Cancer Research Journal » Sarcoma

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

Mayo Study Shows Dopamine Slows Cancer Development

Lisa — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:51:43 +0000

A study conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) reports dopamine drugs currently used to treat patients with Parkinson’s Disease or heart attacks could also help cancer patients by slowing down tumor development.

In a study of mice with soft tissue sarcoma, the Mayo-CNCI scientists found dopamine blocked the growth of new blood vessels resulting in slower cancer progression. According to the team’s experiments, synthetic dopamine decreased the release of endothelial progenitor cells from the bone marrow into the circulatory system by suppressing a key enzyme known as MMP-9. Halting the release of progenitor cells inhibits the development of new blood vessels that feed the cancer.

While the results haven’t been replicated in humans yet, scientists find the discovery encouraging. As one Mayo researcher said,

“Sometimes new drugs may not be the answer. We looked at a novel use for an established product and have found very promising results.”

Sujit Basu, MD, PhD
Asst Prof of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic

Mayo’s article adds that a single dose of dopamine (200 milligrams dopamine hydrochloride per 5 millileters of solution) currently costs about 55 cents in their pharmacy.

If you’d like to learn more about this study, the group’s findings have been published in the March 13, 2008, online edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Source: Mayo Clinic News

Related Links: NursingKnowledge.org; EurekAlert.org

Technorati Tags: angiogenesis; oncology; Minnesota; Calcutta, India; pharmacodynamics

Canine Cancer Patients Benefit from Cliff Book

Lisa — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:10:45 +0000

An inspirational book is helping dogs with cancer receive expensive medical treatments their owners can’t afford to give them.

Cliff and I: My Dog’s Journey Through Cancer and Beyond chronicles the author’s personal experience helping her German Shepherd battle cancer.

As a tribute to her beloved pet, Cliff’s writer Joanne M. DeFluri is donating the proceeds from every copy of the book purchased through the CanineCancerAwareness.org web site to CCA’s charity fund. (Buyers also need to mark their order “CCA” for the group to get the donation.)

Canine Cancer Awareness is a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance and support to people caring for dogs diagnosed with cancer.

Small animals commonly develop cancers similar to those found in their human counterparts including lymphomas, hard and soft tissue sarcomas, adenocarcinomas and breast/mammary cancers. As it is with humans, early detection and treatment greatly improves an animal’s chance of surviving the disease. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, dogs or cats who display one or more of these symptoms should be examined by a qualified professional as soon as possible:

Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
Sores that do not heal
Unusual weight loss
Loss of appetite
Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
Offensive odor
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
Persistent lameness or stiffness
Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating

If you’re interested in purchasing Cliff, but you’d like to channel your charity dollars elsewhere, the $15.95 book is also available at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.

Source: Canine Cancer Awareness Announcements

Technorati Tags: veterinary medicine; comparative oncology; cancer caregivers; animal advocacy; cancer survivors; canine chemotherapy

DoD Makes Mesothelioma Research Money Available

Lisa — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:05:08 +0000

The US Department of Defense (DoD) Medical Research Program is making mesothelioma research a priority for the 2008 grant cycle, a move which potentially makes millions of grant dollars available to civilian scientists studying the deadly disease.

Mesothelioma, a rare cancer strongly linked to asbestos exposure, occurs at elevated rates in certain populations of military veterans. In fact, one-third of all known mesothelioma cases are associated with the U.S. Navy and shipyard exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma advocacy groups worked with 15 senators, led by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), for several years to promote the initiative. Those advocates are now strongly encouraging methothelioma investigators to take advantage of the new funding opportunity so mesothelioma research remains a candidate for federal funding in the future.

If you’d like more information on criteria for the grant, you can contact the Meso Foundation at (805)563-8400.

Source: Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

Protein May Promote Cancers in AIDS Patients

Lisa — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:00:28 +0000

Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is uncovering new information about a protein that appears to help cancer-causing viruses hide from the body’s natural defense system.

The protein under scrutiny is known as LANA, short for latency-associated nuclear antigen. Penn’s study showed the LANA protein enabled Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus (KSHV) to avoid immune system defenses. According to the research, LANA interferes with a crucial signaling molecule called intracellular notch by competing for the same binding site it uses. This interference derails the normal cell degradation process resulting in uncontrolled cell growth in patients who have immune-compromised conditions such as AIDS.

Now the researchers hope to discover more about LANA’s role in tumor development by studying animals infected with KSHV. As they explained, the animal models will be useful for testing drug therapies that may eventually prevent the growth of viral-associated cancers like Kaposi Sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma.

The University of Pennsylvania study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Source: University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center

Teens Troubled by Stagnant Survival Rates

Lisa — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:10:01 +0000

While cancer survival rates in children and older Americans have dramatically improved in recent years, studies show survival statistics for teens and young adults remain virtually unchanged.

Why is there such a disparity?

The August 31, 2007, edition of Science Magazine Podcast discusses possible reasons why recent advancements have not helped this particular age group and steps being taken by advocacy groups to improve the situation. It also addresses some of the unique challenges adolescents face when being diagnosed or treated for cancer.

NOTE: The cancer story is preceded by other science features. If you’d like to skip ahead, it starts a little after minute 13.

Source: Science by AAAS

Related Podcast: The Stupid Cancer Show

Spanish Link: El Sarcoma de Ewing from Teens Living With Cancer

Tags: Lance Armstrong Foundation; Leukemia; Ewing’s Sarcoma; Jennifer Couzin

Scientists Find Anti-Cancer Agent in South Pacific Soil

Lisa — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:05:44 +0000

Scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the international Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program have been busy trying to unlock the healing secrets of an unusual bacteria discovered in soil samples taken from the volcanic regions of Easter Island.

The bacteria produced a substance known as rapamycin, which was initially shown to be an effective anti-fungal agent. Things really got interesting when drug makers discovered that rapamycin also helped prevent organ rejection in transplant patients by suppressing their immune systems.

Now researchers are studying ways to harness the properties of rapamycin to develop molecularly targeted therapies for various cancers. The team’s preclinical trials with tumor cultures and mouse models have already shown rapamycin has the ability to effectively inhibit the progression of diseases such as rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and one form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A report in the online edition of Pediatric Blood and Cancer details the team’s progress to date. More testing is already in the works according to the report’s lead author,

“During the next stage of testing we will combine rapamycin with standard chemotherapy drugs to see if there are combinations that work particularly well against specific cancers. But the greatest potential for improving treatment might be combining rapamycin and other molecularly targeted drugs in specific ways according to the genetic characteristics of the cancer and of the child.”

Peter Houghton, PhD
Molecular Pharmacology Chair
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Source: St Jude Children’s Research Hospital News

Related Links: Lymphoma Research Foundation

Related Podcast: “Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: From Diagnosis to Therapy” from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Tags: sirolimus, immunosuppressant

Edinburgh Builds Cancer Center to Benefit Animals & People

Lisa — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:19:25 +0000

The University of Edinburgh will be home to a new £3 million veterinary cancer research and treatment facility scheduled to open in June 2008.

The new center is expected to become one of the top five veterinary cancer centers in the world and will offer a comprehensive range of treatments including radiotherapy using advanced imaging technologies. Edinburgh officials report the imaging facilities will accommodate both large and small animals—everything from Chihuahuas to race horses.

Cancer affects about one-third of dogs and slightly fewer cats. Research into the disease in animals contributes significantly to scientists’ understanding of comparable diseases in the human population.

As one professor explained,

“The University of Edinburgh is a world leader in biomedical research, and this will compliment the existing investment in the Queen’s Medical Research Institute to create one of the most advanced imaging centres in the world for clinical and research purposes.”

David Argyle
Head Professor, The Royal (Dick) Cancer Centre

Source: University of Edinburgh News

Related Podcasts: Rescue Dog Jake Dies (Source: NPR)

Tags: feline carcinoma; canine cancer; equine health; VMRCVM; Professor Elaine Watson; Dick Vet; hemangiosarcoma

Sarcoma Research Getting Help from Utah Mice

Lisa — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:02:56 +0000

Geneticists at the University of Utah have engineered mice that can develop synovial sarcoma, an aggressive soft-tissue cancer which most often strikes teenagers and young adults. A study conducted with these mice, genetically engineered with SYT-SSX2 fusion genes, has already provided researchers new information regarding the possible origin of synovial sarcoma tumors in humans. The study’s leader, Mario R. Capecchi, distinguished co-chair of human genetics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, says he also plans to study whether the gene must continue working for the tumor to advance. If so, the gene itself could be the key to developing new treatment options. Additional information regarding the study can be found in the April 2007 issue of the journal Cancer Cell.

Source: Medical News Today

Tags: genetic research