Showing posts with label breast cancer research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer research. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Are Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Getting the Right Treatment?

According to a recent on line article by Melissa Weber published in www.curetoday.com as many as one in seven women with metastatic breast cancer could be receiving the wrong treatment because of a change in the cancer’s biology when it metastasizes.

“When breast cancer spreads to another part of the body, a HER2-positive cancer could become HER2-negative. Or estrogen receptor-negative cancer could switch to estrogen receptor-positive. Despite different treatment strategies for each, most oncologists rely on what they know about the primary breast tumor to fight the metastasis, says Giuseppe Curigliano, MD, PhD, co-director of the division of medical oncology at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy. But researchers now believe inhibiting one cancer growth pathway with treatment may activate signaling of a new pathway that allows it to survive and spread.”

A study presented over the summer at the annual ASCO meeting showed that in certain cases when the metastatic lesion was tested, it did not match the primary tumor. There are a few different hypotheses for why this might happen. “Experts suspect that because tumors are made up of different kinds of cancer cells, a small fraction of cells may have a different receptor status. If those cells are more resistant to cancer therapy, the resistant cells may outgrow the rest over time. At the time of recurrence or progression, the overall tumor will have subsequently appeared to have ‘switched.’”

Being aware of the potential that the biologic characteristics of the metastatic lesion might not match that of the primary lesion can have implications for treatment. The researchers quoted in the study suggest that rebiopsy should be performed after considering the safety of the procedure.

To read the full article on line on the curetoday.com website please click here.

For products that can ease side effects of radiation and chemotherapy for breast cancer patients, please click here.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

CR Magazine - Another Great Resource for Cancer Patients, Survivors and Caregivers

CR was launched by the American Association for Cancer Research in March 2006 to serve an unmet need: a forum for sharing credible, balanced information about cancer and perspectives on the pressing challenges in cancer research today. We believe that collaborations among members of the cancer community—survivors and those who care for and about them—will lead to results in cancer prevention, treatment and care.
CR Magazine has a print version and an on line version. The CR website offers some interesting podcasts which have been created to address specific issues of interest to cancer patients. Some examples of the podcasts which are accessible on the website are:
The Human Side of Cancer
With Dr. Jimmie Holland
By Kevin Begos
A new series of podcasts about coping with the psychological and emotional side of cancer.
Cancer News Podcast -Speeding Up Translational Research
By Kevin Begos
A proposed NIH center aims to move science from bench to beside faster.
Cancer Drug Shortages
By Kevin Begos
Doctors and pharmaceutical companies must find solutions to shortages of some tried-and-true medications.
Novel Strategies for Breast Cancer Therapy
By Kevin Begos
Improved understanding of breast cancer subtypes can lead to better treatments for the disease.
Pathobiology of Breast Cancer
By Kevin Begos
Scientists now have a greater understanding of how breast cancer works.
The above are just a few examples of the podcasts available on the website. To access the podcasts and to view additional titles click here.
You can subscribe to the print edition of CR Magazine by clicking here.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Breast Cancer Lymph Node Treatment Protocol Updated: For Up to 20% of Patients Removal of Cancerous Nodes Yields No Survival Advantage

A somewhat surprising and counterintuitive recommendation is the result of a multiyear breast cancer study: approximately 20% of women with breast cancer should not have cancerous lymph nodes from under their arms removed. This new approach to treatment was adopted by Memorial Sloan-Kettering, a renowned cancer treatment hospital in New York City in September 2010. Dr. Monica Morrow, chief of the breast service at Sloan-Kettering is one of the author's of the study supporting this new protocol which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on 2/9/11. The study found that the survival rate for patients whose lymph nodes were removed is very similar to the survival of patients whose lymph nodes were not removed.

The study concludes that taking out the lymph nodes does not change the treatment plan, improve survival, or make the cancer less likely to recur. Often, the removal of lymph nodes causes dangerous, painful and potentially disabling complications such as infection and/or lymphedema.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are now standard therapy for women whose breast cancer has traveled to the lymph nodes. It is believe that this treatment is effective for wiping out any disease in these lymph nodes.

Importantly, the new results do not apply to all patients, only to those whose women who meet the specific criteria as laid out in the study with regard to lymph node descriptive details.

For products that can help you reduce and relieve side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, please visit http://www.lotstolivefor.com/

For more information you can refer to:
The article by Denise Grady in the NY Times entitled “Lymph Node Study Shakes Breast Cancer Treatment” dated 2/9/11
The article in the Journal of the American Medical Association entitled "Auillary Dissection vs No Axillary Dissection in Women With Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis" with multiple authors including Armando E. Giuliano, MD
A followup article to the 2/9 article in the NY Times, also by Denise Grady "Implications of Study on Breast Cancer"

Friday, December 17, 2010

31 Myths and Truths About Breast Cancer from the National Breast Cancer Coalition

The website http://www.knowbreastcancer.org/ has a list of 31 myths and truths about Breast Cancer with the ultimate hope of educating and empowering women to help detect, prevent and ultimately cure this disease.

The following is from the website:

"It’s time to move beyond awareness to action. It’s time to peel back the pink to see what’s really happening in breast cancer research, treatment, prevention and cure.

Our breast cancer myths and truths are backed by science, documented by credible and trusted sources and chosen because they are often misunderstood by or misrepresented to the general public.

We challenge you to become educated, speak up on behalf of women and men everywhere and take action to end this disease. We also call on you to help us spread this message to people you know: friends, family, coworkers, anyone who cares about ending breast cancer.

We will show you the way and give you the tools to get involved and make a difference.

Please join us."

To view the thought provoking and informative 31 Myths and Truths you can visit the National Breast Cancer Coalition website by clicking here. When you click in to view the 31 Myths and Truths, you can then click on each item to get further information about that specific myth or truth.

For example Myth #12 is: Everyone's breast cancer is the same.
If you click on the myth you will be taken to a more detailed page about that statement (click here to complete the example and view the detail about this myth) and you will learn about some unique characteristics of different types of breast cancer, and why they are not all the same.

There is plenty of additional information worth reading behind this seemingly simple 31 item list.

For products that can help to reduce and relieve the side effects of breast cancer treatment you can reference our website at http://www.lotstolivefor.com/

Sunday, December 12, 2010

San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2010 Information

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium attracts academic and private physicians and researchers, as well as other health care professionals focused on curing breast cancer, to discuss and learn about new and late-breaking research including experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and pre-malignant breast disease, as well as new findings from clinical trials. With the addition of the AACR as a symposium collaborator, this year’s program will attract more thought-leaders and high-quality proffered papers in basic and translational breast cancer research as well as increase the participation of young investigators by providing superior education and training opportunities for the next generation of breast cancer researchers.
You can view information about the symposium: http://www.sabcs.org/
Abstracts from presentations are available on the website above.
The publication Cure Today has a daily email which reviews highlights of the presentations at the symposium each day. There are also video interviews with some of the presenters. You can view these daily hightlights at: http://media.curetoday.com/sabcs2010/day1.html
Following are two briefs that appear in the Cure Today highlights:
Highlights from the 2009 Symposium: An Update
COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS
Physicians, researchers and advocates from all around the world came away from the 2009 SABCS with answers to a number of important questions: Is beginning on an aromatase inhibitor better than switching from tamoxifen? Is Herceptin more effective with or following chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer? Does Avastin slow progression of metastatic breast cancer and by how much? And how well does Xgeva work against bone pain and fracture when compared with Zometa? Get an update on last year's breaking news.
Preventing Cancer in BRCA Mutation Carriers
BY MELISSA WEBER
Every woman with a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene should have their ovaries removed to lower their risk of ovarian cancer, said speaker Susan Domchek, MD, during an educational session Wednesday at the SABCS. Calling the preventive surgery "mandatory" in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, Domchek said there's no evidence that current ovarian cancer screening is effective.
Click on the abstract name above to be taken to the full article referenced.
To view products that can help with side effects caused by breast cancer treatment, please visit: http://www.LotsToLiveFor.com

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Short Summaries from the European Society for Medical Oncology Conference

Erbitux, a product manufactured by Eli Lilly and Merck KGaA of Germany delayed the spread of breast cancer, when given in conjunction with cisplatin, by about two months in a study of women with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) an aggressive breast tumor with few treatment options. Adding Erbitux to chemotherapy lengthened the time before progression from 1.5 months to 3.7 months according to a mid-stage Phase II study. Twenty percent of Erbitux patients saw their cancer shrink or disappear compared to ten percent of those on chemotherapy only. Erbitux is already approved for advanced colon cancer as well as head and neck tumors. In another finding relating to bowel cancer, the drug may not be effective with some oxaliplatin based chemotherapy combinations. To view a full press release from Reuters click here.

ImmunoGen, Inc. announced some encouraging clinical data for lorvotuzumab mertansine, a targeted anti cancer compound. Lorvotuzumab mertansine is designed to target and kill cancer cells that express CD56, a protein and uses ImmunoGen’s patented Targeted Antipbody Payload technology. This targeted compound (also called IMGN901) is a potential treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma, small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma, and other CD56+ tumors. The finding was from an early stage clinical trial, and will have to be followed up with further disease specific studies. To read more about this study click here.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Roche’s Drug T-DM1 for Breast Cancer – Phase II Results are “Stunning”

In advance of the oncology conference of the ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) in Milan on Monday, Severin Schwan, Chief Executive Officer of Roche Holding AG announced his opinion that the data from the Phase II trial for T-DM1 was “stunning.” T-DM1is in clinical trials for breast cancer. It is the first of a new kind of “armed antibody” that can carry a cell-killing payload into cancer cells. The drug is being developed with partner ImmunoGen. T-DM1’s results were better than than that of Herceptin plus Taxotere. In addition, clinically adverse side effects were lower.
Herceptin, also a Roche drug, and currently has sales of about $5 billion annually.
More details will be released this week.

T-DM1 has advanced to Phase III testing.
For further details about this press information from Reuters please click here.

For products that can help alleviate unpleasant side effects from current breast cancer treatments including radiation and chemotherapy please view our website www.LotsToLiveFor.com

Thursday, April 29, 2010

FDA Approves Provenge for Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer

This information is directly from the Dendreon Website (The manufacturer of Provenge)
PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T) Is Now FDA Approved
PROVENGE is an autologous cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant (hormone refractory) prostate cancer.

PROVENGE is made using cells from a patient's own immune system, so it cannot be warehoused like many other drugs and requires specialized manufacturing facilities.

Within the first year of FDA approval, Dendreon anticipates being able to manufacture PROVENGE to support the treatment of about 2,000 patients. At launch, treatment will be available through approximately 50 centers across the country previously approved as clinical trial sites. As our manufacturing capacity increases over the next 12 months, PROVENGE will become more broadly available.

How It Works

PROVENGE (PROH-venj) is designed to stimulate a patient’s immune system to target prostate cancer cells. The process of making PROVENGE involves the introduction of a patient’s immune cells to a protein that functions as a prostate cancer-associated antigen. An antigen is a substance that causes the body to react with an immune response. This process activates the patient’s immune cells against prostate cancer cells to help the immune system better fight the disease.

Additional information is provided in the FDA news release located on PR Newswire.

This is very exciting news for the cancer community because it is the first cancer immunotherapy product sometimes called an "individualized cancer vaccine" to receive FDA approval.

We have highlighed Dendreon on our Lots To Live For, Inc. Resources Page for many years.

Here is a NY Times article about the Provenge approval.
F.D.A. Approves Vaccine for Prostate Cancer
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: April 29, 2010
The treatment is the first to use a so-called cancer vaccine that trains the body’s immune system to fight the disease.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lots To Live For, Inc. Sponsors a Biathlon to Benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation


We all wish that many new and innovative ways to treat Breast Cancer will be discovered over the next decade. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is helping to fund research to discover these treatments.

On May 8, 2009 approximately 200 women will participate in the first annual Upper Saddle River Biathlon to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The mission of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. A minimum of 85 cents of every dollar goes to research and awareness programs. For more information about the BCRF please refer to their website at: http://www.bcrfcure.org/

For more information about the race you can check out the website at: http://www.usrbiathlon.org/
The race consists of a 2 mile run, a 10 mile bike ride, and concludes with another 2 mile run. There is still space if you would like to join us! Come down to Lion’s Park to encourage the participants, or stand along the course on race day and support us!

We all know someone who has courageously battled breast cancer, and there has been so much progress, but so much more is possible!

Lots To Live For, Inc. offers one stop web shopping for patients combating uncomfortable and unpleasant side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatment. We have helped many breast cancer patients.

Our website offers high quality:
• Products to help heal and soothe radiation burns
Cancer skin care products for sensitive and compromised skin
Cancer hair care products to reduce hair loss and stimulate hair re-growth
Oral care items for dry mouth and mouth sores
Nutritional products to help boost the immune system
Cancer gifts for individuals undergoing radiation and chemotherapy
Natural, Botanical and Homeopathic products to relieve cancer side effects
• Post radiation sun protection products and unique and effective sunscreen products for everyone

No other company offers such a complete collection of cancer care products to help all types of cancer side effects. Lots To Live For, Inc. is also a cancer care resource offering cancer information and links to useful articles, organizations and research.

In keeping with the Good-Bye to Cancer theme for this Biathlon, Lots To Live For, Inc. has contributed two protective Skin Care products and a sanitizer pen to USR Biathlon participant goody bags.

SolRx Dry Zinc SPF #40
SolRx Dry Zinc SPF #40 is excellent for facial blocking. This product is truly exceptional. It goes on clear and dries quickly, leaving a matte finish. It stays on in the water. Reapplication is not necessary. Overall it has a great feel and easy application.
Tri Sport SPF #30-Lip Ice (Vanilla Flavoring) – Lip Protection
Simply the best for triathlon participants. Applied once, stays well, moisturizes, protects from sunburn and wind chap, warm weather, cold weather, swimming, cycling, running.

If you would like to make a contribution, please write a check payable to:
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
You can send it to us at:
Lots To Live For, Inc.
PO Box 660
Saddle River, NJ 07458

"There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." — Washington Irving