Cancer Therapy News and Research

RSS

AstraZeneca Canada's IRESSA receives approval for treatment of NSCLC

AstraZeneca Canada announces the recently approved indication for IRESSA(R), a once-daily oral targeted therapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced (not amenable to curative therapy) or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have activating mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK). In conjunction with this approval, AstraZeneca is also announcing the availability of a diagnostic test which can now determine a patient's EGFR mutation status, representing a new era in personalized lung cancer treatment in Canada.

17 Mar 2010

Despite increasing palliative care resources, significant gaps in care delivery remain

Palliative care services are available at most U.S. cancer centers, although the scope of services offered and the degree of integration between palliative care and oncology care varies widely among centers, according to a study in the March 17 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on cancer.

17 Mar 2010

Cancer news coverage should also focus on hospice and end-of-life care

Newspaper and magazine reports about cancer appear more likely to discuss aggressive treatment and survival than death, treatment failure or adverse events, and almost none mention end-of-life palliative or hospice care, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

17 Mar 2010

MedSolutions launches oncology management program for cancer patients

MedSolutions (www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical cost management services, today announced the launch of its oncology management program, which uses evidence-based guidelines to ensure appropriate use of diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy and drugs for cancer patients.

17 Mar 2010

Boosting radiation dose for prostate cancer patients does not increase severity of side effects

Boosting the radiation dose given to prostate cancer patients to a level that cut tumor recurrence in half did not increase the severity of side effects reported by patients up to a decade later. The study led by Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center researchers also found that patients characterized the impact of continuing side effects on their quality of life as considerably less bothersome than would be expected, based on earlier studies.

17 Mar 2010

IDSA calls for global commitment to develop 10 new antibiotics by 2020

As the deaths and suffering caused by antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections continue to rise around the world, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is urging a global commitment to develop 10 new antibiotics by 2020, known as the 10 x '20 initiative, to address this public health crisis and safeguard patients' health.

17 Mar 2010

Key cellular defect in protein synthesis can lead to cancer susceptibility

UCSF researchers have discovered that a key cellular defect that disturbs the production of proteins in human cells can lead to cancer susceptibility. The scientists also found that a new generation of inhibitory drugs offers promise in correcting this defect.

17 Mar 2010

MDS reports revenues of $46M for first-quarter fiscal 2010

MDS Inc., a leading provider of products and services to the global health science markets, today reported financial results and filed its unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and related Management Discussion & Analysis for the three months ended January 31, 2010. In order to simplify our disclosures, we have discontinued the use of non-GAAP measures such as adjusted EBITDA.

16 Mar 2010

Workings of IGFs on muscle cells

The muscle-building abilities of hormones known as insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are legendary. Just do an online search and you'll find not only scientific papers discussing the effects of IGFs on the cells that give rise to muscle tissue, but also scores of ads touting the purported benefits of IGF supplements for bodybuilding.

16 Mar 2010

Stage IV colorectal cancer: Therapy that improves overall survival over IFL/bevacizumab will earn 60% patient share

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that a therapy that would improve median overall survival over IFL (bolus 5-fluorouracil, generics/leucovorin, generics/irinotecan*) plus bevacizumab (Roche/Genentech/Chugai's Avastin), would earn a 60 percent patient share in stage IV colorectal cancer, according to surveyed U.S. oncologists. In Europe, such an agent would earn a 50 percent patient share, according to surveyed European oncologists.

16 Mar 2010

BioSante Pharmaceuticals receives receipt of Orphan Drug designation for GVAX Pancreas Vaccine

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced BioSante’s receipt of Orphan Drug designation from the FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development for GVAX Pancreas Vaccine in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

15 Mar 2010

Prioritizing end of life care for cancer patients

Despite the advances and groundbreaking research being performed in the area of cancer treatment, sometimes cancer cannot be cured. In this situation, patients and their families are faced with complex emotions and a variety of end of life issues and decisions.

15 Mar 2010

Development of promising new cancer therapies: OICR announces $1M investment

Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) today announced an investment of $1 million towards the development of two new promising cancer therapies.

12 Mar 2010

TGen, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center and Side-Out Foundation team up for breast cancer study

Many women live with breast cancer that does not respond to standard medical treatment, a condition that researchers at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare want to change by aggressively targeting specific genes.

12 Mar 2010

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' third-quarter fiscal 2010 total revenues up 45%

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and serious viral infections, today announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2010 ended January 31, 2010. The company also provided an update on its clinical programs and corporate developments.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 11 Mar 2010

Idera Pharmaceuticals announces net income of $3.9M for fourth-quarter 2009

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

10 Mar 2010

Papaya's anticancer effect against broad range of lab-grown tumors documented

The humble papaya is gaining credibility in Western medicine for anticancer powers that folk cultures have recognized for generations.

10 Mar 2010

OVA1 blood test aids in pre-surgical evaluation of women for ovarian cancer now available through Quest Diagnostics

OVA1™, the first blood test cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for aiding in the pre-surgical evaluation of a woman's ovarian mass for cancer, is now available nationally through Quest Diagnostics, Inc., the world's leading cancer diagnostics provider.

From Quest Diagnostics 10 Mar 2010

Obesity linked to increased risk of cancer recurrence and death

It’s long been known that obesity is linked to increased risk of developing colon cancer, but now researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota have found that obesity is associated with worse outcomes in patients who have already been diagnosed and treated for the cancer.

10 Mar 2010

Prostate cancer: Therapy depends on consulted specialty

Men who visit a radiation oncologist appear more likely to receive radiation therapy for prostate cancer, whereas men who consult with a urologist with or without a medical oncologist are treated more frequently with hormone therapy, watchful waiting or a radical prostatectomy, according to a report in the March 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Mar 2010