy and diagnosis. “No therapies are available to treat triple negative breast cancer cells and because of that patients have a poor prognosis,” said Professor Auguste, the recipient of a 2014 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The Identification of ICAM-1 as a TNBC target and biomarker may lead to the development of a new strategy and platform for addressing a critical gap in TNBC patient care, she added. …

Scientists challenge efficacy of folfiri in a colorectal cancer subtype

Conclusions from the analysis, led by Manuel Hidalgo, Director of the Clinical Research Programme at CNIO, are in response to previous work published in the same journal in March, 2014 (Sadanandam et al). By means of analysing gene expression profiles, Sadanandam’s team designed a classification for colon cancer based on five subtypes, associating one of them, the stemlike subtype, with a better drug response to FOLFIRI; the standard treatment for this tumour type. Specifically, in a 21-patient group, 7 were classified as this subtype, 5 of whom (70%) exhibited a positive response to FOLFIRI. The authors of this article therefore concluded that the classification based on gene expression profiles is directly related to the drug response…

‘Landmark’ results for curing hepatitis C in liver transplant patients

The investigational three-drug regimen, which produced hepatitis C cure rates of 97 percent, is an oral interferon-free therapy. Previously, the typical treatment for hepatitis C after a liver transplant was an interferon-based therapy, usually given for 48 weeks. It had a much lower response rate, had a risk of organ rejection and was poorly tolerated because of the immunosuppressants required to prevent rejection. The new oral regimen — ABT-450, ombitasvir and dasabuvir (with or without ribavirin) — produces significantly fewer side effects and is prescribed for 24 weeks…

Promising prognostic biomarker candidates for ovarian cancer uncovered

The first study establishes an association of this often-deadly cancer with the immune system and clarified the role of a class of immunogenic tumor antigens known as cancer testis (CT) antigens, and the second reports new evidence that certain molecular interactions influence ovarian cancer prognosis. In context with recent evidence that the immune system can potently inhibit the growth of cancer cells, these novel findings may enable development of a new strategy for identifying those patients most likely to benefit from particular targeted therapies. “There is a lot of interest right now in what to do with the human genome,” says Kevin Eng, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at RPCI who was first author on both studies. …

Practice makes perfect in cancer surgery — ScienceDaily

Using data provided by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) the investigators studied 2,802 patients who underwent the procedure between 1994 and 2008 in Ontario and found that higher volume hospital and surgeons were associated with less post-operative complications and better overall survival. “These results are intriguing and will undoubtedly lead to some controversy in their interpretation,” says Dr. …

Physicians play critical role in ensuring bladder cancer patients understand link between smoking, their disease — ScienceDaily

At least half of bladder cancer cases diagnosed in the United States are the result of cigarette smoking. Bladder cancer is the second most common tobacco-related malignancy, a fact that is not well known even among bladder cancer surgeons, let alone the general public. Quitting smoking after cancer diagnoses can prolong survival, improve cancer prognoses, and decrease the risk of developing second cancers. …

Olaparib shows success in tumor response rate for patients with BRCA-related cancers

For the majority of patients in the study, olaparib was at least their third different cancer therapy. Based on the new data, the authors say olaparib warrants further investigation in phase III trials. The positive response in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who had received an average of two prior rounds of chemotherapy is an especially noteworthy finding since therapeutic options for these patients are limited. …