Press Releases: 2008

In Lung Cancer, Silencing One Crucial Gene Disrupts Normal Functioning of Genome

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - While examining patterns of DNA modification in lung cancer, a team of international researchers has discovered what they say is a surprising new mechanism. They say that "silencing" of a single gene in lung cancer led to a general impairment in genome-wide changes in cells, contributing to cancer development and progression.

In the January 1, 2009, issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, they also report finding a strong link between modification of the key gene, MTHFR, and tobacco use by lung cancer patients - even if the patient had smoked for a short period of time.

The findings reinforce tobacco's link to lung cancer development, but show that deactivating one specific gene through a process known as hypermethylation causes systemic dysfunction, or hypomethylation, in many genes, said the study's senior investigator, Zdenko Herceg, Ph.D., head of the Epigenetics Group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

"We found that tobacco-mediated hypermethylation of MTHFR, and consequent partial or complete silencing of the gene, may trigger global hypomethylation and deregulation of DNA synthesis, both of which may contribute to cancer development," he said.

This methylation process, which involves chemically modifying normal DNA in order to change its activity, is seen as an increasingly important factor contributing to so-called "epigenetic inheritance" in cancer development, Herceg said. An epigenetic event is when non-genetic factors cause a gene to change its expression, and this is different from cancer caused by mutated genes that produce errant protein.

"Tobacco smoke contains many carcinogens, most of which are believed to cause genome damage," he said. "While there is evidence that the mutations induced by these tobacco carcinogens do play an important role in cancer development, our study reveals the novel - and surprising - role that silencing of normal genes plays in development of lung cancer."

Cancer is often characterized by an imbalance in methylation, where hypermethylation (inactivation) in specific genes is accompanied by hypomethylation (a decrease in methylation in general) across many genes. But this process has not been well characterized, Herceg said.

In this study, researchers from IARC working with investigators from Russia, Canada, and the United States, quantified methylation patterns in a panel of five cancer-associated genes (CDH1, CDKN2A, GSTP1, MTHFR and RASSF1A) in tumor samples from 209 lung patients and in blood samples from 172 matched "healthy" volunteers.

Noncancerous lung tissue was also examined from 51 of the lung cancer patients.
Their analysis revealed that a high frequency of hypermethylation of MTHFR, RASSF1A and CDKN2A in lung tumors compared to control blood samples, but no significant increase in methylation levels of the other two genes.

Silencing of the RASSF1A and CDKN2A genes makes sense, said Herceg, because these are tumor suppressor genes known to be inactivated in lung cancer. But the role of MTHFR has been less clear, he said. The enzyme produced by the gene plays a role in processing amino acids into methionine, which the body uses to make proteins and other crucial molecules. Variants of MTHFR, for example, have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Because the MTHFR gene product plays a role in the maintenance of the cell's pool of methionine, silencing of MTHFR is likely to contribute to global hypomethylation, a phenomenon almost universally observed in human cancer that has been overlooked in favor of gene promoter-associated hypermethylation," Herceg said.

Both global hypomethylation and hypermethylation "coexist in all tumors and can contribute to tumor development and progression through different mechanisms," he said. The researchers say that these two processes likely reinforce each other. Global hypomethylation associated with MTHFR inactivation contributes to development of cancer by destabilizing the chromosome and activating oncogenes.

The researchers also discovered that methylation levels in RASSF1A were influenced by gender - men were much more likely to express this abnormally - and that methylation levels of CDH1, CDKN2A, GSTP1 and RASSF1A were not associated with smoking.

While the findings contribute to the basic understanding of lung cancer development, they may also be useful in designing a "methylation signature" blood or sputum biomarker test to identify individuals who are at risk of developing the disease, the researchers say. "That may prove particularly beneficial in diagnosing patients exposed to passive smoking," Herceg said.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

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Grape Seed Extract Kills Laboratory Leukemia Cells, Proving Value of Natural Compounds

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract.

The investigators, who report their findings in the January 1, 2009, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, also teased apart the cell signaling pathway associated with use of grape seed extract that led to cell death, or apoptosis. They found that the extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptotic pathway.

While grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate cancers, no one had tested the extract in hematological cancers nor had the precise mechanism for activity been revealed.

"These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers," said the study's lead author, Xianglin Shi, Ph.D., professor in the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of Kentucky.

"What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category," he said.
Shi adds, however, that the research is not far enough along to suggest that people should eat grapes, grape seeds, or grape skin in excess to stave off cancer. "This is very promising research, but it is too early to say this is chemo-protective."

Hematological cancers - leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma - accounted for an estimated 118,310 new cancer cases and almost 54,000 deaths in 2006, ranking these cancers as the fourth leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the U.S.

Given that epidemiological evidence shows that eating vegetables and fruits helps prevent cancer development, Shi and his colleagues have been studying chemicals known as proanthocyanidins in fruits that contribute to this effect. Shi has found that apple peel extract contains these flavonoids, which have antioxidant activity, and which cause apoptosis in several cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. Based on those studies, and findings from other researchers that grape seed extract reduces breast tumors in rats and skin tumors in mice, they looked at the effect of the compound in leukemia cells.

Using a commercially available grape seed extract, Shi exposed leukemia cells to the extract in different doses and found the marked effect in causing apoptosis in these cells at one of the higher doses.

They also discovered that the extract does not affect normal cells, although they don't know why.

The researchers then used pharmacologic and genetic approaches to determine how the extract induced apoptosis. They found that the extract strongly activated the JNK pathway, which then led to up-regulation of Cip/p21, which controls the cell cycle.

They checked this finding by using an agent that inhibited JNK, and found that the extract was ineffective. Using a genetic approach - silencing the JNK gene - also disarmed grape seed extract's lethal attack in leukemia cells.

"This is a natural compound that appears to have relatively important properties," Shi said.

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Continuing Adjuvant Tamoxifen Leads to Higher Quality of Life

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A desire to improve health-related quality of life may be the deciding factor when considering whether to continue tamoxifen for recurrence-free, postmenopausal breast cancer patients or switch them to anastrozole, according to research presented here at the CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Quality-of-life scores were higher for patients who continued tamoxifen after one to four years of adjuvant tamoxifen than for patients who switched to anastrozole in a Japanese study.

Disease-free and relapse-free survival, however, were higher among patients who switched to anastrozole, explained Shozo Ohsumi, M.D., Ph.D., chief of breast oncology at NHO Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan.

"We believe recurrence-free survival rate should be regarded as a more important outcome than quality of life in general," Ohsumi said. "Therefore, we would advise recurrence-free postmenopausal breast cancer patients who had undergone initial treatment with tamoxifen after surgery to switch from tamoxifen to anastrozole.

"However, if they experience side effects that make their quality of life worse, such as severe joint pain with anastrozole, we will give patients an option to switch back to tamoxifen with an explanation that tamoxifen will give better quality of life but a little worse recurrence-free survival rate," he said.

The patients were part of the National Surgical Adjuvant Study of Breast Cancer '03. All patients received definitive surgery for hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, followed by tamoxifen for one to four years. At that point, patients were randomized to continue tamoxifen or switch to anastrozole. Total time on adjuvant drug therapy, including tamoxifen before randomization, was five years.

Patients answered several questionnaires designed to score quality of life and psychological distress at randomization and at three months, one year and two years after randomization. Significant differences were seen in FACT-G and FACT-ES (endocrine symptom scale) scores between treatment groups.

At baseline, patients who remained on tamoxifen had a mean FACT-ES score of 143.8. Two years later, the mean score for this group was 143.8. In the anastrozole group, the mean score at baseline was 143.9; this decreased to 143.1 at two years.

Mean FACT-G scores in the tamoxifen group began at 84.0 at baseline and decreased to 83.1 at two years. In the anastrozole group, the mean score decreased from 83.4 at baseline to 81.5 at two years.

"Psychological change such as anxiety and depression can happen as menopausal symptoms, and we know endocrine therapies can cause menopausal symptoms," Ohsumi said. "Therefore, we thought psychological distress should be measured as part of a quality-of-life study."

Ohsumi and his colleagues used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) to measure psychological distress. There was no significant difference between treatment groups.

At 42 months of a median follow-up period, patients taking anastrozole had a 31 percent improvement in disease-free survival and a 48 percent improvement in relapse-free survival.

After randomization, patients in the anastrozole group experienced fewer incidents of hot flash and vaginal discharge but more incidents of arthralgia or joint pain and liver dysfunction than patients in the tamoxifen group.

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The mission of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is to produce a unique and comprehensive scientific meeting that encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research, facilitating the rapid translation of new knowledge into better care for breast cancer patients. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Baylor College of Medicine are joint sponsors of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This collaboration utilizes the clinical strengths of the CTRC and Baylor, and the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research to expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances into the clinic. The 31st Annual Symposium is expected to draw more than 8,500 participants from more than 80 countries.

Media Contact:
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In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
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Use of Hormone Supplements Reduces Death from Breast Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - While it is true that use of hormone therapy has been shown to increase risk of breast cancer, it also appears that the breast cancer that does develop in these women is less deadly than it might otherwise have been, say California researchers.

At the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, researchers said that an analysis of breast cancer deaths in the ongoing 100,000-plus California Teachers Study shows that women who had used hormone replacement were less likely to develop a lethal form of breast cancer, compared with women who didn't use hormones.

Specifically, women who used a combination of estrogen and progestin had a 63 percent reduced relative risk of dying from their cancer, and women who used estrogen reduced their risk by 30 percent, said the study's lead investigator, Sarah Marshall, M.A., an epidemiologist at the University of California, Irvine.

"This may allow women who have used hormones and who are worried about future breast cancer risk, or even their prognosis if they currently have cancer, to breathe a little easier," Marshall said. "Use of these hormones appears to be a benefit in terms of protecting against risk of cancer death."

The researchers theorize that use of hormones may sensitize tumors to the hormones and make them more hormonally-responsive. That could mean that the tumors are diagnosed quicker than they would have been otherwise, and have an improved response to therapy, such as tamoxifen that inhibits estrogen signaling.

Other studies have suggested that hormones can reduce the aggressiveness of breast cancer, but this is the first to take into account the types of breast cancer with which women were diagnosed, as well as estrogen receptor status, tumor grade and stage, and treatment the patients received.

"These results help us predict what is going to happen to women who used hormones and developed breast cancer," Marshall said.

Women participating in the California Teachers Study, a study of teachers and administrators from all over the state conducted by a coalition of academic medical centers, detailed whether they used hormones and for how long. This sub-analysis looked at data from the 2,783 postmenopausal women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and the 159 women (6 percent) who died of the disease since the study began in 1995.

They concluded that for women who used estrogen-progestin the risk of dying from breast cancer was 63 percent less, and 30 percent less in those who used estrogen, compared with women who did not use hormones. Because women who use hormones tend to be healthier than women who don't - "they are leaner, exercise more, smoke less," said Marshall - the researchers tried to "adjust" for this health advantage, but still found a 45 percent reduced risk of breast cancer death in women who used estrogen and progestin.

"These are very interesting and important findings that may help provide a more complete picture of the relationship between breast cancer and use of hormones in postmenopausal women," she said.

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Patient Management: Quality of Life and Beyond

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Breast cancer is a multifaceted disease requiring creative solutions for diagnosis, quality of life management and adjuvant therapies. Data presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium explore these areas.

Hormone Supplements Reduce Death from Breast Cancer
Abstract #65, Sarah Marshall, M.A.

Although hormone supplements have been implicated in increased rates of breast cancer, they appear to mitigate the mortality risk of breast cancers that do develop. Compared with women who did not use hormone therapy, women who took estrogen-progestin were 63 percent less likely to die from breast cancer while those who took estrogen alone were 30 percent less likely.
Full release available/Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

Tamoxifen Tops Anastrazole for Quality of Life, but not Survival
Abstract #1136, Shozo Ohsumi, M.D., Ph.D.
Embargo: 5:30 p.m. CST, December 11, 2008

After one to four years of tamoxifen, switching to anastrozole improves disease-free survival by about 31 percent, but patients pay a price in quality of life measures. The difference in quality of life is significant enough that scientists say it should be considered, and may even be the deciding factor, when making a clinical decision about therapeutic strategy.
Full release available/Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

Letrozole following breast cancer surgery may provide survival benefit
Abstract #13, Alan Coates, M.D.
Embargo: 9:45 a.m. CST, December 11, 2008

Letrozole may improve overall survival in patients with primary breast cancer. A four-arm comparison study of letrozole and tamoxifen shows letrozole not only reduces recurrence, but may provide a 13 percent reduction in risk of death. Additionally, the study finds that using a sequence of tamoxifen and letrozole is not superior to letrozole alone. The sequence of letrozole followed by tamoxifen was closely similar to letrozole alone implying that patients can safely switch to tamoxifen after initial letrozole if required.
Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

Use of Written Forms Doubles Breast Cancer Detection Rate
Abstract #5012, William Goodson, M.D.

When clinicians used simple written forms to focus attention during clinical breast exams, the rate of breast mass detection from the previous year doubled without retraining clinicians, thus affirming the importance of clinician attentiveness. This finding, researchers say, can be applied to all aspects of medicine and undermines the need for intensive training, complicated techniques, and medical reimbursement codes to improve this simple, yet valuable procedure.
Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

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In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
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HER2-Positive, Small Tumors Linked with Poor Prognosis

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Patients with breast cancer whose tumors were HER2-positive and one centimeter or smaller had a significant risk of relapse compared with other tumor types, according to a new study presented at the CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

"The current guidelines call for no further therapy if the tumors are less than five millimeters or consider therapy if the tumors are from six to 10 millimeters, but this data challenges that thinking and shows this group of women may benefit from additional therapy," said Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, M.D., assistant professor in the Departments of Breast Medical Oncology and Systems Biology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC).

Gonzalez-Angulo and Ronjay Rakkhit, chief fellow of Hematology-Oncology at M. D. Anderson, and colleagues retrospectively studied 965 patients from MDACC and validated their findings with 350 patients from two European institutions. Patients with a lack of receptor information, and/or who had received adjuvant chemotherapy or trastuzumab at any time were excluded.

"This is the largest study of its kind in a patient population, and as our ability to detect tumors improves, this patient population will only continue to increase. Further, it answers a common question oncologists have in daily practice - which early stage patients may be in need of additional therapy," said Gonzalez-Angulo.

Patients were diagnosed between 1990 and 2003. Median age of the patients at diagnosis was 57 years. All tumors were one centimeter or smaller. Most of the tumors (68 percent) were hormone receptor-positive, while 10 percent were HER2-positive and 23 percent were triple receptor-negative.

Five-year, recurrence-free survival was 77.1 percent and 93.7 percent in patients with HER2-positive and HER2-negative tumors, respectively, and five-year distant recurrence-free survival was 86.4 percent and 97.2 percent, in patients with HER2-positive and HER2-negative tumors, respectively. Patients with HER2-positive tumors had 2.68 times greater risk of recurrence and 5.3 times higher the risk of distant recurrence than those with HER2-negative tumors. Patients with HER2-positive tumors had 5.09 times the risk of recurrence and 7.81 times the risk of distant recurrence compared to patients with hormone receptor-positive tumors.

Data on 350 additional patients treated at two other institutions showed reproducibility, said Gonzalez-Angulo.

"This paper shows that patients with HER2-positive tumors one centimeter or less have a significant risk of relapse and should be considered for clinical trials of systemic anti-HER2 adjuvant therapy, or if a clinical trial is not available, adjuvant therapy should be discussed with them," said Gonzalez-Angulo.

# # #

The mission of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is to produce a unique and comprehensive scientific meeting that encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research, facilitating the rapid translation of new knowledge into better care for breast cancer patients. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Baylor College of Medicine are joint sponsors of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This collaboration utilizes the clinical strengths of the CTRC and Baylor, with the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research to expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances into the clinic. The 31st Annual Symposium is expected to draw more than 8,500 participants from more than 80 countries.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
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Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
210-582-7016

New Genetic Model Improves Screening

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Researchers using the OncoVue® clinical breast cancer model for assessing genetic risk had much higher accuracy when compared with the more commonly used Gail model, according to data presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

By using a combination of a questionnaire and a saliva test, the OncoVue® model takes into account genetic variation in single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, that the traditional Gail model, which bases risk calculation primarily on traditional risk factors like alcohol consumption, does not. SNPs are small genetic changes within DNA that underlie individuality, including disease risk. The initial research considered 117 common SNPs as candidates, but during test development the list was ultimately narrowed to 22 SNPs in 19 genes that proved to be most informative in estimating a woman's individualized risk of developing breast cancer.

"Women are clamoring for genetic tests like this one. The traditional Gail model looks at personal and clinical risk factors, but not at the inherited genetic variation in SNPs," said lead investigator Kathie Dalessandri, M.D., a physician scientist who led the research team along with colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Buck Institute for Age Research.

Buccal cell DNA had been collected from 177 women without breast cancer who comprised the control group and 169 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1997 and 1999 in Marin County, California. This region has been recognized for many years as having higher than average breast cancer incidence and mortality rates. Despite their elevated risk, Marin women who develop breast cancer have similar risk factors as Marin women who do not develop breast cancer when assessed by the classical Gail model characteristics. The researchers theorized that the OncoVue® model which integrates the influence of genetic variation along with personal and clinical information would be able to more accurately estimate risk for these Marin women. DNA was genotyped for 22 SNP variants, and the researchers assessed the fraction of case and control patients who were assigned an OncoVue® risk score greater than 1.5 times average likelihood of developing breast cancer between ages 30 and 69. In this blinded analysis, the OncoVue® score proved 2.4 times more accurate than the Gail model characteristics in accurately identifying the Marin cases with their increased risk from Marin controls with their reduced risk. Additionally, OncoVue® exhibited a 51 percent improvement over the Gail model in assigning an elevated risk score to cases.

The improvement in risk estimation is significant and Dalessandri believes the OncoVue® model will soon become standard clinical practice for evaluating breast cancer risk.

"Within the next few years there is going to be a definite paradigm shift toward prevention by analysis of genetic material rather than traditional risk factors," said Dalessandri. "As these tests become more commonplace we will be able to more effectively target prevention and early intervention to those at highest risk."

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Media Contact:
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In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
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Reduction in Breast Density Predicts Potential Benefit of Tamoxifen

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Reduction in breast density appears to be a strong indicator of a woman's response to tamoxifen, an agent used to decrease breast cancer risk. Increased breast density is the leading risk factor for breast cancer, apart from age.

At the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, British researchers said that if their findings are validated in follow-up studies, women at risk for developing breast cancer should have a baseline mammogram before starting use of tamoxifen, and then a follow-up scan a year or two later to monitor breast density.

If there is a reduction, the agent is having an effect; if density is the same, it may not be a beneficial drug for the individual woman, said the study's lead investigator, Jack Cuzick, Ph.D., head of the Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics in London.

"It is important to find a way to predict who will respond to tamoxifen, and changes in breast density may constitute an early indicator of benefit," said Cuzick. "This is important to know because other preventive options now exist or are being tested."

Cuzick led the International Breast Intervention Study I (IBIS-I), a trial of tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention that involved more than 7,000 participants. Results of the study found the agent reduces the risk of estrogen-positive (ER) breast cancer by 30 to 40 percent among women at high risk. During that study, researchers collected baseline mammograms, as well as mammograms at 18, 36, and 54 months to check for breast cancer development.

Based on analysis of these mammograms, Cuzick and his colleagues later found a strong correlation between reduction of breast density in women who use tamoxifen and lowered breast cancer risk.

In this study, the investigators examined a subpopulation of the IBIS-I participants (120 women who developed breast cancer and 943 who didn't), to see if their mammograms changed over time and if tamoxifen treatment reduced breast density. They also looked at changes in other variables, such as hormone status, body weight and familial factors.

They found that only change in mammographic density predicted reduction of risk for ER-positive breast cancer. For the 46 percent of women in the tamoxifen-treatment group whose breast density was reduced by 10 percent or more, the risk of breast cancer was reduced by 52 percent relative to the control group (women who did not develop breast cancer). Conversely, the 54 percent of women whose density was not reduced by 10 percent only had a non-significant, 8 percent reduction in breast cancer risk.

The findings suggest that the impact of tamoxifen on risk reduction is predictable by changes it induces on breast density after 12 to 18 months of treatment, Cuzick said.

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In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
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Biomarkers: What Can They Tell Us

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - As cancer researchers move away from the general use of chemotherapy and into more targeted approaches, scientists are working to discover effective ways to measure response and risk. Data presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium illustrate the cutting edge of biomarker discovery and development.

Reductions in Breast Density Predict Potential Benefit of Tamoxifen
Abstract #61, Jack Cuzick, Ph.D.

A reduction in breast density of at least 10 percent may predict who benefits from the breast cancer preventive effects of tamoxifen. Researchers studied 1,063 women and found that those with reduced breast density after 12 to 18 months of treatment had a 52 percent reduced risk of breast cancer. By contrast, those women who did not have a decrease in breast density had only an eight percent risk reduction.
Full release available/Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

Poor Prognosis on Small, HER2 Positive Tumors
Abstract #701, Ana M. Gonzalez-Angula, M.D.

Although current guidelines call for no further therapy after surgery on breast tumors one centimeter or smaller, a new study suggests that if these tumors are HER2 positive patients have an increased risk for relapse. In the largest study of its kind to date (n=1,315, including a validation set), researchers found that the five-year recurrence rate was 23 percent among patients with small HER2-positive tumors, compared with eight percent in other tumor types.
Full release available/Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

New Genetic Modeling Improves Screening
Abstract #502, Kathie Dalessandri, M.D.

A new genetic model based on 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms may improve the ability to predict risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers found that in a high-risk population from Marin County, California, this model improved diagnostic accuracy by 51 percent compared to classic risk factors alone.
Full release available/Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

New Biomarker Predicts Anthracycline Response
Abstract #45, John Bartlett, Ph.D.

The presence of chromosome 17 polysomy effectively predicted which patients would benefit from adjuvant anthracycline chemotherapy. Researchers analyzed 1,625 samples from NEAT (National Epirubicin Adjuvant Trial) and found that those patients with C17 polysomic tumors had significantly greater benefit from epirubicin than those without, even when taking HER2 status into consideration. Researchers suggest that this may explain the apparent association of anthracycline sensitivity and HER2 status which is located on this chromosome.
Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

Biomarkers May Not Identify Proper Chemotherapy Treatment
Abstract # 705, Angelo Di Leo, M.D., Ph.D.

Chemotherapy treatment selection based on biomarkers may not yet be a valuable practice. Prior studies have suggested that HER2 and topoisomerase II (TOP2A) might predict sensitivity to particular chemotherapy agents. An interim analysis shows that HER2 and TOP2A have a clinically modest and statistically borderline predictive value.
Full data to be presented at the meeting.

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In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
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Zoledronic Acid May Have Anti-Tumor Properties

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Early evaluations of zoledronic acid suggest a possible direct anti-tumor effect when combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment, according to data presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

"Zoledronic acid is primarily targeted to bone and metastasis within the bone marrow microenvironment, but it may also be enhancing the response in the primary breast tumor," said Robert Coleman, M.D., FRCP, professor of medical oncology at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.

Coleman is the lead researcher on the AZURE (Adjuvant Zoledronic Acid to Reduce Recurrence) trial, which is evaluating the effect of zoledronic acid on breast cancer. Although the larger AZURE trial is still being evaluated, if the findings in this smaller study are confirmed, the effect could be "practice changing," Coleman said.

The AZURE trial enrolled 3,360 women with stage II/III breast cancer to determine whether treatment with zoledronic acid in addition to adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy would improve disease outcomes.

Coleman and colleagues performed a retrospective pathology analysis on 205 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy to determine zoledronic acid's impact on the primary tumor.

Zoledronic acid appeared to reduce tumor size from 30 mm in the chemotherapy alone group to 20.5 mm in the combination group. After adjusting for variables like estrogen receptor status and treatment duration, the difference remained at 42.4 mm in the chemotherapy group and 28.2 mm in the combination group.

The pathological complete response rate was 5.8 percent in the chemotherapy arm and 10.9 percent in the zoledronic acid group.

The number of patients requiring mastectomy was 77.9 percent in the chemotherapy group and 65.3 percent in the combination group.

"Zoledronic acid is currently approved for the treatment of bone metastasis and osteoporosis. If the AZURE trial remains positive, then we'll file for an additional indication," said Coleman.

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Cancer Drugs in the Pipeline

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Scientists in the clinic and the laboratory continue to work to drive breast cancer mortality rates down with breakthrough drugs. With tamoxifen's discovery 30 years behind us, and the impact of Herceptin still being felt, researchers are studying zoledronic acid, aromatase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, among others, with encouraging results. Data will be presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Zoledronic Acid May Have Anti-Tumor Properties
Abstract #5101, Robert Coleman, M.D

Early results of the AZURE (Adjuvant Zoledronic Acid to Reduce Recurrence) trial suggest that zoledronic acid may have antitumor properties when combined with chemotherapy. Treatment was linked with a reduction in tumor size (20.5 mm vs. 30 mm), an increase in the complete response rate (10.9 percent vs. 5.8 percent) and a decrease in the number of patients requiring mastectomy (65.3 percent vs. 77.9 percent).
Full release available/Complete data to be presented at the meeting.

Breast Cancer Patients May have Better Option to Reduce Estrogen Levels
Abstract #15, Stephen Jones, M.D.
Embargo: 10:15 a.m. CST, December 11, 2008

Despite adjuvant therapy to reduce estrogen levels, one in five breast cancer survivors will have a recurrence. The first results from the TEAM study, one of the largest clinical trials ever conducted for invasive breast cancer, demonstrated that exemestane may be more effective in postmenopausal women than current treatment with tamoxifen. Exemestane is an agent that actually stops the body from producing estrogen.
Full data to be presented at the meeting.

Herceptin Increases Event-Free Survival in Locally Advanced HER2-Postive Breast Cancer
Abstract #31, Luca Gianni, M.D.

Among patients with HER2-positive, locally advanced breast cancer, neoadjuvant treatment with Herceptin increased three-year, event-free survival to 70 percent compared with 53 percent among those receiving chemotherapy alone. The addition of trastuzumab (Herceptin) was well tolerated with acceptable cardiac safety. Researchers claim this phase III clinical trial establishes chemotherapy with one year of Herceptin as a standard treatment option in this patient population.
Full data to be presented at the meeting.

Lapatinib Improved Progression-Free Survival in Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer
Abstract #46, Stephen Johnston, Ph.D.

For the treatment of women with hormone-receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer that also co-expressed HER2, combining lapatinib with an aromatase inhibitor significantly improved progression-free survival from three months in the letrozole alone group to 8.2 months in the combination group. Overall clinical benefit rate increased from 28.7 percent to 47.7 percent. Involving 1,286 patients, this is the largest trial of its kind to date.
Full data to be presented at the meeting

Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitors Lower Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk
Abstract #12, James Ingle, M.D.
Embargo: 9:30 a.m. CST, December 11, 2008

Adjuvant therapy with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for postmenopausal estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer given either as initial monotherapy or after several years of tamoxifen decreases the risk of recurrent disease more than tamoxifen, according to two meta-analyses. The risk reduction with AIs was statistically significant.
Full data to be presented at the meeting.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
210-582-7016

Easton Honored With Inaugural AACR Outstanding Investigator Award in Breast Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Douglas Easton, Ph.D., whose international studies in breast cancer explained the genetic patterns and causes of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations which indicate a person's risk for breast cancer, has been selected to receive the inaugural American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Outstanding Investigator Award in Breast Cancer Research.

This award, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, recognizes an investigator whose novel and significant work has had or may have a far-reaching impact on the causes, detection, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of breast cancer.

Easton, professor of genetic epidemiology and director of the Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Unit in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, has been selected for his national and international studies of the genetic causes and patterns of breast cancer. As a result of his work, Easton established the Breast Cancer Linage Consortium, which provided the first estimates of breast and ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers and developed a risk model that is used daily in clinics worldwide.

Most recently, Easton assisted in identifying five breast cancer genes located in specific areas on the chromosome which impact breast cancer susceptibility, none of which had previously been associated with breast cancer: FGFR2, TNRC9, MAP3K1, LSP1 and a locus on 8q. Subsequently, he demonstrated how variations in these loci are associated with increased risk of breast cancer in BRCA mutation carriers. These observations may become important in counseling women who carry the BRCA mutation, and will be important for risk stratification in the general population.

Easton received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in mathematics from the University of Cambridge. He earned a doctorate in Genetic Epidemiology from the University of London. In 1980 Dr. Easton was recruited to a research fellow position at the Institute of Cancer Research. In 1995, Dr. Easton moved to Cambridge to become director of the Cancer Research Genetic Epidemiology Unit.

Easton will give an award lecture entitled, "Recent Developments in Genetic Susceptibility to Breast Cancer," on Thursday, December 11, 2008, at 11:30 a.m. CST, during the 31st Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, in San Antonio, Texas.

For a high resolution photograph of Douglas Easton, Ph.D., please contact Megan Davies at (267) 646-0612 or megan.davies@aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is to produce a unique and comprehensive scientific meeting that encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research, facilitating the rapid translation of new knowledge into better care for breast cancer patients. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Baylor College of Medicine are joint sponsors of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This collaboration utilizes the clinical strengths of the CTRC and Baylor, with the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research to expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances into the clinic. The 31st Annual Symposium is expected to draw more than 8,500 participants from more than 80 countries.

Massagué Honored with Inaugural AACR Distinguished Leadership Award in Breast Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - Joan Massagué, Ph.D., whose research identified the role of transforming growth hormone factor- β (TGF-β) in the metastasis of breast cancer cells to the lung, has been selected to receive the inaugural AACR Distinguished Leadership Award in Breast Cancer Research.

Massagué spent more than two decades defining how TGF-β affects cell growth and division. He learned that an imbalance of TGF-β receptors led to the spread of cancer cells and used this information to determine how gene expression predicts the ability of breast cancer cells to metastasize. Massagué identified organ-specific metastatic characteristics that predict the spread of cancer cells. These investigations demonstrated that a genetic predisposition for metastasis can sometimes be identified in primary malignancies before the cancer has begun to spread.

Massagué's work is a dramatic example of the continuing importance of the focused pursuit of basic problems in biology for advancing our understanding of cancer and for developing new approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Massagué obtained his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Barcelona. In 1989, he was recruited to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He currently serves as Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; professor, Weill-Cornell Graduate School; adjunct director, Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona; and Alfred P. Sloan Chair, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Massagué will give an award lecture entitled, "Deconstructing Metastasis," on Saturday, December 13, 2008, at 11:30 a.m. CST, during the 31st Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, in San Antonio, Texas.

For a high resolution photograph of Joan Massagué, Ph.D., please contact Megan Davies at (267) 646-0612 or megan.davies@aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is to produce a unique and comprehensive scientific meeting that encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research, facilitating the rapid translation of new knowledge into better care for breast cancer patients. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Baylor College of Medicine are joint sponsors of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This collaboration utilizes the clinical strengths of the CTRC and Baylor, with the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research to expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances into the clinic. The 31st Annual Symposium is expected to draw more than 8,500 participants from more than 80 countries.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
(267) 646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org
In San Antonio December 10 - 14:
210-582-7016

Selenium May Prevent High Risk-Bladder Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A study published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that selenium, a trace mineral found in grains, nuts and meats, may aid in the prevention of high-risk bladder cancer.

Researchers from Dartmouth Medical School compared selenium levels in 767 individuals newly diagnosed with bladder cancer to the levels of 1,108 individuals from the general population. Findings showed an inverse association between selenium and bladder cancer among women, some smokers and those with p53 positive bladder cancer.

In the entire study population, there was no inverse association between selenium and bladder cancer, but women (34 percent), moderate smokers (39 percent) and those with p53 positive cancer (43 percent) had significant reductions in bladder cancer with higher rates of selenium.

"There are different pathways by which bladder cancer evolves and it is thought that one of the major pathways involves alterations in the p53 gene," said corresponding author Margaret Karagas, Ph.D., professor of community and family medicine of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth. "Bladder cancers stemming from these alternations are associated with more advanced disease."

While other studies have shown a similar association between selenium and bladder cancer among women, this study is one of the first to show an association between selenium and p53 positive bladder cancer.

"Ultimately, if it is true that selenium can prevent a certain subset of individuals, like women, from developing bladder cancer, or prevent certain types of tumors, such as those evolving through the p53 pathway, from developing, it gives us clues about how the tumors could be prevented in the future and potentially lead to chemopreventive efforts," Karagas said.

Karagas hopes to replicate these findings on a larger scale in order to examine the connection between selenium and bladder cancer in women and those with p53 tumors, as well as with patient prognosis.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Men with Wives, Significant Others More likely to be Screened for Prostate Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Although the link between early screening and prostate cancer survival is well established, men are less likely to go for early screening unless they have a wife or significant other living with them, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"In terms of motivating people to get screened, there may be benefit in targeting wives or significant others as well as men," said lead author Lauren P. Wallner, M.P.H., a graduate research associate at the University of Michigan.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States, and early detection is associated with drastically improved five-year survival rates. However, what motivates a man to get screened is not known.

Wallner and colleagues identified 2,447 Caucasian men ages 40 years to 79 years from Olmstead County, Minnesota. These men completed questionnaires containing queries on family history of prostate cancer, concern about getting prostate cancer and marital status.

If men had a family history of prostate cancer, they were 50 percent more likely to be screened. If men said they were worried about prostate cancer, they were nearly twice as likely to be screened.

However, the likelihood among men with a family history to get screened decreased if they lived alone. Specifically, men who lived alone were 40 percent less likely to be screened than those who were married or had a significant other in their home.

Wallner said the study did not assess what caused a married man to be more likely to be screened. She also said that further studies would need to examine this effect in non-Caucasian populations.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 00 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Cancer Research Giants Collaborate to Present the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN ANTONIO - This year marks the first San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium to include the collaborative efforts of the American Association for Cancer Research, the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Baylor College of Medicine.

Nearly 8,000 scientists and other professionals will gather at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio from December 10-14, 2008, to hear and present the latest scientific findings in breast cancer research.

"SABCS is arguably the best breast cancer research meeting in the world, and with the addition of high quality science, credibility and outreach efforts from the American Association for Cancer Research, this collaboration will garner further scientific prominence," said Tyler Curiel, M.D., president and chief executive officer at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center.

The number of abstracts submitted for this year's symposium increased by 17 percent over last year from 1,181 to 1,414. Consequently, the program has been extended by a full day to include more educational programs.

"The AACR is delighted to have the opportunity to work with CTRC and Baylor College of Medicine in presenting this meeting to the breast cancer community," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer at the American Association for Cancer Research. "The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is already an outstanding meeting. Clearly, the expert input of the AACR enhances interactions between basic and clinical researchers."

In addition to the program, the San Antonio meeting will include three press briefings for the media:

Drugs in the Pipeline: Thursday, December 11 at 2:00 p.m., Central Time. New data on zoledronic acid, aromatase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies

Biomarkers: Friday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m., Central Time. New data on biologic changes that accurately predict risk and response

Patient Management and Quality of Life: Friday, December 12 at 2:00 p.m., Central Time. New strategies for combating a multi-faceted disease

For more information on press registration, press briefings and call-in information, please contact Jeremy Moore at jeremy.moore@aacr.org or Emma O'Brien at emma.obrien@aacr.org.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In San Antonio Dec. 10-14:
210-582-7016

HER2 Levels May Aid in Treatment Selection for Metastatic Breast Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Findings published in the December 1, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, show lapatinib benefits women with HER2-positive breast cancer, while women with HER2-negative breast cancer or those who express EGRF alone derive no incremental benefit. In addition, a misclassification of metastatic breast cancer patients by as much as 10 percent prevents some people from receiving optimal therapy.

Lapatinib, an oral chemotherapy agent, inhibits both HER2 and EGRF receptors, leaving unanswered questions about which patients are more likely to benefit. Researchers at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center found that HER2 amplification ("HER2-positive"), but not EGRF expression, is correlated with responsiveness to lapatinib. Women with both high and low levels of HER2 amplification respond to lapatinib. However, women with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancers do not respond.

Women with HER2-postitive metastatic breast cancer who receive lapatinib and chemotherapy have shown an improvement of approximately 50 percent in progression-free survival when compared to chemotherapy alone. Unfortunately, high volume laboratories using laboratory technicians instead of pathologists to score gene amplification misclassify approximately 10 percent of HER2 amplified breast cancers as not amplified, preventing these patients from being candidates for lapatinib.

"I would like to see all women with breast cancer tested appropriately, using the best method and certified personnel, to assess the HER2 status of their breast cancer so the appropriate treatment can be selected," said Michael Press, M.D., Ph.D., Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Harold E. Lee Chair in Cancer Research and lead author of the study.

Currently lapatinib is approved by the FDA for use only in women who have HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who were previously treated with anthracyclines, trastuzumab and taxane.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

European Ancestry Increases Breast Cancer Risk among Latinas

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Latina women have a lower risk of breast cancer than European or African-American women generally, but those with higher European ancestry could be at increased risk, according to data published in the December 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"We need to study the possible factors that are placing Latina women of high European ancestry at greater risk," said Laura Fejerman, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of California San Francisco. "The increased risk could be due to environmental factors, genetic factors or the interplay of the two."

Latinas are what geneticists refer to as an "admixed" population with most of their genetic ancestry from European or indigenous Americans. Fejerman said the term "indigenous Americans" usually refers to the groups that lived on the American continent prior to the arrival of the European colonizers.

For the current study, Fejerman and colleagues identified the genetic ancestry of 440 Latina women with breast cancer and 597 Latina women who did not have breast cancer.

For every 25 percent increase in European ancestry there is a 79 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer. If a woman had an estimated European ancestry of 25 percent she would be 79 percent more likely to have breast cancer than a woman of full indigenous American ancestry.

After accounting for known risk factors like number of full-term pregnancies or months of breastfeeding, the breast cancer risk for every 25 percent increase in European ancestry decreased to 39 percent, but it remained statistically significant.

Fejerman said that the overall risk of Latinas in the US is less than in European Americans but higher than indigenous Americans. She said further research would need to be conducted to determine if these differences are due to the presence of non-genetic risk factors that have not yet been described and that vary with ancestry, to the effect of genetic variants that either are protective or increase risk, or the result of the interaction between genes and non-genetic factors.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Calorie Restriction and Exercise Show Differences in Preventing Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have identified pathways by which a reduced-calorie diet and exercise can modify a postmenopausal woman's risk of breast cancer.

The results, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, suggest that both caloric restriction and exercise affect pathways leading to mTOR, a molecule involved in integrating energy balance with cell growth. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway is a contributing factor to various human diseases, including cancers. Diet and exercise reach mTOR through different means, with calorie restriction affecting more upstream pathways, which could explain why caloric restriction is more efficient in delaying tumor growth than exercise in animal models.

"One of the few breast cancer modifiable risk factors is obesity," said lead author Leticia M. Nogueira, Ph.D., a research graduate assistant at the University of Texas. "Our study may provide a good scientific basis for medical recommendations. If you're obese, and at high risk for breast cancer, diet and exercise could help prevent tumor growth."

Epidemiological data has suggested that inducing a so-called "negative energy balance" (where less energy is taken in than expended) through eating a low-calorie diet or increasing exercise levels, decreases the postmenopausal breast cancer risk associated with obesity. Although the mechanism responsible for these anti-obesity strategies was unknown, scientists have suspected hormone alteration plays a critical role. Increased fat tissue is known to be associated with alterations in adipokines, proteins secreted by fat tissue that help modify appetite and insulin resistance. For example, increased levels of leptin and decreased levels of adiponectin have been associated with breast cancer risk.

For the study, Nogueira and colleagues sought to compare the changes in adipokines, and their downstream signaling pathways proven to be altered in human breast cancers, following either caloric restriction or exercise in a mouse model of post-menopausal obesity.

For eight weeks, they administered a high-fat diet to 45 mice that had their ovaries surgically removed to model the post-menopausal state. During week nine of the study, the diet-induced obese mice were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, permitted to eat at will; a group fed a diet reduced in calories by 30 percent; and a group that was permitted to eat at will but exercised on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day, five days a week. At week 16, researchers collected tissue from the mice for analysis.

At the study's end, the mice fed a calorie-restricted diet weighed an average of 19.9 grams - significantly less than the control mice (average weight 28.8 grams) and the exercised mice (average weight 26 grams). The calorie-restricted mice and the exercised mice showed no significant difference in percentage of body fat, but both groups had significantly less body fat than the sedentary mice that were fed at will.

In addition, blood levels of leptin, a hormone that plays a role in fat metabolism, were significantly reduced in the calorie-restricted and exercised mice compared to the controls. The calorie-restricted mice also displayed increased blood levels of adiponectin, a hormone produced in fat tissue that regulates some metabolic processes, compared to the exercised mice.

Some of the cell signaling pathways regulated by these hormones converge at mTOR, Nogueira explains. She and her colleagues found that the key proteins found downstream of mTOR activation were less active in both the calorie-restricted and exercised mice compared to the controls.

"These data suggest that although exercise can act on similar pathways as caloric restriction, caloric restriction possesses a more global effect on cell signaling and, therefore, may produce a more potent anti-cancer effect," Nogueira said.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

Broccoli May Lower Lung Cancer Risk in Smokers

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The cancer preventive properties of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables appear to work specifically in smokers, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

Cruciferous vegetables have been shown to be protective in numerous studies, but this is the first comprehensive study that showed a protective benefit in smokers, specifically in former smokers, according to lead author Li Tang, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

"Broccoli is not a therapeutic drug, but for smokers who believe they cannot quit nor do anything about their risk, this is something positive," Tang said. "People who quit smoking will definitely benefit more from intake of cruciferous vegetables."

Li and colleagues conducted a hospital-based, case-controlled study with lung cancer cases and controls matched on smoking status. The study included all commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables, and also considered raw versus cooked form. Researchers performed statistical calculations to take into account smoking status, duration and intensity.

Among smokers, the protective effect of cruciferous vegetable intake ranged from a 20 percent reduction in risk to a 55 percent reduction in risk depending on the type of vegetable consumed and the duration and intensity of smoking.

For example, among current smokers, only the consumption of raw cruciferous vegetables was associated with risk reduction of lung cancer. No significant results were found for consumption of vegetables in general and fruits.

Researchers further divided their findings by four subtypes of lung cancer and found the strongest risk reduction among patients with squamous or small-cell carcinoma. These two subtypes are more strongly associated with heavy smoking.

"These findings are not strong enough to make a public health recommendation yet," said Li. "However, strong biological evidence supports this observation. These findings, along with others, indicate cruciferous vegetables may play a more important role in cancer prevention among people exposed to cigarette-smoking. "

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

Maternal Consumption of Canola Oil Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Mothers with diets high in omega 6 fats, which are common in the American diet, may be putting their offspring at higher risk for breast cancer at the genetic level, according to a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

"We're seeing changes in gene expression up to five months after the animals were exposed to a diet containing omega 6 fatty acids during gestation and lactation," said W. Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and microbiology at Marshall University School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "The only explanation is that during gestation and lactation, the mother's diet must be imprinting the genes of the baby."

In this study, researchers fed one group of mice a diet containing corn oil and another group a diet containing canola oil, then recorded the incidence of breast cancer and changes to breast cancer regulating genes in the offspring. All offspring were fed a diet containing corn oil after weaning.

While both groups of offspring were about the same weight, the total tumor weight, number of glands with tumors and fraction of mice with tumors were higher in those whose mothers who were fed corn oil.

The canola oil group also displayed up-regulated genes for CCAAT-enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPβ), a transcription factor involved in breast cancer differentiation, and Early growth response 1 (Egr1), a tumor suppressor gene. Down-regulated genes include Bcl2-like 1 (Bcl2l1), an antiapoptotic and Fatty acid synthase (Fas), an enzyme involved in fatty acid synthesis and active in cancer cells. Offspring of the canola oil-fed mothers also showed higher levels of omega 3 fats in the inguinal fat pad, breasts and liver.

Why corn and canola oils? Because 50 percent of corn oil is made up of omega 6 polyunsaturated fats, which have previously been linked to increased rates of breast cancer. In comparison, canola oil has only 20 percent omega 6 fats. Omega 3 fats, which have been linked to lower cancer risk, vary as well. Corn oil has less than .5 percent omega 3 fats while canola oil has 10 percent.

Corn oil's omega 6 percentages also mimic the typical American diet. "Americans now eat a high percentage of omega 6 fats," said Hardman. "In the 1950s and 1960s, doctors began recommending that we switch to polyunsaturated fats to reduce cardiovascular risk, and our diet turned largely to corn and soybean oils as sources of polyunsaturated fats. Soon after those recommendations is when hormonally-influenced cancers - prostate, breast, colon - started going up."

Aside from its omega 6 and omega 3 balance, researchers chose canola oil because of its availability.

"This is a slam-dunk easy change for people to make," said Hardman. "Canola oil is readily available on the grocery shelf, doesn't cost any more than corn oil, and we can use it for all the things we use corn oil. It will help correct some of the omega 3 and omega 6 imbalance. And by changing the mother's diet, we might be able to reduce cancer in the next generation."

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Home-Based Interventions Improved Elderly Cancer Survivors’ Ability to Function

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Climbing stairs, carrying groceries, taking a shower - these are activities that we take for granted; however, after a cancer diagnosis, many survivors are unable to function as they used to. Home-based diet and exercise interventions may improve physical functioning in older, long-term cancer survivors, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., professor of behavioral science at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, focused this study on survivors older than 65 years old. She said this age group often suffers long-term side effects of cancer and its treatment which could threaten the ability to live independently. "Younger cancer patients are usually able to bounce back, but older patients may need a structured program to stop functional decline and retain independence," said Demark-Wahnefried.

Demark-Wahnefried and colleagues identified 20,015 cancer survivors from cancer registries and self-referral sources. Of these cases, 1,208 were screened and 641 participants were enrolled in the trial. To be included, patients had to be older than 65 years, have survived their cancer for at least five years with no evidence of recurrence, have no medical conditions that would preclude unsupervised exercise, and be overweight or obese.

Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or a wait-list control group. Those in the intervention group received tailored mailed print materials on diet and exercise, a pedometer and exercise bands. For the first three weeks, participants received weekly phone calls, which tapered off to every two weeks and then once a month until the end of the study.

At the end of one year, researchers evaluated physical function, diet quality and physical activity using standard measures. Participants in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in their diet and exercise behaviors, and their weight status. What's more, according to the SF-36 physical function test, participants in the intervention group had a 2.5 point decline compared with a 5.3 point decline in the control group. Similar differences were seen in measures of basic lower extremity and advanced lower extremity functioning. Overall, the magnitude of effect was similar to preventing physical function losses comparable to that imposed by ischemic heart disease.

The ability to perform moderate to vigorous physical activity improved as well. In the intervention group, participants increased their ability by 44.9 minutes a week compared with 29.7 minutes per week in the control group.

Body mass index declined by 0.8 in the active group compared with 0.3 in the control group.

Demark-Wahnefried said these findings are important because the number of cancer survivors is skyrocketing, and we're just beginning to see the long-term health effects of the disease and its treatment. Given current economic concerns, such research is particularly relevant.

"Last year alone, we spent $219 billion on cancer care, but only 40 percent of that was spent on treatment," said Demark-Wahnefried. "The majority of costs were due to lost productivity and health problems that surfaced afterwards."

The current study did not directly assess cost-effectiveness, but Demark-Wahnefried said she expects to see cost savings when they conduct further studies.

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Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

ER/PR Negative Tumors Associated with Insurance Status and Area Education in the U.S.

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - African-American women are at a higher risk for ER/PR negative breast cancer. A new study, to be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, found that race, socioeconomic characteristics and other tumor characteristics are all important predictors of having ER/PR negative breast cancer.

ER/PR negative breast cancer has a poorer prognosis than hormonally-responsive cancer because treatment options are more limited.

In statistical models adjusted only for age, the study found that women who are uninsured or insured through Medicaid were 1.5 times more likely to have ER/PR negative tumors. Women who resided in low education versus high education zip codes were 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with ER/PR negative tumors. These findings were attenuated after controlling for race and other tumor characteristics which are highly associated with ER/PR status.

The risk of ER/PR negative breast cancers for African-American women dropped from 2.26 to 1.85 after controlling for socioeconomic status, stage at diagnosis, tumor size and histologic type.

"Hopefully, these findings will make us more aware that this more severe type of breast cancer is hitting minority and medically underserved women hardest, and we need to work toward finding prevention and therapeutic strategies," said Elizabeth Ward, Ph.D., director of cancer surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.

Ward and colleagues studied the relationship between race, socioeconomics and breast cancer using the National Cancer Database, which collects data for approximately 1,500 cancer hospitals, representing 70 percent of cancer patients in the United States.

After excluding those women with missing information on ER/PR status, researchers were left with 175,820 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer.

"It appears that multiple factors contribute to the risk for ER/PR negative breast cancer. Some of these risk factors appear to be more common in poor and African-American women," Ward said.

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Individuals with HIV Have Higher Risk of Non-AIDS Cancers

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The risk of non-AIDS cancer is higher for individuals infected with HIV than for the general population, according to a meta-analysis presented here at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

Compared with the general population, the risk for non-AIDS cancers was 2.3 times higher for men with HIV and 1.5 times greater for women with HIV. Among individuals with HIV, however, incidence rates were similar for those with AIDS and those without, relative to the general population.

Although the researchers did not examine why non-AIDS cancers may occur at a greater rate among individuals with HIV, clinicians should be aware of this potential increased risk when examining patients with HIV, said Meredith Shiels, M.H.S., an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

"In particular, clinicians of HIV-infected patients should inquire about well-known modifiable cancer risk factors," she said. "For example, the prevalence of cigarette smoking, which is a cause of many types of cancer, is known to be higher among HIV-infected individuals."

Modern drug therapy has led to a longer life for patients with HIV. Because cancer risk increases with age, investigating the risk of cancer among patients with HIV is important. Although some cancers are known to be associated with HIV, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and cervical cancer, limited research has been conducted on risk of non-AIDS cancers.

Shiels and her colleagues analyzed data from 11 U.S. and international studies comparing cancer incidence in individuals with HIV with the general population. Individual studies were excluded if they included data that overlapped with more recent studies. The meta-analysis combined standardized incidence ratios from each study and examined whether they differed by gender and prior AIDS diagnosis.

"We observed an overall elevated risk for all non-AIDS cancers combined among HIV-infected individuals compared with the general population," Shiels said. "The elevated risk appears to be greater among men than women."

Relative to the general population, the incidence of non-AIDS cancer appeared higher for individuals with and without an AIDS diagnosis. When the researchers adjusted the data for gender and study design, the estimates were similar: the risk of non-AIDS cancer was about two times greater than the general population for HIV-infected individuals both with and without AIDS.

When managing patients with HIV, clinicians should be aware of the potential for increased risk of non-AIDS related cancers. It is important for regular cancer screening to take place and for clinicians to encourage patients to modify factors that could affect cancer risk, such as cigarette use and nutrition.

The meta-analysis did not investigate possible reasons for the increased risk of non-AIDS cancers among patients with HIV. Understanding the link may lead to better management of cancer among patients with HIV and could be a topic for future study.

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Lower Socioeconomic Status Decreases Chances of Early Detection and Survival of Colorectal Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - An abstract presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research shows that lower socioeconomic status reduced the chance of early-stage diagnosis and survival of colorectal cancer in Colorado.

"Diagnosis of colorectal cancer at an early stage can lead to better survival. Good screening tests for early-stage diagnosis of colorectal cancer are available," Alma Palisoc, M.D., a preventive medicine resident physician at the University of Colorado Denver and lead author of the study, said. "However, those in the lower socioeconomic groups and those having no health insurance or only Medicaid coverage are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a later stage of disease when survival is worse."

In the study, Palisoc, and her co-authors from the Colorado School of Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, used data from 21,212 colorectal cancers reported to the Colorado Central Cancer Registry over a 12-year period. Using information from the 2000 U.S. census on block group socioeconomic characteristics, they then examined differences in early-stage diagnosis and five-year, cause-specific survival by socioeconomic status.

They found early-stage diagnosis was less common for all three socioeconomic groups among those with no health insurance or only Medicaid coverage. They also observed that early-stage diagnosis was less common among those younger than 65 among lower socioeconomic groups. "In contrast, for those 65 and older, Medicare covers colorectal cancer screening tests and so earlier-stage diagnosis was observed to be similar among the three groups." More important, for those under the age of 65, there was a 19 percent decrease in five-year survival between the higher and lower groups.

"We concluded that both lack of health insurance and being in a lower socioeconomic strata are important risk factors for later stage colorectal cancers and for poorer survival from colorectal cancer," Palisoc said.

Colorectal cancer incidence rates have declined considerably over the last two decades, due to increased screening, which allows physicians to detect and remove colorectal polyps before forming cancer. "Later detection and, therefore, lower survival of colorectal cancer among those in the low socioeconomic strata were most likely due to barriers in accessing screening tests," Palisoc said.

"These findings can hopefully raise more awareness to the importance of removing barriers to lifesaving health services such as screening tests and treatment for colorectal cancer," Palisoc said. "We need to identify ways to provide such services in Colorado and across the nation, even for people without health insurance."

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Teaching Breast Health Early to Reduce Breast Cancer Mortality in D.C.

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Early breast health education may be the key to lowering breast cancer mortality rates in Washington, D.C., which has the highest rates in the country, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

Project Early Awareness, a breast cancer education program of Howard University Cancer Center, brings a young survivor into high school classrooms to dispel breast cancer myths, provide breast cancer facts, and teach breast self exams. While only about five percent of breast cancer cases occur in women under the age of 40, learning to understand breast cancer at a young age may lead to early diagnosis later in life.

"We want young women to know and understand their bodies," said Kimberly Higginbotham, the program's instructor and a young breast cancer survivor. "The goal is for breast self exams to become routine."

The program, which started with three schools and has extended to 17, has instructed more than 2,800 girls and their families. Each student is given a pre-test and post-test to gauge the effectiveness of the program. Howard University has seen students increase their comfort and ability to perform a breast self exam by 39 percent and their ability to answer breast cancer questions correctly increase by 69 percent.

"We always see improvement between the pre-test and the post-test," said Higginbotham. "For example, a common myth about breast cancer is that it can be caused by getting hit in the breast. Students almost always put that it's true in the pre-test, but mark that it's false in the post-test."

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The mortality rates are well above average for African-American women living in the District of Columbia. Project Early Awareness aims to focus on long-term solutions to help reduce health disparities, by ensuring women are aware of the screening tools available to them as they age.

Howard University Cancer Center has received requests to extend their program to other states. As a part of the session, they provide students with information to take home to their families to help increase the reach of the program.

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Behavior/Lifestyle Factors Influence Cancer Risk Among the Elderly

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Behavioral risk factors have a significant effect on cancer risk in the U.S. elderly population, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Understanding these factors may allow clinicians to make specific recommendations for their elderly patients in order to reduce their risks of future cancers.

"About 80 percent of all cancers are diagnosed in the elderly, and more than 80 percent of known risk factors are potentially preventable," said Igor Akushevich, Ph.D., senior research scientist, Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, N.C.

The primary purpose of the Duke study was to develop an approach to estimate the contributions of measurable risk factors to cancer risk among the elderly. More analysis is needed before the findings can be applied in clinical use.

"So far, we have not come to the stage where we are able to make specific recommendations regarding risk factors," Akushevich said. "However, we can confirm several of them which are known. As expected, we see associations of cigarette smoking with lung cancer. Moderate physical activities are capable of decreasing cancer risk, as well as careful health care insurance strategy and, hypothetically, general optimism in life."

Although the results need to be verified in subsequent studies, the researchers found significant contributions from a variety of lifestyle, behavioral and demographic variables on the risk of breast, lung, colon and prostate cancers among the elderly.

The study used data from The National Long Term Care Survey (NLTCS), Medicare claims and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. It defined elderly as 65 years of age or greater. "What is important," Akushevich said, "is the sample of individuals represents the whole U.S. elderly population."

Some associations between risk factors and cancer incidence were significant and were similar to those found in previous NLTCS studies. "Light physical activities decrease risk of cancer, and moderate activities decrease the risks in larger extent, while the picture for vigorous activities is contradictory," he said. Colon and prostate cancers were more associative with physical activities. The preventive effect of physical activities, however, may be mitigated by an increasing risk of death due to all causes as people age.

As expected, tobacco consumption was significantly associated with lung cancer. Future research will examine any joint effects of cigarette smoking and other risk factors such as physical activity or obesity, Akushevich said.

The effect of comorbidities demonstrated a larger increase in risk seen for breast and prostate cancers and a lesser increase for lung and colon cancers. Circulatory disease and diabetes increased the risk of breast cancer while immune diseases increased the risk of prostate cancer.

All data came from individuals covered by Medicare. The researchers found an increased cancer and mortality risk depending on the specific Medicare plan. "The situation when additional payments have to be made out-of-pocket is the worst in respect to cancer and mortality risk," Akushevich said. "The problem is more important for lung and colon cancers."

He added the researchers were surprised at some of the findings. Cancer risk was not associated with alcohol consumption, which has been reported in other studies. A possible explanation may be a moderate level of alcohol consumption by the elderly.

"Other interesting associations are increased risk of breast cancer for those women afraid to go to the doctor to investigate health problems and a decreased risk of breast and lung cancers for those who never lose their temper," he said.

"A general view of the results leads to a hypothesis that cancer risk increases for individuals who are not completely happy in different aspects of their life," he added.

Future research will entail detailed multivariate analyses and comparison of predictions with other data sets. "We hope to find confirmation of found associations and to more extensively study effects of risk factors," Akushevich said.

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Exercise and Rest Reduce Cancer Risk

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Exercise is good for more than just your waistline. A recent study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research suggests that regular physical activity can lower a woman's overall risk of cancer - but only if she gets a good night's sleep. Otherwise, lack of sleep can undermine exercise's cancer prevention benefits.

"Greater participation in physical activity has consistently been associated with reduced risk of cancer incidence at several sites, including breast and colon cancers," said James McClain, Ph.D., cancer prevention fellow at the National Cancer Institute and lead author of the study. "Short duration sleep appears to have opposing effects of physical activity on several key hormonal and metabolic parameters, which is why we looked at how it affected the exercise/cancer risk relationship."

Even though the exact mechanism of how exercise reduces cancer risk isn't known, researchers believe that physical activity's effects on factors including hormone levels, immune function, and body weight may play an important role. The study examined the link between exercise and cancer risk, paying special attention to whether or not getting adequate sleep further affected a women's cancer risk.

Researchers assessed the association between physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE), sleep duration and incidence of overall, breast, and colon cancer in 5,968 women at least 18 years old with no previous cancer diagnoses. The women completed an initial survey in 1998 and were then tracked through the Washington County Cancer Registry and Maryland State Cancer Registry for nearly 10 years.

The results pointed to a sleep-exercise link. "Current findings suggest that sleep duration modifies the relationship between physical activity and all-site cancer risk among young and middle-aged women," he said.

Out of those 5,968 women, 604 experienced a first incidence of cancer, including 186 breast cancer cases. Women in the upper 50 percent of PAEE showed significantly reduced risk of overall cancer and breast cancer. Among women 65 or younger when surveyed and in the upper half of PAEE, sleeping less than seven hours a day increased overall cancer risk, negating much of the protective effects of physical activity on cancer risk for this group.

The next step, says McClain, would be to confirm current findings and investigate potential mechanisms underlying the interaction between sleep and exercise in order to better understand their roles in cancer prevention.

Research is expanding rapidly on the effect of insufficient and prolonged sleep duration on many health outcomes although few studies have examined the association of sleep duration with cancer risk. This novel study examining the interaction of sleep and physical activity suggests another future focus of research on health behaviors and cancer outcomes.

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Three Esophageal, Stomach Cancer Subtypes Linked to Smoking; One Associated with Alcohol Use

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Researchers who have been following the health of more than 120,000 residents of the Netherlands for more than two decades have found that smoking is associated with two forms of esophageal cancer as well as a form of stomach cancer, and that drinking alcohol is strongly linked to one form of esophageal cancer.

Researchers say that while their findings, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, confirm risk factors previously associated with these cancers, they don't explain the rising incidence of these tumors, especially esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), a cancer of the upper stomach area, where it joins the esophagus.

"The results of this study again confirm recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, namely not to smoke and to drink alcohol in moderation," said study author, Jessie Steevens, M.Sc., of the Department of Epidemiology at Maastricht University, in Maastricht.
"But it also suggests that there must be other risk factors for EAC and GCA," she said. "Smoking is a risk factor for both cancers, but since a decreasing part of the population smokes, this cannot explain why the incidence is rising so rapidly for both cancers in Western countries in recent decades.

"Other factors that might be associated with the risk of these cancers include obesity, diet and nutrition, exercise, occupational exposures, medical factors and so forth, which we are beginning to study," Steevens said.

Their findings are from one of the first large cohort studies to investigate risk factors in esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, as well as in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which resembles head and neck cancer.

ESCC, which can occur anywhere along the esophagus, was at one time responsible for more than 90 percent of all esophageal cancers, but now EAC, which is typically found in the lower esophagus, makes up more than half of this cancer type.

Esophageal cancer, in general, had been linked to alcohol and tobacco use, but this study sought to refine that risk between different cancer subtypes.

Researchers in the Netherlands Cohort Study, which began in 1986, administered lifestyle questionnaires to participants, who were healthy when they enrolled, and then followed the group to see who developed cancer. After 16 years, investigators identified 120 ESCC cases, 168 EAC cases, and 187 GCA cases among the group of 120,852 enrollees.

For esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, they found a dose-response relationship between alcohol use and cancer development. "For example, a person drinking four glasses of alcohol had five times the risk of developing the cancer compared to a person who does not drink alcohol," Steevens said.

"Another way to explain this is that a person's lifetime risk of developing ESCC is one in 250 if that person doesn't drink alcohol and the lifetime risk would be about one in 50 if the person drinks four glasses of alcohol per day," she said.

Former and current smoking was associated with an increased risk of all three cancers, although the risks of ESCC were higher than those of EAC and GCA.

"It appeared that current smokers have the highest risks, and former smokers have an intermediate risk compared with never smokers. This was true for ESCC, EAC and GCA. These are the results when no other aspects of smoking were considered, such as the amount of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years a person smoked," Steevens said. "When we took into account the smoking duration and frequency, it appeared that the difference in risk between former smokers and current smokers could partly be explained by these other aspects of smoking. This is also logical, because a former smoker, for example, has usually smoked fewer years than a current smoker."

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Why Only Some Former Smokers Develop Lung Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Canadian researchers are trying to answer why some smokers develop lung cancer while others remain disease free, despite similar lifestyle changes.

Results were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people die from lung cancer than any other cancer type. In fact, according to 2004 data, more people died from lung cancer than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.

Smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing lung cancer, even after quitting for long periods of time. "More than 50 percent of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients are former smokers," said Emily A. Vucic, a graduate student at the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, B.C. "Understanding why some former smokers develop lung cancer is clearly important to the development of early detection, prevention and treatment strategies."

The researchers studied how DNA methylation contributes to lung cancer development in former smokers. Methylation is an important event regulating gene expression during normal development. As we age and in cancer, proper patterns of DNA methylation become deregulated throwing off the tight control of gene activity that normally exists.

Using an endoscope, Vucic and colleagues collected bronchial epithelial cells, which are cells that line the lungs, from 16 former smokers. The participants quit smoking more than 10 years ago. Eight participants had surgical removal of non-small cell lung cancer; eight were disease free.

Their results showed differences in methylation levels in lung epithelial cells between former smokers with and without lung cancer.

"Alteration to DNA methylation might potentially explain why some former smokers sustain additional genetic damage resulting in lung cancer," Vucic said. "As methylation is a reversible DNA modification, this knowledge could prompt the development and application of chemopreventive agents and unique therapeutic strategies that target DNA methylation in these patients."

Exposure to cigarette smoke is a major culprit in disease development. "In addition to DNA sequence mutations, cigarette smoke also causes widespread errors in DNA marks, such as DNA methylation, used to regulate gene function and genome stability," Vucic said.

Cigarette smoke exposure has been shown to activate genes that promote cancer and deactivate genes that stop tumor growth, she said. "Studies examining tumors at all levels of DNA disruption will identify events involved in lung cancer development in former smokers."

The researchers are pursuing additional studies to confirm their initial results, Vucic said.

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Breast Cancer Common among Women with Family History but without BRCA1 or BRCA2

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - New data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research outlines new data, which assesses breast cancer risk among women with a strong family history of breast cancer, but without a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. This may facilitate earlier detection and prevention among high-risk women.

The study, conducted at the University of Toronto, showed that women with a significant family history of breast cancer remain at increased risk for developing the disease, despite having negative BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. These mutations typically signal a need for preventive treatment. The excess risk was about fourfold higher than that of average women.

"In clinical practice we often see families with a significant history of breast cancer and negative BRCA1 and BRCA2 tests, and it is often difficult to counsel them about their risk without this information," said Steven Narod, M.D., the study's senior author. "It is clear that genes are involved, but it is hard to be more specific."

Narod, who holds the Canada Research Chair in breast cancer at the University of Toronto and Women's College Research Institute, said this new data would help physicians counsel their patients. "Now when we see families such as this, we will be able to offer better advice about their actual risk. It is clear to me that the risk is high enough that we need to discuss options such as breast MRI for screening and chemoprevention with tamoxifen or raloxifene," said Narod.

Narod and his team of researchers followed 1,492 women from 365 families with negative BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations for a minimum of five years. These women had a family history of either two or more cases of breast cancer among close relatives under the age of 50 or three cases among close relatives at any age.

Breast cancer rates among these women were compared with control rates found in local breast cancer registries, and researchers noted a 4.3-fold increase.

The highest relative risk was among women under the age of 40, where the increased risk was nearly 15 times higher. Absolute risk was highest among women age 50 to 70 at one percent per year compared with 0.4 percent per year among women between the ages of 30 and 50. This translates into about 30 to 40 percent over their lifetime.

"For all these women, based on what we've identified, tamoxifen would be a good option, as well as breast screening MRI," said Narod. "Our hope is to be able to prevent or pick up on breast cancer early enough to stop patients from dying. We will see what patients decide to do with this advice." In the future, we will follow women like this closely to evaluate the best methods of prevention.

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Genes Associated with Fat Metabolism Could Increase Kidney Cancer Risk

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A team of international scientists has identified three genes associated with the body's processing of fats that may increase susceptibility to kidney cancer. The findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

The researchers found that variations within three genes associated with lipid peroxidation - the process of breaking down fats and lipids when exposed to oxygen - could increase a person's risk of kidney cancer. Scientists have suspected lipid peroxidation as a unifying mechanism through which risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and smoking could damage kidney tissue and lead to kidney cancer.

"Obesity, hypertension and smoking have been the only established risk factors for kidney cancer, but they account for only 50 percent of cases," said lead author Lee E. Moore, Ph.D., M.P.H., an epidemiologist and investigator at the National Cancer Institute. "Our study suggests that common genetic variation may account for some of the increased risk in the other half of cases. This is the first and largest study of renal cell cancer to evaluate the influence of these genes."

For the study, Moore and a group of international colleagues studied blood DNA from 987 kidney cancer patients and 1,298 healthy counterparts living in Central and Eastern Europe, which have the highest rates of kidney cancer worldwide. The scientists analyzed DNA for hundreds of variations within 38 genes known to play a role in lipid peroxidation, inflammation and oxidative stress.

Variants of two genes were associated with increased risk of kidney cancer: nitric oxide synthase 2A (NOS2A), which increases levels of nitric oxide, a chemical that promotes free radical damage to cells; and prostaglandin-endoperoxide 2 (PTGS2), which produces prostaglandins, compounds that cause inflammation. Variants of a third gene, apolipoprotein E1 (ApoE1), which helps break down and remove triglycerides from the blood and liver, were associated with a reduction in risk for the disease.

Replication and fine mapping studies will be required to confirm these findings, Moore said. She is planning another study to look at these genetic variants among white and African-American kidney cancer patients in the United States.

Kidney cancer, one of the 10 most common forms of the disease, has been increasing in incidence in the United States and worldwide since the 1970s, Moore said.

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Genetic Risk Factors May Tailor Prostate Cancer Screening Approaches

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Five genetic risk markers for prostate cancer may allow physicians to adapt screening approaches for men at high-risk, particularly African-American men, according to research presented here, at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

Men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American men are particularly susceptible to the disease, with a twofold to sevenfold increased risk. Assessing risk in these populations has been difficult.

"There have been years of effort to try to identify genes and genetic mutations associated with prostate cancer as there are for breast cancer," said Veda N. Giri, M.D., director of the Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program (PRAP) at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia. "Prostate cancer is a more genetically complex disease."

Giri and colleagues studied patients who are part of the center's Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program, an early detection program for men with a high prostate cancer risk. More than 700 participants are enrolled; 60 percent are African-American.

The investigators evaluated the clinical characteristics of men at high risk for prostate cancer; those who carry five genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been associated with prostate cancer in recent studies. These genetic changes have mostly been reported in predominantly Caucasian populations and are being studied in African-American men as well.

"We are interested in looking at how these genetic risk markers can be used for assessing the risk for prostate cancer in high-risk men," said Giri. "These are men who have not yet developed prostate cancer, such as African-American men and men with family members with the disease. Can these markers be used as an indicator of upcoming prostate cancer?"

The men enrolled in PRAP are aged 35 to 69 years and meet one of the following criteria: one first-degree relative with prostate cancer or two second-degree relatives with prostate cancer on the same side of the family. The group also includes African-American men with BRCA 1/2 mutations.

Giri and colleagues compared the Caucasian high-risk men in PRAP with a control group, an all-Caucasian set of men who have no family or personal history of the disease. The men in the control group are at low risk for developing prostate cancer. Analysis revealed that while there was an effect found for increased risk for prostate cancer in Caucasian men at high-risk for several of these markers, none of the results were statistically significant. This could be related to the low sample size used in the study. When comparing these five genetic markers in high-risk Caucasian men with men already diagnosed with prostate cancer, the distribution of the markers was similar. This might indicate that these markers are clinically useful in Caucasian men at risk for prostate cancer, although further study is needed.

"When we compared African-American men in PRAP to the high-risk Caucasian men in PRAP, we did find a difference," she said. "African-American men tended to carry more of these genetic risk markers compared to the Caucasian men. Since African-American men carry more of these particular genetic markers, they may be more informative for prostate cancer risk assessment in African-American men."

The researchers then studied how these markers influence time to prostate cancer diagnosis. "We found a trend that African-American men who carried more of these risk markers tended to develop prostate cancer earlier," Giri said. This finding did not reach statistical significance.

Giri said the take-home message from this study is that genetic markers associated with prostate cancer risk need to be characterized in prospective screening populations in order to determine how to incorporate them into risk assessment for prostate cancer, particularly for men at high-risk for the disease. "These markers may have significant use in personalizing the early detection of prostate cancer in men at high-risk in order to provide tailored recommendations for screening and diagnosis of this disease," said Giri.

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DFMO May Affect Barrett’s Esophagus

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Pilot study results suggest that difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) can modulate biomarkers of cell proliferation in patients with Barrett's esophagus and mucosal dysplasia.

"While there was a suggestion that DFMO may influence the extent of Barrett's dysplasia, this finding is very preliminary and further study of this agent in a larger number of patients is needed," said Frank A. Sinicrope, M.D., professor of medicine and oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Sinicrope presented his findings here at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

The single-arm study included 10 patients with Barrett's esophagus and low-grade dysplasia. The patients received 0.5 g/m2/d of DFMO for six months. Using an endoscope, the researchers examined esophageal biopsies at enrollment and at three, six and 12 months (where available). A gastrointestinal pathologist who was blinded to the clinical/biomarker data graded the dysplasia.

Sinicrope conducted this study while at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He collaborated with colleagues at the National Cancer Institute, and the Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson.

After six months of DFMO treatment, one patient's dysplasia regressed, one patient's progressed, and eight patients had stable disease. At six months, two patients in the stable group who started with extensive low-grade abnormal cells had only limited or focal dysplasia based on four or more biopsies. These improvements remained at 12 months.

DFMO lowered the level of the polyamine putrescine, a target of the drug and a possible cancer risk marker. The agent works by inhibiting an enzyme in polyamine synthesis called ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). "ODC activity in Barrett's mucosa has been shown to be significantly higher in Barrett's than in normal adjacent mucosa from the same patients," Sinicrope said. "Since DFMO inhibits polyamine synthesis, the fact that putrescine levels were decreased at six months and later returned to baseline after being off the drug for six months suggests that the drug is affecting its target."

Interestingly, DFMO also reduced expression of Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) gene, an important marker of abnormal cell proliferation in the esophagus that may represent a novel drug target.

"The results are encouraging because they identify KLF5 as a potential target of DFMO, which suggests a potential mechanism contributing to the chemopreventive effects of DFMO," Sinicrope said. "KLF5 has been shown to regulate proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in esophageal cancer cells."

Generally, DFMO was well tolerated. One patient had hearing loss and balance-related problems related to treatment.

"DFMO warrants further evaluation as a chemopreventive agent in patients with Barrett's esophagus and mucosal dysplasia," Sinicrope said. Currently, the Mayo Clinic researcher and his colleagues are planning a placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial in this patient population.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

Calcium May Only Protect Against Colorectal Cancer in Presence of Magnesium

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - According to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, an understanding of the relationship between calcium and magnesium may lead to new avenues of personalized prevention for colorectal cancer.

High magnesium intake has been associated with low risk of colorectal cancer. Americans have similar average magnesium intake as East Asian populations. If that were all that were involved, observers might expect both groups to have similar risk for colorectal cancer.

However, the United States has seen a much higher colorectal cancer incidence rate than East Asian populations. Furthermore, when East Asians immigrated to the United States, their incidence rates for colorectal cancer increased. This led researchers at Vanderbilt University to suspect there was something else at work.

Calcium supplementation has been shown to inhibit colorectal carcinogenesis although high calcium may simultaneously be preventing the body from absorbing magnesium. United States patients have a higher calcium intake and higher colorectal cancer incidence. "If calcium levels were involved alone, you'd expect the opposite direction. There may be something about these two factors combined - the ratio of one to the other - that might be at play", said Qi Dai, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University.

Dai and colleagues examined this hypothesis in a large clinical trial and found indeed that supplementation of calcium only reduced the risk of adenoma recurrence if the ratio of calcium to magnesium was low and remained low during treatment. "The risk of colorectal cancer adenoma recurrence was reduced by 32 percent among those with baseline calcium to magnesium ratio below the median in comparison to no reduction for those above the median," said Qi.

The implications for prevention of adenoma recurrence or reduced risk of primary colorectal cancer is that designing a personalized diet/supplementation regimen that takes the ratio of both nutrients into account may be better than supplementing with one or the other alone.

About one in eighteen individuals will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime and 40 percent will die within five years of diagnosis, mainly due to diagnosis at a late stage. The understanding of how dietary factors affect colorectal cancer may lead to the prevention of cancer recurrence and possibly prevention of the initial cancer.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

No Protective Effect on Cancer from Long-Term Vitamin E or Vitamin C Supplementation

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Data from a large-scale prevention trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research show no protective effect from vitamin E on prostate cancer or vitamin C supplementation on total cancer.

The Physicians' Health Study II is a large-scale, long-term, randomized clinical trial that included 14,641 physicians who were at least 50 years old at enrollment. These physicians were given 400 IU of vitamin E every other day or its placebo, or 500 mg of vitamin C daily or its placebo.

Researchers followed these patients for up to 10 years for the development of cancer with high rates of completion of annual questionnaires, and the confirmation of reported cancer endpoints.

Analyses indicate that randomization to vitamin E did not have a significant effect on prostate cancer. This lack of effect for vitamin E also extended to total cancer. Vitamin C had a similar lack of effect on total cancer.

"After nearly 10 years of supplementation with either vitamin E or vitamin C, we found no evidence supporting the use of either supplement in the prevention of cancer," said Howard D. Sesso, Sc.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "While vitamin E and C supplement use did not produce any protective benefits, they also did not cause any harm," he added.

Previous laboratory research and observational studies in which people who reported eating a diet rich in vitamins E and C were found to have a lower risk of cancer, had suggested that taking these vitamins as individual supplements may offer some protective benefits.

Study co-author and principal investigator J. Michael Gaziano, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and VA Boston, adds, "Individual vitamin supplements such as vitamin E and C do not appear to provide the same potential advantages as vitamins included as part of a healthy, balanced diet."

Finally, Sesso said that these results provide clinically meaningful new information. "Our results represent one of only a few clinical trials that have tested this idea. The final component of the Physicians' Health Study II, testing daily multivitamin supplementation, remains ongoing."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

Men Who Take Aspirin Have Significantly Lower PSA Levels

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is significantly associated with lower PSA levels, especially among men with prostate cancer, say researchers at Vanderbilt University.

This large analysis known as the Nashville Men's Health Study included 1,277 participants referred to a urologist for a biopsy of their prostate. Approximately 46 percent of the men reported taking an NSAID, mostly aspirin (37 percent of all men). After adjusting for age, race, family prostate cancer history, obesity, and other variables that have independent effects on the size of the prostate organ, cancer risk, and PSA levels, the researchers found that aspirin use was significantly associated with lower PSA levels. PSA levels were 9 percent lower in men taking aspirin (the NSAID most commonly used) compared with men who did not use aspirin, say the researchers, who will present their findings at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

A PSA test is used widely as a method to screen men for the possibility of prostate cancer, with higher blood PSA levels suggesting a greater chance of having prostate cancer. High PSA levels can also signify benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate organ.

"To begin to understand how aspirin may lower PSA, we also looked at the association between NSAID use and prostate volume," said the study's lead investigator Jay H. Fowke, Ph.D., an assistant professor in medicine at Vanderbilt. "Aspirin users and men who didn't use aspirin had the same prostate volume, so I don't think aspirin was changing PSA by changing the prostate volume. It was doing something different, and that suggests a beneficial effect on cancer development."

Furthermore, "the effect of aspirin on PSA was only somewhat evident among men without prostate cancer but was strongest in men later found to have prostate cancer. This also suggests an effect on cancer as opposed to other prostate diseases."

"There are several ways to consider the impact of these results," said Dr. Fowke.

"Several prior studies reported anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs were associated with lower prostate cancer risk. Our data also suggest that NSAID use has a beneficial effect on prostate cancer. These findings could be consistent with a protective effect, because aspirin reduced PSA levels more among those men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer than among men with other prostate diseases."

However, these data also indicate that NSAID use could affect our ability to detect prostate cancer, regardless of any reduction in prostate cancer risk. "This analysis raises the concern that aspirin and other NSAIDs may lower PSA levels below the level of clinical suspicion without having any effect on prostate cancer development, and if that is true, use of these agents could be hampering our ability to detect early-stage prostate cancer through PSA screening," Fowke said.

It is also possible that results from prior studies suggesting that NSAID use reduced prostate cancer risk may just be picking up a reduced ability to detect prostate cancer among NSAID users.

These results are consistent with a recent survey of healthy men from the general population, and future studies will need to find a way to determine if NSAID use is affecting prostate cancer risk or our simply our ability to detect prostate cancer.

"It will be important to understand which mechanism is in play because many men take NSAIDs for their cardiovascular health, so we need to know whether that reduces their prostate cancer risk, or simply reduces PSA, which would then be even less reliable as a marker of prostate cancer risk," he said. "Basing treatment on an artificially suppressed PSA score would also be problematic."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

Saturated Fat Linked to Cancer of the Small Intestine

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Findings published in the journal Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, identify dietary intake of saturated fats as a possible risk factor for cancer of the small intestine, advancing the understanding of cancer development in this and other areas of the digestive tract.

While relatively rare, rates of cancer of the small intestine have been increasing since the 1970s. Individuals with this cancer are at increased risk of developing a second primary malignancy, particularly colorectal cancer.

"Identifying modifiable risk factors for cancer of the small intestine is important not only because the incidence of this cancer is on the rise, but it may enable us to further understand other gastrointestinal malignancies," said Amanda Cross, Ph.D., a National Cancer Institute researcher and the study's lead author.

Diets high in red and processed meats are associated with cancer of the large intestine. However, this is the first prospective study to examine meat and fat intake in relation to cancer of the small intestine.

Cross and other researchers from the National Cancer Institute used food frequency questionnaires to track food intake in a half million men and women enrolled in the NIH -AARP Diet and Health study over an eight-year period. Through state cancer registries and national death indexes researchers noted the development of 60 adenocarcinomas and 80 carcinoid tumors of the small intestine.

While findings showed no clear connection between red and processed meat and these tumors, they suggested a noticeably elevated risk for carcinoid tumors in the small intestine in association with saturated fat intake.

"Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that cancers of the small and large bowel both arise from adenomatous polyp precursor lesions, suggesting the adenoma-carcinoma sequence is relevant to both sites. For unknown reasons, the large intestine is much more susceptible to malignant transformation," said Cross. "Identifying risk factors that are unique as well as those that are similar for the two sites may aid our understanding of the comparative resistance of the small intestine to carcinogenesis."

These associations need to be further investigated in other populations and different types of saturated fat need to be studied specifically in order to understand the potential mechanisms involved, said Cross.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR to Host Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research will focus on the latest biological, medical and social research behind cancer prevention. The conference will be held November 16 - 19, 2008, at the Gaylord National Convention Center in Washington, D.C., and more than 1,000 scientists and other professionals are expected to attend.

"This meeting has become a major venue for presenting cutting-edge research in basic, clinical, epidemiologic and behavioral science," said meeting chair Steven M. Dubinett, M.D., director of the Lung Cancer Research Program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "As the only comprehensive conference on cancer prevention in the world, it continues to foster important transdisciplinary interactions that are vital to making critical discoveries."

The 2008 program will cover a wide variety of cancer prevention topics and will specifically highlight some of the latest developments in the tumor microenvironment, international prevention mechanisms, integrative prevention and targeted prevention and treatment.

This international conference will bring together scientists and other professionals, working in a variety of disciplines, to discuss the latest findings in the field and to stimulate the development of new research in cancer prevention.

The AACR will host six press briefings for reporters during the conference that will include breaking news:

A groundbreaking scientific partnership with the Avon/Love Army of Women that will recruit one million healthy women for clinical trials.
How DNA methylation may explain why some smokers get lung cancer while others do not.
Why family history may affect the risk of breast cancer associated with BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic mutations.
How canola oil affects a person's risk for cancer.
New data on alcohol and its effect on esophageal cancer.

This popular Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference promotes public, academic, government and industry awareness of the vital importance of cancer prevention science in reducing cancer incidence and mortality. It catalyzes coordinated, focused research that promises to accelerate cancer prevention. The exciting ideas presented at this conference will benefit the work of investigators in every prevention subspecialty and at every level of career development.

# # #

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

AACR Joins Love/Avon Army of Women for Breast Cancer Prevention

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

American Association for Cancer Research named as the scientific collaborator of the Love/Avon Army of Women Program

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research announced today that it will provide scientific expertise to Love/Avon Army of Women. A longtime leader in cancer prevention research, the AACR is the official scientific collaborator to this groundbreaking initiative. The Love/Avon Army of Women seeks to link more than one million women volunteers with cancer researchers across the country to discover the causes of breast cancer and aid in its prevention. Women interested in participating in this effort are asked to enroll by signing up on a special website. Healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, are eligible.

The AACR Love/Avon Army partnership will formally kick off at a press conference to be held at the AACR's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research on Monday, November 17, at 8:30 a.m., in the Azalea 2 room at the Gaylord Resort and Conference Center in Alexandria Virginia. A distinguished panel of AACR leaders and breast cancer experts will be available to discuss the importance of developing new approaches to preventing breast cancer, an area of primary interest for the Love/Avon Army.

Panel members will include:

Ernest Hawk, M.D., M.P.H., vice president for Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. As a leader in the American Association for Cancer Research, he currently serves as senior editor for Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention and as deputy editor for Cancer Prevention Research, two of AACR's prominent journals.
Christine Brunswick, a seven-year breast cancer survivor, is Vice President of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and the Chair of its International Committee. Christine has represented NBCC at various international conferences, including the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
Susan Love, M.D., President of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation is known worldwide as one of the founding mothers of the breast cancer advocacy movement and sits on the Board of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. She is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and was appointed by President Clinton to the National Cancer Advisory Board.

(Reporters who are unable to attend the news conference can call in to 886.394.1582, ID 72285666).

In its role as official scientific collaborator for the Love/Avon Army of Women initiative, the AACR will contribute to the review of the research projects. AACR member physicians and scientists working in the field of breast cancer research will occupy eight seats on the Scientific Advisory Committee and one seat on the Steering Committee. Through these positions, the AACR will assist in major decision making regarding the policies, direction and vision of the project, and in the review of requests from scientists seeking permission to solicit volunteers from the Love/Avon Army of Women for their breast cancer research studies.

"The AACR has demonstrated a strong and enduring commitment to cancer prevention through its highly cited scientific journals and renowned international meetings, most recently with the launch of a sixth journal Cancer Prevention Research. We are honored to work with the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation on this unique and important project that will undoubtedly strengthen breast cancer prevention research and save lives," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Initiative Details

Access to the Love/Avon Army of Women is provided solely to investigators who have a peer-reviewed study. Scientists apply to the Love/Avon Army of Women for the opportunity to recruit volunteers for their research. Their studies undergo a thorough scientific, safety and ethical review by expert scientists including members of AACR. An e-mail describing approved research projects is sent to the Army of Women volunteers with information about the study. Those who are interested then participate in a more thorough process to determine their eligibility. Selected participants who meet the criteria are instructed on how to contact the researcher or a designated Army of Women research center. Through this rigorous but expedient process, the Army of Women provides researchers with unprecedented access to qualified volunteers. Interested researchers can learn more at www.armyofwomen.org.

The researchers conducting studies through the Love/Avon Army of Women will share their data and report to the women involved. The AACR realizes the importance of collaboration and sharing of knowledge in the field of cancer research. Forums for the presentation of research conducted through the Army of Women will be offered at the AACR's major scientific meetings and in its highly cited, peer-reviewed Cancer Prevention Research journal.

The Love/Avon Army of Women is the vision of Dr. Susan Love, with support from the Avon Foundation, to change the paradigm of current breast cancer research, and encourage researchers to expand their focus from treating breast cancer to understanding what causes normal breast cells to become cancer cells and ultimately prevent breast cancer before it starts.

The unique impact of the Love/Avon Army of Women is that it serves as an online resource providing researchers much-needed and unprecedented "just in time" access to healthy women - a critical component to prevention research. At the same time, the program offers women the opportunity to play a significant, direct role in helping eradicate breast cancer. Virtually all women not currently undergoing breast cancer treatment, including healthy women, breast cancer survivors, and women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer, can enroll in the Army of Women online at www.armyofwomen.org.

The AACR encourages its members to become involved as researchers and as members of the Army of Women, to support the project in coordination with the mission of the AACR.

# # #

Media contact:

Megan Davies
267-646-0612
Megan.Davies@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C., Nov. 16-18: 301-965-5422

Minority Patients Discouraged from Cancer Screening by Negative Messages

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - New behavioral science research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that constantly emphasizing the negative consequences of a lack of cancer screening among minorities can actually make them less likely to go for screening.

"We have typically assumed that one of the best ways to motivate individuals is to point out disparities in health, but we may be having negative unintended consequences," said Robert Nicholson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at the St. Louis University School of Public Health. "Instead of motivating people who would be less likely to get these services in the first place, we may be driving them away."

Minority communities have been historically underserved by cutting edge medical efforts, and leaders in cancer and other health groups have tried to increase awareness and compliance with known prevention and treatment strategies. However, whether this communication was effective was not known.

Nicholson and colleagues conducted a double-blind, randomized trial among 300 African-American adults. The adults were asked to read one of four articles about colon cancer and then answer questions about their likelihood of getting screened.

The first article emphasized that colon cancer was an important problem for African-Americans. The second emphasized that outcomes for blacks with colon cancer were worse than for whites, while a third said that although outcomes for African-Americans were improving the improvement was less than seen among whites. Finally, a fourth article discussed how outcomes for blacks with colon cancer were improving over time.

If African-Americans read the article that said outcomes for blacks were improving over time, they were more likely to have a positive emotional response than if they read any of the other three articles. The article most likely to cause a negative response was the one that simply stated the problem.

Similarly, those that read the article about African-Americans making progress in outcomes for colon cancer were far more likely to want to be screened than those who read any of the other three articles.

The mean age of the participants was 54.4 years, 76 percent were women and 89 percent had completed high school. Comprehension analysis found that all participants understood what they had read.

Nicholson said they did not ask questions about motivation, but he suggests that a general mistrust of the medical community may be playing a role. If information reinforces that mistrust, then African-Americans are less likely to be screened.

"We believe that a positive message would go a long way toward overcoming mistrust," Nicholson said. "We need the right kind of message for the right kind of person, and not to assume that what we have always done is working."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Genetic Predictors of Esophageal Cancer Identified

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers have identified 11 genotypes that may increase esophageal cancer risk, according to research published in the November issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"We observed a significantly increased risk of esophageal cancer with increasing numbers of risk genotypes," said Yuanqing Ye, Ph.D., an instructor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Major risk factors for esophageal cancer include obesity, smoking and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Compared to the high prevalence of these risk factors in the general population, the incidence rate of esophageal cancer is low, indicating that a small percentage of people are genetically predisposed to develop esophageal cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center identified 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA-related genes that showed at least a borderline significant association with esophageal cancer. A person can have one or more of these SNPs in their genetic makeup, putting him or her into low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk groups. The study showed that each unfavorable genotype was associated with an increased cancer risk. Individuals with more than four unfavorable genotypes were more than three times as likely to develop esophageal cancer.

"Our ultimate goal is to construct a quantitative cancer risk prediction model based on an individual's epidemiological profile, environment exposure and genetic makeup," said Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and lead author of the study. "This risk prediction model can evaluate each person's relative risk and absolute risk of developing esophageal cancer within a certain time period."

Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the United States with significantly increasing rates of occurrence. The majority of esophageal cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with poor prognosis. Understanding what places a person at high risk for esophageal cancer may have clinical applications to guide cancer screening, intensive monitoring and cancer prevention.

"Considering the dramatic increase in incidence, difficulty of early diagnosis, the poor survival rate for esophageal cancer, and the limited knowledge of the natural history of this tumor, we need a greater understanding of the etiology of esophageal cancer for improvement of diagnosis and hopefully a better prognosis," said Wu.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Oral Rinses Used for Tracking HPV-Positive Head and Neck Cancers Indicate Future Promise for Cancer Screening

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, validates a non-invasive screening method with future potential for detection of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancers.

In the study, researchers at Johns Hopkins University used oral rinses and targeted DNA amplification to track and identify oral HPV infections in patients with HPV16-positive and negative head and neck carcinomas (HNSCC) before and after therapy.

Findings showed detection of high-risk HPV infections in patients with HPV16-positive HNSCC for up to five years after therapy, indicating a high rate of persistent infection and reaffirming the connection between high-risk types of HPV and HPV-positive head and neck cancer.

"There is no question of cause," said the study's co-author Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D. associate professor of oncology. "It has now become a question of tracking the infection over time to identify those at risk of developing HPV-positive cancer, and for those who have had it, the risk of recurrence and risk of transmission. This is the first study in which we have been able to track the disease and related oral infections for an extended period of time."

Researchers obtained oral rinse samples from a group of 135 patients with head and neck carcinomas. Tissue analysis showed that 44 of these patients had HPV16-positive tumors. Both the tissue and oral rinse samples were genetically sequenced to specify the HPV variants in each. Patients with HPV16-positive tumors were significantly more likely to have oral HPV16 infections, with an almost ten-fold increase prior to therapy and a fourteen-fold increase after. Patients with high-risk oral HPV infections prior to therapy also had a 44-fold increase of post-treatment infection.

Findings showed no significant odds of tumor recurrence among those with post treatment infections and no association between these infections and the development of second primary tumors at two years. However, this possibility cannot be excluded as longer observation may be needed.

Future studies will be able to use the data and methodology to further explore the connection between HPV and head and neck cancer formation, as well as the biological factors, such as HLA type, that are involved, Gillison said.

"The big question in HPV research is centered on biological factors that cause one person to have a medical consequence from an oral HPV infection and another to be able to clear the infection without any consequences," Gillison said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Severe Gestational Hypertension May Protect Against Testicular Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Women who experience severe gestational hypertension may give birth to boys at lower risk for testicular cancer, although the exact reasons why are still unclear, according to a paper published in the November 1, 2008, issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Andreas Pettersson, M.D., a doctoral student at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said the protective effect of gestational hypertension may be due to the hormones that are released when a placenta malfunctions.

"Ironically, a malfunctioning placenta may lower the risk," said Pettersson. "One possible reason is that estrogens are lower in pregnancies that develop severe gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, and this lack of estrogens may lower the risk of testicular cancer."

Pettersson and colleagues observed 293 cases of germ-cell testicular cancer in the Swedish Cancer Register and 861 controls in the Swedish Medical Birth Register. They extracted data on maternal and pregnancy characteristics such as gestational hypertension, proteinuria, anemia and glucoseuria.

If women experienced severe gestational hypertension, their male offspring were 71 percent less likely to develop testicular cancer than those women who experienced no hypertension. If the gestational hypertension was mild, there was a 62 percent increased risk of testicular cancer.

Beyond decreased estrogen, severe gestational hypertension and preeclampsia increases the level of human Chorionic Gonadotropin, another pregnancy-related hormone, which may also have a protective effect against testicular cancer.

Pettersson said that these findings add knowledge to the mechanisms behind testicular cancer, but he cautioned against reverse thinking.

"This study does not suggest that a woman who does not have gestational hypertension is going to give birth to a boy who is at increased risk for testicular cancer," said Pettersson.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Meyskens Honored with AACR-Prevent Cancer Foundation Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention Research

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Frank L. Meyskens, Jr., M.D., one of the "fathers" of the field of cancer chemoprevention, has been selected to receive the seventh annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)-Prevent Cancer Foundation Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention Research.

The award is given annually to a scientist for seminal contributions to the field of cancer prevention research in basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological or behavioral science.

Meyskens, Professor of Medicine and Biological Chemistry and Director of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences at the College of Health Sciences University of California, Irvine, is being honored for his many significant contributions to the field of cancer prevention and control.

His early work examined the translation of laboratory-based chemoprevention into clinical trials. Meyskens led the development of the combination of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) plus Sulindac to dramatically reduce the risk of advanced colorectal adenoma recurrence.

Among his noteworthy accomplishments, Meyskens developed the topical all-trans-retinoic acid for chemoprevention of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), the first of the cellular changes that may develop into cervical cancer in some women. Additionally, he promoted the idea that retinol could be used to affect chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).

Meyskens has re-examined the scientific basis for the etiology of melanoma. Based on 15 years of detailed laboratory work, he proposed a new conceptual framework for melanoma etiology, prevention, and treatment. Most recently, he has provided a major, new insight into the non-UVR causation of melanoma with suggestions for potential preventive strategies.

Meyskens has published many seminal "thought" papers that have moved the field of cancer prevention forward. Perhaps, the most influential and important papers in the past decade considered the many challenges associated with the identification and development of markers as predictors of preventive effectiveness.

Currently, Meyskens is continuing the clinical development of the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, a soybean-derived serine protease inhibitor, being tested as a human cancer-preventive agent.

Meyskens received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of San Francisco, and his Medical Degree from University of California, San Francisco Medical School. He completed his postdoctoral education at the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute and the Medicine Branch, National Institutes of Health.

Meyskens has received numerous honors and awards for his scientific accomplishments, including the American Society of Preventive Oncology Distinguished Achievement Award and the University of California Irvine Lauds & Laurels Faculty Achievement Award. Meyskens has published more than 100 peer-reviewed laboratory and clinical manuscripts on the topic of cancer prevention and control.

An active member of the AACR since 1979, Meyskens has served in various capacities, including as editorial board member of Cancer Prevention Research, chairperson of the Biology and Genetics of Early Detection special conference, and as a member of several committees.

Meyskens will give an award lecture entitled, Optimizing Chemoprevention by Minimizing Risk-Benefit and Maximizing Risk-Reduction, on Monday, November 17, 2008, at 5:00 p.m., during the Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. This foremost meeting on cancer prevention research will be held November 16 - 19, 2008, at the Gaylord National Resort, Washington, DC.

The AACR is pleased to co-sponsor this award with the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The foundation is a national, non-profit health foundation with a single mission: the prevention and early detection of cancer through scientific research and education.

# # #

Media Contact:
Megan J. Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

Applications Invited for 2009 Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Awards

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

AACR to present two grants supporting cancer prevention research and international collaboration in cancer research

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research, in partnership with the Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation, is accepting applications for grants supporting innovation in cancer prevention research and international collaboration. The deadline for applications is November 20, 2008. The grant terms will begin on July 1, 2009.

Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention provides a $100,000 two-year grant to promote the rapidly advancing and evolving field of cancer prevention research. This award encourages younger investigators to pursue cancer prevention research in order to sustain the advancement of the field and the development of new thinking. The award is open to scientists at the level of assistant professor who completed postdoctoral studies or clinical fellowships on or after July 1, 2006.

Candidates may conduct research at any institution in the world.

The 2008 winner, Carlo Maley, Ph.D., is exploring fundamental concepts in neoplastic progression, the processes by which normal tissue becomes cancerous. He applied his grant to research detecting genetic diversity in tumor cells to potentially identify which tumors are likely to progress into full-blown esophageal cancer and whether they may be sensitive to preventive therapies. Dr. Maley will present results from his research at the AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Meeting in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for International Collaboration provides a $100,000 two-year grant to promote international cancer research collaboration as an effective means to accelerate progress against cancer. International research collaboration can successfully address the global health problem of cancer through access to unique populations and environments, shared resources and specialized expertise, new concepts and perspectives, innovative methodologies, and emerging technologies.

This award is open to two or more independent researchers working within an established international cancer research collaboration involving institutes in multiple countries.

The 2008 award was presented to Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., and his team of experts in genetics, thoracic oncology, geology, and pathology working in the United States and Turkey. The group discovered a unique mesothelioma epidemic in three Turkish villages and demonstrated that it was caused by a genetic predisposition to mineral fiber carcinogenesis, a gene-environment interaction.

For more information on eligibility criteria, the application process and other details about the Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research, please visit: /page 14636.aspx and /page14637.aspx Inquiries from investigators should be directed to the AACR Grants Office at grants@aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

AACR and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Provide More Than $1.2 Million in Funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Applications Invited for Three Pancreatic Cancer Research Grant Opportunities

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research is accepting applications for grants supporting pancreatic cancer research. The deadline for applications is November 10, 2008. The grant terms will begin on July 1, 2009.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In a mission to accelerate pancreatic cancer research, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has partnered with the AACR on three initiatives to promote and support outstanding research focused on conquering this deadly disease.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Pilot Grants, ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 over the two-year grant term, are open to independent investigators and support new ideas and innovative models that have direct application and demonstrate direct relevance to pancreatic cancer. In addition to pancreatic cancer researchers, investigators with experience in other areas of cancer research who have promising and realistic ideas or research approaches that can be applied to pancreatic cancer are also invited to apply. Special emphasis will be placed on research that is not duplicative of other efforts. Up to six grants will be awarded.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Career Development Awards provide $100,000 over the two-year grant term to junior faculty who are in their first full-time appointment and have completed postdoctoral studies or clinical fellowships no more than three years prior to the start of the grant term. Five grants will be awarded.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Research Fellowship provides a one-year grant of $45,000 to Postdoctoral Fellows or Clinical Research Fellows who will be in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of their postdoctoral training at the start of the fellowship term. One grant will be awarded.

The AACR is honored to partner with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, an organization which has shown tremendous dedication to pancreatic cancer research. Since establishing this partnership to award research grants in 2003, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the AACR have provided over $2.8 million to support 27 pancreatic cancer research grants. With the commitment of funds for 2009, total support for pancreatic cancer research will total over $4.06 million. Funding decisions are based on a rigorous peer review system to ensure that the highest quality science is supported. Past recipients have cited these grants as a strong positive factor in their career development and in generating preliminary data that qualified the recipients for larger federal and private grants.

For more information on eligibility criteria, the application process, and other details about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR funding opportunities, please visit: /page 14765.aspx. Inquiries from investigators should be directed to Hanna Hopfinger at hanna.hopfinger@aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

Study Links Nicotine with Breast Cancer Growth and Spread

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests a possible role for nicotine in breast tumor development and metastases.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is among the first to explore the effects of nicotine on mammary cells.

"Although numerous studies indicate the role of nicotine exposure in tumor promotion, little is known about the effect of nicotine on breast tumor development, especially on the metastatic process of breast cancer," said lead author Chang Yan Chen, Ph.D., M.D., at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Through a series of in vitro tests Chen and her team of researchers determined that breast epithelial-like MCF10A cells and cancerous MCF7 cells both express several subunits of nAChR (nicotine receptor), that when bound, initiate a signaling process, potentially increasing cell growth and migration.

"The best known role of nAChR is in the nerve system," Chen said. "Although cells from various tissue origins express different subunits of nAChR, we know very little about the functions of nAChR in non-neuronal cells and tissues, in particular in mammary cells."

"We were able to determine that mammary cells express different subunits of nAChR and that nicotine, possibly through perturbing cell cycle checkpoints, potentiates tumorigenesis in mammary cancer-prone or cancer cells," Chen said.

In vivo studies confirmed these findings. When injected into the tail of a mouse the cancerous MCF7 cells migrated to the lungs.

From in vivo and in vitro studies, it indicates that nicotine is not a conventional carcinogen, but rather it combines with other yet to be determined factors to enable tumorigenesis.

"In vitro and in vivo tests showed that no metastasis occurs with the administration of nicotine alone," said Chen. "At this point we can only suggest that nicotine potentiates the growth-related process."

Chen hopes to conduct more studies, in particular under the genetic backgrounds with loss or defect of different tumor suppressors, to further explore the effects of nicotine in relation to first- and second-hand exposure, on breast cancer initiation and development.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Red Wine May Lower Lung Cancer Risk

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, according to a report in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"An antioxidant component in red wine may be protective of lung cancer, particularly among smokers," said Chun Chao, Ph.D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, California.

Chao analyzed data collected through the California Men's Health Study, which linked clinical data from California's health system with self-reported data from 84,170 men aged 45 to 69 years. Researchers obtained demographics and lifestyle data from surveys computed between 2000 and 2003, and identified 210 cases of lung cancer.

Researchers measured the effect of beer, red wine, white wine and liquor consumption on the risk of lung cancer. Adjustments were made for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, body mass index, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, and smoking history.

Among the study participants, there was on average a two percent lower lung cancer risk associated with each glass of red wine consumed per month. The most substantial risk reduction was among smokers who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day. The researchers reported a 60 percent reduced lung cancer risk in these men. Researchers warned men to stop smoking as the best way to reduce lung cancer risk; noting that even men who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day still face higher lung cancer risk than do non-smokers.

No clear associations with lung cancer were noted for consumption of white wine, beer, or liquor. "Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants. There is a compound called resveratrol that is very rich in red wine because it is derived from the grape skin. This compound has shown significant health benefits in preclinical studies," Chao said.

Chao said their findings should not be construed to recommend heavy alcohol consumption.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

H. Pylori Bacteria May Help Prevent Some Esophageal Cancers

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Some bacteria may help protect against the development of a type of esophageal cancer, known as adenocarcinoma, according to a new review of the medical literature. These bacteria, which are called Helicobacter pylori, live in the stomachs of humans.

The review, published in the October issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that people who had H. pylori strains carrying a gene called CagA were almost half as likely to get adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, a cancer that develops in the tube that passes food from the throat to the stomach.

"CagA- positive strains of H. pylori may decrease the risk of adenocarcinoma by reducing acid production in the stomach and, therefore, reducing acid reflux to the esophagus," said study co-author Farin Kamangar, M.D., Ph.D., a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute. "It may also work by decreasing the production of the hormone ghrelin, which is secreted from the stomach to stimulate appetite. A reduction in the level of ghrelin may lead to lower rates of obesity, an important risk factor for adenocarcinoma."

H. pylori, estimated to be present in about half the world's population, is a known cause of stomach cancer and ulcers. Advancements in sanitation and antibiotics have made H. pylori less common and have consequently lowered the incidence of stomach cancer and ulcers. However, as H. pylori, including CagA-positive H. pylori, has become less common, esophageal adenocarcinomas have increased. The study suggests that the declining rates of H. pylori in developed populations may be partly responsible for this increase. Once a rare cancer, esophageal adenocarcinomas now constitute approximately half of all esophageal cancer cases in Western Countries like the U.S. and United Kingdom.

Although H. pylori was first discovered in the early 1980s, Kamangar says humans already had been living with the bacteria for 60,000 years. The bacteria were once present in the stomachs of just about everyone. Despite its potential for causing stomach cancer and ulcers, H. pylori's long history of co-existence with humans suggests it also may have some beneficial effects, including possible roles in reducing diarrheal diseases and asthma, Kamangar said.

For the study, Kamangar and co-author Farhad Islami of the University of Tehran in Iran analyzed results from 19 published studies examining the associations of H. pylori with esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, another type of esophageal cancer.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Vitamin C Supplements may Reduce Benefit from Wide Range of Anticancer Drugs

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - In pre-clinical studies, vitamin C appears to substantially reduce the effectiveness of anticancer drugs, say researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

These new findings, published in the October 1 issue of Cancer Research, a publication of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), came from studying laboratory cancer cells and mice, but the study's authors say the same mechanism may affect patient outcomes, although they add this premise needs to be tested.

"The use of vitamin C supplements could have the potential to reduce the ability of patients to respond to therapy," said Heaney, an Associate Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Use of vitamin C during cancer treatment has been controversial. Some studies have suggested that because vitamin C is an antioxidant it might be beneficial to cancer patients. But some classes of chemotherapy drugs produce "oxygen free radicals," unpaired oxygen molecules that can fatally react with other molecules in a cell, forcing cell death. In this theory, vitamin C could sop up the radicals, keeping the cancer cell alive despite chemotherapy treatment.

Heaney and his colleagues tested a wide variety of chemotherapy drugs - those that produce reactive oxygen and those that work in other ways - on cancer cells in the laboratory, that were pretreated with dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), the form that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) takes to enter cells.

They found to their surprise that every chemotherapy drug they tested - which included targeted agents like Gleevec - did not work as well if cells were pretreated with vitamin C, as they did on untreated cancer cells. In the cell culture experiments, 30 to 70 percent less cancer cells treated with vitamin C were killed depending on the drug tested.

They then checked these findings by implanting the cancer cells into mice, and again found that, in an animal model system, while chemotherapy kept untreated cancer in check, tumors grew more rapidly in mice that were given cancer pretreated with vitamin C.

The research team, which includes researchers from Columbia University, then delved into the mechanism by which vitamin C may be protecting these cells, and discovered that it wasn't because the nutrient was neutralizing oxygen-free radicals.

They found instead that DHA was restoring viability to the cancer cell's damaged mitochondria - the cell's all-important power plant that, when injured, sends signals to force a cell to die.

"Vitamin C appears to protect the mitochondria from extensive damage, thus saving the cell," Heaney said. "And whether directly or not, all anticancer drugs work to disrupt the mitochondria to push cell death."

Heaney says that the amount of DHA used in the experiments resulted in an intracellular buildup similar to what could be seen in cancer patients using large supplemental doses of vitamin C.

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have long been researching the connection between vitamin C and cancer therapy, and these new findings expand on their earlier observation that vitamin C seems to accumulate within cancer cells more than in normal cells.

"We recognized that DHA is the form of vitamin C that gets into cells, and that the tumor microenvironment allows cancer cells to convert more vitamin C into DHA," he said. "Inside the cell, DHA is converted back into ascorbic acid, and it gets trapped there and so is available to safeguard the cell."

Heaney says that he suspects that vitamin C is good for the cells of normal tissue because it provides more protection for the mitochondria, and thus probably extends cell life. "But that isn't what you want when you are trying to eliminate cancer cells," said Heaney, who notes that cancer patients should eat a healthy diet, which includes foods rich in vitamin C. It is use of large doses of over-the-counter vitamin C that is worrisome, he says.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Saliva Proteins Could Help Detection of Oral Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Clinicians could detect oral squamous cell carcinoma, a form of oral cancer, using a simple test that detects proteins in saliva, according to a report in the October 1, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. This work was led by David T. Wong, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., professor and associate dean for research, at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry.

Previous studies have shown that saliva can be a useful diagnostic tool, but this is the first study to globally evaluate saliva protein levels from oral cancer patients. Since it is very simple to collect and process saliva fluids, the discovery of these biomarkers may lead to a useful clinical tool for noninvasive diagnosis of oral cancer in the future.

"This test is currently not available, but we are developing point-of-care microfluidic devices to detect these markers that we can use in clinical trials," said Shen Hu, Ph.D., assistant professor of Oral Biology and Proteomics at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry.

Wong, Hu and colleagues have been working as part of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)'s Human Saliva Proteome Project, which focuses on identifying and cataloguing the proteomic components of saliva in healthy subjects. This work, also supported by NIDCR, demonstrates the first translational utility of the salivary proteome for oral cancer detection.

Researchers collected saliva samples from 64 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 64 healthy patients.

Five candidate biomarkers were successfully validated using immunoassays: M2BP, MRP14, CD59, profilin and catalase.

The presence of these biomarkers confirmed the presence of oral cancer 93 percent of the time.

"I believe a test measuring these biomarkers will come to a point of regular use in the future," Hu said. "We have demonstrated a new approach for cancer biomarker discovery using saliva proteomics."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Vascular Marker of Ovarian Cancer Identified

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers have identified TEM1 as a specific genetic marker for the vascular cells associated with tumor growth, a finding that could aid in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

"The laboratory of Dr. George Coukos is developing novel treatments for ovarian cancer which target the vasculature surrounding the tumor, thereby disrupting the blood supply needed for the tumor to grow," said Chunsheng Li, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Ovarian Cancer Research Center.

Li presented his findings at the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting being held here September 22-25, 2008.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer in the United States, largely due to the fact that there are no reliable methods for detecting ovarian cancer at an early stage, when cure is still possible. Li and colleagues found that high levels of TEM1 were correlated with decreased survival of ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, all 52 samples of ovarian cancer examined were positive for TEM1 in the vasculature, while none of the control samples tested positive. This suggests that TEM1 is a specific marker for ovarian cancer, which may lead to a potential screening tool.

Li and colleagues have been addressing TEM1's diagnostic value both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, they used polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry analyses to determine the relative levels of human TEM1 expression in ovarian cancer versus healthy human samples, and in vivo they developed PET imaging studies. Li's preliminary in vivo experiments with a new mouse model implanted with tumor vasculature that expresses human TEM1, demonstrated by PET imaging that a novel anti-TEM1 radiolabel probe could specifically detect a small number of TEM1-expresser cells.

Li said the specific expression of TEM1 by ovarian cancer tumor vasculature, is linked to poor prognosis and the development of new tools able to detect a small number of TEM1-expresser cells in vivo, will allow clinicians to more effectively target the tumor vasculature for diagnostic purposes as well as for treatments that could help halt the disease.

"This will have to be borne out in further studies, but if we can normalize the vasculature surrounding the tumor, we will have a better chance of eradicating the tumor," said Li.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Philadelphia (September 22- 25): 215-409-4753

New Instrument Can Quickly Examine Multiple Proteins in a Single Cancer Sample

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers have demonstrated a new instrument that makes it possible to detect and quantify multiple different clinically important proteins in a single tumor sample using conventional staining. Currently, pathologists usually need a separate tissue slice for each protein they want to examine, making it impossible to see how molecules interact within individual cells.

The process is not only fast and automated - up to 180 tumors from different patients can be analyzed in an hour by a computer - it also provides more information than is available today to help therapy development and direct treatment, say a team of scientists led by Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi), in Woburn, Mass, which developed the method.

"This technology is designed to be used by pathologists to reveal new data that can help researchers develop targeted therapies, and physicians personalize treatment for individual patients," said Clifford Hoyt, vice president and chief technology officer at CRi. He presented the results at the AACR's Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting being held in Philadelphia, September 22 - 25.

For example, researchers say the instrument, which uses multispectral imaging, can detect how many of the cells in a sample of breast cancer display what quantity of any of four different receptors - progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor (ER), HER1 receptors and HER2 receptors. "That might show us, for example, that 25 percent of cells express both ER and PR, 50% either PR or ER, and 25 percent neither."

Now, however, pathologists can only stain a sample for a single marker, and two serial sections might show half of the first sample is positive for ER and half of the second sample is positive for PR, Hoyt says.

"You wouldn't know from these serial sections that some cancer cells express both receptors, and that can have implications for treatment," he said. "This shows us complex protein expression and interaction patterns in a single tumor section."

Even the most advanced microarray-based protein analysis being tested today loses this key molecular phenotype distribution information, Hoyt adds.

Breast cancer markers are just one example of what the instrument can read, he adds. "Pick any four stable proteins found in tissue and we can analyze a cocktail of protein markers all at once," he said.

Currently, researchers and pathologists use immunohistochemical staining to examine tumor samples using a microscope equipped with a color camera. Color cameras detect three visible wavelengths, red, green and blue, which mimics the human eye.

This new instrument uses a CRi Nuance™ multispectral imaging camera, which captures information from multiple wavelengths in the visible and infrared, an automated microscope, and novel machine learning-based software to extract data from images. This is an advance over purely visual analysis, or the use of color cameras, which do a poor job of disentangling multiple colored protein labels when they are spatially overlapping.

"Our camera looks at samples with 10 to 30 different wavelengths, for staining of up to four proteins using different colors," Hoyt said. "With this technique we can unmix multiple different labels from what would otherwise be a muddy mass of color."

In this study, the researchers, which included scientists from Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research and the British Columbia Cancer Agency, stained samples from 356 patients for, ER, PR and HER2 proteins, and then for PR, HER1 and HER2. Results of protein expression using the multispectral imaging were then blindly compared to results from visual assessments by pathologists on samples that were serially stained. Agreement between the visual and automated analyses was "the same as we see among pathologists, which is a very good result" Hoyt said.

The analysis shows which proteins are being expressed and the expression level. "It is a quantitative read-out, so it provides a very specific molecular profile," Hoyt said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Philadelphia (September 22- 25): 215-409-4753

Breast Cancer Treatment Resistance Linked to Signaling Pathway

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA -- Activation of the Src signaling pathway may cause resistance to standard medical treatment in some patients with breast cancer, and inhibition of this pathway holds the potential to overcome that resistance, according to data presented here at the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting.

"If this finding is confirmed in clinical trials, which are currently being designed, then inhibiting Src signaling while giving standard of care medical treatment might allow us to overcome some aspects of drug resistance in the clinic," said Christina M. Coughlin, M.D., Ph.D., medical director and global medical monitor at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, who lead this research in Wyeth's Department of Discovery Translational Medicine.

The identification of genetically altered pathways in human tumors, and their subsequent inhibition, has become a major treatment strategy in many cancers. Herceptin, also known as trastuzumab, targeted HER2 in patients with breast cancer and was one of the first therapies to use this approach. Now, many newer cancer drugs have labeling to help oncologists identify patients based on expression of the drug target.

Some known pathways have no genetic events to help identify patients. Src is one of the oldest known oncogenes, active in many human cancers but with no known predisposing genetic event. Coughlin said researchers suspected that some part of its pathway, either downstream or upstream, may be driving tumor development and treatment resistance. Understanding which parts of the pathway to measure in human tumors is key to developing molecular diagnostics that could eventually allow oncologists to select appropriate patients for a Src inhibitor in the clinic.

For the current study, Coughlin and colleagues performed quantitative tissue microarray sampling among almost 650 patient samples to analyze for the expression of markers of the Src pathway.

According to Coughlin, the patients represented the entire spectrum of breast cancer, and researchers identified subsets of patients with high Src activation who expressed low levels of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2, also known as triple negative breast cancer, as well as subsets expressing the estrogen or progesterone receptors.

These patient sets had lower overall survival associated with expression of Src signaling pathway biomarkers, which suggests that Src pathway activation may have played a role in treatment resistance.

"This gives us all the pieces to the puzzle. This type of cancer signaling pathway study holds the potential to help determine who the appropriate patients are for the newer targeted drugs that we have to treat breast cancer in the absence of genetic signals for a given drug target. We can then translate that information into molecular diagnostics that can be applied within the clinical trials," Coughlin said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Philadelphia (September 22- 25): 215-409-4753

Epstein - Barr Virus Predicts Outcome in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers in Hong Kong report that testing patient blood for DNA from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) during treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma effectively predicts clinical outcome. A biomarker test like this, when perfected, could identify patients whose treatment could be intensified after a month or so of standard therapy as well as those who might benefit from lighter treatment.

The study, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting held here September 22-25, highlights the strong link between the virus and this cancer, which is common in Southern China and also develops in Chinese immigrants. It further suggests that genetic levels of EBV should be assessed before and during treatment, not just after therapy, as it is now.

"We found that patients with undetectable EBV DNA mid-course through treatment had a greatly reduced risk of developing cancer recurrence two years after treatment, compared with patients with detectable EBV DNA," said the study's senior investigator, Anthony Chan, M.D., director of the Cancer Center at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Although EBV is associated with nasopharynx cancer, which develops in the upper area of the throat, a causal relationship hasn't been established, Chan says. Still, cancer cells contain EBV genetic material, which leaks into the bloodstream and can be detected using DNA tests. "That means a larger number of nasopharynx cancer cells in the body would give rise to a larger amount of EBV genetic material in the blood circulation, and so the EBV DNA level is a marker of the extent of cancer."

Researchers know that the amount of EBV DNA found after treatment is a recognized prognostic marker of survival because residual detectable EBV DNA "implies incomplete killing of cancer and thus a poor prognosis," Chan said. The question the researchers investigated is whether there is a way to identify patients with such a viral load before treatment is finished so that more aggressive therapy might be instituted.

"We need to know what to do for those patients with residual EBV. These patients usually do not have clinical evidence of cancer at that point and the residual cancer burden is at a microscopic level. Any extra treatment would be for undetectable cancer, and we need to prove that such treatment has an impact on improving survival," Chan said.

In this study, researchers tested 108 patients with advanced stage cancer for EBV DNA before the start of treatment, after a month of therapy, and then within three months after completion of treatment, and matched these levels to outcomes two-years later. They found that 94 percent of patients had detectable EBV DNA before therapy, but that it became undetectable in 54 percent of patients midway through treatment. The 42 percent of patients who had both low pretreatment and undetectable four-week viral levels constituted a "good risk group" because their recurrence rate was only nine percent.

Conversely, they found that levels detected after four weeks of treatment correlated with detectable post-treatment amounts, with an almost threefold greater risk of cancer recurrence and threefold higher risk of distant metastasis at two years.

"It is possible to test for EBV DNA levels at any time point, so based on further validation studies, we may be able to use biomarker levels at several time points to guide clinical therapy," Chan said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Philadelphia (September 22- 25): 215-409-4753

Methylation Levels Key to Glioblastoma Survival

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A new study analyzing gene expression among patients with glioblastomas has found that not all of the common, deadly brain tumors appear the same upon closer examination.

The research, directed by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, identified three subgroups of tumors that differed according to the degree of overall methylation, or chemical modifications to DNA, finding that patients whose tumors fell in a group with mixed levels of methylation had improved survival time over those with high or low levels of methylation. During methylation, healthy genes can be switched on or off potentially causing cancer without any changes in the underlying DNA sequence.

One group of tumors exhibited extensive methylation, while a second showed very low levels of methylation. In both of these groups, patients fared poorly, with a median survival time of 47 to 54 weeks following diagnosis and a less than 20 percent chance of living beyond two years.

However, a third group of tumors was defined by over- or under-methylation of bits of DNA known as CpG islands. This third, mixed group also showed methylation of a specific set of genes that were unmethylated in the other groups. Patients in this group had a significantly improved overall survival - a median of 99 weeks following diagnosis and a 50 percent chance of living beyond two years.

Results were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting being held here September 22-25.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 183 glioblastoma patients through the Cancer Genome Atlas, a project organized by the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute to catalog molecular abnormalities responsible for cancer, using genome analysis techniques. They filtered the data to include the CpG islands that showed a high variation among the samples, resulting in 143 CpG islands, and highlighting the three subgroups of tumors.

In additional tests, researchers compared the relationship between the tumors' methylation with their expression of messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries instructions from DNA to the protein-making structures in cells, in 153 patient samples in the Cancer Genome Atlas.

Among the 51 genes that were specifically methylated in the mixed group, 14 genes (35 percent) showed a related, greater than 1.5-fold decrease in expression. By comparison, among the 13 genes specifically methylated in the other two groups, three genes (23 percent) showed a related decrease in expression.

Overall, scientists found the mRNA gene expression profile of the mixed group to greatly differ from the others, in particular through an increased expression of genes whose over-expression previously had been found to be associated with improved outcomes, including certain genes associated with neural development. In addition, other genes previously associated with poor outcomes were under-expressed in this group. In all, researchers found more than 200 genes with a higher than 2.5-fold difference in expression between the mixed group versus the other two groups, but minimal gene expression variability between the high and low methylation groups.

"This study shows that the methylation status of CpG islands may serve a robust, and previously unexplored, source of biomarkers for this disease," said lead author Christopher E. Pelloski, M.D., an assistant professor of radiation oncology and pathology at M. D. Anderson. "It also indicates that there seems to be a common theme to glioblastoma that the more closely the tumor cells resemble cells of neural development, the less aggressive the clinical course; whereas if they more resemble mesenchymal cells, which are poorly differentiated and invasive, the worse the clinical outcome will be.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Philadelphia (September 22- 25): 215-409-4753

Scientists Develop New, More Sensitive Nanotechnology Test for Chemical DNA Modifications

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have developed a novel test to screen for chemical modifications to DNA known as methylation. The technology potentially could be used both for early cancer diagnoses and for assessing patients' response to cancer therapies.

During methylation, healthy genes can be switched on or off potentially causing cancer without any changes in the underlying DNA sequence. The current methods for methylation screening, have significant drawbacks, explains lead study author Vasudev Bailey, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate at Hopkins.

Methylation specific PCR, which copies specific DNA sequences millions of times within a few hours, may not be sensitive enough to detect small amounts of methylation, and real time PCR, which allows scientists to view increases in the amount of DNA as it is copied, needs to be run several times and can be expensive, he says.

The Hopkins-developed test makes PCR technology more sensitive and efficient, Bailey said. The work was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's third International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development being held September 22-25, 2008, in Philadelphia.

"The impact of detecting DNA methylation is profound, as it has been demonstrated that a larger number of tumor suppressor genes become inactivated through DNA methylation than by mutations," Bailey said. "Our method of methylation screening provides an easy, cost-effective and valuable tool for the early diagnosis of cancer, monitoring tumor behavior and measuring the response of tumors to targeted cancer therapies."

To test the technique, Bailey and colleagues treated segments of DNA with the chemical compound sodium bisulfate. This automatically converted unmethylated cytosines (one of the bases of DNA) to uracils (one of the bases of ribonucleic acid or RNA, which works with DNA to synthesize proteins), while leaving the methylated cytosines untouched.

Then the scientists used PCR with labeled primers to copy and label these DNA segments with the vitamin biotin. Next, they added quantum dots (molecules about a billionth of a meter in size with electrical properties) to the samples that had been coated with the protein streptavidin. Like a magnetic force, the biotin-coated methylated segments of DNA were attracted to the streptavidin coating the quantum dots, highlighting and quantifying DNA methylation.

The new test was sensitive enough to detect as little as 15 picograms of methylated DNA in the presence of a 10,000-fold excess of unmethylated coding sequences, or the equivalent of five cells. In addition, they demonstrated detection capability in as few as eight PCR cycles. In collaboration with his colleague Yi Zhang, also a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins school of medicine, they were able to see results using very small samples (an average of 800 billionth of a liter per reaction and more than fifty times less sample and reagent as used currently) using a novel lab-on-chip system. This system allows for minimal handing of samples from the researcher, while allowing for simultaneous processing and analysis of multiple samples. Researchers have a provisional patent on the test.

In additional experiments, the researchers used the technology to accurately detect methylation for the gene ASC/TMS1, which promotes programmed cell death, in low concentrations of DNA from human sputum. This was accomplished with fewer steps and fewer PCR cycles. Scientists also used the test to quantify the amount of methylation reversal in bone marrow fluid samples taken from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome - a disorder in which bone marrow cells don't function normally - before and after they had been treated with medications.

Bailey said the new test allows scientists to detect methylation of multiple genes at the same time, or view methylated and unmethylated DNA at the same time. It also reveals the percentage of methylation at any given time.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Philadelphia (September 22- 25): 215-409-4753

Scientists Take Cancer Research Back to the Basic Molecular Level

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

AACR Convenes Third International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sept. 22-25, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Scientists and clinicians from around the world will gather in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, next week at the American Association for Cancer Research's third International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Therapeutic Development.

The conference is subtitled, "Fulfilling the Promise of Personalized Medicine," which reflects the potential of molecular diagnostics to provide new strategies for tailoring therapies to fit the needs of each cancer patient's unique biology.

Sessions will include discussions on the use of biomarkers in clinical practice and new drug development, advanced imaging technologies for diagnosis, and the application of proteomics in personalized medicine.

Novel findings to be reported at the conference include:

A new gene expression analysis that shows important differences in brain cancer.
A groundbreaking method of measuring changes in DNA.
A new biomarker that could more accurately determine the prognosis of patients with head and neck carcinoma.
A more complete and accurate test for blood disorders.

"As genetic, proteomic, imaging and other new technologies have become more sophisticated and our knowledge of tumor biology and signaling pathways advances, so too does our ability to molecularly characterize individual tumors and identify germ line and somatic determinants of patient prognosis and response," said conference chairperson Gordon B. Mills, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Molecular Therapeutics at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"This new era of personalized medicine has brought with it great opportunities to enhance cancer drug development and improve patient care," said Mills. "However, in order to harness this potential and maximize these opportunities, it is essential that there be an ongoing exchange of new ideas and information."

In addition to the symposia and poster sessions, the conference will include two keynote lectures. The first will be from David Sidransky, M.D., director of head and neck cancer research at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, who will deliver, "Personalized Cancer Medicine in the Next Decade." The second will be from Joe W. Gray, Ph.D., director of the Division of Life Sciences at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, who will speak on, "Models of Molecular Diversity to Facilitate Marker Guided Therapy."

The AACR's third International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development will be held September 22-25, 2008, at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia. For press registration and more information about the conference, please visit: /page14221.aspx.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

New Tool to Speed Cancer Therapy Approval Available

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Although cancer remains a leading cause of death in America, it can take up to 12 years to bring a new anti-cancer agent before the FDA and the success rate for approval is only five to 10 percent. That means many research hours and dollars are wasted chasing avenues that will not bring fruit.

The National Cancer Institute's Translational Research Working Group (TRWG) developed a set of tools that it believes will improve that process. The tools, known as "Pathways to Clinical Goals" are published in the September 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"The NCI supports a great deal of excellent translational research, but inefficiencies arising from a lack of communication and coordinated effort prevent many promising leads from reaching clinical trials and eventual approval," said Lynn Matrisian, Ph.D., a special assistant in the Office of the Director, NCI. Matrisian co-chaired the TRWG, which was formed in 2005 with the goal of accelerating the pace of translational cancer research. Publication of the Pathways is expected to be a major step forward in this process.

There are six Pathways that address the following categories: anti-cancer agents (drugs or biologics), biospecimen-based assessment methods, immune response modifiers, image-based assessment modalities, intervention devices, and lifestyle alterations.

Each pathway is a flowchart with a series of steps intended to clarify and streamline the translational research process. For example, in the anti-cancer agent pathway, researchers are encouraged at the outset to address the following three questions:

Is the empirical basis for attributing clinical potential (alone and/or in combination) convincing?
Does the envisioned clinical need justify expenditure of resources?
Is it feasible to identify/develop an agent against this target?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no," then research leaders are encouraged to direct their research toward more effective plans.

Matrisian and her colleagues hope that the TRWG pathways will be widely used and that they will make the early translational research process more efficient.

"The NCI funds many important research projects, and we hope these pathways will help in placing each research opportunity in the broader context of tangible cancer detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies. We believe the NCI's experience will be an important resource for other groups advancing translational research as well," said Matrisian.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Vaccine Against HER2-positive Breast Cancer Offers Complete Protection in Lab

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers at Wayne State University have tested a breast cancer vaccine they say completely eliminated HER2-positive tumors in mice - even cancers resistant to current anti-HER2 therapy - without any toxicity.

The study, reported in the September 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests the vaccine could treat women with HER2-positive, treatment-resistant cancer or help prevent cancer recurrence. The researchers also say it might potentially be used in cancer-free women to prevent initial development of these tumors.

HER2 receptors promote normal cell growth, and are found in low amounts on normal breast cells. But HER2-positive breast cells can contain many more receptors than is typical, promoting a particularly aggressive type of tumor that affects 20 to 30 percent of all breast cancer patients. Therapies such as trastuzumab and lapatinib, designed to latch on to these receptors and destroy them, are a mainstay of treatment for this cancer, but a significant proportion of patients develop a resistance to them or cancer metastasis that is hard to treat.

This treatment relied on activated, own-immunity to wipe out the cancer, says the study's lead investigator, Wei-Zen Wei, Ph.D., a professor of immunology and microbiology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

"The immune response against HER2-positive receptors we saw in this study is powerful, and works even in tumors that are resistant to current therapies," she said. "The vaccine could potentially eliminate the need to even use these therapies."

The vaccine consists of "naked" DNA - genes that produce the HER2 receptor - as well as an immune stimulant. Both are housed within an inert bacterial plasmid. In this study, the researchers used pulses of electricity to deliver the injected vaccine into leg muscles in mice, where the gene produced a huge quantity of HER2 receptors that activated both antibodies and killer T cells.

"While HER2 receptors are not usually seen by the immune system when they are expressed at low level on the surface of normal cells, a sudden flood of receptors alerts the body to an invasion that needs to be eliminated," Wei said. "During that process, the immune system learns to attack cancer cells that display large numbers of these receptors."

They also used an agent that, for a while, suppressed the activity of regulatory T cells, which normally keeps the immune system from over-reacting. In the absence of regulatory T cells, the immune system responded much more strongly to the vaccine. Then, when the researchers implanted HER2-positive breast tumors in the animals, the cancer was eradicated.

"Both tumor cells that respond to current targeted therapies and those that are resistant to these treatments were eradicated," Wei said. "This may be an answer for women with these tumors who become resistant to the current therapies."

Wei's lab is the first to develop HER2 DNA vaccines, and this is the second such vaccine Wei and her colleagues have tested more extensively. The first, described in a study in 1999, formed the model of a vaccine now being tested by a major Pharmaceutical company in early phase clinical trials in the U.S. and in Europe in women with HER2-positive breast cancer.

In order to ensure complete safety, Wei says the current test vaccine uses HER2 genes that are altered so that they cannot be oncogenic. The receptors produced do not contain an "intracellular domain" - the part of the receptor that is located just below the cell surface and transmits growth signals to the nucleus. The first vaccine was also safe, she says, but contained a little more of the native HER2 receptor structure. "With this vaccine, I am quite certain the receptor is functionally dead," she said.

"The greatest power of vaccination is protection against initial cancer development, and that is our ultimate goal with this treatment," Wei said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Bringing Resources and Hope to People with Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

AACR and The Wellness Community partner to provide resources and support

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research and The Wellness Community are collaborating to combine their respective scientific integrity and extensive educational resources to reach out to cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones.

The AACR, through its survivors and advocates magazine, CR, has partnered with The Wellness Community to produce Surviving and Thriving: Life with Cancer, a series of podcasts exploring the unique issues of cancer survivors and their loved ones.

The series consists of six 10-minute podcasts hosted by Kim Thiboldeaux, president and CEO of The Wellness Community, and CR podcast correspondent Kevin Begos. Each episode features current or former patients, health care professionals, and partners or caregivers sharing their experiences and perspectives on survivorship. Discussion topics include coping with cancer as a couple, survivors giving back to their communities, and the unique obstacles faced by young survivors.

The podcasts series launched Thursday, September 4, with a new episode available every week through October 9 on CR's website, The Wellness Community's website and on iTunes. Following completion, the series will be compiled onto CD and distributed to The Wellness Community locations throughout the country, along with copies of CR.

"CR's goal is to connect all groups of people who are personally affected by cancer, caring for patients or working toward preventing and curing this disease," Gwen Darien, CR's editor-in-chief and founding director of the AACR's Survivor and Patient Advocacy Program said. "The Wellness Community, with its dedication to reaching survivors and their caregivers, is an ideal partner for this series, which will shed light on the array of issues faced by people affected by cancer and arm them with tools to take an active role in their own recovery."

Darien, a non-Hodgkin Lymphoma survivor and frequently sought-after advocate and public speaker, is also one of a select group of advocates, physicians, and researchers speaking on The Wellness Community's new internet radio show, Frankly Speaking about Cancer with The Wellness Community. She will be featured on the September 23 episode to discuss issues faced by cancer survivors after treatment, including the fear of recurrence and developing a survivor care plan. The radio show launches on September 9 and is scheduled to air every Tuesday at 1:00 pm PST/4:00 pm EDT on the VoiceAmerica^TM network at www.voiceamerica.com.

Darien will also be a special guest speaker at a September 24 ‘Survivors Dinner' during The Wellness Community Philadelphia's Celebration of Support Week.

The AACR's Chief Executive Officer, Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), will serve as a panelist during The Wellness Community's inaugural Women's Leadership Breakfast on October 20, 2008 to promote awareness about The Wellness Community and the historic launch of its Cancer Survivorship Research & Training Institute.

# # #

ABOUT THE AACR
The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

ABOUT CR MAGAZINE
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. CR believes that collaboration among members of the cancer community and survivors and those who care for and about them will lead to results in cancer prevention, treatment and care. CR magazine's mission is to strengthen collaboration and communication among cancer survivors, patient advocates, physicians and scientists, with the goal of accelerating the prevention and cure of cancer. CR is published quarterly, with additional special issues each year. Subscriptions are available online at www.crmagazine.org.

ABOUT THE WELLNESS COMMUNITY
Founded in 1982, The Wellness Community is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones. Through participation in professionally led support groups, educational workshops, nutrition and exercise programs, and stress-reduction classes, people affected by cancer learn vital skills that enable them to regain control, reduce isolation and restore hope regardless of the stage of their disease. The Wellness Community provides such programs free of charge at more than 100 locations worldwide including 24 U.S.-based and two international centers with 73 satellite and off-site programs and online at www.thewellnesscommunity.org.

Media Contact:
Tracy Middleton
267-646-0556
tracy.middleton@aacr.org

African Americans Have Unique Lung Cancer Risks from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Scientists at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a risk prediction assessment for lung cancer specifically for African Americans that suggests a greater risk from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a report published in the September issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Etzel and colleagues analyzed data from 491 African Americans with lung cancer and 497 African Americans without lung cancer to identify risk factors for the disease. They then compared these risk factors with a previously established risk prediction model for whites.

What was unique to African Americans was the risk associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. African American men with a prior history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had a more than sixfold increased risk of lung cancer, similar to that seen with smoking. This is approximately two-fold higher than the risk typically seen from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among whites.

"The one size fits all risk prediction clearly does not work," said Carol Etzel, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

As with whites, smoking was a significant risk factor for lung cancer. Current smokers had a more than sixfold increased risk of lung cancer, and former smokers had a more than threefold increased risk. This decreased risk was confined to those who had quit smoking more than ten years prior to diagnosis; these patients had a 58 percent decreased risk compared with patients who had quit within the previous ten years.

Researchers also found that hay fever, previously shown to be protective among whites, was also protective among African Americans. Specifically, African Americans with hay fever were 44 percent less likely to develop lung cancer, a rate that had been previously seen among whites.

African American males have a higher risk of lung cancer incidence at 110.6 per 100,000 compared with 81 per 100,000 among white males. Mortality is also higher among African American men at 95.8 per 100,000 compared with 72.6 among whites. Lung cancer incidence and mortality rates among women are comparable.

Etzel said the risk prediction model detailed in Cancer Prevention Research is part of an ongoing project to establish risk models among different ethnic groups; a model for Hispanics is currently under development.

"What we hope is that a doctor can use these models to encourage their patients to take steps to prevent lung cancer. Even if they are never smokers, they can be at risk," said Etzel.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Height Linked to Risk of Prostate Cancer Development and Progression

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A man's height is a modest marker for risk of prostate cancer development, but is more strongly linked to progression of the cancer, say British researchers who conducted their own study on the connection and also reviewed 58 published studies.

In the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 12 researchers at four universities in England studied more than 9,000 men with and without prostate cancer and estimated that the risk of developing the disease rises by about six percent for every 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) in height a man is over the shortest group of men in the study. That means a man who is one foot taller than the shortest person in the study would have a 19 percent increased risk of developing the disease.

Still, these increases in risk are a lot less than those linked with other established risk factors, such as age, family history of the disease, and race. Because of that, the researchers do not suggest that taller men be screened more often than is typical, or that their cancer treatment be altered.

"Compared to other risk factors, the magnitude of the additional risk of being taller is small, and we do not believe that it should interfere with preventive or clinical decisions in managing prostate cancer," said the study's lead author, Luisa Zuccolo, M.Sc., of the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Bristol. "But the insight arising from this research is of great scientific interest. Little is known on the causes of prostate cancer and this association with height has opened up a new line of scientific inquiry."

For example, Zuccolo says that factors associated with height - not height itself - could be risk factors for progression to fatal prostate cancer, and a plausible mechanism behind this association could be the insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) system, which stimulates cell growth and has been shown to be involved in prostate cancer incidence and progression.

Because some studies have shown a much greater association between height and prostate cancer risk - some between 20 to 40 percent - the researchers then placed their results in the context of available evidence. They conducted a meta-analysis of 58 studies, and found evidence that greater stature is associated with increased prostate cancer risk. But as in their study, the overall effect varied with study design and was modest - a three to 9 percent increase risk of development per 10 centimeters, and five to 19 percent increase in risk for more advanced cancer.

"We do not believe that height itself matters in determining risk of prostate cancer or prostate cancer progression, but we speculate that factors that influence height may also influence cancer and height is therefore acting as a marker for the causal factors," Zuccolo said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Researchers Discover Atomic Bomb Effect Results in Adult-onset Thyroid Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Radiation from the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, likely rearranged chromosomes in some survivors who later developed papillary thyroid cancer as adults, according to Japanese researchers.

In the September 1, 2008, issue of Cancer Research , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, the scientists report that subjects who lived close to the blast sites, were comparably young at the time, and developed the cancer quickly once they reached adulthood, were likely to have a chromosomal rearrangement known as RET/PTC that is not very frequent in adults who develop the disease.

"Recent in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that a single genetic event in the MAP kinase-signaling pathway may be sufficient for thyroid cell transformation and tumor development," said the study's lead author, Kiyohiro Hamatani, Ph.D., laboratory chief, Department of Radiobiology and Molecular Epidemiology at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in Hiroshima.

"Thyroid cancer is associated with exposure to external or internal ionizing radiation. Elucidation of mechanisms of radiation-induced cancer in humans, especially early steps and pathways, has potential implications for epidemiological risk analyses, early clinical diagnosis, and chemopreventive interventions," Hamatani said.

He adds that there are several irradiated populations worldwide that have been shown to have an increase in thyroid cancer, and that children exposed to radioactive fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident who develop papillary thyroid cancer have also been found to have RET/PTC rearrangements, although they are slightly different.

This study is part of the foundation's long running follow-up research on 120,000 atomic bomb survivors. During 1958 to 1998, the study found about 470 thyroid cancer cases of which the estimated number of excess cases attributable to radiation is 63. About 90 percent of thyroid cancer among the survivors is of the papillary type.

Hamatani and colleagues from across Japan made a comparison between adult-onset papillary thyroid cancers with RET/PTC rearrangements and those with a BRAF mutation. More than 70 percent of adult onset papillary thyroid cancer in non-exposed patients is associated with mutations in the BRAF gene.

The researchers looked at the genetic profile of cancer patients in the RERF's follow-up study—50 patients who were exposed to atomic bomb radiation and 21 patients who were not. Three factors were found to be independently associated with the development of adult-onset papillary thyroid cancer with RET/PTC rearrangements. They were greater radiation dose, shorter time elapsed since radiation exposure, and younger age at the time of the bombings, Hamatani says.

"That means that a younger person living close to the bombing site would be more likely to have adult onset thyroid cancer having RET/PTC rearrangements," he said. "This is the first time this has been shown."

The findings also suggest that in childhood papillary thyroid cancer RET/PTC rearrangements may be much less clearly associated with radiation exposure, compared with adult-onset cancer, because RET/PTC rearrangements are frequent in childhood papillary thyroid cancer patients regardless of history of radiation exposure.

The researchers do not know exactly how radiation is involved in the occurrence of RET/PTC rearrangements. "It could be either by direct DNA damage or by other pathways such as a result of radiation-induced genomic instability," Hamatani said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR Announces New Editor-in-Chief for Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research announces the appointment of Timothy Rebbeck, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, as the Editor-in-Chief of its highly reputed oncology journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. At the University of Pennsylvania, Rebbeck is the director of both the Center for Genetics and Complex Traits and the Center for Population and Health Disparities. He is also the Associate Director for Population Science at the Abramson Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology.

Rebbeck will succeed Co-Editors-in-Chief John D. Potter, M.D., Ph.D., and David Alberts, M.D., and will commence his editorship effective immediately. During Potter and Alberts' term, Rebbeck served as a senior editor for Genetic Epidemiology.

"On behalf of all the members of the AACR and the cancer research community at large, I would like to express our deep appreciation to Dr. Rebbeck for accepting this very important post," said AACR CEO Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.). "Dr. Rebbeck is a world-renowned scientist and epidemiologist, lauded for his extraordinary accomplishments in molecular and genetic epidemiology of common cancers."

"Clearly he is the ideal individual to be the editor-in-chief of this important peer-reviewed journal, which is devoted to the publication of the most important studies in cancer causation, mechanisms of carcinogenesis, prevention and survivorship," Foti said. "We look forward to working with Dr. Rebbeck to bring the findings published in this journal rapidly to the benefit of cancer patients around the world."

Rebbeck recently published groundbreaking research on the role of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in breast cancer. Many women carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, but the information about the level of risk associated with these mutations has not been sufficient for accurate risk estimation and cancer prevention. Rebbeck and colleagues have made seminal contributions about the use of risk reducing ovarian and breast surgeries and other clinical risk management issues in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.

Rebbeck's research at the University of Pennsylvania also focuses on studies of breast, prostate and skin cancers. The goal of this research is to identify genes involved in the etiology of these cancers, and to identify interactions of these genes with endogenous or exogenous exposures. Rebbeck directs a laboratory for molecular epidemiology, which is geared toward the generation of molecular biomarker data for family and epidemiology studies.

His early pioneering work in breast, endometrial, and prostate cancer identified a variety of hormone metabolism genes that had direct responsibility for more aggressive tumors than in those without these mutations. He has also published on the interaction of hormone metabolism genes and hormone exposures in breast and endometrial cancer, providing possible explanations for the high risk of these cancers among women who use hormone replacement therapy.

Rebbeck earned his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and his doctorate in genetics from The University of Michigan. He also holds an A.M. in statistics from the University of Michigan and a Sc.M. in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins University. In 1998, Rebbeck was the recipient of the prestigious Prostate Cancer Research Award from the Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate. Throughout his career, Rebbeck has received many honors, including the Sigma Xi research award (1984); the Hispanic, Asian and Native American (HANA) Fellowship (1990); and the National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control Research Fellowship (1992-1993), and the Potamkin award for breast cancer research (2008). Further, he has served on many committees of the AACR, and co-chaired the AACR's first Science of Cancer Health Disparities Conference in Atlanta in 2007.

In addition to Rebbeck, the AACR has made the following appointments. Thomas A. Sellers, Ph.D., and Electra D. Paskett, Ph.D., will serve as Deputy Editors. Senior editors include: Melissa L. Bondy, Ph.D.; Louise A. Brinton, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Adele Green, Ph.D.; Julie Ross, Ph.D.; Neil E. Caporaso, M.D.; Montserrat Garcia-Closas, M.D., Dr.P.H.; Ellen Kampman, Ph.D.; Elaine A. Ostrander, Ph.D.; Qingyi Wei, M.D., Ph.D.; John S. Witte, Ph.D.; Alan R. Kristal, D.P.H., M.P.H., M.S.; Johanna W. Lampe, Ph.D.; Sholom Wacholder, Ph.D.; Dean E. Brenner, M.D.; Emanuel F. Petricoin III, Ph.D.; Jimmie B. Vaught, Ph.D.; Timothy Byers, M.D., M.P.H.; Daniel W. Chan, Ph.D.; Ellen R. Gritz, Ph.D.; Sally W. Vernon, Ph.D.; Leslie L. Robison, Ph.D.; Maria Elena Martinez, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Peter G. Shields, M.D.

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention publishes original, peer reviewed research on cancer causation, mechanisms of carcinogenesis, prevention and survivorship. Topics include descriptive, analytical, biochemical and molecular epidemiology; the use of biomarkers to study the neoplastic and preneoplastic processes in humans; chemoprevention and other types of prevention trials; and the role of behavioral factors in cancer etiology and prevention.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Experimental Chemotherapy Regimen Shows Promise in Treating Advanced Lung Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A combination of chemotherapy agents that have been tested in other tumor types appears to be a promising alternative to standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to a report in the August 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In a phase II multicenter study of 56 patients with an advanced form of this common lung cancer, endpoints including response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival from use of S-1 and irinotecan were similar to, or better than, those reported from standard treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy regimens.

Because the study had only a single arm - meaning all patients received the experimental therapy - the researchers cannot say if this regimen offers more benefit than standard treatment. But they did report that side effects resulting from the experimental therapy appeared to be much less severe than those typically seen with standard treatment.

"There continues to be reluctance on the part of both patients and treating physicians to accept the toxicity of platinum-based therapy, given the associated small gain in survival, so active therapies with improved toxicity profiles are clearly needed," said the study's lead investigator, Isamu Okamoto, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Medical Oncology at the Kinki University School of Medicine in Osaka, Japan.

Okamoto says that a direct comparison between this experimental regimen and platinum-based "doublet" chemotherapy should be conducted to confirm what appears to be a survival benefit among patients who used S-1 and irinotecan.

S-1 (also known as TS-1) is approved for use in Japan and Korea, where it has shown substantial benefit in treating gastric cancer, but is still in clinical trials in other countries, including the U.S. and Europe.

The multifaceted agent, which is available in capsule form, has three different mechanisms of action. One part breaks down into active fluorouracil (5-FU) once it is in the body. 5-FU is a chemotherapy drug often used to treat colorectal and other cancers.

Another part of S-1 keeps 5-FU production at a steady level and a third part is designed to counteract 5-FU's toxic effects, such as nausea and vomiting.

Irinotecan, an intravenous drug originally developed and tested in Japan and approved for use in the U.S. in 1994, is most often used to treat colon cancer. It is currently being used in Japan to treat lung cancer, but is not commonly used in this way in other countries, says Okamoto.

The combination of these two agents appears to offer a synergistic effect, he says. When S-1 was tested as first-line chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer, the response rate was 22 percent with a median survival time of 10.2 months. In this study, patients who had not received any treatment for their advanced lung cancer were enrolled at 14 centers in Japan and received a median of five cycles of treatment. The response rate for the combination therapy was 28 percent, median progression-free survival was 4.9 months and median overall survival was 15 months.

Okamoto says these findings compare favorably with previous studies of platinum-based doublets, which demonstrated response rates of 17 to 33 percent, a median time to progression or progression-free survival of three to five months, and a median overall survival time of seven to 14 months. "This is a promising alternative, but needs further testing in randomized trials," he said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Nominations Open for 2009 Pezcoller Foundation–AACR International Award for Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Deadline for Nominations is September 15, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is currently accepting nominations for the prestigious Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research. This award was first given in 1998, and recognizes a scientist of international renown who has made a major scientific discovery in basic cancer research or who has made significant contributions to translational cancer research; who continues to be active in cancer research and has a record of recent, noteworthy publications; and whose ongoing work holds promise for continued substantive contributions to progress in the field of cancer.

The award consists of an unrestricted grant of €75,000 and a commemorative plaque.

The award is intended to honor an individual scientist. However, more than one scientist may be co-nominated and selected to share the Award when their investigations are closely related in subject matter and have resulted in work that is worthy of the award.

The winner of the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research will give a 50-minute Award lecture at the AACR Annual Meeting 2009 in Denver, CO, U.S.A. (April 18-22, 2009), and present the Fourth Annual Stanley J. Korsmeyer Lecture in Padua, Italy, just prior to the official Award ceremony in Trento, Italy in early May 2009.

The Pezcoller Foundation was established in 1980 by Professor Alessio Pezcoller, a dedicated Italian surgeon who made important contributions to medicine during his career and who, through his foresight, vision, and generous gift in support of the formation of the Foundation, stimulated others to join this effort in sustaining the work of the Foundation. Professor Pezcoller has inspired scientists around the world to make significant advances in cancer research. In addition to sponsoring this prestigious Award, the Foundation also sponsors a series of symposia, publishes a journal, and supports awards for early-career scientists from Europe who have submitted highly rated abstracts for presentation at the AACR Annual Meeting.

The 2008 Award Winner, Axel Ullrich, Ph.D., was recognized for his pioneering work in the translation of genomics-based discoveries into novel approaches for cancer therapy. Ullrich is an international leader in cancer research whose work has helped introduce an era of personalized medicine not only for the treatment of breast cancer, but also for other cancers. His strategy of genomics-based, target-driven drug development has helped revolutionize the way cancer is studied and treated.

Nominations may be made via letter from any scientist, whether an AACR member or nonmember, who is now or has been affiliated with any institution involved in cancer research, cancer medicine, or cancer-related biomedical science. Candidates may not nominate themselves. For more information on eligibility criteria, the nomination process, and other details about the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research, please visit www.aacr.org/page14329.aspx. Nominations should be sent to awards@aacr.org. Inquiries should be directed to Ms. Monique P. Eversley at monique.eversley@aacr.org. The nomination deadline is Monday, September 15, 2008.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

Nominations Open for 2009 Landon-AACR Prizes for Scientific Achievement in Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Deadline for Nominations is August 25, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is currently accepting nominations for two of the world's most prestigious awards granted to cancer researchers from a professional society of their peers. The Kirk A. Landon - AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research and the Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research are awarded to outstanding scientists who have made seminal cancer research discoveries at the cutting edge of scientific novelty and significance. Such discoveries must have accelerated progress against cancer and must have implications for future discoveries and contributions to cancer research. Each prize consists of $100,000, which includes a $15,000 honorarium and an $85,000 grant for direct research expenses.

Candidacy is open to all cancer researchers who are affiliated with any institution involved in cancer research, cancer medicine, or cancer-related biomedical science anywhere in the world. Candidates must be active researchers and have a record of recent scientific publications.

Each prize recipient will present a 50-minute scientific lecture at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting, April 18 - 22, 2009, in Denver, Colorado to stimulate new thinking among their colleagues in basic and translational cancer research. The recipients will also participate in the Annual Landon-AACR Prize Symposium to be held at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in January 2010.

The 2008 Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research was awarded to Arnold J. Levine, Ph.D., Professor, Institute for Advanced Study and Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Levine was recognized for his work in establishing p53 as a tumor suppressor, one of the body's most important defenses against many forms of cancer, and for his extraordinary contributions to our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer.

The 2008 Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research was awarded to John Mendelsohn, M.D., President and Professor of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, for his pioneering translational research that led to the discovery of a new class of agents to treat cancer and for his landmark contributions to our growing knowledge of targeted cancer therapies.

For more information on eligibility criteria, the nomination process and other details about the Landon-AACR Prizes for Basic and Translational Cancer Research please visit our website. Submissions for these awards should be sent to awards@aacr.org. Inquiries regarding these awards should be directed to monique.eversley@aacr.org. The nomination deadline is Monday, August 25, 2008 at 4:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

Perceived Discrimination Affects Screening Rates

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Minority men and women who perceived discrimination from their health care providers were less likely to be screened for colorectal or breast cancer, according to a report in the August issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"We have yet to achieve bias-free health care. This has serious public health implications as we know that higher levels of screening lead to lower levels of mortality. Clinicians need to be aware that they may be sending signals, even unintentionally, that lead minorities to believe they are being discriminated against," said LaVera M. Crawley, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor at the Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics.

Exactly what those signals are will need to be determined in future studies, Crawley says, but the relationship between perceived discrimination and failing to get regular screenings is strong.

Crawley and colleagues analyzed data from the California Health Interview Survey, which examined cancer screening trends among African-American, American-Indian/Alaskan-Native, Asian and Latino adults. The data set included 11,245 respondents.

"Respondents answered yes or no to ‘was there ever a time that you would have gotten better medical care if you had belonged to a different ethnic group?' However, we were not able to ask why they felt discriminated against," Crawley said.

If minority women perceived racial discrimination, they were 34 percent less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer and 48 percent less likely to be screened for breast cancer, compared with women of any racial group who did not perceive discrimination, researchers found.

The results were slightly different among minority men. Overall, men who perceived racial discrimination were no less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than those who did not perceive discrimination.

However, if they had a regular source of health care, they were 70 percent less likely to receive colorectal screening if they perceived racial discrimination.

"This contradicts the general assumption in public health that having a usual source of care is a cure all," Crawley said. "If men felt discriminated against by their regular health care provider, they did not receive screening. So there is something else factoring in."

Crawley says the specific factor would need to be explored in further research, but it may be that there are specific racial stereotypes that apply to men that would not apply to women. "For example, African American men may be stereotyped as being more violent, which would affect how doctors respond to them and thus create a potential for discrimination," said Crawley.

According to Crawley, the consequences for delayed screening are dramatic. If detected early, five-year survival rates for colorectal and breast cancer are approximately 90 percent. However, if caught in later stages, the survival rate for colorectal cancer is 10 percent and 23 percent for breast cancer.

"The longer someone delays screening the worse the outcome. Perception of discrimination may be driving the differences we see in outcomes among minorities," said Crawley.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Immunotherapy in High-Risk Pediatric Sarcomas Shows Promising Response

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Based on a pilot study in children with sarcoma, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) believe that immunotherapy could prove beneficial in treating high-risk forms of this cancer.

The researchers tested a novel dendritic vaccine as well as a standard flu vaccine to potentially strengthen the immune system post chemotherapy. Their findings, published in the August 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, show that although the dendritic vaccine they tested did not perform as well as hoped, children participating in the study responded well to the standard flu vaccine- suggesting that a strategy to bolster immune function in these patients holds promise for fighting their cancer.

Researchers also found that survival in these patients was at the higher end of what is generally seen with recurrent and/or metastatic Ewing's sarcoma (ESFT) or alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (AR) - the two sarcomas tested in this single arm study. The 22 enrolled patients who did not receive immunotherapy had a 31 percent five-year overall survival, compared to 43 percent five-year survival in 30 patients who ultimately received the novel immunotherapy.

Although the study is small, these early findings are promising, says the study's senior investigator, Crystal Mackall, M.D., of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Pediatric Oncology Branch. "We need new therapies. While outcomes overall for these tumors have improved during the past 40 years, there has not been substantial improvement for patients with metastatic or recurrent disease. This study shows that immunotherapy is safe and well tolerated, and could ultimately be beneficial for this high risk population. Mackall calls the study a rational approach to improving treatment of ESFT and AR. "We now know that the immune system of patients recovering from chemotherapy is malleable, so we just need to find the best immunologic approach to exploit this window of opportunity," she said.

Both ESFT and AR develop due to chromosomal translocations, which fuse a gene from one chromosome to a different chromosome. The dendritic vaccine included peptides derived from each patient's individual cancer in a way that was designed to alert a patient's immune system to the unique genetic alteration on the cancer cells.
In this clinical trial of 52 patients, researchers attempted to use immunotherapy as "consolidation" therapy - that is, after standard therapy provided a remission. Patients underwent aphaeresis to harvest blood lymphocytes that were then frozen. From this, dendritic cells were later extracted. These are cells that present an antigen to T cells and other immune system fighters in order to elicit a response.

All patients then had chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, as appropriate, and in some cases a stem cell transplant to induce remission. The 30 patients who initiated immunotherapy received a common flu vaccine, as well as their own lymphocytes and their own dendritic cells, which had been infused with tumor antigens. Some of these patients also received interleukin-2, which stimulates activity of T cell lymphocytes.

"The good news was the surprisingly nice T cell response patients had to the flu vaccination, even relatively soon after completing chemotherapy," Mackall said. "That shows that the general idea of using immunotherapy following chemotherapy to prevent recurrence is not a flawed one. Chemotherapy depleted the immune system, but we could restore it."

The bad news, she added, is that the dendritic vaccine "was not very immunogenic. We have a long way to go to optimizing this vaccine." Current studies are underway to test a new version of the vaccine, which utilizes more mature dendritic cells and tumor lysate in lieu of the translocation peptides. Ultimately, effective immunotherapy requires that one is capable of reproducing a strong and sustained immune response to tumor antigens," she said.

Mackall also notes that the vaccine in this trial was tested in patients whose cancer had recurred or metastasized. If the favorable safety profile continues and the efficacy of the vaccine is improved with the subsequent versions, one could ultimately consider the use of immunotherapy to consolidate remission in lower risk populations.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Lab Study Shows Methadone Breaks Resistance in Untreatable Forms of Leukemia

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers in Germany have discovered that methadone, an agent used to break addiction to opioid drugs, has surprising killing power against leukemia cells, including treatment resistant forms of the cancer.

Their laboratory study, published in the August 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that methadone holds promise as a new therapy for leukemia, especially in patients whose cancer no longer responds to chemotherapy and radiation.

"Methadone kills sensitive leukemia cells and also breaks treatment resistance, but without any toxic effects on non-leukemic blood cells," said the study's senior author, Claudia Friesen, Ph.D., of the Institute of Legal Medicine at the University Ulm. "We find this very exciting, because once conventional treatments have failed a patient, which occurs in old and also in young patients, they have no other options."

Methadone, developed in Germany in the 1930s, is a low cost agent that acts on opioid receptors, and thus is used as an opioid substitute to treat addiction. Scientists have found that opioid receptors also exist on the surface of some cancer cells for reasons that are not understood. One research group tested the agent in human lung cancer cell lines and found that it can induce cell death.

In this study, Friesen and her colleagues tested methadone in leukemia cells in laboratory culture because this cancer also expresses the opioid receptor. Theirs is the first study to look at use of the agent in leukemia, specifically in lymphoblastic leukemia T-cell lines and human myeloid leukemia cell lines.

They found that methadone was as effective as standard chemotherapies and radiation treatments against non-resistant leukemia cells, and that non-leukemic peripheral blood lymphocytes survived after methadone treatment.

To their surprise, they found that methadone also effectively killed leukemia that was resistant to multiple chemotherapies and to radiation. Probing the mechanism of methadone's action, the researchers found that it activates the mitochondrial pathway within leukemia cells, which activates enzymes called caspases that prompt a cell into apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death. Chemotherapy drugs use the same approach, but methadone activated caspases in sensitive leukemia cells, and also reversed deficient activation of caspases in resistant leukemia cells.

Friesen said the research team is beginning to study methadone treatment in animal models of human leukemia, and she also says that other cancers might be suitable for treatment with the agent.

In this study, the single doses used to kill leukemia cells were greater than doses used to treat opioid addiction, but the researchers have since found that they can use a daily low dose of methadone to achieve the same effect. Friesen adds that while methadone can, itself, become addictive, that addiction is much easier to break compared to addiction to true opioids. "Addiction shouldn't be an unsolvable problem if methadone is ever used as an anti-cancer therapy," she said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Researchers Discover Link between Organ Transplantation and Increased Cancer Risk

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers have determined a novel mechanism through which organ transplantation often leads to cancer, and their findings suggest that targeted therapies may reduce or prevent that risk.

In the July 15, 2008, issue of Cancer Research, researchers at Harvard Medical School found in animal and laboratory experiments that the anti-rejection, immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine ramps up expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which signals the growth of new blood vessels that can feed tumors.

They also found that simultaneously administering an anti-VEGF therapy with cyclosporine in mice repressed this tumor growth. Several inhibitors of VEGF are already in use in human cancer therapy.

The findings could offer some good news for the 15 to 20 percent of transplant patients who develop cancer within a decade of receiving new organs, according to the study's senior investigator, Soumitro Pal, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School's Transplantation Research Center at Children's Hospital in Boston.

"It may be that anti-VEGF agents given judiciously after transplantation can reduce future cancer occurrence," he said.

VEGF expression is markedly increased in patients post-transplantation, and this can aid in the development of a blood supply to a transplanted organ, helping it survive and thrive." But once the organ has stabilized, it may be possible to lower the level of VEGF expression to prevent tumor growth," he said. "We would need to figure out how to balance benefit and risk to keep cancer at bay."

Tumors that develop after transplantation may have three potential sources: they may have pre-existed or could have been a recurrence of previous cancer - and in both of these cases, a patient's pre-transplant immune system might have kept these cancers in check - or cancer-causing viruses could have come from the donor organ. Physicians have long observed that immunosuppressive agents, such as the class of calcineurin inhibitors that includes cyclosporine, appear to promote cancer development, often in organs that are not transplanted, but the cause of this was unclear. The Harvard team tested the ability of cyclosporine to promote growth of pre-existing tumors in mice implanted with human renal (kidney) cancer cells. Mice treated with the agent formed tumors faster than untreated mice, but anti-VEGF therapy substantially reduced that excessive growth.

Digging deeper into the biological pathway of VEGF activation, the scientists found that cyclosporine activates two of the three forms of the common protein catalyst, protein kinase C, which leads to increased expression of VEGF.

"We think PKC-mediated VEGF transcriptional activation is a key component in the progression of cyclosporine-induced post-transplantation cancer," Pal said. "It is likely not the whole story, but this gives us a clue that we might be able to use existing or novel therapies to reduce cancer risk in transplanted patients."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR Foundation Appoints Two New Trustees

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - The Board of Directors of the American Association for Cancer Research recently elected Beverly W. Aisenbrey and Tyler Jacks, Ph.D., as trustees of the AACR Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer (AACR Foundation). Elected at the 2008 AACR Annual Meeting, each will serve a term of three years and may be re-elected. As a result of his status as AACR's president-elect, Jacks joins the Foundation board as an ex officio member whose term coincides with his AACR leadership term.

Beverly W. Aisenbrey is a managing director in the New York office of Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. She has been with the firm since 1982, held the office of treasurer and continues to serve on its board of directors. An independent advisor to dozens of leading companies, Aisenbrey designs performance-based compensation programs and consults on change-in-control, severance and employment agreements. In this role, she most often works directly with the board of directors' compensation committee.

Aisenbrey is a trustee of Rutgers University, and a member of several advisory boards, including Rutgers Business School and the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors and Compensation and Benefits Review. She belongs to the Founding Circle of the Rutgers Women's Business Leadership Initiative. Aisenbrey received her B.A. from Douglass College and her M.B.A. in finance from Rutgers University.

Tyler E. Jacks, Ph.D., is the director of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the David H. Koch professor of biology at MIT, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Jacks' research interests are in the genetic events that contribute to the development of cancer. His laboratory has engineered a series of novel, mutant mouse strains that accurately mimic human cancer and thus serve as animal models for exploring the cellular pathways regulated by cancer-associated genes.

Jacks is a long-standing member of the AACR, and has served in several leadership positions for the AACR, including as a board member from 2001-2004, as a member of the nominating committee from 2004-2006 and as a member of the Annual Meeting 2003 program committee. Jacks was previously senior editor of Molecular Cancer Research. Jacks received his B.S. in biology from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. He completed his post-doctoral training at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT.

AACR Foundation trustees work collectively to fulfill the Foundation's mission to accelerate progress in the conquest of cancer by providing financial support for scientific research, education and communication. The Foundation funds programs deemed by the American Association for Cancer Research to be of the highest priority and impact.

For more information about the AACR Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer and to learn how you can help, please visit our website.

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Editor's note: High resolution photos of Aisenbrey and Jacks are available upon request.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

Stand Up To Cancer: AACR Issues a Call for Ideas to the Cancer Research Community

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Deadline for Ideas for Translational Cancer Research Projects is August 20, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - As the scientific partner to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), an unprecedented collaboration uniting the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) issues to the cancer community a call for ideas for translational cancer research projects that hold the most promise for rapid translation into clinical realities.

From its leadership position in the cancer research community, the AACR is committed to conducting expert scientific peer-review of research projects and administering funds raised by Stand Up To Cancer through a rigorous, yet nimble, rapid and transparent review process under the direction of a Scientific Advisory Committee comprised of recognized leaders in the field of cancer research.

The SU2C collaboration will establish and support a focused and intense effort to advance cancer research as rapidly as possible through the creation of collaborative, translational research "Dream Teams." The most talented and promising researchers across institutions and multiple disciplines will be assembled into Dream Teams that will use the new tools of molecular biology and systems biology to attack research questions that are most likely to bring near-term patient benefit. Collaboration is expected to occur within and among the Dream Teams - an approach that promotes the sharing of information and a goal-oriented focus on key problems in cancer designed with measurable milestones of progress. SU2C believes that this unique Dream Team model will quickly advance scientific research in the interests of both today's cancer patients and those who may develop cancer in the future.

The AACR calls upon members of the cancer community to join this collaborative effort by contributing their ideas to the groundbreaking SU2C Dream Team research model. Written suggestions for translational cancer research projects that would address critical problems in patient care, including prevention strategies for those at risk, and deliver near-term patient benefit through investigation by a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional Dream Team of expert investigators are invited. These research projects may focus on particular organ sites or on specialized research areas and should be based on perceived opportunities for success as well as high-priority areas with a critical need for rapid progress beyond current medical care.

The collective ideas for Dream Team translational research projects suggested by the cancer community will assist the Stand Up To Cancer Scientific Advisory Committee in its deliberations and selection of SU2C Dream Teams. The Scientific Advisory Committee is led by Chairperson and Nobel Laureate, Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., Institute Professor, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Vice-Chairpersons, Arnold J. Levine, Ph.D., Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Brian J. Druker, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University Cancer Institute.

The number of Dream Teams to be formed will depend upon the total amount of funds raised through SU2C. Based upon the scope of each Dream Team project, grant amounts could reach $20 million.

Ideas should be submitted using the instructions and form found at www.aacr.org; submissions should be no longer than two pages and should include a project summary statement with background and rationale, a description of the expertise and key personnel needed for the Dream Team, and an explanation of clinical impact and key literature references. Submissions must be sent via e-mail to SU2C@aacr.org. Inquiries regarding this process should be directed to SU2C@aacr.org or (267) 646-0653. The submission deadline is Wednesday, August 20, 2008.

In this call for ideas, the AACR is not accepting research proposals for grant funding. Rather the AACR is inviting ideas for SU2C Dream Team translational research projects. An announcement about SU2C Innovative Cancer Research Grant opportunities will be made in fall of 2008. Additional information about SU2C and its funding model can be found here.

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About the AACR
The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is founded on the belief that the last thirty years have brought about a revolution in our understanding of the origins and causes of cancer. SU2C believes this information should be used in its fullness to act cooperatively, rapidly, and efficiently to apply this knowledge and new technologies to patient care and prevention. SU2C is committed to identifying the most promising opportunities and leveraging its fiscal and management resources to achieve a paradigm shift in cancer research.

Media Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org

Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates Still Too Low

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Although colorectal cancer screening tests are proven to reduce colorectal cancer mortality, only about half of U.S. men and women 50 and older receive the recommended tests, according to a report in the July 2008 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a National Health Interview Survey and found only 50 percent of men and women 50 and older had received screening in 2005. Although this was an improvement over the 43 percent of screened individuals reported in 2000, it is still far from optimal, investigators say.

"Colorectal cancer is one of the leading cancer killers in the United States, behind only lung cancer. Screening has been shown to significantly reduce mortality from colorectal cancer, but a lot of people are still not getting screened," said Jean A. Shapiro, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Shapiro says a major problem appears to be insurance coverage. Among people without health insurance, researchers found the rate of colorectal cancer screening was 24.1 percent compared to over 50 percent of insured Americans, depending on the type of insurance. Among patients without a usual source of health care, the screening rate was 24.7 percent compared to 51.9 percent of patients with a usual source of health care.

"If we can increase the number of people who have health care coverage, we should be able to increase colorectal cancer screening rates," said Shapiro.

Shapiro says the increase in colorectal cancer screening rates observed from 2000 to 2005 may have been due in part to increased media coverage of the importance of colonoscopy as a measure to prevent cancer and detect it early, including a broadcast of Katie Couric, then co-host of NBC's Today show, undergoing a colonoscopy. However, Shapiro adds, the increase was probably also due to the fact that in 2001, Medicare expanded its coverage for colonoscopy screenings to a wider range of patients.

"Health care access and insurance are important," Shapiro said.

Beyond health insurance, researchers at the CDC reported the following factors influenced the use of colorectal cancer screening tests:

Education: 37 percent of people with less than a high school education received screening vs. 60.7 percent of college graduates.
Household income: 37.4 percent of people earning less than $20,000 in annual household income received screening vs. 58.5 percent of people earning $75,000 or more.
Frequency of physician contact: 19.5 percent of patients who had not seen a physician in the past year had received screening vs. 52.5 percent of patients who had seen their physician two to five times in the previous year.

Approximately 50 percent of patients who did not receive testing said they had "never thought about it," while about 20 percent said their "doctor did not order it," researchers found.

"Many doctors are aware, but some may still need to be educated about the importance of colorectal cancer screening," said Shapiro.

These data were derived from the CDC's 2005 National Health Interview Survey which interviewed 30,873 adults in a demographically representative sample of Americans. Interviews were conducted in person with a 68 percent response rate. For the current analysis, Shapiro and colleagues focused on 13,480 patients who were age 50 and older.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR Announces New Grant Opportunity for Bladder Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

AACR Seeks Applications for 2008 AACR Henry Shepard Bladder Cancer Research Grants

PHILADELPHIA -The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is currently accepting applications for grants designed to help drive research advances in the treatment of bladder cancer, the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the eighth in women.

The two-year AACR Henry Shepard Bladder Cancer Research Grants will provide up to $250,000 in total support for innovative cancer research projects designed to accelerate the discovery, development and application of new agents to treat bladder cancer. In an effort to unify laboratory and clinical work, laboratory-based projects must present plans with clinical collaborations indicating how the work will be translated into the clinic. Similarly, clinical studies must show how the work was derived from basic pre-clinical work and how the results will be channeled back to laboratory-based collaborators. Four grants will be awarded in 2008.

Independent investigators who are affiliated with any institution involved in cancer research, cancer medicine, or cancer-related biomedical science anywhere in the world may apply. In order to expand the breadth of bladder cancer research, there are no geographical, national or residency status requirements.

In 2008, approximately 68,810 individuals are expected to be diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, and approximately 14,100 people will die from this devastating disease. Despite the high incidence and mortality rate, bladder cancer is sometimes overshadowed by other, more familiar genitourinary cancers and often does not receive a proportionate level of attention from the scientific community and potential donors. In terms of funding and development of new treatments, bladder cancer ranks below many less common and less deadly cancers.

The 2008 AACR Henry Shepard Bladder Cancer Research Grants represent a partnership between the Henry H. Shepard Trust and the AACR. The trustees distributing the funds from the estate of Henry Shepard, a successful lawyer, chose to establish this grant with the AACR Foundation in memory of John King, Shepard's long-time attorney and financial advisor, who died from bladder cancer.

For more information on eligibility criteria, the application process and other details about the AACR Henry Shepard Bladder Cancer Research Grants, please visit the website. Applications for these grants should be filed electronically through the proposalCENTRAL website at https://proposalcentral.altum.com. Inquiries from investigators regarding this grant should be directed to Hanna Hopfinger at hanna.hopfinger@aacr.org. The application deadline is July 25, 2008.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

Prostate Cancer Vaccines more Effective with Hormone Therapy

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Among patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer, the addition of hormone therapy following vaccine treatment improved overall survival compared with either treatment alone or when the vaccine followed hormone treatment, according to recent data published in the July 15 Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Philip M. Arlen, M.D., director of the Clinical Research Group for the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, at the National Cancer Institute, said the findings have important implications for guiding treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients.

"Vaccines, if and when they are approved, can be safely and effectively combined with other therapies, including hormones," said Arlen. "There appears to be an advantage in overall survival."

Arlen and colleagues enrolled 42 patients who had castration-resistant prostate cancer. These patients were randomly assigned to receive either a poxvirus-based prostate-specific antigen vaccine or hormone therapy with nilutamide. At progression, patients received the other therapy and continued to receive their original therapy.

For all the patients enrolled in the study, the three-year survival probability was 71 percent and the median overall survival was 4.4 years. Patients randomized to the vaccine had a three-year survival probability of 81 percent and an overall survival of 5.1 years, while patients taking nilutamide had a three-year survival probability of 62 percent and an overall survival of 3.4 years.

Of the 42 patients in the study, 12 patients who were originally assigned to vaccine switched to nilutamide plus vaccine and eight patients who were originally assigned to nilutamide switched to vaccine plus hormone, due to rising levels of prostate-specific antigen with no evidence of metastasis. For patients who received vaccine and then nilutamide, the three-year survival probability was 100 percent with a median overall survival of 6.2 years. For patients who switched to the vaccine after hormone, the three-year survival probability was 75 percent with a median overall survival of 3.7 years.

Arlen said the hormone therapy in combination with the vaccine works in two ways.

"By using hormone therapy in prostate cancer you can help enhance your T-cell response to where the cancer is in the prostate gland, and you are also more likely to achieve a better immune response," said Arlen.

Building on the results of this phase II study, researchers have developed another generation of this vaccine by adding molecules which boost T-cell responses.

Based on the current pace of vaccine research overall, Arlen predicts that men with prostate cancer could potentially see an effective, new treatment vaccine within the next several years.

"Phase II trials such as this one are adding to our knowledge, and other phase III trials are getting ready to publish their data," said Arlen. "If the phase II data hold up in phase III trials, we could see a new treatment vaccine within a few years."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Researchers Identify Cancer Preventive Properties in Common Dietary Supplement

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Early laboratory research has shown that resveratrol, a common dietary supplement, suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role for the agent in breast cancer prevention. Resveratrol is a natural substance found in red wine and red grapes. It is sold in extract form as a dietary supplement at most major drug stores.

"Resveratrol has the ability to prevent the first step that occurs when estrogen starts the process that leads to cancer by blocking the formation of the estrogen DNA adducts. We believe that this could stop the whole progression that leads to breast cancer down the road," said Eleanor G. Rogan, Ph.D., a professor in the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Rogan was the lead author of the report that was published in the July 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
For the current study, Rogan and colleagues measured the effect of resveratrol on cellular functions known to contribute to breast cancer.

The formation of breast cancer is a multi-step process which differs depending on type of disease, a patient's genetic makeup and other factors. However, scientists know that many breast cancers are fueled by increased estrogen, which collects and reacts with DNA molecules to form adducts. Rogan and colleagues found that resveratrol was able to suppress the formation of these DNA adducts.

"This is dramatic because it was able to be done with fairly low concentrations of resveratrol to stop the formation of these DNA adducts in the cells we studied," said Rogan. Although researchers experimented with up to 100 µmol/L of resveratrol, the suppression of DNA adducts was seen with 10 µmol/L. A glass of red wine contains between 9 and 28 µmol/L of resveratrol.

The researchers also found that resveratrol suppressed the expression of CYP1B1 and the formation of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, two known risk factors for breast cancer.

Rogan said resveratrol works by inducing an enzyme called quinone reductase, which reduces the estrogen metabolite back to inactive form. By making estrogen inactive, resveratrol decreases the associated risk.

The current study was conducted in laboratory cultures, and will need to be confirmed in larger human trials, Rogan said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR CEO Receives Second Honorary Doctorate

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

University of Catania Bestows Honor Upon Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.)

PHILADELPHIA - American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.) will receive a degree Honoris Causa (h.c.) in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Catania in Sicily on Friday, July 4, 2008. This honorary doctorate is Foti's second and recognizes her distinguished contributions to advancing the field of cancer research worldwide.

"We celebrate Dr. Foti's accomplishments as an advocate for all whose lives have been touched by cancer. Her commitment to the field of cancer research reminds us every day that research has important significance on the lives of people living with cancer," said Antonino Recca, Ph.D., president of the University of Catania.

"I feel very privileged to receive this extraordinary honor from the University of Catania, one of the oldest universities in Europe that dates back to 1234. Knowing that Catania was the birthplace of my grandparents makes this honor particularly special for me," Foti said. "This is an important time in the field of cancer research, with researchers on the brink of making monumental discoveries in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. To be a part of the AACR family and the international cancer community is very exciting and I want to thank all of the AACR presidents and our wonderful staff who have contributed so very much to the success of our work in the field."

"The efforts of Dr. Foti and the AACR to accelerate the pace of discovery in basic and clinical cancer research have laid the foundation for improvements in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment," said Ferdinando Nicoletti, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Translational Immunopharmacology Laboratory in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania.

"Dr. Foti and the AACR have been instrumental in supporting the careers of cancer scientists and the important work they do," said Clorinda Mazzarino, M.D., director of the School of Oncology, University of Catania.

"Dr. Foti's work with the AACR has significantly advanced cancer research and prevention. As a leader in her field at the international level, her passionate dedication to study and her intuition in stimulating breakthroughs in cancer research among scientists at all cultural and institutional levels, has given a voice to the cancer problem," said Franca Stivala, M.D., head of Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania and vice-president of the Italian League Against Cancer.

Foti will present her doctoral lecture titled, "The Global Conquest of Cancer in the New Era of Science and Medicine," at a conferment ceremony in the University's Palace Central. She will also receive an award from the Italian League Against Cancer, Section of Catania, commending Foti's work in promoting cancer research and prevention.

According to Massimo Libra, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Biomedical Science of the University of Catania, Dr. Foti is "one of the most charismatic figures in the world in our field today. What makes her unique is that she is extremely well versed in a number of different facets of cancer research, ranging from basic cancer research to clinical research. She combines with this an innate capability to apply her technical knowledge and business acumen to sustain the resources necessary for research. Through her significant work, she is able to provide funding to further both research and professional meetings, giving life to the some of the most prestigious scientific advances for cancer treatment in the world today."

Foti has dedicated her career to cancer research and the AACR. Progressing through several key editorial and management roles at the AACR, she was appointed to her current position of CEO in 1982 by the AACR's board of directors. In addition, she serves as secretary-treasurer and CEO of the AACR Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer and managing editor of the journal Cancer Research. During Foti's tenure, AACR membership has grown from 3,000 to more than 28,000 cancer scientists residing in over 80 countries.

In addition to her publishing responsibilities for Cancer Research, the most highly cited cancer journal in the world, Foti has launched five additional high-quality AACR journals: Clinical Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research and Cancer Prevention Research, AACR's most recent publication dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists.

Among her many professional activities, Foti serves as a board member and is a past president of the National Coalition for Cancer Research; member of the Melanoma International Foundation board of directors; member of the executive committee of Friends of Cancer Research; board member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; medical advisory board member of the Prevent Cancer Foundation; and member of the Council of the European Association for Cancer Research. She previously served as a board member of the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen) and as board member and president of the Council of Science Editors and the Society for Scholarly Publishing. She has served in various capacities for the International Federation of Science Editors, the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the European Life Science Editors Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association, among other organizations. Foti has also been a consultant to several nonprofit organizations and lectures widely at academic institutions in the United States and abroad.

Foti has received many national and international awards for her contributions to cancer research including: the Distinguished Service Award from the George Washington University Medical Center's GW Cancer Institute; the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of American Cancer Institutes for her contributions to the progress of cancer research and commitment to the next generation of cancer scientists; the AACR Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research; the Ville de Paris Award; the Cina del Duca Award for raising public awareness of cancer globally; the Community Caring Award from the William S. Graham Foundation for Melanoma Research; and the Special Recognition Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for her work in advancing clinical cancer research. For her work, she has also been awarded honorary memberships in the Japanese Cancer Association and the European Association for Cancer Research, as well an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Rome La Sapienza and now the University of Catania in Sicily.

View a hi-resolution image of the Honorary Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Catania in Sicily.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

American Association for Cancer Research Welcomes New Publisher

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Diane Scott-Lichter Tapped to Oversee AACR's Dynamic Publications Program

PHILADELPHIA - The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) announces the appointment of Diane Scott-Lichter as publisher and head of its scientific publishing division. Scott-Lichter succeeds former publisher Kathleen Case who recently retired following a distinguished seven-year tenure at AACR.

As publisher, Scott-Lichter will oversee all aspects of production, marketing and strategic planning for the AACR's publications program, including the following peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research, the most frequently cited cancer journal in the world; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and the association's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, dedicated exclusively to the publication of the latest developments in the burgeoning field of cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials.

"After launching a national search, the AACR was very fortunate to have found Ms. Scott-Lichter, an accomplished leader in scholarly publishing with a unique blend of experience in both commercial and academic society settings," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR's chief executive officer. "Diane Scott-Lichter's extraordinary expertise and leadership in scholarly publishing will be extremely important to us as the AACR continues to meet the expanding information needs of laboratory and clinical cancer researchers around the world. We are very fortunate indeed to have her as a member of the senior management team of the AACR, and I look forward to working with her to raise the bar in AACR's achievements in print and electronic publishing of high-quality cancer research."

Prior to joining AACR, Scott-Lichter was senior director of publications for The Endocrine Society. Previously, she was the publisher of medical journals for Blackwell Publishing in Malden, Mass., where she was responsible for developing a global medical journal acquisition strategy. She has also held journal publishing positions with the American Cancer Society, Elsevier Science Inc., Carden Jennings Publishing Company, and the American Chemical Society.

Scott-Lichter is currently president of the Council of Science Editors, vice-chair of the scientific publishing committee of the American Heart Association, and on the board of directors of the Society for Scholarly Publishing. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in publishing communications from New York University.

For a high resolution photograph of Diane Scott-Lichter, please contact Jennifer Ryan at (267) 646-0558 or jennifer.ryan@aacr.org.

###

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer at the earliest possible time through research, education, communications, and collaborations. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to saving lives through advancements in cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

$1.8 Million Awarded for Metastatic Colon Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Through the generous philanthropic support of the Littlefield 2000 Trust, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is pleased to announce three recipients of the 2008 Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR Grants for Metastatic Colon Cancer Research, totaling $1.8 million. In its third year, this competitive funding program is focused on high impact grants to accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments for metastatic colon cancer.

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. An estimated 108,070 new cases will be diagnosed this year in the U.S. alone. While colon cancer in its earliest stages is often treatable, the spread, or metastasis of the disease to other parts of the body makes for a more complicated course of treatment and potentially a poorer prognosis. Metastatic colon cancer research is vital to understanding disease progression, with a goal of developing improved therapeutics and achieving better outcomes for patients.

With individual grants reaching levels of $890,000, the 2008 Littlefield funding is intended to have high impact and foster tangible progress against metastatic colon cancer, with promise for bringing individualized therapeutic options to patients within a one- to two-year period.

The 2008 Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR grantees are: S. Gail Eckhardt, M.D., University of Colorado; Lara R. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; and Nita Ahuja, M.D., Johns Hopkins University.

S. Gail Eckhardt, M.D., director of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at the University of Colorado, will apply her $890,000 grant to a project titled, "Development of individualized therapy for IGF-1R inhibition in advanced colorectal cancer." Building on scientific data indicating the importance of the insulin-like growth factor (IFG-1R) signaling pathway in the growth and progression of colorectal cancer, Eckhardt and her multidisciplinary team hope to develop predictive markers for IGF-1R inhibitors for metastatic colon cancer. Although early clinical results in rare tumors, such as sarcomas, are encouraging, clinical trials of these agents in other diseases are showing modest results, indicating that patient selection strategies may be needed to enhance the effectiveness of these drugs in treating metastatic colorectal cancer. Eckhardt's research proposal seeks to move beyond the current research environment of testing combinations of approved agents in unselected patients into an era of individualized therapy for IGF-1R inhibition, as a first step in improving treatment regimens for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Lara R. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncologist and clinical research fellow at the Parkville Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, Australia, and her research team are searching for a "genomic signature for colorectal cancer metastases." They will apply the $575,000 grant to studying and comparing genetic material from colorectal cancer patients to better determine not only who is likely to have a recurrence of the disease but also, who should or should not receive chemotherapy treatment after initial surgery. Following initial surgery, chemotherapy can reduce the chance of recurrence in some patients, but can also produce significant side effects. Approximately 25 to 40 percent of patients undergoing surgery for localized colorectal cancer will have a recurrence with metastases. The results of Lipton's work could be useful in determining which patients are good candidates for chemotherapy based on their genetic make-up, and which patients may not respond to this type of treatment. Findings from the study could also identify key genetic differences in recurrent tumors which may help doctors target alternative therapies toward cells which are likely to resist initial treatments and form secondary colorectal cancers or metastases.

Nita Ahuja, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University, along with her research team, hopes to "develop epigenetic staging and therapy for colorectal cancer." Current colorectal cancer staging methods do not provide a clear picture of which patients could recur with metastatic disease. Ahuja will apply her $340,000 grant to developing new staging and, potentially new therapies, for colorectal cancer patients using DNA methylation changes that silence tumor suppressor genes. DNA methylation profiles are detected easily from small DNA samples and have enormous potential as predictive biomarkers. Her team has successfully used methylation profiles for molecular staging of early-stage lung cancer to determine patients who are at the highest risk of recurrence. The research team will apply this knowledge to metastatic colorectal cancer with the hope of developing an effective molecular staging tool to ensure that colorectal cancer patients deemed high-risk receive adjuvant chemotherapy while low-risk patients can be spared the toxicity of chemotherapy. Additionally, if Ahuja and her team can demonstrate the validity of epigenetic therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer, this treatment method could be targeted toward high-risk, metastatic patients in the near future.

The Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR Grants for Metastatic Colon Cancer Research are sponsored by Jacques and Sandy Littlefield of Portola Valley, CA, on behalf of the Littlefield 2000 Trust. The grants are named in honor of Mr. Littlefield's mother and represent an integral part of AACR's overall grant program for all types of cancer.

To learn more about the Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR Grants in Metastatic Colon Cancer Research, please visit our website.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
Jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting Makes Significant Local Economic Impact

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Cutting-edge breakthroughs in molecular targeting, translational cancer research and cancer prevention took center stage when 17,437 people from around the world gathered at the San Diego Convention Center April 12-16 for the attendance record-breaking 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Early measurements estimate the economic impact at $33.25 million for San Diego and the surrounding area. The AACR estimates that attendees spent $21.25 million on hotels and other lodging and $8.5 million on food and beverage services. Another $3.5 million was spent directly by AACR for the convention center and related expenses.

The AACR is scheduled to hold its 100th annual meeting in 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The yearly gathering is a premier destination for cancer researchers and is widely recognized as one of the most important meetings in the medical research community.

"The AACR is the leading association of cancer researchers in the world. San Diego provided a unique venue for our membership, and we look forward to bringing the men and women who strive to cure cancer to other major cities," said Linda M. Still, CMP, director of meetings and exhibits at the AACR.

The continued growth of the AACR Annual Meeting has a major impact on its host city. This year in San Diego:

• More than 7,500 hotel rooms were reserved in about 35 hotels on peak nights.
• Over 800 commercial and non-profit organizations brought their messages and products to the exhibit hall floor.
• Approximately 42 shuttle buses transported attendees to and from their hotels and the surrounding area.
• Hotels in the area hosted 15 social events connected with the Annual Meeting that were attended by approximately 2,000 attendees.
• The San Diego Padres hosted an AACR night that brought nearly 2,600 AACR Annual Meeting attendees to a local venue.

AACR's Annual Meeting attracts attendees including leading academic, industry and government scientists, as well as clinical oncologists, students, cancer survivors, advocates and other health care professionals. Such a diverse group facilitates a cross-disciplinary exchange of new ideas and collaborations. This year, more than 6,000 scientific abstracts were selected for presentation, complementing an outstanding program of scientific and educational events.

Reporters and Editors: For more information or to register for the 2009 Annual Meeting of the AACR, please call 215-440-9300, email communications@aacr.org or visit www.aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Faulty DNA Repair could be a Risk Factor for Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - People who have never smoked but whose cells cannot efficiently repair environmental insults to DNA are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than those with effective genomic repair capability, according to researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"About 15 percent of lung cancers occur in lifetime never smokers. Risk factors for lung cancer in people who have never smoked are poorly understood, but this study demonstrates that poor DNA repair capacity is an important predictor of lung cancer risk in never smokers," said the study's lead author, Olga Gorlova, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology.

In the June issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, the researchers say that, overall, nonsmokers with suboptimal DNA repair capacity (DRC) are almost twice as likely to develop lung cancer, compared with nonsmokers with normal DRC. Study participants with the lowest ability to repair their DNA had a more than a threefold increased risk, compared with individuals with efficient DRC.

Secondhand smoke exposure is another established risk factor; in participants with inefficient DRC who also reported such exposure, the risk of lung cancer was almost fourfold.

Although the research team has not pinpointed the gene or genes that cause suboptimal DRC, their data suggest that the trait is heritable to some degree. Notably they found that first-degree relatives of those with lowest DRC were 2.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than were first-degree relatives of people with efficient DRC.

"Our findings demonstrate that suboptimal DNA repair capacity together with secondhand smoke exposure are strong lung cancer risk factors in lifetime never smokers," Gorlova said.

This is the first study that has looked at functional DNA repair capacity as a risk factor for lung cancer in nonsmokers. Researchers drew white blood cells from 219 lung cancer patients and 309 matched control participants, all of whom had never smoked. They used the cells to conduct a host-cell reactivation assay, a complicated test that introduced a specific carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) into the cells. BPDE is a hydrocarbon found in smoke of all kinds (tobacco, wood, etc.) that is highly carcinogenic and mutagenic, capable of changing the composition of DNA.

The study is a continuation of research underway at M. D. Anderson that is looking for genetic and epigenetic components to lung cancer risk. The research group has previously shown that DNA repair capacity as measured by the host cell reactivation assay was significantly lower in lung cancer patients who were current or former smokers than in matched controls.

"Many people think they aren't at risk for lung cancer because they don't smoke, but anyone who has non-smoking relatives with lung cancer should avoid not just tobacco smoke, but all the other carcinogens and mutagens that are products of combustion," Gorlova said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Elevated Biomarkers Predict Risk for Prostate Cancer Recurrence

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A simple blood test screening for a panel of biomarkers can accurately predict whether a patient who has had prostate cancer surgery will have a recurrence or spread of the disease.

Calling their findings a major step forward in prostate cancer care, Texas researchers report in the June 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, that the presence of seven of these biomarkers can predict prostate cancer risk with 86.6 percent reliability. This is at least 15 percentage points higher than standard clinical measures currently in use, the researchers say.

"We have been looking at these biomarkers for the past 10 to 15 years in the laboratory, but now we can translate these findings into progress for the individual patient," said Shahrokh F. Shariat, M.D., chief resident in urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Clinicians need this information to decide whether to take a "watchful waiting" approach with their prostate cancer patients or to move to more aggressive additional therapy such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy or radiation, Shariat says. Urologists currently use a risk predictor that includes variables like stage, Gleason score and serum levels of prostate-specific antigen. "However, this method is only accurate about 70 percent of the time, which is not optimal," Shariat said.

Shariat and colleagues enrolled 423 patients who were surgically treated for prostate cancer with either radical prostatectomy or bilateral lymphadenectomy.

Using commonly available blood tests, they measured levels of the following seven biomarkers: transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-6, interleukin-6 soluble receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, endoglin, urokinase plasminogen activator.

"We reviewed background literature over 60 separate biomarkers and determined that these were the optimal seven that would have predictive value," Shariat said.

Patients were followed for approximately four years, and researchers noted cancer recurrence in 17.7 percent of patients. Elevated levels of the seven biomarkers were associated with increased risk of relapse. For example, the presence of urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1 increased risk by 37 percent, while the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor increased risk by 47 percent.

The combination of all seven biomarker variables accurately predicted risk 86.6 percent of the time in this study.

"This is a large and unique improvement for patient care. Neither preoperative MRI nor any of the clinical features we have used before even comes close to this level of accuracy," Shariat said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Nominations Open for New Scientific Achievement Award

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

AACR Seeks Submissions for 2008 Susan G. Komen for the Cure - AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research

PHILADELPHIA -The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is currently accepting nominations for the inaugural Susan G. Komen for the Cure-AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research.

This new award will recognize an investigator whose novel and significant work has had, or may have, a far-reaching impact on the etiology, detection, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of breast cancer. The award is intended to honor individuals relatively early in their careers, therefore, nominees must be no more than 50 years old at the time the award is received.

The establishment of this award follows the newly announced partnership between AACR and the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center to jointly present the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in 2008. Through AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical research, the current strengths of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will be enhanced to create a more comprehensive program that will advance breast cancer research across the full spectrum of related disciplines. Therefore, nominations of worthy basic, translational and clinical scientists are sought to reflect that advances in breast cancer research will come from all scientific areas.

Nominations may be made by individual investigators who are affiliated with any institution involved in basic cancer research, cancer medicine or cancer-related biomedical science anywhere in the world. Candidates may not nominate themselves.

The recipient of the Komen-AACR Award will receive an honorarium of $10,000 and will deliver a 30-minute lecture about his or her research at the 2008 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 10-14, 2008.

Along with the Outstanding Investigator Award, Susan G. Komen for the Cure will support three additional new initiatives in conjunction with the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. In an effort to educate basic scientists and clinicians about the latest advances in each other's fields, Susan G. Komen for the Cure will sponsor the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Educational Sessions, addressing emerging targets, signal transduction pathways controlling cell proliferation and cell death in breast cancer, clinical trials and pathobiology.

Additional support from Komen will fund the Susan G. Komen for the Cure-AACR Scholar-in-Training Awards and Minority Scholar Awards for Breast Cancer Research. These awards aim to provide support for outstanding young investigators to attend the symposium and present their highly-meritorious breast cancer research. The ultimate goal is to expand the pool of researchers contributing new and innovative ideas to breast cancer research.

For more information on eligibility criteria, the nomination process and other details about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure-AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research, please visit the webpage. Nominations for this award should be sent to awards@aacr.org. Inquiries from investigators regarding this award should be directed to monique.eversley@aacr.org. The nomination deadline is Thursday, July 10, 2008.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

Dehydrated Tomatoes Show Promise for Preventing Prostate Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - New research suggests that the form of tomato product one eats could be the key to unlocking its prostate cancer-fighting potential, according to a report in the June 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"Processing of many edible plants through heating, grinding, mixing or drying dramatically increases their nutrition value, including their cancer prevention potential. It appears that the greatest protective effect from tomatoes comes by rehydrating tomato powder into tomato paste," said Valeri V. Mossine, Ph.D., research assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Missouri.

The protective effect of tomato products against prostate cancer has been suggested in many studies, but researchers remain uncertain about the exact mechanisms. Mossine and colleagues demonstrated that FruHis, an organic carbohydrate present in dehydrated tomato products, exerts a strong protective effect.

Researchers divided rats into groups of 20 and fed them a control diet or a diet that included tomato paste, tomato powder or tomato paste plus additional FruHis. All animals were then injected with prostate cancer-causing chemicals.

Animals fed the tomato paste plus FruHis diet had the longest survival from cancer at 51 weeks compared with 50 weeks in the tomato powder group, 45 weeks in the tomato paste alone group and 40 weeks in the control group.

On post-mortem exam, prostate tumors were found in 10 percent of the rats that had been given a combination of tomato paste and FruHis, compared with 30 percent of animals in the tomato powder group, 25 percent in the tomato paste alone group and 60 percent in the control group.

Mossine said the protective effect of tomato-based products was restricted to prostate tumors, which is consistent with other research on tomatoes and cancer. Incidence of other tumors was too small to examine.

In vitro, Mossine and colleagues evaluated the anti-cancer properties of FruHis and 14 other D-fructose amino acids and found that FruHis in a concentrated form protected against DNA damage known to lead to prostate cancer. When combined with lycopene, FruHis stopped cancerous cell growth more than 98 percent of the time.

"Before this study, researchers attributed the protective effect of tomatoes to ascorbic acid, carotenoids, or phenolic compounds," Mossine said. "FruHis may represent a novel type of potential dietary antioxidant. Experiments like these suggest that a combination of FruHis and lycopene should be investigated as a potential therapeutic anti-tumor agent, not just a prevention strategy."

Although Mossine cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from this animal study, he said, "the result may introduce an additional intrigue into an ongoing dispute over the beneficial effects of dietary lycopene and tomato products in lowering the risk of prostate cancer. Human trials are certainly warranted."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

ABC, CBS, NBC Announce Historic Collaboration to "Stand Up To Cancer"

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Stars from film, television, sports, journalism and music come together for September 5 prime time television event to raise funds for cancer research

May 28, 2008 - NEW YORK, NY/LOS ANGELES, CA: Stand Up To Cancer (www.standup2cancer.org), a new initiative to raise philanthropic dollars for accelerating ground-breaking research, launches today through an unprecedented collaboration uniting the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy. ABC, CBS and NBC will donate one hour of simultaneous commercial-free prime time for a nationally televised fundraising event to air on September 5, 2008 (8 pm EDT and PDT), aimed at rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer's reign as a leading cause of death.

Network evening news anchors Charles Gibson, Katie Couric and Brian Williams will announce the initiative together during live appearances today on ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "The Early Show," and NBC's "TODAY show."

"For people struggling with this disease, or those who will be diagnosed, scientific breakthroughs can be a matter of life or death - literally. We want everyone to know that they can make a difference in this fight," said Couric. "Television is a notoriously competitive business. For the three major broadcast networks to join forces is a wonderful example of the power of working together, and we're very grateful to have the opportunity to reach people all over the country through this show."

"As a motion picture and television producer, I've learned how incredibly powerful these mediums can be in generating public discourse, sometimes almost overnight. Our goal with this initiative and TV show is to ‘tip' the conversation in this country about cancer - to get people riled up, so they want to do something about the fact that it still takes so many lives," said Laura Ziskin, who will produce the September 5 broadcast. Ziskin is a cancer survivor. Her film credits include the Spider-Man trilogy, As Good As It Gets, and Pretty Woman, and she also produced the 74th and 79th Annual Academy Awards.

The Stand Up To Cancer special will feature live performances by legendary recording artists and stars from film and television who will perform as well as present filmed content giving viewers insight into cancer. Various screening tests will be demonstrated in novel and entertaining ways. "Katie, Charlie and Brian will report on potentially life-saving research, speaking with both patients and scientists. We hope to entertain you, educate you, move and inspire you," Ziskin said.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and was established by a group of media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders, whose lives have all been affected by cancer in significant ways. Stand Up To Cancer is bringing industry resources - people, as well as mediums such as television and the web - to bear in the fight against cancer as never before.

The SU2C leadership team includes Katie Couric; the Entertainment Industry Foundation, represented by Board of Directors Chairperson Sherry Lansing (who is Founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation) and CEO Lisa Paulsen; Laura Ziskin; the Noreen Fraser Foundation and its executives Noreen Fraser (who is also a cancer survivor), Woody Fraser, Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz; and nonprofit executive Ellen Ziffren.

"The statistics are staggering," Gibson said. "Cancer claims one person every minute of every day in the United States. Every year in this country, it takes the lives of more than half a million people...worldwide, cancer kills more than six million people annually. There has been progress on both the research and awareness fronts; as a result, there are over ten million cancer survivors in the US today. More work urgently needs to be done so that more people will survive," he said.

"Not only has cancer touched all of our media organizations in profound ways, but it has touched each of us personally. This extraordinary broadcast will serve a number of purposes - we'll share vital information with our viewers and hopefully raise funds that are so critical in the fight against this insidious disease," said Williams.

New developments in the laboratory are revealing the way cancer begins, progresses and spreads. Stand Up To Cancer is founded on the belief that now, more than ever, there is sufficient knowledge of the basic science of cancer, and that the technologies are finally available to translate this knowledge into real advances in treatment and prevention.

Today's cancer scientists are on the verge of life-saving discoveries. But what they desperately need are the funds required to mount an all-out assault. Stand Up To Cancer is dedicated to providing this much needed new source of cancer research funding.

Co-Chair of the Disney Media Networks and President of the Disney-ABC Television Group Anne Sweeney, CBS Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves, and NBC Universal President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Zucker commented on their companies' decisions to collaborate.

"Everyone in our country has been touched by cancer in some way, shape or form. The thought that we could, in one hour of television, make a true difference in the fight against this disease was both exciting and inspiring," Sweeney said.

"Television is a uniquely powerful medium and the networks joining forces offer an unparalleled opportunity to communicate loud and clear that we all have a stake in the fight against cancer," said Moonves. "Through the unity of broadcasters, entertainers and cancer groups alike, and the giving spirit of the audience at home, this television event has the potential to make a profound impact on our society's ability to understand and battle this terrible disease."

"We've gone to the moon and pioneered a technology that revolutionized the way the world communicates. Applying that same innovation and commitment, scientists are on the cusp of making enormous strides in their efforts to combat cancer, but they need additional funding to do that. Through Stand Up To Cancer, and the September 5 broadcast, people all over the country can help," said Zucker, who is a cancer survivor.

AN INNOVATIVE RESEARCH MODEL

Stand Up To Cancer's innovative approach to research is designed to eliminate barriers that have traditionally inhibited creativity and collaboration by enabling the best and brightest investigators from leading institutions across the country and internationally to work together. These collaborative "Dream Teams" will pursue the most promising research, accelerating the discovery of new therapies for cancer patients and advancing efforts in cancer prevention research. Stand Up To Cancer monies will also be used for some high-risk, high-impact cancer research proposals, which are often not supported by conventional funding sources.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will conduct expert scientific review of the research projects and administer funds raised through the initiative under the direction of a Scientific Advisory Committee. Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT chairs the Committee, which includes highly accomplished clinical investigators, senior laboratory researchers and physician-scientists. "This project has tremendous potential to change the face of cancer research," said Sharp. "Our goal is to rapidly move new research discoveries out of the lab and into the clinic to save lives from cancer."

"I am pleased that AACR is a partner in the Stand Up To Cancer initiative," said Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., AACR President and Provost and Executive Vice President at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. "The Stand Up To Cancer model is distinctive because it emphasizes collaboration among scientists and will accelerate translational research on the verge of breakthroughs as well as provide an additional revenue stream to encourage novel, high-risk proposals that have great potential in making inroads against cancer."

A Stand Up To Cancer Advocate Advisory Council is being formed, and will include leaders from approximately 25 organizations. Additionally, representatives from the advocacy community will work side-by-side with the scientists on the "Dream Teams," so the perspectives of the patients and survivors they represent will be integrated into the direction of the research.

INITIATIVE DETAILS

In addition to the nationally televised network fundraising event, other key elements of the initiative include:

Standup2cancer.org - With both interactive applications and rich content, the SU2C website will foster an online community for everyone affected by cancer, utilizing the same approach as the televised special: it will move, educate and even entertain users. Features include: The Constellation: For a dollar donation or more, users can launch a star in honor of anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis. The Stand: An interactive Facebook application to illustrate that the ‘cancer community' encompasses everyone and that we are all connected by this disease. SUTV: Features video segments rich in scientific and research information, as well as ones that confront the personal and human side of cancer's impact. SU2C Magazine: Offers seven sections of diverse content written by leading voices in every field.

Public Service Announcement (PSA) Campaign - A series of TV, radio and print PSAs featuring celebrities and members of the general public to mobilize support for the campaign will begin to air and appear in publications soon.

"I have lost beloved family members and friends to this dreaded disease," said Sherry Lansing. "Sometimes I feel as if cancer is an epidemic that will never end. But then I am reminded of diseases such as tuberculosis, smallpox and polio that used to cause fear... and then I know that just like those other diseases, cancer can and will be defeated, too."

Major League Baseball was the first donor to contribute to Stand Up To Cancer. "This initiative has presented an historic and unique plan to fight this deadly disease, and it is a privilege for me and Major League Baseball to join this magnificent effort," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "We have pledged many of our valuable resources in an attempt to assist in every way we can."

Many other leading organizations have joined in supporting its mission, including AARP, Alliance for Global Good, AOL, Condé Nast Media Group, Def Jam Recordings, Lee Jeans, The Paley Center for Media, Philips, Playphone, Revlon, Ronald Perelman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Stonyfield Farm, and Steve Tisch, as well as media partners Hearst Magazines, Los Angeles Times, The Meredith Publishing Group, The New York Times and Time Inc.

Cancer advocacy and support groups collaborating with Stand Up To Cancer include: The Lance Armstrong Foundation, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Breastcancer.org, C-Change, CancerCare, Colon Cancer Alliance, C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition, Friends of Cancer Research, Intercultural Cancer Council, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lung Cancer Alliance, The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, National Breast Cancer Coalition, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, The Prostate Cancer Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Wellness Community and others.

About AACR

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the oldest and largest scientific organization in the world focusing on every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research. Its reputation for scientific breadth and excellence attracts the premier researchers in the field. By accelerating the growth and spread of new knowledge about cancer, the AACR is on the front lines in the quest for the prevention and cure of cancer.

About the Entertainment Industry Foundation

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs addressing critical health, education and social issues.

About the Noreen Fraser Foundation

The Noreen Fraser Foundation utilizes film, television and web technologies to raise money as well as to educate and raise awareness about women's cancers. The funds raised will be used to provide large grants to uniquely qualified cancer researchers.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Ketchum Global Media Network
Nicholas Scibetta -- 646.935.4067 or 646.469.4091 mobile
nicholas.scibetta@ketchum.com

ABC
Jeffrey Schneider -- 212.456.3587
jeffrey.w.schneider@abc.com

Kevin Brockman -- 818.460.6655
kevin.m.brockman@disney.com

CBS
Sandy Genelius -- 212.975.7525
smg@cbsnews.com

Phil Gonzales -- 323.575.2028
phil.gonzales@tvc.cbs.com

NBC
Allison Gollust -- 212.664.3220
allison.gollust@nbcuni.com

Stand Up To Cancer
Kathleen Lobb -- 212.522.4278
klobb@eifoundation.org

AACR
Staci Goldberg - 267.646.0616
staci.goldberg@aacr.org

In Memoriam: Hamilton Jordan (1944-2008)

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Hamilton Jordan, chief of staff to President Jimmy Carter and an influential and inspirational advocate for cancer research, died May 20, 2008. He was 63.

Jordan was a key advisor and strategist for Jimmy Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign and during Carter's presidency, serving as White House chief of staff from 1979-1980. As such, he played a powerful role in the formulation of election strategies and government policies. Jordan was also well known for advocacy that gave hope and encouragement to people with cancer, whether they were newly diagnosed or celebrating milestones of survivorship. His cancer advocacy and unique point of view are summed up in his New York Times bestselling book, No Such Thing as a Bad Day.

A founding trustee of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer, Jordan was a highly regarded advocate for increased federal funding for cancer research and a staunch supporter of AACR's mission to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication and collaboration.

"The cancer research community has lost one of its greatest champions with the passing of Hamilton Jordan," said AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.). "His commitment to helping cancer patients and to working for increased funding for cancer research was extraordinary. His own courageous battles with four different cancers will continue to be an inspiration to those who knew him and will inspire advocates and others who are working hard to conquer cancer. Hamilton was certainly a beloved friend of the AACR. He will be greatly missed and we offer our deepest sympathies to the Jordan family."

In 1982, Jordan and his wife Dorothy founded Camp Sunshine, one of the first non-profit camps for children with cancer, and later founded Camp Kudzu, a non-profit camp for children with juvenile diabetes.

An honored public servant, Jordan received the AACR's Public Service Award in 2002 in recognition of his efforts and dedication to help increase awareness about cancer. In 2003 he spearheaded a major joint initiative between the AACR and the Lance Armstrong Foundation to educate the then Presidential candidates about the importance of funding for cancer research. That same year he received the Society of Surgical Oncology's James Ewing Public Service Award. Jordan was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from the Medical College of Georgia in 2004 for "Service to the citizens of our state and nation suffering from cancer and juvenile diabetes."

In addition to his service on the AACR Foundation board of trustees, Jordan also served on the board of directors of the Lance Armstrong Foundation; the board of directors of Translational Genomics (TGEN); and as the vice chairman of Van Andel Foundation Cancer Institute. He also served at the invitation of former President George Bush as a member of C-Change, an advisory coalition whose goal is to develop a national strategy for accelerating the cure of cancer.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Contact: Staci Vernick Goldberg
(267) 646-0616
staci.goldberg@aacr.org

New Data Show Benefit of Finasteride in Preventing Prostate Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Link between finasteride and high grade prostate cancer questioned

PHILADELPHIA - A comprehensive re-evaluation of the largest prostate cancer prevention study ever completed produced new findings suggesting that men and their doctors should consider a more aggressive approach that includes finasteride to prevent the development of prostate cancer.

A pathologic analysis of that same study sheds light on the significance of the cancers found in that study. Additionally, this study highlights the role of prostate specific antigen (PSA) scores in treatment decision-making. Researchers found that even those men who have a low PSA screening value can have cancer that is difficult to cure.

The two studies will be published online in advanced of the June 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The original study, the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), had randomized 18,822 men to receive either a placebo or an agent known as finasteride, currently approved to control prostate growth, for seven years. Results showed that while finasteride reduced prostate cancer risk by 25 percent, it appeared to increase development of more aggressive prostate cancer in some men. Because of this finding and concerns that tumors detected had low PSA values and might be of little risk to patients, since the study's original publication in 2003, few doctors have recommended finasteride for prostate cancer prevention.

From a new analysis of PCPT data using advanced statistical modeling techniques and a complete assessment of prostate tissue biopsies, they concluded that these concerns are now resolved: finasteride actually reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer more than researchers had originally thought, did not increase development of more aggressive cancers, and the majority of tumors prevented were those that could spread and cause death.

These new findings suggest that men should take an "individualized" approach to prostate cancer prevention, said Ian M. Thompson, M.D., Chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, who is senior author on both studies, and was also lead author for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) on the original PCPT results paper, which was published in July 2003.

"Because we now know that men with even low PSAs can develop prostate tumors, if a man is worried about his risk, regardless of PSA score, he can take an agent that is now proven to be effective in lowering that risk," Thompson said.

Researchers looked at whether finasteride actually increased aggressive cancers in some men, and by studying biopsies and prostate gland tissue that had been removed, concluding that it did not. "Finasteride actually shrank the prostate gland, so it appeared in initial studies that more cancer was being found in biopsies of men who took the drug," said Mary Redman, Ph.D., a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

"What that means is that the cancer took up more prostate tissue in men who were treated, and that is why it was easier to find in a biopsy. Cancer was probably missed more often in biopsies of men on a placebo drug because the prostate gland itself was larger," Redman said.

Redman found that in addition to a 25 to 30 percent reduction in prostate cancer development overall in men taking finasteride, there was no evidence that the drug increased the rate of aggressive tumors and likely decreased their rate by 27 percent. "We think men should not be concerned about finasteride increasing their risk of these aggressive tumors" she said.

The second study examined whether the cancers detected in the men in the trial who had a low PSA level had clinically significant disease. With about 75 percent of the tumors detected on the study were classified as those which could potentially take a man's life, researchers concluded that there is no clear-cut PSA threshold that can be considered normal.

All patients in PCPT were to have a biopsy of their prostate gland at some point during the seven-year trial, so investigators evaluated characteristics of the biopsy in relation to each man's PSA score. Current practice is to consider a PSA score of below four as normal and above four as abnormal.

What they found, according to lead author Scott Lucia, M.D., a pathologist at the University of Colorado, Denver, was that while a large majority of the participants diagnosed with prostate cancer had a PSA that was considered normal, 72 percent of all tumors diagnosed from biopsies in both treated and untreated men were considered significant. In short, the finding of significant disease couldn't be predicted by the PSA score, he said. Most patients in the study who had a PSA score of four or less and then had prostate cancer diagnosed by a routine biopsy were found to have significant prostate cancer, while some men who had a high PSA were found to have insignificant cancer.

That doesn't mean that the researchers support reducing the level by which PSA scoring should trigger therapeutic intervention, Lucia said. "Over 90 percent of men in the country diagnosed with prostate cancer opt for treatment, yet we also found that even at higher PSA levels, men are being treated for tumors that would not have threatened their health," he said. "This is the dilemma of PSA screening. While lower cut-off levels, those below four, increase risk of detection of insignificant disease, cure is more likely; conversely, more significant disease is detected with higher levels but at a greater risk of incurable disease."

It does mean that men need to speak with their physicians about their PSA, when they should be biopsied, and about potential use of finasteride, which can reduce their risk, so that they will make a decision that is right for them, researchers say. For example, Lucia says, a man whose family members have been diagnosed with the disease may decide to have a biopsy even though his PSA is below four. If cancer is found then may opt to undergo treatment; if cancer is not found, he may choose to use finasteride to prevent the cancer from developing. Another man may decide to put off a biopsy, regardless of PSA score, if he is worried about side effects of treatment.

"These are not easy decisions, especially when we know now that we cannot rely on what the PSA looks like it is telling us," Lucia said.

Emphasizing the importance of prevention, "if given the option of having my prostate cancer found early, getting it treated and then getting over the side effects of treatment or never getting cancer in the first place, I'd choose prevention any day," said Thompson.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Genes May Play Role in Risk Assessment for Prostate Cancer Among Hispanics and Caucasians

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Genetic differences may explain the greater risk for prostate cancer among Caucasian men compared with Hispanic men, which could help clinicians predict who is more likely to develop the disease, according to a paper published in the May 15, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Currently, the most common method for assessing risk for prostate cancer is the prostate specific antigen test, but this method can identify tumors that may not be a threat to the health of a man and misses other tumors.

"Men typically have this test after they turn 50 years old, and it can spot a tumor that may not cause a problem in a man's lifetime if left untreated. It could be more likely that a man will die from heart disease or some other ailment before his prostate cancer would kill him. At this point it is not possible to accurately tell which tumors will be the more aggressive ones with our current screening tests. This means that we may be screening and treating some men unnecessarily," said Kathleen Torkko, Ph.D., an instructor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Colorado Denver. "The goal of research like this is to better classify a disease so we can move toward better management and treatment."

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and one of the 10 leading causes of death among American men. Compared with white men, Hispanic men have higher rates of cancer overall, but the rate of prostate cancer among Hispanic men, falling just above Asian Americans, is one of the lowest.

"This may be due to the fact that we simply are not looking enough because Hispanic men may not have access to screening or could be reluctant to undergo some of the screening procedures that are becoming routine among Caucasian men," said Torkko.

Torkko and colleagues observed 932 white men and 414 Hispanic men from south Texas. They analyzed blood samples to establish the relationship between the presence of genetic polymorphisms and the risk for prostate cancer. Specifically, they observed polymorphisms from the nuclear Vitamin D receptor (CDX2 and FokI), which modulates the actions of Vitamin D, and from 5α-reductase type II (V89L & A49T), which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a more potent form of the male hormone.

Among non-Hispanic white men with V89L, FokI was associated with a more than 50 percent increased risk of prostate cancer. This effect was not seen in Hispanic men. Among Hispanic white men, CDX2 and V89L in combination were linked with a more than three-fold increase in prostate cancer. However, this interaction was not seen in Caucasian men.

Torkko said these results help add a piece to the genetic puzzle of risk and racial differences, but will need to be confirmed by other studies, in larger populations, before they are ready for use in the clinic.

"Prostate cancer is not likely caused by a few genes, but by multiple genes from different pathways. This study illustrates the importance of examining multiple genes to understand genetic risks for prostate cancer and differences seen by ethnicity," Torkko said. "Going forward, we need not only a better understanding of genetics but a better understanding of race and ethnicity. Studying disease by race is a complex issue, and the public needs to understand that we are trying to raise biological, rather than social, questions."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Tooth Loss Strongly Linked to Risk of Esophageal, Head and Neck, and Lung Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Studying thousands of patients, Japanese researchers have found a strong link between tooth loss and increased risk of three cancers - esophageal, head and neck, and lung. They suggest that preservation of teeth may decrease risk of developing these diseases.

In the May issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, scientists from Aichi Cancer Center in Nagoya and Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine speculate that bacterial infection and inflammation resulting from poor oral care that leads to tooth loss could also be driving development of these cancers. Periodontal disease is known to increase risk for stroke and heart disease.

"Tooth loss is a common consequence of chronic bacterial infection and may, therefore, serve as a surrogate for chronic infection and inflammation, which in turn may be important to the pathogenesis of cancer," said the study's lead author, Akio Hiraki, Ph.D., a researcher at the Aichi Cancer Center.

Researchers measured rates of 14 different cancers and rates of tooth loss in 5,240 cancer patients in Japan, and compared those rates among 10,480 matched cancer-free participants. The researchers specifically found that people with tooth loss were 136 percent more likely to develop esophageal cancer, had a 68 percent increased risk of developing head and neck cancer and a 54 percent greater chance of developing lung cancer. The researchers also found that the rate of cancer increased proportionally to the number of teeth a patient had lost.

These increased risks were seen after researchers took into account a patient's history of smoking and alcohol use.

Smaller studies have linked tooth loss to different cancers, but this is the largest study to date, and the first conducted within an Asian population, the researchers say. This is also the first study to show a link to lung cancer, they add.

The researchers noted that age and gender affected the associations between tooth loss and cancer risk. For head and neck and esophageal cancers, there were clear associations between tooth loss and cancer risk in women and patients younger than 70 years old, but a less clear link in men and older patients.

The researchers say that while widespread inflammation could explain the link between tooth loss and cancer risk, they also note that tooth loss in the cancer patients may simply reflect unhealthy behaviors that contribute to cancer risk. Furthermore, people who have lost teeth may not be able to eat a healthy diet, and diet is also a factor in cancer development.

Whatever the mechanism, the researchers stress that oral care is critical to good health.

"The oral cavity is a gateway between the external environment and the gastrointestinal tract and acts in both food ingestion and digestion," the researchers wrote. "Oral hygiene potentially affects gastrointestinal flora and nutritional status and may thus have implications for the development of chronic disease."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

May Is National Cancer Research Month

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

American Association for Cancer Research Secures Official Congressional Designation

Learn more about National Cancer Research Month.

PHILADELPHIA- In a bipartisan show of support for cancer research, the U.S. Congress has declared May as National Cancer Research Month. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) secured resolutions from the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to raise awareness of the critical advances in cancer research made by its 27,000 members and cancer researchers worldwide, and its efforts to ensure a secure future for continued progress against a group of diseases which strike half of all men and one in three women.

"There are ten million cancer survivors alive in America today due to advances in cancer research. Through this congressional designation we will bring heightened awareness to progress in cancer research and emphasize the importance of continued discovery in medical science," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR chief executive officer. "AACR is grateful to our friends in Congress who are committed to working with the cancer community in our joint mission to conquer cancer."

The National Cancer Research Month Senate Resolution 394 was sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). The House Resolution 448 was sponsored by Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) with support from Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY), Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). Both resolutions were passed by unanimous consent. The full text of S. Res. 394 and H. Res. 448 may be found by searching http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://thomas.loc.gov/.

"Preventing and ultimately finding a cure for cancer is a major public health challenge," said Rep. Baldwin, as noted in the Congressional Record for Oct. 15, 2007. "Providing a National Cancer Research Month will remind us that basic, clinical, epidemiological, and behavioral research are integral to identifying causes and developing strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cures for cancer."

"While acknowledging and putting aside this month is important, what is even more important is continuing to support the research of those caring, compassionate health care professionals who will one day find the cure for all cancer," said Rep. Fossella. "That should be our wish and national goal and priority."

Recent advances in science and technology, such as the mapping of the human genome, have dramatically increased our understanding of the genes and biological pathways involved in changing normal cells into cancer cells. With this new knowledge, scientists are able to identify people at risk for cancer long before the disease has a chance to form, and to develop targeted therapies and better prevention strategies. Advanced imaging and other new technologies give doctors and researchers a growing toolbox with which to fight cancer and help patients.

While cancer research is yielding real and significant improvements in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of many forms of the disease, federal funding for cancer research is declining. The AACR urges the U.S. Congress to make cancer research a national priority and to keep federal research funding intact and robust to ensure continued progress against cancer in the future.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

AACR CEO Receives Distinguished Public Service Award

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

George Washington Medical Center's Cancer Institute honors Margaret Foti for leadership in the fight against cancer

PHILADELPHIA - American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.) is the 2008 recipient of the George Washington University Cancer Institute's Distinguished Public Service Award, presented to an individual who has provided outstanding public leadership in cancer healthcare and public policy. Foti was honored during the Fifth Annual GW Cancer Institute Gala on May 3, 2008 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

"I am deeply honored to receive this award from the George Washington University Cancer Institute," Foti said. "The cancer institute's mission, which encompasses research, collaboration, education and community outreach is vitally important to progress against this terrible disease."

"Dr. Foti's contributions to cancer research are extraordinary. Through a distinguished career filled with contributions to scientific publishing, educational programs, innovative research grants and advocacy activities, her leadership has fostered significant progress in cancer research," said Steven Patierno, Ph.D., executive director of the GW Cancer Institute.

Foti has dedicated her career to cancer research and the AACR. Progressing through several key editorial and management roles at the AACR, she was appointed to her current position of CEO in 1982 by the AACR's board of directors. In addition, she serves as secretary-treasurer and CEO of the AACR Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer and managing editor of Cancer Research. During Foti's tenure, AACR membership has grown to nearly 27,000 cancer scientists residing in more than 70 countries.

In addition to serving as managing editor of Cancer Research, the most highly cited cancer journal in the world, Foti has launched five additional high-quality AACR journals: Clinical Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research and Cancer Prevention Research, AACR's most recent publication dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists.

Among her many outside professional activities, Foti has served as a board member, and later as president of the National Coalition for Cancer Research; member of the Melanoma International Foundation board of directors; member of the executive committee of Friends of Cancer Research; and board member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; and board member and president of the Council of Science Editors and the Society for Scholarly Publishing. She has previously served as a board member of the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen); medical advisory board member of the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation; and member of the Council of the European Association for Cancer Research. She has served in various capacities for the International Federation of Science Editors, the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the European Life Science Editors Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association, among other organizations. Foti has also been a consultant to several nonprofit organizations and lectures widely at academic institutions in the United States and abroad.

Foti has received many national and international awards for her contributions to cancer research including: the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of American Cancer Institutes for her contributions to the progress of cancer research and commitment to the next generation of cancer scientists; the Ville de Paris Award; the Cina del Duca Award for raising public awareness of cancer globally; the Community Caring Award from the William S. Graham Foundation for Melanoma Research; and the Special Recognition Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for her work in advancing clinical cancer research. For her work, she has also been awarded honorary memberships in the Japanese Cancer Association and the European Association for Cancer Research, and an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Rome La Sapienza. She will receive another Honorary Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Catania in Sicily in July 2008.

For more information about the GW Cancer Institute 2008 Gala, please visit www.gwcancerinstitute.org.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

Early Treatment of Stomach Infection May Prevent Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Based on research using a new mouse model of gastritis and stomach cancer, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say that prompt treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections reverses damage to the lining of the stomach that can lead to cancer.

In the May 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, researchers say their study results should lay to rest any question about whether - and when - antibiotic treatment of H. pylori can eliminate or reduce risk of developing gastric, or stomach cancer.

"We concluded that H. pylori eradication prevented gastric cancer to the greatest extent when antibiotics were given at an early point of infection, but that eradication therapy given at a later time point also delayed the development of severe lesions that can lead to cancer," said the study's lead author, James G. Fox, D.V.M., professor and director of the Division of Comparative Medicine at MIT.

The findings are important, Fox says, because stomach cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and approximately half of the world's population is infected with H. pylori. Although H. pylori infection is now recognized as the major cause of both peptic ulcers and gastric cancer, and has been classified as a group I carcinogen by the World Health Organization, physicians are not sure whom to screen and treat with costly antibiotics, aside from first degree relatives of gastric cancer patients and those with peptic ulcer disease, he adds.

Since it typically takes several decades for gastric cancer to develop in those who are susceptible - which is estimated to be up to three percent of infected people - researchers also do not know when to treat the infection for maximum benefit. Human studies that tested treatment in patients who had already developed tumors had mixed results, but one previous study showed that giving antibiotics before premalignant lesions develop was successful in preventing cancer, Fox says.

The current study examined the effects of treating and eliminating H. pylori at different stages of progression from gastritis, an inflammation of the mucous membrane layer of the stomach, to development of gastric cancer. To do this, Fox and colleagues from MIT and Columbia University developed transgenic "INS-GAS" mice that over-expressed gastrin, a hormone that controls secretion of gastric acid by the stomach's parietal cells.

"If you lose these cells over time, they stop secreting gastric acid, and this is, in and of itself, a risk factor for development of cancer, but gastric acid also helps protect against commensal bacterial colonization of the stomach," Fox said.

With increasing age, parietal cells in INS-GAS mice stopped producing gastric acid and underwent precancerous changes. By 20 months of age, the mice spontaneously developed invasive gastric cancer. Infection by H. pylori and progression to gastric cancer was accelerated in these mice, researchers discovered.

Researchers then treated the mice with antibiotics and looked for cellular changes. They found that, at every stage of advancing infection, mice that were treated with antibiotics had less severe disease. Treating mice that were eight weeks post-infection reduced risk of developing cancer to the same level seen in uninfected mice. But using antibiotics at 12 and 22 weeks post-infection did not reverse the damaging changes, such as inflammation and development of precancerous lesions, to the levels seen in uninfected mice.

"Our mouse model mimics the progressive process we know occurs in development of human gastric cancer," Fox said. "This shows early intervention provides the maximum benefit."

Of added benefit, Fox says, is the associated finding that antibiotic treatment also reduces the level of other bacterial species that have invaded the stomach. "Gastric acid is a barrier to bacteria, and if there is no barrier, bacteria can move into the stomach from the lower bowel and colonize it, producing inflammation and progression to cancer," he said. "Findings in humans and mice now suggest that antibiotic treatment potentially changes gastric microbiota and may impact gastric carcinogenesis."'

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Biomarker Predicts Malignancy Potential of HG-PIN Lesions in the Prostate

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Men whose prostate cancer screenings show high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-PIN) may find themselves in limbo, "stuck" between diagnoses - they are told prostate cancer has not yet developed, but it might, and they are advised to undergo repeated needle biopsies as a precaution.

Investigators from Spain have found a means of distinguishing between HG-PIN lesions destined to become cancerous and those which will remain benign. Their findings, reported in the May 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, could spare patients the discomfort and inconvenience of unnecessary needle biopsies.

The Spanish team found that expression of the PTOV1 gene in HG-PIN lesions is linked to prostate cancer development, and that the higher the expression, the more likely it is that subsequent biopsies will find cancer. The reverse is also true-lack of PTOV1 reduces the risk of prostate cancer.

"This is the first HG-PIN biomarker to be associated with prostate cancer development," said the study's lead author, Rosanna Paciucci, Ph.D., a researcher at the Vall d´Hebrón Hospital Research Institute in Barcelona. She says that when the results of this study are validated, the PTOV1 gene marker could be used to determine which men with HG-PIN are at substantial risk of developing prostate cancer.

"Those patients with a high PTOV1 score should undergo an immediate repeat biopsy," Paciucci said. On the flip side, men who test low for PTOVI may not need to receive future "annoying and useless" biopsies, she said. "We estimate that we can save 40 percent of unnecessary biopsies - those that are repetitively negative and contain HG-PIN lesions that do not develop into cancer."

While the researchers do not know the precise biochemical function of PTOV1, they say they have found this protein promotes the proliferation of cancer cells when it is over-expressed, as it occurs in prostate cancer cells.

HG-PIN is defined as a pre-malignant lesion present in most cancerous prostates. Although a pre-malignant lesion shows many of the typical cellular changes observed in cancer, the lesion has not yet progressed fully to disease. Since HG-PIN lesions are also associated with the presence of cancer in many patients, men whose biopsies show HG-PIN are often re-biopsied until cancer is detected, Paciucci says.

In most recent studies, the average risk of cancer following a diagnosis of isolated HG-PIN in biopsy ranged from 20 percent to 30 percent, the researchers say. And while other researchers have found markers in HG-PIN lesions, none have been able to discriminate between lesions that will progress to cancer, the researchers say.

In this study, the research team analyzed HG-PIN lesions from 140 patients: the positive control group comprised 79 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer who had their prostate glands surgically removed and who had been earlier diagnosed with HG-PIN; the negative control group included 11 patients with bladder cancer who had both their diseased bladder and healthy prostate removed; and the study group comprised 50 patients diagnosed with HG-PIN but not prostate cancer. The study group had an average of 2.5 biopsies each between 2000 and 2004.

Finding that PTOV1 gene expression was elevated in HG-PIN associated with cancer, the investigators used tissue microarray and immunohistochemical analyses to see whether PTOV1 protein levels could discriminate these pre-malignant lesions from HG-PIN that did not develop into prostate cancer.

They considered both the number of cells that express the protein and the intensity of the expression, and derived a quantitative score (Hscore) that ranged from 0 to 300. From this, they calculated that an Hscore of 100 represented a highly sensitive malignancy threshold. "This means that when PTOV1 Hscore is equal or above 100 the possibility to find cancer in the subsequent biopsy is 90 percent," Paciucci said. "Currently, the diagnosis of cancer is made only when the cancer lesion is seen in the biopsy."

By adding the analysis of PTOV1, the positive predictive value (the chance that the HG-PIN lesion will become cancerous) of all samples, including those with a score of less than 100, is 34 percent, and the negative predictive value (the chance that the HG-PIN lesion will not become cancerous) is more than 95 percent, Paciucci says.

Paciucci cautions that the study results need to be confirmed among a larger study group. "From this validation we can expect to improve the current rate of early detection of cancer," she said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancerthrough high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org

New Technologies Offer More Accurate Means of Diagnosis and Monitoring Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Irregular molecules in the lining of the mouth, the saliva, the fallopian tube or the bladder can identify early stage cancer, according to research presented today at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12 - 16. Scientists who hope to apply basic knowledge to medical practice are developing tests that diagnose, predict or monitor cancer risks without invasive tissue sampling.

Oral Epithelium as a Surrogate Tissue for Assessing Smoking-Induced Molecular Alterations in the Lungs: Abstract 1599

Doctors may be able to determine the extent of a smoker's lung damage by looking in his or her mouth, according to new research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Because smoking exposes both the lungs and oral cavity to tobacco carcinogens, the scientists hypothesized that cells lining the mouth undergo molecular alterations similar to those in other parts of the airway and therefore could be used as surrogate tissue to assess molecular damage to the lungs, says senior study author Li Mao, M.D., a professor of thoracic/head and neck medical oncology and of systems biology at M. D. Anderson.

Mao and colleagues, analyzing lung and mouth tissue samples from 125 chronic smokers enrolled in a cancer prevention trial, found similar molecular changes in both types of tissue.

"Our study provides the first systematic evidence that readily accessible tissue from the mouth can be used to monitor molecular events in inaccessible tissue like the lungs, offering a convenient biomonitoring method to provide insight into the molecular events that take place in lungs of chronic smokers," Mao said. "An oral brush is easy to obtain and noninvasive; it allows us to test for lung damage without having to do a bronchoscopy."

Using a laboratory technique called methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, which enables the production of millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence in a short period of time, the researchers analyzed promoter methylation (a DNA modification that shuts down gene expression) of the tumor suppressor genes p16 and FHIT in 1,774 samples of oral and bronchial tissue taken from the study participants. They found that methylation patterns observed in the oral tissues correlated with those observed for bronchial tissues.

At the study's start, researchers observed promoter methylation in 23 percent of bronchial tissues and 19 percent of oral tissues for p16; 17 percent of bronchial tissues and 15 percent of oral tissues for FHIT; and 35 percent of bronchial tissues and 31 percent of oral tissues for any combination of the two genes. Among the 39 participants with oral tissue methylation in both genes, the average bronchial methylation index was 0.52 (meaning 52 percent of tissues sampled had molecular changes), compared to 0.27 for the 86 cases without oral tissue methylation.

Similar correlations were observed in tissue samples obtained three months later. Mao says it is possible that oral tissue may contain other molecular signatures that predict the presence of primary lung cancer but also other aerodigestive malignancies attributable to cigarette smoking, and could serve as a tool to monitor therapeutic outcomes in cancer patients.

Noninvasive genetic detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Abstract 1795

Analyzing the DNA in one's saliva may detect early signs of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Currently, most cases of HNSCC are diagnosed in advanced stages when prognosis is poor, says lead researcher Seema Sethi, M.D., of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "However, the development of the disease in high-risk populations, such as smokers, takes many years. This 'window' period offers a unique opportunity to screen for HNSCC. This exploratory study indicates potential gene-based HNSCC detection," she said.

Sethi and her colleagues took saliva samples from 27 patients with HNSCC and 10 healthy control participants, and extracted DNA from the samples. Using a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay, the researchers examined 82 genes with known associations to HNSCC. The data were analyzed to determine whether genetic
alterations distinguished subjects with HNSCC from healthy controls. Eleven genes showed a high individual predictive ability for HNSCC.

The researchers then examined PMAIP1, a tumor suppression gene on chromosome 18, and PTPN1, an oncogene on chromosome 20. An increase in PMAIP1 alone or with an increase in PTPN1 identified all subjects with HNSCC with 100 percent sensitivity, the true positive rate, and 100 percent specificity, the true negative rate. Further validation results showed a sensitivity of 96 percent and a specificity of 90 percent.

The other nine genes that showed some predictive ability were: ERBB2, ABCC4, UTY, DNMT1, CDKN2B, CDKN2D, NFKB1, TP53 and DCC.

More than 40,000 Americans are affected by HNSCC and approximately 12,000 die of it annually, according to the researchers. "Early detection of HNSCC will reduce the mortality, devastating morbidities and associated health care costs," Sethi said.

The results of the study are preliminary, Sethi stresses, but she expects that the analysis could detect HNSCC at its earliest stage. As for why these genes in particular were associated with HNSCC detection, Sethi said, "The genes are located at chromosomal segments that have been reported as commonly altered in HNSCC and therefore may be relevant to HSNCC."

The fallopian tube epithelium as the field of origin for ovarian serous carcinoma: Abstract 4917

Researchers report the fallopian tube fimbria rather than ovarian surface cells may be the site of origin for over 50 percent of sporadic and hereditary serous carcinoma, the most aggressive form of ovarian cancer. The new knowledge may enable earlier detection, better treatment and potential prevention of the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in Western countries.

"With the correct cell-of-origin in hand, we can now look for differences between the benign cells and the tumor that arises from them and develop early detection biomarkers. We can identify aberrations in signaling pathway and genetic alterations in serous cancers compared with the fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSECs), and propose new targeted therapies to tackle these pathways," said lead researcher Keren Levanon, M.D., Ph.D. Levanon is a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Ronny I. Drapkin, M.D., Ph.D., at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The inner lining of the fallopian tube is composed of ciliated and secretory cells. Ciliated cells, which are characterized by distinctive hair-like structures, transport unfertilized egg and sperm cells toward each other and transport a fertilized egg toward the uterus. "We never find this type of cell in high-grade tumors of the ovary," Levanon said.

Secretory cells, as their name suggests, secrete molecules essential to the maintenance of the egg and sperm and facilitate fertilization.

"This type of cell is uniquely represented in the precursor lesions leading to early and eventually invasive serous cancer," Levanon said. Only a handful of biomarkers that distinguish secretory from ciliated cells have been reported: Bcl-2, HMFG2 and Pax-8.

Using a new model system to study these cells, Levanon finds that FTSECs appear to respond faster to DNA damage, adding that DNA repair mechanisms are more effective in FTSECs than in neighboring ciliated cells. The research team is investigating the potential implications of these differences in response rates and whether ovulation elicits a similar response.

"The identification of the FTSEC as a cell-of-origin has a number of translational implications," Levanon said. "We are now at a unique position to start understanding the normal biology of the fallopian tube and how it is affected by hormonal and inflammatory insults throughout life. The understanding of risk factors at a molecular level may, in the future, evolve into recommendations for primary prevention."

Levanon said the team's findings would likely change how pathologists examine fallopian tubes after surgical removal, with a new emphasis on the fimbria to measure the incidence of precursors and early cancers among women who carry BRCA mutations. Future studies may explore connections between specific genetic or environmental modifiers and the incidence of precursor lesions in the fimbria.

Serological autoantibody profiling in bladder cancer using protein arrays: Abstract 5158

A novel application of high-throughput protein arrays for serum autoantibody profiling offers a new, comprehensive non-invasive diagnostic tool for bladder cancer, and suggests a potential therapeutic target for the disease, according to researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Center.

Using protein arrays with more than 12,000 proteins, Marta Sánchez-Carbayo, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Center in Madrid, Spain, examined serum samples from 18 patients with bladder cancer and six control participants. The control group included patients with other neoplasias, benign urological diseases and healthy individuals.

The researchers identified a panel of 171 autoantibodies in patients with bladder cancer
that were differentially expressed from the control group. These bladder cancer tumor-specific antigens (TAAs) included proteins linked to cell proliferation, signal transduction, apoptosis (programmed cell death), DNA-binding and transcription factors.

"The study has identified many bladder cancer TAAs in the serum, representing a mirror of the bladder tumors," Sánchez-Carbayo said. "Thus, autoantibody profiling represents a high-throughput approach for biomarker discovery and characterizing bladder cancer progression."

Immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the increased protein expression of identified TAAs in bladder tumors, according to Sánchez-Carbayo. In addition, they highlighted the significance of protein expression patterns for bladder cancer diagnostics, tumor staging and prognosis.

Researchers determined that clusterin protein expression patterns were strongly linked to tumor size, T1 substaging or progression into muscle invasive disease.

"The novel application of high-throughput protein arrays for serum autoantibody profiling is also providing critical information to identify potential immunological therapeutic targets," Sánchez-Carbayo said.

Although these results are promising, a lot of work remains, Sánchez-Carbayo says. In the next step, the researchers will try to determine if autoantibody profiling can subclassify non-invasive and muscle invasive bladder tumors and predict clinical response to current immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Research will also continue on developing novel therapies that target the immune system or the tumor, she says.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Measuring Medicine: How New Technologies Could Help Doctors Predict Patient Outcomes

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - As potential cancer therapies proliferate, researchers and clinicians are striving to measure their effectiveness and to more accurately predict which patients will receive the most benefit. At the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting, April 12-16, 2008, researchers present data on a new role for MRI in brain cancer, how doctors can more effectively measure response to commonly used cancer drugs, and a unique method for predicting the risk of breast cancer spread.

A phase II study of the efficacy and tolerability of lapatinib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinomas: Abstract LB306

Results of a phase II trial suggest that lapatinib, currently approved for breast cancer treatment, shows promise for stabilizing disease in patients with liver cancer.

"Lapatinib is well-tolerated and may have some activity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)," said Joseph Markowitz, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher at The Ohio State University, who works with Tanios Bekaii-Saab, MD, the principal investigator on the study. "More work is needed to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of this cancer."

HCC rates are rising in the United States, which correlates with the increase in hepatitis C-related liver disease, a known risk factor for HCC, Markowitz says. "There is also a link to an increased incidence of what we call ‘fatty liver' as a result of the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes mellitus in the U.S. population."

Lapatinib blocks the activity of the tyrosine kinase of both epidermal growth factor (EGFR) and HER2/neu, Markowitz says. "A dual inhibitor such as lapatinib should be effective in patients who express one or both receptors. Given the lack of curative or even modestly effective treatment options for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinomas, new therapies are desperately needed," he said.

Markowitz, Bekaii-Saab and colleagues assessed the efficacy of lapatinib as an HCC treatment in a phase II trial with 26 participants.

Patients took a 1,500 mg oral lapatinib dose daily throughout a 28-day cycle. The median number of cycles during the trial was two with some patients receiving as few as one cycle and some receiving as many as 12 cycles. The researchers performed radiological assessments every eight weeks.

In this study, where 20 percent of all patients had previous treatment before receiving lapatinib, there were no objective responses. However, 31 percent of all patients receiving lapatinib had stable disease; 8 percent had stable disease lasting longer than six months.

The most common toxicities were diarrhea (69 percent) and nausea (54 percent).Three patients had more severe toxicities including diarrhea, rash and acute renal failure. Researchers found no evidence of cardiac dysfunction. Side effects were considered tolerable.

A single-institution prospective study evaluating the functional diffusion map (fDM) as an early imaging biomarker for overall survival in high-grade glioma: Abstract LB248

Researchers have found that functional diffusion mapping (fDM), which assesses early changes in tumors by diffusion MRI, can provide an earlier assessment of response for patients with glioma, a notoriously hard-to-treat cancer of the central nervous system.

"Diffusion MRI does not necessarily make a better picture of the tumor, but it may be able to assess the response of the tumor to therapy much faster than traditional MRI images," said Brian D. Ross, Ph.D., co-director for the Center for Molecular Imaging at the University of Michigan. "In addition, by combining diffusion MRI and conventional MRI, one can get a better measurement of results than could be achieved with either test alone."

Diffusion MRI is a type of magnetic resonance imaging scan that can be performed on any MRI system and which allows for the measurement of the movement of water within body tissue. It is commonly used to evaluate brain injury in stroke patients, and is gaining clinical popularity as a method for distinguishing different types of tissues or tumors.

In this study, researchers assessed brain tumor response by diffusion MRI in 60 patients with high grade glioma who were undergoing radiation therapy. The patients were assessed at one, three and 10 weeks after the start of radiation treatment. Researchers found measurable changes in diffusion MRI as assessed by fDM as early as the first week of treatment. Assessment at week three of therapy was a strong predictor of survival at one year. The strongest predictor was a combination of diffusion MRI and conventional MRI at week 10.

Ross says diffusion MRI is a better predictor of outcome at early stages of disease because it measures changes in cellular density. Researchers believe that a tumor responding to treatment will show decreased cell density, and, as a result, surrounding water will move more freely. Diffusion MRI enables physicians to see this water movement almost immediately instead of waiting the eight to 10 weeks traditionally needed to see if a particular treatment, such as radiation therapy, has shrunk a tumor, or if the tumor has grown.

This is a more accurate measure of tumor response than simply measuring the size of the tumor. "Tumors may appear to get larger or have more contrast enhancement as a response to therapy even if the tumor is not actually growing," said Ross. "Diffusion MRI may help differentiate which patients are doing well even if the tumor grows."

Presence of amphiregulin autocrine-loop predicts sensitivity of EGFR wild type cancers to gefitinib and cetuximab: Abstract 4958

Researchers have discovered a biomarker in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. This so-called amphiregulin autocrine loop appears to predict response to the targeted therapies gefitinib and cetuximab.

"Amphiregulin expression could, in fact, be a suitable biomarker to select patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC who would be likely to benefit from gefitinib or erlotinib," said lead researcher Kimio Yonesaka, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

EGFR is a therapeutic target in both NSCLC and HNSCC. Patients with NSCLC who present with EGFR mutations are more likely to respond to gefitinib, according to the researchers. However, about 30 percent of patients treated with gefitinib or erlotinib maintain stable disease, defined as no tumor regression and no tumor growth, even without EGFR mutations.

"Most NSCLC patients that develop stable disease with gefitinib or erlotinib therapy do not harbor EGFR mutations," added co-researcher Pasi A. Jänne, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant professor of medicine at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "We have been interested in identifying biomarkers associated with stable disease as this is an important clinical benefit for non-small cell lung cancer patients."

The presence of amphiregulin varied significantly among the cell lines, ranging from 4.6 to 1,625.8 pg/mL, according to Yonesaka and colleagues. All four EGFR mutant cell lines from the NSCLC samples had negligible levels of amphiregulin. Of note, the researchers detected greater than 250 mg/mL of amphiregulin in seven of the 14 cell lines with wild-type EGFR. These NSCLC and HNSCC cell lines were sensitive to gefitinib and cetuximab. In contrast, cell lines producing less than 250 pg/mL of amphiregulin were resistant to both gefitinib and cetuximab.

Immunohistochemistry of tissue samples revealed that eight of the 10 samples of patients with stable disease following treatment with gefitinib had high amphiregulin expression the researchers report. Only one of 14 samples with high amphiregulin expression was from a patient with progressive disease (P < .001), suggesting that high amphiregulin expression was associated with the development of stable disease with gefitinib or erlotinib treatment, the researchers said.

The detection and prediction of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer patients: Abstract 3696A

Note: This researcher is not scheduled to participate in a press briefing at the meeting. Interviews can be arranged by contacting Staci Goldberg at 267-646-0616.

Researchers report a new, noninvasive method for measuring circulating tumor cells in patients with breast cancer, information which can be used to predict the likelihood that cancer will spread. The technique detects circulating tumor cells with 100 percent specificity and 88 percent sensitivity, researchers report.

"Metastasis, or the spread of cancer beyond the original site, is the main cause of death in breast cancer," said Tim Molloy, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. "If we can improve ways of measuring risk of metastasis, we can more effectively target therapy and manage these patients."

Specificity is a statistical calculation that measures the likelihood that a negative result will be associated with the absence of disease. Sensitivity measures the likelihood that a positive result will be associated with disease.

Molloy and colleagues used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based detection platform that combined genetic information from four accepted tumor markers into a single score. The higher the score, the greater likelihood of circulating tumor cells.

When researchers applied this test to 131 individuals, an elevated score was observed in 88 percent of patients with metastatic breast cancer, 18 percent of patients with non-metastatic breast cancer and none of the healthy control participants.

After identifying patients whose tumors gave rise to high numbers of circulating tumor cells, a technique called microarray analysis was used to build a genetic profile of their tumors. Microarrays allow researchers to look at thousands of genes simultaneously in a particular cell or tissue to determine which are activated at the time of sampling. From these data Molloy and colleagues were able to build a specific ‘genetic fingerprint' of breast tumors which may give rise to large numbers of circulating tumor cells.

With this knowledge it was possible to use microarray analysis to predict whether a tumor was likely to disseminate large numbers of tumor cells and therefore metastasize in the future. Testing this on a small independent patient group, researchers found those with a tumor having a genetic profile corresponding to lower levels of circulating tumor cells had a longer time to metastasis at 51.4 months, compared with 29.6 months among those who had a tumor with a genetic profile consistent with higher levels of circulating tumor cells.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Aging: How Growing Older Affects Cancer Risk and Outcomes

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - As our population ages and senior citizens become a larger demographic, cancer researchers are focusing on the links between aging and cancer. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12 - 16, highlight the biological aspects of aging that are key to greater risk and poorer prognosis, and surgical outcomes.

Surgical resection and survival in octogenarians and younger age cohorts of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer: Abstract 5537

Although fewer of them undergo surgery, lung cancer patients in their 80s fare equally well following surgery as their younger counterparts, researchers report. The findings offer doctors potentially valuable guidance in treatment options for elderly patients, according to researchers.

A research team from the Hoag Cancer Center in Newport Beach, California, observed 1,293 patients with lung cancer, 482 of whom underwent surgical treatment. The oldest patients were more likely to be male. Older patients were also more likely to have localized disease.

Overall, the rate of surgery did not differ by age group. However, when primary lung cancer was considered separately, only 31.7 percent of patients older than 80 underwent surgery for their primary lung cancer compared with 38.5 percent of patients younger than 80. For patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the rate of surgery was 64 percent for those older than 80 and 83 percent for those younger than 80. For patients with regionally advanced disease, the rate of surgery for patients age 80 or older was 35 percent compared with 49 percent for those younger than 80 years old.

The five-year survival rate following surgery was 62 percent for those patients older than 80 compared with 53 percent for those aged 70 to 79 years. Among patients age 60 to 69 years and 50 to 59 years, the survival rate was 63 percent. For the youngest patients, those younger than 50, the survival rate was 79 percent.

"Although a smaller proportion of patients over the age of 80 underwent this type of surgery, their survival rate was comparable to the younger age groups," said lead author Robert O. Dillman, M.D., medical director of the Hoag Cancer Center in Newport Beach,
California.

Elevated interleukin-12 is a plasma marker of poor prognosis in stage III melanoma patients: Abstract 5568

New research has established that elevated blood levels of interleukin-12, which rise as we age, independently predicts poor prognosis in patients with melanoma.

Interleukin-12 is a biological therapeutic agent that has been shown to act on the immune system and increase the body's ability to fight disease. It has also previously been shown to interfere with blood flow to the tumors.

However, the current study suggests that elevated interleukin-12 may play a role in poor prognosis for melanoma.

"This marker tends to increase with age, which could explain the link between age and poorer prognosis of this type of skin cancer," said lead author Yun S. Chun, M.D., a surgical oncology fellow at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Researchers measured blood levels of interleukin-12 in 658 patients. Of these patients, 445 had early stage disease, 150 had mid-stage disease and 63 had late stage disease.

As they predicted, Chun and colleagues found that blood levels of interleukin-12 rose with age. Among patients younger than 40, the average level of interleukin-12 was 75 pg/ml, those aged 40 to 59 had a average level of 84 pg/ml, those from 60 to 79 years had a level of 96 pg/ml and patients older than 80 had an average level of 112 pg/ml.

When researchers estimated risk factors for mortality among patients with melanoma, older age by itself did not predict risk. However, late stage disease and an elevated level of interleukin-12 did predict mortality. Specifically, for patients with late stage disease and an interleukin-12 level above 150 pg/ml, the risk of mortality was four times higher than that for patients with levels of interleukin-12 that were below 150 pg/ml.

"Among patients with melanoma, it is possible that elevated interleukin-12 may be a marker of a tumor promoting, rather than a tumor inhibiting, response," Chun said.

Aging and DNA methylation in Alu and LINE-1 repeated elements: Abstract 557

An age-related decrease in DNA methylation, the process whereby genes are shut off and chromosomes packed up in complex strictures, could potentially lead to cancer development, according to researchers.

When a person does not have a proper rate of DNA methylation, chromosomes and DNA sequences become unstable, and therefore are more likely to contribute to cancer.

Approximately 55 percent of the human genome consists of repetitive elements, including approximately 500,000 long interspersed nucleotide elements (LINE) and 1.5 million repetitive elements of the Alu DNA sequences. Typically, these sequences undergo heavy methylation.

Previous human studies have linked a lack of methylation among LINE and Alu repetitive elements with disease. However, whether the unsteadiness of these elements is unrestrained with age had not yet been established.

For the current study, researchers from the Center of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology at the University of Milan in Italy, in collaboration with investigators at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MAmeasured DNA levels in 693 patients. Patients gave up to three blood samples, taken approximately three years apart from each other.

Overall, the older a patient grew, the less likely these elements were to methylate. Specifically, researchers found a 0.016 percent decrease for LINE-1 elements and a 0.015 percent decrease for Alu repetitive elements for each year of increased age.

"Such age-related decrease in methylation may increase the risk of mutational events potentially leading to cancer," said lead author Laura Cantone, a researcher at the University of Milan.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Stem Cells: The Role of Cancer-Initiating Cells in Diagnosis and Treatment

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Recent discoveries about the role of stem cells in cancer have altered the landscape of cancer research. As scientists learn more of their cancer-initiating properties, stem cells are emerging as potential therapeutic targets for many types of cancers. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, report stem cell discoveries related to pancreatic, bladder, ovarian, and breast cancer, and glioma.

Rasheed ZA, et al. The functional stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase enhances pancreatic cancer stem cell isolation and correlates with clinical prognosis: Abstract 5000

Researchers have identified aldehyde dehydrogenase as a new marker for the presence of pancreatic cancer stem cells, a finding with potential for the development of targeted therapy.

Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive and largely resistant to current therapies. Researchers believe that pancreatic cancer stem cells may be responsible for resistance to chemotherapy.

"Cancer stem cells have emerged as a potential therapeutic target, but the development of effective therapies requires the identification and isolation of highly purified cell populations," said Zeshaan Rasheed, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

Analyzing human pancreatic tumor samples, Rasheed and colleagues found that each contained a small population of cells that expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase, and that these cells showed a greater capacity for growth compared with the cells that did not express aldehyde dehydrogenase. Capacity for growth is among the definitive characteristics of stem cells.

Previous research identified CD24+ and CD44+ cells as pancreatic cancer stem cells, Rasheed says. Rasheed and colleagues found that cells that were CD24+, CD44+, and expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase had a significantly greater potential for reproduction, another definitive characteristic of stem cells, and may be responsible for pancreatic cancer metastasis.

The authors also found that the presence of cells positive for aldehyde dehydrogenase was significantly associated with poorer overall survival. Specifically, patients with these cells lived an average of 14 months after diagnosis compared with 18 months for those without the cells.

"These results suggest a direct link between cancer stem cells and patient outcomes," said senior author William Matsui, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University.

Vlashi E, et al. Prospective identification, tracking and targeting of cancer-initiating cells in breast cancer and glioma via low proteosome activity: Abstract 4997

Identification of cancer stem cells remains a challenge at the microscopic level, but researchers have concluded that low proteosome activity can be an effective marker to isolate these cells from the wider population and track their response to treatment in vitro and in vivo.

"These cells are relatively resistant to radiation and chemotherapy, and their complete elimination from the tumor mass determines therapeutic success," said lead investigator Frank Pajonk, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Therefore, prospective identification of this cell population is key to developing therapies."

Pajonk said current methods of identification, which closely rely on the detection of cell surface proteins, are inadequate to track these cells in vivo.

For the current study, Vlashi and colleagues identified stem cells in breast cancer and glioma, a cancer of the central nervous system, by a unique biochemical method and specifically measured the capacity for self-renewal and the likelihood the cells would form tumors.

Researchers determined that cells with low proteosome function, a protease responsible for the regulated destruction of most proteins in cells, exhibited a five-fold increase in self-renewal capacity and an almost 100-fold increase in tumor production capacity.

Further cellular examination found that these certain subclasses of cells responded to sublethal doses of radiation treatment proliferating and repopulating the tumors, while specific elimination of these cells led to tumor control in vivo.

"This unique feature of cancer initiating cells can be exploited as a specific target for selective elimination, and lead to improved tumor control," Pajonk said.

Chan KS, et al. Molecular profiling reveals heterogeneity of active self-renewal pathways in bladder cancer stem cells: Abstract 4998

Researchers from Stanford University Medical Center have identified a distinct subpopulation of bladder cancer stem cells with properties similar to progenitor basal cells, one of the most common forms of cancer.

Keith Chan, Ph.D., a researcher at Stanford University, analyzed more than 300 bladder transitional cell carcinomas. Approximately 40 percent of them contained CD44+ cells that showed self-renewal patterns that distinguished them as stem cells.

"In addition to these markers, we found that the cells were small and round in shape, suggesting that these cells have properties similar to that seen in progenitor basal cells," Chan said.

Researchers also examined the self-renewal proteins in these bladder cancer stem cells and found further stem cell distinguishing characteristics. Approximately 10 percent had active Bmi1, 30 percent had active Stat3, 5 percent had active β-catenin and 85 percent had active Gli1; no cells showed active Oct4 or Nanog.

With Gli1 identified as the most prevalent protein, researchers tested the potential effects of inhibiting Gli1 with cyclopamine. Chan reports that treatment in culture resulted in a reduction in tumor volume in four out of six samples.

"Further experiments are ongoing to determine what role Gli1 plays, but these diverse self-renewal proteins likely contribute to tumorigenic properties of cancer stem cells in this subset of bladder cancer," Chan said.

Mor G, et al. Identification and characterization of cancer stem cells in ovarian cancer: Abstract 2029

Researchers have identified stem cells in epithelial ovarian cancer that may play a role in the cancer's resistance to chemotherapy. The findings hold potential for more effective targeting of one of the most lethal forms of cancer.

"Present chemotherapy modalities eliminate the bulk of the tumor but leave a core of these cancer stem cells with high capacity for repair and renewal," said Gil Mor, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. "Identification of these cells, as we have done here, is the first step in the development of therapeutic modalities."

Mor and colleagues isolated cells from 80 human samples of either ascites or solid ovarian tumors. The cancer stem cells were identified by showing positive for traditional markers including CD44 and MyD88, and by showing a high capacity for repair.

In addition Mor and colleagues were able to clone and establish CD44+ cell lines. The cells in culture formed tumors 100 percent of the time. Within those tumors, 10 percent of the cells were CD44+ and 90 percent were CD44-.

Isolating the CD44+ and CD44- stem cells for analysis, the researchers found that the CD44+ cells were highly resistant to chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin, standard therapies for ovarian cancer, while CD44- cells from the same patient were responsive to chemotherapy.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Novel Drug Delivery Methods: Getting Drugs to Tumors Quickly and with Less Toxicity

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - As promising cancer therapies and drugs emerge, researchers strive to find ways to deliver them to patients with minimal side effects. At the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, researchers report that therapies delivered by "trojan horse" peptides and through the use of nanotechnology may enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment.

Kousparou C, et al. Antennapedia ‘trojan' peptide delivers p21 protein resulting in tumor eradication: Abstract 4908

Researchers report that using the Antennapedia protein as a "trojan horse" to pierce the outer layer of a cancer cell and deliver p21, a known tumor suppressor protein, successfully reduces malignant tumors in mice.

Christina Kousparou, Ph.D., head of research at Trojantec Ltd, said intravenous treatment with p21 by this method brought the cancer cell growth and death cycle to a halt and slowed tumor growth. Mice given this protein also lived longer than a control group of animals, she reports.

Researchers had speculated that p21 would increase sensitivity to chemotherapy. The combination of p21 with chemotherapy resulted in total tumor eradication in 40 percent of animals and a reduction in tumor burden in 100 percent of animals, Kousparou reports.

"The efficacy of our anti-tumor growth modality in combination with conventionally used medication suggests that it can be considered as a promising therapeutic drug for the management of a wide range of carcinomas," said Kousparou.

Siddiqui IA, et al. Nanochemoprevention: introducing a novel concept in cancer chemoprevention with a proof of principle for superior activity of green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate encapsulated in PLGA/PVA nanoparticles: Abstract 2102

Researchers may have found a way to effectively deliver green tea to a tumor, increasing its utility as a "chemopreventive" agent.

Although green tea has been shown in preclinical studies to have significant cancer prevention potential, its therapeutic use has been limited by lack of a method for delivering effective doses to cancer cells.

"Most biological processes, including those that are cancer-related, occur at the nanoscale, so we hypothesized that nanoparticle delivery of green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3 would be a possible method," said Imtiaz A. Siddiqui, Ph.D., a research associate at the University of Wisconsin.

Researchers encapsulated green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate in synthetic nanoparticles and evaluated the response in human prostate cancer cells.

An initial treatment with the nanoparticles alone without green tea showed negligible response, Siddiqui said. Adding tiny amounts of green tea to the nanoparticles, however, produced a significant response that persisted for 48 to 72 hours.

Further experiments showed that treatment with nanoparticle-delivered green tea increased the rate of cancer cell death and decreased the number of new cell colonies.

"Validation of these cell culture data to animal model systems could pave the way for developing new avenues of cancer chemoprevention," said Siddiqui.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Health Disparities: Genetics Plays an Important Role in Cancer Detection, Prognosis Among Minorities

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Research reported at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, suggests that poorer outcomes for breast cancer and prostate cancer among minorities may be due to biologic factors. In addition, researchers present a new theory on why a recent decline in breast cancer rates was less pronounced among African-American women, and offer data on a relatively simple means of reducing racial disparities in breast cancer care.

Gene expression differences in primary breast tumors from African American and Caucasian Women: Abstract 555

Researchers have found that gene expression in breast tumors differs between African-American and Caucasian patients in ways that might help explain why the disease is more deadly in African-American women and why it strikes these women at an earlier age. Although more Caucasian women are diagnosed with breast cancer overall, their cancers tend to be less aggressive and generally occur later in life, investigators report.

Researchers at the Windber Research Institute in Windber, PA, found 65 genes were differentially expressed between tumors in the two racial groups. Of these, 28 genes were more highly expressed in African-American patients and 37 genes had lower expression. Although most of the genes have not been previously linked to cancer, some are known to be associated with tumor progression or suppression.

"This study suggests that in addition to the socioeconomic and health care factors that have been found to play a role in breast cancer outcomes, there may also be molecular differences that contribute to the more aggressive clinical features of breast tumors in African-American women, compared with Caucasian women," said lead investigator Lori Field, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the women's health research program at the institute.

According to Field, African-American women have the highest mortality rate from breast cancer among ethnic groups in the United States. "With further study, these genes may prove to be promising new molecular targets to which new therapies can be developed to better treat the breast tumors in African-American women as well as improve outcomes in this population," Field said.

The research is part of the Clinical Care Breast Project, a federally mandated and funded collaboration between the Windber Research Institute and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. In this study, the researchers obtained breast tumor samples from 26 pairs of African-American/Caucasian women, who were matched in age and breast cancer stage, as well as in the care they received from Walter Reed. They obtained RNA from these samples to produce gene expression profiles, which they then compared between the groups.

Field's team found a significant difference between the two groups in the RNA produced by 65 genes. Some of the molecules that were more highly expressed in the African-American patients function in signal transduction (the SOS1 gene), cell division and growth (PSPH gene) and cell proliferation (TSPO gene), Field says. RNA expression that was lower in African-Americans included genes linked with transcription (ZNF228), protein transport (SCAMP4) and the PSD3 gene, "which is believed to be involved in suppressing cancer metastasis," Field said. Low levels of PSD3 have been linked to poor outcome and tumor progression in ovarian cancer.

Field cautions that the findings need to be validated in an independent set of breast tumors using other techniques.

Gene expression profiling reveals tumor immunobiological differences in prostate cancer between African-American and European-American men: Abstract 512

Prostate cancer appears to be distinctly different in African-American men compared with European-American men, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) who found significant differences in expression of numerous genes in tumor samples taken from the two racial groups.

Many of these genes were related to inflammation and immune system regulation, suggesting that pathogens could be involved in race/ethnic differences that lead to the development of these tumors, the researchers say. Some of the genes were also linked to cancer spread.

Although further study is needed to confirm their hypothesis of possible viral involvement in cancer, the team believes that these novel findings could help explain why both the incidence of, and death rates from, prostate cancer are increased among African-American men.

"We don't think the worse outcomes we see in African-American prostate cancer patients are due to issues of socioeconomic and sociodemographic differences alone," said lead author, Tiffany Wallace, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at the NCI. "So we are trying to understand if differences in genetics and biology play a discernable role, and this study suggests they do."

NCI researchers obtained gene expression profiles from tumors removed during surgery from 33 African-American and 36 European-American patients using gene microarray technology. They also obtained samples of surrounding non-tumor prostate tissue from seven of the African-American and 11 of the European-American patients. They then compared the combined tumor profiles to profiles from non-cancerous tissue, and similar differences in tumor marker expression that other research groups had already detected.

Sorting the samples according to race, they found the differences in gene expression. Of significance was over-expression of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, an immune system modulating enzyme that tumors use to subvert immune-system surveillance, and the "self" antigens HLA-E and HLA-G that additionally inhibit immune responses through different mechanisms.

"These genes are well-known contributors of immunologic tolerance in tumors," she said. Additionally, there was a distinctive interferon signature in gene over-expression in the African-American patients, which is associated with an immune system response against foreign invaders such as viruses.

One puzzling finding: genes that activate the immune system and genes that suppress it were both more highly expressed in the African-American patients. Wallace says this suggests the immune system is fighting the cause of the cancer, which could be a pathogenic invader. Alternatively, the discovered gene signature may reflect merely the presence of a chronic low-level inflammation that is more prevalent in the tumors of the African-American patients, she says. It could also mean that prostate tumors in these men have ways of suppressing the immune system, which explains why their tumors are more aggressive, she adds.

"Something is different in the tumor microenvironment between the group of patients we studied and it has to do with tumor immunobiology," Wallace said. "We are intrigued with these findings, which we are continuing to research."

A tracking and feedback registry to reduce disparities in breast cancer care: Abstract 3836

A tracking and feedback registry following breast cancer surgery reduces racial disparities in follow-up treatment and may ultimately affect clinical outcomes, researchers report.

Following surgery, women with breast cancer have numerous subsequent treatment options, but minority women are less likely to obtain further treatment than white women, previous studies have found.

Nina Bickell, M.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of health policy at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, suspected this was partly because referring surgeons had no way of keeping track of their patients in order to encourage follow-up care. So Bickell, Kruti Mohan, M.P.H., a senior project manager at Mount Sinai, and colleagues set up a tracking and feedback registry whereby surgeons at six medical centers were notified by phone and letter whether or not their patients subsequently visited an oncologist. By the end of the study, there was an increase in oncology consultations and a decrease in underutilization of adjuvant treatment.

"With this intervention, we were attempting to target the ‘system failures,' cases in which the surgeon recommended treatment, the patient did not refuse, but care did not ensue," Mohan said. "We found that once surgeons were made aware that their patients were not using available therapy, they felt compelled to intervene and were equipped with the appropriate data to take action."

Use of consultations increased from 85 to 96 percent in minority women, and 82 to 97 percent in non-minorities. Overall, women were more likely to take advantage of treatment options, particularly chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Among African-American and Hispanic women, underuse of radiotherapy decreased from 23 to 10 percent.

Following the intervention, race no longer played a significant role in whether or not women connected with a subsequent oncology consultation (OR=1.20; 95% CI, 0.69-2.08) or took advantage of therapy (OR=1.13; 95% CI, 0.73-1.75).

"This could reduce the racial disparity in breast cancer treatment and subsequently impact health outcomes," Mohan said. "We conducted this tracking and feedback process at six centers, but it has the potential to be expanded to other institutions, perhaps in an automated fashion."

Is recent decline in breast cancer incidence equal across different US racial groups? Abstract 3839

Adding data to an ongoing debate about the causes of a recent decline in breast cancer incidence, researchers report that the decline is confined to white women and may be due to their use of hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of menopause.

"Non-Hispanic whites were more likely to use hormone replacement therapy, and had similar percent reduction of discontinuation after the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] warned about its link to breast cancer in 2003, so the benefit of a reduction in breast cancer was more pronounced," said Dezheng Huo, M.D., Ph.D., research associate professor in the Health Studies Department at the University of Chicago.

Between 2002 and 2003, scientists observed a sharp decline in breast cancer incidence in the United States but only among women older than 50 years who had estrogen-receptor positive cancer. Reasons for the decline have been hotly debated in the research and medical community.

Using data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Database, Huo and colleagues calculated rates of breast cancer between 2000 and 2004 to confirm that the reductions were restricted to a certain breast cancer type and to determine whether or not the reductions were similar across racial and ethnic groups.

"The sharp reductions seen in Caucasians aged 50 to 69 years were not seen among other ethnic groups," Huo said.

Between 2000 and 2002, the rate of invasive breast cancer among Caucasians was stable. The greatest reduction, 2.41 percent per quarter, was seen toward the end of 2003. In the same year, the rate of invasive breast cancer among African-American women increased 0.07 percent per quarter, decreased 0.14 percent per quarter in American Indian/Alaskan Natives and decreased 0.46 percent per quarter in Asian American/Pacific Islanders.

For the rate of in situ breast cancer, an early stage disease, the rate was stable among Caucasians, African Americans and American Indian/Alaskan Natives. Among Asian American/Pacific Islanders, the rate of in situ breast cancer increased slightly from 2000 to mid 2002 by 2.09 percent per quarter, and decreased by the end of 2004 by 3.2 percent per quarter.

Application of nanotechnology for enhanced early detection of prostate cancer in African-American men: Abstract 4741

Once limited to the electronics industry, semiconductor material may hold the key to improving the detection of prostate cancer among African-American men. Nanotechnology using quantum dots made from semiconductor material allowed researchers to detect the presence of six biomarkers associated with prostate cancer.

If proven in clinical studies, the nanotechnology will enable physicians to diagnose prostate cancer at earlier stages, which is particularly important for African-American men.

"African-American men appear to have the highest rate of prostate cancer incidence in the world," said Catherine M. Phelan, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in cancer prevention and control at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Fla. "In addition, their prostate cancer mortality rate is twice as high as the rate for white Americans."

Early detection is crucial. Among African-American men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer, five-year survival rates are almost 100 percent. For men diagnosed with more advanced disease, five-year survival rates are 29 percent, according to Phelan.

To improve early detection, Phelan and her colleagues investigated quantum dot antibody conjugates. Quantum dots (QD) measure 5-20 nanometers in diameter. For comparison, a human hair measures 100,000 nm in diameter. The small size of the QDs results in new optical properties that allow observers to determine the size and energy of the QD and where it will emit light along the color spectrum.

"Smaller QDs are higher energy and emit in the blue part of the spectrum, whereas the larger-sized but lower-energy QDs emit light in the red part of the spectrum," Phelan explained.

"If you want to look at a particular known protein in the blood, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA), you can attach the specific antibody for that protein to the QD and, using a laser, observe where the emission peak lies in the color spectrum. The height of the peak represents the amount of protein in the blood sample," she said.

Phelan and her colleagues targeted established prostate cancer biomarkers: PSA, kallikrein 2 (KLK2), kallikrein 14 (KLK14), osteoprotegerin (OPG), antip53Ab, caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Using an African-American prostate cancer case-control collection, the researchers observed that the bioconjugated QDs displayed a spectral shift of the maximum position on average by 4 nm in comparison with nonconjugated QDs.

"The benefit of the observation may lie in the fact that the shift is different for each antibody, thus will show a peak at different wavelengths," the researchers reported.

Phelan said there are two main advantages to QD technology over current methods, such as measuring PSA. First, the optical properties of QDs allow protein detection at lower levels when the tumor is in its earliest stages. Second, the technology offers the ability to detect multiple biomarkers, which will be more effective than a single biomarker.

"The technology can be used for detection of any cancer in any ethnic group," Phelan said. The biomarkers in the study are not unique to African-American men with prostate cancer, but the baseline levels of the proteins may differ among ethnic groups.

The technology could also be used to detect risk of recurrence, although the biomarkers may be different than for early detection, she said.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Drugs in the Pipeline: New Therapies that Could Change Treatment Strategies

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - New drug compounds, and old ones put to new use, offer doctors and patients new hope for treating and preventing cancer. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, show promise and progress against brain, colorectal, rectal and ovarian cancers and lymphoma.

A Multidisciplinary Phase II Study of AZD2171 (cediranib), an Oral Pan-VEGF Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma: Abstract LB-247

The investigational drug AZD2171 (cediranib) may help shrink tumors and prolong survival of patients with a relatively common, aggressive type of brain cancer, according to results from a clinical trial conducted by Boston researchers.

In a phase II study of 31 patients with recurrent glioblastoma, researchers observed that daily treatment with cediranib decreased tumor volume by more than half in 56 percent of patients.

Nearly 26 percent of patients were alive and their cancer had not progressed six months into treatment. On average, patients experienced a progression-free survival of 117 days and overall survival of 221 days. In addition, cediranib was found to alleviate brain swelling - a major cause of morbidity among these patients.

Cediranib is a selective signaling inhibitor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promotes formation of new blood vessels that tumors need for nourishment and growth. The drug targets all three receptors for VEGF, one of which is expressed on the endothelial cells in glioblastoma.

"These are promising, early results but are from a single study of 31 patients, so ongoing larger studies will be critical to determine if the findings are corroborated," said lead author Tracy Batchelor, M.D., M.P.H., executive director of the Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. "One important question is whether a combination of cediranib and chemotherapy will be more effective than cediranib alone. We have designed a randomized trial in patients with recurrent glioblastoma that will open at multiple sites in Europe, the U.S., Canada and Australia this summer that will address this and other questions."

Two of the 31 patients were removed from the current study because of toxicity (fatigue). However, dose reductions or short breaks from the drug were required for most patients, usually due to hypertension, diarrhea and fatigue.

By analyzing blood samples from patients, the researchers found that the biomarkers FGF (fibroblast growth factor) and Tie-2 were associated with tumor progression and could be used to predict treatment failure in this study population, Batchelor says. FGF is a protein tied to new blood vessel growth; Tie-2 is a receptor that binds to and is activated by the angiopoietins - protein growth factors required for the formation of blood vessels.

Evaluation of the effects of anti-VEGF therapy in a multidisciplinary phase I/II study of neoadjuvant bevacizumab with chemoradiation therapy in rectal cancer: LB304

Adding bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy and radiation in patients with rectal cancer fully prevented tumor spread and "normalized" tumor blood vessels enough to enable effective therapy, researchers report.

"I know of no other therapy in this patient population where we can even get close to 100 percent tumor control. Although this needs to be confirmed in a randomized trial against a placebo group, these are very impressive numbers," said Rakesh Jain, Ph.D., Andrew Werk Professor of Tumor Biology at Harvard Medical School.

Bevacizumab is currently approved for colorectal cancer, and works by destroying the blood vessels that tumors need to grow.

"This mechanism of action was a conundrum for scientists because in order for radiation and chemotherapy to work, you need blood vessels," Jain said. "However, the current study adds evidence to a concept called normalization whereby restoring order to blood vessels inside a tumor opens up a window of opportunity for treatment."

Blood vessel normalization allows the vessels that remain to perform more efficiently. "With a drug like bevacizumab, some of the tumor vasculature is pruned away immediately, but the vessels that remain become less abnormal," Jain said.

"These normalized vessels make the surviving cancer cells more vulnerable to the treatments that can now be delivered more efficiently. Cancer therapies in this environment should be maximally effective."

In the current study, researchers enrolled 24 patients with late-stage rectal cancer. All patients completed four cycles of therapy including bevacizumab, additional standard chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

At four years, local control, or the absence of cancer spread beyond the original tumor site, was observed in 100 percent of patients and disease-free survival in 88 percent.

Of the 24 patients treated, five had no residual cancer. Of the 19 patients with residual disease, 12 displayed severe disease. Downstaging of the tumor was observed in 12 out of 22 observable tumors.

"We had shown in previous mouse studies that normalizing blood vessels would decrease tumor activity, but the question with mouse studies is whether it will work in humans," Jain said. "This is the first study to confirm the idea of the effect of normalization in patients."

Preliminary results of a Phase I study of AME-133v, an Fc-engineered humanized monoclonal antibody, in low-affinity FcγRIIIa patients with previously-treated follicular lymphoma: LB-70

A second generation, highly targeted monoclonal antibody appears to provide benefit for some patients with follicular lymphoma for whom other treatments have failed, according to results of a phase I clinical trial.

In the 16 patients evaluated so far, four have achieved either a partial or complete response with use of the novel agent AME-133v, said the study's lead investigator, Andres Forero, M.D., associate scientist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"These first results suggest that AME-133v provides a mechanism of action that may be more potent and ultimately more effective than the treatments we have on hand for a subset of patients with this cancer," Forero said. "Given these encouraging results, patients are currently being enrolled in a phase II study."

The majority of patients in this study either did not initially respond or relapsed after use of rituximab, the first monoclonal antibody therapy approved for use in lymphoma treatment. AME-133v is a second-generation therapy that is believed to be a more specific treatment for follicular lymphoma in general, compared to rituximab, but is also thought to offer particular benefits for those patients who have a variant in the immune cells needed to attack the cancer, Forero says.

"Monoclonal antibodies were the first successful targeted therapy for cancer, and we have now moved on to a whole new class of second generation antibodies for the treatment of many different lymphomas," Forero said. "This is an exciting time."

Follicular lymphoma is a particularly difficult to treat subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a cancer that arises from white blood immune cells known as lymphocytes. Rituximab binds to CD20, a cell surface antigen expressed on almost all B-cell lymphomas as well as on normal B cells, and works to kill the cancer cell via a mechanism that is not yet understood.

Although treatment with rituximab as a single agent has resulted in significant responses in patients with almost every subtype of B-cell lymphoma, including follicular lymphoma, recent evidence has shown that some patients with effector immune cells that carry a mutation in the receptor protein FcγRIIIa 158-F do not have the same response, Forero says. This is an issue that is related to the patient's own biological makeup, not to the cancer cells themselves, he adds. There are three different classes of Fcγ receptors to which the monoclonal antibody binds on leukocyte effector cells - T helper cells - that direct other immune cells to the antigen. Response to rituximab depends on variants in the receptors these helper cells use.

AME-133v is an anti-CD20 antibody engineered to bind more strongly to these variant receptors. In preclinical studies, it demonstrated a 10-fold improved killing power of human B cells, compared with rituximab, researchers report.

Of the 22 patients treated with AME-133v in this study, 20 had been treated with rituximab and 18 also had chemotherapy. All were FcγRIIIa 158-F carriers. This was a dose escalation study, and researchers report that the agent was well tolerated at all doses - 90 percent of patients experienced only grade I adverse events.

"AME-133v appears to be capable of binding with high specificity to cell-surface antigens, resulting in targeted killing of malignant cells, relative sparing of normal tissues, and low toxicity," Forero said.

Promising clinical activity of an NAB paclitaxel plus gemcitabine combination in a disease-specific phase I trial in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: Abstract 4179

A novel combination of nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) paclitaxel and gemcitabine showed a significant clinical benefit in more than 70 percent of pancreatic cancer patients, according to researchers.

"Unfortunately most patients with pancreatic cancer have a very poor survival" said Daniel Von Hoff, M.D., Physician in Chief of the Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen) and Chief Medical Officer for the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute at Scottsdale Healthcare in Arizona.

SPARC (Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine) was noted to be commonly found in pancreatic cancer specimens in an ongoing Target Now Research Program being performed by Caris-MPI. This finding, also described by other investigators, was the basis for this phase I clinical trial that Von Hoff presented here. "Chemotherapy often means combining more than one drug, and we do not want to just take the next thing off the shelf. We want to know as much about a tumor as possible going in," Von Hoff said.

In this trial, patients received escalating doses of nab-paclitaxel (which binds to a potential target SPARC in pancreatic cancer specimens) from 100 mg/m² to 150 mg/m² combined with 1000 mg/m² of gemcitabine. Researchers from TGen/SHC, Johns Hopkins, University of Alabama, and South Texas Hematology/Oncology reported on the first 20 patients who received nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m² of what will eventually be a 42-patient trial. Investigators assessed tumor response by measuring levels of the cancer marker CA 19-9 and by PET and/or CAT scan. A drop in CA 19-9 levels had been previously linked in other research with improved survival.

Of the original 20 patients enrolled at the nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m² dose, 17 had levels of CA 19-9 that could be evaluated. CA 19-9 levels dropped more than 20 percent in 82 percent of patients, researchers report. Reductions in CA 19-9 of more than 70 percent were observed in 64 percent of patients. Utilizing CAT scan criteria, 9 of the 16 patients (56 percent) who had serial scans had responses. Twelve of the 16 (75 percent) had responses or stable disease for more than four months.

"This was a phase I trial, and phase I trials are usually designed to test safety and hoping for efficacy. The fact that we saw this kind of activity in a phase I trial is impressive," Von Hoff said.

Side effects were considered tolerable. The most common side effect was low blood counts, followed by fatigue and occasional peripheral neuropathy (numbness and/or tingling of hands and feet).

Mifepristone abrogates repopulation of ovarian cancer cells in between courses of cisplatin treatment: Abstract 1210

Researchers from the Sanford School of Medicine at The University of South Dakota have demonstrated that mifepristone prevents regrowth of ovarian cancer cells that survive standard chemotherapy.

"Utilizing a cell culture system, our work provides evidence that giving mifepristone between courses of cisplatin has the potential to improve treatment success," said Carlos M. Telleria, Ph.D., the study's senior author and assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the university.

The regrowth of cancer cells between chemotherapy cycles is a major treatment challenge, Telleria says. One strategy to prevent regrowth is the use of drugs like mifepristone, which has been shown in separate studies to prevent cancer cells from multiplying.

Telleria and colleagues observed whether mifepristone would prevent ovarian cancer regrowth if administered with cisplatin. Ovarian cancer cells in culture were treated with cisplatin at 20 µM for one hour every 12 days for 36 days. Researchers assessed the number and viability of cancer cells, and how likely they were to reproduce, every four days.

Cisplatin killed the majority of cancer cells, but those that remained were able to reproduce. However, when mifepristone was added at a dose of 5, 10 or 20 µM the cells, and their ability to reproduce, decreased.

The larger the dose of mifepristone the stronger the effect; at the 20 µM dose, the cultures contained no cancerous cells to test by day 12 of the study.

# # # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Immunotherapy: Enlisting the Immune System to Fight Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Researchers are directing the body's immune system to shrink tumors and prevent new ones from forming. Data presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, detail how cellular strategies and new vaccines are changing the cancer treatment landscape.

The first use of a live listeria cancer vaccine in man: Abstract 225

Phase I/II trial results have shown that the live Listeria cancer vaccine, Lovaxin C, is safe for humans. In addition, three women in the cervical cancer trial had approximately 20 percent tumor reductions, researchers report.

"We are using Listeria to deliver tumor-specific antigens to the immune system in a manner that results in maximal immune and tumor-clearing response," said John Rothman, Ph.D., vice president of clinical development at Advaxis, which is developing Lovaxin C.

The trial included 15 women with progressive, recurrent or advanced cervical cancer. All patients had failed chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. The women had metastatic disease and most were stage IVb.

Listeria monocytogenes infects antigen presenting cells (APCs) - "a very special piece of immune real estate," Rothman said. These cells consume foreign invaders and instruct the immune system to attack them. Listeria thrives within APCs and thus directs an immune response.

"We bioengineer Listeria both to attenuate it and to cause it to secrete a tumor-specific antigen fused to a listerial protein, which makes it more effective than Listeria that just secretes the tumor antigen," Rothman said. "By doing this we focus a very strong immune attack against the antigen in question, which is typically specific to a tumor."

"What we're doing is taking a lot of evolution that enabled Listeria to infect human immune systems, and an equal amount of evolution that enables humans to get rid of Listeria once this occurs. We are then co-opting and redirecting all of these complex immune responses and targeting them against cancer," Rothman said.

The researchers divided the patients into three groups of five; each group received two doses of either 1x10⁹, 3.3x10⁹ or 1x10¹⁰ units of Listeria at three-week intervals. They administered ampicillin five days after each dose, first intravenously and then orally for 10 days.

Each patient developed flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills and nausea with or without vomiting. In the lower doses, these symptoms were treated with non-prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anti-emetics. Patients in the highest dose group had the same but more severe symptoms.

Rothman used the RECIST criteria to assess the tumors in 13 patients. At the end of the study, five patients had progression of their cancer, seven were stable, and one patient showed a partial response to the therapy. Three of the seven stable patients had tumor reductions of about 20 percent.

The partial response patient - who was stage IVb at trial initiation - was given six chemotherapy courses and a radical hysterectomy. Currently, she is tumor- free and her blood tests are normal. Six of the 13 patients are surviving, with a median survival of 424 days. Median survival for all 15 treated patients is 327 days.

CTLA-4 blockade for hormone refractory prostate cancer: dose-dependent induction of CD8+ T cell activation and clinical responses: Abstract 2539

Blocking CTLA-4, a cellular molecule on lymphocytes that inhibits immune response, produced meaningful clinical benefits in patients with prostate cancer that hadn't responded to hormone therapy, according to researchers.

"CTLA-4 blockade works by removing the brakes on the immune system. Our results show that enhancing immune responses in prostate cancer patients can lead to clinical responses," said Lawrence Fong, M.D., a hematology/oncology researcher at University of California, San Francisco.

In a phase 1 trial in 24 patients with metastatic prostate cancer that was unresponsive to hormone therapy, Fong and colleagues treated groups of three to six patients with increasing intravenous doses of ipilimumab (0.5, 1.5 or 3 mg/kg), a fully human anti-CTLA-4 antibody, on the first day of each 28-day treatment cycle. There were four cycles in the trial. The researchers also gave the patients 250 mg/m²/d of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor every day for the first two weeks of each cycle.

Researchers monitored T cell activation and toxicity. They performed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and radiographic tests at enrollment and throughout treatment to assess clinical response.

Three of the six patients treated with the highest ipilimumab dose (3.0 mg/kg x 4) had confirmed declines in PSA levels of more than 50 percent. One of these patients had a partial response in cancer that had spread to the liver.

The researchers found that activation of lymphocytes occurred primarily in the higher doses. They also could detect lymphocytes targeting proteins expressed by prostate cancer cells in some patients following treatment.

Immune-related side effects - including skin rash, diarrhea and a deficiency in pituitary hormone production - were most common in the group receiving the higher ipilimumab doses.

Fong and colleagues will continue to study CTLA-4 blockade. "We are studying higher doses of anti-CTLA-4 antibody and look forward to beginning a larger phase 2 trial in the next three to six months," Fong said.

Dendritic and T cell functions in patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer treated with GVAX immunotherapy for prostate cancer and ipilumumab: Abstract 2538

Researchers have found a promising synergy of two therapies to treat metastatic prostate cancer that is resistant to hormone therapy. In a phase I trial, they observed that a combination of GVAX immunotherapy with ipilimumab lowered prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in some patients.

"Higher doses of ipilimumab combined with the GVAX vaccine is showing a lot of success in increasing anti-tumor activity in these patients," said Saskia J.A.M. Santegoets, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Pathology and Division of Immunotherapy at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Center in the Netherlands. "We're encouraged by the results of this phase I trial and expect ongoing analyses to yield more valuable data about the GVAX/ ipilimumab combination."

In this trial, the vaccine was administered with escalating doses of anti-CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4) antibody ipilimumab. Researchers believe that the combination of these two immunotherapies increases one's immunity to prostate cancer.

Twelve patients were enrolled in this study. All were given the same doses of GVAX (a 500 million cell first dose followed by bi-weekly 300 million-cell doses for 24 weeks), and, in groups of three, different quantities of ipilimumab administered every four weeks (.3mg, 1mg, 3mg, or 5 mg).

Anti-tumor activity was seen in five of the six patients who received the two highest doses of ipilimumab, including PSA-level declines of greater than 50 percent; these PSA declines were maintained in four of these patients for at least six months, and up to 16 months. Among the patients with PSA-level declines, researchers noted complete resolution of multiple lesions on bone scans in two patients, resolution of cancer spread to abdominal lymph nodes in one patient, and improvement in bone pain in one patient.

The ongoing phase I trial of this combination has enrolled an additional 16 patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer into an expansion cohort.

Evidence of Efficacy of Antibody Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (ADEPT) in a Phase I Trial in Patients with Advanced Carcinoma: Abstract LB-200

A two-step drug therapy that selectively targets tumors may hold promise for some patients with advanced cancers, according to results of a clinical trial directed by researchers in London.

Scientists at the University College London's Cancer Institute and the Royal Free Hospital used a technique called antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) in 43 patients with previously treated, advanced colorectal, gastro-esophageal, breast, gallbladder, peritoneal, appendix, or pancreatic cancers, or cancers of unknown primary site. The patients received one, two or three ADEPT treatments over a period of two to 10 days, at dosages ranging from 37 mg/m² to 3,226 mg/m².

"We found clinically significant responses in 44 percent of patients," said senior author Richard H. Begent, M.D., professor of oncology at the University College London's Cancer Institute. "These results support the case for conducting a randomized phase II clinical trial."

ADEPT is a two-step treatment for cancer that uses an antibody to carry an enzyme directly to the cancer cells. First, an antibody is given with an enzyme attached. Next, a prodrug (inactive anti-cancer drug) is administered. When the prodrug comes in contact with the enzyme, the resulting chemical reaction activates the anti-cancer drug, which is then able to destroy cancer cells while sparing nearby healthy tissue.

In this trial, the researchers gave patients an intravenous dose of MFECP1, a recombinant fusion protein consisting of a fragment of an antibody raised against the substance carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which is produced by the cancer, and carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2), an enzyme that activates a prodrug. Then, researchers gave patients an intravenous bis-iodo phenol mustard prodrug which is activated by the enzyme within the cancer.

Anti-enzyme antibody developed in 40 percent of patients having a single treatment, 75 percent of patients after two treatments and 100 percent of patients after three treatments.

In addition, imaging scans showed that four of nine patients had partial response, meaning their tumors shrank, at a total prodrug dosage of at least 900 mg/m². This response was confirmed by a 25 percent reduction in blood levels of CA 19-9, a tumor marker, in three patients who had raised levels before treatment. Stable disease, as defined by RECIST criteria, was seen in 69 percent of patients who had a total prodrug dose of at least 900 mg/m².

The most common side effects were thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and neutropenia (low white blood cell count). Side effects were deemed tolerable.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

AACR Presents Third Annual Margaret Foti Award to Anna D. Barker, Ph.D.

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

DENVER - The 3rd Annual American Association for Cancer Research Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research will be presented to Anna D. Barker, Ph.D., deputy director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

This award recognizes an individual whose leadership and extraordinary achievements in cancer research, or in support of cancer research, have made a major impact on the field.

"Dr. Barker is a visionary in the field of cancer research," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the American Association for Cancer Research. "She is an unwavering advocate for the adoption of new technologies and increased federal funding for cancer research."

Barker was selected for her exemplary commitment to cancer research, specifically for her promotion of advanced technologies and incorporating new scientific disciplines such as cancer genomics, nanotechnology, bioinformatics and the physical sciences. In addition, before joining the NCI, she led national efforts on behalf of the AACR and other cancer organizations to increase federal funding for research. During her career, Barker has demonstrated innovative leadership in supporting and building partnerships between cancer survivors and patient advocates and cancer researchers.

"Driven by advanced technologies and a convergence of the molecular sciences with the physical sciences, we are unraveling the complexity of cancer at levels that will increasingly enable cancer biologists and oncologists to discover and the private sector to develop a new generation of cancer treatments, diagnostics and preventives ," said Barker.

Under Barker's leadership, the NCI launched new programs in bioinformatics, nanotechnology (Nanotechnology Alliance for Cancer), genomics (The Cancer Genome Atlas), proteomics, biospecimen science and the recent transdisciplinary Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers to enable cancer research.

Barker is also known for her leadership in cancer research advocacy. Of particular note is her position as co-chairperson of THE MARCH - Coming Together to Conquer Cancer Research Task Force, an unprecedented grassroots movement and historical national event, which sought to detail the scientific rationale and need for a significant, immediate increase in the nation's investment in cancer research.

Barker has served in several capacities for the AACR, including as a member of the board of directors and chairperson of the Public Science Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee for 10 years. She was also responsible for establishing the AACR Scientist↔Survivor Program in 1999 and remains actively involved with this innovative program today. Barker has been a member of the AACR since 1978.

Barker completed her doctorate at Ohio State University, where she trained in immunology and microbiology. Her research interests include experimental therapeutics, tumor immunology and free-radical biochemistry in cancer etiology, prevention and treatment. She has received many awards for her unique and stellar contributions to the ongoing national effort to prevent and cure cancer from professional and advocacy organizations, including a named fellowship in basic cancer research from the AACR.

The AACR Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research will be presented at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009 on Sunday, April 19 during the opening ceremony, beginning at 8:15 a.m. MST.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and nearly 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org
In Denver April 18-22:
303-228-8415

Cancer Prevention: Stopping Cancer Before It Can Start

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Tapping into a growing body of knowledge about the origins and progression of cancer, researchers are now developing and testing new preventive therapies to stop it in its tracks. At the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, researchers present data on the preventive effects of celecoxib and atorvastatin and vitamin D in colorectal, prostate and breast cancer, respectively, and the relationship between diet, metabolism and the development of pancreatic cancer.

The Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial: Five-year efficacy and safety results: Abstract LB-141

Colon adenoma prevention with celecoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is effective and can be safe for patients without underlying cardiovascular risk factors, according to five-year data of a randomized phase III trial.

"There has been a significant amount of negative press about Cox-2 inhibitors including celecoxib, and clearly these drugs are risky for some patients. However, our study also shows that for patients without major cardiovascular risk factors, celecoxib at low doses protects against high-risk lesions that can lead to colon cancer," said Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., associate professor of surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Bertagnolli was the lead researcher on the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial, which enrolled 2,035 patients and randomly assigned them to 200 mg twice-daily (400 mg) of celecoxib, 400 mg twice-daily (800 mg) of celecoxib or a placebo group.

At three years, patients taking celecoxib at 400 mg had a 29 percent reduction in adenomas, a precursor to colon cancer, while those taking 800 mg had a 38 percent reduction. Advanced adenomas, which are lesions with a high-risk for cancer development, were reduced by 55 percent with 400 mg and 63 percent with 800 mg.

After three years, patients stopped taking celecoxib and were followed for another two years to assess safety and effectiveness. Even after two years off medication, the five-year rate of advanced adenoma was reduced by 41 percent among patients taking the lower dose and 26 percent among patients taking the higher dose.

Cardiovascular events were more common in patients taking celecoxib, with a rate of 3.8 percent among those patients taking placebo to 6 percent among the low dose group and 7.5 percent among the high dose group. However, when researchers looked at factors that might predict cardiovascular complications, they found a much different story.

For patients with no cardiovascular risk factors before using celecoxib, the rate of cardiovascular adverse events was 0.9 percent in the placebo group, 3.9 percent in the 400 mg group and 1.9 percent in the high dose group. Cardiovascular risk factors included smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, presence of atherosclerosis and age over 65.

If a patient had one risk factor, the risk was 2.2 percent in the placebo group, 3.7 percent in the 400 mg dose group and 4.9 percent in the high dose group.

The greater cardiovascular risk was observed among patients who had at least two cardiovascular risk factors at the time they entered the study, where the placebo group had a 5.9 percent risk, the 400 mg group had an 8.2 percent risk and the 800 mg group had an 11.2 percent risk.

"This new data allows us to carefully select patients who can benefit from this drug," Bertagnolli said. "Although it should be used with caution, those patients with a high risk for colon cancer and a low risk for cardiovascular disease are going to receive significant benefit."

Inhibition of androgen-independent growth of LNCaP xenograft tumors in immunodeficient mice by a combination of atorvastatin (Lipitor) and celecoxib (Celebrex): Abstract 2100

Suggesting a new role for the prevention of advanced prostate cancer by two commonly prescribed drugs, researchers found that a combination of atorvastatin and celecoxib potently inhibited the androgen-independent growth of prostate tumors in a laboratory model.

"This represents a viable prevention strategy to stop the progression of prostate cancer from androgen-dependent to androgen-independent, which is much more aggressive and has limited therapeutic options," said Xi Zheng, Ph.D., M.D., assistant research professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Previous epidemiology research has shown that statins like atorvastatin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like celecoxib may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Zheng and colleagues assessed the effects of atorvastatin and celecoxib alone or in combination on androgen-independent growth of human prostate cancer cells cultured in vitro or grown as tumors in mice.

In the animal study, mice with an androgen-dependent tumor were deprived of androgen and randomly assigned to four groups: those receiving either 10 micrograms/gram body weight per day of atorvastatin or the same dose of celecoxib; those receiving a combination of each drug at 5 micrograms/gram body weight per day; or a control group receiving no drugs.

All mice had temporary tumor regression in the absence of androgen, but then the untreated mice experienced substantial tumor regrowth as the tumor become androgen-independent. Mice treated with a single drug had some reduction of androgen-independent tumor growth, while administration of atorvastatin and celecoxib in combination resulted in a more potent inhibition of androgen-independent growth than either drug alone. "The agents appear to work by inhibiting a signal transduction pathway that is important for the growth of these cancer cells," Zheng said.

Although a high dose of celecoxib has been linked to a small increase in cardiovascular risk in prior human studies, Zheng said the dose used in this study was low and the benefits should outweigh the risks.

Dietary energy balance impacts spontaneous pancreatic lesions in the K5.COX-2 transgenic model of pancreatic cancer: Abstract 4188

Shedding light on the links between obesity and cancer, researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report that modulating energy balance by restricting calories can prevent pancreatic cancer in laboratory models.

"We are very excited that our research may lead to insights to prevent or control this deadly disease in the near future," said lead researcher Laura M. Lashinger, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at M. D. Anderson.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Obesity, the overall rate of which has risen sharply over the past 40 years, has emerged in epidemiological studies as a key risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

Other studies have shown that calorie restriction, a dietary strategy for inducing negative energy balance and preventing or reversing obesity, has significant anticancer effects in several species, against a variety of tumor types. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the obesity-pancreatic cancer association are not clearly understood.

"It is likely that inflammation may be playing a role," Lashinger said. "Fat tissue is more than simply weight; it produces an inflammatory property that leads to greater risk of cancer and other diseases."

In the current study, Lashinger and colleagues hypothesized that spontaneous tumor development in the K5.COX-2 transgenic mouse model of pancreatitis-driven pancreatic cancer would be reduced in lean mice, when compared with overweight or diet-induced obese mice.

They placed 36 mice on one of three diets for 14 weeks: a lean diet with a 30 percent calorie restriction (n = 12), an overweight diet (n = 12), or a high calorie, high fat diet-induced obese regimen (n = 12).

The mice developed spontaneous pancreatic lesions as early as four weeks, with 100 percent approaching death within six to eight months, the researchers report. The calorie-restricted animals were significantly protected from spontaneous formation of pancreatic lesions: 7.5 percent of them developed lesions in stark contrast to 45 percent of the overweight group and 57.5 percent of the diet-induced obese group, the researchers report. Furthermore, calorie-restricted mice had smaller lesions than those in the overweight and diet-induced obese groups.

Gemini vitamin D analogs inhibit estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative mammary tumorigenesis without hypercalcemic toxicity: Abstract 2097

Researchers at Rutgers University have found that, in animal studies, a synthetic form of active vitamin D has a substantive preventive effect on the development of both estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative breast cancers. Unlike many of the other synthetic vitamin D agents that have been tested in humans, this compound, known as Gemini 0097, shows no toxicity, they report.

The research team found that daily injections of Gemini 0097 cut growth of ER-positive cancer by 60 percent in rat studies, and reduced ER-negative breast cancer by half in mice.

"These are very promising findings, especially because no toxicity is observed," said researcher Hong Jin Lee, a graduate student at Rutgers. Lee works in the laboratory of lead investigator Nanjoo Suh, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Suh said that Gemini 0097 likely did not cause the most common vitamin D toxicity, an overload of calcium in blood known as hypercalcemia, because the compound has an extra side chain of chemicals.

"It is quite different from the natural shape of active vitamin D," she said. "Because the binding affinity of Gemini 0097 with vitamin D receptor is low that may contribute to the lower toxicity, but the efficacy stays the same or even better."

Epidemiologic studies have shown that use of vitamin D is beneficial in preventing colon cancer, but studies in prostate and breast cancer have yielded mixed conclusions, Suh says.

Vitamin D is a pro-hormone that is produced in the skin after exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D dietary supplements are converted into an active, useful form by metabolism in the liver and kidneys. Although the active form of vitamin D has been tested as a cancer treatment, the higher doses needed for prevention or treatment have typically produced intolerable side effects in clinical trials, Suh says.

In this study, the researchers tested 60 novel Gemini vitamin compounds, with Gemini 0097 performing the best, Lee says.

In one set of studies, the researchers exposed rats to a mammary carcinogen, then injected groups of 15 animals with different doses of Gemini 0097. They found that the lowest dose had little effect but higher doses slowed the growth of resultant ER-positive tumors by 60 percent, compared with a group of control rats. Some treated rats developed small mammary tumors and some developed none at all, says Lee. "The data are very convincing," he said.

In a second, similar experiment in a mouse model of ER-negative breast cancer, mice treated with Gemini vitamin D had 50 percent fewer tumors than did control mice.

The researchers analyzed tumor samples from both the rats and the mice and discovered that Gemini 0097 prevents tumorigenesis by increasing expression of the p21 protein, which arrests the cell cycle, and by inducing insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), which slows down cell proliferation.

"These data are from animal studies, and we need more data before these compounds can be tested in humans," said Suh. "Still, we are hopeful that we have found a way of providing vitamin D without toxicity that has a significant effect on cancer prevention."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR
publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Low Dose DFMO Reduces Colon Cancer Risk without Toxicity

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - A combination of the targeted agent difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) at a low dose and sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), reduces the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas, an early sign of colon cancer, by up to 95 percent with less toxicity than with chemotherapy, researchers report.

"There is a great hope that we will be able to prevent colon cancer effectively using this method. We had not been able to do this before due to the high toxicity of available therapies. Difluoromethylornithine is a targeted agent that represents a new treatment paradigm," said Frank Meyskens, M.D., director of the Cancer Center at the University of California at Irvine.

In earlier studies, Meyskens's team had established a safe and well-tolerated dose of DFMO that was 1/50^th of what would typically be used to treat advanced cancers. By combining this reduced dose of DFMO with sulindac researchers believed they could achieve a significant clinical effect with reduced toxicity.

For the current study, researchers enrolled 375 patients who had a history of at least one colorectal polyp within the previous five years. Patients were randomly assigned to either a combination of 500 mg of daily DFMO and 150 mg of the NSAID sulindac, or placebo. Patients were followed for three years to measure adenoma recurrence.

Overall, the combination treatment reduced the risk of a recurrent adenoma from 41.1 percent in the placebo group to 12.3 percent with treatment, a 70 percent reduction.

When researchers measured advanced adenomas only, the rate was 8.5 percent in the placebo group compared with 0.7 percent in the treatment group, a 92 percent reduction.

For adenomas larger than one centimeter, the rate was 7 percent in the placebo group compared with 0.7 percent in the treatment group, a 90 percent reduction. Among patients who had previously had more than one adenoma, the rate of subsequent adenomas was 13.2 percent in the placebo group compared with 0.7 percent in the treatment group, a 95 percent reduction.

The rate of reduction was so pronounced that the trial's independent data and safety monitoring board stopped the trial early.

An analysis of side effects and toxicity found no difference between the treatment and placebo groups. There was no difference in side effects requiring an overnight hospitalization, gastrointestinal side effects, cardiovascular side effects, or hearing loss between the two groups.

"These are important findings, but they are not ready for prime time yet. What we have shown here is that there is value in testing these agents at lower doses and in combination to determine if we can achieve the same effect without the damaging side effects," Meyskens said.

Marked efficacy of difluoromethylornithine plus sulindac in reducing recurrent colorectal adenomas in patients with prior adenomas: results of a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind phase III trial: Abstract LB-142

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Sunitinib May Slow Growth and Spread of Liver Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Treatment with sunitinib slows tumor growth and reduces the risk of metastasis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the liver, researchers report.

"Patients with this type of liver cancer have a very poor prognosis and the only currently available therapy is sorafenib. This study shows that we may be able to effectively use sunitinib with manageable side effects," said Andrew X. Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., director of liver cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. "Giving these patients more options would have a significant impact."

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that relies heavily on blood vessels for growth; sunitinib controls the growth of blood vessels and could therefore potentially play an important role for treatment, Zhu says.

Researchers enrolled 34 patients with advanced liver cancer and gave them 37.5 mg sunitinib daily on a standard four weeks on, two weeks off regimen. Sunitinib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets multiple receptors, including VEGFR2, c-Kit and FLT3. These receptors may be present in cancer cells as well as in endothelial and immune cells.

By 12 weeks, one patient had a partial response and 17 patients had stable disease. The median progression-free survival was four months and the median overall survival was 10 months.

"Results are still preliminary, but there is clear evidence of an anti-tumor activity in these patients," Zhu said.

Researchers also measured changes in tumor vascular permeability using MRI, because the abnormally increased leakage of plasma from blood vessels in tumors is causally related to pathways blocked by sunitinib. They found that permeability decreased after treatment with sunitinib by 40 percent compared to measures taken at the start of the study.

Circulating progenitor cells, a potential measure of the risk of cancer spread, also were reduced with sunitinib treatment, Zhu says, noting that an increase in circulating progenitor cells during treatment appears to be associated with significantly increased mortality.

Researchers report that the patients tolerated the sunitinib treatment. High levels of SGOT and SGPT liver enzymes were noted in 18 percent and 9 percent of patients, respectively. Blood disorders such as neutropenia (12 percent of patients), lymphopenia (15 percent) thrombocytopenia (12 percent) and hyperbilirubinemia (6 percent) also occurred at low rates. Fatigue was observed in 9 percent of patients and hand-foot syndrome in 6 percent of patients.

Efficacy, safety, and changes in blood markers following sunitinib monotherapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: experience from a multidisciplinary phase II study: Abstract LB-139

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

New Molecule Shows Promise in Patients with Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - A novel molecule, GDC-0449, shrinks tumors for patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma with limited side effects, suggesting a viable new treatment option for patients with the advanced form of this cancer, according to research presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"Basal cell carcinoma affects about one million people a year, and a very small fraction of these patients have disease that is not curable with surgery. We currently do not have any treatments that can effectively slow tumor growth in these advanced patients. This finding has enormous implications in this population," said Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., physician in chief at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and chief medical officer for the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute at Scottsdale Healthcare in Arizona.

GDC-0449 works by inhibiting the Hedgehog pathway. The Hedgehog ligands are a family of proteins that are important in tissue growth and repair. The ligands signal via two cell surface receptors called PTCH and SMO. Abnormal activation of Hedgehog signaling pathway because of mutations in PTCH and SMO is the cause of most basal cell carcinomas.

Von Hoff presented data from a phase I trial conducted at Scottsdale Healthcare, Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University, and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. This trial tested GDC-0449 in humans for the first time. Researchers enrolled nine patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma. Patients received oral doses of GDC-0449 once a day continuously.

Durable clinical benefit, defined as tumor stabilization or shrinkage visible on X-ray or other physical exam, was observed in eight of patients evaluated, and lasted a median of over 176 days. The first patient treated in the trial has shown clinical improvement for over 438 days, Von Hoff says, with mild side effects. "He came to us short of breath and in pain, but he has had a very dramatic response with this drug," Von Hoff said.

Of the original nine patients, two have had shrinkage of their tumors as measured by computerized tomography (CT) scans, four have had shrinkage or improvement of their tumors by clinical exam, two have had prolonged periods without tumor growth, and one has had significant tumor growth.

Further evaluations of the study participants measured the presence of GLI1, a genetic marker of Hedgehog pathway activity, in skin cells sampled from the participants. Among all patients tested to date, there was a reduction in this marker, indicating that the drug was affecting the Hedgehog pathway.

"The drug has been extremely well tolerated. Some patients lose a sense of taste, and there has been a small amount of hair loss and weight loss, but the toxicity has been mild," Von Hoff said.

Efficacy data of GDC-0449, a systemic Hedgehog pathway antagonist, in a first-in-human, first-in-class Phase I study with locally advanced, multifocal or metastatic basal cell carcinoma patients: Abstract LB-138

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

How What and How Much We Eat (And Drink) Affects Our Risk of Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - A healthy diet and lifestyle protect against a wide range of diseases, and new research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting, April 12-16, shows that cancer is no exception. Researchers demonstrate how excessive alcohol drinking could lead to an increased risk of breast cancer, how consuming too many calories may increase one's risk for melanoma, and why with folic acid, timing is everything for colon cancer prevention.

Alcohol consumption and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study: Abstract 4168

One of the largest studies of its kind has found that alcohol is a substantial risk factor for development of the most common type of breast cancer - the 70 percent of tumors that are classified as positive for both the estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER+/PR+). Researchers report that even moderate alcohol consumption, defined as one or two drinks per day, increased risk of developing this kind of cancer, and the more a woman drank, the higher her risk. Compared to women who did not drink at all, women who had three or more glasses of alcohol daily had as much as a 51 percent increased risk of ER+/PR+ breast cancer.

"This suggests that a woman should evaluate consumption of alcohol along with other known breast cancer risk factors, such as use of hormone replacement therapy," said the study's first author, Jasmine Q. Lew, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Chicago who is conducting this research as a recipient of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health Research Scholarship at the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.

Lew and her research colleagues from NCI say their analysis could not support a definitive conclusion as to whether alcohol influences development of other breast cancer tumor types. "But we have enough numbers to study alcohol's influence on ER+/PR+ breast cancer," she said.

Epidemiologic studies have long suggested that use of alcohol may increase a woman's risk for developing breast cancer, and laboratory studies have shown that alcohol increases the amount of estrogen metabolites available in a woman's body, which can then act as a fuel for hormone-sensitive breast cancer. But few studies have looked at alcohol's effect on tumor type.

In this study, the researchers reviewed data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which began in 1995. Lew and her colleagues analyzed 184,418 postmenopausal women who enrolled in this cohort study, and who answered questions about their daily alcohol consumption. During an average of seven years of follow-up, they found that 70 percent of women in the study drank alcohol; the average amount was a little less than a drink a day. Overall, the authors found that moderate drinking in women increased risk of developing breast cancer.

They then identified 5,461 cases of invasive breast cancer, for which they had tumor type information on 2,391 cases. In all, they analyzed data on 1,641 ER+/PR+, 366 ER-/PR-, 336 ER+/PR-, and 48 ER-/PR+ cases of invasive breast cancer.

The researchers found that ER+/PR+ cancers showed a stronger association with alcohol than that seen in the overall group. Compared to non-drinkers, women who consumed less than one drink daily, one to two drinks, and three or more daily drinks, the increase in relative risk for developing ER+/PR+ breast cancer was 7 percent, 32 percent, and 51 percent, respectively. Although the data suggested increased risks among the women with ER+/PR- breast cancer, the number of cases was relatively small, and this finding was not statistically significant.

The increased risk of invasive breast cancer was observed across different types of alcohol consumed.

"Our study at this point provides evidence for the notion that alcohol affects estrogen metabolism, which increases risk of hormone sensitive breast cancer," Lew said. "Still, more study is needed to clarify the effect of alcohol on other tumor types."

Listen to HHS HealthBeat's podcast on Alcohol and Estrogen (posted April 22, 2008).

Association Between ADH1B and ADH1C Haplotype Tag SNPs and Breast Cancer Risk, and the Interaction with Alcohol Drinking: Abstract 5814

Specific variations within two genes involved with alcohol metabolism are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a new study.

The work, conducted by research groups led by Peter Shields, M.D., professor of medicine and oncology at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jo Freudenheim, Ph.D., chair of social and preventive medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo, indicates that sequence variations within the genes ADH1B and ADH1C may as much as double a postmenopausal woman drinker's risk for breast cancer.

"We found that variations in two genes coding for the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme increase the risk of breast cancer among women who drink," said lead author Catalin Marian, M.D., Ph.D., a research instructor of cancer genetics and epidemiology at Georgetown. "The higher their alcohol consumption, the higher their risk."

Marian and colleagues evaluated data from participants in the Western New York Exposure and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study, a population-based case-control study of breast cancer conducted by Freudenheim in women ages 35 to 79 from two western New York counties between 1996 and 2001. Women with primary, histologically confirmed breast cancer served as cases. Healthy control participants were randomly selected and matched to cases by age, race and county of residence.

The research team analyzed DNA samples taken from 991 women with breast cancer and 1,698 controls. They found that variations within the DNA sequences rs1042026 in the gene ADH1B and rs1614972 in the gene ADH1C were associated with an increased breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women. Within the rs1042026 sequence, the risk of breast cancer for women who had a variant form of the gene and who drank alcohol was nearly twice that of women who abstained. The risk of breast cancer increased with the level of alcohol consumption.

Within the rs1614972 sequence, the variant form of the gene offered a protective effect against breast cancer that varied inversely proportional with the drinking level. The more alcohol women drank, the less protective the effect and the higher their risk of developing breast cancer.

Marian cautions that the work needs to be explored further and replicated by other studies, as the research showed these sequence variations were associated with increased risk of breast cancer but were not necessarily biologically responsible for this effect.

"These two genes encode for enzymes involved in the metabolization of alcohol, so variations in these genes can increase or decrease the rate of alcohol metabolism," Marian said. "We have to keep in mind that the gene sequence variations we observed are not located directly in coding regions, but they may be associated and inherited together with other variations that have this effect on the enzyme function."

Dietary energy balance modulates multistage epithelial carcinogenesis in mouse skin: Abstract 1604

New data suggest that dietary energy balance may affect the risk for skin tumor development. Researchers believe that these effects of dietary energy balance are mediated by changes in signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
and the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R).

"We have demonstrated that dietary energy balance directly modulates activation of cell surface receptors, specifically the EGFR and the IGF-1R, which subsequently affects signaling through downstream pathways, such as Akt and mTOR. Negative energy balance inhibits, while positive energy balance enhances, signaling through these pathways, thereby modulating cellular growth, proliferation, and survival," said Tricia Moore, lead author of the study.

Dietary energy balance refers to the balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, according to the report. Previous findings from both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest chronic positive energy balance, which can lead to obesity, increases the risk of developing multiple cancers. However, a negative energy balance state, as induced by calorie restriction, decreases these risks in most instances, the researchers said.

In the present study, the researchers used a two-stage skin carcinogenesis model to examine the effects of both positive and negative dietary energy balance on skin tumor promotion and progression. Groups of female mice received 25 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), a cancer inducing chemical, and were then placed on one of four dietary treatment regimens to generate either a positive or negative energy balance state. After four weeks on their respective diets, the mice received two other cancer inducing chemicals (acetone, 3.4 nmol or 6.8 nmol 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)) twice weekly for the duration of the study.

Negative energy balance, as induced by both 15 percent and 30 percent calorie restriction, led to inhibition of papilloma (benign skin tumors that can potentially lead to skin cancer) formation, depending on TPA dose, when compared to either positive energy balance inducing diet. Although tumor multiplicity, as measured by papillomas per mouse, was slightly higher among those receiving the more calorie dense fat diet, this was not different from the less calorie dense fat diet with either dose of TPA, the researchers noted. The impact of dietary energy balance manipulation on the conversion of papillomas to squamous cell carcinomas in this model of multistage skin carcinogenesis is also being assessed.

These researchers have also shown that dietary energy balance alters signaling through the Akt and mTOR pathways, both of which are related to TPA-mediated skin tumor development. They propose that the mechanism for the effect of dietary energy balance on Akt and mTOR signaling may be mediated, in part, by changes in serum IGF-1 levels, which then alters signaling through the IGF-1R and EGFR.

"These findings will provide the basis for future translational studies targeting the Akt/mTOR pathway via combinations of lifestyle (e.g., moderate calorie restriction regimens) and pharmacologic approaches for the prevention and control of obesity-related epithelial cancers in humans," said John DiGiovanni, Ph.D., director of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center - Science Park Research Division, in whose lab this work is being conducted.

The effect of in utero folic acid supplementation on colorectal cancer in the offspring in a chemical carcinogenic rodent model: Abstract 2098

Although folic acid fortification has proven to lower rates of neural tube defects and some childhood cancers, there is a growing body of evidence that too much folic acid may increase one's risk of developing colorectal cancer. A new study suggests that folic acid supplementation provided in utero, but not postnatally, may protect offspring from
developing colorectal cancer.

"This study provides important insights into the critical role of timing of folic acid intervention in colorectal cancer development and progression. Folic acid may prevent ‘new' cancers in the colorectum," said Karen K. Sie, a graduate medical student at the University of Toronto.

The University of Toronto research team had previously demonstrated that folic acid supplementation could promote the progression of the earliest precursor to colorectal cancer. This study focused on whether or not folic acid supplementation in utero could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in the offspring.

Researchers placed female rats on a control diet or folic acid supplemented diet three weeks prior to breeding, and they stayed on this diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. The male pups from each group were then fed a control or folic acid supplemented diet at weaning.

At five to six weeks, the pups were injected with a colorectal cancer causing chemical, and, at 34 weeks, researchers measured tumor incidence, multiplicity and burden as well as plasma folate, homocysteine and liver folate concentrations.

Pups from mothers on the control diet had a nearly three-fold increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with those from rats on folic acid supplementation. Maternal folic acid supplementation significantly decreased the risk of offspring developing colorectal cancer while postnatal folic acid supplementation had no significant effect on the incidence of tumor development.

"Even though folic acid has been successful in reducing neural tube defect rates and is beneficial against some childhood cancers, the potential long term benefits and adverse effects of the drastically increased folate status in the North American population needs to be closely monitored," said Sie. "With the continuing debate and controversy
surrounding mandatory folic acid fortification and supplementation, it is critical to determine safe and effective doses and timing of folic acid intervention for colorectal cancer prevention."

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Biomarkers Allow Doctors to Match Therapy to Patient

registration@aacr.org () — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Genetic variations ensure that no two people are exactly alike, nor are their cancers. Researchers now have the tools and the knowledge to predict how individuals will respond to cancer therapy, enabling more precise and effective treatment. At the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12 - 16, researchers present data on new biomarkers that can predict response to well known treatments for breast cancer, pediatric neuroblastoma, and kidney and non-small cell lung cancer.

CD34^bright/CD^133neg candidate circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells (ccEPCs) are a potential biomarker during treatment with sunitinib or bevacizumab: Abstract 4956

Researchers have identified two potential biomarkers that could help doctors monitor the effectiveness of treatment with sunitinib or bevacizumab for kidney and non-small cell lung cancer.

"Our work provides novel data on a potential biomarker for the monitoring of anti-angiogenic drug activity in cancer patients, as well as identifies a cell type that is a potential target for these agents," said Laura Vroling, M.Sc., a researcher in the Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor targeted agents bevacizumab and sunitinib have proven effective against several cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal and kidney cancer, but it is unclear which subset of patients will benefit most from these agents, researchers say. "Therefore, it is of great importance to identify and validate biomarkers for early response or duration of response," Vroling said.

Vroling and colleagues studied therapy-induced changes in a novel, rare, circulating cell population. They measured these candidate circulating endothelial progenitor cells (ccEPCs) characterized by the markers CD45^neg, CD34^bright and CD133^neg during sunitinib or bevacizumab treatment. They labeled them "candidate" cells because no data have proven definitively the phenotypic relationship between progenitor and blood-derived endothelial outgrowth cells, Vroling said.

Their study included 23 patients with renal cell cancer and 19 patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The researchers also monitored plasma levels of VEGF. They assessed tumor response with computed tomography scans according to the RECIST criteria.

"This is the first study to assess the kinetics of ccEPCs together with other circulating cells in the peripheral blood of patients with renal cell cancer during the first cycle of sunitinib treatment," Vroling said.

During a four-week "on" period of treatment with sunitinib, the ccEPC increases paralleled the rise in plasma VEGF levels; they decreased during the two-week "off" period, Vroling reports. Monocytes and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) demonstrated the opposite pattern, according to Vroling.

"In a preliminary analysis, we found a significant difference in the change of ccEPC numbers and VEGF levels after two weeks of treatment between patients with clinical benefit and progressive disease," Vroling said. "We also noted that an increase of ccEPCs was indicative of a longer progression-free survival in this small group of patients."

In the patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with bevacizumab and erlotinib, ccEPC levels increased, while free plasma VEGF levels decreased. ccEPCs did not rise in a control group treated with erlotinib alone, Vroling said.

"These data suggest that ccEPCs are increased in cancer patients in an anti-angiogenic, treatment-specific way," she said. Furthermore, this effect does not seem to be related to plasma VEGF levels.

"In our study for the first time the behavior of two CD34^bright cell populations, (CD45^neg) candidate cEPCs and (CD45^dim) HPCs were monitored and showed a different response of both cell populations during sunitinib or bevacizumab therapy. The role of ccEPCs in human tumor angiogenesis and their potential in prediction of treatment outcome of anti-VEGF therapy needs to be addressed in future, larger clinical cohorts," she said.

Identification of BCAR genes relevant for breast cancer progression and endocrine therapy resistance: Abstract 1582

Dutch researchers report identifying a set of seven genes responsible for drug resistance and aggressiveness in the most common form of breast cancer. These genes, some of which are novel, could provide therapeutic targets for personalized treatment of breast cancer and, possibly, for prevention of disease, they say.

These genes are found in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, which investigators say is usually more treatable than breast cancer that is not fueled by estrogen. The majority of human breast tumors are ER+ and most respond to anti-estrogen therapy, such as tamoxifen. But in advanced disease, only half of ER+ breast cancer is initially sensitive to tamoxifen, and in the majority of those patients, the disease eventually becomes resistant to drug therapy. Understanding the molecular basis of this drug resistance was the focus of the Dutch study.

A research team from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam hypothesized that cell proliferation in the absence of estrogen and in the presence of tamoxifen would be regulated at a molecular level by specific genes. To identify these genes involved in cell growth, they used a functional screen based on insertion mutagenesis with mouse retroviruses. This unique approach in human solid tumor cells took more than a decade of painstaking work.

Some of the seven genes the researchers found - which they have included in a new family dubbed "Breast Cancer Anti-estrogen Resistance" (BCAR) - are already associated with cancer development in general but others are novel. Few of the seven (AKT1, AKT2, BCAR1, BCAR3, EGFR, GRB7, and TRERF1) had been linked to resistance to tamoxifen.

"We set out to define the molecular mechanisms underlying anti-estrogen resistance and this provided a collection of BCAR genes which are representative of the escape pathways that these breast cancer cells take in our laboratory studies," said the study's lead investigator, Lambert Dorssers, Ph.D., a cell biologist at the Department of Pathology of the Erasmus Medical Center, in Rotterdam.

"We have also shown that the majority of the BCAR genes identified are linked to clinical breast cancer, suggesting that their signaling pathways contribute to the progression of breast cancer and to tamoxifen therapy resistance," he said.

Using the functional screen, the investigators looked at surgically removed primary tumors from 413 patients who had not yet received systemic therapy and found three genes – AKT2, EGFR, and TRERF1 – that were independently associated with tumor aggressiveness.

In other studies of breast tumor samples from recurrent patients treated with tamoxifen, they had found five genes – BCAR3, ERBB2, GRB7, TLE3, and TRERF1 – that were associated with progression-free survival, depending on the level of their expression. Some of these genes were confirmed by the current study. "For example, we found that high levels of GRB7 are associated with a quicker relapse," Dorssers said.

The researchers are now defining how these genes function within breast cancer cells in order to pinpoint possible targets for treatment. Expression of the genes could also be used to "classify patients for more intensive or alternative adjuvant treatment, or to suggest specific treatments in the advanced state of ER-positive disease," he said.

Response to preventive HER2/neu peptide (E75) vaccine based on HER2/neu status: Abstract 2545

A HER2 peptide E75 vaccine reduced mortality in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer by half, according to Texas researchers.

In particular, patients with low-expressing HER2 tumors exhibited better response, not only immunologically, but clinically, with decreased breast cancer recurrence and no mortality following vaccination, report researchers from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

"The fact that HER2 low-expressors responded so favorably not only underscores the difference in mechanism between the vaccine vs. antibody therapy like trastuzumab, but also offers the hope of additional adjuvant therapy to the largest subset of breast cancer patients if proven in the upcoming phase III trial," said Linda C. Benavides, M.D., a resident in general surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center.

HER2, a source of immunogenic peptides, is over-expressed in approximately 25 to 30 percent of patients with early stage breast cancer. The CVDP has conducted clinical trials with the HER2 E75-peptide vaccine in lymph node-positive and lymph node-negative patients with breast cancer who demonstrated varying levels of HER2 expression.

They conducted a subset analysis of 163 patients with breast cancer enrolled in the E75 vaccine trial to determine whether the level of HER2 expression affected vaccine response.

Of 163 patients assessed, 92 underwent vaccination. Within the vaccinated treatment arm, 29 (34 percent) were defined as HER2 over-expressors, and 56 (66 percent) were defined as low-expressors. The 71 patients in the control group included 22 (33 percent) over-expressors and 44 (67 percent) low-expressors. Patients over-expressing HER2 were similar with regard to prognostic and treatment factors, except that a statistically larger number of vaccinated over-expressors had hormone receptor-negative tumors (P = 0.02).

Following vaccination, immunologic responses were similar as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction; however, patients in the vaccination arm who were low-expressors of HER2 demonstrated an increased number of E75-specific CD8+ T cells when compared with the vaccinated over-expressors.

At a median follow-up of 30 months, disease recurrence rates were similar between HER2 over-expressors in both the vaccine and control groups, with recurrence rates of 18.2 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively. Although these recurrence rates were comparable (P = 0.7), the researchers observed a greater than 50 percent reduction in mortality rate among patients whose disease recurred.

Interestingly, recurrence was more substantially reduced for vaccinated patients with low HER2 expression, Benavides says. Vaccinated low-expressors experienced 10.7 percent recurrence, compared with 18.2 percent for participants in the control group. Furthermore, the mortality rate among low-expressors with recurrent disease was 0 percent among vaccinated patients, versus 38 percent among the control group (P=0.08).

Taken together these findings may be significant for the greater than 50 percent of breast cancer patients whose tumors fall into the HER2 low-expressing category and who are not eligible for trastuzumab treatment, Benavides concludes.

Overexpression of ODC1 is associated with poor outcome in childhood neuroblastoma and represents an important therapeutic target: Abstract 5832

Australian researchers have identified a potential new target for treatment of neuroblastoma, the most common solid tumor among young children.

The treatment involves inhibiting the production of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1), a gene driven by the MYCN oncogene that is a powerful predictor of death from this disease. Researchers report that ODC1 inhibition delayed or prevented the development of neuroblastoma in a clinically relevant animal model, suggesting that suppressing ODC1 could be target for treating this cancer.

"This disease, particularly in patients whose tumors carry multiple copies of the MYCN oncogene, has a particularly poor prognosis and new therapies are urgently needed," said Michelle Haber, Ph.D., professor and executive director of Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research in Sydney, Australia. "Our findings suggest that MYCN-driven over-expression of ODC1 in this disease, or genetic variations associated with increased expression of the gene, contribute to the aggressive biology of this tumor, and that inhibition of this gene may lead to an important new therapeutic avenue for this disease."

Researchers observed 209 patients with untreated neuroblastoma. As expected, they confirmed that older age, advanced stage and MYCN amplification were all associated with highly aggressive disease and poor clinical outcomes.

In a subsequent animal study, researchers tested whether inhibiting ODC1 activity with difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a proven ODC1 inhibitor, would improve treatment of neuroblastoma, when used in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. They found that the combined DFMO/chemotherapeutic drug therapy prolonged tumor-free survival by comparison with chemotherapeutic drugs alone, suggesting that targeting this oncogene for suppression is a potentially valuable therapeutic approach.

"We could actually delay, and in some cases block, neuroblastoma formation in our transgenic MYCN mouse model by continuous exposure to DFMO either from birth or following weaning, and found that this delay was associated with depletion of tumoral polyamines," said Haber.

The next step would be to test DFMO in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, particularly newer agents that might be most effective in treating drug-resistant disease, and also testing the drug combinations in different models of childhood neuroblastoma. "Because DFMO has been shown to be quite safe for use in humans, we would hope that we can proceed rapidly to clinical trials," said Haber.

# # # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR
publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
In San Diego (4/12-4/16):
(619) 525-6370

Two Inaugural Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Awards Promote Advancement in Cancer Prevention Research and International Collaboration in Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Awardees to be Recognized at AACR Annual Meeting 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Reinforcing its commitment to supporting high-quality cancer research, the Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation have again partnered with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to create two new funding opportunities, the Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research and the Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for International Collaboration in Cancer Research. These awards, each offering a two-year $100,000 grant, will support the work of promising cancer researchers focusing on cancer prevention and international collaboration, respectively.

Carlo Maley, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia is the recipient of the first Landon Foundation-AACR INNNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research. The award recognizes outstanding achievement of an early career scientist pursuing research in cancer prevention and aims to encourage younger investigators to explore the cancer prevention field by providing the necessary support to ensure a robust future in cutting-edge prevention research.

"To sustain progress in the rapidly advancing field of cancer prevention research and to develop new ideas and strategies to prevent cancer, younger investigators must be encouraged to pursue careers in this area," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR's chief executive officer. "We are deeply grateful to the Landon Foundation for its support of promising early career investigators and congratulate Dr. Maley on his accomplishments and contributions to the future of cancer prevention research."

Maley and colleagues in his laboratory explore fundamental concepts in neoplastic progression, the processes by which normal tissue becomes cancerous, in order to develop better cancer prevention methods and therapies. They apply evolutionary biology, ecology, computational biology and genetics to the understanding of these problems. Specifically, Maley will apply funds from his AACR INNOVATOR grant to the development of models of Barrett's esophagus, a human pre-malignant neoplasm that can lead to esophageal cancer. His analysis of the genetics and molecular biology of Barrett's esophagus may serve as a basis for predicting which patients are likely to progress to full-blown esophageal cancer. Maley is working to translate these findings to the development of a method for identifying and assessing biomarkers for cancer prevention. By detecting genetic diversity in tumor cells, his analysis has the potential to identify which tumors are likely to progress and whether they may be sensitive to preventive therapies. This approach offers the possibility of having a practical tool that could benefit clinical practice as well as development of future preventive therapies.

The Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for International Collaboration in Cancer Research is presented to a team of experts in genetics, thoracic oncology, geology and pathology working in the United States and Turkey. The award supports highly meritorious research being conducted collaboratively by investigators in different countries around the world, and aims to promote international cancer research collaboration as an effective means to accelerate progress against cancer by providing the necessary support to sustain and enhance such collaborations. Team members include: lead researcher Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., and Haining Yang, Ph.D., University of Hawaii; Nancy Cox, Ph.D., and Ian Steele, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Harvey Pass, M.D., NYU School of Medicine and Clinical Cancer Center; Joseph Testa, Ph.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center; Y. Izzetin Baris, M.D., University of Hacettepe in Ankara, Turkey; A. Umran Dogan, Ph.D., University of Iowa; and Salih Emri, M.D., and Murat Tuncer, M.D., Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey.

"International collaborations are essential to addressing the cancer problem on a global scale. To ensure continued progress in conquering cancer, researchers must be willing to share resources and technologies, lend expertise and communicate new concepts, perspectives and methodologies to the worldwide cancer community," said Foti. "The work of Dr. Carbone and his team illustrates a commitment to all of these goals and it is a pleasure to recognize him and his team by providing much needed support for promising research that spans two continents."

Carbone and his team of international collaborators have discovered a unique mesothelioma epidemic in three Turkish villages and have demonstrated that it is caused by a genetic predisposition to mineral fiber carcinogenesis, a gene-environment interaction. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer where malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Carbone and colleagues have identified exposure to erionite as the likely cause of the epidemic and have reduced exposure to that mineral fiber throughout the villages. They will apply the AACR INNOVATOR grant to their study of linkage analysis to identify the predisposing gene or genes for mesothelioma among this cultural group and map the genetic risk factors by genetic linkage studies. Findings from this research have implications far beyond the villages in Turkey as they can be applied to other geographic areas and communities worldwide with the goal of preventing this deadly form of cancer or finding new life-saving treatments.

Honorees will receive their awards during the Opening Ceremony of the AACR Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. in Hall G-H of the San Diego Convention Center. For complete award citations, biographies and photos of award winners, contact Jennifer Ryan in the AACR Department of Communications and Public Relations: 267-646-0558; jennifer.ryan@aacr.org.

###

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the etiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

The Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation was created through a bequest from Mrs. Landon whose intent, along with that of her late husband, Kirk A. Landon, was to dedicate a major portion of their estate to medical research, especially research related to cancer. R. Kirk Landon, son of Kirk A. Landon, serves as chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. The Foundation accomplishes its mission through a variety of programs and initiatives, including the Landon-AACR Prizes and the Landon-AACR INNOVATOR Awards.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
267-646-0558
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org

World’s Oldest and Largest Cancer Research Organization Elects New Leadership

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

American Association for Cancer Research chooses officers, directors and nominating committee members for 2008 and beyond

PHILADELPHIA - Tyler E. Jacks, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been named president-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). He succeeds Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, who will become president. William N. Hait, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and worldwide head for Ortho Biotech Oncology Research and Development, a unit of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Research and Development, who has served as AACR president for the 2007-2008 term, will fulfill the role of past president.

These positions will take effect on Monday, April 14, 2008, at the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif. The president-elect, president and past president each serve terms of one year, comprising the period between annual meetings.

Tyler E. Jacks, Ph.D., is the director of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, the David H. Koch Professor of Biology at MIT, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

"We are experiencing an unprecedented and truly remarkable pace of discovery in cancer research today," said Jacks. "As the leading cancer research organization in the world, the AACR plays a vital role in promoting the flow of information from these discoveries between scientists and clinicians which ultimately impacts on the lives of people with cancer."

Jacks has served in several leadership positions for the AACR, including the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. He serves on the editorial board of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and was a senior editor of Molecular Cancer Research. Jacks has co-chaired several AACR Special Conferences, was a co-chair of the 2003 AACR Annual Meeting, and served as faculty for the "Molecular Biology in Oncology" Educational Workshop. Jacks has also received several awards recognizing his scientific accomplishments, including the AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research.

Jacks received his B.A. in biology from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. He completed his post-doctoral training at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT.

Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D. is the provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Previously he served as director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

DuBois' research focuses on determining the role of certain inflammatory mediators in the progression of colorectal cancer. One of the goals of this research is to develop better strategies for prevention and early detection.

He is deputy editor of the AACR's newest journal, Cancer Prevention Research, and serves on the editorial boards for Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, and CR, the AACR's magazine about people and progress in cancer. DuBois is the chair of the Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR Grants in Colorectal Cancer Review Committee and has served as a member of the Science Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee, as well as many other AACR Committees. He has also served as chair or co-chair for several AACR Special Conferences on the topic of colorectal cancer and the AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Additionally, DuBois is the current chair of the Task Force on Cancer Prevention. He is the recipient of the Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research and the AACR-Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award, among others.

William N. Hait, M.D., Ph.D. is senior vice president and worldwide head for Ortho Biotech Oncology Research and Development, a unit of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Research and Development. He previously served as the director of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey; professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, and associate dean for oncology programs at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Hait's laboratory work focused on two major research interests: determinants of sensitivity to anticancer treatments and signal transduction systems uniquely altered in malignant cells.

As president, Hait has strengthened AACR's leadership role in translational cancer research. During the past year, he launched the AACR's Translational Cancer Medicine Meeting Series and established the AACR-FDA-NCI Cancer Biomarkers Collaborative, of which he currently serves as co-chair.

Five new members were elected to the AACR board of directors for the 2008-2011 term. They are:

Lisa M. Coussens, Ph.D., professor, Department of Pathology and Cancer Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on the role of inflammatory cells and leukocyte proteases as critical regulators of skin, lung and breast cancer development.

She is a co-chair of the AACR Annual Meeting 2008 and co-chair of the AACR 2008 Special Conference "Chemical and Biological Aspects Inflammation and Cancer." She has been active within the AACR as deputy editor of Cancer Research, co-chair of several meeting program committees, and is a member of the Tumor Microenvironment Working Group Steering Committee. Coussens was a recipient of the AACR-Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award.

Kenneth W. Kinzler, M.D., director, Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center; professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research has focused on the molecular analysis of human cancer with special emphasis on the genetics of colorectal cancer.

Kinzler has served the AACR as a member of several committees, including the Publications Committee, Science Education Committee, and the Annual Meeting Program Committee. He was also active on the editorial board of Cancer Research.

Bruce A. J. Ponder, Ph.D., director, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute; co-director, Hutchison/Medical Research Council Research Centre, University of Cambridge; co-director, Strangeways Research Laboratories for Genetic Epidemiology; Li Ka Shing Professor and head of Oncology, University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Hospital; director, Cancer Research Campaign, Human Cancer Genetics Research Group, University of Cambridge; honorary consultant physician, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Ponder's research focuses on laboratory and clinical studies of inherited susceptibility to cancer.

Ponder served on the editorial boards for Cancer Research and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. He co-chaired an AACR Special Conference and has served as a member of several AACR committees including the Annual Meeting Education Committee and the Special Conferences Committee.

Eddie Reed, M.D., Abraham Mitchell Distinguished Investigator, University of South Alabama. Reed is known for his translational work on platinum-DNA adduct, DNA damage and nucleotide excision repair, and new agent development in ovarian cancer and metastatic prostate cancer.

He has been active in many AACR committees and currently serves on the editorial board for Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Reed is a member of the AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) Council, and has led numerous MICR programs and initiatives. He served as a co-chair for the first AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities. Additionally he has been mentor for the Scientist↔Survivor Program®. Reed was the recipient of the AACR Minorities in Cancer Research Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Margaret W. Shipp, M.D., professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; associate physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital; director, Lymphoma Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Dana-Farber/Harvard Comprehensive Cancer Center; attending physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Hospital. Her clinical and laboratory research focuses on the biology of normal and malignant B-cells and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, as well as the interaction between tumor cells and tumor microenvironment.

Shipp has served on the editorial board of Clinical Cancer Research, participated in the ASH-AACR Think Tank on Hematologic Malignancies, and has been active in several AACR committees.

Four new members were elected to the AACR nominating committee for the 2008-2010 term. They will serve alongside the four current members to develop the candidate slates for president-elect and the board of directors. With the board of directors, they will also choose the candidates for the next nominating committee slate. Newly-elected members are:

Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale, Ph.D., head and chair, Department of Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Rikshospitalet- Radiumhospitalet Medical Center; Professor in Tumor Biology, Medical Faculty University of Oslo, Norway.

Joan S. Brugge, Ph.D., chair and professor, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA.

Charles L. Sawyers, M.D., chair, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and member, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

Max S. Wicha, M.D., director, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center; distinguished professor of Oncology and professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; attending physician, Medical Oncology In-Patient and Consultation Services, General Medicine In-Patient Service, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, MI.

For further information on the newly elected officers, board of directors, or nominating committee members, please e-mail megan.davies@aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
megan.davies@aacr.org

American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting Showcases Significant Developments in Understanding and Targeting Cancers

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - Cutting-edge breakthroughs in molecular targeting, translational cancer research and cancer prevention will take center stage when more than 17,000 scientists from around the world gather at the San Diego Convention Center April 12-16 for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Key data presented at the meeting will include late-breaking clinical trial findings related to high-profile, potentially life-saving cancer therapies in the pipeline.

"Cancer research is now a vast multidisciplinary field encompassing nearly all areas of science and technology. This is truly an extraordinary time," said William N. Hait, M.D., Ph.D., president of the AACR and senior vice president for Worldwide Hematology and Oncology Research and Development at Johnson & Johnson. "Today, basic cancer research drives cancer medicine and it is increasingly influenced by clinical observations. Clearly, these synergies are advancing our knowledge about cancer for the benefit of cancer patients, and the AACR is the catalyst for these discoveries."

The theme of the 2008 Annual Meeting is "Translating the Latest Discoveries into Cancer Prevention and Cures," and the opening plenary will feature insight and perspective from world leaders in cancer research on topics ranging from the cellular mechanisms of metastasis, to cancer prevention, to targeted drug therapies and clinical trials.

AACR's Annual Meeting attracts attendees including leading academic, industry and government scientists, as well as clinical oncologists, students, cancer survivors, advocates and other health care professionals. Such a diverse group facilitates a cross-disciplinary exchange of new ideas and collaborations. This year, more than 6,000 abstracts were selected for presentation, complementing an outstanding program of scientific and educational events.

Late-breaking plenary sessions in basic, translational and clinical cancer research will cover the latest advances from the laboratory and their translational potential to the clinic. Special sessions will also feature phase I and phase II studies of novel therapeutic agents in early stage clinical trials, as well as late-breaking phase III clinical trial data.

"We are in an exciting phase of cancer research. Collectively, we have built upon years of scientific advances and have accelerated the process of moving cancer research from basic to translational to clinical science, and back," said Eileen P. White, Ph.D., chairperson of the 2008 Program Committee and associate director for basic science at Rutgers University. "With advanced diagnostic technologies and new drugs and therapies we are saving more lives, extending the lives of cancer patients, and improving their quality of life."

To better communicate important science to the public, the AACR has selected nearly 50 abstracts for presentation by their authors in nine press briefings, each highlighting a critical or emerging area of cancer research. Featured press briefing topics include:

How personalized medicine is changing the cancer treatment landscape
New cancer drugs - from early safety and efficacy studies to late-breaking phase III clinical trials
How diet and lifestyle choices may affect one's risk of cancer
The science of cancer health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.

Additional briefings will focus on the latest research in cancer prevention, prognosis, diagnosis, immunotherapy and late-breaking clinical trials.

With the aim of inspiring the next generation of young cancer researchers, the AACR has invited nearly 300 local high school students from ten high schools to participate in "The Conquest of Cancer and the Next Generation," a day-long program on the floor of the AACR meeting that will feature educational lectures, a tour of poster displays and exhibits, and a networking reception. Many of these high school students will be paired with mentors among the AACR membership for guidance and education.

Reporters and Editors: For more information or to register for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AACR, please call 215-440-9300, e-mail communications@aacr.org or visit www.aacr.org.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org

Chemotherapy-induced Anemia Increases Risk of Local Breast Cancer Recurrence

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Patients with breast cancer who developed anemia during chemotherapy had nearly three times the risk of local recurrence as those who did not, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"We speculate that there may be an interaction between chemotherapy/radiotherapy and anemia," said lead researcher Peter Dubsky, M.D., a senior consultant in the department of surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. "Both treatment modalities have been shown to be less effective in anemic patients. Since we do not see the effect in terms of relapse-free survival, the interaction with local adjuvant treatment may play a more important role."

Dubsky and his colleagues from the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group examined data from a randomized, clinical trial comparing adjuvant hormonal treatment and tamoxifen with the standard treatment of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF). All women in the trial were premenopausal and had positive estrogen and/or progesterone receptor status. Patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery received mandatory radiation. Radiation was optional in women who underwent modified radical mastectomy.

For the current analysis, the researchers focused on anemia data from the 424 patients in the CMF arm, as the rates of anemia among those who received the hormonal treatment were low. They examined local relapse-free survival, relapse-free survival and overall survival.

Anemia occurred in 18.2 percent of patients who received CMF chemotherapy. Anemia was defined as an incidence of at least one serum hemoglobin level below 12 g/dL during chemotherapy through the first follow-up date three months after adjuvant treatment concluded.

After a median follow-up of 61 months, 39 local relapses occurred: 6.9 percent in patients without anemia and 19.5 percent in patients with anemia. The 5-year rates of relapse were 8.2 percent among nonanemic patients and 19.6 percent among anemic patients. Patients without anemia experienced a significantly longer local relapse-free survival than patients with anemia, according to the study.

Other factors that significantly increased local relapse-free survival were younger age at diagnosis and negative lymph node status. Any relationship between anemia and tumor size, postoperative radiation or type of surgery did not have an effect on local relapse-free survival, researchers say.

Relapse-free survival did not differ significantly with the presence or absence of anemia. "There seemed to be no difference when distant or contralateral events were part of the analysis," said Dubsky. "The effect was limited to local recurrences. Any explanation of the limit is pure speculation."

No difference in overall survival was evident, but Dubsky says he doubted one would be seen given the number of patients and the length of follow-up. Follow-up of 10 to 15 years would be needed to observe any significant differences, he says.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR Funds Minority and Underrepresented Scientists

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Winners announced for two awards that bring underrepresented scientists to major cancer research meeting

PHILADELPHIA - Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR), a 3,000-member group within the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), has selected the winners of two scholar awards for scientists working in underrepresented areas of the cancer research community. These awards provide financial support for participation in AACR's Annual Meeting 2008, where more than 17,000 clinical oncologists, basic scientists, epidemiologists, and translational researchers from around the world will discuss the latest findings and most significant advances in laboratory, translational and clinical cancer research.

"The AACR is strongly committed to education and the exchange of ideas. Our mission is to continue to drive and expand the field of cancer research. A pivotal component of this mission is investment in the next generation of scientists," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR's chief executive officer.

"Cancer is not one disease but many, and that diversity should be reflected in our network of cancer researchers," Foti added. "These awards strive to improve the inclusiveness of cancer research so that no pool of talent goes untapped."

24 early-career scientists will receive AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Awards to participate in the 2008 AACR Annual Meeting. These awardees were selected on the basis of their scientific qualifications, references from mentors, and an estimation of the potential professional benefit to the awardees. During the meeting they will attend scientific sessions, participate in networking events, and present meritorious scientific papers.

Criteria for candidacy for this award program include the stipulation that the applicant fit the National Cancer Institute definition of groups traditionally underrepresented in cancer and biomedical research: African Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders. Additionally, eligible candidates must be full-time graduate or medical students, residents, clinical or postdoctoral fellows, or junior faculty members. The award will provide complimentary registration, travel expenses, and a subsistence stipend to participate in the Annual Meeting and AACR Special Conferences.

The Minority Scholar Awards are supported generously by grants from the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

The AACR Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research Awards aim to increase the scientific knowledge base of faculty members at Minority-Serving Institutions, encourage their research, and assist to inspire their students to pursue careers in cancer research. Formerly known as the AACR-Historically Black Colleges and Universities Faculty Scholar Awards, the program has been expanded to include predominantly Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and Universities to extend its reach. These awards also are supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute's Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch.

Candidates must have completed doctoral studies or clinical fellowships relevant to cancer research and hold full-time faculty positions at the level of assistant professor or above at an institution designated as minority-serving. They must also be engaged in meritorious basic, clinical or translational cancer research. Each of the 25 AACR-MSI Faculty Scholars chosen this year will receive financial support toward expenses associated with attending the AACR Annual Meeting.

For the names, affiliations and, where applicable, abstract titles of all Scholar Award Winners' research projects please visit the AACR website, www.aacr.org

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
Megan.davies@aacr.org

Harald zur Hausen Receives American Association for Cancer Research Lifetime Achievement Award

registration@aacr.org () — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Harald zur Hausen, D.Sc., M.D, internationally recognized for his research demonstrating the role of human papillomavirus as the etiological agent of cervical cancer, will receive the American Association of Cancer Research Award for Lifetime Achievement in honor of his life's work devoted to the study of the viruses and cancer.

The AACR Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2004 to honor an individual who has made significant fundamental contributions to cancer research, either through a single scientific discovery or a body of work. These contributions, whether they have been in research, leadership, or mentorship, must have had a lasting impact on the cancer field and must have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to progress against cancer.

In his early work, zur Hausen demonstrated that Burkitt's lymphoma cells contained Epstein-Barr viral DNA, thus proving that viruses can persist in human tumor cells, and are associated with tumor growth. Zur Hausen and his colleagues were also able to demonstrate the association of Epstein-Barr virus in epithelial cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

In 1972, at the age of 36, he was appointed Professor of Virology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Bavaria, and started to examine the role of viruses in the etiology of cervical cancer, including the human papillomavirus (HPV).

In the 1970s and 1980s, zur Hausen provided the key investigative findings that led to the recognition that certain types of HPV are the etiologic agents of cervical cancer. This observation and the detailed studies that followed provided the basis for the extensive epidemiologic studies that independently validated the importance of these findings worldwide. Zur Hausen's subsequent research on the immunogenicity of this virus set the stage for the development of a vaccine.

"Dr. zur Hausen is responsible for a body of scientific research that laid the foundation for one of the most important events of the past year in cancer research and public health - the approval of an effective vaccine for HPV," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR chief executive officer. "We expect this vaccine will lead to a marked decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer and ultimately protect countless young women from this disease."

Zur Hausen's work has also linked HPV to several other cancers including laryngeal carcinoma, penile carcinoma, and epidermal dysplasia.

Zur Hausen studied medicine in Bonn, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Düsseldorf for three years, followed by a three-year stay at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In 1972, he accepted the Chair of Virology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and subsequently, in 1977, the Chair of Virology at the University of Freiburg. From 1983 until 2003, zur Hausen served as Chairman and Scientific Member of the Management Board of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum.

Zur Hausen has received several national and international awards for his research, including the Robert Koch Award, the Charles S. Mott Prize of the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Award, the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine, and the Charles Rudolphe Brupbacher Award. Furthermore, he was awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Chicago (USA), Umeå (Sweden), Prague (Czech Republic), Salford (England), Helsinki (Finland), Erlangen (Germany) and Wuerzburg (Germany).

His membership and honorary membership in numerous academies bear witness to his scientific commitment and high standing in the science community. He was recently elected to the Presidium of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina. In 2002, he was elected as a foreign member of the Institute of Medicine (USA) of the American Academy of Sciences.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Megan Davies
267-646-0612
Megan.davies@aacr.org

Breast Cancer More Aggressive Among Obese Women

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Women with breast cancer have more aggressive disease and lower survival rates if they are overweight or obese, according to findings published in the March 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"The more obese a patient is, the more aggressive the disease," said Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. "We are learning that the fat tissue may increase inflammation that leads to more aggressive disease."

Cristofanilli and colleagues observed 606 women with locally advanced breast cancer. These women were classified by body mass index into the following three groups: normal/underweight (24.9 or below), overweight (at least 25 but less than 30) or obese (more than 30). Body mass index is calculated by dividing a person's weight by their height.

At five years, overall survival was 56.8 percent among obese women, 56.3 percent among overweight women and 67.4 percent among normal weight women. The 10-year survival rate was 42.7 percent among obese women, 41.8 percent among overweight women and 56.5 percent among normal weight women.

The rate of inflammatory breast cancer, previously shown to have worse outcomes than non-inflammatory breast cancer, among obese women was 45 percent compared with 30 percent in overweight women and only 15 percent in women considered normal weight, researchers found.

Risk of breast cancer recurrence was also higher in obese or overweight women. By five years, 50.8 percent of obese women reported a recurrence compared with 38.5 percent of normal weight women. By 10 years, the rate of recurrence was 58 percent among obese women and 45.4 percent among normal weight women.

"Obesity goes far beyond just how a person looks or any physical strain from carrying around extra weight. Particular attention should be paid to our overweight patients," Cristofanilli said.

Cristofanilli said physicians need to pay close attention to breast cancer patients because commonly used drugs, such as tamoxifen, tend to increase weight gain during treatment.

"We have actually become quite good at managing acute side effects such as nausea in our chemotherapy patients and it goes away within a couple of days," Cristofanilli said.

"Following the nausea, our patients tend to overeat, which further increases their risk of weight gain. We need to implement lifestyle modification interventions and develop better methods to follow these patients closely."

The study was funded by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Nellie B. Connally Fund for Breast Cancer Research and the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Group.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Soy Compound May Halt Spread of Prostate Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A compound found in soybeans almost completely prevented the spread of human prostate cancer in mice, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Researchers say that the amount of the chemical, an antioxidant known as genistein, used in the experiments was no higher than what a human would eat in a soybean-rich diet.

Investigators from Northwestern University found that genistein decreased metastasis of prostate cancer to the lungs by 96 percent compared with mice that did not eat the compound in their chow - making the study the first to demonstrate genistein can stop prostate cancer metastasis in a living organism.

"These impressive results give us hope that genistein might show some effect in preventing the spread of prostate cancer in patients," said the study's senior investigator, Raymond C. Bergan, M.D., director of experimental therapeutics for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

"Diet can affect cancer and it doesn't do it by magic," Bergan said. "Certain chemicals have beneficial effects and now we have all the preclinical studies we need to suggest genistein might be a very promising chemopreventive drug."

Bergan and his team have previously demonstrated in prostate cancer cell cultures that genistein inhibits detachment of cancer cells from a primary prostate tumor and represses cell invasion. It does this by blocking activation of p38 MAP kinases, molecules which regulate pathways that activate proteins that loosen cancer cells from their tight hold within a tumor, pushing them to migrate. "In culture, you can actually see that when genistein is introduced, cells flatten themselves in order to spread out and stick strongly to nearby cells," he said.

In this study, investigators fed genistein to several groups of mice before implanting them with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The amount of genistein in the blood of the animals was comparable to human blood concentrations after consumption of soy foods, Bergan said.

The researchers found that while genistein didn't reduce the size of tumors that developed within the prostate, it stopped lung metastasis almost completely. They repeated the experiment and found the same result.

They then examined tissue in the animals, measuring the size of tumor cells' nuclei to determine if the cells had flattened out in order to spread. "Within a tumor, it is hard to tell where the borders of cells stop, so one way to measure adherence is to look at the size of the nuclei in cells and see if they are wider due to cell spread," Bergan said. "And that is what we found, demonstrating that the drug is having a primary effect on metastasis."

He said that the study also found that mice fed genistein expressed higher levels of genes that are involved in cancer cell migration which, Bergan says, at first might not make sense in light of the study's conclusion that genistein almost completely blocked metastasis.

"What we think is happening here is that the cells we put in the mice normally like to move. When genistein restricted their ability to do so, they tried to compensate by producing more protein involved in migration. But genistein prevented those proteins from being activated," he said. "This is really a lesson for researchers who depend on biomarker studies to test whether a treatment is working. They need to be aware that those biomarkers might be telling only half of the story."

Bergan cautioned that much is unknown about use of genistein in preventing cancer spread. For example, it may be that the effects of the compound in people who have eaten soy all their lives is stronger than benefit seen in patients who have only started to use genistein.

"The problem we have faced is that epidemiology studies that found men who eat soy are at reduced risk of prostate cancer death are all associative. They don't prove anything," he said. "The only way we will find out how promising genistein is will be from conducting clinical trials."

Human observational studies have found that while the spread of prostate cancer is reduced in men who eat soy-rich foods, findings have been mixed as to whether prostate cancer incidence is markedly different. Results of some laboratory studies of genistein have also been mixed, but most have shown favorable results, Bergan said, demonstrating that genistein can inhibit a variety of cell molecules including tyrosine kinases, which activate proteins by attaching them to phosphate chemicals.

A Veterans Administration Merit Award supported the study.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR-Bardos Awards for Undergraduate Students Announced

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - To foster interest in cancer research careers among the next generation of young scientists, the AACR will provide an opportunity for 10 undergraduate students to experience the field first hand at its Annual Meeting 2008 through the AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awards for Undergraduate Students.

This program is designed to enhance the education of the students by providing financial support to travel to AACR Annual Meetings, which are attended by more than 17,000 scientists from around the globe. The AACR Annual Meeting allows young investigators to present research, learn from various educational sessions and symposia, and take advantage of mentorship and networking opportunities.

"Many of the world's greatest scientific discoveries have been due to collaborations and correspondence between laboratories," said Uzoma Iheagwara, a biological science major at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a 2008 Bardos Award recipient, "Winning this award allows me a chance to branch out, talk about my research as well as learn from other people about different approaches to problems we address in the lab."

The award program is open to full-time, third-year undergraduate students majoring in science. In addition, winners will participate in the 2008 Undergraduate Student Caucus and Poster Competition. Because the award provides registration for two consecutive meetings, 10 winners will attend the AACR Annual Meeting 2009 as well.

Bardos, a native of Hungary, has been an AACR member for nearly 50 years and, since 1997, has supported the Science Education Awards for college students. Following World War II, he came to the United States and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame. He went on to hold a full professorship at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was a member of the faculty until his retirement in 1995; he now holds emeritus status. The Bardos Awards are supported by matching contributions from the AACR.

The AACR Annual Meeting 2008 will be held April 12-16 at the San Diego Convention Center. The Undergraduate Student Caucus will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. Programs for young scientists are organized by the AACR Science Education Committee.

For a list of winners or further information on the Undergraduate Student Caucus, please e-mail megan.davies@aacr.org or visit the AACR website at www.aacr.org.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Leading Researchers Honored for Progress in Cancer Prevention, Detection and Treatment

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

AACR Presents Research Achievement Awards at 2008 Annual Meeting

PHILADELPHIA - World-class cancer researchers whose science has significantly contributed to progress in the fight against cancer will be recognized April 12-16, 2008, by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 2008 Annual Meeting at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.

A series of awards given annually by the AACR, the world's oldest and largest professional organization representing cancer scientists from the United States and nearly 70 other countries, honor outstanding accomplishments in basic cancer research, clinical care, therapeutics and prevention. Each recipient presents an educational lecture at the AACR Annual Meeting.

"The AACR Awards Program recognizes the finest and most promising investigators in all fields of cancer research," said AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.). "During our Annual Meeting, AACR is pleased to honor the dedication and work of such influential researchers and advocates who continue to shape the future of cancer research."

Peers and colleagues nominate award candidates. Selection committees for each award, comprised of leaders in all areas of cancer research, choose the honorees.

This year's awardees embody the spirit of the AACR through their significant achievements in cancer research, education, and collaboration as well as their passion and dedication to advancing progress in the field. The honorees are:

Nancy E. Davidson, M.D., professor of oncology and breast cancer research chair in oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center; with joint appointments in biochemistry and molecular biology at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will be honored with the 11th Annual AACR-Women in Cancer Research-Charlotte Friend Memorial Lectureship for her accomplishments in translational cancer science, including pivotal discoveries regarding the epigenetic regulation of estrogen receptors and landmark clinical trials that have helped shape the standard of care for women with breast cancer. The Women in Cancer Research Council of the AACR established this lectureship in 1998 to honor renowned virologist and discoverer of the Friend virus, Dr. Charlotte Friend. The lecture recognizes an outstanding scientist who has made meritorious contributions to the field of cancer research and who has, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of women in science. The Award ceremony and lecture will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann, M.D., professor in the departments of medicine and of biochemistry & molecular genetics; member, graduate programs in biochemistry & molecular genetics, molecular biology and reproductive sciences at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, will receive the third annual AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research-Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship, for diversifying the cancer research community by recruiting minority scientists into the field, serving as a mentor to minority students, and fostering the careers of young minority investigators. In addition to his outstanding achievements as a researcher of epithelial cell development and tumorigenesis, Gutierrez-Hartmann has dedicated himself to helping minority scientists reach their full career potential. Named in honor of Jane Cooke Wright, M.D., an African-American woman pioneer in clinical cancer chemotherapy, the award is sponsored by the AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research Council and is intended to give recognition to an outstanding scientist who has, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of minority investigators in cancer research. Gutierrez-Hartmann will give his award lecture on Sunday, April 13th at 4:15 p.m. in Room 6E of the convention center.

Sydney Brenner, Ph.D., a distinguished professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and a recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in medicine is the recipient of the 3rd Annual AACR-Irving Weinstein Foundation Distinguished Lectureship. A renowned molecular biologist, Brenner helped to define this field of cancer research with several seminal contributions, including the identification of messenger RNA. Named in honor of the late Irving Weinstein, AACR and the Irving Weinstein Foundation created the distinguished lectureship in 2005 to recognize the accomplishments of an individual whose innovations in science and position as a thought leader have inspired creativity and new directions in cancer research. Brenner's award lecture will take place on Monday, April 14th at 1:30 p.m. in Room 20A-C of the convention center.

John E. Dick, Ph.D., Canada research chair in stem cell biology, division of cellular and molecular biology at the Toronto General Research Institute/University Health Network / Princess Margaret Hospital/OCI; and professor of medical genetics and microbiology at the University of Toronto, is the recipient of the 48th Annual AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award for his innovative contributions to uncovering the biological origins and development of human leukemia. His work has provided a new understanding of leukemia pathogenesis and has suggested new insights into anti-neoplastic therapies for treatment of the disease. The AACR and Eli Lilly and Company established this award in 1961 to honor Dr. G.H.A. Clowes, a founding member of AACR and a research director at Eli Lilly. The oldest award given by AACR, this honor recognizes an individual with outstanding recent accomplishments in basic cancer research. Dick's award lecture will take place on Tuesday, April 15th at 8:00 a.m. in Halls G&H of the convention center. Dick will also speak at the Eli Lilly and Company headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana later this year.

Jose Baselga, M.D., director of medical oncology, hematology and radiation oncology at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, will be honored with the 2008 AACR-Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for his extraordinary achievements in improving clinical cancer care, specifically, his contributions to the clinical development of novel targeted cancer therapies including studies with anti-EGFR agents, anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies and biomarker-driven early clinical trials. Established in 1977 to recognize clinical cancer research that has made, or promises to make notable contributions to the field, the award honors and provides incentive to investigators, age 50 or younger, relatively early in their careers. Baselga will present his award lecture on Tuesday, April 15th at 12:00 p.m. in Halls G&H of the convention center.

Robert N. Hoover, M.D., Sc.D., S.M.Hyg., director of the epidemiology and biostatistics program at the National Cancer Institute, will receive the 17th Annual AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. Established in 1992, the award recognizes outstanding research accomplishments in the fields of cancer epidemiology, biomarkers and prevention. Honored for his pioneering research in identifying environmental and genetic determinants of cancer, most notably bladder and breast cancer, Hoover is recognized as one of the nation's leading cancer epidemiologists and a major force in designing and deploying interdisciplinary studies looking at the role that environmental and genetic factors play in the etiology of cancer. Hoover will present his lecture on Tuesday, April 15th at 2:15 p.m. in Room 20A-C of the convention center.

Joseph R. Bertino, M.D., interim director and chief scientific officer at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, is the recipient of the 13th Annual AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievements in Clinical Research. Honored for his influential contributions to the field of cancer chemotherapy and more specifically, mechanisms of action and resistance to anti-metabolites and development of novel cancer therapeutics based on his studies, Bertino is a role model for translational research and has led the way in translating basic science into the clinic throughout his distinguished career. The award was established in 1996 to recognize outstanding achievements in clinical cancer research and honors the late Dr. Joseph Burchenal, honorary member and past president of the AACR, and a prominent figure in the field of clinical cancer research. Bertino will give his award lecture on Tuesday, April 15th at 9:00 a.m. in Halls G&H of the convention center.

Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., S.P. Hicks Endowed Professor of Pathology and professor of pathology and urology at the University of Michigan Medical School, will be honored with the 28th Annual AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research, for his promising research contributions to cancer biology. Chinnaiyan's research focuses on using genomic, proteomic, and bioinformatic approaches to better understand the biology of cancer and to uncover biomarkers. The work of his laboratory has far-reaching implications for the future of diagnosis and therapy for prostate and many other types of cancer. The AACR established this award in 1979 to recognize a young investigator for meritorious achievements in cancer research. Chinnaiyan's award lecture will take place on Wednesday, April 16th at 8:00 a.m. in Room 20A-C of the convention center.

Steven R. Tannenbaum, Ph.D., Underwood-Prescott professor of toxicology, biological engineering department; and professor of chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the recipient of the Second Annual AACR-CICR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research. The award was established in 2007 by the AACR's Chemistry in Cancer Research Working Group, through the support of GlaxoSmithKline, and honors novel and significant chemistry research which has led to important contributions to the field of cancer research. Tannenbaum's study of chemistry as related to cancer has advanced our knowledge of chemical carcinogenesis, the molecular epidemiology of cancer, and more recently, anti-cancer drug development and evaluation. His award lecture will be presented on Sunday, April 13th at 5:30 p.m. in Room 20A-C of the convention center.

Ellen V. Sigal, Ph.D., chairperson of Friends of Cancer Research has been named the 2nd recipient of the AACR Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research. The award, established last year to honor Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.) for her exemplary leadership of AACR as chief executive officer, recognizes a true champion of cancer research who embodies the sustained commitment of Margaret Foti to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Award is given to an individual whose leadership and extraordinary achievements in cancer research have made a major impact in the field. Such achievements may include contributions to the acceleration of progress in cancer research; raising national or international awareness of cancer research; or in other ways demonstrating a sustained commitment to cancer research. Sigal's award lecture will take place on Sunday, April 13th at 8:15 a.m. in Halls G&H of the convention center.

Lawrence A. Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology and biochemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle is the recipient of this year's AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship. Loeb is honored for his distinguished career in cancer research, as well as his work in actively promoting collaboration in cancer research between American and Japanese investigators. Supported by the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, the lectureship was established in 2007 in honor of the late Princess Takamatsu of Japan and recognizes an individual scientist whose novel and significant work has had or may have a far-reaching impact on the detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer, and who embodies the dedication of the Princess to multinational collaborations. Loeb will present his award lecture on Tuesday, April 15th at 1:15 p.m. in Room 20A-C of the convention center.

Daniel Pinkel, Ph.D., professor-in-residence at the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and senior scientist Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will be honored, along with his distinguished team of researchers with the 2nd Annual AACR Team Science Award, recognizing an outstanding interdisciplinary research team for its innovation in advancing cancer research, detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Established by the AACR and generously supported by a grant from Eli Lilly and Company, the award acknowledges the growing importance of interdisciplinary team collaboration to the understanding of cancer and the translation of research discoveries into clinical applications. Pinkel's team consisting of M.D.'s, physicists, biochemists, statisticians, computer scientists and engineers is being recognized for their conception, technical implementation, dissemination and pioneering applications of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and array CGH in the field of molecular biology and genetics. Team members include: faculty-level team members Donna Albertson, Jane Fridlyand, Joe Gray, Ajay Jain, Robert Nordmeyer, Norma Nowak, Damir Sudar, Frederic Waldman; and pre-faculty team members Anne Kallioniemi, Olli Kallioniemi and Antoine Snijders. For complete information on the winning team, please visit our website.

For additional information on this year's honorees, high-resolution photographs and complete award citations, contact Jennifer Ryan at jennifer.ryan@aacr.org or 267-646-0558.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the etiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ryan
jennifer.ryan@aacr.org
267-646-0558

High Levels of Estrogen Associated with Breast Cancer Recurrence

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Women whose breast cancer came back after treatment had almost twice as much estrogen in their blood than did women who remained cancer-free — despite treatment with anti-estrogen drugs in a majority of the women — according to researchers in a study published in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The findings suggest that high levels of estrogen contribute to an increased risk of cancer recurrence, just as they lead to the initial development of breast cancer, said the study's lead author, Cheryl L. Rock, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

"While this makes sense, there have been only a few small studies that have looked at the link between sex hormones in the blood and cancer recurrence," she said. "This is the largest study to date and the only one to have included women taking agents such as tamoxifen to reduce estrogen's effect on cancer growth.

"What the results mean for women who have already been treated for breast cancer is that they should do as much as they can to reduce estrogen in their blood, such as exercising frequently and keeping weight down," she added. "Taking anti-estrogen drugs like tamoxifen may not completely wipe out the hormone's effect in women who have high levels of estrogen."

Participants from this study were drawn from the larger Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study (WHEL), a dietary intervention trial that followed 3,088 women who had been treated for early stage breast cancer but who were cancer-free at the time they enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups — one that ate a "normal" healthy diet and the other that ate extremely high amounts of fruits, fiber, and vegetables — and were followed for more than seven years. Breast cancer recurrence was about the same in each group, according to the results, published in 2007. Researchers interpreted the findings to mean that a normal diet that incorporates the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables is sufficient.

In the current nested case-control study, 153 WHEL participants whose cancer had recurred were matched with 153 participants who remained cancer-free. These pairs were alike in terms of tumor type, body size, age, ethnicity, use of chemotherapy and other variables. Two-thirds of the participants were using tamoxifen, Rock said.

When they enrolled, researchers tested the women's blood for concentrations of the steroid hormones estradiol (the primary human estrogen) and testosterone. They analyzed different forms of estradiol and testosterone in the blood, such as how much was bound to transport proteins (such as to the sex hormone binding globulin, or SHBG) and how much was "free" circulating and able to enter a cell.

Researchers found that higher estradiol concentrations, in all forms, significantly predicted cancer recurrence. Overall, women whose cancer came back had an average total estradiol concentration that was more than double the average for women who remained cancer-free. Increased levels of testosterone or SHBG levels were not associated with recurrence, contradicting the findings of several previous studies.

Although genetic and metabolic factors likely influence the relationship between circulating sex hormones and risk of breast cancer recurrence, Rock said the study provides solid evidence that higher concentrations of estradiol in the blood contribute to risk for breast cancer recurrence.

The Walton Family Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health funded the study.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

Extract of Broccoli Sprouts May Protect Against Bladder Cancer

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumors in an animal model by more than half, according to a report in the March 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

This finding reinforces human epidemiologic studies that have suggested that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is associated with reduced risk for bladder cancer, according to the study's senior investigator, Yuesheng Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. "Although this is an animal study, it provides potent evidence that eating vegetables is beneficial in bladder cancer prevention," he said.

There is strong evidence that the protective action of cruciferous vegetables derives at least in part from isothyiocyanates (ITCs), a group of phytochemicals with well-known cancer preventive activities."The bladder is particularly responsive to this group of natural chemicals," Zhang said. "In our experiments, the broccoli sprout ITCs after oral administration were selectively delivered to the bladder tissues through urinary excretion."

Other cruciferous vegetables with ITCs include mature broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens and others. Broccoli sprouts have approximately 30 times more ITCs than mature broccoli, and the sprout extract used by the researchers contains approximately 600 times as much.

Although animals that had the most protection against development of bladder cancer were given high doses of the extract, Zhang said humans at increased risk for this cancer likely do not need to eat huge amounts of broccoli sprouts in order to derive protective benefits.

"Epidemiologic studies have shown that dietary ITCs and cruciferous vegetable intake are inversely associated with bladder cancer risk in humans. It is possible that ITC doses much lower than those given to the rats in this study may be adequate for bladder cancer prevention," he said.

Zhang and his colleagues tested the ability of the concentrate to prevent bladder tumors in five groups of rats. The first group acted as a control, while the second group was given only the broccoli extract to test for safety. The remaining three groups were given a chemical, N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN) in drinking water, which induces bladder cancer. Two of these groups were given the broccoli extract in diet, beginning two weeks before the carcinogenic chemical was delivered.

In the control group and the group given only the extract, no tumors developed, and there was no toxicity from the extract in the rats.

About 96 percent of animals given only BBN developed an average of almost two tumors each of varying sizes. By comparison, about 74 percent of animals given a low dose of the extract developed cancer, and the number of tumors per rat was 1.39. The group given the high dose of extract had even fewer tumors. About 38 percent of this high-dose group developed cancer, and the average number of tumors per animal was only .46 and, unlike the other animals, the majority were very small in size.

The study was funded by the Vital Vegetables Research Program of Australia and New Zealand, the National Cancer Institute and the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

New Blood Marker May Predict Prostate Cancer Spread

registration@aacr.org () — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Information could lead to more accurate prediction of cancer metastasis thereby improving patient management.

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers report finding a new blood biomarker that enables close to 98 percent accuracy in predicting the spread of prostate cancer to regional lymph nodes. Their study is published in the March 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

When cancer spreads beyond a solid tumor, it often does so at a microscopic level that typically cannot be identified by conventional imaging methods such as CT scans. The new blood test measures levels of endoglin, a plasma biomarker that has been previously shown to predict the spread of colon and breast cancer. In this study, researchers concluded for the first time that endoglin could help predict whether a patient's prostate cancer would spread beyond the solid tumor site into their lymph nodes.

"For prostate cancer, we have hit the limit of our ability to classify risk in these patients before initial surgery. We currently use prostate specific antigen, Gleason grade and a rectal exam, but the predictive value of those three tests is inadequate for predicting what cancers will spread. Conventional imaging modalities used for clinical staging in prostate cancer are inadequate to detect small but clinically significant lymph node metastases." said study author Shahrokh F. Shariat, M.D., chief urology resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

"Although it is recognized that pelvic lymphadenectomy can provide important staging and prognostic information, it is still not clear in whom this procedure should be done. Doing pelvic lymphadenectomy on all patients is not universally practiced, as this procedure could be time consuming and is not without morbidity. As such, it would be of tremendous benefit to have an accurate blood marker that identifies patients in whom pelvic lymphadenectomy should be done," said co-author Claus G. Roehrborn, M.D., professor and chairman of Urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Shariat and his colleagues observed 425 patients who had undergone surgery to remove both their prostates and associated pelvic lymph nodes. Researchers measured the levels of plasma endoglin using a commercially available blood test. Higher plasma endoglin levels were associated with an increased risk of cancer spread to the lymph nodes. Each 1 ng/mL increase of plasma endoglin increased the risk for cancer spread into the lymph nodes by 17 percent.

When researchers added endoglin levels to their usual methods of prediction, the accuracy improved from 89.4 percent without endoglin to 97.8 percent. Blood levels of endoglin may allow doctors to predict the risk of cancer spread at an earlier stage and with higher accuracy than currently available methods.

"Despite strides in the management of prostate cancer, approximately 25 percent to 30 percent fail primary curative treatment such as radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy. This is often due to spread of cancer cells beyond the original tumor site. Use of plasma endoglin could help identify patients at risk for lymph nodes metastasis who should undergo pelvic lymphadenectomy. In addition, it may spare patients at low risk of lymph node metastasis the potential morbidity of an unnecessary lymphadenectomy," Shariat said.

The authors stressed that some limitations of this study should be noted. The retrospective study, the standard lymph node sampling, and the small number of events support the need for multicenter prospective studies before the clinical use of endoglin as a marker for predicting lymph node metastasis in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

"Ultimately endoglin will need to be combined with three of four other markers to predict risk with greater certainty. The problem with biomarkers is that there is a tremendous variability among patients, but this moves us forward from what we were able to do with imaging and with our other commonly used methods," Shariat said.
The study was funded through a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
267-646-0557
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org

AACR's Seventh Annual Landon Awards Recognize Arnold J. Levine and John Mendelsohn for Monumental Achievements in Basic and Translational Cancer Research

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Scientists whose discoveries have led to fundamental advances in the science and treatment of cancer are the recipients of two prestigious international prizes offered by the Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

The Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research and Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research are among the largest awards in the world offered to cancer researchers from a professional society of their peers. Honorees for each prize receive an unrestricted cash award of $100,000 and present a scientific lecture at the AACR Annual Meeting, held this year from April 12-16 in San Diego, California.

This year's winner of the Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research is Arnold J. Levine, Ph.D., professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, School of Natural Sciences, and professor of pediatrics and biochemistry at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Levine is recognized for his work in establishing p53 as a tumor suppressor, one of the body's most important defenses against many forms of cancer, and for his extraordinary contributions to our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer.

"Arnold Levine's seminal contributions to the discovery of p53 as a tumor suppressor gene and his work in identifying its anti-cancer mechanisms have profoundly influenced the way scientists study cancer," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR's chief executive officer. "It is our great pleasure to honor this world leader in p53 research for his scientific accomplishments and his continued efforts to educate and mentor younger researchers interested in furthering this important area of molecular cancer research."

This year's Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research is awarded to John Mendelsohn, M.D., president and professor of cancer medicine at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, for his pioneering translational research that led to the discovery of a new class of agents to treat cancer and for his landmark contributions to our growing knowledge of targeted cancer therapies.

"The translation of John Mendelsohn's research from the laboratory into clinical practice created a new paradigm for treating cancer, providing novel treatment options and life-saving alternatives to many patients living with cancer," Foti said. "His dedication and leadership deserve the highest recognition and we are proud to honor John for his revolutionary work."

The Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research

For nearly three decades, Levine has been at the forefront of molecular cancer research and is a leading authority on the molecular basis of cancer. Best known for his co-discovery of the p53 tumor suppressor protein, Levine has led the way in uncovering the actions of p53, its biological significance and its mode of regulation in normal and cancer cells. Based on the findings of Levine and his colleagues, the study of p53 has become a promising focus of basic cancer research. This work and the collaboration of many researchers has led to the realization that p53 is a pivotal tumor suppressor gene which is mutated or otherwise inactivated in a majority of human cancer cases, a fact that underscores its critical importance in preventing the development of cancer.

Furthering his study of p53, Levine discovered another piece of the puzzle with the identification of the Mdm2 oncoprotein as a potent inhibitor of p53. The milestone discovery of the Mdm2-p53 interaction has become, in recent years, a target for drug development studies across industry and academia. These efforts have yielded several promising small molecule candidate drugs that activate p53 in tumor cells through disruption of the Mdm2-p53 interaction, and are currently being applied in clinical trials as potential novel anti-cancer therapies.

"The work of Dr. Arnold Levine has proven to be a cornerstone in our understanding of cancer on the molecular level," said Lewis C. Cantley, Ph.D., professor in the department of systems biology, Harvard Medical School and chair of the Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research selection committee. "With the discovery of the p53 tumor suppressor came a heightened interest and renewed fervor in building upon this area of basic cancer research. Decades later, researchers are still uncovering new pieces to the p53 puzzle, and Dr. Levine's influential thinking and trail-blazing work remain highly relevant to continued progress in molecular cancer research."

An AACR member of long standing, Levine serves on the AACR's Council of Scientific Advisors and is the program chair of AACR's upcoming meeting, Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and served as chairman of the Institute of Medicine's National Cancer Policy Board from 2000-2002. Levine has received numerous honors and awards, including most recently: the G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award from the AACR; the Bristol-Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Award; the Award for Basic Research from the Surgical Society of Oncologists; the Jill Rose Award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research; and the National Cancer Institute's Alfred Knudson Award in Cancer Genetics. He is also a member of scientific advisory boards at several cancer centers. Levine holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from Harpur College, State University of New York at Binghamton.

The Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research

Throughout his distinguished career, Mendelsohn has dedicated his research efforts to understanding how growth factors regulate the proliferation of cancer cells by activating receptors on the surface of the cells. Mendelsohn and his colleagues were the first to propose a new approach to cancer therapy by suggesting that blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) could prevent cancer cell growth and reproduction.

Mendelsohn and his colleagues proved their hypothesis by producing an anti-EGF receptor monoclonal antibody that blocked receptor kinase activation and inhibited cancer cell growth. Mendelsohn's findings ignited intense and continued interest in this area of clinical cancer research. Continued research on EGF receptors, carried out by Mendelsohn and numerous collaborators for almost two decades, proved the original demonstration that both inhibition of a growth factor receptor and inhibition of a tyrosine kinase could be useful approaches to creating new categories of anti-cancer agents.

The eventual landmark development of C225, the human chimeric version of the anti-EGF receptor monoclonal antibody, has changed the way some advanced cancers, including advanced head and neck and pancreatic cancers, are treated and it led to the 2004 FDA approval of cetuximab for treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Today, there are more than 130 active clinical trials using C225 to treat 15 cancer subtypes and two non-cancer diseases.

"Dr. John Mendelsohn had a hunch that paid off. When he identified an antibody against the EGF receptor in the early 1980s, he immediately forged ahead on the path to evaluate and develop this antibody as a treatment for tumors that expressed high levels of the receptor and relied on it for growth," said Stanton L. Gerson, M.D., director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and chair of the Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research selection committee.

"While the path was arduous, as it often is for pioneers in cancer therapy, Dr. Mendelsohn's hypothesis turned out to be spectacular, resulting in a new and effective treatment for many patients with non-small cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer. His work, perhaps the most important new development in cancer therapeutics in the past 20 years, has helped define the field of targeted and personalized therapy for cancer. Rarely does a single discovery have such impact in the field of cancer," Gerson added.

A distinguished AACR member, Mendelsohn served as the founding editor of Clinical Cancer Research, a bimonthly translational research journal published by the AACR, and has been a member of the editorial boards of numerous other scientific journals. He has authored more than 300 scientific papers and articles for journals and books, and serves as senior editor of the textbook, "The Molecular Basis of Cancer." Mendelsohn has received a number of national and international honors in recognition of his career achievements, including most recently: the Dan David Prize in Cancer Therapy; the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal; the Bristol-Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research; the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology; the AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Clinical Research Award; and the Gold Medal of Paris. Mendelsohn earned his bachelor's degree in biochemical sciences magna cum laude from Harvard College and received his M.D. cum laude from Harvard Medical School.

The Landon-AACR Prizes in Cancer Research were first presented in 2002 to promote and reward seminal contributions to our understanding of cancer through basic and translational cancer research. These distinguished scientific prizes are designed to bring heightened public attention to landmark achievements in the continuing effort to prevent and cure cancer through quality research.

For complete award citations and biographies and photos of award winners, contact Jennifer Ryan in the AACR Department of Communications and Public Relations: 267-646-0558; jennifer.ryan@aacr.org.

###

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the etiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

The Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation was created through a bequest from Mrs. Landon who willed that her estate be committed to medical research, especially cancer research and research into cancer-related diseases. R. Kirk Landon, son of Kirk A. Landon, serves as chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. The Foundation accomplishes its mission through a variety of programs and initiatives, the first of which were the Landon-AACR Prizes.

Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research Recognizes the Outstanding Achievements of Axel Ullrich

registration@aacr.org () — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Ullrich Lauded for Gene Technology Advances and Recognized as a Pioneer in Signal Transduction Research

PHILADELPHIA - Axel Ullrich, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2008 Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research for his pioneering work in the translation of genomics-based discoveries into novel approaches for cancer therapy. Ullrich is the Director of Molecular Biology at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, and is a renowned expert in gene technology and one of the most frequently cited cancer scientists in the area of signal transduction research.

"We are proud to honor Axel Ullrich, a brilliant scientist whose work is an exceptional triumph for biomedical research," said AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.). "His study of EGFR proteins and gene expression technology has benefitted countless individuals with cancer and has substantial implications for future advances in cancer research."

The award, now in its 11th year, recognizes an individual who has made a major scientific discovery in basic or translational cancer research. Ullrich will give his award lecture in San Diego, Calif. during the AACR Annual Meeting on April 13, 2008 at noon in Halls G & H of the San Diego Convention Center.

In Ullrich's honor, the Pezcoller Foundation will hold an award ceremony in early May in Trento, Italy, where he will receive a cash award of €75,000.

Lauded for his contributions to the discovery of the HER2/neu oncogene, Ullrich is an international leader in cancer research whose work has helped introduce an era of personalized medicine not only for the treatment of breast cancer, but also for other cancers. His strategy of genomics-based, target-driven drug development has helped to revolutionize the way cancer is studied and treated, and he is being honored for his ingenuity and insight into attacking the cancer problem through his study of signal transduction and genetics.

For more than 25 years, Ullrich has led the cancer research field in gene technology, studying gene expression and translating basic science discoveries into clinical applications and therapies. In the gene technology field's early days, Ullrich and his colleagues were the first to clone the genes of medically important proteins including the precursor to insulin, which led to the development of Humulin, the first therapeutic agent to be developed through gene-based technology. This research led to further study of the molecular genetic characterization of cell surface receptors through which Ullrich ushered in a new field of study, signal transduction. Ullrich's work in signal transduction research has uncovered fundamental molecular mechanisms that determine the physiology of normal cells and has provided insights into similar mechanisms in other major human diseases.

Ullrich's recent work led to the development of the first multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, SU1128/SUTENT which was approved by the FDA in 2006 for the treatment of kidney carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. He is currently investigating the impact of SNPs on cancer progression, susceptibility, resistance, and therapy response. In his laboratory, Ullrich continues to lead basic research focusing on characterizing additional relevant receptor proteins, with the goal of developing new, more targeted cancer therapies.

Recognized widely and often for his tremendous scientific achievements, Ullrich's awards and honors include: the Robert Koch Prize; the Clifford Prize for Cancer Research; the ASMR Medal from the Australian Society for Medical Research and the Warren Alpert Prize from Harvard Medical School. Ullrich is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and an honorary member of the World Innovation Foundation. A member of the American Association for Cancer Research since 1995, Ullrich serves on the editorial board of Cancer Research and received the AACR Bruce F. Cain Memorial Award in 2000.

Ullrich studied biochemistry at the University of Tuebingen in Germany and earned a Ph.D. in molecular genetics at the University of Heidelberg.

For additional biographical information on Ullrich, high-resolution photographs and the complete award citation, contact Jennifer Ryan at jennifer.ryan@aacr.org or 267-646-0558.

###

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes over 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the etiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

The Pezcoller Foundation was established in 1982 by Professor Alessio Pezcoller, a dedicated Italian surgeon who made important contributions to medicine during his career and who, through his foresight, vision, and generosity leading to the formation of the Foundation, has stimulated others to make significant advances in cancer research. The AACR and the Pezcoller Foundation established this award in 1997 to recognize a major scientific discovery in basic or translational research. It honors a scientist who has made a major discovery in basic cancer research or who has made significant contributions to translational research, who continues to be active in research and has a record of recent, noteworthy publications, and whose ongoing work holds promise for continued, substantive contributions to progress in the field of cancer.

Prostate Cancer: Watchful Wait or Vaccinate?

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Researchers develop successful test vaccine that prevents development of prostate cancer.

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers at the University of Southern California have developed a prostate cancer vaccine that prevented the development of cancer in 90 percent of young mice genetically predestined to develop the disease. In the February 1 issue of Cancer Research, they suggest the same strategy might work for men with rising levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen), a potential diagnostic indicator of prostate cancer.

"By early vaccination, we have basically given these mice life-long protection against a disease they were destined to have," said the study's lead investigator, W. Martin Kast, Ph.D., a professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. "This has never been done before and, with further research, could represent a paradigm shift in the management of human prostate cancer."

Now, men with rising PSA levels but no other signs of cancer are advised "watchful waiting" - no treatment until signs of the cancer appear, Kast says. "But what if instead of a watchful wait, we vaccinate? That could change the course of the disease."

The study findings also represent a new way to think about the use of therapeutic prostate cancer vaccines, Kast says. Vaccines now in testing are designed to treat men whose cancers are advanced and unresponsive to therapy, and results have offered limited clinical benefit, he says. This novel approach targets the precancerous state with the aim of preventing cancer from developing, he says.

The Kast team's preventive vaccine is designed to mount an immune response against prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), the protein target of some therapeutic vaccines under development. PSCA, a membrane protein, is over-expressed in about one-third of early-stage prostate cancers, but expression ramps up in all prostate tumors as they grow and advance. PSCA is also expressed at low-levels in normal prostate gland tissue as well as in the bladder, colon, kidney and stomach.

The researchers created a prime-boost vaccination scheme using two kinds of vaccines and tested it in 8-week-old mice that were genetically altered to develop prostate cancer later in life. The first vaccine simply delivered a fragment of DNA that coded for PSCA, thus producing an influx of PSCA protein to alert the immune system. The booster shot, given two weeks later, used a modified horse virus to deliver the PSCA gene.
"Confronting the immune system in two different ways forces it to mount a strong response," Kast said.

In the experimental group, two of 20 mice developed prostate cancer at the end of one year, and by contrast, all control mice had died of the disease. Researchers found that mice in the experimental group had all developed very small tumors that did not progress. "There were tiny nodules of prostate cancer in the mice that were surrounded by an army of immune system cells," Kast said. "The vaccination turned the cancer into a chronic, manageable disease."

The vaccination strategy also works with other antigens, Kast says. The researchers recently tried another prostate cancer membrane target and found that after 1.5 years, 65 percent of experimental mice were still alive, and of those that died, the suspected cause was old age.

Crucially, investigators further found that treated mice did not develop autoimmune disease, a side effect that could develop if the vaccine had also targeted PSCA expression in normal cells. "Theoretically, the vaccine could produce a response in any tissue that expresses the antigen, but the fact that PSCA is expressed in such low levels in normal tissue may prevent that complication," he said.

Still, studies in humans are needed to ensure autoimmunity does not develop, Kast says.

"We feel this is a very promising approach," he said. "With just two shots, the vaccine will prime immune cells to be on the lookout for any cell that over-expresses PSCA."

The study was funded by a pre-doctoral training grant from the National Institutes of Health and a grant from the Margaret E. Early Medical Research Trust. Co-authors include researchers from the University of Southern California as well as from AlphaVax, inc., of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

New, Non-Invasive Prostate Cancer Test Beats PSA in Detecting Prostate Cancer, Researchers Report

registration@aacr.org () — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Simple urine test leads to more accurate diagnoses, fewer false-positive results

PHILADELPHIA - An experimental biomarker test developed by researchers at the University of Michigan more accurately detects prostate cancer than any other screening method currently in use, according to a study published in the February 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The researchers say a simple urine test that screens for the presence of four different RNA molecules accurately identified 80 percent of patients in a study who were later found to have prostate cancer, and was 61 percent effective in ruling out disease in other study participants.

This is far more accurate than the PSA blood test currently in use worldwide, which can accurately detect prostate cancer in men with the disease but which also identifies many men with enlarged prostate glands who do not develop cancer, researchers say. Even the newer PCA3 test, which screens for a molecule specific to prostate cancer and which is now in use both in the U.S. and Europe is less precise, they say.

"Relative to what is out there, this is the best test so far," said the study's lead author, Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology at the University of Michigan.

He also says that this "first generation multiplex" biomarker test will likely be improved upon as researchers continue to uncover the molecular underpinnings of prostate cancer.

"We want to develop a test to allow physicians to predict whether their patients have prostate cancer that is so accurate a biopsy won't be needed to rule cancer out," Chinnaiyan said. "No test can do that now."

Chinnaiyan and the Michigan researchers developed the test based on their recent finding that gene fusions - pieces of chromosomes that trade places with each other, causing two genes to stick together - are common in prostate cancer, and that by overriding molecular switches that turn off excess growth, they may be the causative factor in some forms of the disease. In 2005 they identified a prostate-specific gene called TMPRSS2 which fuses with either ERG or ETV1, two genes known to be involved in several types of cancer. In 2007, they identified another five genes that fuse on to ERG or ETV1 to cause prostate cancer.

In the current study, researchers built upon the PCA3 test by screening for six additional biomarkers, including TMPRSS2:ERG as well as some molecules generally over-expressed in prostate cancer, and some which are over-expressed in specific cancer subtypes.

Researchers collected urine samples from 234 men with rising PSA levels before they underwent prostate biopsy at a University of Michigan urology clinic. Among this group, biopsy results confirmed a diagnosis of prostate cancer in 138 patients; 96 patients were cancer-free.

Correlating the urine biomarker test results with the biopsy data, researchers found that, in combination, four of the seven biomarkers were significant predictors of prostate cancer: GOLPH2, which is generally over-expressed in prostate cancer; SPINK1, over-expressed in a subset of these cancers; the PCA3 transcript expression; and TMPRSS2:ERG fusion status. Of the seven markers, only PCA3 had been previously reported as a diagnostic biomarker.

When tested as individual biomarkers, GOLPH2, PCA3, and SPINK1 each outperformed PSA, which had identified all of the men in the study as potentially positive for prostate cancer. "PSA was not predictive at all," Chinnaiyan said. "You might as well have flipped a coin."

The combination of the four biomarkers achieved a specificity and positive predictive value of greater than 75 percent, which they found to be five percent better than use of a PCA3 test alone, he says. Specificity is the probability that a test indicates a negative result if a person does not have a disease, and the positive predictive value is the proportion of patients with positive test results who are correctly diagnosed.

Chinnaiyan believes that any tests that are developed and widely tested would first be used to supplement a PSA blood screen.

The study was funded by the Early Detection Research Network, Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and Gen-Probe Incorporated of San Diego. The gene fusion technology has been patented by the University of Michigan and licensed to Gen-Probe Inc, which is also developing the PCA3 screening test. Chinnaiyan is a paid consultant to Gen-Probe.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Staci Vernick Goldberg
267-646-0616
Staci.goldberg@aacr.org

In Memoriam: Judah Folkman, M.D. (1933-2008)

registration@aacr.org () — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA -- Judah Folkman, M.D., director of the vascular biology program at Children's Hospital Boston and the Andrus professor of pediatric surgery and professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, died suddenly January 14, 2008. He was 74.

Internationally renowned as a pioneer in the field of angiogenesis research, Dr. Folkman's landmark discovery that cutting off a cancerous tumor's blood supply inhibited its growth and ability to spread revolutionized cancer treatment. Dr. Folkman's laboratory was the first to purify angiogenic protein from a tumor, basic research which led to the discovery of the first angiogenesis inhibitors and ultimately to clinical trials of anti-angiogenic therapy. Today, angiogenesis inhibitors such as Avastin, Tarceva and Macugen have received FDA approval in the U.S. and similar regulatory approval in 27 other countries for the treatment of cancer and/or macular degeneration. Dr. Folkman's research provides a firm scientific foundation for the pursuit of anti-angiogenic therapy, not only for the treatment of cancer, but for many non-neoplastic diseases.

"Judah Folkman's passing is a tremendous and tragic loss for humankind," said AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.). "In addition to his brilliant and distinguished cancer research career, Judah was highly regarded by the cancer community as a supportive mentor, a dedicated teacher, and esteemed colleague. His legacy of discovery and ingenuity in the field of angiogenesis will continue to inspire cancer researchers and give hope to countless individuals living with the disease. He was certainly a valued friend of the AACR and we extend our deepest condolences to the Folkman family."

An active member of the American Association for Cancer Research since 1990, Dr. Folkman served as an associate editor of two AACR journals, Cancer Research (1990 - 2000) and Clinical Cancer Research (1999 - 2002). He was the 1985 recipient of the AACR- G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in cancer research. Dr. Folkman also demonstrated his commitment to cancer research philanthropy as a trustee of the AACR Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer.

Through his work with the AACR and through leadership and advisory positions with a host of prestigious scientific institutions and organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, The National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the American Pediatric Surgical Association, Dr. Folkman helped to define the field of cancer and biomedical research.

# # #

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Contact: Staci Vernick Goldberg
(267) 646-0616
staci.goldberg@aacr.org