The metabolism of lung cancer patients is different than the metabolism of healthy people. And so the molecules that make up cancer patients’ exhaled breath are different too. A new device pioneered at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and Nobel-Prize-winning Technion University in Haifa, Israel uses gold nanoparticles to trap and define these molecules in exhaled breath. By comparing these molecular signatures to control groups, the device can tell not only if a lung is cancerous, but if the cancer is small-cell or non-small-cell, and adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.

“This could totally revolutionize lung cancer screening and diagnosis,” says Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “The perspective here is the development of a non-traumatic, easy, cheap approach to early detection and differentiation of lung cancer.”

The proof of concept, recently published in the journal Nanomedicine, showed that in a preliminary study the device clearly distinguished between the volatile organic compounds in cancer patients’ exhaled breath compared to the breath of a control group. Subjects simply exhale into a bag, which separates superficial exhaled breath from breath that originated deeper in the lungs. And then this deep breath is analyzed by an array of gold nanoparticle sensors.

EAGAN, Minn., Nov 17, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Biothera’s Phase II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) clinical trial evaluating Imprime PGG(R) administered in combination with cetuximab (Erbitux(R)), carboplatin and paclitaxel has met its goal of 90 patients and is fully enrolled, the company announced today.

The open label, multicenter, randomized trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Imprime PGG in combination with a monoclonal antibody (cetuximab) and a standard chemotherapy regimen (carboplatin and paclitaxel) compared to cetuximab alone with the same chemotherapy.

“This is an important milestone in developing more effective treatments for NSCLC patients,” said Dan Conners, president of Biothera’s Pharmaceutical Group. “It is also a significant step forward in Biothera’s overall clinical development plan for Imprime PGG.”

The primary objective for the study is to determine the anti-tumor effects of Imprime PGG when used in combination with cetuximab and standard chemotherapy, based on overall response rate as assessed by RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) and evaluated by a blinded independent review committee.

 RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Despite guidelines calling for genetic mutation testing in certain patients with lung cancer, three new surveys fielded by Harris Interactive reveal a disconnect in the understanding of and communication about genetic mutation testing among healthcare professionals and cancer patients. Results of the surveys were announced today by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which sponsored the surveys in partnership with the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), ONS:Edge and the National Lung Cancer Partnership (NLCP).

Surveys of 95 community oncologists, 522 oncology nurses and 436 lung cancer patients across the U.S. were collected in October 2011 to measure perceptions and knowledge of genetic mutation testing and to identify unmet needs and gaps in education.

NEW YORK, Nov 14, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. ZIOP +0.86% , a drug development company employing small molecule and synthetic biology approaches to cancer therapy, announced today promising clinical results from an ongoing multicenter Phase 1b, open-label, dose escalation study of intravenous (IV) palifosfamide (Zymafos(R) or ZIO-201) in combination with etoposide and carboplatin in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and other selected cancers. The data are being presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, being held November 12-16, in San Francisco.

Palifosfamide is a novel DNA cross-linker in class with bendamustine, ifosfamide, and cyclophosphamide. The ongoing Phase 1b study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of palifosfamide in combination with carboplatin and etoposide (PaCE) in SCLC and other cancers in which carboplatin plus etoposide is considered an appropriate therapeutic option. A previous randomized study evaluating the addition of ifosfamide to cisplatin and etoposide in SCLC demonstrated improved survival, but with a disabling increase in toxicity with the combination. The rationale for substituting palifosfamide for ifosfamide in this three-drug regimen includes the abrogation of ifosfamide-metabolite related toxicities, an ability to increase the dose delivered over time, and avoiding resistance mediated by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) overexpression. ALDH overexpression is associated with cancer cell stem-like potential in several tumor types and is thought to confer resistance to ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide.

(HealthNewsDigest.com)- COLUMBUS, Ohio – Using just a few drops of blood, researchers have found that they could detect signs of lung cancer in patients two years before their tumors were visible using state-of-the-art body scans.

“What that means is that we may be on the verge of developing a blood test to detect lung cancer in it’s earliest stages” said Dr. Carlo Croce, Director of the Human Cancer Genetics program at Ohio Sate’s James Cancer Hospital.

Croce and his team discovered that molecules in the blood, known as microRNA, develop certain characteristic patterns when lung cancer first begins to form – and long before there are any visible signs of trouble. “The tumor is there, but it’s very small” said Croce, “it cannot be detected by conventional means but can be detected by looking at microRNA.”

Campaign Highlights Importance of Molecular Testing in Lung Cancer

NEW YORK, Nov 14, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –People with Lung Cancer Invited to Submit Their Personal Stories

Kathryn Joosten, two-time Emmy(R) Award-winning actress and star of Desperate Housewives and The West Wing, is opening up about her 10-year battle with lung cancer as part of a new national campaign, Lung Cancer Profiles. Lung Cancer Profiles aims to reduce the stigma associated with lung cancer by educating about the diversity of the disease inside and out. The campaign, created by Pfizer Oncology in collaboration with the nation’s leading lung cancer advocacy groups, also seeks to educate about the role of molecular testing and its potential to uncover the unique genetic drivers of each person’s cancer, which can help doctors devise an individualized treatment plan rather than using a one-size-fits all approach.

“I have lung cancer and it’s nothing to hide–anyone can get lung cancer, everyone’s cancer is different and it’s reassuring that the science is catching on,” Ms. Joosten said. “When my cancer returned after eight years, I was discouraged, but my doctor recommended I get my tumor tested to see if it would affect my treatment plan. We were able to identify my particular type of lung cancer and find a clinical trial designed specifically for people with my tumor type. I am passionate about this campaign because I know, first-hand, how hard it can be to learn you have lung cancer, how important it is to get tested and how impactful sharing my story might be on the lives of others with lung cancer.”

(Nanowerk News) An investigation by a group of Thai researchers has demonstrated that Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) plays an important role in the migration and invasion of human lung cancer cells and that these effects are regulated by cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The group used transfected human lung cancer cells with Cav-1 plasmid which were incubated and cultured prior to performing migration assay.

“The result of this investigation shows the effect of ROS on cell migratory functions is dependent on Cav-1 expression and is associated with Akt activity” said Dr. Ubonthip Nimmannit of National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC). “The activation of Akt activity by Cav-1 helps to mediate cancer cell migration and is likely to play an important role in the ROS induced effect on cell motility alteration”.

The investigation reveals the differential role of individual ROS on cancer cell mortility and Cav-1 expression helps to better understand tumor progression and metastasis which is considered important in cancer research.

The hot article on the cover of this month’s issue is from Andreas Keller and Christina Backes et al. whose artwork shows their discovery of novel microRNAs in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients. Using high-throughput SOLiD transcriptome sequencing they identified 76 previously unknown miRNAs and 41 novel mature forms of known precursors, which may potentially be used as biomarkers for the disease.

IOWA CITY – Researchers with UI Health Care have received a two-year, $340,023 grant from the National Cancer Institute to investigate whether a ketogenic diet can increase the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy for lung and pancreatic cancer.

Despite advances in chemotherapy and radiation, the prognosis for locally advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic cancer remain poor. The new study, led by UI researchers Douglas Spitz, Ph.D., John Buatti, M.D., Daniel Berg, M.D., and Sudershan Bhatia, M.D., Ph.D., aims to exploit a fundamental flaw in cancer cell metabolism to improve outcomes for patients with these cancers.

Relative to normal cells, cancer cells require more glucose to overcome a defect in their mitochondrial metabolism. The ketogenic diet, which is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, deprives cancer cells of glucose and forces them to rely on their flawed mitochondrial metabolism. This causes oxidative stress in the cancer cells and appears to make them more susceptible to chemotherapy and radiation.

For the first time, investigators in the U.S. have demonstrated that it is possible to screen individuals with cancer for a variety of cancer-causing genetic mutations as part of normal clinical practice. Doctors have the ability to target tumors with the most suitable treatment by identifying patients’ individual genotypes within a fairly short time period.

The investigation was conducted in individuals with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), although investigators are already using it in a variety of other cancers as well. The study is published in the cancer journal, Annals of Oncology this week.

Individuals who suffer with NSCLC could have mutations in any of at least 14 different genes, although the number could be even higher. So far, it has only been possible to look for single or a small number of genetic mutations, but as several genes are found to be involved in more cancers, it is vital for researchers to develop methods to determine the mutational status of numerous genes at once.