National Cancer Institute

Faltering cancer trials

Source: nytimes.com Author: editorial The nation’s most important system for judging the clinical effectiveness of cancer treatments is approaching “a state of crisis.” That is the disturbing verdict of experts assembled by the National Academy of Sciences to review the performance of clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Unless the shortcomings are remedied, some of President Obama’s ambitious health care reforms will be jeopardized and his audacious goal of finding “a cure for cancer in our time” will have almost no chance at all. The most shocking deficiency highlighted by the report, issued by the academy’s Institute of Medicine, is that about 40 percent of all advanced clinical trials sponsored by the Cancer Institute are never completed. That is an incredible waste of effort and money, and a huge obstacle at a time when researchers are developing promising new therapies that must be rigorously tested. These large, government-sponsored studies are supposed to be the gold standard — and very different from the narrow, occasionally biased studies sponsored by manufacturers seeking approval of a new drug. The government-sponsored trials can be invaluable in comparing one therapy against another (manufacturers rarely want to put their products up against a competitor’s), combinations of therapies, or therapies for rare diseases with little commercial potential. So it is especially worrying to hear the experts say that the system — run by the Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health — is so mired in cumbersome procedures that it needs to be completely [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-25T06:32:15-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

LeHigh Valley linking to elite national cancer care

Source: www.mcall.com Author: Veronica Torrejón The National Cancer Institute is plugging the Lehigh Valley directly into more of the nation's most advanced cancer-fighting and research opportunities. The government's top agency for cancer research has selected two of the region's hospitals to receive grants totaling $3.8 million in federal stimulus funds. Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown and Salisbury Township and Geisinger Medical Center in Danville will join a national network of 30 community cancer centers in 22 states. ''The opportunity for the community is enormous,'' said Dr. Gregory Harper, medical director of Lehigh Valley Health Network's Breast Health Services. ''We now have access to the best there is and the best the National Cancer Institute has to offer.'' Both hospitals will be able to participate in advanced genetic research studies and early-stage clinical trials available at major teaching hospitals in Philadelphia and New York, Harper said. Previously, there were 16 community cancer center sites. The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, is using $40 million in stimulus funds to expand the program, designed to reach rural areas, poor inner-city neighborhoods or any community outside a major academic medical center. Statistics indicate most cancer patients, as many as 85 percent, are diagnosed and get their initial treatment at community hospitals. ''It's really about bringing cancer research closer to patients and patients closer to research,'' said Frank Blanchard, spokesman for the contractor managing the program for the National Cancer Institute. The program began in 2007. The idea is to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-23T07:01:25-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Congress urges major league baseball to ban smokeless tobacco

Source: Associated Press Author: Howard Fendrich WASHINGTON — After hounding Major League Baseball and its players union over steroids, Congress now wants the sport to ban smokeless tobacco. "Good luck," San Francisco Giants reliever Brandon Medders said. "Guys do what they do. We work outside. It's been part of the game for 100 years." At a hearing Wednesday, House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, and Health Subcommittee chairman Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, called on baseball and its players to agree to bar major leaguers from using chew, dip or similar products during games. MLB executive VP Robert Manfred and MLB Players Association chief labor counsel David Prouty told lawmakers they agree that smokeless tobacco is harmful — Manfred said a ban in the majors is "a laudable goal" — but both pointed out that any ban would have to be agreed to through collective bargaining. They said their sides are willing to discuss the topic during future negotiations; baseball's labor contract is due to expire in December 2011. "I can tell you, anecdotally, there are plenty of players who are against it, who think, 'Of course it should be banned.' There are plenty of players who use it. Do they think it should be banned? I don't know," the union's Prouty said in an interview after the 3 1/2-hour hearing. "We can go back to the players and say, 'Congress feels strongly about this. You ought to think about it. Look what's happened [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-19T22:22:51-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oral sex and HPV related cancers – a threat for both sexes

Source: Examiner.com Author: Charles Simmins An editorial in the British Medical Journal on March 25 links the increasing incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma to infections by human papillomavirus (HPV) that patients caught through oral sex. HPV infection is known to be related to cancers of the cervix, as well as vulvar, vaginal, and male anal cancers. The United States has seen a 22% increase in this oral cancer from 1999 to 2006 and the United Kingdom a 51% increase from 1989 to 2006. The editorial reports that biopsies of these cancers in the United States are showing a 50% to 100% increase in HPV findings over a decade. The authors point to recent studies that show the risks of developing oropharyngeal carcinoma are increased in those patients with six or more lifetime sexual partners, four or more lifetime oral sex partners and, for men, an earlier age at first sexual intercourse. The implications of these findings suggest reconsideration of some basic healthcare issues. In an e-mail exchange with William Bonnez, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester, he pointed out that no screening tools exist for HPV related cancers other than the Pap smear for cervical cancer. The authors of the editorial report that HPV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma appears to have a more favorable prognosis than the non-HPV variety, and that those affected are usually younger. They point out that this means the patients will be dealing with the illness and its effects for a longer period [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-01T19:39:12-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Research uproar at a cancer clinic

Source: Author: Duff Wilson Two years after becoming vice president for research at the biggest hospital in this university town, Suzanne Stratton said she had finally seen enough She had clashed repeatedly with a doctor who oversaw the local patients enrolled in more than 130 federally sponsored cancer studies — work that the hospital promoted in local television advertisements but that Dr. Stratton, who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, said was often putting patients and science at risk. In a meeting with Carle Foundation Hospital administrators late last year, Dr. Stratton demanded that they take action. She cited an outside audit that had found “major deficiencies” in 12 of 29 experiments being overseen by that doctor, potentially endangering patients or skewing the studies’ results. Dr. Stratton says her bosses responding by firing her, ushering her out of the hospital later that same day. But federal officials, alerted by Dr. Stratton, have corroborated many of the shortcomings she found. They are continuing to investigate — an inquiry with implications for the nation’s cancer research effort that go far beyond the Carle Cancer Center. In the last quarter century, among the hundreds of thousands of people around the nation who have enrolled in federally financed trials of cancer drugs and treatments, more than one-third have come through the doors of local medical centers like Carle. Together, these nearly 400 federally designated community research sites and the network of 3,400 participating physicians amass more evidence for cancer science than at any of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-10-23T07:16:57-07:00October, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Some question benefit of costly treatments

Source: Indystar.com Author: John Russell Cancer doctors say thousands of dollars may buy little time When a cancer patient is facing a steep, painful decline, the high cost of drugs may seem worth every penny. But some cancer specialists are starting to wonder about the cost-effectiveness of some treatments and are raising pointed questions about Eli Lilly and Co.'s newest cancer drug, Erbitux. Treating a lung-cancer patient with Erbitux costs $80,000 for an 11-week regimen, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Yet such treatment prolongs survival by 1.2 months, the study found. "Many Americans would not regard a 1.2-month survival advantage as significant progress," wrote the authors, Tito Fojo, an oncologist with the National Cancer Institute, and Christine Grady, a bioethicist at theNational Institutes of Health. The study's findings raise the question: How can the U.S. control ever-growing health costs, particularly at the end of life? When Lilly announced its acquisition of Erbitux last year, the drug maker said it planned to become "an oncology powerhouse." The Indianapolis-based company has two other cancer drugs, Gemzar and Alimta, each with sales of more than $1 billion last year. Some cancer specialists say the widespread use of expensive treatments is questionable. "Erbitux, which costs $10,000 a month for treatment, can lead to what might be described as a marginal benefit," said Dr. Paul Helft, an oncologist at theIndiana University Simon Cancer Center. Some oncologists use various lengths of treatment depending on the [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-09-14T09:56:42-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Thyroid cancer increase puzzles experts

Source: HealthDay News Author: Staff Intensified screening doesn't entirely explain the jump in thyroid cancers noted in the United States since 1980, and scientists now believe that other as-yet-unknown factors are to blame. A new study finds that thyroid tumors of all sizes are being picked up, not just the smaller ones that more aggressive screening would be expected to detect. "You cannot simply explain this by increased screening, there's a real increased incidence," said Dr. Amy Chen, lead author of a study published online July 13 in the journal Cancer. Although, "some of this increased incidence is due to increased screening finding smaller tumors," she added. The findings surprised one expert. "I wrote a chapter about this for a textbook about a year ago and I came away thinking this [rise in cancers] is a reflection of enhanced diagnostics," said Dr. Bruce J. Davidson, professor and chairman of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. But, "it is more disturbing that it's not just small tumors; it seems to be all tumors," he said. An estimated 37,200 new cases of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed this year, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Fortunately, the cancer is considered highly curable, but the researchers said survival rates have not improved with better detection. Until now, an uptick in cases seen over the past three decades was attributed to increased use of ultrasound and image-guided biopsy to detect tumors. Some researchers had found that thyroid cancer [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T12:58:55-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Fighting malnutrition in cancer patients

Source: MSNBC Author: Staff Poor nutrition contributes to 1 in 5 cancer deaths; experts urge counseling WASHINGTON - The statistic is shocking: Severe malnutrition and weight loss play a role in at least one in five cancer deaths. Yet nutrition too often is an afterthought until someone's already in trouble. A move is on to change that, from hospitals that hire fancy gourmet chefs to the American Cancer Society's dietitians-on-call phone service. With cancer, you've got to "bring a lot more nutrients to each spoonful of food," Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop is learning. A former restaurateur, he's newly in charge of the kitchen at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. Don't underestimate the added temptation should the result resemble Bon Appetit: "The visual hardiness, and the actual heartiness, of these foods has to be understood for them to embrace it," Shoop insists. Tempting the palate is a huge hurdle: At diagnosis, up to a quarter of patients already have their appetite sapped, and most treatments can bring side effects that worsen the problem. Aside from the well-known nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, some cancers inhibit absorption of the nutrients patients force down. Not to mention strangely altered taste, mouth sores, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and constipation. Literally wasting away About half of all cancer patients eventually suffer serious weight loss and malnutrition, a wasting syndrome called cachexia where they don't just lose excess fat but vital muscle. A healthy person's body adjusts when it doesn't get enough calories, [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-10T11:17:09-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

U.S. scientists say Lilly Erbitux cancer drug not worth price

Source: Bloomberg Author: Lisa Rapaport Eli Lilly & Co.’s tumor-fighter Erbitux doesn’t prolong lung cancer patients’ lives enough to justify its $80,000 cost, U.S. scientists said in commentary published today. Erbitux added to other cancer drugs extends survival about 1.2 months more than chemotherapy alone, making the price too high for a “marginal benefit,” commentary in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute said. Erbitux, which Lilly markets with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., generated $1.3 billion last year as treatment approved for other malignancies. The high price of some of the newest cancer medicines are coming under scrutiny as part of an effort by lawmakers and health officials to rein in overall medical costs. President Barack Obama has set aside $1.1 billion in the U.S. economic stimulus bill to study the comparative effectiveness of treatments for cancer and other diseases. “We must avoid the temptation to tell a patient that a new drug is available if there is little evidence that it will work better than established drugs that could be offered at a miniscule fraction of the cost,” wrote the commentators, Tito Fojo with the National Cancer Institute and Christine Grady at the National Institutes of Health. Lilly, of Indianapolis, and marketing partner Bristol- Myers, of New York, withdrew an application to extend the Erbitux’s use to lung tumors in February after the Food and Drug Administration questioned differences in American and European versions of the treatment. $10,000 a Month The authors projected that Erbitux costs $80,000 based on a typical course of treatment for lung [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-30T16:01:21-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer researchers “play it safe” due to grant system

Source: NYTimes Author: Gina Kolata Among the recent research grants awarded by the National Cancer Institute is one for a study asking whether people who are especially responsive to good-tasting food have the most difficulty staying on adiet. Another study will assess a Web-based program that encourages families to choose more healthful foods. Many other grants involve biological research unlikely to break new ground. For example, one project asks whether a laboratory discovery involving colon cancer also applies to breast cancer. But even if it does apply, there is no treatment yet that exploits it. The cancer institute has spent $105 billion since PresidentRichard M. Nixon declared war on the disease in 1971. TheAmerican Cancer Society, the largest private financer of cancer research, has spent about $3.4 billion on research grants since 1946. Yet the fight against cancer is going slower than most had hoped, with only small changes in the death rate in the almost 40 years since it began. One major impediment, scientists agree, is the grant system itself. It has become a sort of jobs program, a way to keep research laboratories going year after year with the understanding that the focus will be on small projects unlikely to take significant steps toward curing cancer. “These grants are not silly, but they are only likely to produce incremental progress,” said Dr. Robert C. Young, chancellor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and chairman of the Board of Scientific Advisors, an independent group that makes recommendations to the cancer institute. The [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-30T04:29:16-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|