23rd November 2011 November 23, 2011
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Charity launches major cancer genetics project
A new initiative to develop ‘personalised cancer treatment’ has today been launched. The experimental project has been designed to develop a screening program to test tumours for key genetic changes. It is hoped that in the future the results of such tests would influence treatment programmes, helping doctors choose the best drug for each person.
The new initiative, called the Stratified Medicine Programme, is being led by Cancer Research UK, the UK Technology Strategy Board and the pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Pfizer. It is hoped that the work will lay the foundations for genetic testing of both patients and tumours to become standard practice, allowing the use of specialised drugs that target specific genes and mutations that can cause or influence the development of cancer.
In addition to laying the foundations for a genetic testing service, the information collected during the programme may be useful for research into new treatments; for example, by identifying new targets and by seeing how genetics affect people’s responses to various cancer drugs. Although people taking part in the early stages of this programme are unlikely to directly benefit, it is hoped that in the long-term, patients will be provided with individually tailored treatments that ultimately prove more effective.
Improving outcomes and experiences for older women with breast cancer
This briefing focuses on the key issues for older women affected by breast cancer and presents recommendations for service improvements in three main areas: early diagnosis; treatment and assessment; and information and support.
9th November 2011 November 9, 2011
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Cancer cases projected to rise 45% in next two decades
The number of new cancer cases in the UK could rise by 45% by 2030 to more than 430,000 a year, research suggests.
The rise is explained almost entirely by the expected increase in the number of people living in the UK and the ageing population.
Cancer Research UK, which funded the study published in the British Journal of Cancer, says the NHS must act now to avoid being “overwhelmed”.
The Department of Health said it was already responding to the challenge.
The research presents projections for 23 different types of cancer. The results are based on taking figures from cancer registries going back to 1975, and then projected forwards to 2030, taking into account expected changes in population.
The study suggests that the number of new cases could rise from about 298,000 in 2007 to 432,000 by 2030 – an increase of 45%. The increase in men is forecast to be 55%, and 35% in women.
Light ‘promising’ in cancer fight
Light is a “promising” tool in the fight against cancer, say researchers in the US.
A study, published in Nature Medicine, showed how a drug could be created which sticks to tumours, but is then only activated when hit by specific waves of light.
It means a treatment can be highly targeted and not damage the surrounding tissue.
A cancer charity said the treatment showed early promise.
Currently, treatments for cancer can be separated into three categories: blasting it with radiation, surgically removing a tumour or using drugs to kill the cancerous cells. All have side effects and scientists are trying to come up with more precise therapies.
In this study, researchers at the National Cancer Institute, Maryland, used an antibody which targets proteins on the surface of cancerous cells.
They then attached a chemical, IR700, to the antibody. IR700 is activated when it is hit by near infrared light. This wavelength of light can penetrate several centimetres into the skin.
To test the antibody-chemical combination, researchers implanted tumours, squamous cell carcinoma, into the backs of mice. They were given the drug and exposed to near infrared light.
2011 thoracic surgical blue book
This audit found that the number of lung cancer patients benefiting from life-saving surgery has risen by 60 percent while the operative mortality rate has halved in recent years as a new generation of specialist lung surgeons start to come through into the NHS. In the last year alone the number of lung cancer operations has increased by more than 17 per cent.
2nd November 2011 November 2, 2011
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Aspirin cuts genetic bowel cancer risk
Aspirin cuts the risk of bowel cancer in people with inherited susceptibility to the disease, The Guardian has today reported. The newspaper said that a study of long-term aspirin use found it cut the risk of bowel cancer by more than 60% in these individuals.
The news is based on research that examined how effectively aspirin prevented bowel cancer in over 800 patients with Lynch syndrome, a rare genetic condition that raises the risk of several types of cancer.
The researchers gave half the participants aspirin and the other half a dummy placebo for two years, looking at how many people from each group had developed bowel cancer in the years that followed. When the researchers analysed data on those participants that had completed the full two years of treatment, they found that the group taking aspirin had 63% lower rate of the disease in the 5-10 years that participants were followed.
This well conducted trial was the first to look at aspirin preventing cancer in this way. It suggested yet another use for the humble aspirin pill, which already has proven benefits in fighting heart disease and preventing blood clots. However, it should be remembered that the results apply only to people with this specific genetic condition, which is behind around 2-7% of bowel cancers. Also, regular aspirin is not suitable for everyone as it can cause side effects such as ulcers and stomach bleeds.
Do statins cut breast cancer recurrence?
“A daily dose of drugs designed to lower cholesterol could also slash the risk of breast cancer recurring,” the Daily Mail reported today.
The news is based on the findings of a large Danish study that looked for an association between the use of statins and the recurrence of breast cancer. Researchers followed 18,769 women, for an average of 6.8 years, who had previously been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Of these, 17% had been prescribed statins at some point. Compared to women who did not use statins, women who took simvastatin and other “lipophilic” (fat-soluble) statins were less likely to have breast cancer that reoccurred. Those who took “hydrophilic” (water-soluble) statins did not have a reduced risk. However, this type of statin was used by only 6% of the statin users, which limits the strength of this finding.
This type of study can only find associations, and further studies would need to confirm that the lower risk of recurrent breast cancer is caused by lipophilic statins. The findings do not mean that taking a statin provides any protection against developing breast cancer in the first place. Without further study, women who have had breast cancer but who have no medical reason to use statins should not be encouraged to take the medication to try to prevent their cancer from coming back.
