Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

Membrane-bound Fas ligand is essential for cell death: Researchers

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have put an end to a 10-year debate over which form of a molecular messenger called Fas ligand is responsible for killing cells during programmed cell death (also called apoptosis).

1 Oct 2009

Society of Interventional Radiology offers intensive five-day course

The Society of Interventional Radiology presents Catheter Lysis of Thromboembolic Stroke (CLOTS)-an intensive five-day course featuring top interventional radiologists, neurointerventionists, neurologists and neuroradiologists offering doctors the opportunity to gain and/or upgrade skills to incorporate acute ischemic stroke care into their practice.

1 Oct 2009

People with a gun more likely to be shot in an assault than those without one

In a first-of its-kind study, epidemiologists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that, on average, guns did not protect those who possessed them from being shot in an assault. The study estimated that people with a gun were 4.5 times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not possessing a gun.

1 Oct 2009

Promising results from Cell Therapeutics' phase II OPAXIO study for advanced esophageal cancer

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that, in a study from Brown University to be presented by Howard Safran, M.D., head of the Brown University Oncology Group, in the proffered oral session at the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology (ISGIO) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania patients with cancer of the lower esophagus demonstrated a high rate of complete remission (CR) when given OPAXIO(TM) (paclitaxel poliglumex), a biologically enhanced paclitaxel, when administered in combination with standard cisplatin and concurrent radiation.

1 Oct 2009

FASgen receives $1.4 million SBIR Phase II NIH grant for obesity research

FASgen, Inc. is pleased to announce that it was awarded a new $1.4 million SBIR Phase II NIH grant for continued research for obesity. FASgen has for some time had extensive research into the effects of inhibition of the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway on the regulation of appetite and weight loss.

1 Oct 2009

Physician-assisted deaths do not cause significant grief among family members

Unlike other forms of suicide, physician assisted death does not cause substantial regret, or a sense of rejection among surviving family members. In addition, the prevalence and severity of depression and grief among family members whose loved ones received aid in dying is no different than family members whose loved ones did not pursue physician assisted suicide.

1 Oct 2009

OICR completes evaluation of NEB's new reagents for use with the Illumina Genome Analyzer

Dr. John McPherson, Platform Leader, Cancer Genomics and High-Throughput Screening, and Dr. Kamran Shazand, Project Manager, of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) led a team of scientists who have completed a thorough evaluation of the NEBNext(TM) DNA Sample Prep Reagents for use with OICR's Illumina® Genome Analyzer II.

From New England Biolabs 1 Oct 2009

Hospira acquires global rights to biogeneric filgrastim from PLIVA

Hospira, Inc. (NYSE: HSP), a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, today announced the acquisition of worldwide rights to a biogeneric version of filgrastim and an affiliated European manufacturing facility from PLIVA Hrvatska d.o.o. (Zagreb, Croatia) (ZSE: PLVA-R-A), a move that will help extend Hospira's reach and vertical integration in biogenerics. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

1 Oct 2009

Gamida Cell publishes article evaluating Stemex for leukemia and lymphoma

Gamida Cell announced today the publication of an article evaluating carlecortemcel-l, the generic name of what is widely known as "StemEx", as a therapy for blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. The article, carlecortemcel-l, an ex vivo expanded umbilical cord blood cell graft for allogeneic transplantation, written by Dr. Ka Wah Chan and Dr. Demetrios Petropoulos, will be published in the November 2009 issue of Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy.

1 Oct 2009

Exercise may help reduce breast cancer risk

Post-menopausal women who engage in moderate to vigorous exercise have a reduced risk of breast cancer. This comes from researchers writing the open access journal BMC Cancer who investigated the link between breast cancer and exercise.

1 Oct 2009

Study sheds light on why some hospitals have lower mortality than others

A compelling University of Michigan Health System study debunks assumptions about the role of complications in distinguishing good and bad hospitals.

1 Oct 2009

Amicus brief filed against tobacco companies' lawsuit challenging FDA tobacco regulation law

Today, eleven public health and consumer advocacy organizations filed a friend of the court (amicus) brief asking a federal court to reject a lawsuit by R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and other tobacco companies that seeks to block key provisions of the new federal law regulating tobacco products. The immediate issue before the court is the industry's challenge of a provision that requires FDA approval before tobacco companies can make claims about "modified risk tobacco products."

1 Oct 2009

Social environment plays vital role in breast cancer

Social environment can play an important role in the biology of disease, including breast cancer, and lead to significant differences in health outcome, according to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

1 Oct 2009

Todd Cancer Institute granted approval for constructing proton therapy center

The Todd Cancer Institute (TCI) at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center (LBMMC) and Miller Children’s Hospital (MCH) today announced it has been granted approval to proceed with the architecture and engineering for its proton therapy center, becoming one of only 13 centers in the country currently planning for a compact unit.

1 Oct 2009

St. Mary Medical Center offers Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery treatment to fight cancer

For patients diagnosed with a brain tumor, St. Mary Medical Center is among the first in the region to offer Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) as a breakthrough treatment to fight cancer. Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery is a one-time application of a large-dose radiation precisely targeting a tumor.

1 Oct 2009

Altered state physiology drug development platform to treat an array of human conditions

David H. Fater, CEO of Vicor Technologies, Inc., today announced that on July 23, 2009, the Australian Patent Office issued it a Deed of Letters Patent for its altered state physiology drug development platform. Vicor Technologies is a biotechnology company focused on the commercialization of innovative, non-invasive medical devices and diagnostics using its patented, proprietary PD2i® nonlinear algorithm and software to stratify patients at risk of sudden cardiac death and trauma victims in need of lifesaving intervention.

1 Oct 2009

WHO: 2.7 is the new limit for indoor radon gas

The World Health Organization announced that they have established a new limit for indoor radon gas. The new maximum radon level is 2.7. This is a 32% reduction from the previously accepted "action level" of 4.0. http://www.mitigationsystem.com/releases/release/7166404/19723.htm

1 Oct 2009

Stanford Hospital invests $3 million in technology for safe patient handling

Swaddled in a cushy green hammock, the patient began her ascent off the bed. While one nurse regulated the speed of the lifting device, two of his colleagues guided the patient toward a bedside chair. Within seconds, she was securely lowered onto a cushion, and ready to begin rehabilitation exercises.

1 Oct 2009

New Magna Pure 96 System from Roche Applied Science

The new MagNA Pure 96 System from Roche Applied Science has been designed and engineered to meet the needs for high throughput laboratories worldwide. Its performance is based on Roche Applied Science’s 10 years experience in the development and application of glass-magnetic-particle based automated nucleic acid purification systems.

1 Oct 2009

Bristol-Myers announces availability of ERBITUX for metastatic colorectal cancer treatment

Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada is pleased to announce that the Ontario government has made ERBITUX(TM) (cetuximab) available to patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer. This decision makes Ontario the second province, after British Columbia, to introduce funding for this important treatment option and represents encouraging news for those patients who rely on provincial drug coverage and stopped responding to standard treatments for metastatic colon cancer.

1 Oct 2009