TOP - Daily

After standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy, nearly half of breast cancer patients carrying the BRCA1 gene mutation achieve a complete pathological response (pCR) despite the stage of their disease, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center recently published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

A recent study found higher androgen and estrogen levels in postmenopausal women who smoke than in nonsmoking postmenopausal women.

Studies in the past have shown potential risk factors for breast and endometrial cancer as well as type 2 diabetes include high levels of estrogens and androgens, yet investigating the correlation between smoking and sex hormone levels has produced inconsistent results. Now, this new cross-sectional study suggests that, in postmenopausal women, sex hormones may be one such channel through which cigarette smoking influences chronic disease risk.

A three-dimensional model that allows insight into how breast tissue grows in its earliest stages has been developed at the University of Virginia, allowing scientists the ability to duplicate the early growth of human breast tissue outside the body.

A new lifesaving genetic screening program has been developed by UT Southwestern Medical Center for families at high risk of contracting colorectal cancer, the second-leading cancer killer after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

The amount of potential carcinogens attached to an individual’s DNA can be measured by a new saliva test. This could lead to a commercial test to help determine risks for cancer and other diseases, scientists reported during the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

Today’s pharmacists are challenged with adhering to budgetary limitations and keeping down drug-based therapy costs due to healthcare reform and heightened cost consciousness.

On August 26, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crizotinib (Xalkori) for the treatment of certain patients with late-stage, non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) who express the abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene.

Between 1% and 7% of patients with NSCLC have the ALK gene abnormality, which causes cancer development and growth. This form of lung cancer is usually found in nonsmokers. Crizotinib works by blocking particular proteins, including the protein produced by the abnormal ALK gene.

Up to half of all people with glioblastomas experience seizures, and it is highly recommended they receive treatment with one of several epilepsy drugs.

A recent study now shows that brain tumor patients who take the seizure drug valproic acid along with standard treatment may live longer than those who take other epilepsy medications to control seizures. The new research is published in the August 31, 2011, online issue of Neurology.

New accreditation standards for hospital cancer programs were announced by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 31, 2011, and a patient-centered approach is the focus.

“The changing landscape of cancer patient care motivated us to develop new standards to directly address patient concerns,” said Stephen Edge, MD, FACS, Chair of the Commission on Cancer.