Cancer Research Journal » General Cancer Info

Wistar Maps Telomerase Enzyme Present in Most Cancers

Lisa — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:02:43 +0000

Scientists from The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have successfully mapped a key portion of the telomerase enzyme, a chemical present in over 90 percent of human cancers.

Telomerase has been strongly linked to aging and cancer because of its role in cell division. Previous research has suggested that telomerase may fuel the uncontrolled cell proliferation that leads to tumor growth, but research efforts have been hampered because details about the enzyme’s structure remained a mystery.

To help overcome that hurdle, Wistar’s team used x-ray crystallography to map the three-dimensional structure of telomerase’s active region. The information they’ve discovered will provide important data to researchers developing targeted treatments for many different forms of cancer, as well as others working on anti-aging therapies.

As one Wistar scientist said,

“Telomerase is an ideal target for chemotherapy because it is active in almost all human tumors, but inactive in most normal cells. That means that a drug that deactivates telomerase would likely work against all cancers, with few side effects.”

Emmanuel Skordalakes, PhD
Asst Prof, Wistar Institute Gene Expression and Regulation Program

If you’d like to learn more, this research has been published in the August 31, 2008, online edition of the journal Nature.

Sources: BBC News (UK) and USNews.com

Technorati Tags: apoptosis; biochemistry; drug development; oncology; pharmaceutical research; telomeres

Cancer Concerns Halt Prison Computer Recycling Programs

Lisa — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:10:11 +0000

A federal prison in the United States has suspended prisoner work programs after an ongoing Department of Justice investigation revealed hundreds of prisoners, government employees, visitors and family members may have been regularly exposed to dust particles containing carcinogens and other environmental hazards released during recycling projects.

Preliminary findings from a two-year investigation by the Office of the Inspector General indicate hundreds of inmates and staff members who participated in electronics recycling programs may have been exposed to toxic dust particles while they were dismantling computers in a UNICOR warehouse.

According to the report, protective gear was not worn and workers routinely wore their work clothes back to their residences so other prisoners, prison employees, spouses and children who didn’t participate in the dismantling of computers may also have been unknowingly exposed to hazardous materials.

UNICOR is a US government-owned corporation operated by the Federal Prison Industries, Inc. The company employed more than 23,000 inmates last year as part of job rehabilitation programs – about 1,200 of those were employed in recycling programs nationwide.

Occupational health experts warn recycling used electronics can cause health problems if not done properly. Specifically, tearing apart computers or televisions by hand without taking the necessary safety precautions can expose the body to arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury particles that promote cancer and other diseases.

After the Inspector General found recycling facilities at Elkton Federal Correctional Institution in Ohio had 50 times more lead particles in the air than deemed safe by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, Elkton’s recycling facilities voluntarily shut down on June 27, 2008. The IG plans to conduct further inspections of similar operations around the US.

While the final results of the DOJ investigation are still pending, dozens of inmates, staff members, family members and visitors to the UNICOR recycling operation in Marianna have already filed suit in Florida courts seeking damages for cancers, heart and lung conditions, miscarriages, skin lesions and other medical problems associated with heavy metal exposures. Union members at a Texarkana, Texas, prison are considering a similar court action.

If you’d like to learn more about environmental carcinogens, you can visit the American Cancer Society web site at www.cancer.org. If you’d like to learn the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning, there’s some useful information at dermnetnz.org.

Source: ABC News

Do You Really Want to Help a Cancer Patient? Donate Blood

Lisa — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:53:35 +0000

Back when I was routinely getting chemotherapy and radiation treatments, people asked me almost daily if there was anything they could do to help me.

Kind and generous folks offered me quilts, baseball caps or scarves, pill containers, stress balls, rides to the hospital, medical books and shoulders to cry on…it was all mine just for the asking.

I’m not just talking about the doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers involved in my treatment either. Along with the dedicated professionals who provided my medical care, there were relatives, friends, neighbors, nonprofit organizations, religious groups, fellow cancer survivors, co-workers and complete strangers offering to support me through those difficult days.

Most of the time I politely declined their offers telling would-be supporters I didn’t need anything while thanking them for their generosity. I could tell they really wanted to help, but I simply couldn’t think of anything I needed other than to be healthy again. After they got several assurances I would call if I ever changed my mind, they moved on and I continued with my life as a cancer survivor. Unable to help me directly, some did fundraising for scientific research (wonderful!), but many said they still wished they could do more.

Well, it’s been three years since my last treatment and I’m hoping some of those offers are still good. That’s because I’ve finally thought of something you can do for me and all the other cancer survivors out there: GIVE BLOOD.

I’m not sure why I didn’t ask sooner – maybe it was chemobrain. Back when I was in the military I, along with most of the people I worked with, regularly gave blood because…well…war and disaster relief are bloody businesses. Blood mobiles would routinely show up at our installation and we’d form a line, fill a bag, and enjoy a cup of juice afterwards. I guess most military professionals just figure donating is part of our duty to those we serve and serve with. (For similar reasons, civilian medical professionals tend to donate quite a bit too.)

After I started my cancer treatments, I couldn’t donate blood (turns out I still can’t — for now at least). That means I lost the opportunity to help my buddies in the oncology ward who are still battling for their lives.

The American Red Cross reports that every 2 seconds somebody in the United States needs a blood transfusion.

Every 2 seconds.

Thousands of those relying on lifesaving blood cells, platelets or plasma products are cancer patients. They may need blood because chemotherapy diminished their platelet supply, they could be a child with leukemia needing blood transfusions, or a breast cancer patient having a lumpectomy. They could even be a cancer survivor having an organ transplant.

All these cancer therapies and many more take blood – sometimes lots of blood.

A single leukemia patient can use 8 units of platelets daily for 2 to 4 weeks. One liver transplant takes an average of 10 units of red blood cells. I never required donated blood products while I was in the military, but my I consumed a couple units once I had my oncology surgery.

That’s why I’m asking for your help now. It’s really hard for me to see people I care about fighting The War on Cancer knowing I can’t replace the blood somebody generously donated to help me. Until I’m eligible to donate again myself I’m doing what I can which includes asking you, our Cancer Research Journal readers, to help.

I realize most of you probably envisioned something a little different when you offered your support to me or other cancer patients, but please trust me when I say this is one the best ways you could ever help the cancer community.

So, if you’re healthy enough and it’s not against your personal convictions, please consider giving blood. If you’re up to it, make time to go regularly and bring a friend.

If you’re a cancer survivor — or some other survivor who isn’t eligible to donate blood products – remember you can still help the cause. Organize blood drives in your community or suggest blood donations to anybody offering you support. You can even post a suggestion or public service announcement on your own web site. Consider your efforts a payback to all those who helped you make it this far.

If you live in the US and would like to locate a blood donation center near you, visit the American Red Cross Give Life web site at www.givelife.org or ask the staff at your local hospital.

To everyone who finds a way to contribute, my heartfelt thanks. You are truly giving the gift of life.

Source: CancerResearchJournal.com

Technorati Tags: cancer support; charity

Brookhaven Finds Faster Way to Tag Formaldehyde

Lisa — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:27:31 +0000

Cancer researchers often use PET scanners to study chemical interactions taking place inside the human body. To conduct these investigations, scientists attach radioactive tags to common chemicals found in the body then monitor their movements using PET technology.

These radioactive tags, commonly called radiotracers, have greatly advanced the understanding of cancer and other diseases in recent years, but limitations in existing radiotracers have kept some PET research from moving forward.

In some cases, no methods have been found for tagging molecules scientists need to study. In other scenarios, the tagging process is so time-consuming that the carbon-11 used to create radiotracers decays before PET scans can be completed (Carbon-11’s radioactive signal decreases by half every 20.4 minutes – when the signal becomes too weak, the tags are longer visible on PET scans).

To help solve these problems, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory came up with a faster, simpler way to tag formaldehyde. The process uses inexpensive, commercially-available starting ingredients, requires only basic equipment, and allows radiotracer production to be completed faster so carbon-11 signals are still strong enough to be detected when the human subject is placed in the PET.

Since formaldehyde is involved in many chemical reactions in the body, this innovation will permit scientists to create a whole new class of radiotracers for PET research.

BNL chemist Jacob Hooker led the international team which developed the new method. He is optimistic the technique will one day be used to create compounds that will bind with brain cell receptors. The team is already investigating how new carbon-11 formaldehyde radiotracers can be put to use monitoring the movement of drugs, proteins and enzymes that have an impact on gene expression, a key process in cancer development. As Dr Hooker said,

“…there is a huge need for basic science to develop new strategies for making radiotracers. Our new method is part of that effort. It expands our tool kit of reagents and increases the number and types of compounds we can use to peer into the human body.”

Dr Jacob M. Hooker
Chemist, BNL

If you’d like to learn more this research, it has been published in the July 4, 2008, online edition of Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Source: Brookhaven National Laboratory News

FDA to Diabetics: Regranex Foot Cream Raises Cancer Risk

Lisa — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:16:34 +0000

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors and the public that diabetics who use a few tubes of the foot cream REGRANEX™ (becaplermin) are significantly increasing their risk of cancer-related death.

REGRANEX™ is a topical gel cream prescribed to treat leg and foot ulcers in people with diabetes. The product contains recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor, a man-made substance that stimulates cell growth. The medicine is designed to help heal neuropathic ulcers which, if serious enough, can ultimately lead to amputation.

REGRANEX™ has been prescribed more than 750,000 times since it became available.

The new warnings were issued after a retroactive epidemiological study of more than 4,400 patients showed those prescribed three or more tubes of REGRANEX™ were 5 times more likely to die of cancer.

As a result of the study’s findings, the FDA advises physicians to only prescribe the drug when the benefits to the patient outweigh the potential risks and to exercise extra caution when prescribing REGRANEX™/becaplermin to individuals who’ve already been diagnosed with a malignancy.

A boxed warning is also being added to the product’s packaging. It reads,

“WARNING
An increased risk of mortality secondary to malignancy was observed in patients treated with 3 or more tubes of REGRANEX Gel in a post-marketing retrospective cohort study. REGRANEX Gel should only be used when the benefits can be expected to outweigh the risks. REGRANEX should be used with caution in patients with known malignancy.”

Boxed Warning for REGRANEX™
Issued by FDA, June 2008

REGRANEX™ is marketed by Ethicon©, Inc, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). The drug is distributed by Ortho-McNeil™.

Tumors or other adverse events associated with REGRANEX™/becaplermin should be reported to the FDA MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program (telephone 1-800-FDA-1088 or online at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm).

If you’d like other information about Regranex, you can call the company’s Customer Communications Center at 1-888-734-7263.

Source: FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

World No Tobacco Day 2008

Lisa — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:00:54 +0000

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Saturday, May 31, 2008, World No Tobacco Day.

The theme for this year’s observance is Tobacco-Free Youth. The campaign educates the public about marketing strategies the tobacco industry uses to encourage young people to smoke.

World No Tobacco Day activities will include video film festivals, mural dedications, bike races and more being held around the globe. WHO’s schedule includes World No Tobacco Day events in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, India, Japan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, as well as other locations.

World No Tobacco Day 2008 Poster from the WHO

The WHO estimates tobacco use kills one adult every six seconds. If you’re a smoker in the US who’d like to kick the habit, you can get help from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.

Source: World Health Organization Tobacco Free Initiative

Related Podcast: Smoking Can’t Buy Happiness from Scientific American

Technorati Tags: addiction; cancer prevention; lung cancer; public health; health awareness; oncology; smoking cessation; nicotine

Cancer Patients May Not Get Treatment During a Pandemic

Lisa — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:02:23 +0000

A task force of physicians has compiled a list of specific recommendations spelling out who wouldn’t be treated in the event of a pandemic or other major health crisis where there aren’t enough resources available to help everyone.

The recommendations were put together by experts from universities, medical groups, the military and assorted government agencies to help hospitals prepare an effective battlefield-style triage system to be used in the event of a SARS epidemic or some other large-scale public health disaster.

Doctors from Mt Sinai Hospital, Sharp Coronado Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, the White River VA Medical Center and the University of Washington, as well as many others, participated in the project.

While other guidelines have previously been proposed for allocating scarce resources during medical catastrophes, these recommendations are some of the most detailed ever prepared by a professional organization.

Under the task force’s guidelines, some of the patients who may not receive rationed medicines, ventilator support or other potentially-lifesaving care would include those older than age 85, those with serious mental impairments like advanced Alzheimer’s disease, and those with severe chronic conditions such as advanced cancer, advanced heart failure, or poorly-controlled diabetes.

Members of the task force acknowledge that constructing the list was a grim and emotional task, but they believe it was necessary from a disaster preparedness standpoint. As the report states,

“If a mass casualty critical care event were to occur tomorrow, many people with clinical conditions that are survivable under usual health care system conditions may have to forgo life-sustaining interventions owing to deficiencies in supply or staffing.”

In addition to raising political and ethical concerns, legal experts point out that these new guidelines may conflict with federal laws governing age and disability discrimination.

On a personal note: As a former military member trained in disaster response, I appreciate the necessity of the task force’s recommendations — as a cancer survivor, I find the prospect pretty sobering.

If you’d like to learn more about the task force’s report, it has been published in the May 2008 edition of Chest, the medical journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Source: Associated Press Article from CBS News

Related Links: ChicagoTribune.com; Ready.gov

Technorati Tags: oncology; standards of care; emergency medicine; infectious disease; Department of Homeland Security; US Department of Health and Human Services

South Africans Celebrate Arrival of Second PET-CT Scanner

Lisa — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:03:40 +0000

South African health officials are hoping the installation a new Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scanner will help them reduce cancer deaths in their country.

While PET-CT imaging devices are commonly used to diagnose cancer in US hospitals, this is only the second one available to patients in South Africa’s public hospitals.

Mr Brian Hlongwa, a representative from the Gauteng Health Department, presided at the machine’s unveiling ceremony where he spoke about the importance of early cancer detection. Cervical cancer alone kills more than 3,000 women in South Africa — often because the disease is not diagnosed until it’s in the advanced stages.

Mr Hlongwa added that the scanner will help bring local care in line with International Cancer Accreditation Standards. As he stated,

“Here is something to be proud of and let us use these resources wisely to help our people enjoy better life.”

Mr Brian Hlongwa
Provincial Health MEC, Gauteng Health Department

The newest PET-CT, which was launched at Pretoria Academic Hospital, will also serve Dr George Mukhari Hospital and the Kalafong Hospital as well as other treatment facilities in the region.

If you’d like to learn more about the cancer rates outside the United States, you can read a report published by the World Health Organization on April 1, 2008.

Source: allAfrica.com

Technorati Tags: international oncology; global health; cancer screening; radiology; x-rays

Anal Cancer Survivor is Fertile Again After Ovarian Implants

Lisa — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:48:59 +0000

German physicians have successfully used ovarian tissue implants to restore fertility to a 32-year-old cancer survivor who lost her ability to get pregnant after receiving treatments for anal cancer.

Knowing the tumor’s close proximity to reproductive organs increased the possibility of infertility, doctors at Erlangen University Hospital removed healthy ovarian tissue from the young woman before she began chemotherapy and radiation treatments in 2004.

The patient successfully conquered her cancer, but was left without menstrual cycles for two years. After hormone treatments failed to return the woman’s periods, Erlangen’s doctors re-inserted her own preserved ovarian tissue through her pelvis using an endoscopic procedure.

While the patient is not pregnant yet, menstruation has resumed and the doctors are publishing the information so more cancer patients and oncologists can learn about the technique.

If you’d like to read more, the case is published in the 2008 online edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.

Source: ScienceDaily

Fast Ways to Find Free Cancer Books

Lisa — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:32:37 +0000

Hey I love the book store but, let’s face it, buying a bunch of cancer books can get expensive – especially when you’re a patient with medical expenses to consider.

And with chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or lab tests on the schedule, it can be hard to find the time to drive from library to library looking for good books to help you get smart about your condition.

Well, the folks at Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) are helping make cancer education a little easier. Google Book Search offers a wide variety of health books you can read for free, as well as previews of other books that haven’t entered the public domain yet. Thousands of educational books and academic journals covering oncology, medicine and nutrition from experts like the National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization, as well as other science-related texts of interest to researchers and students (physics, chemistry, etc.) are available and easy to access.

My favorite feature: If you want to read a book using the traditional method — away from a computer screen — Google’s site will quickly assemble a list of the public libraries in your state which carry the title. I did a quick search and found more than 43,000 cancer-related titles in less than three seconds. If you decide you’d like to have the book for your permanent collection, the site also lets you know about book retailers offering the book for sale.

For those of you who want a break from studying cancer, fictional literature is available too.

Google Book Search has been around for a few years, but new titles are being added all the time so consider visiting the site again if you haven’t been there in a while. In fact, the University of California, San Diego announced earlier this month that it will be providing Google Book Search access to several million books from their extensive library so their contents can be digitized into Google’s growing database. UCSD is the first university in Southern California to commit to the project. As one UCSD librarian said,

“The library of the 21st century must effectively deliver knowledge and information in an increasingly hybrid environment where the physical and digital coexist. We are thrilled to be a contributor and partner with Google in this effort because it greatly expands access to our collections for faculty, students and members of the public, which is an essential part of our mission.”

Brian E.C. Schottlaender
Audrey Geisel University Librarian, UCSD

If you’re looking for more publications written for cancer patients or professionals, you can find additional information at the following links:

American Cancer Society Publications
CDC Cancer Resource Library
National Cancer Institute Publications

Sources: UCSD News Center and CancerResearchJournal.com

Related Podcast: Public Access to NIH Research from Science Friday on NPR

Technorati Tags: health literacy; health tools; medical publishing; ePatients; eBooks