Tag Archives: institute

Constellation in the chaos of cancer chromosomes

Yet a century after Boveri, scientists still aren’t exactly sure if aneuploidy and other kinds of related chromosomal mayhem drive tumorigenesis or if they are simple bystanders. An answer to this longstanding conundrum has now emerged from a new computational study by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Stephen J. Elledge and colleagues at Harvard Medical School who present evidence that aneuploidy patterns of chromosome deletion or amplification that are recurrent among tumors actually represent a driving force during tumor evolution and are very frequent in cancer. Elledge’s study, published October 31, 2013 in the journal Cell, looked at sequencing data from 8,200 tumors of all types, comprising a total of 1.2 million mutations. …

Scientists call for action to tackle cervical cancer in Kenya

Results from the research, which looked retrospectively at the treatment of women diagnosed with cervical cancer during a two year period, showed 18% of cervical cancer patients in the East African country died within two years of a diagnosis. Dr Ian Hampson, from The University of Manchester’s Institute of Cancer Sciences who oversaw the research, said the findings, published in PLOS One this week, add further weight to the call to spend more on cancer screening and prevention in Kenya…

Study evaluates early stem cell transplants for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

But early transplantation does appear to be beneficial among a small group of patients who are at the very highest risk, the study found. Lead author is Patrick Stiff, MD, director of Loyola University Medical Center’s Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. The study was developed by the SWOG cancer research cooperative group and funded by the National Cancer Institute. Stiff is chair of the SWOG Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Committee. …

Incurable brain cancer gene silenced: Gene regulation technology increases survival rates in mice with glioblastoma

The novel therapeutic, which is based on nanotechnology, is small and nimble enough to cross the blood-brain barrier and get to where it is needed — the brain tumor. Designed to target a specific cancer-causing gene in cells, the drug simply flips the switch of the troublesome oncogene to "off," silencing the gene…

Biomarkers could lead to early diagnosis of colorectal cancer

"The gold standard of diagnosis is currently colonoscopy," says corresponding author of the study, Dr. Rima Rozen, a geneticist from the Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics at The Montreal Children’s Hospital of the MUHC and McGill University. "This is an invasive procedure, where the physician looks for abnormal tissue or growths also known as polyps." Additionally, given surging demand for colonoscopies, this research may ultimately offer an alternative option for early diagnosis, paving the way for the reduction in wait time. According to Dr…

Quality of care improves for cancer patients who get palliative care consultation

Palliative care is the medical specialty that focuses on improving quality of life for patients and their families in the setting of a serious illness. Palliative care teams provide an added layer of support to patients, caregivers, and doctors by addressing unremitting symptoms, helping with decision making, and coordinating care. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) selected a total of four high-impact abstracts, including this one, to feature in an official press briefing for its upcoming 2013 Quality Care Symposium. More than 270 abstracts will be presented at the conference, which will be held in San Diego on November 1-2…

Study finds new genetic error in some lung cancers

The finding suggests that the fusion of NTRK1 to other genes fuels the growth of some lung adenocarcinomas (a form of non-small cell lung cancer), and that drugs that target NTRK1’s protein product could be effective in patients whose lung tumors harbor such fusions. "Treatment with targeted therapies is now superior to standard chemotherapy for many patients with lung cancers that harbor genetic changes including those with fusions involving the gene ALK," says Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber, the senior co-author of the paper with Robert C. …