July 24, 2008 — Treatment with sorafenib (Nexavar; Onyx/Bayer) can improve the overall survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Compared with patients who received placebo, sorafenib increased median survival by nearly 3 months, according to a study published in the July 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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July 25, 2008 — Patients with gastric and pancreatic malignant neoplasms are more likely to undergo an extensive lymph node examination if they are treated at a National Comprehensive Cancer Network, National Cancer Institute (NCCN-NCI)–designated institution or high-volume hospital. The differences in nodal evaluation might be a contributory factor to the improved long-term outcomes observed at NCCN-NCI centers and high-volume hospitals, according to data published in the July issue of the Archives of Surgery.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 24 - Active surveillance appears to be an appropriate choice for the management of low-risk patients with early prostate cancer, according to researchers.As lead investigator Dr. Marc A. Dall’Era told Reuters Health, “Our data suggest that not all men with prostate cancer require immediate radical intervention.”

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 24 - Use of Scandinavian moist snuff (snus), claimed to be a safer alternative to smoking, may increase the risk of some cancers, according to a report in the July 1st issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

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July 25, 2008 — Pain is undertreated in nearly half of all patients with cancer, according to the results of a large review reported in the July 15 Advance Access issue of the Annals of Oncology. Important determinants of pain in this study included geographic region, countries with lower economic level, and setting not specific for cancer care and management.

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Multidetector CT using virtual gastroscopy and post contrast enhanced multiplanar reformation images can be useful in differentiating between malignant and benign gastric ulcers, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
“Conventional gastroscopy can diagnose patients with gastric ulcers; however the procedure is invasive and occasionally may miss early stage disease.

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RX Therapeutics, a privately-held company dedicated to the discovery and development of proprietary therapies for the treatment of cancer and viral diseases, today announced that a symposium on findings from its Phase 2 clinical trial of IRX-2 will be held on July 22, 2008 at 6:30 am (PDT) during the 7th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer at the San Francisco Marriot Hotel. The American Head and Neck Society’s International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer has been the world’s pre-eminent meeting for head and neck cancer since its inception in 1984. Approximately 1,600 surgeons, oncologists, scientists and allied health professionals are expected to attend.

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Dr Sarah Cant, Policy Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer says: “Breast self examination is widely practiced in the USA and is a strict and complicated routine that women are taught in order to check their breasts. It is not advocated by breast cancer charities in the UK or the Department of Health, who recommend that women just need to be breast aware.

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Call for national research study to investigate the causes of oesophageal cancer
The Barrett’s Oesophagus Foundation would like to support the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation for a large scale national research study to investigate the risk factors associated with the rising rate of cancer of the oesophagus. This was included in his Annual Report published recently, which raised grave concern over the sharp rise in oesophageal (gullet) cancer over the last two decades.

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M. D. Anderson team silences protein with siRNA, implicates TG2 in fourth cancer
Scientists from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found overexpression of tissue type transglutaminase (TG2) in ovarian cancer is associated with increased tumor cell growth and adhesion, resistance to chemotherapy and lower overall survival rates. When researchers targeted and silenced TG2 in animal models, cancer progression was reversed, suggesting the protein may also provide a novel therapeutic approach for late-stage ovarian cancer.

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