Cancer Research Journal » Video

Walk-In Cervical Cancer Screening Works Well in Canada

Lisa — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:41:20 +0000

Doctors in British Columbia have found an easy way to encourage more women to get screened for cervical cancer: offer Pap tests on a walk-in basis.

After survey results showed more than a third of young adult women were not being routinely tested for cervical cancer, health officials decided to offer screening without requiring an appointment. To test the idea, the BC Cancer Agency offered Pap tests on walk-in basis at 12 medical clinics for one week in May 2008.

The test program expected to attract women who were skipping annual exams because they didn’t have a family physician, but the clinics were surprised to find many patients who had doctors were also attracted to the program because it was easier to fit into their busy schedules. As the project’s organizer said,

“…they used this opportunity because it was convenient or easy, so maybe the convenience of not having to make an appointment was important.”

Dr Dirk Van Niekirk
BC Cancer Agency

The results of the pilot program were so encouraging the Agency has announced plans to expand the program throughout British Columbia in February 2009.

If you’re a patient in the United States who’d like to learn more about cervical cancer and Pap smears, you can visit the American Cancer Society web site.

Source: CBCNews.ca

Related Video: Barbara Lawton’s Cervical Cancer PSA from YouTube

Technorati Tags: early cancer detection; cancer prevention; gynecological cancers; gynecology; HPV; oncology; reproductive cancers; squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix; women’s health

UWTV Offers Podcasts on Gynecologic Cancers

Lisa — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:07:34 +0000

University of Washington Television (UWTV) is offering some informative podcasts about cervical and ovarian cancers.

These free broadcasts are available in both audio and video formats. If you’d like to download one to your computer or iPod, here are the links:

Advances in Cervical Cancer

(Run Time: 58:30)

Early Detection and Prognosis for Ovarian Cancer

(Run Time: 53:34)

HPV and Cervical Cancer: 25 Years from Discovery to Vaccine

(Run Time: 58:30)

All these programs are rated G.

Source: UW On-Air Schedule RSS Feed

Technorati Tags: epidemiology; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; oncology; reproductive cancers; women’s health

PBS Program Explains DNA Testing for Hereditary Cancers

Lisa — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:28:03 +0000

On Wednesday, July 2, 2008, the PBS program NOVA scienceNOW will air a segment on personal DNA testing.

During the show, experts will explain how genetic testing is done and how the results are used to help determine if someone is predisposed to developing cancer, Alzheimer’s, or other hereditary diseases.

Rudolph (Rudy) Tanzi, PhD and David Altshuler, MD, PhD, both from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), will participate in the discussion, as well as Dietrich Stephan, PhD and Elissa Levin, MS, CGC, from Navigenics™.

NOVA scienceNOW is also inviting viewers to ask questions online. Questions will be collected until July 3, 2008, and then turned over to Rudy Tanzi. Tanzi, who is the director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at MGH and a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, will post his answers to selected questions on July 8, 2008.

To find out which channel in your area will broadcast the program, check the PBS Station Finder.

Source: NOVA scienceNOW – Personal DNA Testing

Technorati Tags: bioethics; BRCA; cancer risk factors; diabetes; genetic counseling; genomics; oncology; preventive medicine

President Signs Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Lisa — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:00:48 +0000

On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, President George W. Bush signed HR 493 into law.

HR 493 is The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, commonly referred to as GINA. It prohibits employers and health insurance companies from discriminating against people with genes that make it more likely they will develop cancer (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 for breast and ovarian cancers) or other hereditary diseases.

The Act’s passage is being praised by Americans with genetic test results showing they’re genetically predisposed to cancer, as well as those who’ve been afraid to get DNA tests because they feared losing their health insurance.

Cancer advocacy groups and legislators worked for 13 years to get GINA passed, but now that the law’s enacted, there’s more to be done. As one expert said,

“Our challenge now is to make sure that doctors and patients are aware of these new protections so that fear of discrimination never again stands in the way of a decision to take a genetic test that could save a life.”

Kathy Hudson, PhD
Director, Genetics and Public Policy Center
Johns Hopkins University

If you’d like to read more about the potential uses of genetic information, you can click here to visit the Human Genome Project Information page.

Source: C-SPAN

Technorati Tags: pre-vivor; oncology; genetic counseling; family history; cancer prevention; health policy

Oct 7, 2008: PBS Airs Cancer Pre-vivor Documentary

Lisa — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:01:12 +0000

On October 7, 2008, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) program POV will air a new documentary about the difficult choices faced by women with a family history of cancer.

In the Family chronicles the experiences of filmmaker Joanna Rudnick and several other women whose genes give them a high risk of developing cancer. The cameras follow along as these women decide whether or not to undergo life-changing prophylactic mastectomies and oophorectomies. It also shows how these decisions impact the women’s relationships with their families and significant others.

While I haven’t seen the film in its entirety yet, Rudnick certainly has the right credentials to bring this complex topic to the screen. At 27, genetic tests revealed she had a BRCA mutation which dramatically increases her chances of getting breast and ovarian cancer, she’s earned a master’s degree in Science and Environmental Journalism from Northwestern University, and she’s already been involved with several award-winning documentaries about other compelling topics.

The film has also been getting good reviews from the attendees of FORCE annual conferences (Rudnick has been screening preliminary footage from the film at these meetings over the last few years.) FORCE is the nonprofit organization credited with coining “pre-vivor”, a term describing someone who has a genetic predisposition to cancer, but who hasn’t been diagnosed with the disease.

If you’d like to see a trailer for In the Family, you can view it at http://inthefamily.kartemquin.com/.

Source – FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered Updates

Technorati Tags: oncology; genetic counseling; cancer risk factors; cancer prevention; cancer awareness; women’s health; genomics; gynecologic cancers

Young Widow Raises Cancer Awareness at NASCAR Races

Lisa — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:58:47 +0000

Lori Hamilton, the 33-year-old widow of NASCAR champion Bobby Hamilton, Sr, is turning her grief into something positive by raising cancer awareness at racetracks around the country.

Lori’s husband died in 2007 of neck cancer at the age of 49. Lori says that neither she nor Bobby gave any thought to annual screenings before his diagnosis at 47. They also had no idea that more than 7,000 Americans die of head and neck cancers annually.

Bobby’s cancer was discovered when he went to see a dentist to get a wisdom tooth removed.

But now she knows early detection plays a crucial role in cancer survival and she’s spreading the word at locations where there’s plenty of people to listen to her message: NASCAR races. While she travels the circuit she speaks to race fans and visits surrounding clinics encouraging adults to get screened for head and neck cancers every year, raising awareness about the symptoms, and reassuring the reluctant that detection is easy and painless. At the Kansas Speedway, health professionals from the University of Kansas Hospital offered free cancer screenings before the start of the race. As Lori explains,

“At a racetrack, we have a captive audience of 80,000 people. If we can reach a third of them, maybe it can make a difference.”

Lori Hamilton
Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Advocate

A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University found HPV-related oral cancers alone nearly doubled between 1973 and 2004. If you’d like to learn more about head and neck cancers you can visit Cancer.Net, a web site containing information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Source: CNN

Technorati Tags: cancer advocacy; otolaryngology; squamous cell carcinoma

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

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

NCI: Cancer Tumors Suppress Treg Cells

Lisa — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:38:48 +0000

Research conducted by the National Cancer Institute indicates the function of T cells that regulate the body’s immune system is impaired when cancerous tumors are present.

Findings from a mouse study reported by the NCI Center for Cancer Research indicate tumors reduce the expression of Treg cells, a specialized subset of T Cells responsible for managing the body’s immune response to foreign invaders.

In healthy subjects, Tregs signal to activate an immune response and then turn off the body’s immune defenses once an invader has been defeated preventing the body from attacking its own healthy cells and tissue. But in cancer models, Tregs congregated in the tumor’s microenvironment without signaling the body’s immune system to attack.

NCI’s comparison of Treg cells taken from the spleens of healthy mice and mice with cancer revealed overall immune responses were reduced approximately 2.4-fold in the animals bearing tumors. The scientists also found the number of Treg cells in the tumor and the spleen increased as the tumors grew larger. The study’s authors hope their findings will help in the development of cancer treatments targeting Treg cells. As one of the authors said,

“Understanding the tumor’s effects on Tregs and how these cells maintain themselves inside tumors, and in the environment immediately surrounding tumors, will be important for designing new immunotherapies.”

Helen Sabzevari, PhD
NCI Center for Cancer Research

If you’d like to learn more about this study, the team’s results have been published in the April 18, 2008, online edition of The Journal of Immunology.

Source: NIH News

Related Links: Medical News Today; The Dana Foundation

Kanzius Machine Uses Radio Waves to Kill Cancer Cells

dc — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:47:34 +0000

Here’s a story from 60 Minutes about a device known as the Kanzius Machine that uses radio waves to destroy cancer cells.

Video Enclosure: 60 Minutes Story on Kanzius Machine

Developed by retired broadcaster and leukemia patient John Kanzius, the Kanzius Machine works by using a noninvasive radio wave generator to warm nanoparticles within cancer cells. This heating process is designed to kill the cancer cells while creating little or no damage to nearby healthy cells.

Though still years away from human trials, the Kanzius Machine has shown promise in pre-clinical experiments conducted by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University and TherMed LLC. Results of these tests demonstrated the Kanzius Machine destroyed liver cancer tumors in rabbits with no apparent side effects.

According to the study’s senior author,

These are promising, even exciting, preclinical results in this liver cancer model. Our next step is to look at ways to more precisely target the nanotubes so they attach to, and are taken up by, cancer cells while avoiding normal tissue.
Steven Curley, M.D.
M. D. Anderson Department of Surgical Oncology

You can find more information about the Kanzius Machine at the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. Results of the study were published in the December 15, 2007 issues of the journal Cancer.

Source: 60 Minutes

Related stories: Health News Review; Wired.

Technorati tags: Houston; nanotubes