12/10/2004 no attribution Malden Observer (townline.com) PET/CT, the most advanced imaging equipment available for the detection and treatment of cancer, is now being offered through Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, MA - or LMH - and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital - MWH. They are the only community hospitals within in a 20-mile radius outside of Boston to be approved for and offer PET/CT imaging. The PET/CT is located at Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford. Previously offering the advanced PET scan at LMH, the new combined PET/CT fuses the PET scan with a CT scan in one image, giving doctors the ability to pinpoint precisely where and how active a tumor may be. The PET scan reveals metabolic processes of tumor growth activity. The CT scan helps detect precisely the location of the tumor. With combined PET/CT, doctors are able to more accurately detect and track the stages of cancer, determine what is malignant growth and what is not, monitor progress of treatment, and determine the next steps of treatment. "We are dedicated to providing the most advanced diagnostic imaging for our patients and offering the PET/CT service was the natural next step. This technology will help us better track disease and provide patients greater comfort and sense of security that their disease will be treated in the most aggressive and accurate manner possible," said James Coleman, MD, chief of radiology at LMH. PET/CT is also used to monitor a patient's response to, and progress in therapy. Physicians can see in great detail [...]

12/10/2004 WASHINGTON DC U.S. Newswire- National Press Club Hill is presented the award by Dean Mike Alfano of NYU, a longtime oral cancer advocate Brian Hill, founder of The Oral Cancer Foundation, has received a prestigious advocacy award from the Friends of the National Institute of Oral and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Press Club. The annual event recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to oral health causes in the preceding year. Hill's award was for excellence in public service media, and reflects his efforts in developing web based information for patients, caregivers, and professionals in the area of oral cancer, and a national television effort to raise the awareness of oral cancer in the minds of the American public. Previous recipients of the award include Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona MD, Special Olympics CEO Timothy Shriver, Governor Jeb Bush, and Betsy Latiff of the Sjorgren's Syndrome Foundation. Acceptancespeech reiterates Hill’s focus on early detection to save lives Hill, an oral cancer survivor himself, dedicates his time not only to patient advocacy issues in relationship to this disease, but to the broader issue of the early detection and diagnosis of oral cancer through opportunistic screenings by dental and medical professionals. When caught in its early stages it can be 80 to 90 percent survivable. Unfortunately, the disease is currently found as a late stage disease 66 percent of the time, with significantly poorer survival rates in the 30 to 40 percent range. The statistics related to the death [...]

12/9/2004 San Antonio, TX Press Release prnewswire.com Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. reported data from its Phase 2 trial evaluating Advexin combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women with locally advanced breast cancer. Neoadjuvant treatments are administered prior to surgery and represent a novel and increasingly applied approach to make surgical tumor resections either more complete improving outcomes or less invasive facilitating breast conservation. Objective clinical responses with a greater than 50 percent reduction in tumor size were seen following the combined therapy in all of the patients. Complete tumor removal by subsequent surgery was achieved in 100 percent of the patients. The results of the therapy with the addition of ADVEXIN are better than what would be expected from neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment alone. In a novel finding, activation of a local immune response at the site of the tumor was observed. Treated tumors were infiltrated with cells of the immune system that are known to participate in immune responses against tumors, which may be useful in controlling local disease as well as disease outside the breast. Introgen's collaborator, Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli, associate professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center presented the data yesterday afternoon at the 27th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Key findings of the study include: -- On average, tumor size decreased by nearly 80 percent. -- On average, size of lymph node tumors decreased by nearly 70 percent. -- Advexin-expressed p53 was detectable up to 19 days following administration in a [...]

12/8/2004 David R. Colnot et al. Clinical Cancer Research Vol. 10, 7827-7833, December 1, 2004 Purpose: Despite improvements in locoregional treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), local and distant failure rates remain high. The strongest prognostic indicator of HNSCC is the presence of lymph node metastases in the neck, but the value of this indicator has limitations when using for the individual patient. The presence of micrometastatic cells in bone marrow has been shown to be a putative prognostic indicator in HNSCC and other epithelial malignancies, which might allow more accurate staging and selection of patients for whom adjuvant or experimental therapy is recommended. The gene encoding the E48 antigen is selectively expressed by HNSCC, and the detection of E48 transcripts in bone marrow by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) presumably represents the presence of micrometastatic cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the presence of micrometastatic cells in bone marrow of HNSCC patients and clinical outcome. Experimental Design: A total of 162 patients treated surgically for primary HNSCC underwent a single bone marrow aspiration from the upper iliac crest for detection of micrometastatic cells using E48 RT-PCR. In total, 139 patients were evaluable. The primary statistical endpoints were disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. In addition, bone marrow samples of 30 noncancer controls were evaluated. Results: E48 RT-PCR indicated the presence of micrometastatic cells in the bone marrow in 56 of 139 (40%) of the HNSCC patients and 0 of 30 [...]

12/8/2004 E.J. Mundell Forbes.com The practice of smoking tobacco through elaborate water pipes called hookahs emerged centuries ago, in the palaces and harems of the Middle East. But experts say hookahs are now almost as popular in Denver as they are in Damascus, with the current fad for water-pipe use growing among U.S. college students. Many young Americans may be attracted to hookahs because they believe smoke that passes through water is somehow filtered and safer, experts add. Unfortunately, that's just not true. "The data we have clearly shows that carbon monoxide is present in large amounts in smoke from water pipes, as is nicotine and the compounds we call 'tar,' " said Thomas Eissenberg, a researcher at the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. "In fact, carcinogen exposure in hookah smoke is equal to, or more than, that found in cigarettes," said Eissenberg, who has published research on the health dangers of the hookah fad in numerous medical journals. The hookah, also called nargile, is comprised of four parts--the head, where burning charcoal heats a bed of tobacco; the body, through which inhaled smoke is drawn into the third section, a water-filled bowl at the hookah's base, and the hose, a flexible pipe through which the user inhales the smoke after it has bubbled through the water. "What you get, then, is smoke that has been cooled by the water," Eissenberg said. Hookah use is, by its nature, a very social act, with groups of [...]

12/8/2004 Australia Amanda Hodge The Australian (www.theaustralian.news.com) IT'S 7pm, the Christmas carols at the office party are on a loop and you have four hours to drink the boss broke at the complimentary bar. In a country where alcohol is so intrinsic to celebrations that jolly is a euphemism for drunk, Christmas is the season for sanctioned binge drinking. During the next month, millions of litres of beer, wine and bubbles will be consumed in an orgy of hedonism. And in Australia this indulgence isn't limited to the festive season. It's a year-round event. Binge drinking is one of our most intractable and expensive health issues, costing $7.6 billion a year in lost productivity, absenteeism, injuries, death and disease. On any weekend, 75 per cent of the patients in emergency wards will have alcohol-related complaints. A 2003 survey by the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction found most alcohol-related harm comes not from alcohol-dependant people but from low to moderate consumers who binge. "Eighty per cent of alcohol consumed in Australia is consumed at risky levels," says emeritus professor and chairman of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation Ian Webster. "That's accepted as normal and it ought not to be." Drinking patterns among younger Australians is of particular concern, especially given recent reports of binge drinking by children as young as 12. Recent surveys found that among 14 to 17-year-olds, 64 per cent of boys and 69 per cent of girls were drinkers. Between one-quarter to one-third of [...]

12/7/2004 Ora Israel et al. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Vol. 45 No. 12 2045-2051 Rising serum tumor markers may be associated with negative imaging in the presence of cancer. CT and 18F-FDG PET may yield incongruent results in the assessment of tumor recurrence. The present study evaluates the incremental role of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis and management of cancer patients with increasing levels of tumor markers as the sole indicator of potential recurrence after initial successful treatment. Methods: Thirty-six cancer patients with increasing levels of tumor markers during follow-up and negative CT underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT, which showed 111 sites of increased tracer uptake. PET/CT was compared with PET results on a site-based analysis for characterization of 18F-FDG foci and on a patient-based analysis for diagnosis of recurrence. The clinical impact of PET/CT on further patient management was evaluated. Results: Thirty patients (83%) had recurrence in 85 malignant sites (77%). For the site-based analysis, PET had a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 96%, 50%, 85%, 85%, and 82%, respectively, as compared with the performance indices of PET/CT of 100%, 89%, 97%, 97%, and 100%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the specificity (P < 0.05) and accuracy (P < 0.001) of PET and PET/CT for precise characterization of suspected lesions. For the patient-based analysis, PET had a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 93%, 50%, and 86%, respectively, as compared with PET/CT with values of 93%, 67%, and 89%, respectively (P = not [...]

12/4/2004 Amy Dockser Marcus The Wall St. Journal Cancer screening is getting easier, with new tests available — and many more in the works — that can detect the disease even in tiny amounts, when it still is in its earliest stages. Some of the new tests use just a small amount of saliva or urine to search for molecular changes in cells that indicate the cancer process is under way. Others use high-speed computers to identify genetic signatures of cancer in the blood. Advanced imaging machines are becoming more widely available that enable doctors to spot cancers smaller than the size of a period at the end of a sentence. But the debate over who should take advantage of the newer screens, and even some of the older ones, is intense. While cells may look abnormal under a microscope, they may never grow into something that harms the patient. “We are beginning to understand that there are some cancers that are better for people not to know about,” says H. Gilbert Welch, a senior research associate with the Department of Veterans Affairs in White River Junction, Vt. At the same time, some cancers are so aggressive or unpredictable that knowing about them early may be of little use. Barnett Kramer, associate director for disease prevention at the National Institutes of Health, says finding a cancer early is sometimes like being tied down to a railroad track and being given a pair of binoculars: “You can see the train coming [...]

12/3/2004 New Haven, CT Press Release Yahoo! Finance(biz.yahoo.com) CuraGen Corporation announced today it has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for CG53135, a novel protein therapeutic being developed for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis (OM). Under the FDA granted designation CG53135 will be investigated for the prevention of OM in patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) following myeloablative chemotherapy with or without total body irradiation (TBI). "Oral mucositis is a serious and debilitating side effect resulting from the chemotherapy and radiation used in the treatment of cancer. Patients receiving a bone marrow transplant who develop oral mucositis may experience significant pain which can lead to an inability to eat or drink, and have an increased risk of developing a life-threatening infection," stated Mary E. Taylor, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at CuraGen. "As we continue to advance CG53135 through Phase II, we are pleased to have received fast track status and look forward to working closely with the FDA to develop this therapeutic." CG53135 is an investigational protein discovered by CuraGen that promotes both epithelial and mesenchymal cell proliferation. Data from the recently completed Phase I program evaluating CG53135 for the prevention of OM in patients receiving high dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation will be presented on Saturday, December 4th at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego, CA. CG53135 is currently in a Phase II program to evaluate its safety and [...]

12/3/2004 Nikki V Katz Womens Issues (womensissues.about.com) Statistics on women smokers, the side-effects and a new campaign specifically targetting women. According to the U.S. Surgeon's General Report on Women and Smoking (issued in 03/01) and recent research studies, it has been found that: -178,000 women die of tobacco-caused disease each year -Since 1987, lung cancer has been the leading cancer-killer among women -Since 1980, approximately 3 million U.S. women have died prematurely from smoking-related diseases, as well as cigarette-caused burns. -Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and smoking accounts for 20% of deaths from heart disease -Women suffer gender specific risks from tobacco, including harm to their reproductive organs and complications during pregnancy -From 1991 to 1999, smoking increased 30% among high school girls For many decades, tobacco companies have attempted to lure new female customers by associating smoking with a woman's independence and sophistication. Advertising campaigns such as Virginia Slims' "You've Come A Long Way, Baby" and the new "It's A Woman Thing" have presented smoking as signs of freedom and individuality. In the 1970s, women were targeted with advertising for so-called "low tar" and "light" brands, with implied claims of reduced risk that the tobacco companies knew to be false. Current Anti-Smoking Campaign: In June, 2002, the American Legacy Foundation (the national, independent public health foundation established by the 1988 tobacco settlement) is releasing a print campaign in women's magazines. The women featured in this campaign are real women battling tobacco-related illnesses like emphysema, lung [...]