Cancer Research Lab

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is as effective when delivered percutaneously as with a surgical approach, but with lower morbidity, according to a report in the December issue of the Archives of Surgery.

However, surgical RFA may be preferable for larger tumors.

RFA has been shown to be 85% to 95% effective in ablating HCC 3 cm or less in diameter, the authors explain, but it remains unclear whether the percutaneous or surgical approach should be favored.

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“Chronic inflammation was first invoked as a possible mechanism leading to the development of epithelial ovarian cancer to explain observed associations between certain factors, such as use of talcum powder in the perineal region or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and risk of ovarian cancer,” Dr. Penelope M. Webb and colleagues write. “The major mechanisms thought to underlie ovarian carcinogenesis, namely increased pituitary gonadotropins or incessant ovulation, do not explain such associations.”

The researchers, from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia, examined factors potentially linked to ovarian inflammation, including talcum powder use, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), in 1576 women with invasive and low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian tumors and 1509 population-based controls.

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Intake of calcium and vitamin D has little or no impact on the risk of prostate cancer, but consumption of low fat or nonfat milk may increase the risk of the malignancy, according to the results of two studies appearing in the December 1st issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Calcium and dairy product intake has been thought to increase the risk of prostate cancer by affecting vitamin D metabolism. Data from several prospective studies have supported an association but many other studies have failed to establish a link.

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In children with non-CNS malignancies, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET combined with CT in a single examination shows significantly better diagnostic performance than does conventional imaging, such as contrast CT or MRI, researchers report in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

As Dr. Richard L. Wahl said in a statement, “PET/CT is useful in finding small tumors in small children and is a promising imaging tool in evaluating pediatric malignancies.”

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New research suggests that the use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for 2 months before and during external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) can help slow the growth of locally advanced prostate cancer. Moreover, this short course of ADT does not increase the risk of fatal cardiac events.

“This study demonstrates that the benefits of short-term hormonal therapy for men receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer far outweigh the risks,” lead author Dr. Mack Roach, from the University of California at San Francisco, said in a statement.

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The expression of three specific genes in microarray studies provides information on overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Canadian investigators report.

Dr. Ming-Sound Tsao of Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and colleagues analyzed 158 possible prognostic genes, identified in previous studies as being potentially linked to NSCLC, by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the tumors of 14 patients with NSCLC.

As reported in the December 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, they identified a three-gene classifier, involving genes STX1A, HIF1A and CCR7, that was predictive of overall survival, with a hazard ratio of 3.8.

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In a study of Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer, those with BRCA1/2 mutations had better long-term survival than women without the mutations, according to a report in the January 1st issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“These findings are encouraging news for BRCA mutation carriers,” senior author Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, from Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, said in a statement. “It’s possible that patients with these mutations respond better to chemotherapy. Hopefully, once we learn more about the mechanisms of this response, tailoring treatment will further improve survival.”

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Mutation causes chemical reaction; discovery could lead to new treatments

New York – Researchers say they’ve discovered a major reason why women who inherit a mutated version of the gene BRCA1 run a high risk of breast cancer — and that finding might aid the search for new treatments.

A second gene, called PTEN, plays a key role, scientists said in a study released Sunday.

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New gene test helps tell which patients can avoid the treatment, study says

SAN ANTONIO – Thousands of breast cancer patients each year could be spared chemotherapy or get gentler versions of it without harming their odds of beating the disease, new research suggests.

One study found that certain women did better — were less likely to die or have a relapse — if given a less harsh drug than Adriamycin, a mainstay of treatment for decades.

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First big study to find link between saturated fats and lung disease

WASHINGTON – People who eat a lot of red meat and processed meats have a higher risk of several types of cancer, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer, U.S. researchers reported.

The work is the first big study to show a link between meat and lung cancer. It also shows that people who eat a lot of meat have a higher risk of liver and esophageal cancer and that men raise their risk of pancreatic cancer by eating red meat.

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