Mesothelioma Blog

Every year, an estimated 127,000 women develop estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. This subcategory of breast cancer has proven increasingly frustrating for both researchers and patients, because it is resistant to the beneficial effects of tamoxifen – the world’s most popular breast cancer drug.

Now, however, it appears that researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) may have found an important clue into the workings of ER+ breast cancer. Through laboratory research, the GUMC team has determined that high amounts of cholesterol may be shielding cancer cells against tamoxifen.

This conclusion was met following studies that indicated tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells exhibit significantly higher amounts of cholesterol. Scientists suggest that the cholesterol may be aiding resistance in one of two ways. The first possibility is that cholesterol serves as a barrier between cancer drugs and the cell membrane. The alternative is that additional cholesterol surrounding the mitochondria is inhibiting susceptibility to cell death.

As a result of the research, experts are hypothesizing that cholesterol-lowering drugs could be used to lower the resistance of ER+ breast cancer so that cancer drugs can be more effective. New drugs that address cholesterol levels in patients may also be developed.

While the discovery serves as one of several new insights into tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer, additional research is still necessary. Previous studies that focused on the connection between cholesterol-reducing drugs and breast cancer resistant have failed to display consistent results. One potential problem with the use of statins is that they may help to reduce cholesterol in the blood, but not in the cancer cells.

Regardless of these facts, the new findings courtesy of GUMC provide important insight into the matter. Based on the research, new treatment strategies can now be investigated.

Resources:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/gumc-cat033009.php
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iD_r-9wuoxCtimfWbfX4CmMj0TIg

Currently, chemotherapy drugs must be administered in high doses to ensure that the therapeutic properties will effectively reach cancer cells. Though effective, this brute force process is inefficient and highly disruptive to normal cells.

Now, a new research study released by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health and Sciences Technology hints at a more direct route for attacking cancer tumors. This route involves engineered nano-particles that are specially designed to disrupt the signaling pathway of cancer cells so that a higher concentration of drugs can reach its intended target.

The name of this inhibited signaling pathway is MAPK. The MAPK pathway is responsible for signaling the growth of new cancerous cells. By using a MAPK inhibitor, which was engineered from an FDA-approved polymer, the team was successful in slowing tumor growth as well as predisposing new cancer cells to being killed by chemo drugs.

Additionally, the polymer provides a more targeted approach to cancer treatment. This is because the nano-particles are capable of distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous cells. As a result, lower doses of chemotherapy are required and the potential for negative side effects experienced by the patient are significantly reduced.

When used in combination with cisplatin on lab mice that had melanoma, the treatment proved dramatically more effective. For 50 percent of all mice treated with nano-particles, the entire tumor regressed. In mice that were not given the nano-particle, cisplatin alone was not effective in complete tumor reduction.

The use of nano-particles is predicted to be beneficial for the majority of cancer types. The tactic may be most effective on difficult-to-treat cancers such as breast cancer and liver cancer. According to the research team, targeted treatment processes such as this one will be the primary approach within five to ten years.

Resources:
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Pressreleases/PressRelease.aspx?PageID=480
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090421/jsp/nation/story_10852785.jsp
http://www.emaxhealth.com/2/51/30590/delivering-cancer-drugs-directly-tumors.html

No matter what the type of cancer, a patient’s probability for successful treatment improves the earlier the disease is identified. This fact has led cancer researchers to spend a considerable amount of time trying to identify new methods that point to the manifestation of cancer as quickly as possible.

One such method of early diagnosis is achieved by looking for biomarkers. Biomarkers are unique molecules, such as proteins, that are produced by cancer cells or as a result of tumor growth. Searching for these biomarkers, however, is often like looking for a needle in the haystack. Normal body proteins, such as albumin, often blanket the sheer minuteness of such cancer proteins in the body during the early stages of cancer.

Previous attempts to strip albumin and other normal proteins from blood samples while leaving cancer proteins in tact have historically proven unsuccessful. However, a new technique overcomes this issue by baiting the pertinent proteins and drawing them away from the larger pool of blood proteins.

The process, which was developed by the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine at George Mason University, involves using a smart polymer gel that sifts through blood samples and accurately identifies trace amounts of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). PDGF is a biomarker that is produced as new blood vessels form to feed a growing tumor.

The new procedure has been proven to detect small levels of PDGF that were previously impossible. The result is a potentially new procedure that could lead to the earlier detection of numerous types of cancer.

Resources:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826536.000-smart-gel-sifts-out-the-smallest-signs-of-cancer.html

Quietly launched in February of 2008, Google Health is an online tool that strives to improve the way in which we store, share and manage our personal medical records. Google continues to add new features to this powerful tool. The most recent one, added just last week, takes a cue from social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

According to the official Google blog , the new feature was added as a direct response to user feedback about how to improve the dissemination of private medical information to doctors, friends and other need-to-know individuals.

Much like “friending” real-world friends and family on Facebook, the new Google feature allows Google Health users to share their medical records with anyone they choose, while blocking such sensitive information from everyone else.

To take advantage of the new feature, users need only to click the “Share this Profile” link on their Google Health profile. Then, the user can invite as many or few people to view his or her medical records by sending a request via email.

For your protection, medical records are all stored on secure HTTPS pages. Furthermore, all views of your medical records are painstakingly audited, allowing you to monitor which pages were viewed by your friends and at what time. Your invited viewers gain access on a read-only basis, meaning that no changes can be made to the medical information you provide. Access for an individual may be removed or instated at anytime.

The new Google Health feature attempts to tackle the tricky issue of balancing confidentiality and proper dissemination of medical records. Preliminary investigations insinuate that this attempt is largely a success. As usual, Google will continually work to update and modify the system as new problems or suggestions arise.

If you’re new to this whole idea of Google Health, check out how it works and learn how to import and track your medical history.

Resources:
 http://geekdoctor.blogspot.com/2009/03/c…
 http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/g…

For centuries, doctors and researchers have quietly been amassing an immeasurable amount of medical data. This data pertains to city, state, national and global populations, and has helped these experts better understand how to cure illnesses and fight diseases. Now, the amount of medical data available is not only available to these doctors, but us as well. It is this wealth of data that is driving medical treatments from a population-based standpoint to a more personal approach.

Many experts believe that we are now on the cusp of personalized medicine. This relatively novel approach involves taking unique patient data and using it to custom tailor a medical treatment. Such personalized data includes daily dietary intake, unique genetic profile and how specific pollutants affect our brain function.

Leading the charge into the realm of personalized medicine is the growing army of genetic sequencing companies. These companies allow easy access to a patient’s own genetic makeup, from which a variety of pertinent information can be gleaned.

For example, breast cancer patients who are found to have an over-expression of the HER2 gene are typically prescribed Herceptin. Individuals without such an over-expression are less responsive to this particular drug, and therefore better benefit from different treatment avenues.

While this new approach to medicine is still in its infancy, experts are certain that a number of new technologies are on the horizon. One day, many estimate that a routine doctor’s visit will include a simple body scan that delivers hundreds or thousands of unique bits of information. Just as doctors have been doing for centuries, the more information, the better.

Resource:

http://www.portfolio.com/views/columns/natural-selection/2008/12/31/Personalized-Medical-Treatments#page2

Though often effective, chemotherapy is a highly unpredictable cancer treatment. In most cancer cases, remission is almost never a guarantee and the side effects felt by patients vary greatly.

In an effort to improve the predictability of chemotherapy, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have developed a fortune-telling formula that has proven remarkably well at forecasting the effectiveness of cancer treatments. The formula works by monitoring the levels of two proteins found in cancer cells. Through research performed at the University, it was found that increased levels of these proteins highly correlated to a tumor’s ability to fight off treatment.

In studies performed on nervous system cancers and breast cancers, the team found that tumors with the highest levels of the two proteins were also more sensitive to the chemo drug (neocarzinostantin, or NCS). This led the team to conclude that lower doses can be effective on some patients, while others may require higher doses.

This ability to more accurately predict an effective dosage of chemotherapy has the potential to not only save lives, but limit side effects as well. Most cancer drugs are dose dependent, meaning side effects increase as the dosage increases. As such, these predicted techniques have the potential to save lives and improve quality of life for countless cancer sufferers.

Resource:
Quick Formula Could Forecast Which Cancers Chemo Could Kill
http://www.curingdeath.com/research/Quick_Formula_Could_Forecast_Which_Cancers_Chemo_Could_Kill.asp

In a recent study performed by researchers at the University of Alberta it was concluded that individuals with more lean muscle mass may be better equipped to fight off the effects of cancer. This intriguing conclusion was reached after comparing the body scan results of 250 obese cancer patients.

Of those scanned, it was determined that 15 percent of the participants retained exceptionally low muscle mass in relation to their weight. This 15 percent lost the fight with cancer earlier than other participants, passing away 10 months earlier (on average) than those with more muscle mass. This striking figure was calculated after taking into account other variables such as severity and stage of cancer.

So should doctors suggest cancer patients or those at risk to pick up those dumbbells and start pumping iron? As of now the benefits of such a diagnosis have yet to be studied. However, previous studies have shown that individuals who exercise frequently are less likely to contract specific types of cancer. Prior to beginning a workout regiment, cancer patients (and anyone for that matter) should speak with their doctor regarding the risks and rewards.

Resource:

Tara-Parker Pope. The New Your Times Health Blog. 12/19/08. Muscling Away Cancer. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19…

One of the principle problems with finding viable cancer treatments is being able to target cancer cells without harming the body’s normal cells. A new approach currently under study at the University of Rochester shows remarkable promise for doing just that.

At the college, assistant professors Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov, along with graduate student Christopher Hine, were looking into the inner workings of a protein known as Rad51. The team was interested in the protein because its prevalence is five times more pronounced in cancer cell than in normal cells. The difference is a result of Rad51’s importance for DNA repair, which cancer cells require more of due to their accelerated growth rates.

By replacing the Rad51 gene with a marker protein DNA, the team was completely surprised to see the levels of the altered protein grow to as much as 12,500 times in a single cancer cell. Initially thought to be a mistake, further studies replicated the astounding results. Upon reflection, the team believes that elements related to the monitoring of the protein production were stripped out during the process of introducing the marker protein DNA.

Because the elevated Rad51 levels only affect cancer cells, it is hypothesized that a “toxic bomb” could be implanted into to the gene, causing cancer cells to self-destruct. Early tests performed by the team on breast cancer, fibrosarcoma and cervical cancer cells show encouraging results.

The next step for testing the effectiveness and safety of this new cancer treatment approach is developing a way to integrate the gene into a benign virus and injecting it into cancerous tumors present in lab mice. If such studies are successful, cancer patients may one day be able to rid themselves of the disease by way of a simple shot in the arm.

Resource:

 http://www.news-medical.net/?id=44368

Researchers from the Steele Laboratory of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital have uncovered new information that may lead to the improved effectiveness of anticancer therapies.

The findings, which were first published in the journal Nature Medicine, pertain to the effects of nitric oxide levels on blood vessels that feed directly into the cancerous tumor. In experiments that selectively suppressed production of nitric oxide in tumor cells, it was found that the blood supply to the tumor became significantly more stable and organized.

Why would researchers actually want to improve the blood flow to cancerous tumors? Because the disjointed and leaky nature of the conduits connecting the tumor to the blood stream often make it difficult to deliver chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatment to where it is needed. The Steele Laboratory team, led by Dai Fukumura, believes that the benefits offered by the suppression of nitric oxide gas will result in more effective administration of cancer therapies, thereby improving a patient’s receptiveness to treatment.

To uncover these findings, Fukumura and his team implanted tumor cells modified with suppressed nitric oxide gas into lab mice. The improved growth of blood vessels around the tumor has so far delivered consistent, promising results.

Source:

Sue McGreevey. Harvard Science. New strategy identified for improving effectiveness of cancer therapies. 2/27/08. http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/medici…

For many cancer patients, the side effects related to treatment have a debilitating impact. Hair loss, fatigue, weight loss, nausea and other issues are well known side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Now, a new kind of cancer treatment shows promising results in eliminating these daunting and physically disabling side effects from the treatment equation.

The new therapy, dubbed Kanzius RF therapy, involves attaching microscopic nanoparticles to cancer cells. These nanoparticles act as a kind of microscopic grenade by vaporizing the cancer cells through the use of radio waves. These radio waves are otherwise harmless to normal, healthy cells.

The intriguing treatment, which is based on a technology invented by a retired TV engineer (John Kanzius), is currently being studied at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In preliminary tests, the treatment has proven to be 100 percent effective at eradicating cancer cells with absolutely no side effects. These trials were performed on animal and human cells.

The leader of the study, Dr. Steve Curley, wants to stress that he doesn’t “want to give people false hope.” However, he is optimistic that Kanzius RF therapy may have “the potential to treat a wide variety of cancers.”

Before the initial tests can be verified, the cancer treatment will need to go through rigorous human trials. Inventor John Kanzius is already at work creating a larger device that will facilitate testing on a larger scale. Dr. Curly believes that if all goes well, the treatment could start being used publicly in as few as three years.

Source:
Cancer Therapy Without Side Effects Nearing Trials
 http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news…