Archive for July 23rd, 2010

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals And sanofi-aventis Initiate Enrollment in a Phase 2 Combination Study of MM-121 And …

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals And sanofi-aventis Initiate Enrollment in a Phase 2 Combination Study of MM-121 And …
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and sanofi-aventis announced today that the first patient has received an initial dose in a Phase 2 randomized double blind clinical study combining MM-121 with exemestane (Aromasin®) in breast cancer patients.

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Cancer in Females

Cancer of breast tissue is breast cancer. It is a highly common and fatal cancer in females. Breast cancer can affect males too, as their un grown breast is composed of identical tissues as females. The incidence is less than one percent.

History of breast cancer can be traced back to 1600 B.C. it is considered as one of the oldest known tumors. In Papyrus writing tumors or ulcers of the breast and its cure were mentioned. For very long time there was no cure for the condition. Then in 1749-1806 the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell and the French surgeon Jean Louis Petit were the first one to remove the affected breast tissue, and underlying chest muscle.

The first work on the cause of breast cancer was done by Janet Lane-Claypon. The major cause was attributed to damaged or mutated DNA. The reason stated for the same may be due to exposure to ionizing radiation, exposure to estrogens and repaired BRCA1, BRCA2 and p53 genes. Though these causes are stated for the onset of cancer but the underlying factor is not yet proved.

Other causes which are responsible for breast cancer are: Aging – Due to aging the cell no longer are healthier and some un grown calls can develop in to tumors. Previous history of breast cancer- Previous occurrence increases the risk of developing breast cancer again. Family history of breast cancer- patients sister, mother, close female relative had diagnosed for breast cancer. When their female relative developed their first cancer before the age of 50. Late menopause, Early menarchy, Women with dense breast tissue due to dense breast tissues, the fat ratio decreases. This results in more breast cells and the connective tissues.

So they have high chances of developing breast cancer. Alcohol and smoking, Gaining too much weight after menopause. What ever may be the case if you had developed breast cancer or have a high risk for developing breast cancer, first thing is do not panic! Things will come to your control when you have the confidence in you. Each woman has the capacity to deal with it differently. There are many tests like An annual clinical breast examination, Monthly breast examination, Annual mammogram, to detect the condition in each and every woman.

Science and technology has improved so much that treatment for all problems pop up every minute. But always remember there is life after its diagnosis. We hold lot of hope than ever in the age we live in.

Wischnack is honorary chair for 2010

Wischnack is honorary chair for 2010
As a 10-year cancer survivor, Elaine Wischnack has a message of hope to share as the honorary chairperson for this year’s NYA Relay for Life. “It’s an honor,” said Wischnack of her appointment to the honorary chairperson position.

Read more on The Norwood Young America Times

Birth Control Pills Significantly Increase Breast Cancer Risk / Video

Best Preventative Action Against Breast Cancer / Video. Published by Secret of the Rosary Films. Image from Fair Use. CHICAGO, March 7, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) A world leader in cancer causes and prevention has warned that the so-called birth control pill is the largest unregulated human trial thats ever been conducted. Dr. Sam Epstein, author of Cancer-Gate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, told the CBCs Marketplace that exposure to the hormones estrogen and progestin, as found in the pill, increase breast cancer risk. Marketplace author Wendy Mesley, herself a breast cancer survivor, explained that the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer last year re-classified hormonal contraceptives as carcinogenic to humans. Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, MD demonstrated that a woman who takes birth control pills before her first child is born has at least a 40 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer and a woman who has taken the pill for four or more years prior to the birth of her first child has a 72 percent risk factor in developing breast cancer. Dr. Kahlenborns book, Breast cancer: Its link to abortion and the birth control pill, published by One More Soul, is based on six years of study and a meticulous analysis of hundreds of scientific papers and other sources. A European study, which looked at 103000 women aged …

General Information about Breast Cancer and Pregnancy

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules. The lobes and lobules are connected by thin tubes called ducts.

Each breast also contains blood vessels and lymph vessels. The lymph vessels carry an almost colorless fluid called lymph. The lymph vessels lead to small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes that help the body fight infection and disease. Lymph nodes are found throughout the body. Clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla (under the arm), above the collarbone, and in the chest.

Breast cancer is sometimes detected (found) in women who are pregnant or have just given birth.

In women who are pregnant or who have just given birth, breast cancer occurs most often between the ages of 32 and 38. Breast cancer occurs about once in every 3,000 pregnancies.

It may be difficult to detect (find) breast cancer early in pregnant or nursing women, whose breasts are often tender and swollen.

Women who are pregnant, nursing, or have just given birth usually have tender, swollen breasts. This can make small lumps difficult to detect and may lead to delays in diagnosing breast cancer. Because of these delays, cancers are often found at a later stage in these women.

Breast examination should be part of prenatal and postnatal care.

To detect breast cancer, pregnant and nursing women should examine their breasts themselves. Women should also receive clinical breast examinations during their routine prenatal and postnatal examinations.

Tests that examine the breasts are used to detect (find) and diagnose breast cancer.

If an abnormality is found, one or all of the following tests may be used:

Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
Mammogram: An x-ray of the breast. A mammogram can be performed with little risk to the fetus. Mammograms in pregnant women may appear negative even though cancer is present.

Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues by a pathologist so they can be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.

The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:

The stage of the cancer (whether it is in the breast only or has spread to other places in the body).
The size of the tumor.
The type of breast cancer.
The age of the fetus.
Whether there are symptoms.
The patient’s general health.
Stages of Breast Cancer
After breast cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out if the cancer has spread within the breast or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. (Refer to the PDQ summary on Breast Cancer Treatment for more information on the stages used for breast cancer.)

Methods used to stage breast cancer can be changed to make them safer for the fetus.

Standard methods for giving imaging scans can be adjusted so that the fetus is exposed to less radiation. Tests to measure the level of hormones in the blood may also be used in the staging process.

Treatment Option Overview
There are different types of treatment for patients with breast cancer.

Different types of treatment are available for patients with breast cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.

Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.

Treatment options for pregnant women depend on the stage of the disease and the age of the fetus.
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery

Most pregnant women with breast cancer have surgery to remove the breast. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm are usually taken out and looked at under a microscope to see if they contain cancer cells.

Types of surgery to remove the breast include:

Simple mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the whole breast that contains cancer. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed for biopsy. This procedure is also called a total mastectomy.

Modified radical mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the whole breast that has cancer, many of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes, part of the chest wall muscles.

Breast-conserving surgery, an operation to remove the cancer but not the breast itself, includes the following:

Lumpectomy: A surgical procedure to remove a tumor (lump) and a small amount of normal tissue around it. Most doctors also take out some of the lymph nodes under the arm.
Partial mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the part of the breast that contains cancer and some normal tissue around it. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed for biopsy. This procedure is also called a segmental mastectomy.

Even if the doctor removes all of the cancer that can be seen at the time of surgery, the patient may be given radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy after surgery to try to kill any cancer cells that may be left. Treatment given after surgery to increase the chances of a cure is called adjuvant therapy.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Radiation therapy should not be given to pregnant women with early stage (stage I or II) breast cancer because it can harm the fetus. For women with late stage (stage III or IV) breast cancer, it should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Chemotherapy should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Chemotherapy given after this time does not usually harm the fetus but may cause early labor and low birth weight.

New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. These include the following:
Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. If tests show that the cancer cells have places where hormones can attach (receptors), drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy are used to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working.

The effectiveness of hormone therapy, alone or combined with chemotherapy, in treating breast cancer in pregnant women is not yet known.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Ending the pregnancy does not seem to improve the mother’s chance of survival and is not usually a treatment option.

If the cancer must be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which may harm the fetus, ending the pregnancy is sometimes considered. This decision may depend on the stage of cancer, the age of the fetus, and the mother’s chance of survival.

Discover How You Can Treat Infertility Naturally, Without Drugs or Surgery

Sheryl ‘sheds’ her skin

Sheryl ‘sheds’ her skin
Facing up to her treatment for breast cancer allowed Sheryl Crow to rediscover herself.

Read more on iafrica.com

Prostate Cancer Screening Needs a Massage!

In 2009, about 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in males after skin cancer and is the second death-causing cancer after lung cancer. It accounts for about 10% of cancer-related mortalities in men. On the other hand, the prognosis for prostate cancer is quite good. This is because prostate cancer is usually a slow-growing disease and many of those diagnosed do not develop symptoms.

According to ACS about 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only 1 man in 35 will die of it. and for all men with prostate cancer, the relative 5-year survival rate is nearly 100% and the relative 10-year survival rate is 93%. The 15-year relative survival rate is 79%.

Currently worldwide prostate cancer screening is still dependant on the PSA blood test and the Digital rectal exam.

1) The PSA blood test remains the state-of-the-art screening method for prostate cancer. PSA stands for Prostate-Specific Antigen. It is a substance naturally occurring in the male semen but can also occur in small amounts in the blood. A normal PSA blood level is about 4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Elevated levels of PSA in the blood can indicate an increase in the number of cancerous cells. However, it may not, hence the reason the PSA test remains controversial.

(2) The Digital rectal exam (DRE) is performed by inserting a lubricated gloved finger into the rectum of the patient to feel for bumps and other abnormalities that might be indicative of cancer. This is possible because the prostate gland is just right in front of the rectum. However, some patients may consider a rectal exam uncomfortable and invasive. It is also less sensitive than PSA.

Unfortunately making an initial accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer is not easy due to the nature of the disease and the limitations of current screening methods.

(1) The ACS states that neither the PSA test nor the DRE is 100% accurate. Abnormal results of these tests don’t always mean that cancer is present, and normal results don’t always mean that there is no cancer. According to the ACS “uncertain or false test results could cause confusion and anxiety. Some men might have a prostate biopsy (which carries its own small risks, along with discomfort) when cancer is not present, while others might get a false sense of security from normal test results when cancer is actually present”.

(2) Furthermore to confound things, several factors and conditions can affect the PSA levels including; Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – a non-cancerous enlargement that occurs with age can increase PSA levels, Age – PSA levels will also normally go up slowly as you get older, Prostatitis – an infection or inflammation of the prostate gland can elevate PSA levels, Ejaculation can cause the PSA to go up for a short time, and then go down again, medications including herbal mixtures can interfere with PSA measurements and Obesity tends to have lower PSA levels.

(3) In early 2009, two large-scale studies on the risks and benefits of PSA testing were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Unfortunately, instead of settling the PSA question once and for all, the two studies actually produced somewhat contradictory results.

In the American study on PSA, researchers followed up 76,693 men for 7 to 10 years who either had a PSA test or a DRE and compared mortalities due to prostate cancer. The study results showed that “the rate of death from prostate cancer was very low and did not differ significantly between the two study groups.”

In the European study on PSA, researchers followed up about 182,000 men who either had PSA or no PSA testing and compared mortality rates. The study results showed that “PSA-based screening reduced the rate of death from prostate cancer by 20% but was associated with a high risk of overdiagnosis.

Although the screening tests can detect early cancer they cannot determine whether the cancer will prove to be fast-growing and aggressive or slow growing and benign. For patients and health care providers alike, this lack of clarity in the tests results creates a dilemma: treat the cancer before it spreads any further or do nothing but practice what is called “watchful waiting” or “expectant management” with serial PSAs and eventual biopsy. As a result of the PSA test’s shortcomings there tends to be overdiagnosis which creates overtreatment – too many invasive biopsies and serial blood tests which consumes precious healthcare resources and productivity.

Other screening tests have been developed but due to limitations have not replaced the conventional screening tests.

(1) Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) uses ultrasound technology to view the prostate gland by inserting a small electronic probe into the rectum. However, TRUS is usually not used as a routine screening test for prostate cancer because its low detection power may not reveal early stage cancer. However, TRUS is a useful method used in conjunction with a prostate biopsy. It helps guide the biopsy needle into the right area of the prostate.

(2) Urine test for prostate cancer. A recent study identified a molecule in the urine that could be used as a disease marker in prostate cancer patients. The molecule has been identified as sarcosine “a derivative of the amino acid glycine. However, the technique is still used primarily for the staging of prostate cancer.

And to add insult to injury if supported by a positive biopsy, chances are that doctors will recommend treatment which usually involves surgical removal of the gland, the so-called prostatectomy. Unfortunately, this conventional and invasive treatment can have the following side effects: interference with sexual and urinary function, psychological distress and lower quality of life.

However, on the bright side, while we wait for better screening methods for prostate cancer, several new treatment trends have emerged.

(1) Interventional cryoablation. Cryoablation is the male equivalent of a lumpectomy, as in breast cancer, which entails localizing the tumor and destroying it by freezing. Interventional radiologists insert a probe through the skin, using imaging to guide the needle to the tumor; the probe then circulates extremely cold gas to freeze and destroy the cancerous tissue. This minimally invasive treatment targets only the cancer itself, sparing healthy tissue in and around the prostate gland rather than destroying it, as traditional approaches do.

(2) Cancer vaccines. These biological response modifiers work by stimulating or restoring the immune system’s ability to fight infections and disease. There are two broad types of cancer vaccines, preventive vaccines, which are intended to prevent cancer from developing in healthy people and treatment vaccines, which are intended to treat already existing cancers by strengthening the body’s natural defenses against cancer. Currently, no cancer vaccine has been approved for prostate cancer but there are several drugs in development.

Researchers at the Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island are developing “designer immune cells” to treat prostate cancer. They removed T-cells from patients and genetically engineered them to recognize prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA which are found on the outer membrane of prostate cells. The biological drug is currently in Phase I trials.

The therapeutic vaccine Provenge, manufactured by Dendreon, is showing a lot of promise. The recent results from a Phase III trial showed that men with advanced prostate cancer lived an average of 4 months longer than men who did not receive it. However, while the drug prolonged life span of the patients, it does not slow down disease progression.

Another vaccine is PROSTVAC-VF which is made from a virus that has been genetically modified to contain prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The patient’s immune system should respond to the virus and begin to recognize and destroy cancer cells containing PSA.

Of interest one of the largest studies on the effect of vitamin supplements on prostate cancer produced rather disappointing results and had to be stopped prematurely. The National Cancer Institute SELECT trial investigated whether supplementation with vitamin E, selenium, or a combination of the two can lower the risk of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, the results after five years revealed otherwise. In fact, study participants who took only vitamin E actually had a slightly increased risk of developing prostate cancer while those taking only selenium seemed to have a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes.

Currently, no major scientific or medical organization, including the American Cancer Society (ACS), American Urological Association (AUA), US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), American College of Physicians (ACP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) support routine screening for prostate cancer.

However, the PSA test still remains the gold standard for prostate cancer screening and on the bright side, PSA test unreliability has and is stimulating the quest for better management techniques, especially in the non-invasive arena. Healthcare providers should openly talk with their patients about the benefits, risks, and uncertainties of prostate cancer screening so that men can “weigh their options” and make “informed decisions” about this issue.

In the meantime, prostate cancer screening continues to need a massage!

Conemaugh Health System: Dr. Stefanick on Breast Cancer

Dr. Patti Ann Stefanick, DO, FACOS delivers a speech on Breast Cancer at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition event “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania.”

Panel doesn’t back Avastin for breast cancer

Panel doesn’t back Avastin for breast cancer
Roche Holding AG’s top-selling drug Avastin failed to win a U.S. panel’s backing for continued sales as a treatment for breast cancer. Studies don’t show that chemotherapy paired with Avastin – which was developed by Roche’s Genentech unit in South San… Breast cancer – Genentech – Bevacizumab – Chemotherapy – Cancer

Read more on San Francisco Chronicle

Mammogram Mania

A Nursing Professor shares her insight into the recent breast cancer screening controversy.