July 9th, 2011
July 07, 2011
by Sruthi Valluri, DOTmed News
A new non-invasive, three-dimensional test by VisionGate Inc. could help detect lung cancer in its early stages The test, called LuCED, would be the first of its kind to screen for early stage-lung cancer without the use of X-rays.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. The disease will claim 154,000 lives in the United States this year alone, which accounts for more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer combined.
July 8th, 2011
Thursday 7th July 2011
Researchers in cardiac jobs have discovered that there are distinctive differences in the nature of lung cancer tumours developed in patients who have never smoked, compared to those who have.
Different patterns of genetic alterations between the two groups suggest that the diseases are driven by different molecular mechanisms, according to scientists from the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre in Vancouver, which “may require different treatments”.
The findings could prove hugely significant for the treatment of lung cancer, which is the world’s most prevalent form of the disease, with more than 1.6 million new cases diagnosed globally every year, according to figures from Cancer Research UK.
July 8th, 2011
Lung Cancer Alliance Thanks Senator for Endorsing Legislation
WASHINGTON, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) commended Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) for endorsing the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act, a bi-partisan bi-cameral bill that establishes a multi-agency, comprehensive research program targeted at all aspects of lung cancer.
After recent meetings in Washington, D.C. with LCA President & CEO Laurie Fenton Ambrose and LCA-Washington Chapter Chair, Cecilia Izzo, Senator Cantwell joined as co-sponsor of Senate Bill S.752. She was also a co-sponsor of its predecessor, S.322.
“It is so exciting to see momentum continue to build in support of a national plan of action for lung cancer,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President & CEO of LCA. “The willingness of Senator Cantwell to join other Senate and House colleagues and call for greater compassion, increased resources and a comprehensive plan for lung cancer – is what will ultimately end the disease as we know it.”
July 7th, 2011
Women, the elderly and blacks not well represented in research, investigators say
HealthDay ON Jul 6, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) — Women, older people and minorities are under-represented in lung cancer drug trials in the United States, according to a new study.
Researchers say that this could have a significant impact on the efficacy and safety of new treatments among these groups, particularly the elderly.
“Our results suggest that the trial population used for approval of drugs do not represent well the U.S. population who may receive the marketed agent,” the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Shakun Malik, a medical officer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring, Md., said in a news release.
“This fact is concerning particularly for older patients who may experience greater toxicity when given the same dose and combination of drugs based on testing in a younger population,” Malik explained in the release from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
July 7th, 2011
Research points to ability of these technologies to extend treatment options for a wide range of lung cancer patients
SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), the premier radiation oncology company, announced new clinical data highlighting the ability of its CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System and its TomoTherapy® Radiation Therapy System to treat a wide range of patients with lung cancer and lung metastases. The new outcome data was presented at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, the leading global forum for lung cancer and thoracic oncology research and practice, which took place July 3-7, 2011 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The CyberKnife System, with its unique tracking and robotic correcting capabilities, is a dedicated radiosurgery system able to deliver destructive doses of radiation to tumors throughout the lung with the highest levels of accuracy, even for tumors close to critical structures such as the heart and esophagus. The TomoTherapy system has the ability to deliver both high quality intensity modulated radiation therapy for larger, complex tumors and ablative doses of radiation for smaller peripheral lung tumors that are away from critical structures, making it the premier hybrid radiation therapy system.
“The data presented this week at the World Conference on Lung Cancer demonstrate that CyberKnife and TomoTherapy deliver best-in-class radiation treatment options for a wide range of lung cancer patients,” said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Accuray. “The unsurpassed flexibility of these systems, combined with a growing body of clinical evidence demonstrating low toxicity and long-term tumor control, make Accuray’s technologies increasingly critical tools in treatment of even the most complex and advanced lung cancers.”
July 7th, 2011
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. today announced that results presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer showed that ganetespib (STA-9090) is more potent than 17-AAG and is synergistic with doxorubicin in a model of small cell lung cancer. Ganetespib is a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) currently being studied in a broad range of clinical trials with approximately 400 patients treated to date. Ganetespib is structurally unrelated to first-generation, ansamycin-family Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG or IPI-504.
An investigator-sponsored Phase 2 single agent trial of ganetespib is currently being conducted in patients with relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer.
“Results presented today show that ganetespib has greater potency in small cell lung cancer cell lines compared to 17-AAG and also suggests that ganetespib and doxorubicin may be synergistic when dosed sequentially,” said Giuseppe Giaccone, M.D. , Ph.D., Branch Chief, Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, National Cancer Institute. “Intriguingly, ganetespib withdrawal after 48-72 hours of treatment induces precipitous cell death, suggesting that intermittent treatment may be an effective strategy in small cell lung cancer. These results are encouraging and suggest the potential for ganetespib single agent or combination clinical development strategies in small cell lung cancer.”
July 7th, 2011
Newswise — PHILADELPHIA — Celecoxib may emerge as a potent chemopreventive agent for lung cancer, according to a recent study in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Researchers tested celecoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor, among patients who were former smokers and found a significant benefit in bronchial health as measured by the Ki-67 labeling index, a marker of cellular proliferation or growth, as well as a number of other biomarkers. The findings follow a previous report published in Cancer Prevention Research that showed a similar effect on Ki-67 among former smokers and current smokers (Kim et al., Feb. 2010).
July 7th, 2011
Leading Dutch Cancer Center Equipped with Advanced Varian Treatment Systems Presents Results of Major Nationwide Study into Improving Survival Rates
AMSTERDAM, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Details of advances in the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to treat early stage lung cancer in both high risk operable and inoperable cases were presented at the biennial World Conference for Lung Cancer (WCLC) here in Amsterdam today, including significant improvements in survival of elderly lung cancer patients in the Netherlands as a result of more advanced SBRT treatments.
A study into survival rates among lung cancer patients in the Netherlands between 2003 and 2009 was one of only four, out of approximately 1900 abstracts, selected for presentation at the WCLC Presidential Symposium. The study(1) was outlined by Dr. Cornelis Haasbeek from VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, where patients are treated on six advanced medical linear accelerators from radiosurgery world leader Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). This hospital has pioneered the use of SBRT in the Netherlands, involving higher doses being delivered in fewer sessions with greater precision than is usual with conventional radiotherapy.
July 7th, 2011
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jul 06, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Verisante Technology, Inc. CA: VRS -2.47% (otcqx:VRSEF)(pink sheets:VRSEF) (the “Company” or “Verisante”) is pleased to announce that the results of a pilot study on lung cancer detection will be published in the prestigious Journal of Thoracic Oncology in July. The results of the pilot study indicate that the Company’s system technology could set a new standard for the early detection of lung cancer.
The Company owns, co-owns, or has the exclusive rights to all of the technology used in the pilot study, which was generously funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (“CIHR”) and the Canadian Cancer Society.
Verisante is currently developing a commercial prototype of the laser Raman system, the Verisante Core(TM), licensed from the BC Cancer Agency which, when combined with the ClearVu(TM) and ClearVu Elite(TM) systems recently acquired from Perceptronics Medical Inc., reduces false positives by over 75% compared to current endoscopic methods.
July 7th, 2011
Researchers examine how genes and proteins affect therapeutic treatments
PHOENIX, Ariz. — July 7, 2011 — The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is presenting two key studies, including one today, at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, July 3-7 in Amsterdam.
One study, presented July 4, involved a gene called GLI1, which may limit the effectiveness of the most common combination chemotherapy given to patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Another study, presented today, July 7, suggests that combination drug therapy may be needed to combat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — the more common type of lung cancer — when patients have elevated levels of a protein called JAK2.
Both studies will be presented at the Amsterdam conference, which is sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). The association hosts an international lung cancer meeting every two years. Both studies also will be published in a special supplement of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
