Next to advanced non-small cell lung cancer, TG4010 could work on several other cancer types like prostate and breast cancer, possibly making it a rival to Roche's Avastin.
Showing posts with label International news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label International news. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Transgene sees cancer deal this summer
Transgene expects to strike a worldwide partnership agreement this summer for lung cancer vaccine TG4010, a possible blockbuster, that could speed up the French biotech's plans to become a pharmaceutical group.
Next to advanced non-small cell lung cancer, TG4010 could work on several other cancer types like prostate and breast cancer, possibly making it a rival to Roche's Avastin.
Next to advanced non-small cell lung cancer, TG4010 could work on several other cancer types like prostate and breast cancer, possibly making it a rival to Roche's Avastin.
From Japan: 1 in 8 with lung cancer show asbestos exposure, study finds
Pleural plaques, or a thickening of lung membranes due to asbestos exposure, were found in one in eight lung cancer patients, according to medical research papers jointly released Monday by 12 medical institutions in Japan.
The research team said the number of people who died from asbestos-related lung cancer might amount to several thousand people a year.
About 60,000 people die from lung cancer each year in the nation.
In fiscal 2007, only 660 people were recognized as suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer and thus eligible for government aid, indicating that many lung cancer patients are excluded from the aid as the exposure has not been confirmed as the cause of their diseases.
Between 2006 and 2007, the 12 medical institutions in six prefectures, including Tokyo, Hokkaido and Aichi, examined 471 patients, aged 26 to 94 who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic lung cancer, to check if they had developed pleural plaques.
The 12 institutions belong to the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions.
The research team discovered pleural plaques in 28 patients, or 5.9 percent, through chest X-rays, and in 58 patients, or 12.3 percent, through high-resolution computer tomography.
Pleural plaques were detected through the CT scan mainly in people engaged in professions involving repeated asbestos exposure, with 14 out of 35 patients working in the construction industry and six out of 23 in the metal manufacturing and processing industry.
The research team said the number of people who died from asbestos-related lung cancer might amount to several thousand people a year.
About 60,000 people die from lung cancer each year in the nation.
In fiscal 2007, only 660 people were recognized as suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer and thus eligible for government aid, indicating that many lung cancer patients are excluded from the aid as the exposure has not been confirmed as the cause of their diseases.
Between 2006 and 2007, the 12 medical institutions in six prefectures, including Tokyo, Hokkaido and Aichi, examined 471 patients, aged 26 to 94 who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic lung cancer, to check if they had developed pleural plaques.
The 12 institutions belong to the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions.
The research team discovered pleural plaques in 28 patients, or 5.9 percent, through chest X-rays, and in 58 patients, or 12.3 percent, through high-resolution computer tomography.
Pleural plaques were detected through the CT scan mainly in people engaged in professions involving repeated asbestos exposure, with 14 out of 35 patients working in the construction industry and six out of 23 in the metal manufacturing and processing industry.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The State reports: Isotope shortage could delay cancer tests
Canadian officials have again shut down a nuclear reactor that produces much of the world's radioactive isotopes used to diagnose cancer patients through medical imaging.
Patients in line for medical tests to diagnose cancer and heart ailments may have a longer wait as hospitals try to conserve a scarce supply of isotopes, doctors say.
The latest shutdown of an Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario - which provides about half the global supply of isotopes used in medical imaging - is expected to last about a month as technicians repair a leak of heavy water.
Government-owned AECL said Tuesday it has enough medical isotopes for the coming week, but will unable to meet demand by Saturday.
The AECL said its NRU reactor was shut down last Thursday after a power outage. The leak was discovered shortly after that.
The 52-year-old reactor was ordered closed by Canada's nuclear regulator in 2007 until mandated safety upgrades had been completed. The nearly monthlong shutdown that resulted sparked a critical global shortage of medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and heart ailments, and only ended when Canada's Parliament voted to bypass the regulator's order.
Another lengthy shortage will force hospitals to delay non-urgent tests, said Dr. Karen Gulenchyn, a nuclear medicine expert who helped advise former Canadian health minister Tony Clement during the last isotope shortage in December 2007.
"It may mean that if you have an elective study booked ... that patient is going to be deferred and have to wait until the situation is resolved," she said.
Patients in line for medical tests to diagnose cancer and heart ailments may have a longer wait as hospitals try to conserve a scarce supply of isotopes, doctors say.
The latest shutdown of an Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario - which provides about half the global supply of isotopes used in medical imaging - is expected to last about a month as technicians repair a leak of heavy water.
Government-owned AECL said Tuesday it has enough medical isotopes for the coming week, but will unable to meet demand by Saturday.
The AECL said its NRU reactor was shut down last Thursday after a power outage. The leak was discovered shortly after that.
The 52-year-old reactor was ordered closed by Canada's nuclear regulator in 2007 until mandated safety upgrades had been completed. The nearly monthlong shutdown that resulted sparked a critical global shortage of medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and heart ailments, and only ended when Canada's Parliament voted to bypass the regulator's order.
Another lengthy shortage will force hospitals to delay non-urgent tests, said Dr. Karen Gulenchyn, a nuclear medicine expert who helped advise former Canadian health minister Tony Clement during the last isotope shortage in December 2007.
"It may mean that if you have an elective study booked ... that patient is going to be deferred and have to wait until the situation is resolved," she said.
The State reports: Study links cigarette changes to rising lung risk
It may be riskier on the lungs to smoke cigarettes today than it was a few decades ago - at least in the U.S., says new research that blames changes in cigarette design for fueling a certain type of lung cancer.
Up to half of the nation's lung cancer cases may be due to those changes, Dr. David Burns of the University of California, San Diego, told a recent meeting of tobacco researchers.
It's not the first time that scientists have concluded the 1960s movement for lower-tar cigarettes brought some unexpected consequences. But this study, while preliminary, is among the most in-depth looks. And intriguingly it found the increase in a kind of lung tumor called adenocarcinoma was higher in the U.S. than in Australia even though both countries switched to so-called milder cigarettes at the same time.
"The most likely explanation for it is a change in the cigarette," Burns said in an interview - and he cited a difference: Cigarettes sold in Australia contain lower levels of nitrosamines, a known carcinogen, than those sold in the U.S.
That's circumstantial evidence that requires more research, he acknowledged.
Up to half of the nation's lung cancer cases may be due to those changes, Dr. David Burns of the University of California, San Diego, told a recent meeting of tobacco researchers.
It's not the first time that scientists have concluded the 1960s movement for lower-tar cigarettes brought some unexpected consequences. But this study, while preliminary, is among the most in-depth looks. And intriguingly it found the increase in a kind of lung tumor called adenocarcinoma was higher in the U.S. than in Australia even though both countries switched to so-called milder cigarettes at the same time.
"The most likely explanation for it is a change in the cigarette," Burns said in an interview - and he cited a difference: Cigarettes sold in Australia contain lower levels of nitrosamines, a known carcinogen, than those sold in the U.S.
That's circumstantial evidence that requires more research, he acknowledged.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mail Online from the UK reports: Women smokers get lung cancer earlier than men, says study
Women are more vulnerable to the deadly side effects of smoking than men, a lung cancer study found.
Research into patients with the disease found women tended to be diagnosed at a younger age than men - even though they had smoked fewer cigarettes.
They were also more likely to develop one of the most common forms of the cancer, researchers said.
It adds to the growing pile of evidence suggesting that women are more vulnerable to the cancer-causing chemicals, or carcinogens, in tobacco than men.
The study looked at 683 lung cancer patients treated at a Swiss clinic between 2000 and 2005. It found that female smokers were statistically most likely to develop adenocarcinoma - a common form of lung cancer - and were more likely to be diagnosed with the disease at an earlier age.
Study leader Dr Martin Frueh, from St Gallen Canton Hospital in Switzerland, said: 'Our findings suggest that women may have an increased susceptibility to tobacco carcinogens.'
Read more.
Research into patients with the disease found women tended to be diagnosed at a younger age than men - even though they had smoked fewer cigarettes.
They were also more likely to develop one of the most common forms of the cancer, researchers said.
It adds to the growing pile of evidence suggesting that women are more vulnerable to the cancer-causing chemicals, or carcinogens, in tobacco than men.
The study looked at 683 lung cancer patients treated at a Swiss clinic between 2000 and 2005. It found that female smokers were statistically most likely to develop adenocarcinoma - a common form of lung cancer - and were more likely to be diagnosed with the disease at an earlier age.
Study leader Dr Martin Frueh, from St Gallen Canton Hospital in Switzerland, said: 'Our findings suggest that women may have an increased susceptibility to tobacco carcinogens.'
Read more.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Lung Cancer Alliance to Canadian Medical Association Journal Editorial on Lung Cancer Screening
Monday, April 20, 2009: Last week, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an editorial discussing lung cancer screening. In the piece, they misrepresented LCA's position on lung cancer screening. In addition, they came to the conclusion that the best use of funding for lung cancer would be in tobacco control and cessation programs. LCA President & CEO, Laurie Fenton Ambrose, sent in a Letter to the Editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal clarifying LCA's position on lung cancer screening and urging those within the community to address the disease in a comprehensive manner with tobacco cessation programs, early detection and treatment research.
Dear Editor,
The editorial in the April 14, 2009 Canadian Medical Association Journal entitled "A Pause for Thought on Lung Cancer Screening", by M.B. Stanbrook and K. Flegel accuses the Lung Cancer Alliance of having "promoted" CT screening for lung cancer. For the record, our position is that those at high risk for lung cancer (those with greater than 20 pack year smoking history, those with a family history of lung cancer, those with exgtensive exposure to asbestos, radon, Agent Orange and other carcinogens) should speak with their doctors about the risks and benefits of a CT scan.
Please note that we emphasize those at high risk, not population based screening. Even before mammograms and psa testing became widely accepted population based screening tests in the US. (The 5-year survival rates for those cancers are now 88% and 99% respectively and whether or not screening played a role in this increase in survival rates you can debate). The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is still only 15%.
Lung cancer is far more lethal for the individual patient and in its overall public health impact. Nearly one in every three cancer deaths in the United States is due to lung cancer and only 16% of patients are being diagnosed at an early, most curable stage. Advances in CT scanning now present an alternative to late stage diagnosis for those at hight risk and recent papers coming out of ongoing European trials are further refining the process of CT screening.
Certainly we can look forward to a simple biomarker to further refine the optimal population subset for a CT scan, and we have adocated strongly for reseach funding in these areas. But in the meantime are you suggesting that those at high risk should do nothing? Your conclusion is: "In the meantime, given how much we know about the prevention of lung cancer, targeting smoking avoidance and cessation, rather than detection and management of lung cancer, would seem a better investment."
Sadly this statement ignores the fact that over 50% of lung cancer is being diagnosed in people who have already quit, many of them decades ago. Another 15 to 20% have never smoked. Without considering these individuals,any investment analysis in lung cancer in 2009 and the future is incomplete and suspect.
Sincerely,
Laurie Fenton Ambrose
President & CEO
Lung Cancer Alliance
Laurie Fenton Ambrose
President & CEO
Lung Cancer Alliance
Monday, April 6, 2009
Science Daily reports: Young Women Warned Of Lung Cancer Risks
Seventeen people are still dying from lung cancer each week in Northern Ireland despite a small improvement in survival rates for the disease.
The figures are revealed by a report launched April 3 by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) at Queen's University Belfast.
The NICR is holding a joint launch April 3 with Macmillan Cancer Support which has released its own report on the experience of patients living with lung cancer and their carers in Northern Ireland, highlighting that services are not meeting their needs.
The Queen's report, entitled Monitoring care of patients with lung cancer in Northern Ireland diagnosed 2006, details the facts of the disease from the numbers of people diagnosed, to trends, treatment and survival.
It looked at the experiences of more than 2,200 lung cancer patients over a decade and points to a fall in cases for men under 65 but not for women in this age group. Lung cancer now kills more women than breast cancer in Northern Ireland.
While highlighting the need for continued work to prevent the condition in all sections of the population by addressing smoking, it also acknowledges the commitment of staff who treat patients with the disease.
Read more.
The figures are revealed by a report launched April 3 by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) at Queen's University Belfast.
The NICR is holding a joint launch April 3 with Macmillan Cancer Support which has released its own report on the experience of patients living with lung cancer and their carers in Northern Ireland, highlighting that services are not meeting their needs.
The Queen's report, entitled Monitoring care of patients with lung cancer in Northern Ireland diagnosed 2006, details the facts of the disease from the numbers of people diagnosed, to trends, treatment and survival.
It looked at the experiences of more than 2,200 lung cancer patients over a decade and points to a fall in cases for men under 65 but not for women in this age group. Lung cancer now kills more women than breast cancer in Northern Ireland.
While highlighting the need for continued work to prevent the condition in all sections of the population by addressing smoking, it also acknowledges the commitment of staff who treat patients with the disease.
Read more.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin dies
Raul Alfonsin, the Argentine president who guided his country's return to democracy following a military dictatorship that left thousands missing, died on Tuesday. He was 82.
Alfonsin's personal doctor, Alberto Sadler, said he died of lung cancer. The government declared three days or mourning.
Alfonsin's personal doctor, Alberto Sadler, said he died of lung cancer. The government declared three days or mourning.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
US court dismisses smoking appeal
The US Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by cigarette maker Philip Morris over a $79.5m award to the widow of a long-time Oregon smoker.
The court upheld a 1999 ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court in favour of Mayola Williams.
Having heard arguments in December, the judges said in a one-sentence order that they were not passing judgement on the legal issues presented.
The judgement has grown to more than $145m with interest.
Jesse Williams died of lung cancer in 1997 having smoked for 40 years.
Mrs. Williams sued the cigarette manufacturer for fraud on behalf of her husband.
Read more.
The court upheld a 1999 ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court in favour of Mayola Williams.
Having heard arguments in December, the judges said in a one-sentence order that they were not passing judgement on the legal issues presented.
The judgement has grown to more than $145m with interest.
Jesse Williams died of lung cancer in 1997 having smoked for 40 years.
Mrs. Williams sued the cigarette manufacturer for fraud on behalf of her husband.
Read more.
Friday, March 27, 2009
A simple puff may save smokers' lives
Blowing into a tube could help find people at increased risk of getting lung cancer.
The test, called a spirometry, is used to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, also known as smoker's lung or emphysema.
A study by Kiwi researchers has found people with COPD are six times more likely to get lung cancer than smokers without the disease.
But project leader associate professor Robert Young of Auckland University said spirometry tests should be given more often, especially as many doctors already had the equipment.
"It's not used all that much. This is not really acceptable, as nearly all patients with lung cancer express feelings of guilt or regret that they smoked and wished they had given up sooner."
Read more.
The test, called a spirometry, is used to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, also known as smoker's lung or emphysema.
But project leader associate professor Robert Young of Auckland University said spirometry tests should be given more often, especially as many doctors already had the equipment.
"It's not used all that much. This is not really acceptable, as nearly all patients with lung cancer express feelings of guilt or regret that they smoked and wished they had given up sooner."
Read more.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reuters reports: Novartis-Antisoma lung cancer drug tested in Japan
Clinical trials of an experimental lung cancer drug being developed by Novartis AG (NOVN.VX) in partnership with Britain's Antisoma Plc (ASM.L) have been extended to Japan.
Antisoma said on Wednesday that the Phase III programme evaluating ASA404 as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer was now enrolling patients in Japan -- an important step towards a potential application to sell the drug in the country.
Read more.
Antisoma said on Wednesday that the Phase III programme evaluating ASA404 as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer was now enrolling patients in Japan -- an important step towards a potential application to sell the drug in the country.
Read more.
Reuters reports: Cancer cure rates on the rise in Europe: study
More Europeans are beating cancer, perhaps due to more widespread screening and earlier diagnosis, according to a study published on Tuesday.
The study compared two periods -- 1988 to 1990 and 1997 to 1999 -- and found that the proportion of men and women cured of lung cancer rose from 6 percent to 8 percent, stomach cancer cures from 15 percent to 18 percent and colorectal cancer cure rates went from 42 percent to 49 percent.
Read more.
The study compared two periods -- 1988 to 1990 and 1997 to 1999 -- and found that the proportion of men and women cured of lung cancer rose from 6 percent to 8 percent, stomach cancer cures from 15 percent to 18 percent and colorectal cancer cure rates went from 42 percent to 49 percent.
Read more.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Los Angeles Times: Yerba mate tea: Drink in moderation
Even as the antioxidant-filled drink catches on, researchers sound a note of caution: People who consume a lot of the tea may have higher risk of certain cancers.
One study of roughly 1,000 adults in Uruguay, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention in 1996, found the risk of lung cancer to be 60% higher among mate drinkers. Another Uruguayan study, published in the same journal in 2003, found that in a group of about 800 adults, mate drinking tripled the risk of esophageal cancer.
One study of roughly 1,000 adults in Uruguay, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention in 1996, found the risk of lung cancer to be 60% higher among mate drinkers. Another Uruguayan study, published in the same journal in 2003, found that in a group of about 800 adults, mate drinking tripled the risk of esophageal cancer.
Tom Glassey loses brave battle with cancer
Born in Castletown in 1953, Tom lost his sight as a baby after he contracted cancer in one eye — the cancer also threatened his other eye.
Diagnosed with lung cancer just over a year ago, an instinctive writer, he chartered his battle in a blog that was aimed at persuading smokers to give up the habit that caused his own condition.
The blog was read by tens of thousands of people around the world and recommended by doctors to their cancer patients. Relentlessly upbeat, philosophical and humorous, his words led readers on a journey that was, despite everything, an inspiration.
In this month's issue he described embarking on the second round of chemotherapy treatment and wrote: "I know that some of you may feel that you are in a hopeless situation right now. I know what that feels like, I have been there."
"To be without hope is to have nothing. Yet no matter how damn hopeless life appears, the door can open at any time and you simply have no control of who might pass through it."
The blog was read by tens of thousands of people around the world and recommended by doctors to their cancer patients. Relentlessly upbeat, philosophical and humorous, his words led readers on a journey that was, despite everything, an inspiration.
In this month's issue he described embarking on the second round of chemotherapy treatment and wrote: "I know that some of you may feel that you are in a hopeless situation right now. I know what that feels like, I have been there."
"To be without hope is to have nothing. Yet no matter how damn hopeless life appears, the door can open at any time and you simply have no control of who might pass through it."
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Gene defect raises lung cancer risk
A study in the United States has found that an often undetected gene defect can double the risk of contracting lung cancer.
A deficiency of a protein called alpha 1-antitrypsin can make the body more receptive to carcinogenic substances, says Professor Helmut Teschler of Germany's Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP) in reference to the study's findings.
People with the gene defect are more susceptible to the harmful substances contained in tobacco products and are advised to quit smoking immediately.
A deficiency of a protein called alpha 1-antitrypsin can make the body more receptive to carcinogenic substances, says Professor Helmut Teschler of Germany's Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP) in reference to the study's findings.
People with the gene defect are more susceptible to the harmful substances contained in tobacco products and are advised to quit smoking immediately.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Why Only Some Former Smokers Develop Lung Cancer
ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2008) — Canadian researchers are trying to answer why some smokers develop lung cancer while others remain disease free, despite similar lifestyle changes.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The New York Times reports: Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort
Article By: Donald G. McNeil Jr.Photo By: Nicole Bengiveno
Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop people around the world from smoking.
The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco will kill up to a billion people in the 21st century, 10 times as many as it killed in the 20th.
This time, most are expected to be in poor countries like Bangladesh and middle-income countries like Russia. In an effort to cut that number, Mr. Bloomberg’s foundation plans to commit $250 million over four years on top of a $125 million gift he announced two years ago. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is allocating $125 million over five years.
This time, most are expected to be in poor countries like Bangladesh and middle-income countries like Russia. In an effort to cut that number, Mr. Bloomberg’s foundation plans to commit $250 million over four years on top of a $125 million gift he announced two years ago. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is allocating $125 million over five years.
To read the complete article, click the following link: http: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/health/24smoke.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bill%20gates%20smoking&st=cse&oref=slogin
Thursday, April 10, 2008
WIS News 10 of the midlands reports: High-Dose Chemo Fails Against Small Cell Lung Cancers
WEDNESDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- High-intensity chemotherapy does not improve the survival rate of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a new Swiss study concludes.Testing on 140 patients in a randomized trial showed no statistically significant differences in survival rate or tumor size between groups receiving either standard or high doses of chemo over a three-year period. The findings were published online April 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, news release, April 8, 2008
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, news release, April 8, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Science Daily reports "Quitting Smoking: It's Never Too Late"
Many people spend a lifetime trying to give up smoking, but there is good news for older smokers from research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in South West England.
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