25th January 2012 January 25, 2012
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Hospital-level briefings on applications to the cancer drugs fund
These briefings on applications to the cancer drugs fund made by individual NHS acute trusts includes information on the number of applications between 1 September and 30 November 2011, as well as a breakdown of the cancer treatments requested where data has been provided.
A daily dose of statins has “been shown to block the growth and spread of tumours,” according to the Daily Express. The newspaper reported that common cholesterol-lowering drugs “could be the key to beating cancer”.
The news is based on laboratory research into the role of a specific genetic mutation in the development of breast cancer. The research was mainly carried out in cell cultures, and did not test drugs on humans.
During their experiment researchers grew cells generated from breast cancer tumours carrying the mutation, which is often found in cancers. The researchers then interfered with the effects of this gene mutation, leading approximately half the cells to revert to a more normal structure.
Exploring this phenomenon further they then identified how this gene affects the cells, and tested drugs to interfere with this mechanism. Treating the breast cancer cells with simvastatin, a commonly used statin drug, reduced cancer cell growth and increased cancer cell death to an even greater extent than interfering with the gene mutation alone.
This study provides a potential new target for the treatment of breast cancer, and perhaps other cancers. However, significantly more research will be required before we know if statins or related new treatments can be used as treatments for breast or other cancers.
Does fruit and veg chemical fight cancer?
“A healthy fruit and vegetables diet could help guard against one of the deadliest cancers,” the Daily Express has today reported. The newspaper says this is due to “a potent super-nutrient” found in these foods.
This story is based on research into a chemical called luteolin that is found in a wide variety of plants. The substance has already been found to reduce the growth of bowel cancer cells in the laboratory, and this new study attempted to confirm how it disrupted these cancer cells. In particular, the researchers concentrated on a cellular process that blocks cells from dying naturally and causes cancers to form. After testing luteolin on bowel cancer cells the researchers found that it interfered with this process, which effectively helps to control a cell’s life and death.
The Daily Express has reported that a luteolin-rich diet prevents cancer, but this research was carried out in cells in the laboratory, and did not test the effect of the compound in humans. Also, the luteolin used in this research was in a highly concentrated pure dose, and not from dietary sources. The study demonstrates how pure luteolin reduces the growth of bowel cancer cells in the laboratory, but does not show that a diet high in luteolin-containing vegetables can prevent cancer.
However, there is a great deal of existing research supporting a link between fruit and vegetables and benefits such as a reduced risk of bowel cancer. On this basis, there is already enough evidence to recommend including fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced diet.
18th January 2012 January 18, 2012
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Deodorant chemical ‘found in breast tumours’
“Chemical found in deodorants, face cream and food products is discovered in tumours of ALL breast cancer patients”, reported the Daily Mail. The newspaper said that the chemical, which is widely used as a preservative in cosmetics, has been found in tissue samples of 40 women with breast cancer.
The headline is based on a laboratory study that investigated how a group of chemicals called parabens are deposited in human tissue. It examined the distribution of five types of paraben at four different parts of the breast in tissue samples from 40 women who had undergone a mastectomy due to breast cancer. The researchers detected parabens in 99% of the samples. They also found differences in the concentrations of individual parabens and where they were predominantly located in the breast.
This analysis only looked at tissue taken from 40 women with breast cancer and did not compare them with tissue samples from women who had not had cancer. It does not prove that parabens caused these cancers, and it does not suggest that parabens have any association with breast cancer development. The study found that all 40 women with breast cancer had parabens in their breast tissue, but it is not known whether this would be the case in all women with breast cancer. It is also not known whether parabens would be found in the breast tissue of all women (including those with healthy breast tissue) and men.
The potential link between cosmetic chemicals and cancers will continue to be investigated. Many factors are known to increase the risk of breast cancer, and as the researchers conclude, it is unlikely that any single chemical would be a dominant risk factor.
Processed meat ‘linked to pancreas cancer’
BBC News has reported a possible link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer. Apparently, consuming only an extra 50g a day – about one sausage – can raise your risk of this rare cancer by 19%.
The news is based on research that combined results from 11 earlier studies that included over 2 million people. It did not find a link between red meat consumption and cancer overall, but suggested that eating an extra 50g of processed meat a day increased the risk of pancreatic cancer by 19%. It is important to note that pancreatic cancer is rare, so even a 19% increase in risk would mean that a person’s lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer would still be very small.
While the review was well conducted, dietary research has inherent limitations. For example, it must rely on people to estimate what they eat, and researchers must account for the influence of other factors such as physical activity, smoking and drinking.
The causes of pancreatic cancer are not fully understood, although it is speculated that age, smoking, certain medical conditions such as diabetes, family history of cancer, excess weight and dietary factors and could all be involved. This study, which focused on meat intake, suggests that processed meats could be involved, although it cannot conclusively prove that this is the case. That said, there is evidence that red meat consumption can contribute to other types of cancer, particularly bowel cancer, so the public has been advised to limit daily intake of red and processed meat.
Fluorescent spray ‘detects oesophageal cancer’
“A throat spray has been developed to spot cancer of the oesophagus at an early stage,” according to the Daily Mail. The paper says that the test “offers hope” to the 8,000 Britons diagnosed with the cancer each year.
Contrary to what the media has suggested, scientists were not trying to develop a way to screen the general population routinely for cancer of the oesophagus (also known as our “food pipe”). Instead, doctors have looked at ways to check for abnormal cells in a very specific condition called Barrett’s oesophagus. People with Barrett’s oesophagus have abnormal cells along their oesophagus that have a a greater chance of becoming cancerous than normal cells.
In this study, scientists developed a fluorescent chemical that latched most strongly onto healthy cells and less strongly on abnormal cells that were becoming cancerous. This allowed them to identify potentially dangerous clumps of cells in the tissue taken from people with Barrett’s oesophagus.
This is early research and the detection technique has so far only been tested in sections of the oesophagus removed from four patients. It is also important to note that this technique is not being assessed as a way to screen the general population for oesophageal cancer, but to detect areas of tissue that are progressing in people who have a condition that predisposes them to this cancer.
The technique will need to be studied further to assess whether it would be feasible, effective and safe in clinical practice and whether it offers real advantages over existing techniques.
Study linking HRT to breast cancer ‘was wrong’
Several newspapers have today reported that HRT does not increase the risk of breast cancer. The reports said that the study that reported the link in 2002 was “fundamentally flawed”.
The original research found that women who had taken HRT were twice as likely to develop breast cancer and more likely to die. The Daily Telegraph and other newspapers reported that these 2002 findings “triggered a collapse in confidence in hormone replacement therapy and the number of women taking it halved”.
Today’s news reports are based on a new analysis of the data from the Million Women Study and two other studies. The researchers wanted to determine whether the association between HRT and breast cancer actually showed that HRT caused an increased risk in breast cancer. They appraised each study against nine criteria that would need to be met before it was possible for the study to say whether HRT caused breast cancer. For example, one criterion assessed was whether the women had taken HRT before they developed their breast cancer. This analysis did not suggest that the original studies were poorly performed but highlighted limitations to what the studies can tell us.
The new analysis found that all three studies failed to meet the majority of the criteria and therefore none of the studies was able to establish whether or not HRT increases the risk of breast cancer.
4th January 2012 January 4, 2012
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Bone marrow cancer gene clues found
A gene defect increases the risk of a type of bone marrow cancer by 30%, the Daily Mail reported.
The news is based on an examination of people with multiple myeloma, a relatively rare type of cancer that starts in the bone marrow and can go on to damage the bones. By comparing the genetics of people with and without the disease, researchers found two genetic variations that were more common in people with multiple myeloma. These variations were associated with a 30% increase in the overall risk of a person developing multiple myeloma. Although it has long been known that relatives of multiple myeloma patients have a greater risk of the disease, this is reportedly the first study to identify genetic variations that are linked to it.
Although researchers identified these genetic variations, it is still unclear why they might increase the risk of multiple myeloma. Further work will be needed before these findings can help us understand more about the disease. It is likely to take considerable time before we know if the discovery can lead to new treatments. Also, not everyone carrying the genetic mutations will get myeloma, and not everyone with myeloma will carry these mutations.
Consultation on a revised version of the Cancer of Unknown Primary Measures
A draft version of the Cancer of Unknown Primary Measures for inclusion in the Manual for Cancer Services has been issued for a 12 week consultation period ending 14 March 2012. This consultation is aimed at interested stakeholders only.
