Cancer Research Journal » Prostate Cancer

Korea Unveils Clones of Cancer-Detecting Dog

Lisa — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:43:59 +0000

A collaborative project between Seoul National University and the Korean biotechnology firm RNL BIO Co Ltd (Public, SEO: 003190) has produced four identical puppies cloned from a Labrador Retriever with the ability to detect cancer by its smell.

Cancer-sniffing dogs are trained to sit in front of people or biological samples that carry the scent of specific chemicals present in cancer cells. Previous research has shown these dogs can detect the presence of bladder, breast, prostate and lung cancers simply by smelling a patient or their urine.

RNL Bio cloned Marine, a black Labrador Retriever trained by the St Sugar Cancer Sniffing Dog Training Center in Shirahama, Japan, from skin samples sent to Seoul National University last December. Yuji Satoh, the head trainer at St Sugar’s, made the decision to give Marine’s DNA to the university after a womb disease made it impossible for the dog to give birth.

The three-week-old puppies have been given the names Marine-L, Marine-N, Marine-R and Marine-S. Once the puppies have been trained, one will be donated to St Sugar’s and another to Seoul National University. The company plans to sell the two remaining puppies for $500,000.

RNL Bio used patent-pending technology to enhance the embryo implantation process so multiple births would be possible. As one of the company’s executives said,

“Cloning dogs is nothing new anymore. But we are the world’s first to have cloned four at a time from one surrogate mother. This makes it cost effective, and now we mean real business.”

Jeong Chan, Ra
CEO, RNL BIO Co Ltd

If you’re a cancer patient in the US who’d like to learn more about cancer detection, click here to visit the American Cancer Society Early Detection Guidelines web page.

Source: ABC News

Stat3 Protein Could Be Key to Stopping Prostate Cancer

Lisa — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:15:13 +0000

Scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University say it may be possible to stop the progression of prostate cancer by blocking a signaling protein called Stat3.

Recent studies have shown the Stat3 protein is conspicuously active in several types of metastatic cancer, including advanced prostate cancer. To get a better understanding of the role Stat3 plays in prostate cancer progression, Dr Marja Nevalainen of Jefferson Medical College and her colleagues conducted a series of experiments using mouse models.

During their prostate cancer investigation, the scientists found Stat3 was activated in 77 percent of lymph node metastases, as well as 66 percent of bone metastases. And when the scientists caused mice lacking immune systems to overproduce Stat3, metastases increased 33-fold.

The team’s findings offer evidence that Stat3 is involved with prostate cancer migration. As Dr Nevalainen said,

“This is the first proof that Stat3 may have a major effect on metastatic dissemination of prostate cancer. Stat 3 now becomes a potential drug target to interfere with the metastatic progression of prostate cancer.”

Marja Nevalainen, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Cancer Biology,
Thomas Jefferson University

If you’d like to learn more, the team’s findings are published in the June 2008 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Source: Thomas Jefferson University News

Yale and Ugandan Docs Discuss Cancer, Condoms and HIV on Connecticut Radio

Lisa — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:00:42 +0000

Dr Kenneth Miller of the Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Clinic and his special guest, Dr Fred Okuku of East Africa, recently discussed cancer and HIV in Uganda on the radio show Yale Cancer Center Answers.

During the interview, the two doctors talked about the ABC program, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, breast, cervical and prostate cancer rates in Africa, as well as other interesting topics. To hear the broadcast, click here.

If you’d like to listen to more broadcasts from Yale Cancer Center Answers, the show airs Sundays on WNPR. The segments usually run about 30 minutes and include a wealth of useful information about breakthroughs in cancer treatment.

Source: Yale Cancer Center Podcast Feed

Prostate Cancer Treatment Effectiveness Could Rely on P53

Lisa — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:24:54 +0000

A study led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests that tumors with intact P53 genes may respond better to prostate cancer treatments designed to target insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors (IGF-1R).

Fred Hutchinson’s findings could have an important impact on more than a dozen clinical trials currently being conducted to test IGF-1R inhibitors.

Previous research has shown elevated IGF-1R levels increase the risk of prostate cancer, but Fred Hutchinson’s comparison of transgenic mice with intact p53 genes and compromised p53 genes revealed that deleting IGF-1R promoted aggressive prostate cancers in the mice with compromised p53.

Since p53 status was not part of the criteria considered for participants in the inhibitor trials, clinicians administering treatments targeting IGF-IR will need to give this new data careful consideration. As one of the study’s authors said,

“If our predictions hold true, tumor cells with intact p53 may show the best response to therapy targeting the IGF-1R signal, however when p53 is not functioning normally, response to this therapy may not be as expected.”

“We’re all hoping for good results but let’s proceed with caution.”

Norman Greenberg, PhD
Clinical Research Division
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

If you’d like to learn more, the team’s findings have been published in the May 1, 2008, edition of Cancer Research.

Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center News

Related Links: womenshealth.gov; American Cancer Society

Technorati Tags: oncology; urology; male cancers; genitourinary carcinoma; Seattle, WA

Real Men Ads Give Guys Good Advice for Preventing Cancer

Lisa — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:41:50 +0000

The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Ad Council have launched a national ad campaign encouraging men over 40 to take an active role in their own health care.

The Real Men Wear Gowns campaign, which was created pro bono by McCann Erickson Detroit, includes public service announcements (PSAs) designed for television, radio, print, and web sites. The lighthearted, motivational spots prompt men to adopt healthier lifestyles and to get tested for cancer, high cholesterol and other serious medical conditions so they’ll be there for their families in the future. For guys who aren’t sure which tests they need after 40, there’s a supporting web site that provides additional information and recommendations.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show men are 1.5 times more like to die from cancer, heart disease and lower respiratory diseases than women, but less likely to visit their physician – a problem the campaign’s creators hope to help remedy. As one expert said,

“By taking steps to prevent disease and stay healthy, men can live longer and more productive lives.”

Ned Calonge, MD
Chair, US Preventative Services Task Force

If you’d like to see the PSAs or take one of AHRQ’s preventative health quizzes, you can visit www.ahrq.gov/realmen.

Source: Ad Council News Detail

Fungal Extract Fights Four Common Cancers

Lisa — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:14:32 +0000

A study led by the Methodist Hospital Research Institute indicates extracts from a tropical fungus called Phellinus linteus may combat breast cancer.

Methodist Hospital’s results add to previous research suggesting the yellow mushroom is also effective for slowing lung, prostate and skin cancers.

Phellinus linteus grows on the bark of mulberry trees and has been used in Chinese medicines for hundreds of years. Methodist’s investigation suggests the powdered extracts from the mushroom block AKT enzymes involved in the development of blood vessels that feed tumors. As the study’s lead author said,

“We saw a number of positive results from our investigation of aggressive human breast cancer cells, including a lower rate of uncontrolled growth of new cancer cells, suppression of their aggressive behavior and the formation of fewer blood vessels that feed cancer cells essential nutrients.”

Dr Daniel Sliva
Methodist Research Institute

Dr Sliva emphasized that more studies will need to done to determine if the extract if safe and effective for treating cancer patients. Citing health and quality concerns, he also urged patients to avoid buying untested commercial mushroom powders.

If you’d like to learn more about the breast cancer study, the findings have been published in the March 25, 2008, online edition of the British Journal of Cancer.

Source: Daily Mail

Duke to Doctors: PSA Tests on Obese Men are Misleading

Lisa — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:05:27 +0000

Research led by the Duke University Medical Center is causing doctors to reconsider the results of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests done on their overweight patients.

Duke’s study of 535 men has revealed that males classified as overweight and obese based on their Body Mass Index have deceptively low concentrations of PSA in their bloodstreams when compared to similar patients maintaining a healthy weight.

PSA protein levels become elevated when prostate cancer is present so PSA tests are one of the diagnostic tools medical professionals rely on to detect the common disease. PSA values are also considered when determining appropriate treatments options for patients who have already been diagnosed.

Experts have suggested that PSA concentrations may be lower in overweight patients because they have a larger volume of blood. Duke’s investigation confirmed that belief by showing that PSA counts conducted on mildly obese and severely obese study groups were 14% and 29% percent lower respectively than their normal-weight counterparts (73% of the total study population was overweight).

Researchers involved with the study recommend clinicians compensate for the difference by lowering their threshold for abnormal PSAs when they test overweight patients. As the study’s lead author said,

“If we don’t do that, we may be missing cancers in obese men, which could lead to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes.”

Stephen Freedland, MD
Urologist, Duke University Medical Center

Duke University’s PSA study was funded by the US Department of Defense and is published in the February 9, 2008, issue of the journal Urology.

Source: DukeMedNews

Related Links: ScienceDaily; Cancer Research UK

STAT3 Inhibitors Can Help or Harm Glioblastoma Patients

Lisa — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:46:07 +0000

A study led by the Harvard School of Medicine provides evidence that targeted chemotherapies commonly used to treat glioblastoma may do more harm than good for some patients.

Glioblastoma is a rare form of brain cancer with a poor survival rate. STAT3 inhibitors are one of the few therapies available to treat the disease, but Harvard’s study indicates the patient’s genetic profile determines whether STAT3 genes act as oncogenes that promote tumor development or suppressors that work to stop cancer.

To arrive at their findings, researchers from Harvard and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute studied astrocytes in mice. Their investigation revealed mutations in two other genes, EGFR and PTEN, affected the function of STAT3 thereby determining whether it kept cancerous cells in check or helped their formation. Specifically, when EGFR mutated and interacted with STAT3, it turned STAT3 into an oncogene, but when PTEN mutated it transformed STAT3 into a tumor suppressor. The scientists later confirmed their surprising results in human glioblastoma tumors.

The discovery has important implications for glioblastoma patients because STAT3 has long been believed to cause the cancer. As the study’s senior author explained,

“This discovery lays the foundation for a more tailored therapeutic intervention. And that’s really important. You can’t just go blindly treating people by inhibiting STAT3.”

Azad Bonni, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School

The team’s findings could impact studies on more common cancers as well — STAT3 has also been implicated in some breast and prostate cancers.

If you’d like to learn more, results of the study are published in the February 7, 2008, online edition of Genes and Development.

Source: Harvard Medicine News Alert

Technorati Tags: glioma; neuro-oncology; neurology; Stewart Trust of Washington, DC; Armenise-Harvard Foundation; Carolyn and Peter Lynch Research Fund; Boston, MA

Toremifene Tames Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Therapy

Lisa — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:02:03 +0000

A study released by drug manufacturer GTx, Inc (NASDAQ: GTXI) indicates a new version of an old drug called toremifene helps reduce some of the side effects experienced by prostate cancer patients being treated with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT).

ADT, also known as androgen suppression therapy or AST, is a hormone therapy designed to block the effects of testosterone. While ADT has been shown to improve the survival rate of prostate cancer patients, men receiving the treatment commonly have troublesome side effects including swelling of the breasts, hot flashes, osteoporosis and high cholesterol.

GTx’s research revealed that men treated with hormone therapy and toremifene experienced less breast swelling, fewer bone fractures, and a better cholesterol profile than patients receiving hormone therapy and a placebo. However, toremifene also increased the men’s risk of developing potentially serious blood clots in the veins – conditions known as venous thromboembolic events.

Matthew Smith, MD, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School who’s served as a consultant for GTx, was principal investigator on the study.

A 60 milligram (mg) toremifene pill, patented and marketed under the brand name Fareston, is already approved for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. GTx’s prostate cancer study was conducted using an investigational dosage of 80 mg which the company hopes to market separately under the brand name Acapodene if the 80 mg pill gains approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Memphis-based GTx plans to apply for FDA approval later this year.

If you’d like to learn more about prostate cancer treatment options already approved for patients in the United States, you can visit the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate Cancer Treatment Page.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Related Links: ClinicalTrials.gov; CNN Money.com; msnbc.com

Tags: bone loss; urology; pharmaceuticals; tumor; men’s health; male cancers, genitourinary; SERM; DVT; Tennessee

Aspirin Can Halt Hormone Treatments for Prostate Cancer

Lisa — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:32:23 +0000

Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Connecticut found that prostate cancer patients taking low dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes had a lower survival rate than those men who didn’t follow an aspirin regimen.

The scientists attribute the difference in mortality rates to the interruption of hormone therapies used to treat intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer.

The interruptions occur because hormone treatments impact the body’s ability to metabolize aspirin which can affect the patient’s liver function. If liver tests routinely given to cancer patients detect an abnormality, physicians may discontinue anti-androgen therapy so liver problems aren’t aggravated.

In the Dana-Farber/UConn study, one androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) called flutamide had to be discontinued in 37 percent of the patients taking baby aspirin because the men’s liver function tests showed abnormalities. After seven years, the patients who stopped flutamide treatments early experienced a death rate 3.5 times higher than those who received the full course of both hormones. Prostate cancer patients who received radiation treatments alone had a mortality rate 6.1 times higher than those who received both hormone therapies.

The scientists say their findings underscore the importance of informing your healthcare provider about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking. As one doctor pointed out,

“It is important for the public to be aware that commonly used medications can interfere with the deliver of full-dose cancer therapy that may compromise curability.”

Dr Anthony V. D’Amico
Chair, Division of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

More information on the study has been published in the December 27, 2007, edition of New England Journal of Medicine.

Source: White Coat Notes from The Boston Globe

Related Podcast: Marking a Milestone in Prostate Cancer Treatment from NPR

Related Spanish/Español Links: HealthDay

Tags: urologic oncology; male genital cancer; chemotherapy; Harvard Medical School; Drogenil®; Dr Philip W Kantoff; Ming-Hui Chen; Massachusetts; Storrs, CT; pharmacokinetics