October 10th, 2011
Scientists have discovered a mechanism that causes an aggressive type of lung cancer (small cell lung cancer) to re-grow following chemotherapy, offering hope for new therapies.
The study, conducted by an international team of researchers from Monash, Stanford and John Hopkins universities, represents not just the potential for new drugs, but a novel way of approaching cancer treatment.
Professor Neil Watkins, of the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) led the Monash research team of Dr Luciano Martelotto, MIMR, and Associate Professor Tracey Brown of the Department of Biochemisty and Molecular Biology.
Professor Watkins said while many current cancer treatments and trials focus on shrinking existing tumours, this research had a different focus.
“Some aggressive types of cancer respond very well to chemotherapy, but then the real challenge is to stop the tumour coming back. That’s what we investigated.”
October 7th, 2011
Krista Conger
Drug Discovery & Development – October 06, 2011
Carefully tracking the rate of response of human lung tumors during the first weeks of treatment can predict which cancers will undergo sustained regression, suggests a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
The finding was made after scientists gained insight into therapies that target cancer-causing genes; they are successful because they slow the rate of tumor cell division. Squelching messages promoting rampant cell growth allows already existing death signals to prevail and causes tumors to shrink.
The research highlights the emerging promise of applying mathematical and computational concepts to the study of complex biological systems.
“It’s really just advanced high-school-level math,” says associate professor of medicine and pathology, Dean Felsher, MD, PhD. “With some simple measurements, we found we can determine when a cancer is addicted to a particular cancer gene and will respond to therapy targeting that gene. I was astounded that it works.”
October 7th, 2011
CLEVELAND, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Advanced imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans shows great promise in predicting which patients with inoperable lung cancer have more aggressive tumors and need additional treatment following standard chemotherapy/radiation therapy, according to new research.
Mitch Machtay, MD, of the Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and principle investigator for the study, presented the significant data today at 2 pm at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Miami Beach, Fla. The National Cancer Institute-funded trial, led by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) in collaboration with Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), enrolled 251 patients at 60 cancer centers around the country.
“Lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer in the United States. These findings have the potential to give cancer physicians a new tool to more effectively tailor treatments for patients with locally advanced lung cancer,” says Dr. Machtay, Chairman of Radiation Oncology at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “This cooperative group study determined that the PET scan can show us which patients have the most aggressive tumors, potentially enabling us to intensify their treatment.”
October 5th, 2011
From the Sacramento Bee
Study of potentially operable Stage I NSCLC demonstrates tumor control comparable to surgery
MIAMI, Oct. 4, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ — Results of new research presented at the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 53rd Annual Meeting this week showed that patients with different types of early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can benefit from treatment with stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRT).
Treating Potentially Operable Stage I NSCLC Patients
In a presentation earlier today, Frank Lagerwaard, MD, radiation oncologist at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, reported that potentially operable patients with Stage I NSCLC who were treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), which is another term for SBRT, achieved comparable tumor control rates to those treated with the current surgical standard of care. Thirty-three percent of the patients in the study were treated with Varian Medical System’s RapidArc delivered on a Novalis TX™ linear accelerator from Varian and Brainlab.
October 4th, 2011
ASTRO 2011
October 03, 2011
by Brendon Nafziger, DOTmed News Associate Editor
Higher doses of radiation don’t up survival rates for patients stricken with stage III, non-small cell lung cancer, according to a late-breaking study shared Monday at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s annual meeting in Miami.
The researchers said the findings of the randomized, phase III trial were surprising, as most radiation oncologists believe that higher doses of radiation will cure more patients.
October 4th, 2011
BURLINGTON, N.C., Oct 03, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings (LabCorp(R)) (NYSE: LH) announced today the nationwide availability of a new FDA-approved companion diagnostic for lung cancer patients.
The drug XALKORI(R), available from Pfizer, and Abbott Molecular’s Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe companion diagnostic test were simultaneously approved by the FDA on August 26, 2011 for use in patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe test detects all ALK gene rearrangements and is the only available diagnostic assay that has been clinically validated to predict response to the targeted therapy XALKORI. An estimated 6,500-11,000 individuals will develop advanced ALK-positive NSCLC in the United States in 2011.
