Cancer Research Lab

A calorically restricted ketogenic diet decreases the growth of malignant brain tumors in a mouse model, according to a report in the online BioMed Central journal Nutrition & Metabolism, published February 21.

“In contrast to most conventional brain tumor therapies, which are largely ineffective, are excessively costly, and can diminish the length and quality of life, the calorically restricted ketogenic diet is a natural therapeutic approach to brain cancer management that is based on the principles of evolutionary biology and metabolic control theory,” Dr. Thomas N. Seyfried said.

(more…)

Dietary isoflavones may reduce the risk of developing localized prostate cancer, but appear to be associated with advanced disease when prostate cancer does occur, according to a report from Japan in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

“Isoflavone intake from traditional Japanese food throughout life may be protective for incidence of prostate cancer,” Dr. Norie Kurahashi said, “but we can not recommend intake of isoflavones from supplements to persons who do not consume isoflavones regularly, because isoflavones may increase the risk of advanced prostate cancer.”

(more…)

A single annual treatment with zoledronic acid appears to be sufficient to prevent bone loss in men rendered hypogonadal by treatment for prostate cancer, according to a report in the March 20th issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Osteoporosis is an important complication of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist treatment in men with prostate cancer, the authors point out, and quarterly treatment with zoledronic acid has previously been shown to increase bone mineral density (BMD) in such men.

(more…)

Switzerland’s Roche Holding AG said on Friday its Xeloda drug had been approved in Europe for the treatment of advanced stomach cancer.

Xeloda was approved for first-line use in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, Roche said in a statement.

The approval had been expected after Xeloda — which is already approved for other conditions — was recommended for stomach cancer last month by a panel of European experts.

(more…)

Dendreon Corp. showed that its novel cancer therapy Provenge is reasonably safe and provided “substantial evidence” it benefits men with advanced prostate cancer, U.S. advisers ruled on Thursday.

Provenge is a therapeutic cancer vaccine designed to stimulate the immune response to cancer. It targets the prostate cancer antigen, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), which is found in approximately 95% of prostate cancers.

Two Dendreon studies failed to meet their main goal of slowing the progress of advanced prostate cancer, but one analysis found patients treated with the product lived about 4.5 months longer.

(more…)

Interstitial brachytherapy and radical prostatectomy are effective treatments for localized prostate cancer with similar cost profiles, but different long-term side effects, according to the results of a multicenter study in France.

“This study is exciting because it’s the first time we have a comparative study to assess the costs in a given country and see if the side effects are different for patients who received surgery or brachytherapy,” study co-author Dr. Jean-Marc Cosset, from the Institut Curie in Paris, said in a statement.

(more…)

Data from a study involving almost 40,000 women support a potential role of oral contraceptives in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, researchers report in the April issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

As lead investigator Dr. Jennifer Lin said, “Our study suggests that exogenous hormone use such as oral contraceptives may confer some protection among women against colorectal cancer development.”

(more…)

Neuraminidase inhibitors, which include oseltamivir and zanamivir, improve outcomes in leukemia patients with influenza, according to a report in the April 1st issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

“I think all immunocompromised patients or patients with co-morbidities (including elderly) should be treated with neuraminidase inhibitors if they are diagnosed with influenza,” Dr. Roy F. Chemaly from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, said.

(more…)

Evaluating a greater number of lymph nodes is associated with increased patient survival after surgical resection of stage II or III colon cancer, according to a report in the March 21st Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“No minimum [number of nodes] can be determined based on this review, and that number may be elusive and may depend on other factors which are patient- and tumor-related,” Dr. George J. Chang from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas “Twelve as proposed, however, seems very achievable in nearly all cases.”

(more…)

The risk of esophageal cancer differs in patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers, according to a report in the April issue of Gut.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a reduced risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, the authors explain, but few studies have explored the risk of esophageal cancer according to histology in relation to peptic ulcer disease.

(more…)