Cancer - May 2014 Archives

CHICAGO — In examining why some advanced melanoma patients respond so well to the experimental immunotherapy MK-3475, while others have a less robust response, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida found that the size of tumors before treatment was the strongest variable. They say their findings, being presented June 2 at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), offered several clinical insights that could lead to different treatment strategies and perhaps influence staging of advanced melanoma. “This was the first robust assessment to determine the impact of baseline tumor size on clinical endpoints in patients with metastatic melanoma — in particular — those receiving MK-3475. Our findings suggest the location of spread is less important than the amount of tumor that is present before treatment,” says the study’s lead investigator, Richard W. Joseph, M.D., an oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Journalists: Broadcast sound bites with Dr. Joseph are available in the downloads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8PYNOBQyhM&feature=youtu.be  

CHICAGO — Molecular sequencing could identify ovarian cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from treatment with bevacizumab (Avastin), a Mayo Clinic-led study has found. Results of the research were presented today at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. The addition of bevacizumab to standard therapy extended progression-free survival more for ovarian cancer patients with molecular subtypes labeled as “proliferative” or “mesenchymal” compared to those with subtypes labeled as “immunoreactive” or “differentiated,” says Sean Dowdy, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncologist and senior author of the study. “Though our study is very preliminary, it does suggest that we are getting close to the point where we could use sequencing data to choose more effective and less toxic therapies for patients.”

Celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day Italian style Take part in an annual national celebration that honors people whose lives have been touched by cancer. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdi8vCwvfA4 CHICAGO — A chemotherapy regimen consisting of procarbazine, CCNU, and vincristine (PCV) administered following radiation therapy improved progression-free survival and overall survival in adults with low-grade gliomas, a form of brain cancer, when compared to radiation therapy alone. The findings were part of the results of a Phase III clinical trial presented today at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting by the study’s primary author Jan Buckner, M.D., deputy director, Cancer Practice, at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.

PHOENIX — A new Mayo Clinic study shows that the type of surgeon and the type of hospital have a significant influence on long-term outcomes for patients who undergo surgery for rectal cancer. The study, published in Cancer in May, looked at the characteristics of hospitals where people got their surgery, the surgeons who performed them and how those affect long-term survival. Most surgery for rectal cancer in the United States is performed by general surgeons. Only a minority of patients have their operation performed by a surgeon with subspecialty training in colorectal surgery. The study found that patients who had surgery from a colorectal specialist had better long-term survival compared with those who had their operation performed by a general surgeon. Those patients who had their operations performed at National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center also had significantly better outcomes.

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JACKSONVILLE, Flórida, 21 de maio de 2014 — Pesquisadores da Clínica Mayo em Jacksonville, Flórida, descobriram uma enzima que, segundo eles, está estreitamente ligada ao nível de agressividade do câncer do pâncreas em um paciente. Os pesquisadores dizem que o estudo, publicado no jornal Molecular Cancer Research, fornece percepções fundamentais sobre a forma mais agressiva da doença, que é um dos tipos de câncer mais fatais para o ser humano. O estudo também se refere a alguns possíveis avanços clínicos no futuro, tais como uma maneira de medir o benefício para pacientes, individualmente, e traz percepções sobre uma terapia potencial para interromper a atividade da enzima, conhecida como Rac1b.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered an enzyme they say is tightly linked to how aggressive pancreatic cancer will be in a patient. They say the study, published in Molecular Cancer Research, provides key insights into the most aggressive form of the disease, which is one of the deadliest human cancers. It also offers a number of possible future clinical advances, such as a way to gauge outcome in individual patients, and insight into potential therapy to shut down activity of the enzyme, known as Rac1b. “The implication from our research is that Rac1b is activating unique pathways in pancreatic tumors that make this cancer aggressive. If we can therapeutically target that pathway, we may be able to have an impact on this very difficult-to-treat disease,” says the study’s senior investigator, Derek Radisky, Ph.D., a researcher with the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Fla. A potential drug target would have to be found within the cancer-causing pathways activated by Rac1b, since the enzyme is difficult to target because it is involved in many normal biological processes, Dr. Radisky says. He and his colleagues are now working to uncover how Rac1b ramps up pancreatic cancer progression. The RAC1 superfamily of proteins — which play important regulatory roles in cell growth and cell movement — have been implicated in other cancers, such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, but before this study, no one knew that one sub-form, Rac1b, played a role in pancreatic cancer.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Lyme disease Grassy and heavily wooded areas can be home to ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Get tips on prevention and how to spot the telltale signs. Tips for dining in or out safely when you have food allergies Preparing meals carefully is vital when you or a family member has a food allergy. Here are tips for when you're in your kitchen or restaurant. Cervical cancer Get the facts on cervical cancer, which occurs in the cells of the lower part of the uterus. Learn the symptoms, treatments and more. EXPERT ANSWERS Does sunscreen expire? Wondering if sunscreen expires? Discover how long it lasts and when to get a new bottle. Fainting during urination (micturition syncope): What causes it? Fainting during or immediately after urination is a rare occurrence in healthy individuals. HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Office work: Don't take it sitting down! Finding time to exercise can be a challenge for anyone with a busy schedule. Why not work out while you're at work? Here are five ways to make office exercise part of your routine: 1. Walk or bike to work, get off the bus a few blocks early or park farther from the door. 2. Look for opportunities to stand. Try a standing desk, or improvise with a high table or counter. 3. Trade your office chair for a fitness ball. 4. Organize a lunchtime walking group. 5. Conduct walking meetings. Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LImk-KdMT1w ROCHESTER, Minn. — May 14, 2014 — In a proof of principle clinical trial, Mayo Clinic researchers have demonstrated that virotherapy — destroying cancer with a virus that infects and kills cancer cells but spares normal tissues — can be effective against the deadly cancer multiple myeloma. The findings appear in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.  Click here to listen to the July 12th Mayo Clinic Radio program featuring Dr. Russell and Stacy Erholtz Journalists: The video package and extra b-roll are available in the downloads. The video package script, including intro and anchor tags, is available here. Two patients in the study received a single intravenous dose of an engineered measles virus (MV-NIS) that is selectively toxic to myeloma plasma cells. Both patients responded, showing reduction of both bone marrow cancer and myeloma protein. One patient, a 49-year-old woman, experienced complete remission of myeloma and has been clear of the disease for over six months. “This is the first study to establish the feasibility of systemic oncolytic virotherapy for disseminated cancer,” says Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic hematologist, first author of the paper and co-developer of the therapy. “These patients were not responsive to other therapies and had experienced several recurrences of their disease.” Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow, which also causes skeletal or soft tissue tumors. This cancer usually responds to immune system-stimulating drugs, but eventually overcomes them and is rarely cured.

*See specific embargo dates and times for each study ROCHESTER, Minn. – Mayo Clinic urologists will present studies on a new non-mesh outpatient procedure for treating female stress incontinence stress incontinence, lymph node surgery guided by 11c-Choline imaging for patients with nodal recurrent prostate cancer, a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) cut point correlated with systemic progression of prostate cancer, an increased mortality risk for diabetes patients undergoing surgery for kidney cancer and other research at the 2014 Annual meeting of the American Urological Association, May 16–21, in Orlando, Fla. Mayo Clinic experts will also be available to provide comment for reporters covering the conference. Studies to be presented at the meeting and their embargo dates include: New non-mesh outpatient sling procedure for treating female stress urinary incontinence shows promise Embargoed until Sunday, May 18, 2014 10:00 AM ET http://www.aua2014.org/abstracts/files/presenter_LinderBrian.cfm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB0ptOP7Stw A feasibility study of a novel non-mesh-based outpatient surgical procedure to treat female stress incontinence has promising results. Early results show that all patients have experienced decreased leakage volumes after surgery, while 80 percent reported no leakage and no longer required absorbent pads. Female stress incontinence is characterized by the unintentional loss of urine during physical activity such as exercise, coughing, sneezing or laughing. The minimally invasive outpatient procedure developed by Daniel Elliott, M.D., and Brian Linder, M.D., of Mayo Clinic, was designed to avoid the controversies and complications of mesh procedures. During the procedure the surgeon inserts a sling, made from a small amount of the patient’s own tissue, to support the urethra.

Skin cancer on the rise in young people With warmer weather here and skin cancer rates rising, keep in mind that no amount of ...