Hope For Cancer

A DO-IT-YOURSELF smear test could enable millions of women in poorer countries to head off cervical cancer.

Eighty-five per cent of cervical cancer cases occur in developing countries, where screening for pre-cancerous changes is rare due to difficulties in obtaining samples and a shortage of cytologists to interpret them. Testing for DNA from the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes the disease is an alternative method. A kit created by Qiagen of Gaithersburg, Maryland, enables women to take their own cell sample, which is then posted to a lab.

Fang-Hui Zhao of Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, China, and colleagues have now reviewed data from 13,000 women in China screened using HPV-testing, traditional smear testing, or a method that uses acetic acid.

Self-HPV testing was the most effective at detecting early signs of cancer, although there were some false positives – some women had HPV but didn’t have any signs of cervical cancer (JNCI: Journal of the National Institute of Cancer, DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djr532). “Self-HPV testing has potential as a primary screening method for women, regardless of their access to healthcare,” says Zhao. …source …more about cervical cancer

For patients with uncommon brain tumors known as oligodendrogliomas, the presence of a specific chromosomal abnormality is linked with a better prognosis and responsiveness to chemotherapy. These results were released early (prior to presentation at an upcoming medical meeting) because of their importance.

Oligodendrogliomas are uncommon tumors that form in the nerve tissue of the brain. They occur primarily in adults, with an average age at diagnosis of 35 years.

The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of aggressive oligodendrogliomas was evaluated in a Phase III clinical trial (RTOG 9402). Study participants were treated with radiation therapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Results reported in 2006 indicated no overall benefit from the addition of chemotherapy. The researchers noted, however, that patients whose tumors had a specific chromosomal abnormality (deletion of 1p and 19q) appeared to have better survival.

Researchers recently conducted an updated analysis of this study that further explored the role of the 1p19q chromosomal abnormality. Study participants have now been followed for a median of 11 years.

• Overall survival was better among patients whose tumors had the chromosomal abnormality: survival was 8.7 years among patients with the abnormality and 2.7 years among patients without the abnormality.
• The chromosomal abnormality also predicted a benefit from chemotherapy: among patients whose tumor had the abnormality, overall survival was 14.7 years among those who received both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, compared with 7.3 years among those who received radiation therapy alone. Among patients without the chromosomal abnormality, the addition of chemotherapy did not improve survival.

These results indicate that the 1p19q chromosomal abnormality is linked with both prognosis and response to treatment among patients with oligodendroglioma. This information will allow for more individualized treatment of this condition.

The full results of this study are being submitted for presentation at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

References:

American College of Radiology press release. Abnormal chromosome indicator of treatment and outcome in patients with rare brain tumor. January 19, 2012

National Cancer Institute press release. Genetic abnormality predicts benefit from treatment for a rare brain tumor. January 19, 2012 …source …more about colon cancer

Results of two studies suggest that a new, investigational colorectal cancer screening test developed in a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences Inc. of Madison, Wis., is highly accurate and significantly more sensitive than other noninvasive tests at detecting precancerous tumors (adenomas) and early-stage cancer. These findings have important implications for clinicians and tens of thousands of Americans. Early detection is a key driver of better outcomes for colorectal cancer — a disease that affects 1 in every 17 persons and is the second-leading cause of U.S. cancer deaths.

The first study, to be published in the February issue of Gastroenterology, shows that a new multi-marker stool DNA test is highly accurate at detecting precancerous polyps and early-stage colorectal cancer. This is the first large-scale, blinded study to measure the new test’s effectiveness.

The second study, to be published in the March issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, shows that the stool DNA test is significantly more accurate than a new plasma test for identifying patients with large precancerous polyps or colorectal cancer, while delivering fewer false-positive results.

“Our findings in these studies underscore the great potential of the stool DNA test as a colorectal cancer screening tool,” says lead author David Ahlquist, M.D., of Mayo Clinic, principal investigator of both studies. “Along with its high accuracy, this test approach could improve participation rates due to its patient-friendly features. The test is noninvasive; requires no bowel preparation, medication restriction, or diet change; and can be performed on mailed-in samples without the need, expense, or inconvenience of a health care visit.”

The stool DNA test works by finding signature genetic markers in stool samples mailed in by patients. A positive test would be followed by a colonoscopy to remove the polyps and prevent a subsequent cancer from forming, Dr. Ahlquist says. …source …more about colorectal cancer