NCI Cancer Bulletin

NCI Cancer Bulletin for February 7, 2012

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

A Conversation with Drs. Christopher Kinsinger and Henry Rodriguez about Sharing Proteomics Data

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Last September, NCI's Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research convened a workshop of researchers and stakeholders in the field of proteomics to discuss ways to better share data about the structure and functions of proteins—a challenge facing the entire proteomics community. The meeting, held in Sydney, Australia, addressed establishing standards to ensure the quality of the data, particularly those generated by a technique known as mass spectrometry. A meeting report with recommendations for the field was recently published simultaneously in four journals simultaneously.

Additional Surgery after Breast-Conserving Surgery Varies Widely

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

A new study has found that the number of women who have one or more additional surgeries to remove suspected residual tumor tissue (re-excisions) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for breast cancer varies widely across surgeons and hospitals. Although researchers, led by Dr. Laurence E. McCahill from the Richard J. Lacks Cancer Center in Grand Rapids, MI, could not determine whether this variation affected rates of tumor recurrence, “the wide level of unexplained clinical variation itself represents a potential barrier to high-quality and cost-effective care,” the authors wrote in a report that appeared February 1 in JAMA.

Cancer Screening Rates Lag Behind National Target Levels

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer remained lower in 2010 than national objectives set forth in Healthy People 2020, measures set by the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the health of Americans and gauge the impact of prevention activities. The findings appeared in the January 27 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Clinical Trials Point to New Options for Advanced Prostate Cancer

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Two more treatments for men with advanced prostate cancer could soon be available, according to updated findings from two phase III clinical trials presented in San Francisco last week at the 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium

Commentary: Global Health through Collaboration and Leadership

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Every year, an estimated 530,000 women around the world develop cervical cancer. About half of them die from this preventable, treatable disease. More than 85 percent of these women who die needlessly live in low-resource settings, such as the villages of Northern India, where a clinical trial recently showed what can be achieved when researchers come together to focus on improving global health.

Comparing Prostate Cancer Treatments Shows Newer Isn't Always Better

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Two studies comparing the benefits and harms of different prostate cancer treatments show that newer, more expensive approaches may not produce better outcomes. The two comparative effectiveness research studies are among the first to compare newer therapies directly with older ones. The findings were presented at the 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium

Connecting the Dots: Network Analysis Helps Public Health Researchers Get the Big Picture

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

At first glance, the web of interacting molecules that make up a living cell and the peer relationships that influence smoking behavior in a group of middle school students would seem to have little in common. But both are examples of networks: a set of connected actors and the relationships among them.

Drug Approved for Advanced Kidney Cancer

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved axitinib (Inlyta) to treat patients with advanced kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) whose disease has not responded to one course of treatment with another drug.

Drug to Treat Basal Cell Skin Cancer Approved after Priority Review

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vismodegib (Erivedge) to treat adults with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and in patients whose cancer has metastasized.

Featured Clinical Trial: Cetuximab and Radiotherapy for HPV-Associated Oropharynx Cancer

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

The name of the trial is Phase III Randomized Study of Radiotherapy with Cisplatin or Cetuximab in Patients with Human Papilloma Virus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer (RTOG-1016).

Genetic Studies Uncover Clues to Childhood Brain Cancers

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Two genetic studies of brain tumors in children have identified a new suspect in these deadly cancers. In each study, researchers found recurrent mutations in a protein that helps package DNA in the cell nucleus. Changes to this process may alter the activity of genes and contribute to cancer, the researchers reported.

HPV Testing with Self-Collected Samples May Be Valid Cervical Cancer Screening Method

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

Data from five large studies carried out in China demonstrate that self-HPV testing—in which a woman collects a sample of her own cervical-vaginal cells for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing—is as sensitive as the standard liquid-based Pap test for cervical cancer screening. This method has the potential to make cervical cancer screening available to women in rural or low-resource areas who do not have ready access to cytology screening services. The results were published online January 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Oral HPV Infections May Help Explain Why Some Head and Neck Cancers are More Common in Men

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in the oral cavity is significantly higher among men than women in the United States, according to a new study from researchers at Ohio State University and NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). Oral HPV infections have been associated with oropharyngeal cancer—a subset of head and neck cancers that arise in the back of the tongue, throat, and tonsils—rates of which have risen dramatically over the last several decades.

Studies Highlight Complexities of Treating Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

2012-02-07 00:00:00.0

In a large randomized European clinical trial, accelerated radiation therapy for locally advanced, inoperable head and neck cancer—given either with or without chemotherapy—did not prolong the time to disease progression compared with standard radiation therapy plus concurrent chemotherapy (chemoradiotherapy), which has been the standard of care in Europe and the United States. Results from the study were published online January 18 in Lancet Oncology.