May 30, 2009

NEW YORK, NY - A new, international study found that the combination of two drugs delays disease progression for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results from the Phase III “ATLAS” trial were presented today by Dr. Vincent Miller of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

“This is the first study to show the addition of erlotinib to maintenance therapy prolongs progression-free survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.”– Vincent A. Miller, MD

The goal of the study was to determine whether adding erlotinib (Tarceva®), a targeted agent, to maintenance therapy with bevacizumab (Avastin®), an agent commonly used as a component of treatment for advanced NSCLC would delay disease progression. Maintenance therapy involves using one or more agents of a chemotherapy regimen, but not the entire regimen, to delay disease progression and possibly improve survival after patients have previously received stronger standard chemotherapy, which can have significant side effects. Read the rest of this entry »

May 30, 2009

NEW YORK, NY - A new study shows that a large majority of patients who present with advanced colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs (stage IV) don't require immediate surgery to remove the primary tumor in the colon. Researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) presented their data today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. Read the rest of this entry »

April 9, 2009

NEW YORK, NY - A new multi-center study shows that an experimental drug lowers prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels - a marker for tumor growth - in men with advanced prostate cancer for whom traditional treatment options have failed. The study, led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), is published today in Science Express, the online version of the journal Science. [PubMed Abstract]

“It's gratifying to know that our hypotheses about why men develop resistance to currently available treatments are confirmed and, most importantly, that there are already patients who are benefiting from our research.”– Charles L. Sawyers, Chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at MSKCC and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator

Most men with metastatic prostate cancer eventually build up resistance to the drugs that lower or block male hormones and develop a more aggressive form of the illness called castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), or hormone-refractory disease. According to the study's findings, investigators studied two novel compounds, RD162 and MDV3100, and not only gained an understanding of their novel mechanism of action, but found that these agents showed activity in CRPC cells in culture and in mice. Read the rest of this entry »

April 15, 2009

NEW YORK, NY - A novel, minimally invasive surgical approach to treat stomach cancer has been shown to have advantages that may make it a preferable treatment for some patients.

“Laparoscopic gastrectomy is an excellent option for certain patients with the disease, and for those patients, this approach has the same success rate as standard open surgery, with significantly fewer complications.”– Vivian E. Strong, MD, study's lead author

A new study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) compares traditional “open” surgery to remove the stomach with laparoscopic gastrectomy - a minimally invasive procedure in which the surgeon removes the stomach while guided by a magnified image projected by a thin, lighted tube with a video camera at its tip, called a laparoscope. The findings demonstrate that while laparoscopic surgeries generally took longer to perform than open procedures, the minimally invasive approach yielded shorter hospital stays, decreased need for postoperative pain relief, fewer complications after surgery, and similar rates of recurrence-free survival after 36 months of follow-up. Read the rest of this entry »

May 6, 2009

NEW YORK, NY - New research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) identifies three genes that specifically mediate the metastasis, or spread, of breast cancer to the brain and illuminates the mechanisms by which this spread occurs. The study was published online today in Nature. [PubMed Abstract]

“Our research sheds light on the role these genes play in determining how breast tumor cells break free and, once mobile, how they decide where to attack.”– Joan Massagué, PhD, Chair of the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at MSKCC

According to the study, COX2 and HB-EGF — genes that induce cancer cell mobility and invasiveness — were found to be genetic mediators in the spread of breast cancer to the brain. A third gene, ST6GALNAC5, was shown to provide cancer cells with the capability of exiting the blood circulation and passing through the blood-brain barrier to enter the brain tissue. Read the rest of this entry »

May 27, 2009

NEW YORK, NY - Charles Sawyers, MD, Director of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has been named a “Dream Team” leader by Stand Up To Cancer and will co-lead a collaborative team that will receive $15 million to study targeted therapies to treat women's cancers. Read the rest of this entry »

BUFFALO, NY- Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) scientists are investigating a promising drug for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who have become intolerant or resistant to standard therapies. Meir Wetzler, MD, Department of Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, analyzed the effectiveness of omacetaxine (OM) in an ongoing phase II clinical study and will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 annual meeting, May 29 – June 2, in Orlando, FL.

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ORLANDO – The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has selected new breast cancer research conducted at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit for posting on ASCO’s Web site. Karmanos’ potentially ground-breaking findings identify a promising new therapeutic target for aggressive hormone receptor negative breast cancer tumors. Read the rest of this entry »

BUFFALO, NY – Buffalo Sabres coach, Lindy Ruff, and Buffalo Sabres Hockey Analyst, Mike Robitaille, join Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) for the 2nd Annual “Celebrating You” Prostate Cancer Event.

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For more information, or to register online BEFORE May 28 at 5 p.m., click here.

DETROIT – Metro Detroiters have shown time and again that even in the most challenging of times, their generosity and support for others is heartfelt and unwavering. At a period when most headlines across the nation and world paint a somewhat bleak picture of Detroit and its future, nowhere do we feel a more determined spirit to rise above these challenges than right here in the Motor City. Just ask any of the 30,000 plus participants and the more than 100 local sponsors and underwriters who will take part in the 2009 Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure®, on Saturday, May 30, at Comerica Park, in Detroit. Read the rest of this entry »