Sample records for clinical cancer research
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Cancer Center Clinic and Research Team Perceptions of Identity and Interactions.
Reimer, Torsten; Lee, Simon J Craddock; Garcia, Sandra; Gill, Mary; Duncan, Tobi; Williams, Erin L; Gerber, David E
2017-12-01
Conduct of cancer clinical trials requires coordination and cooperation among research and clinic teams. Diffusion of and confusion about responsibility may occur if team members' perceptions of roles and objectives do not align. These factors are critical to the success of cancer centers but are poorly studied. We developed a survey adapting components of the Adapted Team Climate Inventory, Measure of Team Identification, and Measure of In-Group Bias. Surveys were administered to research and clinic staff at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, and analyses of variance. Responses were received from 105 staff (clinic, n = 55; research, n = 50; 61% response rate). Compared with clinic staff, research staff identified more strongly with their own group ( P teams, we also identified key differences, including perceptions of goal clarity and sharing, understanding and alignment with cancer center goals, and importance of outcomes. Future studies should examine how variation in perceptions and group dynamics between clinic and research teams may impact function and processes of cancer care.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Murata, Hajime
2003-01-01
The research center for heavy ion therapy of cancer was decided to be built in 1984 as a part of the national 10-year anticancer campaign, and construction of Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) was completed at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in 1993. The HIMAC is the first heavy ion accelerator for only medical use in the world, and the clinical research of cancer radiotherapy was begun in 1994 using carbon ion generated by HIMAC. The purposes of the clinical research are to evaluate the safety and usefulness of carbon ion for cancer treatment, and to establish carbon ion therapy as a new and valuable tool for cancer therapy. Therefore, to obtain exact data in ethical aspect as well as scientific aspect of the clinical research, many special committees have been organized like as the committees of protocol planning for each organ, clinical study groups for each organ, evaluating committee of clinical data, and the ethical committee. Each clinical research is performed according to the research protocol of each organ, in which study purpose, rationale, patient condition, end-point of the study, adverse reaction are described. The document of informed consent (IC) contains study purpose, patient condition, method, predicted effect and demerit, protection of privacy, etc.. IC to each patient is done precisely by the doctor, and the freely-given IC of the patient is obtained. After the IC was completed, judgement of propriety for carbon ion therapy is done by the ethical committee for IC of each patient. Since 1994 carbon ion therapy has been performed over 1300 patients with cancer in various organs, and its safety and usefulness for cancer treatment has been clarified gradually. The carbon ion therapy is thought to be a new and promising tool for cancer treatment near future. (authors)
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US-LA CRN Clinical Cancer Research in Latin America
The United States – Latin America Cancer Research Network (US-LA CRN) convened its Annual Meeting, in coordination with the Ministry of Health of Chile to discuss the Network’s first multilateral clinical research study: Molecular Profiling of Breast Cancer (MPBC).
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Enrolling Minority and Underserved Populations in Cancer Clinical Research.
Wallington, Sherrie F; Dash, Chiranjeev; Sheppard, Vanessa B; Goode, Tawara D; Oppong, Bridget A; Dodson, Everett E; Hamilton, Rhonda N; Adams-Campbell, Lucile L
2016-01-01
Research suggests that community involvement is integral to solving public health problems, including involvement in clinical trials-a gold standard. Significant racial/ethnic disparities exist in the accrual of participants for clinical trials. Location and cultural aspects of clinical trials influence recruitment and accrual to clinical trials. It is increasingly necessary to be aware of defining characteristics, such as location and culture of the populations from which research participants are enrolled. Little research has examined the effect of location and cultural competency in adapting clinical trial research for minority and underserved communities on accrual for clinical trials. Utilizing embedded community academic sites, the authors applied cultural competency frameworks to adapt clinical trial research in order to increase minority participation in nontherapeutic cancer clinical trials. This strategy resulted in successful accrual of participants to new clinical research trials, specifically targeting participation from minority and underserved communities in metropolitan Washington, DC. From 2012 to 2014, a total of 559 participants enrolled across six nontherapeutic clinical trials, representing a 62% increase in the enrollment of blacks in clinical research. Embedding cancer prevention programs and research in the community was shown to be yet another important strategy in the arsenal of approaches that can potentially enhance clinical research enrollment and capacity. The analyses showed that the capacity to acquire cultural knowledge about patients-their physical locales, cultural values, and environments in which they live-is essential to recruiting culturally and ethnically diverse population samples. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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[Clinical research activity of the French cancer cooperative network: Overview and perspectives].
Dubois, Claire; Morin, Franck; Moro-Sibilot, Denis; Langlais, Alexandra; Seitz, Jean-François; Girault, Cécile; Salles, Gilles; Haioun, Corinne; Deschaseaux, Pascal; Casassus, Philippe; Mathiot, Claire; Pujade-Lauraine, Éric; Votan, Bénédicte; Louvet, Christophe; Delpeut, Christine; Bardet, Étienne; Vintonenko, Nadejda; Hoang Xuan, Khê; Vo, Maryline; Michon, Jean; Milleron, Bernard
The French Cancer Plan 2014-2019 stresses the importance of strengthening collaboration between all stakeholders involved in the fight against cancer, including cancer cooperative groups and intergroups. This survey aimed to describe the basics characteristics and clinical research activity among the Cancer Cooperative Groups (Groupes coopérateurs en oncologie). The second objective was to identify facilitators and barriers to their research activity. A questionnaire was sent to all the clinicians involved in 2014 as investigators in a clinical trial sponsored by one of the ten members of the Cancer Cooperative Groups network. The questions were related to their profile, research activity and the infrastructure existing within their healthcare center to support clinical research and related compliance activities. In total, 366 investigators responded to our survey. The academic clinical trials sponsored by the Cancer Cooperative Groups represented an important part of the research activity of the investigators in France in 2014. These academic groups contributed to the opening of many research sites throughout all regions in France. Factors associated with a higher participation of investigators (more than 10 patients enrolled in a trial over a year) include the existing support of healthcare professionals (more than 2 clinical research associate (CRA) OR=11.16 [3.82-32.6] compared to none) and the practice of their research activity in a University Hospital Center (CHU) rather than a Hospital Center (CH) (OR=2.15 [1.20-3.83]). This study highlighted factors that can strengthen investigator clinical research activities and subsequently improve patient access to evidence-based new cancer therapies in France. Copyright © 2017 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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Niranjan, Soumya J; Durant, Raegan W; Wenzel, Jennifer A; Cook, Elise D; Fouad, Mona N; Vickers, Selwyn M; Konety, Badrinath R; Rutland, Sarah B; Simoni, Zachary R; Martin, Michelle Y
2017-08-03
The study of disparities in minority recruitment to cancer clinical trials has focused primarily on inquiries among minority patient populations. However, clinical trial recruitment is complex and requires a broader appreciation of the multiple factors that influence minority participation. One area that has received little attention is minority recruitment training for professionals who assume various roles in the clinical trial recruitment process. Therefore, we assessed the perspectives of cancer center clinical and research personnel on their training and education needs toward minority recruitment for cancer clinical trials. Ninety-one qualitative interviews were conducted at five U.S. cancer centers among four stakeholder groups: cancer center leaders, principal investigators, referring clinicians, and research staff. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analyses focused on response data related to training for minority recruitment for cancer clinical trials. Four prominent themes were identified: (1) Research personnel are not currently being trained to focus on recruitment and retention of minority populations; (2) Training for minority recruitment and retention provides for a specific focus on factors influencing minority research participation; (3) Training on cultural awareness may help to bridge cultural gaps between potential minority participants and research professionals; (4) Views differ regarding the importance of research personnel training designed to focus on recruitment of minority populations. There is a lack of systematic training for minority recruitment. Many stakeholders acknowledged the benefits of minority recruitment training and welcomed training that focuses on increasing cultural awareness to increase the participation of minorities in cancer clinical trials.
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Salman, Ali; Nguyen, Claire; Lee, Yi-Hui; Cooksey-James, Tawna
2016-04-01
To enhance nurses' awareness and competencies in practice and research by reporting the common barriers to participation of minorities in cancer clinical trials and discussing facilitators and useful strategies for recruitment. Several databases were searched for articles published in peer reviewed journals. Some of the barriers to minorities' participation in clinical trials were identified within the cultural social-context of cancer patients. The involvement of community networking was suggested as the most effective strategy for the recruitment of minorities in cancer clinical trials. Using culturally sensitive approaches to enhance ethnic minorities' participation is important for advancing cancer care and eliminating health disparities. Awareness of barriers and potential facilitators to the enrollment of ethnic minority cancer patients may contribute to enhancing nurses' competencies of recruiting ethnic minorities in nursing research, playing efficient roles in cancer clinical trials team, and providing culturally competent quality care.
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[Up-to-date research for clinical application in breast cancer].
Koyama, Hiroki
2006-03-01
Breast cancer is still increasing in number of patients affected annually, with a peak incidence between 40-50 years of age. Various researches to control the disease have been attracting much attention scientifically and socially. Clinical application of trastuzumab (Herceptin), sentinel node biopsy to avoid unnecessary axillary dissection and individualized use of chemo-endocrine therapy as indicated by large scale clinical trials are among the recent successful results by pre-clinical and early clinical studies. In this context, the present special edition deals with articles on recent progress in breast cancer researches by leading scientists in this field. Hoping readers to understand, digest, and also to be stimulated by the updates for daily clinical practice.
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Prostate Cancer Clinical Consortium Clinical Research Site: Targeted Therapies
2016-10-01
Physics of Cancer Metabolism This application seeks to put together a multidiscipline team of experts in various institutions in USA to assemble and...of this project is to build a research cohort of engaged volunteers that reflects the racial , ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of New York City...assessed in a randomized, phase III clinical trial. Conflict of interest: Advisory Board: Joe O’Sullivan holds consulting/ advisory roles with Bayer
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gita eSuneja
2015-02-01
Full Text Available Introduction: The burden of cervical cancer is large and growing in developing countries, due in large part to limited access to screening services and lack of human papillomavirus (HPV vaccination. In spite of modern advances in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, outcomes from cervical cancer have not markedly improved in recent years. Novel clinical trials are urgently needed to improve outcomes from cervical cancer worldwide. Methods: The Cervix Cancer Research Network (CCRN, a subsidiary of the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG, is a multi-national, multi-institutional consortium of physicians and scientists focused on improving cervical cancer outcomes worldwide by making cancer clinical trials available in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Standard operating procedures for participation in CCRN include a pre-qualifying questionnaire to evaluate clinical activities and research infrastructure, followed by a site visit. Once a site is approved, they may choose to participate in one of four currently accruing clinical trials.Results: To date, 13 different CCRN site visits have been performed. Of these 13 sites visited, 10 have been approved as CCRN sites including Tata Memorial Hospital, India; Bangalore, India; Trivandrum, India; Ramathibodi, Thailand; Siriaj, Thailand; Pramongkutklao, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center; the Hertzen Moscow Cancer Research Institute; and the Russian Scientific Center of Roentgenoradiology. The four currently accruing clinical trials are TACO, OUTBACK, INTERLACE, and SHAPE.Discussion: The CCRN has successfully enrolled 10 sites in developing countries to participate in four randomized clinical trials. The primary objectives are to provide novel therapeutics to regions with the greatest need and to improve the validity and generalizability of clinical trial results by enrolling a diverse sample of patients.
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Research methods to change clinical practice for patients with rare cancers.
Billingham, Lucinda; Malottki, Kinga; Steven, Neil
2016-02-01
Rare cancers are a growing group as a result of reclassification of common cancers by molecular markers. There is therefore an increasing need to identify methods to assess interventions that are sufficiently robust to potentially affect clinical practice in this setting. Methods advocated for clinical trials in rare diseases are not necessarily applicable in rare cancers. This Series paper describes research methods that are relevant for rare cancers in relation to the range of incidence levels. Strategies that maximise recruitment, minimise sample size, or maximise the usefulness of the evidence could enable the application of conventional clinical trial design to rare cancer populations. Alternative designs that address specific challenges for rare cancers with the aim of potentially changing clinical practice include Bayesian designs, uncontrolled n-of-1 trials, and umbrella and basket trials. Pragmatic solutions must be sought to enable some level of evidence-based health care for patients with rare cancers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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A Federated Network for Translational Cancer Research Using Clinical Data and Biospecimens.
Jacobson, Rebecca S; Becich, Michael J; Bollag, Roni J; Chavan, Girish; Corrigan, Julia; Dhir, Rajiv; Feldman, Michael D; Gaudioso, Carmelo; Legowski, Elizabeth; Maihle, Nita J; Mitchell, Kevin; Murphy, Monica; Sakthivel, Mayurapriyan; Tseytlin, Eugene; Weaver, JoEllen
2015-12-15
Advances in cancer research and personalized medicine will require significant new bridging infrastructures, including more robust biorepositories that link human tissue to clinical phenotypes and outcomes. In order to meet that challenge, four cancer centers formed the Text Information Extraction System (TIES) Cancer Research Network, a federated network that facilitates data and biospecimen sharing among member institutions. Member sites can access pathology data that are de-identified and processed with the TIES natural language processing system, which creates a repository of rich phenotype data linked to clinical biospecimens. TIES incorporates multiple security and privacy best practices that, combined with legal agreements, network policies, and procedures, enable regulatory compliance. The TIES Cancer Research Network now provides integrated access to investigators at all member institutions, where multiple investigator-driven pilot projects are underway. Examples of federated search across the network illustrate the potential impact on translational research, particularly for studies involving rare cancers, rare phenotypes, and specific biologic behaviors. The network satisfies several key desiderata including local control of data and credentialing, inclusion of rich phenotype information, and applicability to diverse research objectives. The TIES Cancer Research Network presents a model for a national data and biospecimen network. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.
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The role of Clinical Geneticists in Hereditary Cancer Management and Research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hanne Meijers Heijboer
2017-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract Hereditary cancer refers to cancers caused by germline mutations in cancer predisposing genes. These mutations confer a significantly increased risk of cancer, are rare, and are in the majority of cases autosomal dominantly inherited. Since the eighties of last century more than 115 cancer predisposing genes have been identified. In many Western countries genetic testing of patients and families with clustering of cancers started early, and was often performed by clinical geneticists (MDs performed the counselling and pedigree analyses and by molecular biologists (in laboratories within departments of clinical genetics. It turned out to be a long path to fully realize the promise of cancer predisposing genes. The clinical utility of many cancer genetic tests and subsequent risk reducing interventions has not yet been validated and pitfalls in e.g. misinterpretation of genetic variants showed up. However, without doubt genetic testing for mutations will eventually turn out as a strong tool to save lives from early cancer death and will become part of standard cancer care throughout the developed world. Apart from primary surgical prevention, major progress is to be expected in earlier diagnoses, tailored therapies, and possibly chemoprevention. Ideally researchers, clinical geneticists, molecular biologists, surgeons, oncologists, gynaecologists and other professionals will work together to reach this goal. Keywords : clinical genetics, germline, hereditary cancers, cancer predisposing genes
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The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking input from the community on identifying priorities with regards to supporting innovative technology development for cancer-relevant research. While the NCI provides support for technology development through a variety of mechanisms, it is important to understand whether or not these are sufficient for catalyzing and supporting the development of tools with significant potential for advancing important fields of cancer research or clinical care.
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Lyerly, H Kim; Abernethy, Amy P; Stockler, Martin R; Koczwara, Bogda; Aziz, Zeba; Nair, Reena; Seymour, Lesley
2011-09-01
To understand the diversity of issues and the breadth of growing clinical care, professional education, and clinical research needs of developing countries, not typically represented in Western or European surveys of cancer care and research. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of the attendees at the 2010 Australia and Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Research Development workshop (Queensland, Australia) about the most important health care questions facing the participant's home countries, especially concerning cancer. Early-career oncologists and advanced oncology trainees from a region of the world containing significant low- and middle-income countries reported that cancer is an emerging health priority as a result of aging of the population, the impact of diet and lifestyle, and environmental pollution. There was concern about the capacity of health care workers and treatment facilities to provide cancer care and access to the latest cancer therapies and technologies. Although improving health care delivery was seen as a critical local agenda priority, focusing on improved cancer research activities in this select population was seen as the best way that others outside the country could improve outcomes for all. The burden of cancer will increase dramatically over the next 20 years, particularly in countries with developing and middle-income economies. Cancer research globally faces significant barriers, many of which are magnified in the developing country setting. Overcoming these barriers will require partnerships sensitive and responsive to both local and global needs.
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Clinical application and research of tumor markers in colorectal cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chen Yumei
2005-01-01
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. There are many tumor markers for detecting colorectal cancer, some of which have been widely used in clinical area. However, still lack an ideal tumor marker of colorectal cancer. In this review, we simply characterized some common tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen, CA19-9, CA50, CA242 etc and their dignostic value. And here we discussed some combined detecting procedures which improve diagnostic accuracy of colorectal cancer. In addition, with the development of the biomoleculer technique, some newly discovered tumor markers and genetic marekers have gained great progress in the research of colorectal cancer, and will become a promissing technique in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. (authors)
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Kempf, Emmanuelle; Bogaerts, Jan; Lacombe, Denis; Liu, Lifang
2017-11-01
In Europe, most of the cancer clinical research dedicated to therapeutic innovations aims primarily at regulatory approval. Once an anticancer drug enters the common market, each member state determines its real-world use based on its own criteria: pricing, reimbursement and clinical indications. Such an innovation-centred clinical research landscape might neglect patient-relevant issues in real-world setting, such as comparative effectiveness of distinct treatment options or long-term safety monitoring. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) advocates reforming the current 'innovation-centred' system to a truly 'patient-centred' paradigm with systematically coordinated applied clinical research in conjunction with drug development, featuring the following strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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International Partnerships for Clinical Cancer Research
CGH co-sponsors the 2015 International Symposium on Cancer Clinical Trials and related meetings held in partnership with the Japanese National Cancer Center (JNCC) and Embassies of France, Korea, United Kingdom (UK), and United States (US) in Tokyo on May 14 - 15, 2015.
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Timms, John F; Hale, Oliver J; Cramer, Rainer
2016-06-01
The last 20 years have seen significant improvements in the analytical capabilities of biological mass spectrometry (MS). Studies using advanced MS have resulted in new insights into cell biology and the etiology of diseases as well as its use in clinical applications. This review discusses recent developments in MS-based technologies and their cancer-related applications with a focus on proteomics. It also discusses the issues around translating the research findings to the clinic and provides an outline of where the field is moving. Expert commentary: Proteomics has been problematic to adapt for the clinical setting. However, MS-based techniques continue to demonstrate potential in novel clinical uses beyond classical cancer proteomics.
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NCI's Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research authored a review of the current state of clinical proteomics in the peer-reviewed Journal of Proteome Research. The review highlights outcomes from the CPTC program and also provides a thorough overview of the different technologies that have pushed the field forward. Additionally, the review provides a vision for moving the field forward through linking advances in genomic and proteomic analysis to develop new, molecularly targeted interventions.
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An infographic from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) describing the four broad categories of cancer research: basic research, clinical research, population-based research, and translational research.
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Dr. Henry Rodriguez, director of the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research (OCCPR) at NCI, speaks with ecancer television at WIN 2017 about the translation of the proteins expressed in a patient's tumor into a map for druggable targets. By combining genomic and proteomic information (proteogenomics), leading scientists are gaining new insights into ways to detect and treat cancer due to a more complete and unified understanding of complex biological processes.
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Clinical perspectives of cancer stem cell research in radiation oncology
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bütof, Rebecca; Baumann, Michael; Dubrovska, Anna
2013-01-01
Radiotherapy has a proven potential to eradicate cancer stem cells which is reflected by its curative potential in many cancer types. Considerable progress has been made in identification and biological characterisation of cancer stem cells during the past years. Recent biological findings indicate significant inter- and intratumoural and functional heterogeneity of cancer stem cells and lead to more complex models which have potential implications for radiobiology and radiotherapy. Clinical evidence is emerging that biomarkers of cancer stem cells may be prognostic for the outcome of radiotherapy in some tumour entities. Perspectives of cancer stem cell based research for radiotherapy reviewed here include their radioresistance compared to the mass of non-cancer stem cells which form the bulk of all tumour cells, implications for image- and non-image based predictive bio-assays of the outcome of radiotherapy and a combination of novel systemic treatments with radiotherapy
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Translational Bioinformatics and Clinical Research (Biomedical) Informatics.
Sirintrapun, S Joseph; Zehir, Ahmet; Syed, Aijazuddin; Gao, JianJiong; Schultz, Nikolaus; Cheng, Donavan T
2015-06-01
Translational bioinformatics and clinical research (biomedical) informatics are the primary domains related to informatics activities that support translational research. Translational bioinformatics focuses on computational techniques in genetics, molecular biology, and systems biology. Clinical research (biomedical) informatics involves the use of informatics in discovery and management of new knowledge relating to health and disease. This article details 3 projects that are hybrid applications of translational bioinformatics and clinical research (biomedical) informatics: The Cancer Genome Atlas, the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center clinical variants and results database, all designed to facilitate insights into cancer biology and clinical/therapeutic correlations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Computational Omics Pre-Awardees | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
The National Cancer Institute's Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) is pleased to announce the pre-awardees of the Computational Omics solicitation. Working with NVIDIA Foundation's Compute the Cure initiative and Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., the NCI, through this solicitation, seeks to leverage computational efforts to provide tools for the mining and interpretation of large-scale publicly available ‘omics’ datasets.
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Sager, Monica; Yeat, Nai Chien; Pajaro-Van der Stadt, Stefan; Lin, Charlotte; Ren, Qiuyin; Lin, Jimmy
2015-01-01
Transcriptomic technologies are evolving to diagnose cancer earlier and more accurately to provide greater predictive and prognostic utility to oncologists and patients. Digital techniques such as RNA sequencing are replacing still-imaging techniques to provide more detailed analysis of the transcriptome and aberrant expression that causes oncogenesis, while companion diagnostics are developing to determine the likely effectiveness of targeted treatments. This article examines recent advancements in molecular profiling research and technology as applied to cancer diagnosis, clinical applications and predictions for the future of personalized medicine in oncology.
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The Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, announces the release of an educational video titled “Proteogenomics Research: On the Frontier of Precision Medicine." Launched at the HUPO2017 Global Leadership Gala Dinner, catalyzed in part by the Cancer Moonshot initiative and featuring as keynote speaker the 47th Vice President of the United States of America Joseph R.
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Patrick, Kevin; Wolszon, Laura; Basen-Engquist, Karen M; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Prokhorov, Alex V; Barrera, Stephanie; Baru, Chaitan; Farcas, Emilia; Krueger, Ingolf; Palmer, Doug; Raab, Fred; Rios, Phil; Ziftci, Celal; Peterson, Susan
2011-03-01
Improved approaches and methodologies are needed to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER) in oncology. While cancer therapies continue to emerge at a rapid pace, the review, synthesis, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions across clinical trials lag in comparison. Rigorous and systematic testing of competing therapies has been clouded by age-old problems: poor patient adherence, inability to objectively measure the environmental influences on health, lack of knowledge about patients' lifestyle behaviors that may affect cancer's progression and recurrence, and limited ability to compile and interpret the wide range of variables that must be considered in the cancer treatment. This lack of data integration limits the potential for patients and clinicians to engage in fully informed decision-making regarding cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship care, and the translation of research results into mainstream medical care. Particularly important, as noted in a 2009 report on CER to the President and Congress, the limited focus on health behavior-change interventions was a major hindrance in this research landscape (DHHS 2009). This paper describes an initiative to improve CER for cancer by addressing several of these limitations. The Cyberinfrastructure for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CYCORE) project, informed by the National Science Foundation's 2007 report "Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21(st) Century Discovery" has, as its central aim, the creation of a prototype for a user-friendly, open-source cyberinfrastructure (CI) that supports acquisition, storage, visualization, analysis, and sharing of data important for cancer-related CER. Although still under development, the process of gathering requirements for CYCORE has revealed new ways in which CI design can significantly improve the collection and analysis of a wide variety of data types, and has resulted in new and important partnerships among cancer researchers engaged in
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Laurino, Mercy Y; Truitt, Anjali R; Tenney, Lederle; Fisher, Douglass; Lindor, Noralane M; Veenstra, David; Jarvik, Gail P; Newcomb, Polly A; Fullerton, Stephanie M
2017-11-01
The extent to which participants act to clinically verify research results is largely unknown. This study examined whether participants who received Lynch syndrome (LS)-related findings pursued researchers' recommendation to clinically verify results with testing performed by a CLIA-certified laboratory. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center site of the multinational Colon Cancer Family Registry offered non-CLIA individual genetic research results to select registry participants (cases and their enrolled relatives) from 2011 to 2013. Participants who elected to receive results were counseled on the importance of verifying results at a CLIA-certified laboratory. Twenty-six (76.5%) of the 34 participants who received genetic results completed 2- and 12-month postdisclosure surveys; 42.3% of these (11/26) participated in a semistructured follow-up interview. Within 12 months of result disclosure, only 4 (15.4%) of 26 participants reported having verified their results in a CLIA-certified laboratory; of these four cases, all research and clinical results were concordant. Reasons for pursuing clinical verification included acting on the recommendation of the research team and informing future clinical care. Those who did not verify results cited lack of insurance coverage and limited perceived personal benefit of clinical verification as reasons for inaction. These findings suggest researchers will need to address barriers to seeking clinical verification in order to ensure that the intended benefits of returning genetic research results are realized. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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World Cancer Research Day is recognized on September 24, 2017. This day presents an opportunity for all of us to remind the world of the critically important roles research and cancer researchers play in reducing the global burden of cancer. Together with ten other global partners, NCI participated in the planning and launch of this initiative, highlighting the amplified impact of international cooperation in the clinical research arena.
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Clinical Trials Management | Division of Cancer Prevention
Information for researchers about developing, reporting, and managing NCI-funded cancer prevention clinical trials. Protocol Information Office The central clearinghouse for clinical trials management within the Division of Cancer Prevention.Read more about the Protocol Information Office. | Information for researchers about developing, reporting, and managing NCI-funded
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Clinical Research Nursing: Development of a Residency Program .
Showalter, Brandi L; Cline, Debbie; Yungclas, Jan; Frentz, Kelly; Stafford, Susan R; Maresh, Kelly J
2017-10-01
Clinical research nurses are essential in the coordination of clinical trials and the management of research participants. Without a stable, knowledgeable research nurse workforce, the conduct of research is affected. A research nurse residency is a novel approach to preparing new graduate nurses for the oncology research nurse role. This article will describe the development and content of the research nurse residency and how this approach is being used to address a need for clinical research nurses to support burgeoning clinical trials at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. .
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Heymach, John; Krilov, Lada; Alberg, Anthony; Baxter, Nancy; Chang, Susan Marina; Corcoran, Ryan; Dale, William; DeMichele, Angela; Magid Diefenbach, Catherine S; Dreicer, Robert; Epstein, Andrew S; Gillison, Maura L; Graham, David L; Jones, Joshua; Ko, Andrew H; Lopez, Ana Maria; Maki, Robert G; Rodriguez-Galindo, Carlos; Schilsky, Richard L; Sznol, Mario; Westin, Shannon Neville; Burstein, Harold
2018-04-01
A MESSAGE FROM ASCO'S PRESIDENT I remember when ASCO first conceived of publishing an annual report on the most transformative research occurring in cancer care. Thirteen reports later, the progress we have chronicled is remarkable, and this year is no different. The research featured in ASCO's Clinical Cancer Advances 2018 report underscores the impressive gains in our understanding of cancer and in our ability to tailor treatments to tumors' genetic makeup. The ASCO 2018 Advance of the Year, adoptive cell immunotherapy, allows clinicians to genetically reprogram patients' own immune cells to find and attack cancer cells throughout the body. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy-a type of adoptive cell immunotherapy-has led to remarkable results in young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in adults with lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Researchers are also exploring this approach in other types of cancer. This advance would not be possible without robust federal investment in cancer research. The first clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy in children with ALL was funded, in part, by grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and researchers at the NCI Center for Cancer Research were the first to report on possible CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma. These discoveries follow decades of prior research on immunology and cancer biology, much of which was supported by federal dollars. In fact, many advances that are highlighted in the 2018 Clinical Cancer Advances report were made possible thanks to our nation's support for biomedical research. Funding from the US National Institutes of Health and the NCI helps researchers pursue critical patient care questions and addresses vital, unmet needs that private industry has little incentive to take on. Federally supported cancer research generates the biomedical innovations that fuel the development and availability of new and improved treatments for patients. We need sustained federal
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A new phase I clinical trial conducted by researchers at the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) is evaluating the safety and tolerability, or the degree to which any side effects can be tolerated by patients, of a two-drug combination as a potential alternative to bladder removal for bladder cancer patients. The trial targets patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) whose cancers have stopped responding to traditional therapies. Read more...
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Dunne, Richard F; Mustian, Karen M; Garcia, Jose M; Dale, William; Hayward, Reid; Roussel, Breton; Buschmann, Mary M; Caan, Bette J; Cole, Calvin L; Fleming, Fergal J; Chakkalakal, Joe V; Linehan, David C; Hezel, Aram F; Mohile, Supriya G
2017-12-01
Cancer cachexia remains understudied and there are no standard treatments available despite the publication of an international consensus definition and the completion of several large phase III intervention trials in the past 6 years. In September 2015, The University of Rochester Cancer Center NCORP Research Base led a Symposium on Cancer Cachexia and Sarcopenia with goals of reviewing the state of the science, identifying knowledge gaps, and formulating research priorities in cancer cachexia through active discussion and consensus. Research priorities that emerged from the discussion included the implementation of morphometrics into clinical decision making, establishing specific diagnostic criteria for the stages of cachexia, expanding patient selection in intervention trials, identifying clinically meaningful trial endpoints, and the investigation of exercise as an intervention for cancer cachexia. Standardizing how we define and measure cancer cachexia, targeting its complex biologic mechanisms, enrolling patients early in their disease course, and evaluating exercise, either alone or in combination, were proposed as initiatives that may ultimately result in the improved design of cancer cachexia therapeutic trials.
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Statistical approaches for evaluating body composition markers in clinical cancer research.
Bayar, Mohamed Amine; Antoun, Sami; Lanoy, Emilie
2017-04-01
The term 'morphomics' stands for the markers of body composition in muscle and adipose tissues. in recent years, as part of clinical cancer research, several associations between morphomics and outcome or toxicity were found in different treatment settings leading to a growing interest. we aim to review statistical approaches used to evaluate these markers and suggest practical statistical recommendations. Area covered: We identified statistical methods used recently to take into account properties of morphomics measurements. We also reviewed adjustment methods on major confounding factors such as gender and approaches to model morphomic data, especially mixed models for repeated measures. Finally, we focused on methods for determining a cut-off for a morphomic marker that could be used in clinical practice and how to assess its robustness. Expert commentary: From our review, we proposed 13 key points to strengthen analyses and reporting of clinical research assessing associations between morphomics and outcome or toxicity.
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Wolf, Dominik; Wolf, Anna Maria
2015-06-15
Immune escape is a hallmark of cancer development and metastasis. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are potent inhibitors of cancer immune surveillance but also prevent inflammation-driven tumorigenesis. The study by Wolf and colleagues, which was published in the February 2003 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, showed the expansion of Treg in solid cancer patients, providing a deeper understanding of cancer immune escape mechanisms that later set the stage for the development of scientific breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.
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Antibody Characterization Lab | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
The Antibody Characterization Lab (ACL), an intramural reference laboratory located at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in Frederick, Maryland, thoroughly characterizes monoclonal antibodies or other renewable affinity binding reagents for use in cancer related research.
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Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Research Practicum | Division of Cancer Prevention
The Nutritional Science Research Group in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Nutrition at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health are offering a one week educational opportunity in "Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Research" for individuals with a sustained commitment to nutrition
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Patrick, Kevin; Wolszon, Laura; Basen-Engquist, Karen M; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Prokhorov, Alex V; Barrera, Stephanie; Baru, Chaitan; Farcas, Emilia; Krueger, Ingolf; Palmer, Doug; Raab, Fred; Rios, Phil; Ziftci, Celal; Peterson, Susan
2010-01-01
ABSTRACT Improved approaches and methodologies are needed to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER) in oncology. While cancer therapies continue to emerge at a rapid pace, the review, synthesis, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions across clinical trials lag in comparison. Rigorous and systematic testing of competing therapies has been clouded by age-old problems: poor patient adherence, inability to objectively measure the environmental influences on health, lack of kn...
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Factors and outcomes of decision making for cancer clinical trial participation.
Biedrzycki, Barbara A
2011-09-01
To describe factors and outcomes related to the decision-making process regarding participation in a cancer clinical trial. Cross-sectional, descriptive. Urban, academic, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the mid-Atlantic United States. 197 patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Mailed survey using one investigator-developed instrument, eight instruments used in published research, and a medical record review. disease context, sociodemographics, hope, quality of life, trust in healthcare system, trust in health professional, preference for research decision control, understanding risks, and information. decision to accept or decline research participation and satisfaction with this decision. All of the factors within the Research Decision Making Model together predicted cancer clinical trial participation and satisfaction with this decision. The most frequently preferred decision-making style for research participation was shared (collaborative) (83%). Multiple factors affect decision making for cancer clinical trial participation and satisfaction with this decision. Shared decision making previously was an unrecognized factor and requires further investigation. Enhancing the process of research decision making may facilitate an increase in cancer clinical trial enrollment rates. Oncology nurses have unique opportunities as educators and researchers to support shared decision making by those who prefer this method for deciding whether to accept or decline cancer clinical trial participation.
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Computational Omics Funding Opportunity | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
The National Cancer Institute's Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) and the NVIDIA Foundation are pleased to announce funding opportunities in the fight against cancer. Each organization has launched a request for proposals (RFP) that will collectively fund up to $2 million to help to develop a new generation of data-intensive scientific tools to find new ways to treat cancer.
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Antibody Portal | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
Central to reproducibility in biomedical research is being able to use well-characterized and defined reagents. The CPTAC Antibody Portal serves as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) community resource that provides access to a large number of standardized renewable affinity reagents (to cancer-associated targets) and accompanying characterization data.
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Guide to clinical PET in oncology: Improving clinical management of cancer patients
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2008-10-01
Positron emission tomography (PET) has an approximately 50 year-history. It was developed as a tool of medical science to quantitatively measure metabolic rates of bio-substances in vivo and in particular the number of receptors in neuroscience. Until the late 1990s PET was, in most cases, research oriented activity. In 2001, positron emission tomography/X ray computed tomography (PET/CT) hybrid imaging system became commercially available. An era of clinical PET then emerged, in which PET images were utilized for clinical practice in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer patients. PET imaging could recognize areas of abnormal metabolic behaviour of cancers in vivo, and the addition of CT imaging underlines the site of malignancy. More accurate and precise interpretation of cancer lesions can therefore be performed by PET/CT imaging than PET or CT imaging alone. Clinical PET, in particular with fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG), has already proven itself to have considerable value in oncology. The indications include malignant lymphoma and melanoma, head and neck cancers, oesophageal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer, and it is still being expanded. The roles of clinical PET could be for 1) preoperative staging of cancers, 2) differentiation between residual tumour and scarring, 3) demonstration of suspected recurrences, 4) monitoring response to therapy, 5) prognosis and 6) radiotherapy treatment planning. Clinical PET can be used to illustrate exactly which treatment should be applied for a cancer patient as well as where surgeons should operate and where radiation oncologists should target radiation therapy. An almost exponential rise in the introduction of clinical PET, as well as the installation of PET/CT has been seen throughout the world. Clinical PET is currently viewed as the most powerful diagnostic tool in its field. This IAEA-TECDOC presents an overview of clinical PET for cancer patients and a relevant source of
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Clauser, Steven B; Johnson, Maureen R; O'Brien, Donna M; Beveridge, Joy M; Fennell, Mary L; Kaluzny, Arnold D
2009-09-26
In this article, we describe the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) pilot and the evaluation designed to assess its role, function, and relevance to the NCI's research mission. In doing so, we describe the evolution of and rationale for the NCCCP concept, participating sites' characteristics, its multi-faceted aims to enhance clinical research and quality of care in community settings, and the role of strategic partnerships, both within and outside of the NCCCP network, in achieving program objectives. The evaluation of the NCCCP is conceptualized as a mixed method multi-layered assessment of organizational innovation and performance which includes mapping the evolution of site development as a means of understanding the inter- and intra-organizational change in the pilot, and the application of specific evaluation metrics for assessing the implementation, operations, and performance of the NCCCP pilot. The assessment of the cost of the pilot as an additional means of informing the longer-term feasibility and sustainability of the program is also discussed. The NCCCP is a major systems-level set of organizational innovations to enhance clinical research and care delivery in diverse communities across the United States. Assessment of the extent to which the program achieves its aims will depend on a full understanding of how individual, organizational, and environmental factors align (or fail to align) to achieve these improvements, and at what cost.
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Quality Control Specialist | Center for Cancer Research
Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
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Gory, Conner
2016-10-01
Soon after the Molecular Immunology Center (CIM) was established in 1994 (a founding institution of Havana's biotechnology and pharmaceutical campus known as the scientific pole), Dr Crombet completed her master's thesis there. She joined CIM's team in 1998 and in 2004 was designated Director of Clinical Research. She has participated in the research, development and clinical trials of some of Cuba's most innovative therapies and vaccines, including CIMAvax-EGF for non-small cell lung cancer patients. In 2015, this therapy completed Phase IV clinical trials in Cuba and is now used in primary health care services throughout the country's national health system. CIM and Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, New York) received US Department of Treasury approval in 2015 to test CIMAvax-EGF and other CIM products in the United States, opening the way for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider joint ground-breaking Phase I and II clinical trials in the USA. Recent regulatory changes introduced by President Barack Obama may make applying for such licenses a thing of the past-at least that is what researchers hope. In any case, the work of Dr Crombet and the teams at CIM is making headway in cancer immunotherapy, within the broader goals of the institution's mandate…the subject of our interview.
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Siesling, Sabine; Louwman, W.J.; Kwast, A.; van den Hurk, C.J.G.; O'Callaghan, M.; Rosso, S.; Zanetti, R.; Storm, H.; Comber, H.; Steliarova-Foucher, E.; Coebergh, J.W.W.
2015-01-01
Aim To provide insight into cancer registration coverage, data access and use in Europe. This contributes to data and infrastructure harmonisation and will foster a more prominent role of cancer registries (CRs) within public health, clinical policy and cancer research, whether within or outside the
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Tripathy, Debu
2015-09-23
The field of breast cancer had witnessed clear improvements in survival and less morbidity over the last few decades owing to earlier detection as a result of public awareness and screening, as well as treatments involving the disciplines of surgical, radiation and medical oncology along with advances in imaging and pathological diagnostics. However, in the last 5-10 years, newer assays and biological therapies have begun to cross new boundaries with higher rates of cure seen in more aggressive cancers. Even though metastatic breast cancer remains incurable, some, but not all, subsets of patients with breast cancer are living longer and more productive lives. Many challenges still remain, and the development of team science coupled with collaborative clinical research and care is expected to accelerate advances along this trajectory.
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Durant, Raegan W; Wenzel, Jennifer A; Scarinci, Isabel C; Paterniti, Debora A; Fouad, Mona N; Hurd, Thelma C; Martin, Michelle Y
2014-04-01
The study of disparities in minority recruitment to cancer clinical trials has focused primarily on inquiries among minority populations. Yet very little is known about the perceptions of individuals actively involved in minority recruitment to clinical trials within cancer centers. Therefore, the authors assessed the perspectives of cancer center clinical and research personnel on barriers and facilitators to minority recruitment. In total, 91 qualitative interviews were conducted at 5 US cancer centers among 4 stakeholder groups: cancer center leaders, principal investigators, research staff, and referring clinicians. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analyses of response data was focused on identifying prominent themes related to barriers and facilitators to minority recruitment. The perspectives of the 4 stakeholder groups were largely overlapping with some variations based on their unique roles in minority recruitment. Four prominent themes were identified: 1) racial and ethnic minorities are influenced by varying degrees of skepticism related to trial participation, 2) potential minority participants often face multilevel barriers that preclude them from being offered an opportunity to participate in a clinical trial, 3) facilitators at both the institutional and participant level potentially encourage minority recruitment, and 4) variation between internal and external trial referral procedures may limit clinical trial opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities. Multilevel approaches are needed to address barriers and optimize facilitators within cancer centers to enhance minority recruitment for cancer clinical trials. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
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Mutsaers, Brittany; Jones, Georden; Rutkowski, Nicole; Tomei, Christina; Séguin Leclair, Caroline; Petricone-Westwood, Danielle; Simard, Sébastien; Lebel, Sophie
2016-10-01
Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common experience for cancer survivors. However, it remains unclear what characteristics differentiate non-clinical from clinical levels of FCR. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential hallmarks of clinical FCR. A convenience sample of 40 participants (n = 19 female) was drawn from another study (Lebel et al. in Qual Life Res 25:311-321. doi: 10.1007/s11136-015-1088-2 , 2016). The semi-structured interview for fear of cancer recurrence (Simard and Savard in J Cancer Surviv 9:481-491. doi: 10.1007/s11764-015-0424-4 , 2015) was used to identify participants with non-clinical and clinical FCR and qualitative analysis of these interviews was performed. Individuals with clinical FCR reported the following features: death-related thoughts, feeling alone, belief that the cancer would return, experiencing intolerance of uncertainty, having cancer-related thoughts and imagery that were difficult to control, daily and recurrent, lasted 30 minutes or more, increased over time, caused distress and impacted their daily life. Triggers of FCR and coping strategies did not appear to be features of clinical FCR as they were reported by participants with a range of FCR scores. While features of clinical FCR found in this analysis such as intrusive thoughts, distress and impact on functioning confirmed previous FCR research, other features spontaneously emerged from the interviews including "death-related thoughts," "feeling alone," and "belief that the cancer will return." The participants' descriptions of cancer-specific fear and worry suggest that FCR is a distinct phenomenon related to cancer survivorship, despite similarities with psychological disorders (e.g., Anxiety Disorders). Future research investigating the construct of FCR, and the distinguishing features of clinical FCR across a range of cancer types and gender is required.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jick S
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Susan Jick,1 Lin Li,1 Victor M Gastanaga,2 Alexander Liede,2 Rohini K Hernandez2 1Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program, Boston University School of Public Health, Lexington, MA, USA; 2Center for Observational Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks and South San Francisco, CA, USA Background: The reported proportion of cancer patients who experience hypercalcemia of malignancy (HCM is low, particularly in the pediatric population, ranging between <1% and 5%. HCM can be observed with any type of tumor in children and occurs most commonly with leukemia. While HCM is a potentially fatal condition, the prevalence of HCM is not well understood in pediatric cancer patients. Methods: Using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we identified pediatric cancer patients with recorded corrected serum calcium (CSC from 2003 through 2014. Hypercalcemic patients (CSC ≥10.8 mg/dL were classified into 4 CSC levels. We estimated the annual prevalence of HCM using Byar’s method. Results: Among 517 pediatric cancer patients, leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors were the most frequent cancer types. The prevalence of HCM overall (grade 1 or higher ranged from 0.24% to 0.81% between 2003 and 2014. There were too few cases to compare prevalence by type of cancer. Conclusion: We provide the first systematic analysis using a UK population-based data source to estimate the number of pediatric cancer patients affected with HCM by grade. Our findings showed that the prevalence of pediatric HCM was very low (0.24%–0.81% over the 12-year study period, which is consistent with previous study of adult cancer patients in the UK (0.20%–0.67%. Keywords: hypercalcemia, pediatric, cancer, prevalence, Clinical Practice Research Datalink
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Dr. Henry Rodriguez, director of the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, has been recognized as the recipient of the Chair’s Inspirational Award by the Mass Spectrometry and Separation Sciences for Laboratory Medicine Division (MSSS), American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC).
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fennell Mary L
2009-09-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background In this article, we describe the National Cancer Institute (NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP pilot and the evaluation designed to assess its role, function, and relevance to the NCI's research mission. In doing so, we describe the evolution of and rationale for the NCCCP concept, participating sites' characteristics, its multi-faceted aims to enhance clinical research and quality of care in community settings, and the role of strategic partnerships, both within and outside of the NCCCP network, in achieving program objectives. Discussion The evaluation of the NCCCP is conceptualized as a mixed method multi-layered assessment of organizational innovation and performance which includes mapping the evolution of site development as a means of understanding the inter- and intra-organizational change in the pilot, and the application of specific evaluation metrics for assessing the implementation, operations, and performance of the NCCCP pilot. The assessment of the cost of the pilot as an additional means of informing the longer-term feasibility and sustainability of the program is also discussed. Summary The NCCCP is a major systems-level set of organizational innovations to enhance clinical research and care delivery in diverse communities across the United States. Assessment of the extent to which the program achieves its aims will depend on a full understanding of how individual, organizational, and environmental factors align (or fail to align to achieve these improvements, and at what cost.
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Nanotechnology in Cancer Research
The NCI Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research has had a major impact on bringing novel nano-enabled solutions through the pre-clinical space. The strategic framework of this effort is presented here.
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Clinical Epidemiology Unit - overview of research areas
Clinical Epidemiology Unit (CEU) conducts etiologic research with potential clinical and public health applications, and leads studies evaluating population-based early detection and cancer prevention strategies
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Communications Specialist | Center for Cancer Research
Be part of our mission to support research against cancer. We have an exciting opportunity for a talented communicator to join our team and be part of the effort to find cures for cancer. We are looking for a creative, team-oriented communications professional, with strong writing skills to publicize our research advances, employment and training opportunities and clinical
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Manufacturing/Cell Therapy Specialist | Center for Cancer Research
Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
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Types of Cancer Clinical Trials
Information about the several types of cancer clinical trials, including treatment trials, prevention trials, screening trials, supportive and palliative care trials. Each type of trial is designed to answer different research questions.
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Urban, Trinity; Ziegler, Erik; Lewis, Rob; Hafey, Chris; Sadow, Cheryl; Van den Abbeele, Annick D; Harris, Gordon J
2017-11-01
Oncology clinical trials have become increasingly dependent upon image-based surrogate endpoints for determining patient eligibility and treatment efficacy. As therapeutics have evolved and multiplied in number, the tumor metrics criteria used to characterize therapeutic response have become progressively more varied and complex. The growing intricacies of image-based response evaluation, together with rising expectations for rapid and consistent results reporting, make it difficult for site radiologists to adequately address local and multicenter imaging demands. These challenges demonstrate the need for advanced cancer imaging informatics tools that can help ensure protocol-compliant image evaluation while simultaneously promoting reviewer efficiency. LesionTracker is a quantitative imaging package optimized for oncology clinical trial workflows. The goal of the project is to create an open source zero-footprint viewer for image analysis that is designed to be extensible as well as capable of being integrated into third-party systems for advanced imaging tools and clinical trials informatics platforms. Cancer Res; 77(21); e119-22. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.
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[A web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal cancer].
E, Qimin; Liu, Jialin; Li, Yong; Liang, Chuanyu
2014-08-01
To establish an integrated database for laryngeal cancer, and to provide an information platform for laryngeal cancer in clinical and fundamental researches. This database also meet the needs of clinical and scientific use. Under the guidance of clinical expert, we have constructed a web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal carcinoma on the basis of clinical data standards, Apache+PHP+MySQL technology, laryngeal cancer specialist characteristics and tumor genetic information. A Web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal carcinoma had been developed. This database had a user-friendly interface and the data could be entered and queried conveniently. In addition, this system utilized the clinical data standards and exchanged information with existing electronic medical records system to avoid the Information Silo. Furthermore, the forms of database was integrated with laryngeal cancer specialist characteristics and tumor genetic information. The Web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal carcinoma has comprehensive specialist information, strong expandability, high feasibility of technique and conforms to the clinical characteristics of laryngeal cancer specialties. Using the clinical data standards and structured handling clinical data, the database can be able to meet the needs of scientific research better and facilitate information exchange, and the information collected and input about the tumor sufferers are very informative. In addition, the user can utilize the Internet to realize the convenient, swift visit and manipulation on the database.
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Caldwell, B; Coltart, K; Hutchison, C; McJury, M; Morrison, A; Paterson, C; Thomson, M
2017-09-01
Research is of key importance in delivering high-quality patient care through evidence-based practice. Attitude towards research and barriers to research can have an impact on research activity. A survey was conducted to establish the levels of research awareness and attitudes among clinical staff groups in this regional cancer centre and identify any barriers to participation in research. The survey consisted of 26 questions and was distributed electronically and completed online. The response rate was 22.3% (n = 123). All participants felt that clinical research will help the regional cancer centre develop and progress treatments in the future. A positive attitude towards research was evident and consistent across professional groups. The main identified barriers to research included lacking the required knowledge, skills and training, lacking support from managers, and lack of opportunity or time to be involved in research, in particular for allied health professionals. However, there appears to be the foundation of a healthy research culture for nurses supported by management. The results of the survey support the implementation of an action plan based on the recommendations of this journal article. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Cho, William C S
2008-08-01
The Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's largest and most comprehensive gathering of cancer researchers. At the 2008 AACR Annual Meeting, innovative research approaches, novel technologies, potentially life-saving therapies in the pipeline, late-breaking clinical trial findings, and new approaches to cancer prevention were presented by top scientists. Reflecting the global state of cancer research with an eye toward future trends, several areas of great science and discovery in the cancer field were shared in this report, which include cancer biomarkers, the role of microRNAs in cancer research, cancer stem cells, tumor microenvironment, targeted therapy, and cancer prevention. This article presents an overview of hot topics discussed at the 2008 AACR Annual Meeting and recapitulates some scientific sessions geared toward new technologies, recent progress, and current challenges reported by cancer researchers. For those who did not attend the meeting, this report may serve as a highlight of this important international cancer research meeting.
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A Review of Lung Cancer Research in Malaysia.
Kan, C S; Chan, K M J
2016-06-01
Lung cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Malaysia and worldwide. This paper reviews all research and publications on lung cancer in Malaysia published between 2000-2015. 89 papers were identified, of which 64 papers were selected and reviewed on the basis of their relevance to the review. The epidemiology, risk factors, cell types, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, prevention, and the social impact of lung cancer in the country are reviewed and summarized. The clinical relevance of the studies done in the country are discussed along with recommendations for future research.
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Gaps in nutritional research among older adults with cancer
Presley, Carolyn J.; Dotan, Efrat; Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Enrique; Jatoi, Aminah; Mohile, Supriya G.; Won, Elizabeth; Alibhai, Shabbir; Kilari, Deepak; Harrison, Robert; Klepin, Heidi D.; Wildes, Tanya M.; Mustian, Karen; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy
2016-01-01
Nutritional issues among older adults with cancer are an understudied area of research despite significant prognostic implications for treatment side effects, cancer-specific mortality, and overall survival. In May of 2015, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging co-sponsored a conference focused on future directions in geriatric oncology research. Nutritional research among older adults with cancer was highlighted as a major area of concern as most nutritional cancer research has been conducted among younger adults, with limited evidence to guide the care of nutritional issues among older adults with cancer. Cancer diagnoses among older adults are increasing, and the care of the older adult with cancer is complicated due to multimorbidity, heterogeneous functional status, polypharmacy, deficits in cognitive and mental health, and several other non-cancer factors. Due to this complexity, nutritional needs are dynamic, multifaceted, and dependent on the clinical scenario. This manuscript outlines the proceedings of this conference including knowledge gaps and recommendations for future nutritional research among older adults with cancer. Three common clinical scenarios encountered by oncologists include (1) weight loss during anti-cancer therapy, (2) malnutrition during advanced disease, and (3) obesity during survivorship. In this manuscript, we provide a brief overview of relevant cancer literature within these three areas, knowledge gaps that exist, and recommendations for future research. PMID:27197919
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The John Milner Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Research Practicum | Division of Cancer Prevention
The Nutritional Science Research Group in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Nutrition at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center are offering a one-week educational opportunity in Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Research for individuals with a sustained commitment to nutrition and health promotion. |
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Radiological and clinical evaluation of colorectal cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shin, O. J.; Chin, S. Y.; Lee, K. S.; Park, S. S.
1982-01-01
One hundred thirty two cases of the pathologically proven colorectal cancer at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Hospital in the period from January 1973 to June 1980 were analyzed radiologically and clinically. The results were as follows: 1. The colorectal cancer was prevalent in rectosigmoid area and in the fourth to seventh decade of life. 2. The clinical pictures were classified into two groups. The one was rectosigmoid cancer with bowel habit changes. The other was one with no specific symptoms or signs. The clinical pictures of the right colon cancer were rather indirected, chronic and systemic than those of the left one. 3. The roentgenological findings were classified into two groups. The one was rectum and left colon cancer with symmetrical annular narrowing and the other showed trumpet-like proximal dilatation. 4. The most frequent complication was intestinal obstruction. 5. The majority of colorectal cancer was adenocarcinoma. The squamous cell carcinoma and atypical cell carcinoma were most prevalent in rectum, but malignantly lymphoma often occurred in right colon. The rarest colorectal cancer was atypical cell carcinoma in rectum
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Pentheroudakis, George; Krikelis, Dimitrios; Cervantes, Andres; Vermorken, Jan; Pavlidis, Nicholas
2012-10-01
The comparison of clinical cancer research characteristics across the Atlantic and their evolution over time have not been studied to date. We collected oral presentations on breast, lung and colorectal cancer at ASCO (n=506) and ESMO (n=239) Congresses in years 2000-2010. EU-originated research constituted 52% of all ASCO presentations while US-research 26.7% of ESMO Congress presentations. Industry sponsorship was reported in 24.8% of ASCO vs. 31.8% of ESMO Congress trials. ASCO-presented trials were larger with longer follow-up periods but were blinded less often. ESMO-presented trials used Event-Free Survival (EFS, 38.1%) and Surrogate (18.4%) primary endpoints and reported positive primary endpoints (65%) more often than ASCO-presented trials. Interim analysis resulted in discontinuation of a trial more often at ASCO Congress (8.3% vs. 3.2%). ASCO Congress-presented research was more often published (69.2% vs. 59.8% at ESMO) at higher impact factor journals. Strong trends over the decade were seen for more frequent industry sponsorship, blinded design, larger sample size, early interim discontinuation, use of EFS endpoints and biomarker evaluation. Cancer clinical research is a complex scientific activity with common global but also distinct characteristics at the two sides of the Atlantic. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NCI is the nation's leader in cancer research. Learn more about NCI's cancer research areas, key initiatives, progress made in cancer research, and resources for researchers like research tools, specimens and data.
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Basic research on cancer related to radiation associated medical researches
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, Jong In; Hwang, Dae Yong; Bang, Ho Yoon
2000-12-01
Basic Research on Cancer related to Radiation Associated Medical Researches including 1. Establishment of animal model of colorectal cancer liver metastasis and measurement of angiogenesis, 2. Tissue expression of Tie-1 and Tie-2 in human colorectal cancer, 3. Enhancement of G2/Mphase Cell Fraction by Adenovirus-mediated p53 Gene Transfer in Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines, 4. Clinical Characteristics of the patients with Non-B Non-C Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Frequency of HBV, HCV and TTV Viremia in these Patients, 5. Significance of serum iron and ferritin in patients with stomach cancer, 6. Telomerase assay for early detection of lung cancer, 7. Study on the Usefulness of Aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 Genotyping for Risk Group of Alcohol-related Cancer Screening, 8. Gene therapy using hepatoma specific promoter, 9. Study on the Influence of DNA repair gene, XRCC1 Genotypes on the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer were performed
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Basic research on cancer related to radiation associated medical researches
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lee, Jong In; Hwang, Dae Yong; Bang, Ho Yoon [and others
2000-12-01
Basic Research on Cancer related to Radiation Associated Medical Researches including 1. Establishment of animal model of colorectal cancer liver metastasis and measurement of angiogenesis, 2. Tissue expression of Tie-1 and Tie-2 in human colorectal cancer, 3. Enhancement of G2/Mphase Cell Fraction by Adenovirus-mediated p53 Gene Transfer in Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines, 4. Clinical Characteristics of the patients with Non-B Non-C Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Frequency of HBV, HCV and TTV Viremia in these Patients, 5. Significance of serum iron and ferritin in patients with stomach cancer, 6. Telomerase assay for early detection of lung cancer, 7. Study on the Usefulness of Aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 Genotyping for Risk Group of Alcohol-related Cancer Screening, 8. Gene therapy using hepatoma specific promoter, 9. Study on the Influence of DNA repair gene, XRCC1 Genotypes on the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer were performed.
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Choi, In Young; Park, Seungho; Park, Bumjoon; Chung, Byung Ha; Kim, Choung-Soo; Lee, Hyun Moo; Byun, Seok-Soo; Lee, Ji Youl
2013-01-01
In spite of increased prostate cancer patients, little is known about the impact of treatments for prostate cancer patients and outcome of different treatments based on nationwide data. In order to obtain more comprehensive information for Korean prostate cancer patients, many professionals urged to have national system to monitor the quality of prostate cancer care. To gain its objective, the prostate cancer database system was planned and cautiously accommodated different views from various professions. This prostate cancer research database system incorporates information about a prostate cancer research including demographics, medical history, operation information, laboratory, and quality of life surveys. And, this system includes three different ways of clinical data collection to produce a comprehensive data base; direct data extraction from electronic medical record (EMR) system, manual data entry after linking EMR documents like magnetic resonance imaging findings and paper-based data collection for survey from patients. We implemented clinical data warehouse technology to test direct EMR link method with St. Mary's Hospital system. Using this method, total number of eligible patients were 2,300 from 1997 until 2012. Among them, 538 patients conducted surgery and others have different treatments. Our database system could provide the infrastructure for collecting error free data to support various retrospective and prospective studies.
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Strambu, V; Garofil, D; Pop, F; Radu, P; Bratucu, M; Popa, F
2014-03-15
Although multimodal treatment has brought important benefit, there is still great heterogeneity regarding the indication and response to chemotherapy in Stage II and III, and individual variations related to both overall survival and toxicity of new therapies in metastatic disease or tumor relapse. Recent research in molecular biology led to the development of a large scale of genetic biomarkers, but their clinical use is not concordant with the high expectations. The Aim of this review is to identify and discuss the molecular markers with proven clinical applicability as prognostic and/or predictive factors in CRC and also to establish a feasible algorithm of molecular testing, as routine practice, in the personalized, multidisciplinary approach of colorectal cancer patients in our country. Despite the revolution that occurred in the field of molecular marker research, only Serum CEA, Immunohistochemical analysis of mismatch repair proteins and PCR testing for KRAS and BRAF mutations have confirmed their clinical utility in the management of colorectal cancer. Their implementation in the current practice should partially resolve some of the controversies related to this heterogenic pathology, in matters of prognosis in different TNM stages, stage II patient risk stratification, diagnosis of hereditary CRC and likelihood of benefit from anti EGFR therapy in metastatic disease. The proposed algorithms of molecular testing are very useful but still imperfect and require further validation and constant optimization.
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Researching the experience of kidney cancer patients.
Taylor, K
2002-09-01
The author's personal experience as a kidney cancer patient, researcher and founder of a kidney cancer support group forms the basis for consideration of the challenges involved in researching patients' experiences. The researcher needs to understand the variability of those experiences in both clinical and psychological-emotional terms, and in relation to the personal, familial and social contexts of the patient. It is also essential to define the purpose of the research and to show how an understanding of personal experiences of cancer can be used to enhance the quality of care for cancer patients. The research encounter with a patient is also in some respects a therapeutic encounter requiring a considerable degree of sensitivity on the part of the researcher. The person-centred approach of Carl Rogers is of value in supporting such an encounter.
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Prostate Cancer Research Trial Helps John Spencer Treat His Cancer | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine
... of this page please turn Javascript on. Feature: Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Research Trial Helps John Spencer Treat His Cancer ... because of timely detection and treatment of his prostate cancer. He participated in an NIH-sponsored clinical trial. ...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
S. Nicole Culos-Reed
2012-01-01
Full Text Available Limited research suggests yoga may be a viable gentle physical activity option with a variety of health-related quality of life, psychosocial and symptom management benefits. The purpose of this review was to determine the clinical significance of patient-reported outcomes from yoga interventions conducted with cancer survivors. A total of 25 published yoga intervention studies for cancer survivors from 2004–2011 had patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life, psychosocial or symptom measures. Thirteen of these studies met the necessary criteria to assess clinical significance. Clinical significance for each of the outcomes of interest was examined based on 1 standard error of the measurement, 0.5 standard deviation, and relative comparative effect sizes and their respective confidence intervals. This review describes in detail these patient-reported outcomes, how they were obtained, their relative clinical significance and implications for both clinical and research settings. Overall, clinically significant changes in patient-reported outcomes suggest that yoga interventions hold promise for improving cancer survivors' well-being. This research overview provides new directions for examining how clinical significance can provide a unique context for describing changes in patient-reported outcomes from yoga interventions. Researchers are encouraged to employ indices of clinical significance in the interpretation and discussion of results from yoga studies.
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Strategies to design clinical studies to identify predictive biomarkers in cancer research.
Perez-Gracia, Jose Luis; Sanmamed, Miguel F; Bosch, Ana; Patiño-Garcia, Ana; Schalper, Kurt A; Segura, Victor; Bellmunt, Joaquim; Tabernero, Josep; Sweeney, Christopher J; Choueiri, Toni K; Martín, Miguel; Fusco, Juan Pablo; Rodriguez-Ruiz, Maria Esperanza; Calvo, Alfonso; Prior, Celia; Paz-Ares, Luis; Pio, Ruben; Gonzalez-Billalabeitia, Enrique; Gonzalez Hernandez, Alvaro; Páez, David; Piulats, Jose María; Gurpide, Alfonso; Andueza, Mapi; de Velasco, Guillermo; Pazo, Roberto; Grande, Enrique; Nicolas, Pilar; Abad-Santos, Francisco; Garcia-Donas, Jesus; Castellano, Daniel; Pajares, María J; Suarez, Cristina; Colomer, Ramon; Montuenga, Luis M; Melero, Ignacio
2017-02-01
The discovery of reliable biomarkers to predict efficacy and toxicity of anticancer drugs remains one of the key challenges in cancer research. Despite its relevance, no efficient study designs to identify promising candidate biomarkers have been established. This has led to the proliferation of a myriad of exploratory studies using dissimilar strategies, most of which fail to identify any promising targets and are seldom validated. The lack of a proper methodology also determines that many anti-cancer drugs are developed below their potential, due to failure to identify predictive biomarkers. While some drugs will be systematically administered to many patients who will not benefit from them, leading to unnecessary toxicities and costs, others will never reach registration due to our inability to identify the specific patient population in which they are active. Despite these drawbacks, a limited number of outstanding predictive biomarkers have been successfully identified and validated, and have changed the standard practice of oncology. In this manuscript, a multidisciplinary panel reviews how those key biomarkers were identified and, based on those experiences, proposes a methodological framework-the DESIGN guidelines-to standardize the clinical design of biomarker identification studies and to develop future research in this pivotal field. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Willis, Amanda M; Smith, Sian K; Meiser, Bettina; Ballinger, Mandy L; Thomas, David M; Tattersall, Martin; Young, Mary-Anne
2018-02-17
Germline genomic testing is increasingly used in research to identify genetic causes of disease, including cancer. However, there is evidence that individuals who are notified of clinically actionable research findings have difficulty making informed decisions regarding uptake of genetic counseling for these findings. This study aimed to produce and pilot test a decision aid to assist participants in genomic research studies who are notified of clinically actionable research findings to make informed choices regarding uptake of genetic counseling. Development was guided by published literature, the International Patient Decision Aid Standards, and the expertise of a steering committee of clinicians, researchers, and consumers. Decision aid acceptability was assessed by self-report questionnaire. All 19 participants stated that the decision aid was easy to read, clearly presented, increased their understanding of the implications of taking up research findings, and would be helpful in decision-making. While low to moderate levels of distress/worry were reported after reading the booklet, a majority of participants also reported feeling reassured. All participants would recommend the booklet to others considering uptake of clinically actionable research findings. Results indicate the decision aid is acceptable to the target audience, with potential as a useful decision support tool for genomic research participants.
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Cancer as a Social Dysfunction - Why Cancer Research Needs New Thinking.
Pienta, Kenneth J; Axelrod, Robert
2018-05-21
The incidence and mortality for many cancers continues to rise. As such, critical action is needed on many fronts to reshape how a society thinks, discusses, and fights cancer especially as the population grows and ages. Cancer can be described as a broken social contract which requires different conceptual frameworks such as game theory. To this end, it is our hope that this perspective will catalyze a discussion to rethink the way we approach, communicate, and fund cancer research - thinking of cancer as a broken social contract is only one example. Importantly, this endeavor will require infusion of ideas from other fields such as physics, computational medicine, complexity science, agent-based modeling, sociology, and ecology all of which have the capacity to drive new insights into cancer biology and clinical medicine. Copyright ©2018, American Association for Cancer Research.
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Luker, Gary D
2002-04-01
The AACR Special Conference on Molecular Imaging in Cancer: Linking Biology, Function, and Clinical Applications In Vivo, was held January 23-27, 2002, at the Contemporary Hotel, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL. Co-Chairs David Piwnica-Worms, Patricia Price and Thomas Meade brought together researchers with diverse expertise in molecular biology, gene therapy, chemistry, engineering, pharmacology, and imaging to accelerate progress in developing and applying technologies for imaging specific cellular and molecular signals in living animals and humans. The format of the conference was the presentation of research that focused on basic and translational biology of cancer and current state-of-the-art techniques for molecular imaging in animal models and humans. This report summarizes the special conference on molecular imaging, highlighting the interfaces of molecular biology with animal models, instrumentation, chemistry, and pharmacology that are essential to convert the dreams and promise of molecular imaging into improved understanding, diagnosis, and management of cancer.
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Clinical research in small genomically stratified patient populations.
Martin-Liberal, J; Rodon, J
2017-07-01
The paradigm of early drug development in cancer is shifting from 'histology-oriented' to 'molecularly oriented' clinical trials. This change can be attributed to the vast amount of tumour biology knowledge generated by large international research initiatives such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques developed in recent years. However, targeting infrequent molecular alterations entails a series of special challenges. The optimal molecular profiling method, the lack of standardised biological thresholds, inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity, availability of enough tumour material, correct clinical trials design, attrition rate, logistics or costs are only some of the issues that need to be taken into consideration in clinical research in small genomically stratified patient populations. This article examines the most relevant challenges inherent to clinical research in these populations. Moreover, perspectives from the Academia point of view are reviewed as well as initiatives to be taken in forthcoming years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Second annual report of cancer research at the University of Chicago, 1974--1975
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Slatkin, S.P.
1975-01-01
Brief summaries are presented of research projects in the following areas: virology, cell biology, tumor immunology, carcinogenesis, clinical research, radiotherapy, radiation physics, nuclear medicine, and care facilities. Descriptions are given of the cancer control center, the clinical cancer training program, and tumor clinics. Cancer-related conferences held at the University of Chicago during the period June, 1974 to June, 1975, are listed
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Jones, P H; Shakdher, S; Singh, P
2017-04-01
Salient findings and interpretations from the canimpact clinical cancer research study are visually represented in two synthesis maps for the purpose of communicating an integrated presentation of the study to clinical cancer researchers and policymakers. Synthesis maps integrate evidence and expertise into a visual narrative for knowledge translation and communication. A clinical system synthesis map represents the current Canadian primary care and cancer practice systems, proposed as a visual knowledge translation from the mixed-methods canimpact study to inform Canadian clinical research, policy, and practice discourses. Two synthesis maps, drawn together from multiple canimpact investigations and sources, were required to articulate critical differences between the clinical system and patient perspectives. The synthesis map of Canada-wide clinical cancer systems illustrates the relationships between primary care and the full cancer continuum. A patient-centred map was developed to represent the cancer (and primary care) journeys as experienced by breast and colorectal cancer patients.
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Wells, Kristen J; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Meade, Cathy D; Fletcher, Michelle; Tyson, Dinorah Martinez; Jim, Heather; Jacobsen, Paul B
2012-08-01
To describe processes used to develop a multi-media psycho-educational intervention to prepare patients for a discussion about cancer clinical trials (CTs). Guided by a Steering Committee, formative research was conducted to develop an informative and engaging tool about cancer CTs. Twenty-three patients and caregivers participated in formative in-depth interviews to elicit information about perceptions of cancer CTs to inform production of a new media product. Formative research revealed participants had concerns about experimentation, held beliefs that cancer CTs were for patients who had no other treatment options, and wanted a balance of information about pros and cons of CT participation. The value of physicians as credible spokespersons and the use of patients as role-models were supported. Using iterative processes, the production team infused the results into creation of a multimedia psycho-educational intervention titled Clinical Trials: Are they Right for You? An intervention, developed through an iterative consumer-focused process involving multiple stakeholders and formative research, may result in an engaging informative product. If found to be efficacious, Clinical Trials: Are they Right for You? is a low-cost and easily disseminated multimedia psycho-educational intervention to assist cancer patients with making an informed decision about cancer CTs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Software Tools | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
The CPTAC program develops new approaches to elucidate aspects of the molecular complexity of cancer made from large-scale proteogenomic datasets, and advance them toward precision medicine. Part of the CPTAC mission is to make data and tools available and accessible to the greater research community to accelerate the discovery process.
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Use of crowdsourcing for cancer clinical trial development.
Leiter, Amanda; Sablinski, Tomasz; Diefenbach, Michael; Foster, Marc; Greenberg, Alex; Holland, John; Oh, William K; Galsky, Matthew D
2014-10-01
Patient and physician awareness and acceptance of trials and patient ineligibility are major cancer clinical trial accrual barriers. Yet, trials are typically conceived and designed by small teams of researchers with limited patient input. We hypothesized that through crowdsourcing, the intellectual and creative capacity of a large number of researchers, clinicians, and patients could be harnessed to improve the clinical trial design process. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and utility of using an internet-based crowdsourcing platform to inform the design of a clinical trial exploring an antidiabetic drug, metformin, in prostate cancer. Over a six-week period, crowd-sourced input was collected from 60 physicians/researchers and 42 patients/advocates leading to several major (eg, eligibility) and minor modifications to the clinical trial protocol as originally designed. Crowdsourcing clinical trial design is feasible, adds value to the protocol development process, and may ultimately improve the efficiency of trial conduct. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Cupertino, Ana Paula; Saint-Elin, Mercedes; de Los Rios, Johana Bravo; Engelman, Kimberly K; Greiner, K Allen; Ellerbeck, Edward F; Nápoles, Anna M
2015-01-01
To describe community-based participatory processes used to develop promotore training on cancer research, and to assess the feasibility of training promotores from rural communities to disseminate cancer research information. Prospective, cohort design. Rural communities in the state of Kansas. 34 Spanish-speaking promotores attended an information session; 27 enrolled and 22 completed training. With input from a community advisory board, the authors developed a leadership and cancer curriculum and trained Spanish-speaking promotores to disseminate information on cancer research. Promotores completed pretraining and post-training surveys in Spanish to assess demographic characteristics and changes in knowledge of cancer, cancer treatment and cancer research studies, and intent to participate in cancer research. Cancer knowledge, awareness of cancer clinical trials, interest in participating in cancer clinical research studies. Compared to pretraining, after training, promotores were more likely to correctly define cancer, identify biopsies, describe cancer stages, and report ever having heard of cancer research studies. Completion rates of the training and willingness to participate in cancer research were high, supporting the feasibility of training promotores to deliver community-based education to promote cancer research participation. Nursing professionals and researchers can collaborate with promotores to disseminate cancer education and research among underserved rural Latino communities in Kansas and elsewhere. Members of these communities appear willing and interested in improving their knowledge of cancer and cancer clinical trials.
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Nanotechnology Strategies To Advance Outcomes in Clinical Cancer Care.
Hartshorn, Christopher M; Bradbury, Michelle S; Lanza, Gregory M; Nel, Andre E; Rao, Jianghong; Wang, Andrew Z; Wiesner, Ulrich B; Yang, Lily; Grodzinski, Piotr
2018-01-23
Ongoing research into the application of nanotechnology for cancer treatment and diagnosis has demonstrated its advantages within contemporary oncology as well as its intrinsic limitations. The National Cancer Institute publishes the Cancer Nanotechnology Plan every 5 years since 2005. The most recent iteration helped codify the ongoing basic and translational efforts of the field and displayed its breadth with several evolving areas. From merely a technological perspective, this field has seen tremendous growth and success. However, an incomplete understanding of human cancer biology persists relative to the application of nanoscale materials within contemporary oncology. As such, this review presents several evolving areas in cancer nanotechnology in order to identify key clinical and biological challenges that need to be addressed to improve patient outcomes. From this clinical perspective, a sampling of the nano-enabled solutions attempting to overcome barriers faced by traditional therapeutics and diagnostics in the clinical setting are discussed. Finally, a strategic outlook of the future is discussed to highlight the need for next-generation cancer nanotechnology tools designed to address critical gaps in clinical cancer care.
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Research on cancer diagnosis in Malaysia: current status.
Looi, L M; Zubaidah, Z; Cheah, P L; Cheong, S K; Gudum, H R; Iekhsan, O; Ikram, S I; Jamal, R; Mak, J W; Othman, N H; Puteri, J N; Rosline, H; Sabariah, A R; Seow, H F; Sharifah, N A
2004-06-01
Cancer is a major morbidity and mortality concern in Malaysia. Based on National Cancer Registry data, the Malaysian population is estimated to bear a cancer burden of about 40,000 new cases per year, and a cumulative lifetime risk of about 1:4. Cancer research in Malaysia has to consider needs relevant to our population, and resources constraints. Hence, funding bodies prioritise cancers of high prevalence, unique to our community and posing specific clinical problems. Cancer diagnosis is crucial to cancer management. While cancer diagnosis research largely aims at improvements in diagnostic information towards more appropriate therapy, it also impacts upon policy development and other areas of cancer management. The scope of cancer diagnosis upon which this paper is based, and their possible impact on other R&D areas, has been broadly categorized into: (1) identification of aetiological agents and their linkages to the development of precancer and cancer (impact on policy development, cancer prevention and treatment), (2) cancer biology and pathogenesis (impact on cancer prevention, treatment strategies and product development), (3) improvements in accuracy, sensitivity and specificity in cancer detection, monitoring and classification (impact on technology development) and (4) prognostic and predictive parameters (impact on treatment strategies). This paper is based on data collected by the Working Group on Cancer Diagnosis Research for the First National Conference on Cancer Research Coordination in April 2004. Data was collated from the databases of Institutions/Universities where the authors are employed, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and targeted survey feedback from key cancer researchers. Under the 7th Malaysia Plan, 76 cancer projects were funded through the Intensified Research in Priority Areas (IRPA) scheme of MOSTI, amounting to almost RM15 million of grant money. 47(61.8%) of these projects were substantially in cancer
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Clinical research on cancer treatment with combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Fuwa, Nobukazu; Ito, Yoshiyuki; Kato, Eriko; Koyama, Kazuyuki; Morita, Kozo
1993-01-01
There are two purposes of using combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of cancers. One is to suppress distant metastasis, especially micrometastasis; the other is to improve localized control. As a trial of the utility of the former, systemic chemotherapy with CDDP and 5 FU was given successively with radiotherapy to treat nasopharyngeal cancer. The survival rate was significantly improved compared with historical control cases. The main reason for this effectiveness was the improvement of localized control. The suppression of distant metastasis is the subject of future research. As a trial of the utility of the latter, a super-selective intraarterial chemotherapy with CBDCA combined with radiotherapy was used to head and neck localized progressive cancers. The control of localized cancer was remarkably effective. This treatment is considered to be especially suitable for locally advanced tongue cancer and cancer of the root of the tongue. (author)
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Prostate Cancer Clinical Consortium Clinical Research Site: Targeted Therapies
2017-10-01
prostate cancer . Cancer Res 70: 7992-8002, 2010 8. Nelson PS: Molecular states underlying an- drogen receptor activation: A framework for thera- peutics...targeting androgen signaling in prostate cancer . J Clin Oncol 30:644-646, 2012 9. Thadani-Mulero M, Nanus DM, Giannakakou P: Androgen receptor on the... prostate cancer . Clin Cancer Res 21:795-807, 2015 17. van Soest RJ, de Morrée ES, Kweldam CF, et al: Targeting the androgen receptor confers in vivo
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Roberto, Anna; Radrezza, Silvia; Mosconi, Paola
2018-04-10
In recent years the question of the lack of transparency in clinical research has been debated by clinicians, researchers, citizens and their representatives, authors and publishers. This is particularly important for infrequent cancers such as ovarian cancer, where treatment still gives disappointing results in the majority of cases. Our aim was to assess the availability to the public of results in ClinicalTrials.gov, and the frequency of non-publication of results in ClinicalTrials.gov and in PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar. We collected all trials on ovarian cancer identified as "completed status" in the ClinicalTrials.gov registry on 17 January 2017. We checked the availability of the results in ClinicalTrials.gov and systematically identified published manuscripts on results. Out of 2725 trials on ovarian cancer identified, 752 were classified as "completed status". In those closed between 2008 and 2015, excluding phase I, the frequency of results in ClinicalTrials.gov was 35%. Of the 752 completed studies the frequency of published results in PubMed, Embase or Google Scholar ranged from 57.9% to 69.7% in the last years. These findings show a lack of transparency and credibility of research. Citizens or patients' representatives, with the medical community, should continuously support initiatives to improve the publication and dissemination of clinical study results.
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Dimond, Eileen P; St Germain, Diane; Nacpil, Lianne M; Zaren, Howard A; Swanson, Sandra M; Minnick, Christopher; Carrigan, Angela; Denicoff, Andrea M; Igo, Kathleen E; Acoba, Jared D; Gonzalez, Maria M; McCaskill-Stevens, Worta
2015-06-01
The value of community-based cancer research has long been recognized. In addition to the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical and Minority-Based Oncology Programs established in 1983, and 1991 respectively, the National Cancer Institute established the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program in 2007 with an aim of enhancing access to high-quality cancer care and clinical research in the community setting where most cancer patients receive their treatment. This article discusses strategies utilized by the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program to build research capacity and create a more entrenched culture of research at the community hospitals participating in the program over a 7-year period. To facilitate development of a research culture at the community hospitals, the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program required leadership or chief executive officer engagement; utilized a collaborative learning structure where best practices, successes, and challenges could be shared; promoted site-to-site mentoring to foster faster learning within and between sites; required research program assessments that spanned clinical trial portfolio, accrual barriers, and outreach; increased identification and use of metrics; and, finally, encouraged research team engagement across hospital departments (navigation, multidisciplinary care, pathology, and disparities) to replace the traditionally siloed approach to clinical trials. The health-care environment is rapidly changing while complexity in research increases. Successful research efforts are impacted by numerous factors (e.g. institutional review board reviews, physician interest, and trial availability). The National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program sites, as program participants, had access to the required resources and support to develop and implement the strategies described. Metrics are an important component yet often challenging to
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Application of single-cell technology in cancer research.
Liang, Shao-Bo; Fu, Li-Wu
2017-07-01
In this review, we have outlined the application of single-cell technology in cancer research. Single-cell technology has made encouraging progress in recent years and now provides the means to detect rare cancer cells such as circulating tumor cells and cancer stem cells. We reveal how this technology has advanced the analysis of intratumor heterogeneity and tumor epigenetics, and guided individualized treatment strategies. The future prospects now are to bring single-cell technology into the clinical arena. We believe that the clinical application of single-cell technology will be beneficial in cancer diagnostics and treatment, and ultimately improve survival in cancer patients. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Errington, Julie; Malik, Ghada; Evans, Julie; Baston, Jenny; Parry, Annie; Price, Lisa; Johnstone, Hina; Peters, Selena; Oram, Victoria; Howe, Karen; Whiteley, Emma; Tunnacliffe, Jane; Veal, Gareth J
2016-07-01
While the majority of childhood cancer clinical trials are treatment related, additional optional research investigations may be carried out that do not directly impact on treatment. It is essential that these studies are conducted ethically and that the experiences of families participating in these studies are as positive as possible. A questionnaire study was carried out to investigate the key factors that influence why families choose to participate in optional nontherapeutic research studies, the level of understanding of the trials involved, and the experiences of participation. A total of 100 participants from six UK centers were studied; 77 parents, 10 patients >16 years, and 13 patients aged 8-15 years. Ninety-seven percent of parents and 90% of patients felt that information provided prior to study consent was of the right length, with 52% of parents and 65% of patients fully understanding the information provided. Seventy-four percent of parents participated in research studies in order to "do something important", while 74% of patients participated "to help medical staff". Encouragingly, <5% of participants felt that their clinical care would be negatively affected if they did not participate. Positive aspects of participation included a perception of increased attention from medical staff. Negative aspects included spending longer periods in hospital and the requirement for additional blood samples. Ninety-six percent of parents and 87% of patients would participate in future studies. The study provides an insight into the views of childhood cancer patients and their parents participating in nontherapeutic clinical research studies. Overwhelmingly, the findings suggest that participation is seen as a positive experience. © 2016 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
John Kurhanewicz
2011-02-01
Full Text Available A major challenge in cancer biology is to monitor and understand cancer metabolism in vivo with the goal of improved diagnosis and perhaps therapy. Because of the complexity of biochemical pathways, tracer methods are required for detecting specific enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Stable isotopes such as 13C or 15N with detection by nuclear magnetic resonance provide the necessary information about tissue biochemistry, but the crucial metabolites are present in low concentration and therefore are beyond the detection threshold of traditional magnetic resonance methods. A solution is to improve sensitivity by a factor of 10,000 or more by temporarily redistributing the populations of nuclear spins in a magnetic field, a process termed hyperpolarization. Although this effect is short-lived, hyperpolarized molecules can be generated in an aqueous solution and infused in vivo where metabolism generates products that can be imaged. This discovery lifts the primary constraint on magnetic resonance imaging for monitoring metabolism—poor sensitivity—while preserving the advantage of biochemical information. The purpose of this report was to briefly summarize the known abnormalities in cancer metabolism, the value and limitations of current imaging methods for metabolism, and the principles of hyperpolarization. Recent preclinical applications are described. Hyperpolarization technology is still in its infancy, and current polarizer equipment and methods are suboptimal. Nevertheless, there are no fundamental barriers to rapid translation of this exciting technology to clinical research and perhaps clinical care.
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Pre-Clinical and Clinical Investigation of the Impact of Obesity on Ovarian Cancer Pathogenesis
2015-12-01
clinical cancer drug discovery , including 10 years as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center...cancer therapy. Nature chemical biology . 2015;11(1):9-15. Epub 2014/12/18. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1712. PubMed PMID: 25517383; PubMed Central PMCID...Assistant Professor of Nutrition, a member of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, McCallister Heart
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Resveratrol and cancer: Challenges for clinical translation
Singh, Chandra K.; Ndiaye, Mary A.; Ahmad, Nihal
2014-01-01
Significant work has been done towards identifying the health-beneficial effects of the grape antioxidant resveratrol in a variety of bioassay- and disease- models, with much research being focused on its possible application to cancer management. Despite the large number of preclinical studies dealing with different aspects of the biological effects of resveratrol, it’s translation to clinics is far from reality due to a variety of challenges. In this review, we discuss the issues and questions associated with resveratrol becoming an effective in vivo anticancer drug, from basic metabolic issues to the problems faced by incomplete understanding of the mechanism(s) of action in the body. We also explore efforts taken by researchers, both public and private, to contend with some of these issues. By examining the published data and previous clinical trials, we have attempted to identify the problems and issues that hinder the clinical translation of resveratrol for cancer management. PMID:25446990
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Design of clinical trials for therapeutic cancer vaccines development.
Mackiewicz, Jacek; Mackiewicz, Andrzej
2009-12-25
Advances in molecular and cellular biology as well as biotechnology led to definition of a group of drugs referred to as medicinal products of advanced technologies. It includes gene therapy products, somatic cell therapeutics and tissue engineering. Therapeutic cancer vaccines including whole cell tumor cells vaccines or gene modified whole cells belong to somatic therapeutics and/or gene therapy products category. The drug development is a multistep complex process. It comprises of two phases: preclinical and clinical. Guidelines on preclinical testing of cell based immunotherapy medicinal products have been defined by regulatory agencies and are available. However, clinical testing of therapeutic cancer vaccines is still under debate. It presents a serious problem since recently clinical efficacy of the number of cancer vaccines has been demonstrated that focused a lot of public attention. In general clinical testing in the current form is very expensive, time consuming and poorly designed what may lead to overlooking of products clinically beneficial for patients. Accordingly regulatory authorities and researches including Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trial Working Group proposed three regulatory solutions to facilitate clinical development of cancer vaccines: cost-recovery program, conditional marketing authorization, and a new development paradigm. Paradigm includes a model in which cancer vaccines are investigated in two types of clinical trials: proof-of-principle and efficacy. The proof-of-principle trial objectives are: safety; dose selection and schedule of vaccination; and demonstration of proof-of-principle. Efficacy trials are randomized clinical trials with objectives of demonstrating clinical benefit either directly or through a surrogate. The clinical end points are still under debate.
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The Development of a Minority Recruitment Plan for Cancer Clinical Trials.
Trevino, Monica; Padalecki, Susan; Karnad, Anand; Parra, Alberto; Weitman, Steve; Nashawati, Melissa; Pollock, Brad H; Ramirez, Amelie; Thompson, Ian M
2013-09-01
Cancer does not occur in all ethnic and racial groups at similar rates. In addition, responses to treatment also vary in certain ethnic and racial groups. For Hispanics, the overall cancer incidence is generally lower yet for some specific tumor types, the incidence rates are higher compared to other populations. Although disparities are recognized for treatment outcomes and prevention methodologies for Hispanics and other minority populations, specific recruiting and reporting of minorities remains a challenge. In order to circumvent this problem, the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) has developed a new minority recruitment plan for all cancer related clinical trials at this Institute. The overall goal of this initiative is to increase the accrual of minorities in cancer clinical trials by implementing several key interventions. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio established the Clinical Trials Accrual Task Force to develop and monitor interventions designed to increase accrual to cancer clinical trials, specifically the accrual of minorities with a focus on the Hispanic population that makes up 68% of the CTRC's catchment area. A Minority Accrual Plan (MAP) was implemented in March 2013 as part of the process for initiating and conducting cancer-related clinical trials at the CTRC. The Minority Accrual Plan focuses on Hispanic enrollment due to the characteristics of the South Texas population served by the CTRC but could be easily adapted to other populations. The CTRC has designed a process to prospectively address the challenge of deliberately enrolling minority subjects and accurately accounting for the results by implementing a Minority Accrual Plan for every cancer-related clinical trial at CTRC.
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da Silva, Vitor; Cagiannos, Ilias; Lavallée, Luke T.; Mallick, Ranjeeta; Witiuk, Kelsey; Cnossen, Sonya; Eastham, James A.; Fergusson, Dean A.; Morash, Chris; Breau, Rodney H.
2017-01-01
Introduction Active surveillance is a strategy to delay or prevent treatment of indolent prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS) criteria were developed to select patients for prostate cancer active surveillance. The objective of this study was to compare pathological findings from PRIAS-eligible and PRIAS-ineligible clinically low-risk prostate cancer patients. Methods A D’Amico low-risk cohort of 1512 radical prostatectomy patients treated at The Ottawa Hospital or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre between January 1995 and December 2007 was reviewed. Pathological outcomes (pT3 tumours, Gleason sum ≥7, lymph node metastases, or a composite) and clinical outcomes (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] recurrence, secondary cancer treatments, and death) were compared between PRIAS-eligible and PRIAS-ineligible cohorts. Results The PRIAS-eligible cohort (n=945) was less likely to have Gleason score ≥7 (odds ratio [OR] 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49–0.75), pT3 (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.31–0.55), nodal metastases (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.10–1.31), or any adverse feature (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.45–0.69) compared to the PRIAS-ineligible cohort. The probability of any adverse pathology in the PRIAS-eligible cohort was 41% vs. 56% in the PRIAS-ineligible cohort. At median follow-up of 3.7 years, 72 (4.8%) patients had a PSA recurrence, 24 (1.6%) received pelvic radiation, and 13 (0.9%) received androgen deprivation. No difference was detected for recurrence-free and overall survival between groups (recurrence hazard ratio [HR] 0.71; 95% CI 0.46–1.09 and survival HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.36–1.47). Conclusions Low-risk prostate cancer patients who met PRIAS eligibility criteria are less likely to have higher-risk cancer compared to those who did not meet at least one of these criteria. PMID:28798822
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Design Dilemma: The Debate over Using Placebos in Cancer Clinical Trials
Many patients and researchers assert that in cancer clinical trials, placebos are inappropriate and that all participants should receive active treatment. But with the emergence of molecularly targeted anticancer agents, some cancer researchers believe placebo-controlled trials are now feasible and, in some cases, necessary.
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Jones, P.H.; Shakdher, S.; Singh, P.
2017-01-01
Salient findings and interpretations from the canimpact clinical cancer research study are visually represented in two synthesis maps for the purpose of communicating an integrated presentation of the study to clinical cancer researchers and policymakers. Synthesis maps integrate evidence and expertise into a visual narrative for knowledge translation and communication. A clinical system synthesis map represents the current Canadian primary care and cancer practice systems, proposed as a visu...
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Patient Care Coordinator | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and
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MedAustron – Non-Clinical Research Opportunities
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Schreiner, T.
2013-01-01
MedAustron is a synchrotron based light-ion beam therapy centre for cancer treatment as well as for clinical and non-clinical research, currently in the construction phase in Wiener Neustadt. Whilst the choice of basic machine parameters was driven by medical requirements, the accelerator complex design was also optimised to offer flexibility for research operation. The potential of the synchrotron is being exploited to increase the maximum proton energy far beyond the medical needs to up to 800 MeV, for experimental physics applications, mainly in the areas of proton scattering and detector research. The accelerator layout allows for the installation of up to four ion source-spectrometer units, to provide various ion types besides the clinical used protons and carbon ions. To decouple research and medical operation, a dedicated irradiation room for non-clinical research was included providing two isocentres for the installation of different experiments. This presentation provides a status overview over the whole project and highlights the non-clinical research opportunities at MedAustron. (author)
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Research Progress of Lung Cancer with Leptomeningeal Metastasis
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chunhua MA
2014-09-01
Full Text Available Leptomeningeal metastases is one of the most serious complications of lung cancer, the patients with poor prognosis. Leptomeningeal metastasis in patients with lack specificity of clinical manifestations. The main clinical performance are the damage of cerebral symptoms, cranial nerve and spinal nerve. The diagnosis primarily based on the history of tumor, clinical symptoms, enhance magnetic resnance image (MRI scan and cerebrospinal fluid cytology. In recent years, new ways of detecting clinically, significantly increase the rate of early detection of leptomeningeal metastases. The effect of comprehensive treatments are still sad. The paper make a review of research progress in pathologic physiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis methods and treatments of lung cancer with leptomeningeal metastases.
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Clinical and Outcome Research in oncology The need for integration
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Apolone Giovanni
2003-04-01
Full Text Available Abstract Cancer is one of the main healthcare problems in Europe. Although significant progress has recently been made, long-term survival is still disappointing for most common solid tumours. The explosion of information has strengthened the need to create and sustain coordinated interaction between technology, biology, clinical research, clinical practice and health policy. A simple process based on automatic and passive translation from bench to clinical research and eventually to the bed side is usually assumed but cannot be taken for granted. A critical role might be played by Outcome Research (OR, defined as the discipline that describes, interprets, and predicts the impact of various influences, especially interventions, on final endpoints (from survival to satisfaction with care that matter to decision makers (from patients to society at large, with special emphasis on the use of patient-reported outcomes (PRO. Recently, under pressure from several parts of society, the FDA, recognizing the need for faster drug approval, has modified existing regulations and created new rules to allow anti-cancer drugs to be approved more quickly and, in certain but quite common circumstances, single arm trials and surrogate endpoints to be used as measures of clinical benefit. In this context, the faster approval process may lead to drugs being marketed without there being a complete picture of how effective or safe they are. The FDA move to speed up drug approval, together with the use of not fully validated surrogate endpoints, give OR the unique opportunity to help understand the value of drugs that have received accelerated approval. Despite this opportunity, OR has yet to demonstrate its role in this specific setting and provide proof of the validity, reliability and added value of its primary endpoint measures when evaluated in a broader context. The implementation of lines of OR in the development and evaluation of anti-cancer drugs hinges upon
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The Center for Cancer Research’s ability to rapidly deploy integrated basic and clinical research teams at a single site facilitated the rapid FDA approval of the immunotherapy drug avelumab for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer. Learn more...
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Assessing excellence in translational cancer research: a consensus based framework.
Rajan, Abinaya; Caldas, Carlos; van Luenen, Henri; Saghatchian, Mahasti; van Harten, Wim H
2013-10-29
It takes several years on average to translate basic research findings into clinical research and eventually deliver patient benefits. An expert-based excellence assessment can help improve this process by: identifying high performing Comprehensive Cancer Centres; best practices in translational cancer research; improving the quality and efficiency of the translational cancer research process. This can help build networks of excellent Centres by aiding focused partnerships. In this paper we report on a consensus building exercise that was undertaken to construct an excellence assessment framework for translational cancer research in Europe. We used mixed methods to reach consensus: a systematic review of existing translational research models critically appraised for suitability in performance assessment of Cancer Centres; a survey among European stakeholders (researchers, clinicians, patient representatives and managers) to score a list of potential excellence criteria, a focus group with selected representatives of survey participants to review and rescore the excellence criteria; an expert group meeting to refine the list; an open validation round with stakeholders and a critical review of the emerging framework by an independent body: a committee formed by the European Academy of Cancer Sciences. The resulting excellence assessment framework has 18 criteria categorized in 6 themes. Each criterion has a number of questions/sub-criteria. Stakeholders favoured using qualitative excellence criteria to evaluate the translational research "process" rather than quantitative criteria or judging only the outputs. Examples of criteria include checking if the Centre has mechanisms that can be rated as excellent for: involvement of basic researchers and clinicians in translational research (quality of supervision and incentives provided to clinicians to do a PhD in translational research) and well designed clinical trials based on ground-breaking concepts (innovative
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Translating basic research in cancer patient care
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marcello Maugeri-Saccà
2011-01-01
Full Text Available With the advent of molecular targeted therapies and the development of high-throughput biotechnologies, it has become evident that progress in cancer research is largely due to the creation of multidisciplinary teams able to plan clinical trials supported by appropriate molecular hypotheses. These efforts have culminated in the identification and validation of biomarkers predictive of response, as well as in the generation of more accurate prognostic tools. The identification of cancer stem cells has provided further insights into mechanisms of cancer, and many studies have tried to translate this biological notion into prognostic and predictive information. In this regard, new agents targeting key stemness-related pathways have entered the clinical development, and preliminary data suggested an encouraging antitumor activity.
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Knowledge and skills of cancer clinical trials nurses in Australia.
Scott, Kathleen; White, Kate; Johnson, Catherine; Roydhouse, Jessica K
2012-05-01
This paper is a report of the development and testing of a questionnaire measuring knowledge and skills of cancer clinical trials nurse in Australia. The role of cancer clinical trials nurse, widely acknowledged as an integral member of the clinical research team, has evolved in recent years. Elements of the clinical trials nurse role in cancer have previously been described. To evaluate specific cancer clinical trials nurse educational and training needs, the development of a valid and reliable tool is required. In 2009, a study was conducted in three stages. Stage I: questionnaire development and pilot testing; stage II: focus group; stage III: national survey. Internal consistency reliability testing and multi-trait analysis of item convergent/divergent validity were employed. Regression analysis was used to identify predictors of clinical trials nurse knowledge and skills. The national survey was a 48-item questionnaire, measuring six clinical trial knowledge and seven skills sub-scales. Of 61 respondents, 90% were women, with mean age 43 years, 19 years as a Registered Nurse and 5 years as a cancer clinical trials nurse. Self-reported knowledge and skills were satisfactory to good. Internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach's alpha: knowledge = 0·98; skills = 0·90). Criteria for item convergent/divergent validity were met. Number of years as cancer clinical trials nurse was positively related to self-reported knowledge and skills. Preliminary data suggest that the national survey is reliable and valid. Data have contributed to better understanding the knowledge and skills of cancer clinical trials nurse in Australia and development of a postgraduate course in clinical trials. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Vitamin D and colorectal cancer: molecular, epidemiological and clinical evidence.
Dou, Ruoxu; Ng, Kimmie; Giovannucci, Edward L; Manson, JoAnn E; Qian, Zhi Rong; Ogino, Shuji
2016-05-01
In many cells throughout the body, vitamin D is converted into its active form calcitriol and binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which functions as a transcription factor to regulate various biological processes including cellular differentiation and immune response. Vitamin D-metabolising enzymes (including CYP24A1 and CYP27B1) and VDR play major roles in exerting and regulating the effects of vitamin D. Preclinical and epidemiological studies have provided evidence for anti-cancer effects of vitamin D (particularly against colorectal cancer), although clinical trials have yet to prove its benefit. In addition, molecular pathological epidemiology research can provide insights into the interaction of vitamin D with tumour molecular and immunity status. Other future research directions include genome-wide research on VDR transcriptional targets, gene-environment interaction analyses and clinical trials on vitamin D efficacy in colorectal cancer patients. In this study, we review the literature on vitamin D and colorectal cancer from both mechanistic and population studies and discuss the links and controversies within and between the two parts of evidence.
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Mexican breast cancer research output, 2003-2012.
Perez-Santos, Jose Luis Martin; Anaya-Ruiz, Maricruz
2013-01-01
The objetive of this study was to explore a bibliometric approach to quantitatively assess current research trends with regard to breast cancer in Mexico. Articles were analyzed by scientific output and research performances of individuals, institutes, and collaborative countries with Mexico. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science database from 2003 to 2012; this was searched using different terms related to breast cancer, including "breast cancer", "mammary ductal carcinoma" and "breast tumour". Data were then extracted from each file, transferred to Excel charts and visualised as diagrams. A total of 256 articles were retrieved. The institutions with the majority of publications were the National Autonomous University of Mexico (22.3%), the National Institute of Cancerology (21.9%), and Social Security Mexican Institute (20.3%); clinical observation studies were the dominant investigation type (64%), and the main types of research were metabolics (24.2%) and pathology (21.5%). This article demonstrates the usefulness of bibliometrics to address key evaluation questions and to establish priorities, define future areas of research, and develop breast cancer control strategies in Mexico.
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The Puerto Rico NCI Community Oncology Research Program (PRNCORP) will be the principal organization in the island that promotes cancer prevention, control and screening/post-treatment surveillance clinical trials. It will conduct cancer care delivery research and will provide access to treatment and imaging clinical trials conducted under the reorganization of the National
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kienle Gunver S
2009-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Viscum album L. extracts (VAE, European mistletoe are a widely used medicinal plant extract in gynaecological and breast-cancer treatment. Methods Systematic review to evaluate clinical studies and preclinical research on the therapeutic effectiveness and biological effects of VAE on gynaecological and breast cancer. Search of databases, reference lists and expert consultations. Criteria-based assessment of methodological study quality. Results 19 randomized (RCT, 16 non-randomized (non-RCT controlled studies, and 11 single-arm cohort studies were identified that investigated VAE treatment of breast or gynaecological cancer. They included 2420, 6399 and 1130 patients respectively. 8 RCTs and 8 non-RCTs were embedded in the same large epidemiological cohort study. 9 RCTs and 13 non-RCTs assessed survival; 12 reported a statistically significant benefit, the others either a trend or no difference. 3 RCTs and 6 non-RCTs assessed tumour behaviour (remission or time to relapse; 3 reported statistically significant benefit, the others either a trend, no difference or mixed results. Quality of life (QoL and tolerability of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery was assessed in 15 RCTs and 9 non-RCTs. 21 reported a statistically significant positive result, the others either a trend, no difference, or mixed results. Methodological quality of the studies differed substantially; some had major limitations, especially RCTs on survival and tumour behaviour had very small sample sizes. Some recent studies, however, especially on QoL were reasonably well conducted. Single-arm cohort studies investigated tumour behaviour, QoL, pharmacokinetics and safety of VAE. Tumour remission was observed after high dosage and local application. VAE application was well tolerated. 34 animal experiments investigated VAE and isolated or recombinant compounds in various breast and gynaecological cancer models in mice and rats. VAE showed increase of survival
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The Clinical Research Landscape in Rhode Island.
Mao, George; Ramratnam, Bharat
2017-01-06
To present an overview of clinical research activity and the state of medical research funding in Rhode Island. We utilized clinicaltrials.gov registry to profile clinical studies between 2011 to 2016. NIH RePORT and other federal databases were used to extract information on levels of federal funding. Previously published hospital financial reports were reviewed for data on hospital-specific total external research funding. During 2011-2016, 1651 clinical studies were registered in clinicaltrials.gov. Nearly a third of all clinical studies were in oncology (21%) and cardiovascular diseases (10%). Alzheimer's dementia, breast cancer, HIV, and hepatitis C accounted for nearly 17% of all clinical trials. Seventy-five percent (75%) of clinical trials in RI were conducted in hospitals affiliated with Lifespan or Care New England. Financial support for clinical trials largely came from industry (60%) with 23% being supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The rest are funded by nonprofit organizations, charitable foundations, educational institutions, and unlisted concerns. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-01.asp].
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Translational Partnership Development Lead | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc on behalf of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The staff of FNLCR support the NCI’s mission in the fight against cancer and HIV/AIDS. Currently we are seeking a Translational Partnership Development Lead (TPDL) who will work closely with the Office of Translational Resources (OTR) within the Office of the Director (OD) of NCI’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) to facilitate the successful translation of CCR’s basic and preclinical research advances into new therapeutics and diagnostics. The TPDL with be strategically aligned within FNLCR’s Partnership Development Office (PDO), to maximally leverage the critical mass of expertise available within the PDO. CCR comprises the basic and clinical components of the NCI’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) and consists of ~230 basic and clinical Investigators located at either the NIH main campus in Bethesda or the NCI-Frederick campus. CCR Investigators are focused primarily on cancer and HIV/AIDS, with special emphasis on the most challenging and important high-risk/high-reward problems driving the fields. (See https://ccr.cancer.gov for a full delineation of CCR Investigators and their research activities.) The process of developing research findings into new clinical applications is high risk, complex, variable, and requires multiple areas of expertise seldom available within the confines of a single Investigator’s laboratory. To accelerate this process, OTR serves as a unifying force within CCR for all aspects of translational activities required to achieve success and maintain timely progress. A key aspect of OTR’s function is to develop and strengthen essential communications and collaborations within NIH, with extramural partners and with industry to bring together experts in chemistry, human subjects research
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Kilari, Deepak; Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Enrique; Mohile, Supriya Gupta; Alibhai, Shabbir M.H.; Presley, Carolyn J.; Wildes, Tanya M.; Klepin, Heidi D.; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Jatoi, Amina; Harrison, Robert; Won, Elizabeth; Mustian, Karen M.
2016-01-01
Cancer and its treatment can lead to a myriad of adverse events and negatively impact quality of life of older cancer patients and survivors. Unmet physical activity needs vary across the cancer continuum and remain an important yet understudied area of research in this population. Exercise interventions have been shown to be effective in treating both the physical and psychological declines associated with cancer and its treatment, with a potential to improve cancer-related outcomes. Despite the current evidence, exercise is clearly underutilized due to several barriers and knowledge gaps in existing trials that include appropriate population identification, design, and outcome measures selection. The benefits of regular exercise in both the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions are well established in the non-cancer population. In older cancer patients and survivors, further research is needed before exercise gains widespread acceptance. The Cancer and Aging Research Group convened experts in exercise, aging and cancer to evaluate current scientific evidence and knowledge gaps in geriatric exercise oncology. This report summarizes these findings and provides future research directions. PMID:27197916
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[Clinical trials of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery in South Korea: review and prospect].
Zhu, Chunchao; Zhao, Gang; Cao, Hui
2018-02-25
Laparoscopic technology is gradually accepted in gastric cancer surgery, whose efficacy has been demonstrated by some clinical researches. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) are considered as the most important evidence to prove clinical outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer. Korean gastric surgeons have made great contributions to RCT in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery. KLASS (Korean Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study Group) is one of the most important forerunner and global leader of clinical trials of gastric cancer treatment. KLASS series clinical trials are attracting global attention because of the significant value of surgical treatment for gastric cancer. The RCTs in Korea involve in many aspects of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer, including laparoscopy application in early gastric cancer (KLASS-01, KLASS-03 and KLASS-07), advanced gastric cancer (KLASS-02 and KLASS-06), function-preserving gastrectomy (KLASS-04,KLASS-05) and sentinel node navigation surgery (SENORITA trial). In order to share some informations of these RCTs, we review and prospect some important clinical trials of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery in Korea. With the experience of Korean gastric surgeons, we can make more progress in our own clinical trials of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.
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Current cancer research. Reports from the German Cancer Research Center 1998
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1998-01-01
Topics from the Contents: The Fight against Cancer in Germany - A Critical Review. Conditions and Structures in Research. Familial Breast Cancer - A Critical Assessment. Research without Animal Experiments. Cancer Prevention. New Approaches for Tumor Therapy. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. Therapy of Brain Tumors with Laser Neurosurgery. The Genome Project. (orig.) [de
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Building capacity for sustainable research programmes for cancer in Africa.
Adewole, Isaac; Martin, Damali N; Williams, Makeda J; Adebamowo, Clement; Bhatia, Kishor; Berling, Christine; Casper, Corey; Elshamy, Karima; Elzawawy, Ahmed; Lawlor, Rita T; Legood, Rosa; Mbulaiteye, Sam M; Odedina, Folakemi T; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I; Olopade, Christopher O; Parkin, Donald M; Rebbeck, Timothy R; Ross, Hana; Santini, Luiz A; Torode, Julie; Trimble, Edward L; Wild, Christopher P; Young, Annie M; Kerr, David J
2014-05-01
Cancer research in Africa will have a pivotal role in cancer control planning in this continent. However, environments (such as those in academic or clinical settings) with limited research infrastructure (laboratories, biorespositories, databases) coupled with inadequate funding and other resources have hampered African scientists from carrying out rigorous research. In September 2012, over 100 scientists with expertise in cancer research in Africa met in London to discuss the challenges in performing high-quality research, and to formulate the next steps for building sustainable, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary programmes relevant to Africa. This was the first meeting among five major organizations: the African Organisation for Research and Training in Africa (AORTIC), the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation (AfrOx), and the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) of Brazil, France and the USA. This article summarizes the discussions and recommendations of this meeting, including the next steps required to create sustainable and impactful research programmes that will enable evidenced-based cancer control approaches and planning at the local, regional and national levels.
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Clinical Cancer Genetics and Prevention
Olufunmilayo F. Olopade MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics and Director of the Cancer Risk Clinic Department of Medicine, BSD Section of Hematology/Oncology University of Chicago, presented "Clinical Cancer Genetics and Prevention".
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Preclinical Murine Models for Lung Cancer: Clinical Trial Applications
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Amelia Kellar
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Murine models for the study of lung cancer have historically been the backbone of preliminary preclinical data to support early human clinical trials. However, the availability of multiple experimental systems leads to debate concerning which model, if any, is best suited for a particular therapeutic strategy. It is imperative that these models accurately predict clinical benefit of therapy. This review provides an overview of the current murine models used to study lung cancer and the advantages and limitations of each model, as well as a retrospective evaluation of the uses of each model with respect to accuracy in predicting clinical benefit of therapy. A better understanding of murine models and their uses, as well as their limitations may aid future research concerning the development and implementation of new targeted therapies and chemotherapeutic agents for lung cancer.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chung, Christine H.; Wong, Stuart; Ang, K. Kian; Hammond, Elizabeth H.; Dicker, Adam P.; Harari, Paul M.; Le, Quynh-Thu
2007-01-01
Head and neck cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, with an overall survival rate of approximately 40-50%. In an effort to improve patient outcomes, research efforts designed to maximize benefit and reduce toxicities of therapy are in progress. Basic research in cancer biology has accelerated this endeavor and provided preclinical data and technology to support clinically relevant advances in early detection, prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Recent completion of the Human Genome Project has promoted the rapid development of novel 'omics' technologies that allow more broad based study from a systems biology perspective. However, clinically relevant application of resultant gene signatures to clinical trials within cooperative groups has advanced slowly. In light of the large numbers of variables intrinsic to biomarker studies, validation of preliminary data for clinical implementation presents a significant challenge and may only be realized with large trials that involve significant patient numbers. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) Head and Neck Cancer Translational Research Program recognizes this problem and brings together three unique features to facilitate this research: (1) availability of large numbers of clinical specimens from homogeneously treated patients through multi-institutional clinical trials; (2) a team of physicians, scientists, and staff focused on patient-oriented head-and-neck cancer research with the common goal of improving cancer care; and (3) a funding mechanism through the RTOG Seed Grant Program. In this position paper we outline strategic plans to further promote translational research within the framework of the RTOG
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Link, N. L.; Maurer, E.; Largent, J.; Kent, E.; Sender, E.; Culver, H. A.; Morris, R. A.; Sender, E.
2009-01-01
Advances have been made in treatment and outcomes for pediatric cancer. However adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have not experienced similar relative improvements. We undertook a study to develop the methodology necessary for epidemiologic cancer research in these age groups. Our goal was to create the Kids, Adolescents, and Young Adults Cancer (KAYAC) project to create a resource to address research questions relevant to this population. We used a combination of clinic and population-based ascertainment to enroll 111 cases aged 0-39 for this methodology development study. The largest groups of cancer types enrolled include: breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma. The overall participation rate is 69.8% and varies by age and tumor type. The study included patients, mothers, and fathers. The methods used to establish this resource are described, and the values of the resource in studies of childhood and young adult cancer are outlined.
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Bruner, Deborah Watkins; Bryan, Charlene J.; Aaronson, Neil; Blackmore, C. Craig; Brundage, Michael; Cella, David; Ganz, Patricia A.; Gotay, Carolyn; Hinds, Pamela S.; Kornblith, Alice B.; Movsas, Benjamin; Sloan, Jeff; Wenzel, Lari; Whalen, Giles
2016-01-01
Purpose The objective of this report is to provide a historical overview of and the issues and challenges inherent in the incorporation of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) into multinational cancer clinical trials in the cancer cooperative groups. Methods An online survey of 12 cancer cooperative groups from the United States, Canada, and Europe was conducted between June and August of 2006. Each of the cooperative groups designated one respondent, who was a member of one of the PRO committees within the cooperative group. Results There was a 100% response rate, and all of the cancer clinical trial cooperative groups reported conducting PRO research. PRO research has been conducted in the cancer cooperative groups for an average of 15 years (range, 6 to 30 years), and all groups had multidisciplinary committees focused on the design of PRO end points and the choice of appropriate PRO measures for cancer clinical trials. The cooperative groups reported that 5% to 50% of cancer treatment trials and an estimated 50% to 75% of cancer control trials contained PRO primary and secondary end points. There was considerable heterogeneity among the cooperative groups with respect to the formal and informal policies and procedures or cooperative group culture towards PROs, investigator training/mentorship, and resource availability for the measurement and conduct of PRO research within the individual cooperatives. Conclusion The challenges faced by the cooperative groups to the incorporation of PROs into cancer clinical trials are varied. Some common opportunities for improvement include the adoption of standardized training/mentorship mechanisms for investigators for the conduct of PRO assessments and data collection and the development of minimal criteria for PRO measure acceptability. A positive cultural shift has occurred in most of the cooperative groups related to the incorporation of PROs in clinical trials; however, financial and other resource barriers remain and need
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Schmitt, M.; Harbeck, N.; Daidone, M.G.; Brynner, N.; Duffy, M.J.; Foekens, J.A.; Sweep, C.G.J.
2004-01-01
Guiding principles are provided and discussed on how to inform the physician scientist and cancer researcher about quality control systems to enable a consistent assessment of the clinical value of tumor-associated biomarkers. Next to cancer research itself, the Receptor and Biomarker Group of the
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Lerner, S.P.; Bajorin, D.F.; Dinney, C.P.; Efstathiou, J.A.; Groshen, S.; Hahn, N.M.; Hansel, D.; Kwiatkowski, D.; O'Donnell, M.; Rosenberg, J.; Svatek, R.; Abrams, J.S.; Al-Ahmadie, H.; Apolo, A.B.; Bellmunt, J.; Callahan, M.; Cha, E.K.; Drake, C.; Jarow, J.; Kamat, A.; Kim, W.; Knowles, M.; Mann, B.; Marchionni, L.; McConkey, D.; McShane, L.; Ramirez, N.; Sharabi, A.; Sharpe, A.H.; Solit, D.; Tangen, C.M.; Amiri, A.T.; Allen, E. Van; West, P.J.; Witjes, J.A.; Quale, D.Z.
2016-01-01
The NCI Bladder Cancer Task Force convened a Clinical Trials Planning Meeting (CTPM) Workshop focused on Novel Therapeutics for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC). Meeting attendees included a broad and multi-disciplinary group of clinical and research stakeholders and included leaders from
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Using mixed methods to identify and answer clinically relevant research questions.
Shneerson, Catherine L; Gale, Nicola K
2015-06-01
The need for mixed methods research in answering health care questions is becoming increasingly recognized because of the complexity of factors that affect health outcomes. In this article, we argue for the value of using a qualitatively driven mixed method approach for identifying and answering clinically relevant research questions. This argument is illustrated by findings from a study on the self-management practices of cancer survivors and the exploration of one particular clinically relevant finding about higher uptake of self-management in cancer survivors who had received chemotherapy treatment compared with those who have not. A cross-sectional study generated findings that formed the basis for the qualitative study, by informing the purposive sampling strategy and generating new qualitative research questions. Using a quantitative research component to supplement a qualitative study can enhance the generalizability and clinical relevance of the findings and produce detailed, contextualized, and rich answers to research questions that would be unachievable through quantitative or qualitative methods alone. © The Author(s) 2015.
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Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website.
Dear, Rachel F; Barratt, Alexandra L; Crossing, Sally; Butow, Phyllis N; Hanson, Susan; Tattersall, Martin Hn
2011-06-26
The Australian Cancer Trials website (ACTO) was publicly launched in 2010 to help people search for cancer clinical trials recruiting in Australia, provide information about clinical trials and assist with doctor-patient communication about trials. We describe consumer involvement in the design and development of ACTO and report our preliminary patient evaluation of the website. Consumers, led by Cancer Voices NSW, provided the impetus to develop the website. Consumer representative groups were consulted by the research team during the design and development of ACTO which combines a search engine, trial details, general information about trial participation and question prompt lists. Website use was analysed. A patient evaluation questionnaire was completed at one hospital, one week after exposure to the website. ACTO's main features and content reflect consumer input. In February 2011, it covered 1, 042 cancer trials. Since ACTO's public launch in November 2010, until the end of February 2011, the website has had 2, 549 new visits and generated 17, 833 page views. In a sub-study of 47 patient users, 89% found the website helpful for learning about clinical trials and all respondents thought patients should have access to ACTO. The development of ACTO is an example of consumers working with doctors, researchers and policy makers to improve the information available to people whose lives are affected by cancer and to help them participate in their treatment decisions, including consideration of clinical trial enrolment. Consumer input has ensured that the website is informative, targets consumer priorities and is user-friendly. ACTO serves as a model for other health conditions.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden; Technische Univ. Dresden; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden
2014-01-01
For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Thute, Prasad [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Krause, Mechthild [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Dresden (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Enghardt, Wolfgang [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany). Inst. of Radiooncology
2014-07-01
For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Teresa de Souza Fernandez
2013-01-01
Full Text Available The human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs are derived from a direct reprogramming of human somatic cells to a pluripotent stage through ectopic expression of specific transcription factors. These cells have two important properties, which are the self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiate into any cell type of the human body. So, the discovery of hiPSCs opens new opportunities in biomedical sciences, since these cells may be useful for understanding the mechanisms of diseases in the production of new diseases models, in drug development/drug toxicity tests, gene therapies, and cell replacement therapies. However, the hiPSCs technology has limitations including the potential for the development of genetic and epigenetic abnormalities leading to tumorigenicity. Nowadays, basic research in the hiPSCs field has made progress in the application of new strategies with the aim to enable an efficient production of high-quality of hiPSCs for safety and efficacy, necessary to the future application for clinical practice. In this review, we show the recent advances in hiPSCs’ basic research and some potential clinical applications focusing on cancer. We also present the importance of the use of statistical methods to evaluate the possible validation for the hiPSCs for future therapeutic use toward personalized cell therapies.
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Yoga into cancer care: A review of the evidence-based research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ram P Agarwal
2018-01-01
Full Text Available To cope with cancer and its treatment-related side effects and toxicities, people are increasingly using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM. Consequently, integrative oncology, which combines conventional therapies and evidence-based CAM practices, is an emerging discipline in cancer care. The use of yoga as a CAM is proving to be beneficial and increasingly gaining popularity. An electronic database search (PubMed, through December 15, 2016, revealed 138 relevant clinical trials (single-armed, nonrandomized, and randomized controlled trials on the use of yoga in cancer patients. A total of 10,660 cancer patients from 20 countries were recruited in these studies. Regardless of some methodological deficiencies, most of the studies reported that yoga improved the physical and psychological symptoms, quality of life, and markers of immunity of the patients, providing a strong support for yoga's integration into conventional cancer care. This review article presents the published clinical research on the prevalence of yoga's use in cancer patients so that oncologists, researchers, and the patients are aware of the evidence supporting the use of this relatively safe modality in cancer care.
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Global Impact | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
Through its direct support of clinical research, Frederick National Laboratory activities are not limited to national programs. The labis actively involved in more than 400 domestic and international studies related to cancer; influenza, HIV, E
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F. Lehmann (Frederick); D. Lacombe (Denis); A.M.M. Eggermont (Alexander)
2003-01-01
textabstractThe landscape for cancer research is profoundly different today from that only one decade ago. Basic science is moving rapidly and biotechnological revolutions in molecular targeting and immunology have completely modified the opportunities and concepts for cancer
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Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer: Molecular, Epidemiological, and Clinical Evidence
Dou, Ruoxu; Ng, Kimmie; Giovannucci, Edward L.; Manson, JoAnn E.; Qian, Zhi Rong; Ogino, Shuji
2016-01-01
In many cells throughout the body, vitamin D is converted into its active form calcitriol, and binds to vitamin D receptor (VDR), which functions as a transcription factor to regulate various biological processes including cellular differentiation and immune response. Vitamin D metabolizing enzymes (including CYP24A1 and CYP27B1) and VDR play major roles in exerting and regulating effects of vitamin D. Preclinical and epidemiological studies provide evidence for anticancer effects of vitamin D (in particular, against colorectal cancer), though clinical trials have yet to prove its benefit. Additionally, molecular pathological epidemiology research can provide insights into the interaction of vitamin D with tumour molecular and immunity status. Other future research directions include genome-wide research on VDR transcriptional targets, gene-environment interaction analyses, and clinical trials on vitamin D efficacy in colorectal cancer patients. Here we review the literature on vitamin D and colorectal cancer from both mechanistic and population studies, and discuss the links and controversies within and between the two parts of evidence. PMID:27245104
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Developmental Scientist | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and
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An Open Letter to the Cancer Community Regarding Community Clinical Trials
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is in the process of combining its two community-based research networks to create a single network that builds on the strengths of the Community Clinical Oncology Program/Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Prog
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Dedicated researcher brings cancer care to rural communities
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sharan Bhuller
2016-10-01
Full Text Available As an ardent cancer researcher, Dr. Smita Asthana has a vision to create wider awareness on cancer and its prevention, and aims to work on translational research to benefit the general public through the implementation of evidence-based research. “I have been associated with the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR and Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO since November 2004 and have progressed over a period of time from being a staff scientist to the current role of a senior scientist,” says Dr. Asthana, who is presently with NICPR’s Biostatistics and Epidemiology division.“I have been working in various positions that deal with the design, execution, and evaluation of medical projects. Recently, we have concluded two major cervical cancer screening projects and conducted a screening of 10,000 women in rural areas,” she tells AMOR. One project, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, was carried out 100 km west of New Delhi in the rural town of Dadri “as part of an operational research to see the implementation of VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid and VILI (visual inspection with Lugol's iodine screenings with the help of existing healthcare infrastructure,” she explains.As a leading researcher in cervical cancer screening, she completed an Indo-US collaborative project on the clinical performance of a human papillomavirus (HPV test, used as a strategy for screening cervical cancer in rural communities, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation via the international non-profit global health organization PATH. “The primary objective of the project was to observe the performance of careHPV, a new diagnostic kit, in a rural setup,” she says.CareHPV is a highly sensitive DNA test, which detects 14 different types of the human papillomavirus that cause cervical cancer, providing results more rapidly than other DNA tests and is designed especially for use in clinics
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Predicting reattendance at a high-risk breast cancer clinic.
Ormseth, Sarah R; Wellisch, David K; Aréchiga, Adam E; Draper, Taylor L
2015-10-01
The research about follow-up patterns of women attending high-risk breast-cancer clinics is sparse. This study sought to profile daughters of breast-cancer patients who are likely to return versus those unlikely to return for follow-up care in a high-risk clinic. Our investigation included 131 patients attending the UCLA Revlon Breast Center High Risk Clinic. Predictor variables included age, computed breast-cancer risk, participants' perceived personal risk, clinically significant depressive symptomatology (CES-D score ≥ 16), current level of anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and survival status of participants' mothers (survived or passed away from breast cancer). A greater likelihood of reattendance was associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.07, p = 0.004), computed breast-cancer risk (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.017), absence of depressive symptomatology (AOR = 0.25, p = 0.009), past psychiatric diagnosis (AOR = 3.14, p = 0.029), and maternal loss to breast cancer (AOR = 2.59, p = 0.034). Also, an interaction was found between mother's survival and perceived risk (p = 0.019), such that reattendance was associated with higher perceived risk among participants whose mothers survived (AOR = 1.04, p = 0.002), but not those whose mothers died (AOR = 0.99, p = 0.685). Furthermore, a nonlinear inverted "U" relationship was observed between state anxiety and reattendance (p = 0.037); participants with moderate anxiety were more likely to reattend than those with low or high anxiety levels. Demographic, medical, and psychosocial factors were found to be independently associated with reattendance to a high-risk breast-cancer clinic. Explication of the profiles of women who may or may not reattend may serve to inform the development and implementation of interventions to increase the likelihood of follow-up care.
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Tillner, Falk; Thute, Prasad; Bütof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang
2014-12-01
For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
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Li, Yuanfang; Zhou, Zhiwei
2016-02-01
Precision medicine is a new medical concept and medical model, which is based on personalized medicine, rapid progress of genome sequencing technology and cross application of biological information and big data science. Precision medicine improves the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer to provide more convenience through more profound analyses of characteristics, pathogenesis and other core issues in gastric cancer. Cancer clinical database is important to promote the development of precision medicine. Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to the construction and management of the database. The clinical database of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center is composed of medical record database, blood specimen bank, tissue bank and medical imaging database. In order to ensure the good quality of the database, the design and management of the database should follow the strict standard operation procedure(SOP) model. Data sharing is an important way to improve medical research in the era of medical big data. The construction and management of clinical database must also be strengthened and innovated.
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Ethical, Legal, and Social Implication of Cancer Research | Resources | CDP
The Cancer Diagnosis Program strives to improve the diagnosis and assessment of cancer by effectively moving new scientific knowledge into clinical practice. This national program stimulates, coordinates and funds resources and research for the development of innovative in vitro diagnostics, novel diagnostic technologies and appropriate human specimens in order to better characterize cancers and allow improved medical decision making and evaluation of response to treatment.
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Look local: the value of cancer surveillance and reporting by American Indian clinics.
Creswell, Paul D; Strickland, Rick; Stephenson, Laura; Pierce-Hudson, Kimmine; Matloub, Jacqueline; Waukau, Jerry; Adams, Alexandra; Kaur, Judith; Remington, Patrick L
2013-11-27
Cancer incidence and mortality rates for American Indians in the Northern Plains region of the United States are among the highest in the nation. Reliable cancer surveillance data are essential to help reduce this burden; however, racial data in state cancer registries are often misclassified, and cases are often underreported. We used a community-based participatory research approach to conduct a retrospective ascertainment of cancer cases in clinic medical records over a 9-year period (1995-2003) and compared the results with the state cancer registry to evaluate missing or racially misclassified cases. Six tribal and/or urban Indian clinics participated in the study. The project team consisted of participating clinics, a state cancer registry, a comprehensive cancer center, an American Indian/Alaska Native Leadership Initiative on Cancer, and a set of diverse organizational partners. Clinic personnel were trained by project staff to accurately identify cancer cases in clinic records. These records were then matched with the state cancer registry to assess misclassification and underreporting. Forty American Indian cases were identified that were either missing or misclassified in the state registry. Adding these cases to the registry increased the number of American Indian cases by 21.3% during the study period (P = .05). Our results indicate that direct reporting of cancer cases by tribal and urban Indian health clinics to a state cancer registry improved the quality of the data available for cancer surveillance. Higher-quality data can advance the efforts of cancer prevention and control stakeholders to address disparities in Native communities.
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Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Butow Phyllis N
2011-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The Australian Cancer Trials website (ACTO was publicly launched in 2010 to help people search for cancer clinical trials recruiting in Australia, provide information about clinical trials and assist with doctor-patient communication about trials. We describe consumer involvement in the design and development of ACTO and report our preliminary patient evaluation of the website. Methods Consumers, led by Cancer Voices NSW, provided the impetus to develop the website. Consumer representative groups were consulted by the research team during the design and development of ACTO which combines a search engine, trial details, general information about trial participation and question prompt lists. Website use was analysed. A patient evaluation questionnaire was completed at one hospital, one week after exposure to the website. Results ACTO's main features and content reflect consumer input. In February 2011, it covered 1, 042 cancer trials. Since ACTO's public launch in November 2010, until the end of February 2011, the website has had 2, 549 new visits and generated 17, 833 page views. In a sub-study of 47 patient users, 89% found the website helpful for learning about clinical trials and all respondents thought patients should have access to ACTO. Conclusions The development of ACTO is an example of consumers working with doctors, researchers and policy makers to improve the information available to people whose lives are affected by cancer and to help them participate in their treatment decisions, including consideration of clinical trial enrolment. Consumer input has ensured that the website is informative, targets consumer priorities and is user-friendly. ACTO serves as a model for other health conditions.
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Cancer Research UK | IDRC - International Development Research ...
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)
Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/. The Economics of Tobacco Control Research Initiative. The Economics of Tobacco Control Research Initiative funds innovative fiscal policy research supporting tobacco control in low and middle-income countries. View more. The Economics ...
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Molecular subtyping of cancer: current status and moving toward clinical applications.
Zhao, Lan; Lee, Victor H F; Ng, Michael K; Yan, Hong; Bijlsma, Maarten F
2018-04-12
Cancer is a collection of genetic diseases, with large phenotypic differences and genetic heterogeneity between different types of cancers and even within the same cancer type. Recent advances in genome-wide profiling provide an opportunity to investigate global molecular changes during the development and progression of cancer. Meanwhile, numerous statistical and machine learning algorithms have been designed for the processing and interpretation of high-throughput molecular data. Molecular subtyping studies have allowed the allocation of cancer into homogeneous groups that are considered to harbor similar molecular and clinical characteristics. Furthermore, this has helped researchers to identify both actionable targets for drug design as well as biomarkers for response prediction. In this review, we introduce five frequently applied techniques for generating molecular data, which are microarray, RNA sequencing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, NanoString and tissue microarray. Commonly used molecular data for cancer subtyping and clinical applications are discussed. Next, we summarize a workflow for molecular subtyping of cancer, including data preprocessing, cluster analysis, supervised classification and subtype characterizations. Finally, we identify and describe four major challenges in the molecular subtyping of cancer that may preclude clinical implementation. We suggest that standardized methods should be established to help identify intrinsic subgroup signatures and build robust classifiers that pave the way toward stratified treatment of cancer patients.
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Clinical practice guidelines in breast cancer
Tyagi, N. Kumar; Dhesy-Thind, S.
2018-01-01
Background A number of clinical practice guidelines (cpgs) concerning breast cancer (bca) screening and management are available. Here, we review the strengths and weaknesses of cpgs from various professional organizations and consensus groups with respect to their methodologic quality, recommendations, and implementability. Methods Guidelines from four groups were reviewed with respect to two clinical scenarios: adjuvant ovarian function suppression (ofs) in premenopausal women with early-stage estrogen receptor–positive bca, and use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (slnb) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nac) for locally advanced bca. Guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (asco); Cancer Care Ontario’s Program in Evidence Based Care (cco’s pebc); the U.S. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (nccn); and the St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Consensus Conference were reviewed by two independent assessors. Guideline methodology and applicability were evaluated using the agree ii tool. Results The quality of the cpgs was greatest for the guidelines developed by asco and cco’s pebc. The nccn and St. Gallen guidelines were found to have lower scores for methodologic rigour. All guidelines scored poorly for applicability. The recommendations for ofs were similar in three guidelines. Recommendations by the various organizations for the use of slnb after nac were contradictory. Conclusions Our review demonstrated that cpgs can be heterogeneous in methodologic quality. Low-quality cpg implementation strategies contribute to low uptake of, and adherence to, bca cpgs. Further research examining the barriers to recommendations—such as intrinsic guideline characteristics and the needs of end users—is required. The use of bca cpgs can improve the knowledge-to-practice gap and patient outcomes.
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de Glas, N. A.; Hamaker, M. E.; Kiderlen, M.; de Craen, A. J. M.; Mooijaart, S. P.; van de Velde, C. J. H.; van Munster, B. C.; Portielje, J. E. A.; Liefers, G. J.; Bastiaannet, E.
2014-01-01
With the ongoing ageing of western societies, the proportion of older breast cancer patients will increase. For several years, clinicians and researchers in geriatric oncology have urged for new clinical trials that address patient-related endpoints such as functional decline after treatment of
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stamatiadis-Smidt, H. [ed.
1998-12-31
Topics from the Contents: The Fight against Cancer in Germany - A Critical Review. Conditions and Structures in Research. Familial Breast Cancer - A Critical Assessment. Research without Animal Experiments. Cancer Prevention. New Approaches for Tumor Therapy. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. Therapy of Brain Tumors with Laser Neurosurgery. The Genome Project. (orig.)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stamatiadis-Smidt, H.
1998-01-01
Topics from the Contents: The Fight against Cancer in Germany - A Critical Review. Conditions and Structures in Research. Familial Breast Cancer - A Critical Assessment. Research without Animal Experiments. Cancer Prevention. New Approaches for Tumor Therapy. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. Therapy of Brain Tumors with Laser Neurosurgery. The Genome Project. (orig.)
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How to emerge from the conservatism in clinical research methodology?
Kotecki, Nuria; Penel, Nicolas; Awada, Ahmad
2017-09-01
Despite recent changes in clinical research methodology, many challenges remain in drug development methodology. Advances in molecular biology and cancer treatments have changed the clinical research landscape. Thus, we moved from empirical clinical oncology to molecular and immunological therapeutic approaches. Along with this move, adapted dose-limiting toxicities definitions, endpoints, and dose escalation methods have been proposed. Moreover, the classical frontier between phase I, phase II, and phase III has become unclear in particular for immunological approaches. So, investigators are facing major challenges in drug development methodology. We propose to individualize clinical research using innovative approaches to significantly improve patient outcomes and targeting what is considered unmet need. Integrating high level of translational research and performing well designed biomarker studies with great potential for clinical practice are of utmost importance. This could be performed within new models of clinical research networks and by building a strong collaboration between academic, cooperative groups, on-site investigators, and pharma.
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Reinventing clinical trials: a review of innovative biomarker trial designs in cancer therapies.
Lin, Ja-An; He, Pei
2015-06-01
Recently, new clinical trial designs involving biomarkers have been studied and proposed in cancer clinical research, in the hope of incorporating the rapid growing basic research into clinical practices. Journal articles related to various biomarkers and their role in cancer clinical trial, articles and books about statistical issues in trial design, and regulatory website, documents, and guidance for submission of targeted cancer therapies. The drug development process involves four phases. The confirmatory Phase III is essential in regulatory approval of a special treatment. Regulatory agency has restrictions on confirmatory trials 'using adaptive designs'. No rule of thumb to pick the most appropriate design for biomarker-related trials. Statistical issues to solve in new designs. Regulatory acceptance of the 'newly proposed trial designs'. Biomarker-related trial designs that can resolve the statistical issues and satisfy the regulatory requirement. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Assessing excellence in translational cancer research: a consensus based framework
Rajan, A.; Caldas, C.; van Luenen, H.; Saghatchian, M.; van Harten, Willem H.
2013-01-01
Background: It takes several years on average to translate basic research findings into clinical research and eventually deliver patient benefits. An expert-based excellence assessment can help improve this process by: identifying high performing Comprehensive Cancer Centres; best practices in
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McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Song, Paula H.; Reiter, Kristin L.
2012-01-01
Background The translation of research evidence into practice is facilitated by clinical trials such as those sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) that help disseminate cancer care innovations to community-based physicians and provider organizations. However, CCOP participation involves unsubsidized costs and organizational challenges that raise concerns about sustained provider participation in clinical trials. Objectives This study was designed to improve our understanding of why providers participate in the CCOP in order to inform the decision-making process of administrators, clinicians, organizations, and policy-makers considering CCOP participation. Research Methods We conducted a multi-site qualitative study of five provider organizations engaged with the CCOP. We interviewed 41 administrative and clinician key informants, asking about what motivated CCOP participation, and what benefits they associated with involvement. We deductively and inductively analyzed verbatim interview transcripts, and explored themes that emerged. Results Interviewees expressed both “altruistic” and “self-interested” motives for CCOP participation. Altruistic reasons included a desire to increase access to clinical trials and feeling an obligation to patients. Self-interested reasons included the desire to enhance reputation, and a need to integrate disparate cancer care activities. Perceived benefits largely matched expressed motives for CCOP participation, and included internal and external benefits to the organization, and quality of care benefits for both patients and participating physicians. Conclusion The motives and benefits providers attributed to CCOP participation are consistent with translational research goals, offering evidence that participation can contribute value to providers by expanding access to innovative medical care for patients in need. PMID:22925970
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Fajardo-Ortiz, David; Ochoa, Héctor; García, Luis; Castaño, Víctor
2014-02-01
This article constructs a map on the translation of knowledge concerning cervical cancer, based on citation networks analysis and the use of Gene Ontology terms and Medical Subject Headings. We identified two areas of research that are poorly interconnected and differ in structure, content, and evolution. One focuses on causes of cancer and the other on patient care. The first research area showed a knowledge translation process where basic research and clinical research are communicated through a set of articles that consolidate human papillomavirus infection as the necessary cause of cervical cancer. The first area aims to prevent HPV infection and the development of cervical cancer, while the second aims to stage and treat the disease.
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The future workforce in cancer prevention: advancing discovery, research, and technology.
Newhauser, Wayne D; Scheurer, Michael E; Faupel-Badger, Jessica M; Clague, Jessica; Weitzel, Jeffrey; Woods, Kendra V
2012-05-01
As part of a 2-day conference on October 15 and 16, 2009, a nine-member task force composed of scientists, clinicians, educators, administrators, and students from across the USA was formed to discuss research, discovery, and technology obstacles to progress in cancer prevention and control, specifically those related to the cancer prevention workforce. This article summarizes the task force's findings on the current state of the cancer prevention workforce in this area and its needs for the future. The task force identified two types of barriers impeding the current cancer prevention workforce in research, discovery, and technology from reaching its fullest potential: (1) limited cross-disciplinary research opportunities with underutilization of some disciplines is hampering discovery and research in cancer prevention, and (2) new research avenues are not being investigated because technology development and implementation are lagging. Examples of impediments and desired outcomes are provided in each of these areas. Recommended solutions to these problems are based on the goals of enhancing the current cancer prevention workforce and accelerating the pace of discovery and clinical translation.
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Forrest, Laura; Mitchell, Gillian; Thrupp, Letitia; Petelin, Lara; Richardson, Kate; Mascarenhas, Lyon; Young, Mary-Anne
2018-01-01
Clinical genetics units hold large amounts of information which could be utilised to benefit patients and their families. In Australia, a national research database, the Inherited Cancer Connect (ICCon) database, is being established that comprises clinical genetic data held for all carriers of mutations in cancer predisposition genes. Consumer input was sought to establish the acceptability of the inclusion of clinical genetic data into a research database. A qualitative approach using a modified nominal group technique was used to collect data through consumer forums conducted in three Australian states. Individuals who had previously received care from Familial Cancer Centres were invited to participate. Twenty-four consumers participated in three forums. Participants expressed positive attitudes about the establishment of the ICCon database, which were informed by the perceived benefits of the database including improved health outcomes for individuals with inherited cancer syndromes. Most participants were comfortable to waive consent for their clinical information to be included in the research database in a de-identified format. As major stakeholders, consumers have an integral role in contributing to the development and conduct of the ICCon database. As an initial step in the development of the ICCon database, the forums demonstrated consumers' acceptance of important aspects of the database including waiver of consent.
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Hilton, Lara; Elfenbaum, Pamela; Jain, Shamini; Sprengel, Meredith; Jonas, Wayne B
2018-03-01
The evaluation of freestanding integrative cancer clinical programs is challenging and is rarely done. We have developed an approach called the Claim Assessment Profile (CAP) to identify whether evaluation of a practice is justified, feasible, and likely to provide useful information. A CAP was performed in order to (1) clarify the healing claims at InspireHealth, an integrative oncology treatment program, by defining the most important impacts on its clients; (2) gather information about current research capacity at the clinic; and (3) create a program theory and path model for use in prospective research. This case study design incorporates methods from a variety of rapid assessment approaches. Procedures included site visits to observe the program, structured qualitative interviews with 26 providers and staff, surveys to capture descriptive data about the program, and observational data on program implementation. The InspireHealth program is a well-established, multi-site, thriving integrative oncology clinical practice that focuses on patient support, motivation, and health behavior engagement. It delivers patient-centered care via a standardized treatment protocol. There arehigh levels of research interest from staff and resources by which to conduct research. This analysis provides the primary descriptive and claims clarification of an integrative oncology treatment program, an evaluation readiness report, a detailed logic model explicating program theory, and a clinical outcomes path model for conducting prospective research. Prospective evaluation of this program would be feasible and valuable, adding to our knowledge base of integrative cancer therapies.
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Uldrick, Thomas S.; Ison, Gwynn; Rudek, Michelle A.; Noy, Ariela; Schwartz, Karl; Bruinooge, Suanna; Schenkel, Caroline; Miller, Barry; Dunleavy, Kieron; Wang, Judy; Zeldis, Jerome; Little, Richard F.
2018-01-01
Purpose People with HIV are living longer as a result of effective antiretroviral therapy. Cancer has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient population. However, studies of novel cancer therapeutics have historically excluded patients with HIV. Critical review of eligibility criteria related to HIV is required to accelerate development of and access to effective therapeutics for HIV-infected patients with cancer and make studies more generalizable to this patient population. Methods From January through April 2016, the HIV Working Group conducted a series of teleconferences; a review of 46 New Drug Applications from registration studies of unique agents studied in adults with cancer that led to the initial US Food and Drug Administration approval of that agent from 2011 to 2015; and a review of HIV-related eligibility criteria from National Cancer Institute–sponsored studies. Results were discussed and refined at a multistakeholder workshop held May 12, 2016. The HIV Working Group developed recommendations for eligibility criteria that focus on pharmacologic and immunologic considerations in this patient population and that balance patient safety, access to appropriate investigational agents, and study integrity. Results Exclusion of patients with HIV remains common in most studies of novel cancer agents. Models for HIV-related eligibility criteria in National Cancer Institute–sponsored studies are instructive. HIV infection itself should no longer be an exclusion criterion for most studies. Eligibility criteria related to HIV infection that address concurrent antiretroviral therapy and immune status should be designed in a manner that is appropriate for a given cancer. Conclusion Expanding clinical trial eligibility to be more inclusive of patients with HIV is justified in most cases and may accelerate the development of effective therapies in this area of unmet clinical need. PMID:28968173
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Uldrick, Thomas S; Ison, Gwynn; Rudek, Michelle A; Noy, Ariela; Schwartz, Karl; Bruinooge, Suanna; Schenkel, Caroline; Miller, Barry; Dunleavy, Kieron; Wang, Judy; Zeldis, Jerome; Little, Richard F
2017-11-20
Purpose People with HIV are living longer as a result of effective antiretroviral therapy. Cancer has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient population. However, studies of novel cancer therapeutics have historically excluded patients with HIV. Critical review of eligibility criteria related to HIV is required to accelerate development of and access to effective therapeutics for HIV-infected patients with cancer and make studies more generalizable to this patient population. Methods From January through April 2016, the HIV Working Group conducted a series of teleconferences; a review of 46 New Drug Applications from registration studies of unique agents studied in adults with cancer that led to the initial US Food and Drug Administration approval of that agent from 2011 to 2015; and a review of HIV-related eligibility criteria from National Cancer Institute-sponsored studies. Results were discussed and refined at a multistakeholder workshop held May 12, 2016. The HIV Working Group developed recommendations for eligibility criteria that focus on pharmacologic and immunologic considerations in this patient population and that balance patient safety, access to appropriate investigational agents, and study integrity. Results Exclusion of patients with HIV remains common in most studies of novel cancer agents. Models for HIV-related eligibility criteria in National Cancer Institute-sponsored studies are instructive. HIV infection itself should no longer be an exclusion criterion for most studies. Eligibility criteria related to HIV infection that address concurrent antiretroviral therapy and immune status should be designed in a manner that is appropriate for a given cancer. Conclusion Expanding clinical trial eligibility to be more inclusive of patients with HIV is justified in most cases and may accelerate the development of effective therapies in this area of unmet clinical need.
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Good, Marjorie J; Hurley, Patricia; Woo, Kaitlin M; Szczepanek, Connie; Stewart, Teresa; Robert, Nicholas; Lyss, Alan; Gönen, Mithat; Lilenbaum, Rogerio
2016-05-01
Clinical research program managers are regularly faced with the quandary of determining how much of a workload research staff members can manage while they balance clinical practice and still achieve clinical trial accrual goals, maintain data quality and protocol compliance, and stay within budget. A tool was developed to measure clinical trial-associated workload, to apply objective metrics toward documentation of work, and to provide clearer insight to better meet clinical research program challenges and aid in balancing staff workloads. A project was conducted to assess the feasibility and utility of using this tool in diverse research settings. Community-based research programs were recruited to collect and enter clinical trial-associated monthly workload data into a web-based tool for 6 consecutive months. Descriptive statistics were computed for self-reported program characteristics and workload data, including staff acuity scores and number of patient encounters. Fifty-one research programs that represented 30 states participated. Median staff acuity scores were highest for staff with patients enrolled in studies and receiving treatment, relative to staff with patients in follow-up status. Treatment trials typically resulted in higher median staff acuity, relative to cancer control, observational/registry, and prevention trials. Industry trials exhibited higher median staff acuity scores than trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, academic institutions, or others. The results from this project demonstrate that trial-specific acuity measurement is a better measure of workload than simply counting the number of patients. The tool was shown to be feasible and useable in diverse community-based research settings. Copyright © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
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CRISPR/Cas9 for cancer research and therapy.
Zhan, Tianzuo; Rindtorff, Niklas; Betge, Johannes; Ebert, Matthias P; Boutros, Michael
2018-04-16
CRISPR/Cas9 has become a powerful method for making changes to the genome of many organisms. First discovered in bacteria as part of an adaptive immune system, CRISPR/Cas9 and modified versions have found a widespread use to engineer genomes and to activate or to repress the expression of genes. As such, CRISPR/Cas9 promises to accelerate cancer research by providing an efficient technology to dissect mechanisms of tumorigenesis, identify targets for drug development, and possibly arm cells for cell-based therapies. Here, we review current applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology for cancer research and therapy. We describe novel Cas9 variants and how they are used in functional genomics to discover novel cancer-specific vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we highlight the impact of CRISPR/Cas9 in generating organoid and mouse models of cancer. Finally, we provide an overview of the first clinical trials that apply CRISPR/Cas9 as a therapeutic approach against cancer. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Clinical Implications of Hedgehog Pathway Signaling in Prostate Cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel L. Suzman
2015-09-01
Full Text Available Activity in the Hedgehog pathway, which regulates GLI-mediated transcription, is important in organogenesis and stem cell regulation in self-renewing organs, but is pathologically elevated in many human malignancies. Mutations leading to constitutive activation of the pathway have been implicated in medulloblastoma and basal cell carcinoma, and inhibition of the pathway has demonstrated clinical responses leading to the approval of the Smoothened inhibitor, vismodegib, for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma. Aberrant Hedgehog pathway signaling has also been noted in prostate cancer with evidence suggesting that it may render prostate epithelial cells tumorigenic, drive the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and contribute towards the development of castration-resistance through autocrine and paracrine signaling within the tumor microenvironment and cross-talk with the androgen pathway. In addition, there are emerging clinical data suggesting that inhibition of the Hedgehog pathway may be effective in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic prostate cancer. Here we will review these data and highlight areas of active clinical research as they relate to Hedgehog pathway inhibition in prostate cancer.
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Research advances in traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in cancer patients.
Ji, Qing; Luo, Yun-quan; Wang, Wen-hai; Liu, Xuan; Li, Qi; Su, Shi-bing
2016-01-01
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, also known as TCM ZHENG or TCM pattern, is an integral and essential part of TCM theory that helps to guide the design of individualized treatments. A TCM syndrome, in essence, is a characteristic profile of all clinical manifestations in one patient that can be readily identified by a TCM practitioner. In this article, the authors reviewed the presentations of TCM syndromes in seven common malignancies (liver, lung, gastric, breast, colorectal, pancreatic and esophageal cancers), the objectivity and the standardization of TCM syndrome differentiation, the evaluation of TCM syndrome modeling in cancer research, and syndrome differentiation-guided TCM treatment of cancers. A better understanding of TCM syndrome theory, as well as its potential biological basis, may contribute greatly to the clinical TCM diagnosis and the treatment of cancer.
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American Society of Clinical Oncology position statement on obesity and cancer.
Ligibel, Jennifer A; Alfano, Catherine M; Courneya, Kerry S; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Burger, Robert A; Chlebowski, Rowan T; Fabian, Carol J; Gucalp, Ayca; Hershman, Dawn L; Hudson, Melissa M; Jones, Lee W; Kakarala, Madhuri; Ness, Kirsten K; Merrill, Janette K; Wollins, Dana S; Hudis, Clifford A
2014-11-01
Rates of obesity have increased significantly over the last three decades in the United States and globally. In addition to contributing to heart disease and diabetes, obesity is a major unrecognized risk factor for cancer. Obesity is associated with worsened prognosis after cancer diagnosis and also negatively affects the delivery of systemic therapy, contributes to morbidity of cancer treatment, and may raise the risk of second malignancies and comorbidities. Research shows that the time after a cancer diagnosis can serve as a teachable moment to motivate individuals to adopt risk-reducing behaviors. For this reason, the oncology care team--the providers with whom a patient has the closest relationships in the critical period after a cancer diagnosis--is in a unique position to help patients lose weight and make other healthy lifestyle changes. The American Society of Clinical Oncology is committed to reducing the impact of obesity on cancer and has established a multipronged initiative to accomplish this goal by 1) increasing education and awareness of the evidence linking obesity and cancer; 2) providing tools and resources to help oncology providers address obesity with their patients; 3) building and fostering a robust research agenda to better understand the pathophysiology of energy balance alterations, evaluate the impact of behavior change on cancer outcomes, and determine the best methods to help cancer survivors make effective and useful changes in lifestyle behaviors; and 4) advocating for policy and systems change to address societal factors contributing to obesity and improve access to weight management services for patients with cancer. © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
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In vivo confocal microscopy in dermatology: from research to clinical application
Ulrich, Martina; Lange-Asschenfeldt, Susanne
2013-06-01
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) represents an emerging technique for the noninvasive histomorphological analysis of skin in vivo and has shown its applicability for dermatological research as well as its value as an adjunct tool in the clinical management of skin cancer patients. Herein, we aim to give an overview on the current clinical indications for CLSM in dermatology and also highlight the diverse applications of CLSM in dermatological research.
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Resolving Rivalries and Realigning Goals: Challenges of Clinical and Research Multiteam Systems.
Gerber, David E; Reimer, Torsten; Williams, Erin L; Gill, Mary; Loudat Priddy, Laurin; Bergestuen, Deidi; Schiller, Joan H; Kirkpatrick, Haskell; Craddock Lee, Simon J
2016-11-01
This article describes the care processes for a 64-year-old man with newly diagnosed advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who was enrolled in a first-line clinical trial of a new immunotherapy regimen. The case highlights the concept of multiteam systems in cancer clinical research and clinical care. Because clinical research represents a highly dynamic entity-with studies frequently opening, closing, and undergoing modifications-concerted efforts of multiple teams are needed to respond to these changes while continuing to provide consistent, high-level care and timely, accurate clinical data. The case illustrates typical challenges of multiteam care processes. Compared with clinical tasks that are routinely performed by single teams, multiple-team care greatly increases the demands for communication, collaboration, cohesion, and coordination among team members. As the case illustrates, the described research team and clinical team are separated, resulting in suboptimal function. Individual team members interact predominantly with members of their own team. A considerable number of team members lack regular interaction with anyone outside their team. Accompanying this separation, the teams enact rivalries that impede collaboration. The teams have misaligned goals and competing priorities that create competition. Collective identity and cohesion across the two teams are low. Research team and clinical team members have limited knowledge of the roles and work of individuals outside their team. Recommendations to increase trust and collaboration are provided. Clinical providers and researchers may incorporate these themes into development and evaluation of multiteam systems, multidisciplinary teams, and cross-functional teams within their own institutions.
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Ligibel, Jennifer A; Alfano, Catherine M; Hershman, Dawn; Ballard, Rachel M; Bruinooge, Suanna S; Courneya, Kerry S; Daniels, Elvan C; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Frank, Elizabeth S; Goodwin, Pamela J; Irwin, Melinda L; Levit, Laura A; McCaskill-Stevens, Worta; Minasian, Lori M; O'Rourke, Mark A; Pierce, John P; Stein, Kevin D; Thomson, Cynthia A; Hudis, Clifford A
2015-11-20
Observational evidence has established a relationship between obesity and cancer risk and outcomes. Interventional studies have demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of lifestyle change after cancer diagnosis, and guidelines recommend weight management and regular physical activity in cancer survivors; however, lifestyle interventions are not a routine part of cancer care. The ASCO Research Summit on Advancing Obesity Clinical Trials in Cancer Survivors sought to identify the knowledge gaps that clinical trials addressing energy balance factors in cancer survivors have not answered and to develop a roadmap for the design and implementation of studies with the potential to generate data that could lead to the evidence-based incorporation of weight management and physical activity programs into standard oncology practice. Recommendations highlight the need for large-scale trials evaluating the impact of energy balance interventions on cancer outcomes, as well as the concurrent conduct of studies focused on dissemination and implementation of interventions in diverse populations of cancer survivors, including answering critical questions about the degree of benefit in key subgroups of survivors. Other considerations include the importance of incorporating economic metrics into energy balance intervention trials, the need to establish intermediate biomarkers, and the importance of integrating traditional and nontraditional funding sources. Establishing lifestyle change after cancer diagnosis as a routine part of cancer care will require a multipronged effort to overcome barriers related to study development, funding, and stakeholder engagement. Given the prevalence of obesity and inactivity in cancer survivors in the United States and elsewhere, energy balance interventions hold the potential to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality in millions of patients, and it is essential that we move forward in determining their role in cancer care with the same care and
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Institutional shared resources and translational cancer research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
De Paoli Paolo
2009-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract The development and maintenance of adequate shared infrastructures is considered a major goal for academic centers promoting translational research programs. Among infrastructures favoring translational research, centralized facilities characterized by shared, multidisciplinary use of expensive laboratory instrumentation, or by complex computer hardware and software and/or by high professional skills are necessary to maintain or improve institutional scientific competitiveness. The success or failure of a shared resource program also depends on the choice of appropriate institutional policies and requires an effective institutional governance regarding decisions on staffing, existence and composition of advisory committees, policies and of defined mechanisms of reporting, budgeting and financial support of each resource. Shared Resources represent a widely diffused model to sustain cancer research; in fact, web sites from an impressive number of research Institutes and Universities in the U.S. contain pages dedicated to the SR that have been established in each Center, making a complete view of the situation impossible. However, a nation-wide overview of how Cancer Centers develop SR programs is available on the web site for NCI-designated Cancer Centers in the U.S., while in Europe, information is available for individual Cancer centers. This article will briefly summarize the institutional policies, the organizational needs, the characteristics, scientific aims, and future developments of SRs necessary to develop effective translational research programs in oncology. In fact, the physical build-up of SRs per se is not sufficient for the successful translation of biomedical research. Appropriate policies to improve the academic culture in collaboration, the availability of educational programs for translational investigators, the existence of administrative facilitations for translational research and an efficient organization
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Institutional shared resources and translational cancer research.
De Paoli, Paolo
2009-06-29
The development and maintenance of adequate shared infrastructures is considered a major goal for academic centers promoting translational research programs. Among infrastructures favoring translational research, centralized facilities characterized by shared, multidisciplinary use of expensive laboratory instrumentation, or by complex computer hardware and software and/or by high professional skills are necessary to maintain or improve institutional scientific competitiveness. The success or failure of a shared resource program also depends on the choice of appropriate institutional policies and requires an effective institutional governance regarding decisions on staffing, existence and composition of advisory committees, policies and of defined mechanisms of reporting, budgeting and financial support of each resource. Shared Resources represent a widely diffused model to sustain cancer research; in fact, web sites from an impressive number of research Institutes and Universities in the U.S. contain pages dedicated to the SR that have been established in each Center, making a complete view of the situation impossible. However, a nation-wide overview of how Cancer Centers develop SR programs is available on the web site for NCI-designated Cancer Centers in the U.S., while in Europe, information is available for individual Cancer centers. This article will briefly summarize the institutional policies, the organizational needs, the characteristics, scientific aims, and future developments of SRs necessary to develop effective translational research programs in oncology.In fact, the physical build-up of SRs per se is not sufficient for the successful translation of biomedical research. Appropriate policies to improve the academic culture in collaboration, the availability of educational programs for translational investigators, the existence of administrative facilitations for translational research and an efficient organization supporting clinical trial recruitment
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McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Song, Paula H; Reiter, Kristin L
2012-11-01
The translation of research evidence into practice is facilitated by clinical trials such as those sponsored by the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) that help disseminate cancer care innovations to community-based physicians and provider organizations. However, CCOP participation involves unsubsidized costs and organizational challenges that raise concerns about sustained provider participation in clinical trials. This study was designed to improve our understanding of why providers participate in the CCOP in order to inform the decision-making process of administrators, clinicians, organizations, and policy-makers considering CCOP participation. We conducted a multi-site qualitative study of five provider organizations engaged with the CCOP. We interviewed 41 administrative and clinician key informants, asking about what motivated CCOP participation, and what benefits they associated with involvement. We deductively and inductively analyzed verbatim interview transcripts, and explored themes that emerged. Interviewees expressed both "altruistic" and "self-interested" motives for CCOP participation. Altruistic reasons included a desire to increase access to clinical trials and feeling an obligation to patients. Self-interested reasons included the desire to enhance reputation, and a need to integrate disparate cancer care activities. Perceived benefits largely matched expressed motives for CCOP participation, and included internal and external benefits to the organization, and quality of care benefits for both patients and participating physicians. The motives and benefits providers attributed to CCOP participation are consistent with translational research goals, offering evidence that participation can contribute value to providers by expanding access to innovative medical care for patients in need. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Zhang, Hua; Uselman, Ryan R; Yee, Douglas
2011-05-01
Near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging is a rapidly growing research field which has the potential to be an important imaging modality in cancer diagnosis. Various exogenous NIR fluorophores have been developed for the technique, including small molecule fluorophores and nanoparticles. NIRF imaging has been used in animal models for the detection of cancer overthe last twenty years and has in recent years been used in human clinical trials. This article describes the types and characteristics of exogenous fluorophores available for in vivo fluorescent cancer imaging. The article also discusses the progression of NIRF cancer imaging over recent years and its future challenges, from both a biological and clinical perspective. in The review also looks at its application for lymph node mapping, tumor targeting and characterization, and tumor margin definition for surgical guidance. NIRF imaging is not in routine clinical cancer practice; yet, the authors predict that techniques using NIR fluorophores for tumor margin definition and lymph node mapping will enter clinical practice in the near future. The authors also anticipate that NIRF imaging research will lead to the development of flurophores with 'high brightness' that will overcome the limited penetration of this modality and be better suited for non invasive tumor targeting.
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Biological research in the evolution of cancer surgery: a personal perspective.
Fisher, Bernard
2008-12-15
During the 19th, and for most of the 20th century, malignant tumors were removed by mutilating radical anatomic dissection. Advances such as anesthesia, asepsis, and blood transfusion made possible increasingly more radical operations. There was no scientific rationale for the operations being performed. Surgery in the 20th century was dominated by the principles of William S. Halsted, who contended that the bloodstream was of little significance as a route of tumor cell dissemination; a tumor was autonomous of its host; and cancer was a local-regional disease that spread in an orderly fashion based on mechanical considerations. Halsted believed that both the extent and nuances of an operation influenced patient outcome and that inadequate surgical skill was responsible for the failure to cure. A new surgical era arose in 1957, when cancer surgery began to be influenced by laboratory and clinical research, with results contrary to Halstedian principles. A new hypothesis resulted in a scientific basis for cancer surgery. Clinical trials supported the thesis that operable cancer is a systemic disease and that variations in local-regional therapy are unlikely to substantially affect survival. Complex host-tumor relationships were shown to affect every aspect of cancer and, contrary to Halsted's thesis, the bloodstream is of considerable importance in tumor dissemination. Clinical trials also have shown that less radical surgery is justified. Studies have shown that improved survival can be achieved with systemic therapy after surgery. Such therapy can reduce both the incidence of distant disease and the tumor recurrence at the tumor site after minimal surgery. The use of systemic therapy in patients who have no identifiable metastatic disease is a drastic departure from previous strategies. New technological innovations resulting from engineering research have improved the quality of life of patients by eliminating the need for some surgical procedures. Because cancer
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Gilbertson-White, Stephanie; Bohr, Nicole; Wickersham, Karen E
2017-10-01
Despite significant advances in cancer treatment and symptom management interventions over the last decade, patients continue to struggle with cancer-related symptoms. Adequate baseline and longitudinal data are crucial for designing interventions to improve patient quality of life and reduce symptom burden; however, recruitment of patients with advanced cancer in longitudinal research is difficult. Our purpose is to describe challenges and solutions to recruitment of patients with advanced cancer in two biobehavioral research studies examining cancer-related symptoms. Study 1: Symptom data and peripheral blood for markers of inflammation were collected from newly diagnosed patients receiving chemotherapy on the first day of therapy and every 3-4 weeks for up to 6 months. Study 2: Symptom data, blood, and skin biopsies were collected from cancer patients taking epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors at specific time points over 4 months. Screening and recruitment results for both studies are summarized. Timing informed consent with baseline data collection prior to treatment initiation was a significant recruitment challenge for both the studies. Possible solutions include tailoring recruitment to fit clinic needs, increasing research staff availability during clinic hours, and adding recruitment sites. Identifying solutions to these challenges will permit the conduct of studies that may lead to identification of factors contributing to variability in symptoms and development of tailored patient interventions for patients with advanced cancer.
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Summary of the 6th Annual Bladder Cancer Think Tank: new directions in urologic research.
Svatek, Robert S; Rosenberg, Jonathan E; Galsky, Matthew D; Lee, Cheryl T; Latini, David M; Bochner, Bernard H; Weizer, Alon Z; Apolo, Andrea B; Sridhar, Srikala S; Kamat, Ashish M; Hansel, Donna; Flaig, Thomas W; Smith, Norm D; Lotan, Yair
2013-10-01
The 6th Annual Bladder Cancer Think Tank brought together a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, and representatives from the National Cancer Institute and Industry in an effort to advance bladder cancer research efforts. This year's meeting comprised panel discussions and research involving 5 separate working groups, including the Survivorship, Clinical Trials, Standardization of Care, Data Mining, and Translational Science working groups. In this manuscript, the accomplishments and objectives of the working groups are summarized. Notable efforts include: (1) the development of a survivorship care plan for early and late-stage bladder cancer; (2) the development of consensus criteria for eligibility and endpoints for bladder cancer clinical trials; (3) an improved understanding of current practice patterns regarding the use of perioperative chemotherapy in an effort to standardize care; (4) creation of a comprehensive handbook to assist researchers with developing bladder cancer databases; and (5) identification of response to therapy of high-grade non muscle invasive disease through a collaborative exchange of expertise and resources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Chernobyl Tissue Bank: integrating research on radiation-induced thyroid cancer.
Thomas, G A
2012-03-01
The only unequivocal radiological effect of the Chernobyl accident on human health is the increase in thyroid cancer in those exposed in childhood or early adolescence. Cancer is a complicated disease and it is unclear whether the mechanism by which radiation gives rise to cancer differs from that involved in the generation of cancers of the same type by other environmental stimuli. The Chernobyl Tissue Bank was established in response to the scientific interest in studying the molecular biology of thyroid cancer after Chernobyl to address this question. The project is supported by the governments of Ukraine and Russia, and financially supported (in total around US$3 million) by the European Commission, the National Cancer Institute of the USA and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation of Japan. The project began collecting a variety of biological samples from patients on 1 October 1988, and has supplied material to 23 research projects in Japan, the USA and Europe. The establishment of the Chernobyl Tissue Bank has facilitated co-operation between these research projects and the combination of clinical and research data provides a paradigm for cancer research in the molecular biological age.
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The Chernobyl Tissue Bank: integrating research on radiation-induced thyroid cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Thomas, G A
2012-01-01
The only unequivocal radiological effect of the Chernobyl accident on human health is the increase in thyroid cancer in those exposed in childhood or early adolescence. Cancer is a complicated disease and it is unclear whether the mechanism by which radiation gives rise to cancer differs from that involved in the generation of cancers of the same type by other environmental stimuli. The Chernobyl Tissue Bank was established in response to the scientific interest in studying the molecular biology of thyroid cancer after Chernobyl to address this question. The project is supported by the governments of Ukraine and Russia, and financially supported (in total around US$3 million) by the European Commission, the National Cancer Institute of the USA and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation of Japan. The project began collecting a variety of biological samples from patients on 1 October 1988, and has supplied material to 23 research projects in Japan, the USA and Europe. The establishment of the Chernobyl Tissue Bank has facilitated co-operation between these research projects and the combination of clinical and research data provides a paradigm for cancer research in the molecular biological age. (note)
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Molecular biology of pancreatic cancer: how useful is it in clinical practice?
Sakorafas, George H; Smyrniotis, Vasileios
2012-07-10
During the recent two decades dramatic advances of molecular biology allowed an in-depth understanding of pancreatic carcinogenesis. It is currently accepted that pancreatic cancer has a genetic component. The real challenge is now how these impressive advances could be used in clinical practice. To critically present currently available data regarding clinical application of molecular biology in pancreatic cancer. Reports about clinical implications of molecular biology in patients with pancreatic cancer were retrieved from PubMed. These reports were selected on the basis of their clinical relevance, and the data of their publication (preferentially within the last 5 years). Emphasis was placed on reports investigating diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. Molecular biology can be used to identify individuals at high-risk for pancreatic cancer development. Intensive surveillance is indicated in these patients to detect pancreatic neoplasia ideally at a preinvasive stage, when curative resection is still possible. Molecular biology can also be used in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, with molecular analysis on samples of biologic material, such as serum or plasma, duodenal fluid or preferentially pure pancreatic juice, pancreatic cells or tissue, and stools. Molecular indices have also prognostic significance. Finally, molecular biology may have therapeutic implications by using various therapeutic approaches, such as antiangiogenic factors, purine synthesis inhibitors, matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, factors modulating tumor-stroma interaction, inactivation of the hedgehog pathway, gene therapy, oncolytic viral therapy, immunotherapy (both passive as well as active) etc. Molecular biology may have important clinical implications in patients with pancreatic cancer and represents one of the most active areas on cancer research. Hopefully clinical applications of molecular biology in pancreatic cancer will expand in the future, improving the
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Pathak, Swati; George, Nerissa; Monti, Denise; Robinson, Kathy; Politi, Mary C
2018-06-03
Rural-residing cancer patients often do not participate in clinical trials. Many patients misunderstand cancer clinical trials and their rights as participant. The purpose of this study is to modify a previously developed cancer clinical trials decision aid (DA), incorporating the unique needs of rural populations, and test its impact on knowledge and decision outcomes. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I recruited 15 rural-residing cancer survivors in a qualitative usability study. Participants navigated the original DA and provided feedback regarding usability and implementation in rural settings. Phase II recruited 31 newly diagnosed rural-residing cancer patients. Patients completed a survey before and after using the revised DA, R-CHOICES. Primary outcomes included decisional conflict, decision self-efficacy, knowledge, communication self-efficacy, and attitudes towards and willingness to consider joining a trial. In phase I, the DA was viewed positively by rural-residing cancer survivors. Participants provided important feedback about factors rural-residing patients consider when thinking about trial participation. In phase II, after using R-CHOICES, participants had higher certainty about their choice (mean post-test = 3.10 vs. pre-test = 2.67; P = 0.025) and higher trial knowledge (mean percentage correct at post-test = 73.58 vs. pre-test = 57.77; P decision self-efficacy, communication self-efficacy, and attitudes towards or willingness to join trials. The R-CHOICES improved rural-residing patients' knowledge of cancer clinical trials and reduced conflict about making a trial decision. More research is needed on ways to further support decisions about trial participation among this population.
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Multimorbidity and cancer outcomes: a need for more research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sørensen HT
2013-11-01
Full Text Available Henrik Toft Sørensen Editor in Chief Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkCancer incidence increases with age, and about 43% of men and 30% of women aged 65 will develop cancer in their remaining lifetimes.1 The global population is rapidly aging, and by 2030 about 70% of cancer in, for example, the US, will be diagnosed in older patients.2 Fortunately, cancer survival has improved and 5-year survival exceeds 80% for many common cancers.3 As a result of these two complementary trends, the population of cancer survivors is growing at a rate of almost 2% per year.4As comorbidities accumulate with age, the number of patients with multimorbidity, ie, the coexistence of several chronic diseases, is increasing dramatically.5 In the US, about 80% of Medicare funds are spent on patients with four or more chronic conditions. Multimorbidity is associated with mortality, disability, low functional status, and risks of adverse drug events.6,7Clinical and epidemiological research on cancer prognosis has mainly focused on cancers in isolation, ignoring the impact of comorbidity and co-medication on the risk of complications and mortality. Comorbidity is a medical condition that exists at the time of diagnosis of the cancer or later, but which is not a consequence of the cancer itself.8Comorbidity is common in cancer patients, who often have adverse lifestyle factors such as alcohol use, obesity, and smoking, which cause other chronic diseases. Thus, many cancer patients have chronic disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis.9–13 With the growing population of elderly patients with cancer and other chronic diseases, modern medicine will need to address multiple medical problems at once, focusing on mortality, treatment complications, quality of life, and implications for screening.7,14 In this issue of Clinical Epidemiology
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Single cell analysis contemporary research and clinical applications
Cossarizza, Andrea
2017-01-01
This book highlights the current state of the art in single cell analysis, an area that involves many fields of science – from clinical hematology, functional analysis and drug screening, to platelet and microparticle analysis, marine biology and fundamental cancer research. This book brings together an eclectic group of current applications, all of which have a significant impact on our current state of knowledge. The authors of these chapters are all pioneering researchers in the field of single cell analysis. The book will not only appeal to those readers more focused on clinical applications, but also those interested in highly technical aspects of the technologies. All of the technologies identified utilize unique applications of photon detection systems.
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Understanding Cancer Prognosis
Full Text Available ... Research Screening & Early Detection Cancer Treatment Research Cancer & Public Health Cancer Health Disparities Childhood Cancers Clinical Trials ... Cancer Diagnosis Prevention Screening & Early Detection Treatment Cancer & Public Health Cancer Health Disparities Childhood Cancer Clinical Trials ...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Scheurlen, A.; Kay, R.; Baum, M.
1988-01-01
This book contains the proceedings on Cancer clinical trials: A critical appraisal. Topics covered include: Scientific fundamentals; Heterogeneous treatment effects; On combining information: Historical controls, overviews, and comprehensive cohort studies; and assessment of quality of life
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Majidi, A; Salimzadeh, H; Beiki, O; Delavari, F; Majidi, S; Delavari, A; Malekzadeh, R
2017-03-01
As a developing country, Iran is experiencing the increasing burden of cancers, which are currently the third leading cause of mortality in Iran. This study aims to demonstrate that cancer research in Iran concentrates on the cancer research priorities based on the global burden of disease (GBD) reports. Descriptive evaluation of all cancers disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) was performed using GBD data. Also a comprehensive search was conducted using cancer-associated keywords to obtain all cancer-related publications from Iran, indexed in Web of Science. Multiple regression analysis and correlation coefficients (R 2 ) were used to evaluate the possible associations between cancer research publications and GBD. During 1996-2014, the majority of cancer-related publications in Iran focused on breast cancer, leukaemia and stomach cancer, respectively. This study found hypothetical correlations between cancer publications in Iran in line with the burden of cancer as reported by GBD. Particularly, correlations between years lived with disability (YLD) and cancer-related publications were more obvious. This study introduces a new outline in setting cancer research priorities in the region. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Understanding Cancer Prognosis
Full Text Available ... Research Screening & Early Detection Cancer Treatment Research Cancer & Public Health Cancer Health Disparities Childhood Cancers Clinical Trials Global ... Cancer Diagnosis Prevention Screening & Early Detection Treatment Cancer & Public Health Cancer Health Disparities Childhood Cancer Clinical Trials Global ...
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Christensen, Irene
2016-01-01
This paper is about the logic of problem solving and the production of scientific knowledge through the utilisation of clinical research perspective. Ramp-up effectiveness, productivity, efficiency and organizational excellence are topics that continue to engage research and will continue doing so...... for years to come. This paper seeks to provide insights into ramp-up management studies through providing an agenda for conducting collaborative clinical research and extend this area by proposing how clinical research could be designed and executed in the Ramp- up management setting....
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Biological implications and clinical value of mir-210 in gastrointestinal cancer.
Yang, Wanli; Ma, Jiaojiao; Zhou, Wei; Zhou, Xin; Cao, Bo; Fan, Daiming; Hong, Liu
2017-06-01
Hypoxia, a common feature of tumor microenvironment, is known to accelerate tumor development and growth by promoting the formation of a neoplastic environment. Recent studies have provided a wealth of evidence that miRNAs are significant members of the adaptive response to low oxygen in tumors. miR-210 is one of the hypoxia-induced miRNAs, which has been reported extensively in cancer researches. However, there is no systematic discussion about the role of miR-210 in gastrointestinal cancer. We conducted a literature research in database including PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct and Medline before 16 September 2016, in order to collect articles of miR-210 in gastrointestinal cancer. Areas covered: In the present review, we mainly discuss the following aspects: hypoxia-induced dysregulation of miR-210, the expression of miR-210 and tumorigenesis, the resultant changes of miR-210 targets and its roles in different types of gastrointestinal cancer progression, the diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic value of miR-210 in gastrointestinal cancer. Expert commentary: Numerous researches have demonstrated the values of miR-210 in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and targeted therapies, especially in gastrointestinal cancers. However, there are also some existing problems and challenges in translating the new research findings into clinical utility. Further investigations and studies are still urgently required.
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Song, Paula H.; Reiter, Kristin L.; Weiner, Bryan J.; Minasian, Lori; McAlearney, Ann Scheck
2012-01-01
Background Provider-based research networks (PBRNs) make clinical trials available in community-based practice settings, where most people receive their care, but provider participation requires both financial and in-kind contributions. Purpose This study explores whether providers believe there is a business case for participating in PBRNs and what factors contribute to the business case. Methodology/Approach We use a multiple case study methodology approach to examine the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program, a longstanding federally funded PBRN. Interviews with 41 key informants across five sites, selected on the basis of organizational maturity, were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. We analyzed interview transcripts using an iterative, deductive process to identify themes and subthemes in the data. Findings We found that a business case for provider participation in PBRNs may exist if both direct and indirect financial benefits are identified and included in the analysis, and if the time horizon is long enough to allow those benefits to be realized. We identified specific direct and indirect financial benefits that were perceived as important contributors to the business case and the perceived length of time required for a positive return to accrue. Practice Implications As the lack of a business case may result in provider reluctance to participate in PBRNs, knowledge of the benefits we identified may be crucial to encouraging and sustaining participation, thereby preserving patient access to innovative community-based treatments. The results are also relevant to federally-funded PBRNs outside of oncology or to providers considering participation in any clinical trials research. PMID:23044836
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Song, Paula H; Reiter, Kristin L; Weiner, Bryan J; Minasian, Lori; McAlearney, Ann Scheck
2013-01-01
Provider-based research networks (PBRNs) make clinical trials available in community-based practice settings, where most people receive their care, but provider participation requires both financial and in-kind contributions. The aim of this study was to explore whether providers believe there is a business case for participating in PBRNs and what factors contribute to the business case. We use a multiple case study methodology approach to examine the National Cancer Institute's community clinical oncology program, a long-standing federally funded PBRN. Interviews with 41 key informants across five sites, selected on the basis of organizational maturity, were conducted using a semistructured interview guide. We analyzed interview transcripts using an iterative, deductive process to identify themes and subthemes in the data. We found that a business case for provider participation in PBRNs may exist if both direct and indirect financial benefits are identified and included in the analysis and if the time horizon is long enough to allow those benefits to be realized. We identified specific direct and indirect financial benefits that were perceived as important contributors to the business case and the perceived length of time required for a positive return to accrue. As the lack of a business case may result in provider reluctance to participate in PBRNs, knowledge of the benefits we identified may be crucial to encouraging and sustaining participation, thereby preserving patient access to innovative community-based treatments. The results are also relevant to federally funded PBRNs outside of oncology or to providers considering participation in any clinical trials research.
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Cancer clinical trials in persons with HIV infection.
Little, Richard F
2017-01-01
The era of modern HIV therapeutics is well underway. The cancer and infectious disease epidemiology of HIV disease has markedly altered as populations are availed to the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ARV). The types of cancers occurring among those with HIV infection has broadened but the case burden in absolute numbers is very low relative to the background population. There are fewer incident cases of the AIDS-defining cancers (aggressive B-cell lymphomas, Kaposi's sarcoma, and cervical cancer). There is an increased risk for certain non-AIDS-defining cancers, but these occur somewhat sporadically relative to clinical trial enrollment. The changing epidemiology of cancer in HIV poses challenges as well as opportunities for participation of persons with HIV in cancer therapy clinical trials. There are excellent examples of cancer trials that inform cancer therapy for patients with HIV infection. Examples include those from HIV-specific trials and from trials mainly focused on the background population that included patients with HIV infection. Interpretation of clinical trials to guide therapy for those with HIV infection and cancer largely depends on data that does not include HIV-infected patients. The ability to extend clinical trial findings to populations not included in clinical trials remains problematic for a variety of populations, including those with HIV or AIDS. Careful prioritization of studies designed to bridge this gap is needed. However, there are published studies that serve as excellent examples bridging these gaps and the portfolio of cancer therapy trials underway will inform HIV and cancer better than at any time in the past.
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Clinical Trials Offer a Path to Better Care for AYAs with Cancer
The slow progress against adolescent and young adult cancers is due, in part, to this populations lack of participation in clinical trials. Researchers are testing innovative ways to enroll more AYAs in clinical trials—using expanded access, patient navigation, community outreach, and collaborations between academic and community doctors.
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Integrating research on thyroid cancer after Chernobyl--the Chernobyl Tissue Bank.
Thomas, G A; Bethel, J A; Galpine, A; Mathieson, W; Krznaric, M; Unger, K
2011-05-01
The only unequivocal radiological effect of the Chernobyl accident on human health is the increase in thyroid cancer in those exposed in childhood or early adolescence. In response to the scientific interest in studying the molecular biology of thyroid cancer after Chernobyl, the Chernobyl Tissue Bank was established. The project is supported by the governments of Ukraine and Russia, and financially supported (in total around US$3 million) by the European Commission, the National Cancer Institute of the USA and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation of Japan. The project began collecting a variety of biological samples from patients on 1 October 1988, and has supplied material to 21 research projects in Japan, the USA and Europe. The establishment of the Chernobyl Tissue Bank has facilitated co-operation between these research projects and the combination of clinical and research data provides a paradigm for cancer research in the molecular biological age. Copyright © 2011 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Hughes, Christine A; Bauer, Mark C; Horazdovsky, Bruce F; Garrison, Edward R; Patten, Christi A; Petersen, Wesley O; Bowman, Clarissa N; Vierkant, Robert A
2013-03-01
The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Diné College received funding for a 4-year collaborative P20 planning grant from the National Cancer Institute in 2006. The goal of the partnership was to increase Navajo undergraduates' interest in and commitment to biomedical coursework and careers, especially in cancer research. This paper describes the development, pilot testing, and evaluation of Native CREST (Cancer Research Experience and Student Training), a 10-week cancer research training program providing mentorship in a Mayo Clinic basic science or behavioral cancer research lab for Navajo undergraduate students. Seven Native American undergraduate students (five females, two males) were enrolled during the summers of 2008-2011. Students reported the program influenced their career goals and was valuable to their education and development. These efforts may increase the number of Native American career scientists developing and implementing cancer research, which will ultimately benefit the health of Native American people.
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Immunotherapy: A breakthrough in cancer research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Editorial Office
2016-12-01
a mixed population. The clinical benefit of the fixed dose of pembrolizumab in the first and second line treatment of recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer is being evaluated head-to-head with standard of care chemotherapy in phase 3 trials around the world, including Asia Pacific.” Meanwhile, another research paper on immunotherapy presented at the ESMO Asia 2016 was by Dr. Herbert Loong, Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Clinical Oncology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who discussed about the cost-effectiveness of immunotherapy with pembrolizumab for advanced melanoma patients in Hong Kong. Dr. Loong said, “We have determined that whilst pembrolizumab is expensive, the increase in quality adjusted life years (QALYs compared with standard cytotoxic chemotherapy, and even so with ipilimumab, qualifies it as a cost-effective approach.” Commenting on the results of the research by Dr. Loong and his colleagues, Dr. Mark Tang – a senior consultant dermatologist said, “Given the high costs of these new treatment options, cost effectiveness studies such as this one are timely and useful as further evidence for the use of pembrolizumab in the treatment of advanced melanoma. This is particularly important in an Asian context where, although rare, acral melanoma has unfortunately been known to present late advanced disease.” Taking all these exciting discoveries into account, a good number of studies have repeatedly shown that progress in cancer immunotherapy has accelerated and resulted in the development of several effective and promising therapies for multiple forms of cancer. At this critical juncture, oncological organizations such as ESMO provide an important knowledge transfer platform for the sharing of expertise and interaction between regional and international experts in the area of onco-immunology. Moving forward, immunotherapy and targeted medicine are expected to remain in the spotlight and will be an indispensable
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ha eNguyen
2014-04-01
Full Text Available Epigenetics is essentially a phenotypical change in gene expression without any alteration of the DNA sequence; the emergence of epigenetics in cancer research and mainstream oncology is fueling new hope. However, it is not yet known whether this knowledge will translate to improved clinical management of ovarian cancer. In this malignancy, women are still undergoing chemotherapy similar to what was approved in 1978, which to this day represents one of the biggest breakthroughs for treating ovarian cancer. While liquid tumors are benefitting from epigenetically-related therapies, solid tumors like ovarian cancer are not (yet?. Herein we will review the science of molecular epigenetics, especially DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNA, but also include transcription factors since they, too, are important in ovarian cancer. Preclinical and clinical research on the role of epigenetic modifications is summarized as well. Sadly, ovarian cancer remains an idiopathic disease, for the most part, and there are many areas of patient management which could benefit from improved technology. This review will also highlight the evidence suggesting that epigenetics may have preclinical utility in pharmacology and clinical applications for prognosis and diagnosis. Lastly, drugs currently in clinical trials (i.e. histone deacetylase inhibitors are discussed along with the promise for epigenetics in the exploitation of chemoresistance. Whether epigenetics will ultimately be the answer to better management in ovarian cancer is currently unknown; what we have now is hope.
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Evidence and research in rectal cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Valentini, Vincenzo; Beets-Tan, Regina; Borras, Josep M.; Krivokapic, Zoran; Leer, Jan Willem; Pahlman, Lars; Roedel, Claus; Schmoll, Hans Joachim; Scott, Nigel; Velde, Cornelius Van de; Verfaillie, Christine
2008-01-01
The main evidences of epidemiology, diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and follow-up are reviewed to optimize the routine treatment of rectal cancer according to a multidisciplinary approach. This paper reports on the knowledge shared between different specialists involved in the design and management of the multidisciplinary ESTRO Teaching Course on Rectal Cancer. The scenario of ongoing research is also addressed. In this time of changing treatments, it clearly appears that a common standard for large heterogeneous patient groups have to be substituted by more individualised therapies based on clinical-pathological features and very soon on molecular and genetic markers. Only trained multidisciplinary teams can face this new challenge and tailor the treatments according to the best scientific evidence for each patient
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Male Oncology Research and Education program for men at high risk for prostate cancer.
Lorentz, J; Liu, S K; Vesprini, D
2018-04-01
Three groups of men are at high risk of developing prostate cancer: men with a strong family history of prostate cancer, men of West African or Caribbean ancestry, and men with a germline pathogenic variant in a prostate cancer-associated gene. Despite the fact that those men constitute a significant portion of the male population in North America, few recommendations for prostate cancer screening specific to them have been developed. For men at general population risk for prostate cancer, screening based on prostate-specific antigen (psa) has remained controversial despite the abundance of literature on the topic. As a result, recommendations made by major screening authorities are inconsistent (ranging from no psa screening to baseline psa screening at age 45), allowing physicians to pick and choose how to screen their patients. The Male Oncology Research and Education (more) program is an observational research program that serves as an academic platform for multiple research foci. For its participants, serum and dna are biobanked, medical information is collected, and contact for relevant research-related opportunities is maintained. This research program is paired with a specialized clinic called the more clinic, where men at high risk are regularly screened for prostate cancer in a standard approach that includes physical examination and serum psa measurement. In this article, we describe the goals, participant accrual to date, and projects specific to this unique program.
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Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and
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Problems of diagnostics and treatment of uterine tube cancer (clinical case
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
N. E. Levchenko
2016-01-01
Full Text Available The clinical case of seldom found pathology – primary cancer of the uterine tube including at the same time both epithelial and sarcomatous component of a tumor is described. Data on a cancer of a uterine tube which, being a rare tumor are submitted, is morphologically similar to an ovary carcinoma. Predictively significant factors for this tumor are the disease stage, volume of residual tumoral masses, SA-125 indicators, and also as those the vascular invasion, degree of a differentiation of a tumor and age of patients are considered. On the basis of our supervision and clinical experience we came to a conclusion that this clinical case emphasizes not specificity of a current and complexity of timely diagnosis of a disease. Thus, an actual task is research of this problem for the purpose of improvement of quality of early diagnosis of primary cancer of uterine tube and use of new modern methods of treatment.
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This week, we are excited to announce the launch of the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) Proteogenomics Computational DREAM Challenge. The aim of this Challenge is to encourage the generation of computational methods for extracting information from the cancer proteome and for linking those data to genomic and transcriptomic information. The specific goals are to predict proteomic and phosphoproteomic data from other multiple data types including transcriptomics and genetics.
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Clinical trials: understanding and perceptions of female Chinese-American cancer patients.
Tu, Shin-Ping; Chen, Hueifang; Chen, Anthony; Lim, Jeanette; May, Suepattra; Drescher, Charles
2005-12-15
Under-representation of minority and female participants prompted the U.S. legislature to mandate the inclusion of women and minorities in federally funded research. Recruitment of minorities to participate in clinical trials continues to be challenging. Although Asian Americans constitute one of the major minority groups in the U.S., published literature contains sparse data concerning the participation of Asian Americans in cancer clinical trials. The authors completed qualitative, semistructured interviews with 34 participants: Chinese-American female cancer patients ages 20-85 years or their family members. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English and were audiotaped. Chinese interviews were translated into English, and all interviews were transcribed subsequently into English. A team of five coders individually reviewed then met to discuss the English transcripts. The authors used the constant comparative technique throughout the entire coding process as part of the analysis. Among participants, 62% lacked any knowledge of clinical trials, and many expressed negative attitudes toward clinical trials. Barriers to participation included inadequate resources, language issues, and a lack of financial and social support. Facilitating factors included recommendations by a trusted oncologist or another trusted individual and information in the appropriate language. It is noteworthy that family members played an important role in the cancer experience of these participants. To promote participation, there is a need to increase knowledge of clinical trials among Chinese cancer patients. It also is necessary to examine the applicability of current patient-physician communication and interaction models. In addition, decision-making based on Asian philosophies within the context of Euro-American bioethics requires further study. Cancer 2005. (c) 2005 American Cancer Society.
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Patient perspectives: Tijuana cancer clinics in the post-NAFTA era.
Moss, Ralph W
2005-03-01
This article contains observations and historical considerations on cancer and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Tijuana, Mexico, area. There are approximately 2 dozen such clinics in Tijuana, some of which have been treating international cancer patients since 1963. Among the first clinics to be established were the Bio-Medical Center (Hoxsey therapy), Oasis of Hope (a Laetrile-oriented clinic), and a series of clinics affiliated with the Gerson diet therapy. These original clinics were established mainly by American citizens in response to increased regulation of nonstandard therapies in the United States, particularly after passage of the Kefauver-Harris Amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act in 1962. In the 1970s, the Tijuana clinics proliferated with the upsurge of interest in Laetrile (amygdalin). By 1978, 70,000 US cancer patients had taken Laetrile for cancer treatment, and many of those had gone to Tijuana to receive it. The popularity of the Tijuana clinics peaked in the mid-1980s. Although many new clinics opened after then, a dozen have folded in the past 10 years alone. The turning point for the clinics came with passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which facilitated greater cooperation among the antifraud authorities of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. In 1994, the tripartite members of NAFTA formed the Mexico-United States-Canada Health Fraud Work Group, or MUCH, whose brief is to strengthen the 3 countries' ability to prevent cross-border health fraud. Under the auspices of MUCH and its members, regulatory crackdowns began in earnest early in 2001. The clinics were also badly affected by the general downturn in travel after 9/11. If these trends continue, many Tijuana clinics are unlikely to survive. Some suggestions are made for how the Tijuana clinics could be reorganized and reformed to minimize the likelihood of governmental actions and to maximize public support. Such reforms center on 5
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Existing data sources in clinical epidemiology: the Scandinavian Thrombosis and Cancer Cohort
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jensvoll H
2015-09-01
Full Text Available Hilde Jensvoll,1,2 Marianne T Severinsen,3,4 Jens Hammerstrøm,5 Sigrid K Brækkan,1,2 Søren R Kristensen,4,6 Suzanne C Cannegieter,7 Kristine Blix,1,2 Anne Tjønneland,8 Frits R Rosendaal,1,7,9 Olga Dziewiecka,1 Kim Overvad,10,11 Inger Anne Næss,12 John-Bjarne Hansen1,21Department of Clinical Medicine, KG Jebsen – Thrombosis Research and Expertise Center (TREC, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, 2Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 3Department of Hematology, Aalborg University Hospital, 4Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; 5Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; 6Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark; 7Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; 8Diet, Genes and Environment, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; 9Department of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; 10Department of Cardiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, 11Department of Public Health, Section for Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 12Department of Hematology, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, NorwayBackground: Although venous thromboembolism (VTE is a known common complication in cancer patients, there is limited knowledge on patient-related and cancer-specific risk factors in the general population. The Scandinavian Thrombosis and Cancer (STAC Cohort was established by merging individual data from three large Scandinavian cohorts (The Tromsø Study, the second Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, and the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study. Here, we present the profile of the STAC cohort and provide age-specific incidence rates of VTE and cancerMethods: The STAC cohort includes 144,952 subjects aged 19–101 years
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Proposed Special Issue: Progress of cancer research in developing countries
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
T.S. Jong
2016-10-01
important to first gain a thorough understanding of low and middle income countries’ current capability (i.e., knowledge and infrastructure in handling the disease. Therefore, the curation of a special issue incorporating all relevant cancer-related studies, focusing on developing countries, will be an essential step in realizing the long-term plan of reducing cancer burden in much of the developing world.For this proposed special issue, we welcome submissions in the forms of original research articles, case studies, and reviews, as well as editorials and perspective articles on:(i Clinical studies focusing on the diagnoses and treatments of common/rare cancers in developing countries, particularly those that present novel or innovative methods in a localized setting.(ii Basic science research that highlights the development of emerging or improved therapeutics and drugs.(iii Innovative cancer/oncology treatment modalities used in developing countries that have been adapted from conventional approaches.(iv Analysis of clinical data collected from developing countries on cancer-related incidence.(v Health policies and guidelines on managing cancers in a resource-constrained setting.
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Integrating Research on Thyroid Cancer after Chernobyl — the Chernobyl Tissue Bank
Thomas, G.A.; Bethel, J.A.; Galpine, A.; Krznaric, M.; Unger, K.
2011-01-01
The only unequivocal radiological effect of the Chernobyl accident on human health is the increase in thyroid cancer in those exposed in childhood or early adolescence. In response to the scientific interest in studying the molecular biology of thyroid cancer after Chernobyl, the Chernobyl Tissue Bank was established. The project is supported by the governments of Ukraine and Russia, and financially supported (in total around US$3million) by the European Commission, the National Cancer Institute of the USA and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation of Japan. The project began collecting a variety of biological samples from patients on 1 October 1988, and has supplied material to 21 research projects in Japan, the USA and Europe. The establishment of the Chernobyl Tissue Bank has facilitated cooperation between these research projects and the combination of clinical and research data provides a paradigm for cancer research in the molecular biological age. PMID:21345659
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van Leeuwen, M.L.; Efficace, F.; Fosså, S.D.; Bolla, M.; de Giorgi, U.; De Wit, R.; Holzner, B.; van de Poll-Franse, L.; White, J.; Collette, L.; Osanto, S.; Aaronson, N.K.; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group; Genito-Urinary Cancers Group, The
2014-01-01
Objectives In this pilot study we evaluated the feasibility of and methods for assessing the quality of life of long term survivors of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) phase III clinical trials. Here we report the results pertaining to the feasibility of conducting
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van Leeuwen, M.; Efficace, F.; Fosså, S.D.; Bolla, M.; De Giorgi, U.; de Wit, R; Holzner, B.; van de Poll-Franse, L.V.; van Poppel, H.; White, J.; Collette, L.; Osanto, S.; Aaronson, N.K.
2014-01-01
Objectives: In this pilot study we evaluated the feasibility of and methods for assessing the quality of life of long term survivors of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) phase III clinical trials. Here we report the results pertaining to the feasibility of conducting
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Clinical presentation of thyroid cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Samuel, A.M.; Shah, D.H.
1999-01-01
The clinical manifestation of thyroid cancer (TC) as seen at the Nuclear Medicine Department, where the patients investigated prior to diagnosis of disease are clinically suspected to harbor malignancy and mostly referred for scintigraphic investigations are presented
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Bilateral breast cancer : mammographic and clinical findings
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim, Eun Kyung; Oh, Ki Keun; Jun, Hwang Yoon; Lee, Byung Chan; Lee, Kyong Sik; Lee, Yong Hee
1997-01-01
To evaluate the mammographic and clinical features of bilateral breast cancer. We retrospectively reviewed clinical records(n=23) and mammograms (n=15) of 23 patients with bilateral breast cancer. Patients' age, location of the tumor and pathologic staging were determined from clinical records. Mammographic features were classified as spiculated mass, nonspiculated mass, mass with microcalcification, microcalcification only, asymmetric density, and normal. Of the 23 cases of bilateral breast cancer, 8(34.8%) were synchronous and 15(65.2%) were metachronous. Age at diagnosis of cancer in the first breast was between 27 and 59(mean 43) years ; there was no statistically significant difference in mean age between patients with synchronous and metachronous cancer. The mean interval between the diagnosis of each lesion of the metachronous pairs was 9.1 years. In 11 of 23 cases(48%), tumors were locaated in the same quadrant, and in the other 12 cases(52%), they were in different quadrant. At mammography, five of 15 metachronous cancers(33%) were similar in appearance and 10 pairs(67%) were different. In 4 of 23 cases(17%), cancer in the first breast was at stage 0 and stage 1, and in 13 of 23(57%), cancer in the second breast was at this same stage. In bilateral breast cancer, the two breasts frequently show different mammographic features. Cancer of the second breast was at an early stage; this suggest that regular examination and mammography are important and can allow early detection of contralateral breast cancer
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Pediatric Oncology Branch - Support Services | Center for Cancer Research
Support Services As part of the comprehensive care provided at the NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch, we provide a wide range of services to address the social, psychological, emotional, and practical facets of pediatric cancer and to support patients and families while they are enrolled in clinical research protocols.
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Peculiarities of clinical course of children skin cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zikiryakhodjaev, D.Z.; Sanginov, D.R.
2001-01-01
In this chapter of book authors investigated the peculiarities of clinical course of children skin cancer. They noted that comprehensive studying of peculiarities of clinical course of children skin cancer proved that they depend not only from age, but from morphologic structure, previous skin illness which was cause of skin cancer
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Jung-Min Lee, M.D. | Center for Cancer Research
Conducts early clinical trials targeting BRCA mutation-associated breast or ovarian cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer, and triple negative breast cancer at the National Cancer Institute, NIH Clinical Center.
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Major clinical research advances in gynecologic cancer in 2016: 10-year special edition.
Suh, Dong Hoon; Kim, Miseon; Kim, Kidong; Kim, Hak Jae; Lee, Kyung Hun; Kim, Jae Weon
2017-05-01
In 2016, 13 topics were selected as major research advances in gynecologic oncology. For ovarian cancer, study results supporting previous ones regarding surgical preventive strategies were reported. There were several targeted agents that showed comparable responses in phase III trials, including niraparib, cediranib, and nintedanib. On the contrary to our expectations, dose-dense weekly chemotherapy regimen failed to prove superior survival outcomes compared with conventional triweekly regimen. Single-agent non-platinum treatment to prolong platinum-free-interval in patients with recurrent, partially platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer did not improve and even worsened overall survival (OS). For cervical cancer, we reviewed robust evidences of larger-scaled population-based study and cost-effectiveness of nonavalent vaccine for expanding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage. Standard of care treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) was briefly reviewed. For uterine corpus cancer, new findings about appropriate surgical wait time from diagnosis to surgery were reported. Advantages of minimally invasive surgery over conventional laparotomy were reconfirmed. There were 5 new gene regions that increase the risk of developing endometrial cancer. Regarding radiation therapy, Post-Operative Radiation Therapy in Endometrial Cancer (PORTEC)-3 quality of life (QOL) data were released and higher local control rate of image-guided adaptive brachytherapy was reported in LACC. In addition, 4 general oncology topics followed: chemotherapy at the end-of-life, immunotherapy with reengineering T-cells, actualization of precision medicine, and artificial intelligence (AI) to make personalized cancer therapy real. For breast cancer, adaptively randomized trials, extending aromatase inhibitor therapy, and ribociclib and palbociclib were introduced. Copyright © 2017. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology.
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Insurance denials for cancer clinical trial participation after the Affordable Care Act mandate.
Mackay, Christine B; Antonelli, Kaitlyn R; Bruinooge, Suanna S; Saint Onge, Jarron M; Ellis, Shellie D
2017-08-01
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a mandate requiring most private health insurers to cover routine patient care costs for cancer clinical trial participation; however, the impact of this provision on cancer centers' efforts to accrue patients to clinical trials has not been well described. First, members of cancer research centers and community-based institutions (n = 252) were surveyed to assess the status of insurance denials, and then, a focused survey (n = 77) collected denial details. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine associations between the receipt of denials and site characteristics. Overall, 62.7% of the initial survey respondents reported at least 1 insurance denial during 2014. Sites using a precertification process were 3.04 times more likely to experience denials (95% confidence interval, 1.55-5.99; P ≤ .001), and similar rates of denials were reported from sites located in states with preexisting clinical trial coverage laws versus states without them (82.3% vs 85.1%; χ = 50.7; P ≤ .001). Among the focused survey sites, academic centers reported denials more often than community sites (71.4% vs 46.4%). The failure of plans to cover trial participation was cited as the most common reason provided for denials (n = 33 [80.5%]), with nearly 80% of sites (n = 61) not receiving a coverage response from the insurer within 72 hours. Despite the ACA's mandate for most insurers to cover routine care costs for cancer clinical trial participation, denials and delays continue. Denials may continue because some insurers remain exempt from the law, or they may signal an implementation failure. Delays in coverage may affect patient participation in trials. Additional efforts to eliminate this barrier will be needed to achieve federal initiatives to double the pace of cancer research over the next 5 years. Future work should assess the law's effectiveness at the patient level to inform these efforts
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Chen, Moon S.
2006-01-01
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the content for the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness Research and Training (AANCART) with respect to Asian American demographic characteristics and their cancer burden, highlights of accomplishments in various AANCART regions, aspirations for AANCART, and an interim assessment of AANCART’s activities to date. Methods The author compiled literature and other data references to describe the context for Asian American demographic characteristics and their cancer burden. As the AANCART Principal Investigator, he collected data from internal AANCART reports to depict highlights of accomplishments in various AANCART regions and offer evidence that AANCART’s first two specific aims have been attained. Principal Findings With respect to our first specific aim, we have built an infrastructure for cancer awareness, research and training operationally at a Network-wide basis through program directors for biostatistics, community, clinical, and research and in our four original AANCART regions: New York, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. With respect to our second specific aim, we have established partnerships as exemplified by working collaboratively with New York’s Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in securing external funding with them for a tobacco control initiative and nationally with the American Cancer Society. With respect to our third specific aim, we have been fortunate to assist at least eight junior investigators in receiving NCI-funded pilot studies. The most notable change was the transfer of AANCART’s national headquarters from Columbus, Ohio to Sacramento, California along with potentially an increased diversification of Asian American ethnic groups as well as an expansion to Hawaii and Houston. Conclusion As of the end of year 2 of AANCART, AANCART’s two specific aims have been achieved. We are focusing on our third specific aim. PMID:15352772
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Molecular Dimensions of Gastric Cancer: Translational and Clinical Perspectives
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yoon Young Choi
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Gastric cancer is a global health burden and has the highest incidence in East Asia. This disease is complex in nature because it arises from multiple interactions of genetic, local environmental, and host factors, resulting in biological heterogeneity. This genetic intricacy converges on molecular characteristics reflecting the pathophysiology, tumor biology, and clinical outcome. Therefore, understanding the molecular characteristics at a genomic level is pivotal to improving the clinical care of patients with gastric cancer. A recent landmark study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA project, showed the molecular landscape of gastric cancer through a comprehensive molecular evaluation of 295 primary gastric cancers. The proposed molecular classification divided gastric cancer into four subtypes: Epstein-Barr virus–positive, microsatellite unstable, genomic stable, and chromosomal instability. This information will be taken into account in future clinical trials and will be translated into clinical therapeutic decisions. To fully realize the clinical benefit, many challenges must be overcome. Rapid growth of high-throughput biology and functional validation of molecular targets will further deepen our knowledge of molecular dimensions of this cancer, allowing for personalized precision medicine.
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Molecular Dimensions of Gastric Cancer: Translational and Clinical Perspectives.
Choi, Yoon Young; Noh, Sung Hoon; Cheong, Jae-Ho
2016-01-01
Gastric cancer is a global health burden and has the highest incidence in East Asia. This disease is complex in nature because it arises from multiple interactions of genetic, local environmental, and host factors, resulting in biological heterogeneity. This genetic intricacy converges on molecular characteristics reflecting the pathophysiology, tumor biology, and clinical outcome. Therefore, understanding the molecular characteristics at a genomic level is pivotal to improving the clinical care of patients with gastric cancer. A recent landmark study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project, showed the molecular landscape of gastric cancer through a comprehensive molecular evaluation of 295 primary gastric cancers. The proposed molecular classification divided gastric cancer into four subtypes: Epstein-Barr virus-positive, microsatellite unstable, genomic stable, and chromosomal instability. This information will be taken into account in future clinical trials and will be translated into clinical therapeutic decisions. To fully realize the clinical benefit, many challenges must be overcome. Rapid growth of high-throughput biology and functional validation of molecular targets will further deepen our knowledge of molecular dimensions of this cancer, allowing for personalized precision medicine.
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Peralta Cancer Research Institute
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1979-01-01
The investigators in the cell biology program at PCRI have pioneered in the development of techniques for culturing human epithelial cells. The cancer diagnosis program has been concerned with researching new techniques for early diagnosis of breast cancer in women. The cancer treatment program has been concerned with applying cell biology and biochemistry advances to improve cancer management
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Fifth annual report of cancer research at the University of Chicago
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Berk, A.J.
1978-01-01
Research on viral oncology included molecular organization and functions of herpes simplex virus and mechanism of type C RNA virus activation by 5-BrdU. Cancer biology studies included molecular studies of all differentiation and cell interactions, mechanism of inhibition of DNA synthesis by nalidixic acid and other agents, and sensitivity of cells to uv and x radiation. Tumor immunology studies included the role of immunoglobulin D in lymphoproliferative disorders, mechanisms of suppression of rat renal allograft rejection, and effects of drugs on sensitivity of tumor cells to antibody and complement. Studies on carcinogenesis included chemistry of metabolites of hydrocarbons, radiation toxicity in dogs, detection and prevention of neoplasia, carcinogenic and genetic effects of tritium, and effects of DES during pregnancy. Clinical research included studies on gallium scanning, chemotherapy, control of thyroid cancer, leukopoietic mechanisms, and diagnostic and therapetutic techniques. Research on radiotherapy, radiation physics, and radiation biology included neutron dosimetry, computerized dosimetry for radiotherapy, DNA damage, and mammalian cell killing. Research at core facilities is reported with regard to the core immunology laboratory, computerized oncology radiation and data system, and application of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to cancer research. Activities of the cancer control center are described with regard to education and dissemination of knowledge about cancer
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Fifth annual report of cancer research at the University of Chicago
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Berk, A.J. (ed.)
1978-01-01
Research on viral oncology included molecular organization and functions of herpes simplex virus and mechanism of type C RNA virus activation by 5-BrdU. Cancer biology studies included molecular studies of all differentiation and cell interactions, mechanism of inhibition of DNA synthesis by nalidixic acid and other agents, and sensitivity of cells to uv and x radiation. Tumor immunology studies included the role of immunoglobulin D in lymphoproliferative disorders, mechanisms of suppression of rat renal allograft rejection, and effects of drugs on sensitivity of tumor cells to antibody and complement. Studies on carcinogenesis included chemistry of metabolites of hydrocarbons, radiation toxicity in dogs, detection and prevention of neoplasia, carcinogenic and genetic effects of tritium, and effects of DES during pregnancy. Clinical research included studies on gallium scanning, chemotherapy, control of thyroid cancer, leukopoietic mechanisms, and diagnostic and therapetutic techniques. Research on radiotherapy, radiation physics, and radiation biology included neutron dosimetry, computerized dosimetry for radiotherapy, DNA damage, and mammalian cell killing. Research at core facilities is reported with regard to the core immunology laboratory, computerized oncology radiation and data system, and application of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to cancer research. Activities of the cancer control center are described with regard to education and dissemination of knowledge about cancer. (HLW)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nafees U Din
Full Text Available Time from symptomatic presentation to cancer diagnosis (diagnostic interval is an important, and modifiable, part of the patient's cancer pathway, and can be affected by various factors such as age, gender and type of presenting symptoms. The aim of this study was to quantify the relationships of diagnostic interval with these variables in 15 cancers diagnosed between 2007 and 2010 using routinely collected data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD in the UK.Symptom lists for each cancer were prepared from the literature and by consensus amongst the clinician researchers, which were then categorised into either NICE qualifying (NICE or not (non-NICE based on NICE Urgent Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer criteria. Multivariable linear regression models were fitted to examine the relationship between diagnostic interval (outcome and the predictors: age, gender and symptom type.18,618 newly diagnosed cancer patients aged ≥40 who had a recorded symptom in the preceding year were included in the analysis. Mean diagnostic interval was greater for older patients in four disease sites (difference in days per 10 year increase in age; 95% CI: bladder (10.3; 5.5 to 15.1; P<0.001, kidney (11.0; 3.4 to 18.6; P=0.004, leukaemia (18.5; 8.8 to 28.1; P<0.001 and lung (10.1; 6.7 to 13.4; P<0.001. There was also evidence of longer diagnostic interval in older patients with colorectal cancer (P<0.001. However, we found that mean diagnostic interval was shorter with increasing age in two cancers: gastric (-5.9; -11.7 to -0.2; P=0.04 and pancreatic (-6.0; -11.2 to -0.7; P=0.03. Diagnostic interval was longer for females in six of the gender non-specific cancers (mean difference in days; 95% CI: bladder (12.2; 0.8 to 23.6; P=0.04, colorectal (10.4; 4.3 to 16.5; P=0.001, gastric (14.3; 1.1 to 27.6; P=0.03, head and neck (31.3; 6.2 to 56.5; P=0.02, lung (8.0; 1.2 to 14.9; P=0.02, and lymphoma (19.2; 3.8 to 34.7; P=0.01. Evidence of longer
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Richesson, Rachel L
2012-01-01
This book provides foundational coverage of key areas, concepts, constructs, and approaches of medical informatics as it applies to clinical research activities, in both current settings and in light of emerging policies. The field of clinical research is fully characterized (in terms of study design and overarching business processes), and there is emphasis on information management aspects and informatics implications (including needed activities) within various clinical research environments. The purpose of the book is to provide an overview of clinical research (types), activities, and are
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Bibliography of clinical research in malaysia: methods and brief results.
Teng, C L; Zuhanariah, M N; Ng, C S; Goh, C C
2014-08-01
This article describes the methodology of this bibliography. A search was conducted on the following: (1) bibliographic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and other databases) using search terms that maximize the retrieval of Malaysian publications; (2) Individual journal search of Malaysian healthrelated journals; (3) A targeted search of Google and Google Scholar; (4) Searching of Malaysian institutional repositories; (5) Searching of Ministry of Health and Clinical Research Centre website. The publication years were limited to 2000- 2013. The citations were imported or manually entered into bibliographic software Refworks. After removing duplicates, and correcting data entry errors, PubMed's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) were added. Clinical research is coded using the definition "patient-oriented-research or research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin) for which the investigator directly interacts with the human subjects at some point during the study." A bibliography of citations [n=2056] that fit the criteria of clinical research in Malaysia in selected topics within five domains was generated: Cancers [589], Cardiovascular diseases [432], Infections [795], Injuries [142], and Mental Health [582]. This is done by retrieving citations with the appropriate MESH terms, as follow: For cancers (Breast Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms), for cardiovascular diseases (Coronary Disease; Hypertension; Stroke), for infections (Dengue; Enterovirus Infections, HIV Infections; Malaria; Nipah Virus; Tuberculosis), for injuries (Accidents, Occupational; Accidents, Traffic; Child Abuse; Occupational Injuries), for mental health (Depression; Depressive Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Major; Drug Users; Psychotic Disorders; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted; Suicidal Ideation; Substance- Related Disorders).
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Hughes, Christine A.; Bauer, Mark C.; Horazdovsky, Bruce F.; Garrison, Edward R.; Patten, Christi A.; Petersen, Wesley O.; Bowman, Clarissa N.; Vierkant, Robert A.
2012-01-01
The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Diné College received funding for a 4-year collaborative P20 planning grant from the National Cancer Institute in 2006. The goal of the partnership was to increase Navajo undergraduates’ interest in and commitment to biomedical coursework and careers, especially in cancer research. This paper describes the development, pilot testing and evaluation of Native CREST (Cancer Research Experience & Student Training), a 10-week cancer research training program providing mentorship in a Mayo Clinic basic science or behavioral cancer research lab for Navajo undergraduate students. Seven Native American undergraduate students (5 females, 2 males) were enrolled during the summers of 2008 - 2011. Students reported the program influenced their career goals and was valuable to their education and development. These efforts may increase the number of Native American career scientists developing and implementing cancer research, which will ultimately benefit the health of Native American people. PMID:23001889
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Berry, Donald A; Herbst, Roy S; Rubin, Eric H
2012-02-01
It has long been evident that cancer is a heterogeneous disease, but only relatively recently have we come to realize the extent of this heterogeneity. No single therapy is effective for every patient with tumors having the same histology. A clinical strategy based on a single-therapy approach results in overtreatment for the majority of patients. Biomarkers can be considered as knives that dissect the disease ever more finely. The future of clinical research will be based on learning whether certain therapies are more appropriate than others for biomarker-defined subsets of patients. Therapies will eventually be tailored to narrow biomarker subsets. The ability to determine which therapies are appropriate for which patients requires information from biological science as well as empirical evidence from clinical trials. Neither is easy to achieve. Here we describe some nascent approaches for designing clinical trials that are biomarker-based and adaptive. Our focus is on adaptive trials that address many questions at once. In a way, these clinical experiments are themselves part of a much larger experiment: learning how (or whether it is possible) to design experiments that match patients in small subsets of disease with therapies that are especially effective and possibly even curative for them.
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Fostering Cooperation in Cancer Research
Thursday, June 25, 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between US National Cancer Institute and three agencies of the Indian government - the Department of Biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Indian National Cancer Institute, a part of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to foster cooperation in cancer research.
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Research advances in sorafenib-induced apoptotic signaling pathways in liver cancer cells
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
ZHANG Chaoya
2016-04-01
Full Text Available Currently, sorafenib is the multi-target inhibitor for the treatment of advanced primary liver cancer, and can effectively prolong the progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with advanced primary liver cancer. The application of sorafenib in the targeted therapy for liver cancer has become a hot topic. Major targets or signaling pathways include Raf/Mek/Erk, Jak/Stat, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, VEGFR and PDGFR, STAT, microRNA, Wnt/β-catenin, autolysosome, and tumor-related proteins, and sorafenib can regulate the proliferation, differentiation, metastasis, and apoptosis of liver cancer cells through these targets. This article reviews the current research on the action of sorafenib on these targets or signaling pathways to provide useful references for further clinical research on sorafenib.
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Runowicz, Carolyn D; Leach, Corinne R; Henry, N Lynn; Henry, Karen S; Mackey, Heather T; Cowens-Alvarado, Rebecca L; Cannady, Rachel S; Pratt-Chapman, Mandi L; Edge, Stephen B; Jacobs, Linda A; Hurria, Arti; Marks, Lawrence B; LaMonte, Samuel J; Warner, Ellen; Lyman, Gary H; Ganz, Patricia A
2016-02-20
The purpose of the American Cancer Society/American Society of Clinical Oncology Breast Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline is to provide recommendations to assist primary care and other clinicians in the care of female adult survivors of breast cancer. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed through April 2015. A multidisciplinary expert workgroup with expertise in primary care, gynecology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and nursing was formed and tasked with drafting the Breast Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline. A total of 1,073 articles met inclusion criteria; and, after full text review, 237 were included as the evidence base. Patients should undergo regular surveillance for breast cancer recurrence, including evaluation with a cancer-related history and physical examination, and should be screened for new primary breast cancer. Data do not support performing routine laboratory tests or imaging tests in asymptomatic patients to evaluate for breast cancer recurrence. Primary care clinicians should counsel patients about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, monitor for post-treatment symptoms that can adversely affect quality of life, and monitor for adherence to endocrine therapy. Recommendations provided in this guideline are based on current evidence in the literature and expert consensus opinion. Most of the evidence is not sufficient to warrant a strong evidence-based recommendation. Recommendations on surveillance for breast cancer recurrence, screening for second primary cancers, assessment and management of physical and psychosocial long-term and late effects of breast cancer and its treatment, health promotion, and care coordination/practice implications are made.This guideline was developed through a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology and has been published jointly by invitation and consent in both CA: A Cancer Journal for
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Research on stored biological samples: views of African American and White American cancer patients.
Pentz, Rebecca D; Billot, Laurent; Wendler, David
2006-04-01
Proposals on consent for research with biological samples should be informed by empirical studies of individuals' views. Studies to date queried mostly white research subjects. The aim of this study was to compare the views of two groups of patients: cancer patients at a university clinic (Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Healthcare) and cancer patients at an inner city county hospital (Grady) who were given the option of tissue banking. Overall, 315/452 (70%) patients completed the survey. The Grady cohort was 86% African American; the Winship cohort was 82% White. The vast majority (95%) of individuals in both cohorts agreed to provide a biological sample for future research. Both cohorts were willing for their samples to be used to study cancer and other diseases, including Alzheimer disease. Few participants preferred to control the disease to be studied (10%) or wished to be contacted again for consent for each future research project (11%). In our sample, almost all clinical patients, regardless of site of care, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, were willing to provide a biological sample for research purposes and allow investigators to determine the research to be done without contacting the patients again. These findings support the recommendation to offer individuals a simplified consent with a one-time binary choice whether to provide biological samples for future research. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Senior Computational Scientist | Center for Cancer Research
The Basic Science Program (BSP) pursues independent, multidisciplinary research in basic and applied molecular biology, immunology, retrovirology, cancer biology, and human genetics. Research efforts and support are an integral part of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR). The Cancer & Inflammation Program (CIP),
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Recruiting Young Adult Cancer Survivors for Behavioral Research
Horowitz, Santina; Marcus, Bess
2012-01-01
Young adults have been dramatically underrepresented in cancer survivorship research. One contributing factor is the difficulty recruiting this population. To identify effective recruitment strategies, the current study assessed the yield of strategies used to recruit young survivors for an exercise intervention including: clinic-based recruitment, recruitment at cancer-related events, mailings, telephone-based recruitment, advertising on the internet, radio, television and social networking media, distributing brochures and word-of-mouth referrals. When taking into account the strategies for which we could track the number of survivors approached, recruitment at an oncology clinic was the most productive: 38 % of those approached were screened and 8 % enrolled. When evaluating which strategy yielded the greatest percentage of the sample, however, mailings were the most productive. Given widespread use of the internet and social networking by young adults, investigators should also consider these low-cost recruitment strategies. PMID:22810954
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Recruiting young adult cancer survivors for behavioral research.
Rabin, Carolyn; Horowitz, Santina; Marcus, Bess
2013-03-01
Young adults have been dramatically underrepresented in cancer survivorship research. One contributing factor is the difficulty recruiting this population. To identify effective recruitment strategies, the current study assessed the yield of strategies used to recruit young survivors for an exercise intervention including: clinic-based recruitment, recruitment at cancer-related events, mailings, telephone-based recruitment, advertising on the internet, radio, television and social networking media, distributing brochures and word-of-mouth referrals. When taking into account the strategies for which we could track the number of survivors approached, recruitment at an oncology clinic was the most productive: 38 % of those approached were screened and 8 % enrolled. When evaluating which strategy yielded the greatest percentage of the sample, however, mailings were the most productive. Given widespread use of the internet and social networking by young adults, investigators should also consider these low-cost recruitment strategies.
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Curcumin as a clinically-promising anti-cancer agent: pharmacokinetics and drug interactions.
Adiwidjaja, Jeffry; McLachlan, Andrew J; Boddy, Alan V
2017-09-01
Curcumin has been extensively studied for its anti-cancer properties. While a diverse array of in vitro and preclinical research support the prospect of curcumin use as an anti-cancer therapeutic, most human studies have failed to meet the intended clinical expectation. Poor systemic availability of orally-administered curcumin may account for this disparity. Areas covered: This descriptive review aims to concisely summarise available clinical studies investigating curcumin pharmacokinetics when administered in different formulations. A critical analysis of pharmacokinetic- and pharmacodynamic-based interactions of curcumin with concomitantly administered drugs is also provided. Expert opinion: The encouraging clinical results of curcumin administration are currently limited to people with colorectal cancer, given that sufficient curcumin concentrations persist in colonic mucosa. Higher parent curcumin systemic exposure, which can be achieved by several newer formulations, has important implications for optimal treatment of cancers other than those in gastrointestinal tract. Curcumin-drug pharmacokinetic interactions are also almost exclusively in the enterocytes, owing to extensive first pass metabolism and poor curcumin bioavailability. Greater scope of these interactions, i.e. modulation of the systemic elimination of co-administered drugs, may be expected from more-bioavailable curcumin formulations. Further studies are still warranted, especially with newer formulations to support the inclusion of curcumin in cancer therapy regimens.
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The biology, function and clinical implications of exosomes in lung cancer.
Zhou, Li; Lv, Tangfeng; Zhang, Qun; Zhu, Qingqing; Zhan, Ping; Zhu, Suhua; Zhang, Jianya; Song, Yong
2017-10-28
Exosomes are 30-100 nm small membrane vesicles of endocytic origin that are secreted by all types of cells, and can also be found in various body fluids. Increasing evidence implicates that exosomes confer stability and can deliver their cargos such as proteins and nucleic acids to specific cell types, which subsequently serve as important messengers and carriers in lung carcinogenesis. Here, we describe the biogenesis and components of exosomes mainly in lung cancer, we summarize their function in lung carcinogenesis (epithelial mesenchymal transition, oncogenic cell transformation, angiogenesis, metastasis and immune response in tumor microenvironment), and importantly we focus on the clinical potential of exosomes as biomarkers and therapeutics in lung cancer. In addition, we also discuss current challenges that might impede the clinical use of exosomes. Further studies on the functional roles of exosomes in lung cancer requires thorough research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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This week, Vice President Joe Biden announced progress on his global vision for the Cancer Moonshot. Announced were 10 new Memoranda of Understanding or Memoranda of Cooperation for international cancer research and care, as well as new efforts in the emerging scientific areas of precision oncology, the funding of collaborative research centers to address cancer disparities in low- and middle- income (LMIC) countries, and a strengthening of existing U.S. bilateral science and technology engagements around cancer.
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Clinical and endorectal ultrasound staging of circumferential rectal cancers
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Smith, A.; Farmer, K.C.; Chapple, K.
2008-01-01
Full text: Circumferential rectal cancers present at a more advanced stage than those located in a single quadrant. Although accurate staging is an important aspect of the preoperative management of the patient with a rectal cancer, the clinical and radiological staging of this subgroup of rectal cancer patients has been poorly studied. All patients with a rectal cancer were assessed clinically (by digital rectal examination and rigid sigmoidoscopy) before the radiological assessment by endorectal ultrasound (ERUS). Data collected included tumour height (distance from anal verge in centimetre) and tumour type (circumferential or non-circumferential). Radiological tumour staging was with the TNM system. Fifty-nine subjects (33 men, 26 women; median age 65 years (range 38-86 years)) were identified with a circumferential rectal cancer. Mean height of the cancer was 8 - 0.4 cm (standard error of the mean; range 2-13 cm). Forty-two cancers were palpable, and 17 cancers were impalpable. All cancers assessed clinically as circumferential were confirmed as circumferential on ERUS scanning. Tumour stage as assessed by ERUS was either T3 (n = 57) or T4 (n = 2). Nodal status was NO (n = 29) and N1 (n = 30). All rectal cancers assessed as circumferential on clinical examination have an ERUS stage of T3 or greater.
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AACR Annual Meeting 2008: Autophagy in the forefront of cancer research.
Karantza, Vassiliki
2008-07-01
The 2008 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting was held in San Diego, CA, April 12-16, 2008 (http:// www.aacr.org/home/scientists/meetings--workshops/annual-meeting-2008.aspx). More than 17,000 scientists from 60 countries participated in this meeting that was organized by AACR, the oldest and largest organization in the world focused on cancer research. The scientific presentations included more than 6,000 abstracts and 500 invited talks on new and significant discoveries in basic, clinical, and translational cancer research. Autophagy, as pertaining to tumorigenesis and response to anticancer therapies, was undoubtedly a "hot topic" in this meeting. An educational session, a forum, a minisymposium and several other talks dispersed in different sessions had a strong focus on autophagy. All autophagy-related presentations were very well attended and stimulated lively discussions, clearly indicating that the scientific community is greatly interested in this rapidly-progressing area of research.
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Haring, Rodney C; Henry, Whitney Ann; Hudson, Maui; Rodriguez, Elisa M; Taualii, Maile
2018-02-01
Biomedical research in culturally distinct communities is often a challenge. Potential barriers to participation occur because science is presented in a format that lacks cultural acknowledgement. Investigations may also fail to showcase beneficial relevance to the communities or include them in true partnership. The history of biomedical research within Native American societies has been complicated by these issues. Historical trauma among many Native groups sometimes transcends into contemporary challenges in both recruitment to and participation particularly in biobanking research. The participants for this study included members of the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse. Native Americans, including the Haudenosaunee, endure some of the worst health disparities in the country. These include high rates of cancer, obesity, and diabetes which may be linked at least partially to genetic predisposition. Results from a Haudenosaunee urban population shared response on ways to improve recruitment strategies for biospecimen, cancer, and other health-related clinical trials. Mixed methods approaches were used, and community responses indicated the importance of creating trust through respectful partnership; promoting culturally appropriate recruitment materials; the need for a greater understanding of consenting and signature processes; the necessity for concise summary sheets; and a desire to have information that community member understand. Discussion items also include international Indigenous perspectives to biobanking and genetic-related health disparity research.
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Guidelines for radiation therapy in clinical research on bladder cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shipley, W.U.; VanderSchueren, E.; Kitagawa, T.; Gospodarowicz, M.K.; Frommhold, H.; Magno, L.; Mochizuki, S.; VanderBogaert, W.; VanderWerf-Messing, B.
1986-01-01
Bladder cancer is a heterogeneous disease and that there are important tumor characteristics that will predict significant differences in radiation responsiveness. These should in all instances be well documented prospectively in any treatment protocol. However, in this chapter the authors stress a number of factors related to the tumor at presentation as well as the administration of the radiation therapy that can importantly affect the efficacy of the radiation on the patient's tumor, as well as on his or her normal tissues. As Radiation Oncologists, they are most interested in the conducting and reporting of prospective clinical investigations in the use of radiation therapy in the treatment of patients with bladder carcinoma who will be treated with planned preservation of their bladder, but whose radiation therapy may be combined with additional planned bladder-sparing surgery, intraoperative radiation therapy, or chemotherapy
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Brandon, Thomas H; Goniewicz, Maciej L; Hanna, Nasser H; Hatsukami, Dorothy K; Herbst, Roy S; Hobin, Jennifer A; Ostroff, Jamie S; Shields, Peter G; Toll, Benjamin A; Tyne, Courtney A; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula; Warren, Graham W
2015-02-01
Combustible tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), which include e-cigarettes, are devices capable of delivering nicotine in an aerosolized form. ENDS use by both adults and youth has increased rapidly, and some have advocated these products could serve as harm-reduction devices and smoking cessation aids. ENDS may be beneficial if they reduce smoking rates or prevent or reduce the known adverse health effects of smoking. However, ENDS may also be harmful, particularly to youth, if they increase the likelihood that nonsmokers or formers smokers will use combustible tobacco products or if they discourage smokers from quitting. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recognize the potential ENDS have to alter patterns of tobacco use and affect the public's health; however, definitive data are lacking. AACR and ASCO recommend additional research on these devices, including assessing the health impacts of ENDS, understanding patterns of ENDS use, and determining what role ENDS have in cessation. Key policy recommendations include supporting federal, state, and local regulation of ENDS; requiring manufacturers to register with the FDA and report all product ingredients, requiring childproof caps on ENDS liquids, and including warning labels on products and their advertisements; prohibiting youth-oriented marketing and sales; prohibiting child-friendly ENDS flavors; and prohibiting ENDS use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology.
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Nano medicine in Action: An Overview of Cancer Nano medicine on the Market and in Clinical Trials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang, R.; Billone, P.S.; Mullett, W.M.
2013-01-01
Nano medicine, defined as the application of nano technology in the medical field, has the potential to significantly change the course of diagnostics and treatment of life-threatening diseases, such as cancer. In comparison with traditional cancer diagnostics and therapy, cancer nano medicine provides sensitive cancer detection and/or enhances treatment efficacy with significantly minimized adverse effects associated with standard therapeutics. Cancer nano medicine has been increasingly applied in areas including nano drug delivery systems, nano pharmaceuticals, and nano analytical contrast reagents in laboratory and animal model research. In recent years, the successful introduction of several novel nano medicine products into clinical trials and even onto the commercial market has shown successful outcomes of fundamental research into clinics. This paper is intended to examine several nano medicines for cancer therapeutics and/or diagnostics-related applications, to analyze the trend of nano medicine development, future opportunities, and challenges of this fast-growing area.
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Targeting NK cells for anti-cancer immunotherapy: clinical and pre-clinical approaches
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sebastian eCarotta
2016-04-01
Full Text Available The recent success of checkpoint blockade has highlighted the potential of immunotherapy approaches for cancer treatment. While the majority of approved immunotherapy drugs target T cell subsets, it is appreciated that other components of the immune system have important roles in tumor immune-surveillance as well and thus represent promising additional targets for immunotherapy. Natural killer cells are the body’s first line of defense against infected or transformed cells as they kill target cells in an antigen-independent manner. Although several studies have clearly demonstrated the active role of NK cells in cancer-immune surveillance, only few clinically approved therapies currently exist that harness their potential. Our increased understanding of NK cell biology over the past few years has renewed the interest in NK cell based anti-cancer therapies, which has lead to a steady increase of NK cell based clinical and pre-clinical trials. Here, the role of NK cells in cancer immunesurveillance is summarized and several novel approaches to enhance NK cell cytotoxicity against cancer are discussed.
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In silico cancer research towards 3R.
Jean-Quartier, Claire; Jeanquartier, Fleur; Jurisica, Igor; Holzinger, Andreas
2018-04-12
Improving our understanding of cancer and other complex diseases requires integrating diverse data sets and algorithms. Intertwining in vivo and in vitro data and in silico models are paramount to overcome intrinsic difficulties given by data complexity. Importantly, this approach also helps to uncover underlying molecular mechanisms. Over the years, research has introduced multiple biochemical and computational methods to study the disease, many of which require animal experiments. However, modeling systems and the comparison of cellular processes in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes help to understand specific aspects of uncontrolled cell growth, eventually leading to improved planning of future experiments. According to the principles for humane techniques milestones in alternative animal testing involve in vitro methods such as cell-based models and microfluidic chips, as well as clinical tests of microdosing and imaging. Up-to-date, the range of alternative methods has expanded towards computational approaches, based on the use of information from past in vitro and in vivo experiments. In fact, in silico techniques are often underrated but can be vital to understanding fundamental processes in cancer. They can rival accuracy of biological assays, and they can provide essential focus and direction to reduce experimental cost. We give an overview on in vivo, in vitro and in silico methods used in cancer research. Common models as cell-lines, xenografts, or genetically modified rodents reflect relevant pathological processes to a different degree, but can not replicate the full spectrum of human disease. There is an increasing importance of computational biology, advancing from the task of assisting biological analysis with network biology approaches as the basis for understanding a cell's functional organization up to model building for predictive systems. Underlining and extending the in silico approach with respect to the 3Rs for replacement, reduction and
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Research Associate | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Basic Science Program (BSP) pursues independent, multidisciplinary research in basic and applied molecular biology, immunology, retrovirology, cancer biology, and human genetics. Research efforts and support are an integral part of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR). KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES - Research Associate III Dr. Zbigniew Dauter is the head investigator of the Synchrotron Radiation Research Section (SRRS) of CCR’s Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory. The Synchrotron Radiation Research Section is located at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois; this is the site of the largest U.S. synchrotron facility. The SRRS uses X-ray diffraction technique to solve crystal structures of various proteins and nucleic acids of biological and medical relevance. The section is also specializing in analyzing crystal structures at extremely high resolution and accuracy and in developing methods of effective diffraction data collection and in using weak anomalous dispersion effects to solve structures of macromolecules. The areas of expertise are: Structural and molecular biology Macromolecular crystallography Diffraction data collection Dr. Dauter requires research support in these areas, and the individual will engage in the purification and preparation of samples, crystallize proteins using various techniques, and derivatize them with heavy atoms/anomalous scatterers, and establish conditions for cryogenic freezing. Individual will also participate in diffraction data collection at the Advanced Photon Source. In addition, the candidate will perform spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses of protein and nucleic acid samples in the context of their purity, oligomeric state and photophysical properties.
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Qureshi, Fawad; Shafi, Azhar; Ali, Sheeraz; Siddiqui, Neelam
2016-01-01
Objective: To determine the clinical predictors of anticipatory emesis in patients treated with chemotherapy at a tertiary care cancer hospital. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 200 patients undergoing first line chemotherapy with minimum of two cycles at inpatient department and chemotherapy bay of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Pakistan. Anticipatory nausea and vomiting develops before administration of chemotherapy. Clinical signs and symp...
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Dr. Ted Trimble: Why I Do Cancer Research
In a video, Dr. Ted Trimble talks about the importance of cancer research. World Cancer Research Day commemorates the important role research and cancer researchers play in reducing the global burden of cancer.
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Palesh, Oxana; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Mustian, Karen; Minasian, Lori; Rowland, Julia; Sprod, Lisa; Janelsins, Michelle; Peppone, Luke; Sloan, Jeff; Engquist, Karen Basen; Jones, Lee; Buist, Diana; Paskett, Electra
2011-01-01
As the number of cancer survivors expands, the need for cancer control and survivorship research becomes increasingly important. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cooperative Groups may offer a viable platform to perform such research. Observational, preventive, and behavioral research can often be performed within the cooperative group setting, especially if resources needed for evaluation are fairly simple, if protocols are easily implemented within the typical clinical setting, and if in...
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Anti-EGFR Therapy: Mechanism and Advances in Clinical Efficacy in Breast Cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
John F. Flynn
2009-01-01
Full Text Available This review will focus on recent advances in the application of antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR for the treatment of breast cancer. The choice of EGFR, a member of the ErbB tyrosine kinase receptor family, stems from evidence pinpointing its role in various anti-EGFR therapies. Therefore, an increase in our understanding of EGFR mechanism and signaling might reveal novel targets amenable to intervention in the clinic. This knowledge base might also improve existing medical treatment options and identify research gaps in the design of new therapeutic agents. While the approved use of drugs like the dual kinase inhibitor Lapatinib represents significant advances in the clinical management of breast cancer, confirmatory studies must be considered to foster the use of anti-EGFR therapies including safety, pharmacokinetics, and clinical efficacy.
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Towards Prevention of Breast Cancer: What Are the Clinical Challenges?
Borgquist, Signe; Hall, Per; Lipkus, Isaac; Garber, Judy E
2018-05-01
The dramatic increase in breast cancer incidence compels a paradigm shift in our preventive efforts. There are several barriers to overcome before prevention becomes an established part of breast cancer management. The objective of this review is to identify the clinical challenges for improved breast cancer prevention and discuss current knowledge on breast cancer risk assessment methods, risk communication, ethics, and interventional efforts with the aim of covering the aspects relevant for a breast cancer prevention trial. Herein, the following five areas are discussed: (i) Adequate tools for identification of women at high risk of breast cancer suggestively entitled Prevent! Online. (ii) Consensus on the definition of high risk, which is regarded as mandatory for all risk communication and potential prophylactic interventions. (iii) Risk perception and communication regarding risk information. (iv) Potential ethical concerns relevant for future breast cancer prevention programs. (v) Risk-reducing programs involving multileveled prevention depending on identified risk. Taken together, devoted efforts from both policy makers and health care providers are warranted to improve risk assessment and risk counseling in women at risk for breast cancer to optimize the prevention of breast cancer. Cancer Prev Res; 11(5); 255-64. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.
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Innovative designs for radiation oncology research in clinical trials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rubin, P.; Keys, H.; Salazar, O.
1987-01-01
The goals of the research mission are clear: (1) to explore in a logical, systematic, organized, and coordinated fashion those potential therapeutic advances that show promise; (2) to identify, in the laboratory, those models that predict successful combinations of treatment modes; (3) to search for ultimate treatment of programs that improve the therapeutic ratio. The modalities, innovations in treatment, and logic exist; it now rests with meticulous science to show carefully the directions that clinical research should follow in pursuit of the ultimate objective of improving cancer cure rates with less toxicity
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Perez Bruzon, J.; Mulero Anhiorte, F.
2010-01-01
This article has two basic objectives. firstly, it will review briefly the most important imaging techniques used in biomedical research indicting the most significant aspects related to their application in the preclinical stage. Secondly, it will present a practical application of these techniques in a pure biomedical research centre (not associated to a clinical facility). Practical aspects such as organisation, equipment, work norms, shielding of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) Imaging Unit will be shown. This is a pioneering facility in the application of these techniques in research centres without any dependence or any direct relationship with other hospital Nuclear Medicine services. (Author) 7 refs.
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Research Summaries: The 11th Biennial Rivkin Center Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium.
Armstrong, Deborah K
2017-11-01
In September 2016, the 11th biennial ovarian cancer research symposium was presented by the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer and the American Association for Cancer Research. The 2016 symposium focused on 4 broad areas of research: Mechanisms of Initiation and Progression of Ovarian Cancer, Tumor Microenvironment and Models of Ovarian Cancer, Detection and Prevention of Ovarian Cancer, and Novel Therapeutics for Ovarian Cancer. The presentations and abstracts from each of these areas are reviewed in this supplement to the International Journal of Gynecologic Oncology.
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A Data-driven Concept Schema for Defining Clinical Research Data Needs
Hruby, Gregory W.; Hoxha, Julia; Ravichandran, Praveen Chandar; Mendonça, Eneida A.; Hanauer, David A; Weng, Chunhua
2016-01-01
OBJECTIVES The Patient, Intervention, Control/Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework is an effective technique for framing a clinical question. We aim to develop the counterpart of PICO to structure clinical research data needs. METHODS We use a data-driven approach to abstracting key concepts representing clinical research data needs by adapting and extending an expert-derived framework originally developed for defining cancer research data needs. We annotated clinical trial eligibility criteria, EHR data request logs, and data queries to electronic health records (EHR), to extract and harmonize concept classes representing clinical research data needs. We evaluated the class coverage, class preservation from the original framework, schema generalizability, schema understandability, and schema structural correctness through a semi-structured interview with eight multidisciplinary domain experts. We iteratively refined the schema based on the evaluations. RESULTS Our data-driven schema preserved 68% of the 63 classes from the original framework and covered 88% (73/82) of the classes proposed by evaluators. Class coverage for participants of different backgrounds ranged from 60% to 100% with a median value of 95% agreement among the individual evaluators. The schema was found understandable and structurally sound. CONCLUSIONS Our proposed schema may serve as the counterpart to PICO for improving the research data needs communication between researchers and informaticians. PMID:27185504
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Cancer research and radiotherapy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Matsuzawa, Taiju
1978-01-01
An actual condition of cancer, and the basis and a future view of radiotherapy were described by adding generally established biological and biochemical knowledge to the author's research. It was described that the relapse of cancer after irradiation was induced from outside of cancerous mass, and the nature of relapsed cancerous cells group was also stated. The histological structure of cancer from a view of cell movement and radioresistant cancerous cells group were described. The differentiation of cancerous cells were described, and a study of inhibition of cancer by redifferentiation was considered. It is important to grasp characteristics and a limit of radiotherapy for cancer, to systematize and materialize reasonable therapy which uses drug and immunotherapy together with surgery, and to use radiotherapy reasonably together with redifferentiation therapy of cancerous cells by extracting characteristics and a limit of radiationtherapy from an actual condition of cancer. (Serizawa, K.)
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Şener, Hülya Özlem; Malkoç, Mehtap; Ergin, Gülbin; Karadibak, Didem; Yavuzşen, Tuğba
2017-01-01
The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of clinical Pilates exercises with those of the standard lymphedema exercises on lymphedema developing after breast cancer treatment. The study comprised 60 female patients with a mean age of 53.2±7.7 years who developed lymphedema after having breast cancer treatment. The patients were randomized into two groups: the clinical Pilates exercise group (n=30), and the control group (n=30). Before, and at the 8th week of treatment, the following parameters were measured: the severity of lymphedema, limb circumferences, body image using the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, quality of life with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-BR23), and upper extremity function using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) outcome measure. Both groups performed one-hour exercises three days a week for 8 weeks. After treatment, the symptoms recovered significantly in both groups. Reductions in the severity of lymphedema, improvements in the social appearance anxiety scale scores, quality of life scores, and upper extremity functions scores in the clinical Pilates exercise group were greater than those in the control group. Clinical Pilates exercises were determined to be more effective on the symptoms of patients with lymphedema than were standard lymphedema exercises. Clinical Pilates exercises could be considered a safe model and would contribute to treatment programs.
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Nana-Sinkam, Serge Patrick; Powell, Charles A
2013-05-01
Based on recent bench and clinical research, the treatment of lung cancer has been refined, with treatments allocated according to histology and specific molecular features. For example, targeting mutations such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been particularly successful as a treatment modality, demonstrating response rates in selected patients with adenocarcinoma tumors harboring EGFR mutations that are significantly higher than those for conventional chemotherapy. However, the development of new targeted therapies is, in part, highly dependent on an improved understanding of the molecular underpinnings of tumor initiation and progression, knowledge of the role of molecular aberrations in disease progression, and the development of highly reproducible platforms for high-throughput biomarker discovery and testing. In this article, we review clinically relevant research directed toward understanding the biology of lung cancer. The clinical purposes of this research are (1) to identify susceptibility variants and field molecular alterations that will promote the early detection of tumors and (2) to identify tumor molecular alterations that serve as therapeutic targets, prognostic biomarkers, or predictors of tumor response. We focus on research developments in the understanding of lung cancer somatic DNA mutations, chromosomal aberrations, epigenetics, and the tumor microenvironment, and how they can advance diagnostics and therapeutics.
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[Multiple primary colorectal cancer: Clinical aspects].
Soldatkina, N V; Kit, O I; Gevorkyan, Yu A; Milakin, A G
to define some clinical characteristics of synchronous and metachronous colorectal cancer (CRC). The investigation was concerned with the data of 150 patients with T1-4N0-2M0-1 multiple primary CRC. The clinical, biological, and morphological characteristics of synchronous and metachronous tumors were analyzed. Multiple primary tumors were 6.01% of all the cases of CRC. There was a preponderance of synchronous CRC (63.75%) with the tumor localized in the sigmoid colon and rectum. In women, synchronous colorectal tumors were more often concurrent with breast tumors; metachronous ones were detected after treatment for genital tumors. In men, synchronous colorectal tumors were more frequently concurrent with kidney cancer; metachronous ones were identified after treatment for gastric cancer. The found characteristics of multiple primary colorectal tumors may be taken in account in programs for both primary diagnosis and follow-up after treatment for malignant tumors, which will be able to improve the early detection of cancer patients and their treatment results.
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Setting Research Priorities for Kidney Cancer.
Jones, Jennifer M; Bhatt, Jaimin; Avery, Jonathan; Laupacis, Andreas; Cowan, Katherine; Basappa, Naveen S; Basiuk, Joan; Canil, Christina; Al-Asaaed, Sohaib; Heng, Daniel Y C; Wood, Lori; Stacey, Dawn; Kollmannsberger, Christian; Jewett, Michael A S
2017-12-01
Defining disease-specific research priorities in cancer can facilitate better allocation of limited resources. Involving patients and caregivers as well as expert clinicians in this process is of value. We undertook this approach for kidney cancer as an example. The Kidney Cancer Research Network of Canada sponsored a collaborative consensus-based priority-setting partnership that identified ten research priorities in the management of kidney cancer. These are discussed in the context of current initiatives and gaps in knowledge. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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The National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) is pleased to announce the opening of the leaderboard to its Proteogenomics Computational DREAM Challenge. The leadership board remains open for submissions during September 25, 2017 through October 8, 2017, with the Challenge expected to run until November 17, 2017.
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Burke, Nancy J
2014-09-20
Approximately 20% of adult cancer patients are eligible to participate in a clinical trial, but only 2.5-9% do so. Accrual is even less for minority and medically underserved populations. As a result, critical life-saving treatments and quality of life services developed from research studies may not address their needs. This study questions the utility of the bioethical concern with therapeutic misconception (TM), a misconception that occurs when research subjects fail to distinguish between clinical research and ordinary treatment, and therefore attribute therapeutic intent to research procedures in the safety net setting. This paper provides ethnographic insight into the ways in which research is discussed and related to standard treatment. In the course of two years of ethnographic fieldwork in a safety net hospital, I conducted clinic observations (n=150 clinic days) and in-depth in-person qualitative interviews with patients (n=37) and providers (n=15). I used standard qualitative methods to organize and code resulting fieldnote and interview data. Findings suggest that TM is limited in relevance for the interdisciplinary context of cancer clinical trial recruitment in the safety net setting. Ethnographic data show the value of the discussions that happen prior to the informed consent, those that introduce the idea of participation in research. These preliminary discussions are elemental especially when recruiting underserved and vulnerable patients for clinical trial participation who are often unfamiliar with medical research and how it relates to medical care. Data also highlight the multiple actors involved in research discussions and the ethics of social justice and patient advocacy they mobilize, suggesting that class, inequality, and dependency influence the forms of ethical engagements in public hospital settings. On the ground ethics of social justice and patient advocacy are more relevant than TM as guiding ethical principles in the context of
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Electron Microscopist | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Cancer Research Technology Program (CRTP) develops and implements emerging technology, cancer biology expertise and research capabilities to accomplish NCI research objectives. The CRTP is an outward-facing, multi-disciplinary hub purposed to enable the external cancer research community and provides dedicated support to NCI’s intramural Center for Cancer Research (CCR). The dedicated units provide electron microscopy, protein characterization, protein expression, optical microscopy and genetics. These research efforts are an integral part of CCR at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR). CRTP scientists also work collaboratively with intramural NCI investigators to provide research technologies and expertise. KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES - THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING APPROVAL The Electron Microscopist will: Operate ultramicrotomes (Leica) and other instrumentation related to the preparation of embedded samples for EM (TEM and SEM) Operate TEM microscopes, (specifically Hitachi, FEI T20 and FEI T12) as well as SEM microscopes (Hitachi); task will include loading samples, screening, and performing data collection for a variety of samples: from cells to proteins Manage maintenance for the TEM and SEM microscopes Provide technical advice to investigators on sample preparation and data collection
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[Target volume margins for lung cancer: internal target volume/clinical target volume].
Jouin, A; Pourel, N
2013-10-01
The aim of this study was to carry out a review of margins that should be used for the delineation of target volumes in lung cancer, with a focus on margins from gross tumour volume (GTV) to clinical target volume (CTV) and internal target volume (ITV) delineation. Our review was based on a PubMed literature search with, as a cornerstone, the 2010 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) recommandations by De Ruysscher et al. The keywords used for the search were: radiotherapy, lung cancer, clinical target volume, internal target volume. The relevant information was categorized under the following headings: gross tumour volume definition (GTV), CTV-GTV margin (first tumoural CTV then nodal CTV definition), in field versus elective nodal irradiation, metabolic imaging role through the input of the PET scanner for tumour target volume and limitations of PET-CT imaging for nodal target volume definition, postoperative radiotherapy target volume definition, delineation of target volumes after induction chemotherapy; then the internal target volume is specified as well as tumoural mobility for lung cancer and respiratory gating techniques. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to planning target volume definition and another to small cell lung cancer. For each heading, the most relevant and recent clinical trials and publications are mentioned. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.
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Green, Beverly B; Fuller, Sharon; Anderson, Melissa L; Mahoney, Christine; Mendy, Peter; Powell, Susan L
2017-01-01
Multiple randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that mailed fecal testing programs are effective in increasing colorectal cancer screening participation. However, few healthcare organization in the US have Implemented such programs. Stakeholders from one clinic in an integrated healthcare system in Washington State initiated collaboration with researchers with expertise in CRC screening, aiming to increase screening rates at their clinic. Age-eligible individuals who were overdue for CRC screening and had previously completed a fecal test were randomized to receive mailed fecal immunochemical test kits (FIT) at the start of the project (Early) or 6 months later (Late). Outcomes included comparing FIT completion at 6 months by randomization group, and overall CRC screening rates at 12 months. We also assessed implementation facilitators and challenges. Overall 2,421 FIT tests were mailed at a cost of $10,739. At 6 months, FIT completion was significantly higher among the Early compared to the Late group (62% vs.47%, p CRC screening rate was 75.1% at baseline and 78.0% 12 months later. Key constructs associated with successful program implementation included strong stakeholder involvement, use of evidence-based strategies, simplicity, and low cost. Challenges included lack of a plan for maintaining the program. Collaboration between clinic stakeholders and researchers led to a successful project that rapidly increased CRC screening rates. However, institutional normalization of the program would be required to maintain it.
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Sun, Yu; Liu, Jing
2014-06-01
Exosomes are 30- to 100-nm, membrane-bound vesicles that are released by most types of cells, including tumor cells. Exosomes contain a great variety of bioactive molecules, including signal peptides, microRNA, lipids, and DNA. In cancer, tumor cells aberrantly secrete large quantities of exosomes to transport paracrine signals or to contribute to tumor-environment interaction at a distance. The goal of this review was to discuss the recent advances on the mechanism of cancer-derived exosomes in tumor regulation. Pertinent articles and abstracts were identified through searches of PubMed for literature published from 1983 to December 2013. Search terms included exosome, tumor, cancer, diagnosis, and therapy. All of the exposed evidence points to communication between cancer cells and their surroundings, either mediated by cancer cell-derived exosomes or by stromal cell-derived exosomes. This communication probably supports tumor proliferation, motility, invasion, angiogenesis, and premetastatic niche preparation. In addition, recent research implies that cancer cell-derived exosomes play a suppressive role in cancer-directed immune response. The biomarkers detected in bodily fluid-derived exosomes imply a potential for exosomes in cancer diagnosis. Also, exosomes could be used as a vehicle to selectively deliver therapeutic nucleic-acid drugs or conventional drugs for tumor therapy. The tolerability and feasibility of cancer exosomes in diagnosis and therapy need to be further evaluated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Pancreatic cancer clinical trials and accrual in the United States.
Hoos, William A; James, Porsha M; Rahib, Lola; Talley, Anitra W; Fleshman, Julie M; Matrisian, Lynn M
2013-09-20
Pancreatic cancer clinical trials open in the United States and their accrual were examined to identify opportunities to accelerate progress in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer-specific clinical trials open in the United States in the years 2011 and 2012 were obtained from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network database. Accrual information was obtained from trial sponsors. The portfolio of pancreatic cancer clinical trials identified by type (adenocarcinoma or neuroendocrine), phase, disease stage, and treatment approach is reported. More than half of trials for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma applied biologic insights to new therapeutic approaches, and 38% focused on optimization of radiation or chemotherapy delivery or regimens. In 2011, pancreatic cancer trials required total enrollment of 11,786 patients. Actual accrual to 93.2% of trials was 1,804 patients, an estimated 4.57% of the patients with pancreatic cancer alive in that year. The greatest need was for patients with resectable cancer. Trials open in 2011 enrolled an average of 15% of their total target accrual. Physician recommendations greatly influenced patients' decision to enroll or not enroll onto a clinical trial. Matching to a clinical trial within a 50-mile radius and identifying trials for recurrent/refractory disease were documented as challenges for patient accrual. Overall trial enrollment indicates that pancreatic cancer trials open in 2011 would require 6.7 years on average to complete accrual. These results suggest that harmonizing patient supply and demand for clinical trials is required to accelerate progress toward improving survival in pancreatic cancer.
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A new clinical trial aims to determine whether nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, can improve control of cancer for patients with several types of tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is composed of the brain and spinal cord and the cause of most CNS tumors in adults is unknown. Learn more...
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Molecular Biomarkers in the Clinical Management of Prostate Cancer.
Udager, Aaron M; Tomlins, Scott A
2018-01-08
Prostate cancer, one of the most common noncutaneous malignancies in men, is a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical outcome. Although the majority of patients harbor indolent tumors that are essentially cured by local therapy, subsets of patients present with aggressive disease or recur/progress after primary treatment. With this in mind, modern clinical approaches to prostate cancer emphasize the need to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment via personalized medicine. Advances in our understanding of prostate cancer pathogenesis, coupled with recent technologic innovations, have facilitated the development and validation of numerous molecular biomarkers, representing a range of macromolecules assayed from a variety of patient sample types, to help guide the clinical management of prostate cancer, including early detection, diagnosis, prognostication, and targeted therapeutic selection. Herein, we review the current state of the art regarding prostate cancer molecular biomarkers, emphasizing those with demonstrated utility in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.
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Research leadership: should clinical directors be distinguished researchers?
Allison, Stephen; Goodall, Amanda H; Bastiampillai, Tarun
2016-06-01
Clinical directors established research-led healthcare by combining research, teaching and clinical excellence within the teaching hospitals. This research culture created high clinical standards, which benefited patients, the workforce and healthcare organisations. The current paper explores this research leadership role for clinical directors. It reviews studies arising from the theory of expert leadership, which focuses on the relationship between a leader's core knowledge and organisational performance. More specifically, we examine the expert leader's research track record, the associations with their organisation's performance, and the influence of research activity on clinical excellence. Distinguished researchers still lead the most prestigious teaching hospitals and the most trusted departments of psychiatry in the United States where the clinical directorate structure originated. It is also known that good scholars can improve research output when appointed to leadership positions. This suggests that the clinical director's research track record should be a consideration at a time when research is being embedded in Australia's local health networks. A clinical director's leadership may influence the research performance of their department and contribute to the quality of mental healthcare. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.
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Cancer diagnosis in a ''breast clinic''
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ghys, R.
1987-01-01
Conflicting opinions have been expressed in the world literature over the last 15 years about the value of radiological techniques in breast cancer diagnosis. We reviewed 111 breast cancers which we diagnosed between 1971 and 1985, in unselected patients, by the combined use of palpation, thermography and mammography, complemented, since 1980, by diaphanoscopy. Considerable clinical experience is necessary to interpret both mammograms and thermograms. Each of these approaches, when rated independently, has a very high false negative rate ranging from 41% for clinical examination to 32% for mammography. In cases which are not clinically obvious, diaphanoscopy ''retrieves'' the most cancers, with thermography a close second (definitely malignant in 35% of the cases over the whole age range). Mammography comes third and its efficacy drops to 12.5% in premenopausal women. However, by combining this information with the one derived from anamnesis, the ACDTM scoring system gives us a false negative rate - before biopsy - of 5.5% and a false positive rate of <1%. This approach also drastically reduces the number of unnecessary biopsies
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Human tissue models in cancer research: looking beyond the mouse
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Samuel J. Jackson
2017-08-01
Full Text Available Mouse models, including patient-derived xenograft mice, are widely used to address questions in cancer research. However, there are documented flaws in these models that can result in the misrepresentation of human tumour biology and limit the suitability of the model for translational research. A coordinated effort to promote the more widespread development and use of ‘non-animal human tissue’ models could provide a clinically relevant platform for many cancer studies, maximising the opportunities presented by human tissue resources such as biobanks. A number of key factors limit the wide adoption of non-animal human tissue models in cancer research, including deficiencies in the infrastructure and the technical tools required to collect, transport, store and maintain human tissue for lab use. Another obstacle is the long-standing cultural reliance on animal models, which can make researchers resistant to change, often because of concerns about historical data compatibility and losing ground in a competitive environment while new approaches are embedded in lab practice. There are a wide range of initiatives that aim to address these issues by facilitating data sharing and promoting collaborations between organisations and researchers who work with human tissue. The importance of coordinating biobanks and introducing quality standards is gaining momentum. There is an exciting opportunity to transform cancer drug discovery by optimising the use of human tissue and reducing the reliance on potentially less predictive animal models.
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Human tissue models in cancer research: looking beyond the mouse.
Jackson, Samuel J; Thomas, Gareth J
2017-08-01
Mouse models, including patient-derived xenograft mice, are widely used to address questions in cancer research. However, there are documented flaws in these models that can result in the misrepresentation of human tumour biology and limit the suitability of the model for translational research. A coordinated effort to promote the more widespread development and use of 'non-animal human tissue' models could provide a clinically relevant platform for many cancer studies, maximising the opportunities presented by human tissue resources such as biobanks. A number of key factors limit the wide adoption of non-animal human tissue models in cancer research, including deficiencies in the infrastructure and the technical tools required to collect, transport, store and maintain human tissue for lab use. Another obstacle is the long-standing cultural reliance on animal models, which can make researchers resistant to change, often because of concerns about historical data compatibility and losing ground in a competitive environment while new approaches are embedded in lab practice. There are a wide range of initiatives that aim to address these issues by facilitating data sharing and promoting collaborations between organisations and researchers who work with human tissue. The importance of coordinating biobanks and introducing quality standards is gaining momentum. There is an exciting opportunity to transform cancer drug discovery by optimising the use of human tissue and reducing the reliance on potentially less predictive animal models. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Erbao Chen
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Approximately one-third of individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer have a family history of cancer, suggesting that CRCs may result from a heritable component. Despite the availability of current gene-identification techniques, only 5% of all CRCs emerge from well-identifiable inherited causes for predisposition, including polyposis and nonpolyposis syndromes. Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer represents a large proportion of cases, and robustly affected patients are at increased risk for early onset, synchronous, and metachronous colorectal malignancies and extracolonic malignancies. HNPCC encompasses several cancer syndromes, such as Lynch syndrome, Lynch-like syndrome, and familial colorectal cancer type X, which have remarkable clinical presentations and overlapping genetic profiles that make clinical diagnosis a challenging task. Therefore, distinguishing between the HNPCC disorders is crucial for physicians as an approach to tailor different recommendations for patients and their at-risk family members according to the risks for colonic and extracolonic cancer associated with each syndrome. Identification of these potential patients through epidemiological characteristics and new genetic testing can estimate the individual risk, which informs appropriate cancer screening, surveillance, and/or treatment strategies. In the past three years, many appealing and important advances have been made in our understanding of the relationship between HNPCC and CRC-associated syndromes. The knowledge from the genetic profile of cancer syndromes and unique genotype-phenotype profiles in the different syndromes has changed our cognition. Therefore, this review presents and discusses HNPCC and several common nonpolyposis syndromes with respect to molecular phenotype, histopathologic features, and clinical presentation.
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Somatic Cells Become Cancer’s “Starter Dough” | Center for Cancer Research
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a term that sparks animated differences of opinions among researchers in the oncology community. Much of the disagreement comes from the difficulty involved in isolating these cells and manipulating them ex vivo. When putative CSCs are isolated from clinical samples, researchers are unable to retrospectively identify the cell type that suffered the
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Clinical Aspects of Hypoxia-inducible Factors in Colorectal Cancer
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Havelund, Birgitte Mayland; Spindler, Karen-Lise Garm; Sørensen, Flemming Brandt
2010-01-01
Clinical Aspects of Hypoxia-inducible Factors in Colorectal Cancer Birgitte Mayland Havelund1,4 MD, Karen-Lise Garm Spindler1,4 MD, PhD, Flemming Brandt Sørensen2,4 MD, DMSc, Ivan Brandslund3 MD, DMSc, Anders Jakobsen1,4 MD, DMSc.1Department of Oncology, 2Pathology and 3Biochemistry, Vejle...... Hospital, Vejle, Denmark4Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense DenmarkBackgroundPrognostic and predictive markers are needed for individualizing the treatment of colorectal cancer. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a transcription-inducing factor which...... the predictive and prognostic value of HIF-1α in colorectal cancer.Materials and MethodsThe project is divided into 3 substudies:1. Biological and methodological aspects. The expression of HIF-1α measured by immunohistochemistry in paraffin embedded tissue is related to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP...
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2013-01-01
Introduction Breast cancer remains a significant scientific, clinical and societal challenge. This gap analysis has reviewed and critically assessed enduring issues and new challenges emerging from recent research, and proposes strategies for translating solutions into practice. Methods More than 100 internationally recognised specialist breast cancer scientists, clinicians and healthcare professionals collaborated to address nine thematic areas: genetics, epigenetics and epidemiology; molecular pathology and cell biology; hormonal influences and endocrine therapy; imaging, detection and screening; current/novel therapies and biomarkers; drug resistance; metastasis, angiogenesis, circulating tumour cells, cancer ‘stem’ cells; risk and prevention; living with and managing breast cancer and its treatment. The groups developed summary papers through an iterative process which, following further appraisal from experts and patients, were melded into this summary account. Results The 10 major gaps identified were: (1) understanding the functions and contextual interactions of genetic and epigenetic changes in normal breast development and during malignant transformation; (2) how to implement sustainable lifestyle changes (diet, exercise and weight) and chemopreventive strategies; (3) the need for tailored screening approaches including clinically actionable tests; (4) enhancing knowledge of molecular drivers behind breast cancer subtypes, progression and metastasis; (5) understanding the molecular mechanisms of tumour heterogeneity, dormancy, de novo or acquired resistance and how to target key nodes in these dynamic processes; (6) developing validated markers for chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity; (7) understanding the optimal duration, sequencing and rational combinations of treatment for improved personalised therapy; (8) validating multimodality imaging biomarkers for minimally invasive diagnosis and monitoring of responses in primary and metastatic disease
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jung-Yu Kan
2006-11-01
Full Text Available Most cancer patients often neglect the possibility of secondary cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC is the third leading cause of cancer death in Taiwan. It is important to be aware of the clinical characteristics of double cancer in CRC patients for early diagnosis and treatment. We retrospectively analyzed 1,031 CRC patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Department of Surgery of Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital between January 1998 and December 2004. Among these patients, CRC was accompanied by cancer of other organs in 17 patients (1.65%, either synchronously or metachronously. Therefore, we describe our experience regarding the location of CRC, the clinical symptoms and signs of these patients, the TNM stage, histology, phase, association with other malignancies, interval between cancers and clinical outcomes. Of the 17 patients in whom CRC was accompanied by primary cancer of other organs, there were four synchronous and 13 metachronous multiple cancer patients. Our patient group comprised six men and 11 women with ages ranging from 47 to 88 years (median age, 66 years. The most common location of CRC was the sigmoid colon. Six gastric cancers (35.2% and six breast cancers (35.2% were associated with primary CRC. The remaining six second primary cancers were one lung cancer, one thyroid cancer, one cervical cancer, one ovarian cancer, one skin cancer, and one urinary bladder cancer. Of the 13 metachronous multiple cancer patients, eight patients developed subsequent CRC after primary cancers of other organs, whereas two patients developed a subsequent second primary cancer after CRC. The intervals between the development of metachronous multiple cancers ranged from 2 to 19 years. In this retrospective analysis, breast and gastric cancer patients were at increased risk of developing subsequent secondary CRC. Careful attention should always be paid to the possibility of secondary CRC in treating these cancer patients. Cancer
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Eurocan plus report: feasibility study for coordination of national cancer research activities.
2008-01-01
, becoming the common voice of the cancer research community and serving as an interface between the cancer research community and European citizens, patients' organizations, European institutions, Member States, industry and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), putting into practice solutions aimed at alleviating barriers to collaboration and coordination of cancer research activities in the European Union, and dealing with legal and regulatory issues. The development of an effective ECI will require time, but this entity should be established immediately. As an initial step, coordination efforts should be directed towards the creation of a platform on translational research that could encompass (1) coordination between basic, clinical and epidemiological research; (2) formal agreements of co-operation between comprehensive cancer centres and basic research laboratories throughout Europe and (3) networking between funding bodies at the European level.The European Parliament and its instruments have had a major influence in cancer control in Europe, notably in tobacco control and in the implementation of effective population-based screening. To make further progress there is a need for novelty and innovation in cancer research and prevention in Europe, and having a platform such as the ECI, where those involved in all aspects of cancer research can meet, discuss and interact, is a decisive development for Europe.
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Checkpoint inhibitors in endometrial cancer: preclinical rationale and clinical activity.
Mittica, Gloria; Ghisoni, Eleonora; Giannone, Gaia; Aglietta, Massimo; Genta, Sofia; Valabrega, Giorgio
2017-10-27
Treatment of advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer (EC) is still an unmet need for oncologists and gynecologic oncologists. The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network (TCGA) recently provided a new genomic classification, dividing EC in four subgroups. Two types of EC, the polymerase epsilon (POLE)-ultra-mutated and the microsatellite instability-hyper-mutated (MSI-H), are characterized by a high mutation rate providing the rationale for a potential activity of checkpoint inhibitors. We analyzed all available evidence supporting the role of tumor microenvironment (TME) in EC development and the therapeutic implications offered by immune checkpoint inhibitors in this setting. We performed a review on Pubmed with Mesh keywords 'endometrial cancer' and the name of each checkpoint inhibitor discussed in the article. The same search was operated on clinicaltrial.gov to identify ongoing clinical trials exploring PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 axis in EC, particularly focusing on POLE-ultra-muted and MSI-H cancer types. POLE-ultra-mutated and MSI-H ECs showed an active TME expressing high number of neo-antigens and an elevated amount of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Preliminary results from a phase-1 clinical trial (KEYNOTE-028) demonstrated antitumor activity of Pembrolizumab in EC. Moreover, both Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab reported durable clinical responses in POLE-ultra-mutated patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are an attractive option in POLE-ultra-mutated and MSI-H ECs. Future investigations in these subgroups include combinations of checkpoints inhibitors with chemotherapy and small tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to enhance a more robust intra-tumoral immune response.
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Integrative Analysis of Complex Cancer Genomics and Clinical Profiles Using the cBioPortal
Gao, Jianjiong; Aksoy, Bülent Arman; Dogrusoz, Ugur; Dresdner, Gideon; Gross, Benjamin; Sumer, S. Onur; Sun, Yichao; Jacobsen, Anders; Sinha, Rileen; Larsson, Erik; Cerami, Ethan; Sander, Chris; Schultz, Nikolaus
2014-01-01
The cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics (http://cbioportal.org) provides a Web resource for exploring, visualizing, and analyzing multidimensional cancer genomics data. The portal reduces molecular profiling data from cancer tissues and cell lines into readily understandable genetic, epigenetic, gene expression, and proteomic events. The query interface combined with customized data storage enables researchers to interactively explore genetic alterations across samples, genes, and pathways and, when available in the underlying data, to link these to clinical outcomes. The portal provides graphical summaries of gene-level data from multiple platforms, network visualization and analysis, survival analysis, patient-centric queries, and software programmatic access. The intuitive Web interface of the portal makes complex cancer genomics profiles accessible to researchers and clinicians without requiring bioinformatics expertise, thus facilitating biological discoveries. Here, we provide a practical guide to the analysis and visualization features of the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics. PMID:23550210
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Bertagnolli, Monica M; Canetta, Renzo; Nass, Sharyl J
2014-11-01
Since their inception in the 1950s, the National Cancer Institute-funded cancer cooperative groups have been important contributors to cancer clinical and translational research. In 2010, a committee appointed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences completed a consensus review on the status of the U.S. publicly funded cancer clinical trials system. This report identified a need to reinvigorate the cooperative groups and provided recommendations for improving their effectiveness. Follow-up workshops to monitor progress were conducted by the IOM's National Cancer Policy Forum and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2011 and 2013. One of the key recommendations of the IOM report was a call for greater collaboration among stakeholders in cancer research. In particular, more active engagement and better alignment of incentives among the cooperative groups, the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the biopharmaceutical industry were identified as essential to achieving the promise of oncology drug development. This review, based on presentations and discussion during the IOM-ASCO workshops, outlines the progress and remaining challenges of these collaborations. ©AlphaMed Press.
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Clinical Pharmacology of Chemotherapy Agents in Older People with Cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xiaoye He
2011-01-01
Full Text Available Populations around the world are aging, and the associated increase in cancer incidence has led to the recognition of the importance of geriatric oncology. Chronological age is a poor determinant of pharmacological response to cancer chemotherapy agents. Age-associated changes in physiology and organ function have a significant impact on the clinical pharmacology of cancer chemotherapy agents used in cancer treatment. Altered response to medicines in older people is a consequence of changes in body composition, organ function, concomitant pathophysiology, multiple medications, genetic determinants of drug response, and patient's clinical status. These issues highlight the need to individualize the management of cancer in the older people with consideration of age-related changes in the clinical pharmacology of cancer drugs, analgesics, and adjunctive therapies.
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Efficiency of clinical and combined diagnosis of breast cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Solov'ev, I.E.
1986-01-01
Problems on clinical, instrumental, laboratory diagnosis of mammary glands cancer are described. Efficiency of clinical examination, mammography, cytological examination, ultrasonic, radioisotopic diagnosis, some biochemical tests are estimated. The conclusion concerning advisability of complex diagnosis of mammary glands cancer especially its early forms is made. Perspectivity of application of polyamine test in diagnosis of primary cancer of the mammary gland is mark to estimate efficiency of its treatment
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Preclinical and Clinical Assessment of Cannabinoids as Anti-Cancer Agents
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel A. Ladin
2016-10-01
Full Text Available Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States with 1.7 million new cases estimated to be diagnosed in 2016. This disease remains a formidable clinical challenge and represents a substantial financial burden to the US health care system. Therefore, research and development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer is of high priority. Cannabinoids and their derivatives have been utilized for their medicinal and therapeutic properties throughout history. Cannabinoid activity is regulated through the endocannabinoid system, which is comprised of cannabinoid receptors, transporters, and enzymes involved in cannabinoid synthesis and breakdown. More recently, cannabinoids have gained special attention for their role in cancer development and reduction. However, many studies investigated these roles using in vitro models which may not adequately mimic tumor growth and metastasis. As such, this article aims to review study results which evaluated effects of cannabinoids from plant, synthetic and endogenous origins on cancer development in preclinical models and to examine the current standing of cannabinoids currently being tested in human cancer patients.
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DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF METACHRONOUS TESTICULAR CANCER: A CLINICAL CASE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
A. S. Kalpinsky
2013-01-01
Full Text Available The incidence of bilateral testicular cancer is 5% in the total cohort of patients. Synchronous and metachronous testicular cancers are detected in 1-2 and 3% of cases, respectively. The standard treatment for testicular cancer is orchifuniculectomy and that for synchronous or metachronous cancer is organ-saving treatment, testectomy.The paper describes a clinical case of multiple primary metachronous testicular cancer. A 24-year-old patient underwent surgery (orchifuniculectomy and received 4 courses of BEP polychemotherapy for embryonal carcinoma of the left testicle at the P.A. Herzen Moscow Oncology Research Institute. After 55 months, a dynamic control examination diagnosed a 9-mm tumor in his single right testis that was thereafter resected. Its histological examination revealed embryonal carcinoma with solitary structures in the immature teratoma. Following 22 months, a control examination showed a recurrence of the disease, for which orchifuniculectomy of the single right testis, followed by hormone replacement therapy, was performed. The follow-up period was 80 months; no recurrence is now observed.
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Mutational analysis and clinical correlation of metastatic colorectal cancer.
Russo, Andrea L; Borger, Darrell R; Szymonifka, Jackie; Ryan, David P; Wo, Jennifer Y; Blaszkowsky, Lawrence S; Kwak, Eunice L; Allen, Jill N; Wadlow, Raymond C; Zhu, Andrew X; Murphy, Janet E; Faris, Jason E; Dias-Santagata, Dora; Haigis, Kevin M; Ellisen, Leif W; Iafrate, Anthony J; Hong, Theodore S
2014-05-15
Early identification of mutations may guide patients with metastatic colorectal cancer toward targeted therapies that may be life prolonging. The authors assessed tumor genotype correlations with clinical characteristics to determine whether mutational profiling can account for clinical similarities, differences, and outcomes. Under Institutional Review Board approval, 222 patients with metastatic colon adenocarcinoma (n = 158) and rectal adenocarcinoma (n = 64) who underwent clinical tumor genotyping were reviewed. Multiplexed tumor genotyping screened for >150 mutations across 15 commonly mutated cancer genes. The chi-square test was used to assess genotype frequency by tumor site and additional clinical characteristics. Cox multivariate analysis was used to assess the impact of genotype on overall survival. Broad-based tumor genotyping revealed clinical and anatomic differences that could be linked to gene mutations. NRAS mutations were associated with rectal cancer versus colon cancer (12.5% vs 0.6%; P colon cancer (13% vs 3%; P = .024) and older age (15.8% vs 4.6%; P = .006). TP53 mutations were associated with rectal cancer (30% vs 18%; P = .048), younger age (14% vs 28.7%; P = .007), and men (26.4% vs 14%; P = .03). Lung metastases were associated with PIK3CA mutations (23% vs 8.7%; P = .004). Only mutations in BRAF were independently associated with decreased overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-5.27; P = .029). The current study suggests that underlying molecular profiles can differ between colon and rectal cancers. Further investigation is warranted to assess whether the differences identified are important in determining the optimal treatment course for these patients. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
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Using clinical governance levers to support change in a cancer care reform.
Brault, Isabelle; Denis, Jean-Louis; Sullivan, Terrence James
2015-01-01
Introducing change is a difficult issue facing all health care systems. The use of various clinical governance levers can facilitate change in health care systems. The purpose of this paper is to define clinical governance levers, and to illustrate their use in a large-scale transformation. The empirical analysis deals with the in-depth study of a specific case, which is the organizational model for Ontario's cancer sector. The authors used a qualitative research strategy and drew the data from three sources: semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents, and non-participative observations. From the results, the authors identified three phases and several steps in the reform of cancer services in this province. The authors conclude that a combination of clinical governance levers was used to transform the system. These levers operated at different levels of the system to meet the targeted objectives. To exercise clinical governance, managers need to acquire new competencies. Mobilizing clinical governance levers requires in-depth understanding of the role and scope of clinical governance levers. This study provides a better understanding of clinical governance levers. Clinical governance levers are used to implement an organizational environment that is conducive to developing clinical practice, as well as to act directly on practices to improve quality of care.
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Ferriere, Michael; Van Ness, Brian
2012-04-01
The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded cooperative group cancer clinical trial system develops experimental therapies and often collects samples from patients for correlative research. The cooperative group bank (CGB) system maintains biobanks with a current policy not to return research results to individuals. An online survey was created, and 10 directors of CGBs completed the surveys asking about understanding and attitudes in changing policies to consider return of incidental findings (IFs) and individual research results (IRRs) of health significance. The potential impact of the 10 consensus recommendations of Wolf et al. presented in this issue are examined. Reidentification of samples is often not problematic; however, changes to the current banking and clinical trial systems would require significant effort to fulfill an obligation of recontact of subjects. Additional resources, as well as a national advisory board would be required to standardize implementation.
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Prostate Cancer Stem-Like Cells | Center for Cancer Research
Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death among men, killing an estimated 27,000 men each year in the United States. Men with advanced prostate cancer often become resistant to conventional therapies. Many researchers speculate that the emergence of resistance is due to the presence of cancer stem cells, which are believed to be a small subpopulation
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Chemoprevention of Lung Cancer: Prospects and Disappointments in Human Clinical Trials
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
William N. Rom
2013-01-01
Full Text Available Decreasing the risk of lung cancer, or preventing its development in high-risk individuals, would have a huge impact on public health. The most effective means to decrease lung cancer incidence is to eliminate exposure to carcinogens. However, with recent advances in the understanding of pulmonary carcinogenesis and the identification of intermediate biomarkers, the prospects for the field of chemoprevention research have improved dramatically. Here we review the most recent research in lung cancer chemoprevention—focusing on those agents that have been investigated in human clinical trials. These agents fall into three major categories. First, oxidative stress plays an important role in pulmonary carcinogenesis; and therefore, antioxidants (including vitamins, selenium, green tea extracts, and isothiocyanates may be particularly effective in preventing the development of lung cancer. Second, inflammation is increasingly accepted as a crucial factor in carcinogenesis, and many investigators have focused on anti-inflammatory agents, such as glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, statins, and PPARγ agonists. Finally, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is recognized to play a central role in tobacco-induced carcinogenesis, and inhibitors of this pathway, including myoinositol and metformin, are promising agents for lung cancer prevention. Successful chemoprevention will likely require targeting of multiple pathways to carcinogenesis—both to minimize toxicity and maximize efficacy.
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Human Cancer Models Initiative | Office of Cancer Genomics
The Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) is an international consortium that is generating novel human tumor-derived culture models, which are annotated with genomic and clinical data. In an effort to advance cancer research and more fully understand how in vitro findings are related to clinical biology, HCMI-developed models and related data will be available as a community resource for cancer research.
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Tang, Chad; Hess, Kenneth R; Sanders, Dwana; Davis, Suzanne E; Buzdar, Aman U; Kurzrock, Razelle; Lee, J Jack; Meric-Bernstam, Funda; Hong, David S
2017-03-15
Purpose: Information on processes for trials assessing investigational therapeutics is sparse. We assessed the trial development processes within the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) and analyzed their effects on the trial activation timeline and enrolment. Experimental Design: Data were from a prospectively maintained registry that tracks all clinical studies at MD Anderson. From this database, we identified 2,261 activated phase I-III trials; 221 were done at the ICT. ICT trials were matched to trials from other MD Anderson departments by phase, sponsorship, and submission year. Trial performance metrics were compared with paired Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results: We identified three facets of the ICT research infrastructure: parallel processing of trial approval steps; a physician-led research team; and regular weekly meetings to foster research accountability. Separate analyses were conducted stratified by sponsorship [industry (133 ICT and 133 non-ICT trials) or institutional (68 ICT and 68 non-ICT trials)]. ICT trial development was faster from IRB approval to activation (median difference of 1.1 months for industry-sponsored trials vs. 2.3 months for institutional) and from activation to first enrolment (median difference of 0.3 months for industry vs. 1.2 months for institutional; all matched P infrastructure within a large academic cancer center was associated with efficient trial development and participant accrual. Clin Cancer Res; 23(6); 1407-13. ©2016 AACR . ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.
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Accrual to Cancer Clinical Trials
LENUS (Irish Health Repository)
Kelly, C
2016-07-01
Accrual to cancer clinical trials (CCT) is imperative to safeguard continued improvement in cancer outcomes. A retrospective chart review was performed of patients (n=140) starting a new anti-cancer agent in a north Dublin cancer centre. This review was performed over a four-month period, beginning in November 2015. Only 29% (n=41) had a CCT option. The overall accrual rate to CCT was 5% (n=7), which is comparable to internationally reported figures. The main reasons for failure to recruit to CCT included the lack of a CCT option for cancer type (n=30, 23%), stage (n=25, 19%), and line of treatment (n=23, 17%). Over the last decade, the rate of accrual to CCTs has in fact doubled and the number of trials open to recruitment has tripled. Ongoing governmental and philanthropic support is necessary to continue this trend to further expand CCT patient options with a target accrual rate of 10%.
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Carpenter, William R; Meyer, Anne-Marie; Wu, Yang; Qaqish, Bahjat; Sanoff, Hanna K; Goldberg, Richard M; Weiner, Bryan J
2012-08-01
Provider-based research networks (PBRNs)--collaborative research partnerships between academic centers and community-based practitioners--are a promising model for accelerating the translation of research into practice; however, empirical evidence of accelerated translation is limited. Oxaliplatin in adjuvant combination chemotherapy is an innovation with clinical trial-proven survival benefit compared with prior therapies. The goal of this study is to examine the diffusion of oxaliplatin into community practice, and whether affiliation with the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP)--a nationwide cancer-focused PBRN--is associated with accelerated innovation adoption. This retrospective observational study used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare and NCI CCOP data to examine Medicare participants with stage III colon cancer initiating treatment in 2003 through 2006, the years surrounding oxaliplatin's Food and Drug Administration approval. A fixed-effects analysis examined chemotherapy use among patients treated outside academic centers at CCOP-affiliated practices compared with non-CCOP practices. Two-group modeling controlled for multiple levels of clustering, year of chemotherapy initiation, tumor characteristics, patient age, race, comorbidity, Medicaid dual-eligibility status, and education. Of 4055 community patients, 35% received 5-fluoruracil, 20% received oxaliplatin, 7% received another chemotherapy, and 38% received no chemotherapy. Twenty-five percent of CCOP patients received oxaliplatin, compared with 19% of non-CCOP patients. In multivariable analysis, CCOP exposure was associated with higher odds of receiving guideline-concordant treatment in general, and oxaliplatin specifically. These findings contribute to a growing set of evidence linking PBRNs with a greater probability of receiving treatment innovations and high-quality cancer care, with implications for clinical and research
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Allen, David; Ripley, Elizabeth; Coe, Antoinette; Clore, John
2013-12-01
In 2010, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was granted a Clinical and Translational Science Award which prompted reorganization and expansion of their clinical research infrastructure. A case study approach is used to describe the implementation of a business and cost recovery model for clinical and translational research and the transformation of VCU's General Clinical Research Center and Clinical Trials Office to a combined Clinical Research Services entity. We outline the use of a Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle that facilitated a thoughtful transition process, which included the identification of required changes and cost recovery processes for implementation. Through this process, the VCU Center for Clinical and Translational Research improved efficiency, increased revenue recovered, reduced costs, and brought a high level of fiscal responsibility through financial reporting.
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Cancer Trends: Influencing Care and Research Priorities
Many of the trends being seen in cancer are changing how we view cancer and how we address it, from prompting research to identify the underlying causes of cancers increasing in incidence to informing research on treatment and prevention.
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THERAPEUTIC ANTISENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES AGAINST CANCER: HURDLING TO THE CLINIC
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pedro Miguel Duarte Moreno
2014-10-01
Full Text Available Under clinical development since the early 90’s and with two successfully approved drugs (Fomivirsen and Mipomersen, oligonucleotide-based therapeutics have not yet delivered a clinical drug to the market in the cancer field. Whilst many pre-clinical data has been generated, a lack of understanding still exists on how to efficiently tackle all the different challenges presented for cancer targeting in a clinical setting. Namely, effective drug vectorization, careful choice of target gene or synergistic multi-gene targeting are surely decisive, while caution must be exerted to avoid potential toxic, often misleading off-target-effects. Here a brief overview will be given on the nucleic acid chemistry advances that established oligonucleotide technologies as a promising therapeutic alternative and ongoing cancer related clinical trials. Special attention will be given towards a perspective on the hurdles encountered specifically in the cancer field by this class of therapeutic oligonucleotides and a view on possible avenues for success is presented, with particular focus on the contribution from nanotechnology to the field.
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Hassett, Michael J; Uno, Hajime; Cronin, Angel M; Carroll, Nikki M; Hornbrook, Mark C; Ritzwoller, Debra
2017-12-01
Recurrent cancer is common, costly, and lethal, yet we know little about it in community-based populations. Electronic health records and tumor registries contain vast amounts of data regarding community-based patients, but usually lack recurrence status. Existing algorithms that use structured data to detect recurrence have limitations. We developed algorithms to detect the presence and timing of recurrence after definitive therapy for stages I-III lung and colorectal cancer using 2 data sources that contain a widely available type of structured data (claims or electronic health record encounters) linked to gold-standard recurrence status: Medicare claims linked to the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance study, and the Cancer Research Network Virtual Data Warehouse linked to registry data. Twelve potential indicators of recurrence were used to develop separate models for each cancer in each data source. Detection models maximized area under the ROC curve (AUC); timing models minimized average absolute error. Algorithms were compared by cancer type/data source, and contrasted with an existing binary detection rule. Detection model AUCs (>0.92) exceeded existing prediction rules. Timing models yielded absolute prediction errors that were small relative to follow-up time (differences by cancer type and dataset challenged efforts to create 1 common algorithm for all scenarios. Valid and reliable detection of recurrence using big data is feasible. These tools will enable extensive, novel research on quality, effectiveness, and outcomes for lung and colorectal cancer patients and those who develop recurrence.
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Impact of biospecimens handling on biomarker research in breast cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Callari Maurizio
2009-11-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression profiling is moving from the research setting to the practical clinical use. Gene signatures able to correctly identify high risk breast cancer patients as well as to predict response to treatment are currently under intense investigation. While technical issues dealing with RNA preparation, choice of array platforms, statistical analytical tools are taken into account, the tissue collection process is seldom considered. The time elapsed between surgical tissue removal and freezing of samples for biological characterizations is rarely well defined and/or recorded even for recently stored samples, despite the publications of standard operating procedures for biological sample collection for tissue banks. Methods Breast cancer samples from 11 patients were collected immediately after surgical removal and subdivided into aliquots. One was immediately frozen and the others were maintained at room temperature for respectively 2, 6 and 24 hrs. RNA was extracted and gene expression profile was determined using cDNA arrays. Phosphoprotein profiles were studied in parallel. Results Delayed freezing affected the RNA quality only in 3 samples, which were not subjected to gene profiling. In the 8 breast cancer cases with apparently intact RNA also in sample aliquots frozen at delayed times, 461 genes were modulated simply as a function of freezing timing. Some of these genes were included in gene signatures biologically and clinically relevant for breast cancer. Delayed freezing also affected detection of phosphoproteins, whose pattern may be crucial for clinical decision on target-directed drugs. Conclusion Time elapsed between surgery and freezing of samples appears to have a strong impact and should be considered as a mandatory variable to control for clinical implications of inadequate tissue handling.
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Clinical targeting recombinant immunotoxins for cancer therapy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Li M
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Meng Li,1,* Zeng-Shan Liu,1,* Xi-Lin Liu,1,* Qi Hui,2,* Shi-Ying Lu,1 Lin-Lin Qu,1 Yan-Song Li,1 Yu Zhou,1 Hong-Lin Ren,1 Pan Hu1 1Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 2School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Recombinant immunotoxins (RITs are proteins that contain a toxin fused to an antibody or small molecules and are constructed by the genetic engineering technique. RITs can bind to and be internalized by cells and kill cancerous or non-cancerous cells by inhibiting protein synthesis. A wide variety of RITs have been tested against different cancers in cell culture, xenograft models, and human patients during the past several decades. RITs have shown activity in therapy of several kinds of cancers, but different levels of side effects, mainly related to vascular leak syndrome, were also observed in the treated patients. High immunogenicity of RITs limited their long-term or repeat applications in clinical cases. Recent advances in the design of immunotoxins, such as humanization of antibody fragment, PEGylation, and modification of human B- and T-cell epitopes, are overcoming the above mentioned problems, which predict the use of these immunotoxins as a potential therapeutic method to treat cancer patients. Keywords: targeted therapy, hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, vascular leak syndrome, immunogenicity
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The Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer | Antibody Portal
An objective of the Reagents and Resources component of NCI's Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer Initiative is to generate highly characterized monoclonal antibodies to human proteins associated with cancer.
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Integrating precision cancer medicine into healthcare—policy, practice, and research challenges
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gabrielle Bertier
2016-10-01
Full Text Available Abstract Precision medicine (PM can be defined as a predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory healthcare service delivery model. Recent developments in molecular biology and information technology make PM a reality today through the use of massive amounts of genetic, ‘omics’, clinical, environmental, and lifestyle data. With cancer being one of the most prominent public health threats in developed countries, both the research community and governments have been investing significant time, money, and efforts in precision cancer medicine (PCM. Although PCM research is extremely promising, a number of hurdles still remain on the road to an optimal integration of standardized and evidence-based use of PCM in healthcare systems. Indeed, PCM raises a number of technical, organizational, ethical, legal, social, and economic challenges that have to be taken into account in the development of an appropriate health policy framework. Here, we highlight some of the more salient issues regarding the standards needed for integration of PCM into healthcare systems, and we identify fields where more research is needed before policy can be implemented. Key challenges include, but are not limited to, the creation of new standards for the collection, analysis, and sharing of samples and data from cancer patients, and the creation of new clinical trial designs with renewed endpoints. We believe that these issues need to be addressed as a matter of priority by public health policymakers in the coming years for a better integration of PCM into healthcare.
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Cancer Genetics and Signaling | Center for Cancer Research
The Cancer, Genetics, and Signaling (CGS) Group at the National Cancer Institute at Frederick offers a competitive postdoctoral training and mentoring program focusing on molecular and genetic aspects of cancer. The CGS Fellows Program is designed to attract and train exceptional postdoctoral fellows interested in pursuing independent research career tracks. CGS Fellows participate in a structured mentoring program designed for scientific and career development and transition to independent positions.
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A review of breast cancer research in malaysia.
Yip, C H; Bhoo Pathy, N; Teo, S H
2014-08-01
Four hundred and nineteen articles related to breast cancer were found in a search through a database dedicated to indexing all original data relevant to medicine published in Malaysia between the years 2000-2013. One hundred and fifty four articles were selected and reviewed on the basis of clinical relevance and future research implications. Overall, Malaysian women have poor survival from breast cancer and it is estimated that half of the deaths due to breast cancer could be prevented. Five-year survival in Malaysia was low and varies among different institutions even within the same disease stage, suggesting an inequity of access to optimal treatment or a lack of compliance to optimal treatment. Malaysian women have poor knowledge of the risk factors, symptoms and methods for early detection of breast cancer, leading to late presentation. Moreover, Malaysian women experience cancer fatalism, belief in alternative medicine, and lack of autonomy in decision making resulting in delays in seeking or avoidance of evidence-based medicine. There are ethnic differences in estrogen receptor status, HER2 overexpression and incidence of triple negative breast cancer which warrant further investigation. Malay women present with larger tumours and at later stages, and even after adjustment for these and other prognostic factors (stage, pathology and treatment), Malay women have a poorer survival. Although the factors responsible for these ethnic differences have not been elucidated, it is thought that pharmacogenomics, lifestyle factors (such as weight-gain, diet and exercise), and psychosocial factors (such as acceptance of 2nd or 3rd line chemotherapy) may be responsible for the difference in survival. Notably, survivorship studies show self-management programmes and exercise improve quality of life, highlighting the need to evaluate the psychosocial impact of breast cancer on Malaysian women, and to design culturally-, religiously- and linguistically-appropriate psycho
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Automation of Technology for Cancer Research.
van der Ent, Wietske; Veneman, Wouter J; Groenewoud, Arwin; Chen, Lanpeng; Tulotta, Claudia; Hogendoorn, Pancras C W; Spaink, Herman P; Snaar-Jagalska, B Ewa
2016-01-01
Zebrafish embryos can be obtained for research purposes in large numbers at low cost and embryos develop externally in limited space, making them highly suitable for high-throughput cancer studies and drug screens. Non-invasive live imaging of various processes within the larvae is possible due to their transparency during development, and a multitude of available fluorescent transgenic reporter lines.To perform high-throughput studies, handling large amounts of embryos and larvae is required. With such high number of individuals, even minute tasks may become time-consuming and arduous. In this chapter, an overview is given of the developments in the automation of various steps of large scale zebrafish cancer research for discovering important cancer pathways and drugs for the treatment of human disease. The focus lies on various tools developed for cancer cell implantation, embryo handling and sorting, microfluidic systems for imaging and drug treatment, and image acquisition and analysis. Examples will be given of employment of these technologies within the fields of toxicology research and cancer research.
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The Swedish Family-Cancer Database: Update, Application to Colorectal Cancer and Clinical Relevance
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hemminki Kari
2005-01-01
Full Text Available Abstract The Swedish Family-Cancer Database has been used for almost 10 years in the study of familial risks at all common sites. In the present paper we describe some main features of version VI of this Database, assembled in 2004. This update included all Swedes born in 1932 and later (offspring with their biological parents, a total of 10.5 million individuals. Cancer cases were retrieved from the Swedish Cancer Registry from 1958-2002, including over 1.2 million first and multiple primary cancers and in situ tumours. Compared to previous versions, only 6.0% of deceased offspring with a cancer diagnosis lack any parental information. We show one application of the Database in the study of familial risks in colorectal adenocarcinoma, with defined age-group and anatomic site specific analyses. Familial standardized incidence ratios (SIRs were determined for offspring when parents or sibling were diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer. As a novel finding it was shown that risks for siblings were higher than those for offspring of affected parents. The excess risk was limited to colon cancer and particularly to right-sided colon cancer. The SIRs for colon cancer in age matched populations were 2.58 when parents were probands and 3.81 when siblings were probands; for right-sided colon cancer the SIRs were 3.66 and 7.53, respectively. Thus the familial excess (SIR-1.00 was more than two fold higher for right-sided colon cancer. Colon and rectal cancers appeared to be distinguished between high-penetrant and recessive conditions that only affect the colon, whereas low-penetrant familial effects are shared by the two sites. Epidemiological studies can be used to generate clinical estimates for familial risk, conditioned on numbers of affected family members and their ages of onset. Useful risk estimates have been developed for familial breast and prostate cancers. Reliable risk estimates for other cancers should also be seriously considered for
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The Molecular Characterization Laboratory at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research lies at the heart of an ambitious new approach for testing cancer drugs that will use the newest tools of precision medicine to select the best treatme
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Lentiviral Vectors for Cancer Immunotherapy and Clinical Applications
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David Escors
2013-07-01
Full Text Available The success of immunotherapy against infectious diseases has shown us the powerful potential that such a treatment offers, and substantial work has been done to apply this strategy in the fight against cancer. Cancer is however a fiercer opponent than pathogen-caused diseases due to natural tolerance towards tumour associated antigens and tumour-induced immunosuppression. Recent gene therapy clinical trials with viral vectors have shown clinical efficacy in the correction of genetic diseases, HIV and cancer. The first successful gene therapy clinical trials were carried out with onco(g-retroviral vectors but oncogenesis by insertional mutagenesis appeared as a serious complication. Lentiviral vectors have emerged as a potentially safer strategy, and recently the first clinical trial of patients with advanced leukemia using lentiviral vectors has proven successful. Additionally, therapeutic lentivectors have shown clinical efficacy for the treatment of HIV, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, and b-thalassaemia. This review aims at describing lentivectors and how they can be utilized to boost anti-tumour immune responses by manipulating the effector immune cells.
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Lentiviral Vectors for Cancer Immunotherapy and Clinical Applications
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Liechtenstein, Therese, E-mail: t.liechtenstein.12@ucl.ac.uk [University College London, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF (United Kingdom); Perez-Janices, Noemi; Escors, David [University College London, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF (United Kingdom); Navarrabiomed Fundacion Miguel Servet, 3 Irunlarrea St., Hospital Complex of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra (Spain)
2013-07-02
The success of immunotherapy against infectious diseases has shown us the powerful potential that such a treatment offers, and substantial work has been done to apply this strategy in the fight against cancer. Cancer is however a fiercer opponent than pathogen-caused diseases due to natural tolerance towards tumour associated antigens and tumour-induced immunosuppression. Recent gene therapy clinical trials with viral vectors have shown clinical efficacy in the correction of genetic diseases, HIV and cancer. The first successful gene therapy clinical trials were carried out with onco(γ-)retroviral vectors but oncogenesis by insertional mutagenesis appeared as a serious complication. Lentiviral vectors have emerged as a potentially safer strategy, and recently the first clinical trial of patients with advanced leukemia using lentiviral vectors has proven successful. Additionally, therapeutic lentivectors have shown clinical efficacy for the treatment of HIV, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, and β-thalassaemia. This review aims at describing lentivectors and how they can be utilized to boost anti-tumour immune responses by manipulating the effector immune cells.
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Lentiviral Vectors for Cancer Immunotherapy and Clinical Applications
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Liechtenstein, Therese; Perez-Janices, Noemi; Escors, David
2013-01-01
The success of immunotherapy against infectious diseases has shown us the powerful potential that such a treatment offers, and substantial work has been done to apply this strategy in the fight against cancer. Cancer is however a fiercer opponent than pathogen-caused diseases due to natural tolerance towards tumour associated antigens and tumour-induced immunosuppression. Recent gene therapy clinical trials with viral vectors have shown clinical efficacy in the correction of genetic diseases, HIV and cancer. The first successful gene therapy clinical trials were carried out with onco(γ-)retroviral vectors but oncogenesis by insertional mutagenesis appeared as a serious complication. Lentiviral vectors have emerged as a potentially safer strategy, and recently the first clinical trial of patients with advanced leukemia using lentiviral vectors has proven successful. Additionally, therapeutic lentivectors have shown clinical efficacy for the treatment of HIV, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, and β-thalassaemia. This review aims at describing lentivectors and how they can be utilized to boost anti-tumour immune responses by manipulating the effector immune cells
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Bioprinting for cancer research.
Knowlton, Stephanie; Onal, Sevgi; Yu, Chu Hsiang; Zhao, Jean J; Tasoglu, Savas
2015-09-01
Bioprinting offers the ability to create highly complex 3D architectures with living cells. This cutting-edge technique has significantly gained popularity and applicability in several fields. Bioprinting methods have been developed to effectively and rapidly pattern living cells, biological macromolecules, and biomaterials. These technologies hold great potential for applications in cancer research. Bioprinted cancer models represent a significant improvement over previous 2D models by mimicking 3D complexity and facilitating physiologically relevant cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Here we review bioprinting methods based on inkjet, microextrusion, and laser technologies and compare 3D cancer models with 2D cancer models. We discuss bioprinted models that mimic the tumor microenvironment, providing a platform for deeper understanding of cancer pathology, anticancer drug screening, and cancer treatment development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Patterson, Ruth E; Colditz, Graham A; Hu, Frank B; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Ahima, Rexford S; Brownson, Ross C; Carson, Kenneth R; Chavarro, Jorge E; Chodosh, Lewis A; Gehlert, Sarah; Gill, Jeff; Glanz, Karen; Haire-Joshu, Debra; Herbst, Karen Louise; Hoehner, Christine M; Hovmand, Peter S; Irwin, Melinda L; Jacobs, Linda A; James, Aimee S; Jones, Lee W; Kerr, Jacqueline; Kibel, Adam S; King, Irena B; Ligibel, Jennifer A; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Natarajan, Loki; Neuhouser, Marian L; Olefsky, Jerrold M; Proctor, Enola K; Redline, Susan; Rock, Cheryl L; Rosner, Bernard; Sarwer, David B; Schwartz, J Sanford; Sears, Dorothy D; Sesso, Howard D; Stampfer, Meir J; Subramanian, S V; Taveras, Elsie M; Tchou, Julia; Thompson, Beti; Troxel, Andrea B; Wessling-Resnick, Marianne; Wolin, Kathleen Y; Thornquist, Mark D
2013-04-01
Recognition of the complex, multidimensional relationship between excess adiposity and cancer control outcomes has motivated the scientific community to seek new research models and paradigms. The National Cancer Institute developed an innovative concept to establish a center grant mechanism in nutrition, energetics, and physical activity, referred to as the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Initiative. This paper gives an overview of the 2011-2016 TREC Collaborative Network and the 15 research projects being conducted at the centers. Four academic institutions were awarded TREC center grants in 2011: Harvard University, University of California San Diego, University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University in St. Louis. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is the Coordination Center. The TREC research portfolio includes three animal studies, three cohort studies, four randomized clinical trials, one cross-sectional study, and two modeling studies. Disciplines represented by TREC investigators include basic science, endocrinology, epidemiology, biostatistics, behavior, medicine, nutrition, physical activity, genetics, engineering, health economics, and computer science. Approximately 41,000 participants will be involved in these studies, including children, healthy adults, and breast and prostate cancer survivors. Outcomes include biomarkers of cancer risk, changes in weight and physical activity, persistent adverse treatment effects (e.g., lymphedema, urinary and sexual function), and breast and prostate cancer mortality. The NIH Science of Team Science group will evaluate the value added by this collaborative science. However, the most important outcome will be whether this transdisciplinary initiative improves the health of Americans at risk of cancer as well as cancer survivors.
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Patient-centered prioritization of bladder cancer research.
Smith, Angela B; Chisolm, Stephanie; Deal, Allison; Spangler, Alejandra; Quale, Diane Z; Bangs, Rick; Jones, J Michael; Gore, John L
2018-05-04
Patient-centered research requires the meaningful involvement of patients and caregivers throughout the research process. The objective of this study was to create a process for sustainable engagement for research prioritization within oncology. From December 2014 to 2016, a network of engaged patients for research prioritization was created in partnership with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN): the BCAN Patient Survey Network (PSN). The PSN leveraged an online bladder cancer community with additional recruitment through print advertisements and social media campaigns. Prioritized research questions were developed through a modified Delphi process and were iterated through multidisciplinary working groups and a repeat survey. In year 1 of the PSN, 354 patients and caregivers responded to the research prioritization survey; the number of responses increased to 1034 in year 2. The majority of respondents had non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and the mean time since diagnosis was 5 years. Stakeholder-identified questions for noninvasive, invasive, and metastatic disease were prioritized by the PSN. Free-text questions were sorted with thematic mapping. Several questions submitted by respondents were among the prioritized research questions. A final prioritized list of research questions was disseminated to various funding agencies, and a highly ranked NMIBC research question was included as a priority area in the 2017 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute announcement of pragmatic trial funding. Patient engagement is needed to identify high-priority research questions in oncology. The BCAN PSN provides a successful example of an engagement infrastructure for annual research prioritization in bladder cancer. The creation of an engagement network sets the groundwork for additional phases of engagement, including design, conduct, and dissemination. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
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Vitamin D and cancer: Clinical aspects
Woloszynska-Read, Anna; Johnson, Candace S.; Trump, Donald L.
2015-01-01
There are substantial preclinical and epidemiologic data that suggest that vitamin D plays a role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Numerous observational studies have shown that low blood levels of 25(OH) vitamin D (cholecalciferol), estimated by geographical location, diet and activity assessment or measured serum levels are associated with a higher risk of cancer and worse cancer-specific survival as well as numerous morbidities to e.g. cardiovascular disease, stroke, infection, autoimmune disease, and neuromuscular dysfunction among large populations. A considerable number of in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the most active metabolite of vitamin D – 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol or calcitriol – has anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, pro-differentiating, and anti-angiogenic properties. Combined treatment of calcitriol and many types of cytotoxic agents has synergistic or at least additive effects. However, clinical trials testing these hypotheses have been less encouraging, though a number of methodological, pharmacological, and pharmaceutical issues confound all trials ever conducted. In order to properly assess the clinical value of vitamin D, its metabolites and analogs in cancer prevention and treatment, more studies are needed. PMID:21872802
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The application of crowdsourcing approaches to cancer research: a systematic review.
Lee, Young Ji; Arida, Janet A; Donovan, Heidi S
2017-11-01
Crowdsourcing is "the practice of obtaining participants, services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially via the Internet." (Ranard et al. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 29:187, 2014) Although crowdsourcing has been adopted in healthcare research and its potential for analyzing large datasets and obtaining rapid feedback has recently been recognized, no systematic reviews of crowdsourcing in cancer research have been conducted. Therefore, we sought to identify applications of and explore potential uses for crowdsourcing in cancer research. We conducted a systematic review of articles published between January 2005 and June 2016 on crowdsourcing in cancer research, using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PsychINFO, and Embase. Data from the 12 identified articles were summarized but not combined statistically. The studies addressed a range of cancers (e.g., breast, skin, gynecologic, colorectal, prostate). Eleven studies collected data on the Internet using web-based platforms; one recruited participants in a shopping mall using paper-and-pen data collection. Four studies used Amazon Mechanical Turk for recruiting and/or data collection. Study objectives comprised categorizing biopsy images (n = 6), assessing cancer knowledge (n = 3), refining a decision support system (n = 1), standardizing survivorship care-planning (n = 1), and designing a clinical trial (n = 1). Although one study demonstrated that "the wisdom of the crowd" (NCI Budget Fact Book, 2017) could not replace trained experts, five studies suggest that distributed human intelligence could approximate or support the work of trained experts. Despite limitations, crowdsourcing has the potential to improve the quality and speed of research while reducing costs. Longitudinal studies should confirm and refine these findings. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Lung Cancer Clinical Trials: Advances in Immunotherapy
New treatments for lung cancer and aspects of joining a clinical trial are discussed in this 30-minute Facebook Live event, hosted by NCI’s Dr. Shakun Malik, head of thoracic oncology therapeutics, and Janet Freeman-Daily, lung cancer patient activist and founding member of #LCSM.
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Organization and Running of the First Comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Clinic in India
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rajkumar T
2005-11-01
Full Text Available Abstract Hereditary cancers are thought to account for around 5% of cancers, particularly breast/ovarian and colorectal cancers. In India there is a paucity of data on hereditary cancers and the mutations in some of the common genes linked to hereditary cancers, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, hMSH2 and hMLH1. The country's first comprehensive hereditary cancer clinic was established in February 2002. The article describes the organization and running of the Clinic. It also discusses some of the social issues relevant to the given population in running the Hereditary Cancer Clinic.
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Canetta, Renzo; Nass, Sharyl J.
2014-01-01
Since their inception in the 1950s, the National Cancer Institute-funded cancer cooperative groups have been important contributors to cancer clinical and translational research. In 2010, a committee appointed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences completed a consensus review on the status of the U.S. publicly funded cancer clinical trials system. This report identified a need to reinvigorate the cooperative groups and provided recommendations for improving their effectiveness. Follow-up workshops to monitor progress were conducted by the IOM’s National Cancer Policy Forum and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2011 and 2013. One of the key recommendations of the IOM report was a call for greater collaboration among stakeholders in cancer research. In particular, more active engagement and better alignment of incentives among the cooperative groups, the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the biopharmaceutical industry were identified as essential to achieving the promise of oncology drug development. This review, based on presentations and discussion during the IOM-ASCO workshops, outlines the progress and remaining challenges of these collaborations. PMID:25326161
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Siebert, Uwe; Jahn, Beate; Rochau, Ursula; Schnell-Inderst, Petra; Kisser, Agnes; Hunger, Theresa; Sroczynski, Gaby; Mühlberger, Nikolai; Willenbacher, Wolfgang; Schnaiter, Simon; Endel, Gottfried; Huber, Lukas; Gastl, Guenther
2015-01-01
The Oncotyrol - Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine is an international and interdisciplinary alliance combining research and commercial competencies to accelerate the development, evaluation and translation of personalized healthcare strategies in cancer. The philosophy of Oncotyrol is to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and advance knowledge "from bench to bedside to population and back". Oncotyrol is funded through the COMET Excellence Program by the Austrian government via the national Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). This article focuses on the role of health technology assessment (HTA) and outcomes research in personalized cancer medicine in the context of Oncotyrol. Oncotyrol, which currently comprises approximately 20 individual projects, has four research areas: Area 1: Biomarker and Drug Target Identification; Area 2: Assay Development and Drug Screening; Area 3: Innovative Therapies; Area 4: Health Technology Assessment and Bioinformatics. Area 4 translates the results from Areas 1 to 3 to populations and society and reports them back to Area 3 to inform clinical studies and guidelines, and to Areas 1 and 2 to guide further research and development. In a series of international expert workshops, the Oncotyrol International Expert Task Force for Personalized Cancer Medicine developed the Methodological Framework for Early Health Technology Assessment and Decision Modeling in Cancer and practical guidelines in this field. Further projects included applications in the fields of sequential treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), benefit-harm and cost-effectiveness evaluation of prostate cancer screening, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of multiple cervical cancer screening strategies, and benefits and cost-effectiveness of genomic test-based treatment strategies in breast cancer. An interdisciplinary setting as generated in Oncotyrol provides unique opportunities such as systematically coordinating lab and bench
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Techniques in cancer research: a laboratory manual
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Deo, M.G.; Seshadri, R.; Mulherkar, R.; Mukhopadhyaya, R.
1995-01-01
Cancer Research Institute (CRI) works on all facets of cancer using the latest biomedical tools. For this purpose, it has established modern laboratories in different branches of cancer biology such as cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, chemical and viral oncogenesis, genetics of cancer including genetic engineering, tissue culture, cancer chemotherapy, neurooncology and comparative oncology. This manual describes the protocols used in these laboratories. There is also a chapter on handling and care of laboratory animals, an essential component of any modern cancer biology laboratory. It is hoped that the manual will be useful to biomedical laboratories, specially those interested in cancer research. refs., tabs., figs
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Cosgrove, Lisa; Shi, Ling; Creasey, David E; Anaya-McKivergan, Maria; Myers, Jessica A; Huybrechts, Krista F
2011-04-06
Antidepressant (AD) use has been purported to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, although both epidemiological and pre-clinical studies have reported mixed results. Previous studies in a variety of biomedical fields have found that financial ties to drug companies are associated with favorable study conclusions. We searched English-language articles in MEDLINE, PsychINFO, the Science Citations Index and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials (through November 2010). A total of 61 articles that assessed the relationship between breast and ovarian cancer and AD use and articles that examined the effect of ADs on cell growth were included. Multi-modal screening techniques were used to investigate researchers' financial ties with industry. A random effects meta-analysis was used to pool the findings from the epidemiological literature. Thirty-three percent (20/61) of the studies reported a positive association between ADs and cancer. Sixty-seven percent (41/61) of the studies reported no association or antiproliferative effect. The pooled odds ratio for the association between AD use and breast/ovarian cancer in the epidemiologic studies was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03-1.20). Researchers with industry affiliations were significantly less likely than researchers without those ties to conclude that ADs increase the risk of breast or ovarian cancer. (0/15 [0%] vs 20/46 [43.5%] (Fisher's Exact test P = 0.0012). Both the pre-clinical and clinical data are mixed in terms of showing an association between AD use and breast and ovarian cancer. The possibility that ADs may exhibit a bi-phasic effect, whereby short-term use and/or low dose antidepressants may increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, warrants further investigation. Industry affiliations were significantly associated with negative conclusions regarding cancer risk. The findings have implications in light of the 2009 USPSTF guidelines for breast cancer screening and for the
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Bioluminescent imaging: a critical tool in pre-clinical oncology research.
LENUS (Irish Health Repository)
O'Neill, Karen
2010-02-01
Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) is a non-invasive imaging modality widely used in the field of pre-clinical oncology research. Imaging of small animal tumour models using BLI involves the generation of light by luciferase-expressing cells in the animal following administration of substrate. This light may be imaged using an external detector. The technique allows a variety of tumour-associated properties to be visualized dynamically in living models. The increasing use of BLI as a small-animal imaging modality has led to advances in the development of xenogeneic, orthotopic, and genetically engineered animal models expressing luciferase genes. This review aims to provide insight into the principles of BLI and its applications in cancer research. Many studies to assess tumour growth and development, as well as efficacy of candidate therapeutics, have been performed using BLI. More recently, advances have also been made using bioluminescent imaging in studies of protein-protein interactions, genetic screening, cell-cycle regulators, and spontaneous cancer development. Such novel studies highlight the versatility and potential of bioluminescent imaging in future oncological research.
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Current concepts in cancer research
Ivan Kok Seng Yap; Ammu Kutty Radhakrishnan; Chee Onn Leong
2013-01-01
Cancer research is an extremely broadtopic covering many scientific disciplines includingbiology (e.g. biochemistry and signal transduction),chemistry (e.g. drug discover and development),physics (e.g. diagnostic devices) and even computerscience (e.g. bioinformatics). Some would argue thatcancer research will continue in much the same wayas it is by adding further layers of complexity to thescientific knowledge that is already complex and almostbeyond measure. But we anticipate that cancer r...
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bottomley, Andrew; Pe, Madeline; Sloan, Jeff
2016-01-01
Measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and other patient-reported outcomes generate important data in cancer randomised trials to assist in assessing the risks and benefits of cancer therapies and fostering patient-centred cancer care. However, the various ways these measures are anal......Measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and other patient-reported outcomes generate important data in cancer randomised trials to assist in assessing the risks and benefits of cancer therapies and fostering patient-centred cancer care. However, the various ways these measures...... are analysed and interpreted make it difficult to compare results across trials, and hinders the application of research findings to inform publications, product labelling, clinical guidelines, and health policy. To address these problems, the Setting International Standards in Analyzing Patient......-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Endpoints Data (SISAQOL) initiative has been established. This consortium, directed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), was convened to provide recommendations on how to standardise the analysis of HRQOL and other patient-reported outcomes...
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Collagen content as a risk factor in breast cancer? A pilot clinical study
Pifferi, Antonio; Quarto, Giovanna; Abbate, Francesca; Balestreri, Nicola; Menna, Simona; Cassano, Enrico; Cubeddu, Rinaldo; Taroni, Paola
2015-07-01
A retrospective pilot clinical study on time domain multi-wavelength (635 to 1060 nm) optical mammography was exploited to assess collagen as a breast-cancer risk factor on a total of 109 subjects (53 healthy and 56 with malignant lesions). An increased cancer occurrence is observed on the 15% subset of patients with higher age-matched collagen content. Further, a similar clustering based on the percentage breast density leads to a different set of patients, possibly indicating collagen as a new independent breast cancer risk factor. If confirmed statistically and on larger numbers, these results could have huge impact on personalized diagnostics, health care systems, as well as on basic research.
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Research in Danish cancer rehabilitation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Høybye, Mette Terp; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Christensen, Jane
2008-01-01
rate at baseline was 86% (n = 1876). Most participants were younger women with breast cancer. They were generally well educated and working. The cancer survivors reported having comprehensive social networks and being physically active. Several cancer-related symptoms were reported by women...... site, sex, age, family, working status and social position. These challenges might be addressed optimally in multi-dimensional rehabilitation programmes....... of the cancer survivors with respect to cancer site, sociodemographic variables, social network, lifestyle, self-rated health and the prevalence of cancer-related late effects. The study is part of the FOCARE research project, in which the long-term effects of the rehabilitation programme are evaluated...
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Clinical experience of integrative cancer immunotherapy with GcMAF.
Inui, Toshio; Kuchiike, Daisuke; Kubo, Kentaro; Mette, Martin; Uto, Yoshihiro; Hori, Hitoshi; Sakamoto, Norihiro
2013-07-01
Immunotherapy has become an attractive new strategy in the treatment of cancer. The laboratory and clinical study of cancer immunotherapy is rapidly advancing. However, in the clinical setting, the results of cancer immunotherapy are mixed. We therefore contend that cancer immunotherapy should be customized to each patient individually based on their immune status and propose an integrative immunotherapy approach with second-generation group-specific component macrophage activating factor (GcMAF)-containing human serum. The standard protocol of our integrative cancer immunotherapy is as follows: i) 0.5 ml GcMAF-containing human serum is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously once or twice per week for the duration of cancer therapy until all cancer cells are eradicated; ii) hyper T/natural killer (NK) cell therapy is given once per week for six weeks; iii) high-dose vitamin C is administered intravenously twice per week; iv) alpha lipoic acid (600 mg) is administered orally daily; v) vitamin D3 (5,000-10,000 IU) is administered orally daily. By March 2013, Saisei Mirai have treated over 345 patients with GcMAF. Among them we here present the cases of three patients for whom our integrative immunotherapy was remarkably effective. The results of our integrative immunotherapy seem hopeful. We also plan to conduct a comparative clinical study.>
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Uzzo, Robert G; Horwitz, Eric M; Plimack, Elizabeth R
2016-04-01
Founded in 1904, Fox Chase Cancer Center remains committed to its mission. It is one of 41 centers in the country designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute, is a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, holds the magnet designation for nursing excellence, is one of the first to establish a family cancer risk assessment program, and has achieved national distinction because of the scientific discoveries made there that have advanced clinical care. Two of its researchers have won Nobel prizes. The Genitourinary Division is nationally recognized and viewed as one of the top driving forces behind the growth of Fox Chase due to its commitment to initiating and participating in clinical trials, its prolific contributions to peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific meetings, its innovations in therapies and treatment strategies, and its commitment to bringing cutting-edge therapies to patients.
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Clinical and Genetic Aspects of Sporadic Non-Medullar Thyroid Cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
U Rumjanzeva
2006-03-01
Full Text Available The role of somatic mutations in sporadic thyroid cancer is unclear today. Probably they coming out as aetiological factors in carcinogenesis as well as, respectfully to many authors, can to participate in TC pathogenesis and to determine the clinical course and prognosis of the disease. For today as main oncogenes taking part in initiation of thyroid malignant tumors are considered: RET/PTC, TRK, PTEN, P53, RAS, MET, PPARγ. By means of genetic investigations scientists are trying to solve problems with thyroid cancer differentiated diagnostics (cytokeratin-19, cytokeratin-20, mesothelial cells antigen (Hector Battifora MEsotelial (cell or HBME-1, loss of heterozigitoty (LOH in short arm of 3 chromosome (gene VHL -von Hippel Lindau, 3р26. Recently in foreign literature appeared reports of activated mutations in gene BRAF which most frequently are occurred in melanoma and papillary TC. Prognosis of thyroid cancer may reflected by the LOH as a biological breakage as well as changes of tumor suppressive gene P53 which fraught with decrease of disease prognosis. Thus, both researchers and clinicians have many questions concerning the role of genome, particularly in order to precise of genetic abnormality influence on tumor growth and therefore for assessment of clinical prognosis and with aim to chose adequate treatment tactic in each case.
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Researching experiences of cancer: the importance of methodology.
Entwistle, V; Tritter, J Q; Calnan, M
2002-09-01
This paper draws on contributions to and discussions at a recent MRC HSRC-sponsored workshop 'Researching users' experiences of health care: the case of cancer'. We focus on the methodological and ethical challenges that currently face researchers who use self-report methods to investigate experiences of cancer and cancer care. These challenges relate to: the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of research; participation rates and participant profiles; data collection methods (the retrospective nature of accounts, description and measurement, and data collection as intervention); social desirability considerations; relationship considerations; the experiences of contributing to research; and the synthesis and presentation of findings. We suggest that methodological research to tackle these challenges should be integrated into substantive research projects to promote the development of a strong knowledge base about experiences of cancer and cancer care.
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Ionizing radiation-induced cancers. Experimental and clinical data
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Joveniaux, Alain.
1978-03-01
This work attempts to give an idea of radiocarcinogenesis, both experimental and clinical. Experimentally the possibility of radio-induced cancer formation has considerable doctrinal importance since it proves without question the carcinogenetic effect of radiations, and also yields basis information on the essential constants implicated in its occurrence: need for a latency time varying with the animal species and technique used, but quite long in relation to the specific lifetime of each species; importance of a massive irradiation, more conducive to cancerisation as long as it produces no necroses liable to stop the formation of any subsequent neoplasia; finally, rarity of is occurrence. Clinically although the cause and effect relationship between treatment and cancer is sometimes difficult to establish categorically, the fact is that hundreds of particularly disturbing observations remain and from their number often emerges under well-defined circumstances, an undeniable clinical certainty. Most importantly these observation fix the criteria necessary for the possibility of a radioinduced cancer to arise, i.e: the notion of a prior irradiation; the appearance of a cancer in the irradiation area; serious tissue damage in relation with an excessive radiation dose; a long latency period between irradition and appearance of the cancer [fr
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Understanding Cancer Prognosis
Full Text Available ... Cancer & Public Health Cancer Health Disparities Childhood Cancers Clinical Trials Global Cancer Research Key Initiatives The RAS Initiative Cancer Moonshot℠ Immunotherapy ...
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NCI Cancer Research Data Ecosystem
An infographic explaining NCI’s present and future efforts to promote a culture of sharing data—clinical, genomic, proteomic, imaging, patient histories, and outcomes data—among stakeholders to impact cancer care.
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Luchi, Nicola; Capretti, Paolo; Pazzagli, Mario; Pinzani, Pamela
2016-06-01
Latent invaders represent the first step of disease before symptoms occur in the host. Based on recent findings, tumors are considered to be ecosystems in which cancer cells act as invasive species that interact with the native host cell species. Analogously, in plants latent fungal pathogens coevolve within symptomless host tissues. For these reasons, similar detection approaches can be used for an early diagnosis of the invasion process in both plants and humans to prevent or reduce the spread of the disease. Molecular tools based on the evaluation of nucleic acids have been developed for the specific, rapid, and early detection of human diseases. During the last decades, these techniques to assess and quantify the proliferation of latent invaders in host cells have been transferred from the medical field to different areas of scientific research, such as plant pathology. An improvement in molecular biology protocols (especially referring to qPCR assays) specifically designed and optimized for detection in host plants is therefore advisable. This work is a cross-disciplinary review discussing the use of a methodological approach that is employed within both medical and plant sciences. It provides an overview of the principal qPCR tools for the detection of latent invaders, focusing on comparisons between clinical cancer research and plant pathology, and recent advances in the early detection of latent invaders to improve prevention and control strategies.
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Clinical photoacoustic imaging of cancer
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Valluru, Keerthi S.; Willmann, Juergen K. [Dept. of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford (United States)
2016-08-15
Photoacoustic imaging is a hybrid technique that shines laser light on tissue and measures optically induced ultrasound signal. There is growing interest in the clinical community over this new technique and its possible clinical applications. One of the most prominent features of photoacoustic imaging is its ability to characterize tissue, leveraging differences in the optical absorption of underlying tissue components such as hemoglobin, lipids, melanin, collagen and water among many others. In this review, the state-of-the-art photoacoustic imaging techniques and some of the key outcomes pertaining to different cancer applications in the clinic are presented.
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O'Callaghan, Clare; Dun, Beth; Baron, Annette; Barry, Philippa
2013-01-01
Music is central in most children's lives. Understanding its relevance will advance efficacious pediatric supportive cancer care. Qualitative clinical data-mining uncovered four music therapists' perspectives about music and music therapy's relevance for pediatric oncology patients up to 14 years old. Inductive and comparative thematic analysis was performed on focus group transcripts and qualitative interrater reliability integrated. Music can offer children a safe haven for internalizing a healthy self-image alongside patient identity. Music therapy can calm, relieve distress, promote supportive relationships, enable self-care, and inspire playful creativity, associated with "normalcy" and hope. Preferred music and music therapy should be available in pediatric oncology.
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Oral and head and neck cancer. Special listing
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1981-09-01
This Special Listing of Current Cancer Research Projects is a publication of the International Cancer Research Data Bank (ICRDB) Program of the National Cancer Institute. Each Listing contains descriptions of ongoing projects in one selected cancer research area. The research areas include: Human cancer etiology and epidemiology; Experimental carcinogenesis and pathology; Preclinical diagnosis and therapy; Clinical diagnosis and prognosis; Clinical therapy; Rehabilitation and psychological aspects of treatment; Training programs for dental professionals; Broad clinical programs
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2015-01-01
Diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology are arguably two of the most technologically advanced specialties in medicine. The imaging and radiation medicine technologies in clinical use today have been continuously improved through new advances made in the commercial and academic research arenas. This symposium explores the translational path from research through clinical implementation. Dr. Pettigrew will start this discussion by sharing his perspectives as director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). The NIBIB has focused on promoting research that is technological in nature and has high clinical impact. We are in the age of precision medicine, and the technological innovations and quantitative tools developed by engineers and physicists working with physicians are providing innovative tools that increase precision and improve outcomes in health care. NIBIB funded grants lead to a very high patenting rate (per grant dollar), and these patents have higher citation rates by other patents, suggesting greater clinical impact, as well. Two examples of clinical translation resulting from NIH-funded research will be presented, in radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Yu will describe a stereotactic radiotherapy device developed in his laboratory that is designed for treating breast cancer with the patient in the prone position. It uses 36 rotating Cobalt-60 sources positioned in an annular geometry to focus the radiation beam at the system’s isocenter. The radiation dose is delivered throughout the target volume in the breast by constantly moving the patient in a planned trajectory relative to the fixed isocenter. With this technique, the focal spot dynamically paints the dose distribution throughout the target volume in three dimensions. Dr. Jackson will conclude this symposium by describing the RSNA Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA), which is funded in part by NIBIB and is a synergistic collaboration
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2015-06-15
Diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology are arguably two of the most technologically advanced specialties in medicine. The imaging and radiation medicine technologies in clinical use today have been continuously improved through new advances made in the commercial and academic research arenas. This symposium explores the translational path from research through clinical implementation. Dr. Pettigrew will start this discussion by sharing his perspectives as director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). The NIBIB has focused on promoting research that is technological in nature and has high clinical impact. We are in the age of precision medicine, and the technological innovations and quantitative tools developed by engineers and physicists working with physicians are providing innovative tools that increase precision and improve outcomes in health care. NIBIB funded grants lead to a very high patenting rate (per grant dollar), and these patents have higher citation rates by other patents, suggesting greater clinical impact, as well. Two examples of clinical translation resulting from NIH-funded research will be presented, in radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Yu will describe a stereotactic radiotherapy device developed in his laboratory that is designed for treating breast cancer with the patient in the prone position. It uses 36 rotating Cobalt-60 sources positioned in an annular geometry to focus the radiation beam at the system’s isocenter. The radiation dose is delivered throughout the target volume in the breast by constantly moving the patient in a planned trajectory relative to the fixed isocenter. With this technique, the focal spot dynamically paints the dose distribution throughout the target volume in three dimensions. Dr. Jackson will conclude this symposium by describing the RSNA Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA), which is funded in part by NIBIB and is a synergistic collaboration
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Starmer, Darren L
2018-04-19
In Australia, one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. Several studies have demonstrated a decline in the number of medical graduates having examined cancer patients during their training. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure of medical students to cancer patients during clinical placements. Eighty-eight logbooks (response rate = 24.75%) containing 9430 patients were analysed. A total of 829 patients (8.79%) had a diagnosis of cancer. Most cancer patients were seen on surgical placements, whilst general practice placements returned the lowest numbers. None were seen in paediatrics or ophthalmology. Given the role surgery plays in the staging and treatment of cancer, it is unsurprising that most cancer patients were seen during surgery. Most concerning was the number of patients with common cancers seen by our students. Only 46% of students saw a patient with breast cancer. Even fewer saw patients with colorectal (41%), lung (32%) and prostate cancer (30%). Only 14% saw a melanoma patient. Variability in the quality of the logbooks is the main limitation of this study, and therefore, it is not a complete picture of cancer patient exposure. However, it builds upon previous studies by providing insight to the number and types of cancer patients to which students were exposed. Overall, the exposure to common cancers remains concerning and further research is needed to explore the type and quality of these interactions over the course of an entire year.
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Veterinary Oncologist | Center for Cancer Research
The NCI is implementing a program intended to connect and closely coordinate the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis’ (DCTD’s) immunotherapeutics and other drug development activities with the translational oriented clinical trials of the Center for Cancer Research’s (CCR’s) Comparative Oncology Program (COP), especially the treatment of dogs with natural occurring
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Intra-tumor heterogeneity in head and neck cancer and its clinical implications
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Edmund A. Mroz
2016-06-01
Full Text Available The presence of heritable differences among cancer cells within a tumor, called intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, has long been suspected of playing a role in poor responses to therapy. Research over the past decade has documented the existence of such heterogeneity within tumors of individual patients and documented its potential clinical significance. The research methods for identifying this heterogeneity were not, however, readily adaptable to widespread clinical application. After a brief review of this background, we describe the development of a measure of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, based on whole-exome sequencing of individual tumor samples, that could be applied to biopsy specimens in a clinical setting. This measure has now been used in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC to document, for the first time, a relation of high intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity to shorter overall survival in a large, multi-institutional study. The implications of heterogeneity for research and clinical care thus now need to be addressed. Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, Next-generation sequencing, Targeted therapy
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Mattes, Malcolm D; Swart, Elizabeth; Markwell, Steven M; Wen, Sijin; Vona-Davis, Linda C
2017-09-15
Little is known about how clinical oncology concepts are taught to PhD students or the most effective methods of doing so. In this study, electronic surveys were sent to faculty and students at PhD training programs, assessing their institution's methods of clinical oncology education and their perspective on optimal approaches to clinical oncology education. Only 40.0% of students reported any clinical oncology component to their institution's training, and only 26.5% had a clinician on their graduate advisory committee. Forty-three percent of students believed that they had a good understanding for translating basic science research into clinical practice, and 77.2% of all participants believed dual degree MD/PhD students were superior to PhD students in this regard. Lectures on clinical oncology research topics were the most valuable type of experience for all participants and were also the most common type of experience utilized. Working with a clinician to develop a clinical trial with correlative endpoints was also highly valued, but was only utilized by approximately 10% of programs. Faculty rated the value of nearly all types of clinical oncology exposure significantly lower than did students. Inclusion of the approaches identified in this study is likely to enhance PhD training in oncology-related disciplines. Cancer Res; 77(18); 4741-4. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.
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[caCORE: core architecture of bioinformation on cancer research in America].
Gao, Qin; Zhang, Yan-lei; Xie, Zhi-yun; Zhang, Qi-peng; Hu, Zhang-zhi
2006-04-18
A critical factor in the advancement of biomedical research is the ease with which data can be integrated, redistributed and analyzed both within and across domains. This paper summarizes the Biomedical Information Core Infrastructure built by National Cancer Institute Center for Bioinformatics in America (NCICB). The main product from the Core Infrastructure is caCORE--cancer Common Ontologic Reference Environment, which is the infrastructure backbone supporting data management and application development at NCICB. The paper explains the structure and function of caCORE: (1) Enterprise Vocabulary Services (EVS). They provide controlled vocabulary, dictionary and thesaurus services, and EVS produces the NCI Thesaurus and the NCI Metathesaurus; (2) The Cancer Data Standards Repository (caDSR). It provides a metadata registry for common data elements. (3) Cancer Bioinformatics Infrastructure Objects (caBIO). They provide Java, Simple Object Access Protocol and HTTP-XML application programming interfaces. The vision for caCORE is to provide a common data management framework that will support the consistency, clarity, and comparability of biomedical research data and information. In addition to providing facilities for data management and redistribution, caCORE helps solve problems of data integration. All NCICB-developed caCORE components are distributed under open-source licenses that support unrestricted usage by both non-profit and commercial entities, and caCORE has laid the foundation for a number of scientific and clinical applications. Based on it, the paper expounds caCORE-base applications simply in several NCI projects, of which one is CMAP (Cancer Molecular Analysis Project), and the other is caBIG (Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid). In the end, the paper also gives good prospects of caCORE, and while caCORE was born out of the needs of the cancer research community, it is intended to serve as a general resource. Cancer research has historically
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The clinical impact of recent advances in LC-MS for cancer biomarker discovery and verification
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wang, Hui; Shi, Tujin; Qian, Wei-Jun; Liu, Tao; Kagan, Jacob; Srivastava, Sudhir; Smith, Richard D.; Rodland, Karin D.; Camp, David G.
2015-12-04
Mass spectrometry-based proteomics has become an indispensable tool in biomedical research with broad applications ranging from fundamental biology, systems biology, and biomarker discovery. Recent advances in LC-MS have made it become a major technology in clinical applications, especially in cancer biomarker discovery and verification. To overcome the challenges associated with the analysis of clinical samples, such as extremely wide dynamic range of protein concentrations in biofluids and the need to perform high throughput and accurate quantification, significant efforts have been devoted to improve the overall performance of LC-MS bases clinical proteomics. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in LC-MS in the aspect of cancer biomarker discovery and quantification, and discuss its potentials, limitations, and future perspectives.
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Understanding Cancer Prognosis
Full Text Available ... Research Cancer Treatment Types of Cancer Treatment Side Effects Clinical Trials Information A to Z List of ... Diagnosis Staging Prognosis Treatment Types of Treatment Side Effects Clinical Trials Cancer Drugs Complementary & Alternative Medicine Coping ...
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Delphi Study to Determine Rehabilitation Research Priorities for Older Adults With Cancer.
Lyons, Kathleen Doyle; Radomski, Mary Vining; Alfano, Catherine M; Finkelstein, Marsha; Sleight, Alix G; Marshall, Timothy F; McKenna, Raymond; Fu, Jack B
2017-05-01
To solicit expert opinions and develop consensus around the research that is needed to improve cancer rehabilitation for older adults. Delphi methods provided a structured process to elicit and prioritize research questions from national experts. National, Web-based survey. Members (N=32) of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine completed at least 1 of 3 investigator-developed surveys. Not applicable. In the first survey, participants identified up to 5 research questions that needed to be answered to improve cancer rehabilitation for older adults. In 2 subsequent surveys, participants viewed the compilation of questions, rated the importance of each question, and identified the 5 most important questions. This generated priority scores for each question. Consensus scores were created to describe the degree of agreement around the priority of each question. Highest priority research concerns the epidemiology and measurement of function and disability in older adult cancer survivors; the effects of cancer rehabilitation interventions on falls, disability, participation, survival, costs, quality of care, and health care utilization; and testing models of care that facilitate referrals from oncology to rehabilitation providers as part of coordinated, multicomponent care. A multipronged approach is needed to fill these gaps, including targeted funding opportunities developed with an advisory panel of cancer rehabilitation experts, development of a research network to facilitate novel collaborations and grant proposals, and coordinated efforts of clinical groups to advocate for funding, practice change, and policy change. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Bao, Han; Yang, Fengjuan; Su, Shaofei; Wang, Xinyu; Zhang, Meiqi; Xiao, Yaming; Jiang, Hao; Wang, Jiaying; Liu, Meina
2016-05-01
Substantial gaps exist between clinical practice and evidence-based cancer care, potentially leading to adverse clinical outcomes and decreased quality of life for cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of clinical pathways as a tool for improving quality of cancer care, using breast, colon, and rectal cancer pathways as demonstrations. Newly diagnosed patients with invasive breast, colon, and rectal cancer were enrolled as pre-pathway groups, while patients with the same diagnoses treated according to clinical pathways were recruited for post-pathway groups. Compliance with preoperative core biopsy or fine-needle aspiration, utilization of sentinel lymph node biopsy, and proportion of patients whose tumor hormone receptor status was stated in pathology report were significantly increased after implementation of clinical pathway for breast cancer. For colon cancer, compliance with two care processes was significantly improved: surgical resection with anastomosis and resection of at least 12 lymph nodes. Regarding rectal cancer, there was a significant increase in compliance with preoperative evaluation of depth of tumor invasion, total mesorectal excision treatment of middle- or low-position rectal cancer, and proportion of patients who had undergone rectal cancer surgery whose pathology report included margin status. Moreover, total length of hospital stay was decreased remarkably for all three cancer types, and postoperative complications remained unchanged following implementation of the clinical pathways. Clinical pathways can improve compliance with standard care by implementing evidence-based quality indicators in daily practice, which could serve as a useful tool for narrowing the gap between clinical practice and evidence-based care.
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The Science of Cancer Prevention
The science of cancer prevention is described by Dr. Barnett S. Kramer, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Division of Cancer Prevention administers a broad spectrum of research that spans basic pre-clinical, laboratory research, supportive and palliative care research, early detection, and randomized controlled clinical trials. The Division also supports the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program and is devoted to the balanced communication of scientific results.
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Cancer Genome Interpreter annotates the biological and clinical relevance of tumor alterations.
Tamborero, David; Rubio-Perez, Carlota; Deu-Pons, Jordi; Schroeder, Michael P; Vivancos, Ana; Rovira, Ana; Tusquets, Ignasi; Albanell, Joan; Rodon, Jordi; Tabernero, Josep; de Torres, Carmen; Dienstmann, Rodrigo; Gonzalez-Perez, Abel; Lopez-Bigas, Nuria
2018-03-28
While tumor genome sequencing has become widely available in clinical and research settings, the interpretation of tumor somatic variants remains an important bottleneck. Here we present the Cancer Genome Interpreter, a versatile platform that automates the interpretation of newly sequenced cancer genomes, annotating the potential of alterations detected in tumors to act as drivers and their possible effect on treatment response. The results are organized in different levels of evidence according to current knowledge, which we envision can support a broad range of oncology use cases. The resource is publicly available at http://www.cancergenomeinterpreter.org .
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Emerging role of bioinformatics tools and software in evolution of clinical research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Supreet Kaur Gill
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Clinical research is making toiling efforts for promotion and wellbeing of the health status of the people. There is a rapid increase in number and severity of diseases like cancer, hepatitis, HIV etc, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Clinical research involves drug discovery and development whereas clinical trials are performed to establish safety and efficacy of drugs. Drug discovery is a long process starting with the target identification, validation and lead optimization. This is followed by the preclinical trials, intensive clinical trials and eventually post marketing vigilance for drug safety. Softwares and the bioinformatics tools play a great role not only in the drug discovery but also in drug development. It involves the use of informatics in the development of new knowledge pertaining to health and disease, data management during clinical trials and to use clinical data for secondary research. In addition, new technology likes molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, proteomics and quantitative structure activity relationship in clinical research results in faster and easier drug discovery process. During the preclinical trials, the software is used for randomization to remove bias and to plan study design. In clinical trials software like electronic data capture, Remote data capture and electronic case report form (eCRF is used to store the data. eClinical, Oracle clinical are software used for clinical data management and for statistical analysis of the data. After the drug is marketed the safety of a drug could be monitored by drug safety software like Oracle Argus or ARISg. Therefore, softwares are used from the very early stages of drug designing, to drug development, clinical trials and during pharmacovigilance. This review describes different aspects related to application of computers and bioinformatics in drug designing, discovery and development, formulation designing and clinical research.
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Flow Cytometry Technician | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Basic Science Program (BSP) pursues independent, multidisciplinary research in basic and applied molecular biology, immunology, retrovirology, cancer biology, and human genetics. Research efforts and support are an integral part of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR). KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES The Flow Cytometry Core (Flow Core) of the Cancer and Inflammation Program (CIP) is a service core which supports the research efforts of the CCR by providing expertise in the field of flow cytometry (using analyzers and sorters) with the goal of gaining a more thorough understanding of the biology of cancer and cancer cells. The Flow Core provides service to 12-15 CIP laboratories and more than 22 non-CIP laboratories. Flow core staff provide technical advice on the experimental design of applications, which include immunological phenotyping, cell function assays, and cell cycle analysis. Work is performed per customer requirements, and no independent research is involved. The Flow Cytometry Technician will be responsible for: Monitor performance of and maintain high dimensional flow cytometer analyzers and cell sorters Operate high dimensional flow cytometer analyzers and cell sorters Monitoring lab supply levels and order lab supplies, perform various record keeping responsibilities Assist in the training of scientific end users on the use of flow cytometry in their research, as well as how to operate and troubleshoot the bench-top analyzer instruments Experience with sterile technique and tissue culture
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Cancer research in Brazil - stuck in second gear?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
A.P. Lepique
2015-02-01
Full Text Available This article describes the main issues regarding clinical cancer research in Brazil, including both the opportunities and the hurdles. Scientists and clinicians in this field had the opportunity to talk to regulatory agencies and to the Health Ministry representative at a meeting held in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in April 2014. Our conclusions are that we do indeed have opportunities; however, we need to move forward regarding partnerships between academia and industry, increase the availability of funding, and provide easier navigation through the regulatory processes.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sastri, Goda Jayant; Gota, Vikram
2014-01-01
Radiobiological, pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studies are of paramount importance for drug development and more so in the development of newer radiation modulators. Radiobiological studies have now graduated from simple cell survival and viability assays to more complex molecular and imaging studies to study radiation modulation both in in-vitro and in-vivo models. Tata Memorial Centre and its research centre (ACTREC) is a premiere cancer centre in India dedicated to cancer research. The Department of Radiation Oncology treats approximately 7000 new patients in a year and is uniquely placed to do both translational radiation and clinical research in the field of drug development. The Clinical Biology Lab of the Department of Radiation Oncology at ACTREC in collaboration with other labs at ACTREC has standardized cell survival assays, DNA damage assays such as Gamma H2AX assay (by flow as well as confocal microscopy), Micronuclei assay and COMET assays using CASP software for quantification. We have also done apoptotic assays. These assays have been conducted for development newer drug formulations (for e.g liposomal radiosensitizers). We also have a strong imaging division having sophisticated microscopes (confocal and single molecule super resolution microscopes) for in-vitro optical imaging and a dedicated preclinical PET/CT/SPECT for in-vivo imaging. The clinical 3T MRI and PET/CT is being used to study the effect of hypoxia in various cancers
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Palesh, Oxana; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Mustian, Karen; Minasian, Lori; Rowland, Julia; Sprod, Lisa; Janelsins, Michelle; Peppone, Luke; Sloan, Jeff; Engquist, Karen Basen; Jones, Lee; Buist, Diana; Paskett, Electra D
2011-05-01
As the number of cancer survivors expands, the need for cancer control and survivorship research becomes increasingly important. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cooperative Groups may offer a viable platform to perform such research. Observational, preventive, and behavioral research can often be performed within the cooperative group setting, especially if resources needed for evaluation are fairly simple, if protocols are easily implemented within the typical clinical setting, and if interventions are well standardized. Some protocols are better suited to cooperative groups than are others, and there are advantages and disadvantages to conducting survivorship research within the cooperative group setting. Behavioral researchers currently involved in cooperative groups, as well as program staff within the NCI, can serve as sources of information for those wishing to pursue symptom management and survivorship studies within the clinical trial setting. The structure of the cooperative groups is currently changing, but going forward, survivorship is bound to be a topic of interest and one that perhaps may be more easily addressed using the proposed more centralized structure. ©2011 AACR.
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Preclinical and Clinical Effects of Mistletoe against Breast Cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mohsen Marvibaigi
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Breast cancer is among the most frequent types of cancer in women worldwide. Current conventional treatment options are accompanied by side effects. Mistletoe is amongst the important herbal medicines traditionally used as complementary remedies. An increasing number of studies have reported anticancer activity of mistletoe extracts on breast cancer cells and animal models. Some recent evidence suggests that cytotoxic activity of mistletoe may be mediated through different mechanisms. These findings provide a good base for clinical trials. Various studies on mistletoe therapy for breast cancer patients revealed similar findings concerning possible benefits on survival time, health-related quality of life (HRQoL, remission rate, and alleviating adverse reactions to conventional therapy. This review provides an overview of the recent findings on preclinical experiments and clinical trials of mistletoe for its cytotoxic and antitumor activity and its effect on HRQoL in breast cancer patients. Moreover, studies investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying antitumor activity of mistletoe are discussed in this paper. The analyzed trials provided evidence that there might be a combination of pharmacological and motivational aspects mediated by the mistletoe extract application which may contribute to the clinical benefit and positive outcome such as improved HRQoL and self-regulation in breast cancer patients.
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Atkinson, Nancy L; Massett, Holly A; Mylks, Christy; McCormack, Lauren A; Kish-Doto, Julia; Hesse, Bradford W; Wang, Min Qi
2011-01-01
Informatics applications have the potential to improve participation in clinical trials, but their design must be based on user-centered research. This research used a fully counterbalanced experimental design to investigate the effect of changes made to the original version of a website, http://BreastCancerTrials.org/, and confirm that the revised version addressed and reinforced patients' needs and expectations. Participants included women who had received a breast cancer diagnosis within the last 5 years (N=77). They were randomized into two groups: one group used and reviewed the original version first followed by the redesigned version, and the other group used and reviewed them in reverse order. The study used both quantitative and qualitative measures. During use, participants' click paths and general reactions were observed. After use, participants were asked to answer survey items and open-ended questions to indicate their reactions and which version they preferred and met their needs and expectations better. Overall, the revised version of the site was preferred and perceived to be clearer, easier to navigate, more trustworthy and credible, and more private and safe overall. However, users who viewed the original version last had similar attitudes toward both versions. By applying research findings to the redesign of a website for clinical trial searching, it was possible to re-engineer the interface to better support patients' decisions to participate in clinical trials. The mechanisms of action in this case appeared to revolve around creating an environment that supported a sense of personal control and decisional autonomy.
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Wang, Zhijun; Fan, Jeffery; Liu, Mandy; Yeung, Steven; Chang, Andy; Chow, Moses S S; Pon, Doreen; Huang, Ying
2013-12-01
Nutraceutical is a food, or part of a food, used for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases. A number of nutraceuticals serve as candidates for development of prostate cancer chemopreventive agents because of promising epidemiological, preclinical and pilot clinical findings. Their mechanisms of action may involve an ability to target multiple molecular pathways in carcinogenesis without eliciting toxic side effects. This review provides an overview of several nutraceuticals, including green tea polyphenol, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, lycopene, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol and sulforaphane, for the clinical relevance to chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Their mechanisms of action on regulating key processes of carcinogenesis are also discussed. For each of these agents, a brief summary of completed or currently ongoing clinical trials related to the chemopreventive efficacy on prostate cancer is given. Even though a few clinical trials have been conducted, review of these results indicate that further studies are required to confirm the clinical efficacy and safety, and to provide a guidance on how to use nutraceuticals for optimal effect. Future cancer prevention clinical trials for the nutraceuticals should recruit men with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
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Lai, Wyman W.; Richmond, Marc; Li, Jennifer S.; Saul, J. Philip; Mital, Seema; Colan, Steven D.; Newburger, Jane W.; Sleeper, Lynn A.; McCrindle, Brain W.; Minich, L. LuAnn; Goldmuntz, Elizabeth; Marino, Bradley S.; Williams, Ismee A.; Pearson, Gail D.; Evans, Frank; Scott, Jane D.; Cohen, Meryl S.
2013-01-01
Background Wyman W. Lai, MD, MPH, and Victoria L. Vetter, MD, MPH. The Pediatric Heart Network (PHN), funded under the U.S. National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH–NHLBI), includes two Clinical Research Skills Development (CRSD) Cores, which were awarded to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and to the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York–Presbyterian. To provide information on how to develop a clinical research career to a larger number of potential young investigators in pediatric cardiology, the directors of these two CRSD Cores jointly organized a one-day seminar for fellows and junior faculty from all of the PHN Core sites. The participants included faculty members from the PHN and the NHLBI. The day-long seminar was held on April 29, 2009, at the NHLBI site, immediately preceding the PHN Steering Committee meeting in Bethesda, MD. Methods The goals of the seminar were 1) to provide fellows and early investigators with basic skills in clinical research 2) to provide a forum for discussion of important research career choices 3) to introduce attendees to each other and to established clinical researchers in pediatric cardiology, and 4) to publish a commentary on the future of clinical research in pediatric cardiology. Results The following chapters are compilations of the talks given at the 2009 PHN Clinical Research Skills Development Seminar, published to share the information provided with a broader audience of those interested in learning how to develop a clinical research career in pediatric cardiology. The discussions of types of clinical research, research skills, career development strategies, funding, and career management are applicable to research careers in other areas of clinical medicine as well. Conclusions The aim of this compilation is to stimulate those who might be interested in the research career options available to investigators. PMID:21167335
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Vibrational spectroscopy: a clinical tool for cancer diagnostics.
Kendall, Catherine; Isabelle, Martin; Bazant-Hegemark, Florian; Hutchings, Joanne; Orr, Linda; Babrah, Jaspreet; Baker, Rebecca; Stone, Nicholas
2009-06-01
Vibrational spectroscopy techniques have demonstrated potential to provide non-destructive, rapid, clinically relevant diagnostic information. Early detection is the most important factor in the prevention of cancer. Raman and infrared spectroscopy enable the biochemical signatures from biological tissues to be extracted and analysed. In conjunction with advanced chemometrics such measurements can contribute to the diagnostic assessment of biological material. This paper also illustrates the complementary advantage of using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy technologies together. Clinical requirements are increasingly met by technological developments which show promise to become a clinical reality. This review summarises recent advances in vibrational spectroscopy and their impact on the diagnosis of cancer.
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Clinical utility of ramucirumab in advanced gastric cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chan MMK
2015-09-01
Full Text Available Matthew MK Chan,1,2 Katrin M Sjoquist,1,3 John R Zalcberg4 1NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Central Coast Cancer Centre, Gosford Hospital, Gosford, NSW, Australia; 3Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 4School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract: Gastric cancer is currently the third most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Prognosis remains poor with most patients presenting with advanced or metastatic disease. A better understanding of angiogenesis has led to the investigation of drugs that inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF pathway including anti-VEGF antibody therapy (eg, bevacizumab, inhibitors of angiogenic receptor tyrosine kinases (eg, sunitinib, sorafenib, apatinib, regorafenib, and inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs (eg, ramucirumab. Ramucirumab, a VEGFR-2 inhibitor, is the first anti-angiogenic agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of advanced gastric cancers. This review will focus on the clinical utility and potential use of ramucirumab in advanced gastric cancer. Keywords: ramucirumab, IMC-1121B, gastric cancer, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, angiogenesis, targeted therapy
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Translational Partnership Development Lead | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc on behalf of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The staff of FNLCR support the NCI’s mission in the fight against cancer and HIV/AIDS. Currently we are seeking a Translational Partnership
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Skevofilakas, M.T.; Nikita, K.S.; Templaleksis, P.H.; Birbas, K.N.; Kaklamanos, I.G.; Bonatsos, G.N.
2007-01-01
Evidence based medicine is the clinical practice that uses medical data and proof in order to make efficient clinical decisions. Information technology (IT) can play a crucial role in exploiting the huge size of raw medical data involved. In an attempt to improve clinical efficacy, health care society nowadays also utilizes a new assistant, clinical guidelines. Our research concerns the medical domain of the breast cancer disease. Our research's focus is twofold; our primary goal is to ensure consistency in clinical practice by importing clinical guidelines in an IT driven decision support system (DSS). Furthermore, we seek to improve visualization of disease specific, clinical data, providing for it's faster and more efficient use. (orig.)
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CCR Interns | Center for Cancer Research
The Cancer Research Interns (CRI) Summer Program was inaugurated in 2004 to provide an open door for students looking for an initial training opportunity. The goal is to enhance diversity within the CCR (Center for Cancer Research) training program and we have placed 338 students from 2004 to 2017, in labs and branches across the division. The CCR and the Center for Cancer Training’s Office of Training and Education provide stipend support, some Service & Supply funds, and travel support for those students who meet the financial eligibility criteria (
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Celis, Julio E; Gromov, Pavel; Gromova, Irina
2003-01-01
The application of state-of-the-art proteomics and functional genomics technologies to the study of cancer is rapidly shifting toward the analysis of clinically relevant samples derived from patients, as the ultimate aim of translational research is to bring basic discoveries closer to the bedside...
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Downing, Amy; Morris, Eva Ja; Corrigan, Neil; Sebag-Montefiore, David; Finan, Paul J; Thomas, James D; Chapman, Michael; Hamilton, Russell; Campbell, Helen; Cameron, David; Kaplan, Richard; Parmar, Mahesh; Stephens, Richard; Seymour, Matt; Gregory, Walter; Selby, Peter
2017-01-01
In 2001, the National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN) was established, leading to a rapid increase in clinical research activity across the English NHS. Using colorectal cancer (CRC) as an example, we test the hypothesis that high, sustained hospital-level participation in interventional clinical trials improves outcomes for all patients with CRC managed in those research-intensive hospitals. Data for patients diagnosed with CRC in England in 2001-2008 (n=209 968) were linked with data on accrual to NCRN CRC studies (n=30 998). Hospital Trusts were categorised by the proportion of patients accrued to interventional studies annually. Multivariable models investigated the relationship between 30-day postoperative mortality and 5-year survival and the level and duration of study participation. Most of the Trusts achieving high participation were district general hospitals and the effects were not limited to cancer 'centres of excellence', although such centres do make substantial contributions. Patients treated in Trusts with high research participation (≥16%) in their year of diagnosis had lower postoperative mortality (presearch participation, with a reduction in postoperative mortality of 1.5% (6.5%-5%, pstudies for all patients with CRC treated in the hospital study participants. Improvement precedes and increases with the level and years of sustained participation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.
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Yildiz, Hicran; Akansel, Neriman
2011-01-01
This study was conducted to evaluate beginning nursing students' point of view related to caring cancer patients in their first clinical placement. Data were collected by evaluating the diaries kept by four beginning level nursing students who were assigned to do their fundamentals of nursing clinical practice in hematology clinic from February to May 2011. A qualitative research method was used and data were analyzed using inductive method. Nursing students experienced anxiety, had difficulties while communicating with cancer patients and observed some negative practices related to patient care and treatment. During their clinical placement nursing students were able to differentiate right and wrong practices in clinical environment, they tried to tailor their theoretical knowledge to the clinical practice and reported decrease in their anxiety by the end of clinical rotation. Being assigned to care for cancer patients was a stressful experience for the first year students. According to these results, it can be said that clinics such as hematology can be used as a clinical placement only in mandatory conditions for beginning level nursing students because of their limited clinical experience and the knowledge requirement related to these patients.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1998-12-31
Topics from the Contents: The Fight against Cancer in Germany - A Critical Review. Conditions and Structures in Research. Familial Breast Cancer - A Critical Assessment. Research without Animal Experiments. Cancer Prevention. New Approaches for Tumor Therapy. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. Therapy of Brain Tumors with Laser Neurosurgery. The Genome Project. (orig.) [Deutsch] Krebsbekaempfung in Deutschland - kritische Ueberlegungen. Forschungsbedingungen und -strukturen. Forschung ohne Tierversuche. Familiaerer Brustkrebs - eine Risikoabschaetzung. Krebspraevention. Neue Therapieansaetze. Laser-Neurochirurgie bei Hirntumoren. Das Genomprojekt. Gene, Chromosomen und Krebs. (orig.)
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On the path to translation: Highlights from the 2010 Canadian Conference on Ovarian Cancer Research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Thériault Brigitte L
2011-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract Ovarian cancer continues to be the most lethal of the gynaecologic malignancies due to the lack of early detection, screening strategies and ineffective therapeutics for late-stage metastatic disease, particularly in the recurrent setting. The gathering of researchers investigating fundamental pathobiology of ovarian cancer and the clinicians who treat patients with this insidious disease is paramount to meeting the challenges we face. Since 2002, the Canadian Conference on Ovarian Cancer Research, held every two years, has served this essential purpose. The objectives of this conference have been to disseminate new information arising from the most recent ovarian cancer research and identify the most pressing challenges we still face as scientists and clinicians. This is best accomplished through direct encounters and exchanges of innovative ideas among colleagues and trainees from the realms of basic science and clinical disciplines. This meeting has and continues to successfully facilitate rapid networking and establish new collaborations from across Canada. This year, more guest speakers and participants from other countries have extended the breadth of the research on ovarian cancer that was discussed at the meeting. This report summarizes the key findings presented at the fifth biennial Canadian Conference on Ovarian Cancer Research held in Toronto, Ontario, and includes the important issues and challenges we still face in the years ahead to make a significant impact on this devastating disease.
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Gafford, J Atlee; Gurley-Calvez, Tami; Krebill, Hope; Lai, Sue Min; Christiadi; Doolittle, Gary C
2017-09-01
Patients benefit from receiving cancer treatment closer to home when possible and at high-volume regional centers when specialized care is required. The purpose of this analysis was to estimate the economic impact of retaining more patients in-state for cancer clinical trials and care, which might offset some of the costs of establishing broader cancer trial and treatment networks. Kansas Cancer Registry data were used to estimate the number of patients retained in-state for cancer care following the expansion of local cancer clinical trial options through the Midwest Cancer Alliance based at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The 2014 economic impact of this enhanced local clinical trial network was estimated in four parts: Medical spending was estimated on the basis of National Cancer Institute cost-of-care estimates. Household travel cost savings were estimated as the difference between in-state and out-of-state travel costs. Trial-related grant income was calculated from administrative records. Indirect and induced economic benefits to the state were estimated using an economic impact model. The authors estimated that the enhanced local cancer clinical trial network resulted in approximately $6.9 million in additional economic activity in the state in 2014, or $362,000 per patient retained in-state. This estimate includes $3.6 million in direct spending and $3.3 million in indirect economic activity. The enhanced trial network also resulted in 45 additional jobs. Retaining patients in-state for cancer care and clinical trial participation allows patients to remain closer to home for care and enhances the state economy.
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The prospects for the research on chemical modifiers of cancer treatment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jin Yizun
2002-01-01
The current clinical statue of chemical modifiers of cancer treatment is described. It should enable greater enhancement ratios to be attained clinically. To search for less toxic and more potent sensitizers for radiotherapy and chemotherapy will be improved the cancer treatment. Phase I, II and III clinical trials with TPZ, one of the bioreductive drugs, has shown the benefit to patients with cancer
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Towards meeting the research needs of Australian cancer consumers
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Saunders Carla
2012-12-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a growing amount of literature to support the view that active involvement in research by consumers, especially informed and networked consumers, benefits the quality and direction of research itself, the research process and, most importantly, people affected by cancer. Our exploratory project focuses on identifying their priorities and developing a process to assess the research needs of Australian cancer consumers which may be useful beyond the cancer scenario. Methods This project was consumer initiated, developed and implemented, with the assistance of a leading Australian cancer consumer advocacy group, Cancer Voices NSW (CVN. Such direct involvement is unusual and ensures that the priorities identified, and the process itself, are not influenced by other interests, regardless how well-intentioned they may be. The processes established, and data collection via a workshop, followed by a questionnaire to confirm and prioritise findings, and comparison with a similar UK exercise, are detailed in this paper. Results Needs across five topic areas reflecting cancer control domains (prevention and risk; screening and diagnosis; treatment; survivorship; and end of life were identified. Cancer consumers high priority research needs were found to be: earlier diagnosis of metastatic cancers; the extent of use of best practice palliative care guidelines; identifying barriers to cancer risk behaviour change; and environmental, nutrition and lifestyle risk factors for people with cancer. A process for identifying consumers’ research priorities was developed and applied; this may be useful for further investigation in this under-studied area. Conclusion The findings provide a model for developing a consumer derived research agenda in Australia which can be used to inform the strategic direction of cancer research. Consumers have been seeking a workable method to achieve this and have worked in collaboration with a major
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[Clinical impact of social marketing strategy on breast cancer detection].
Quintana-Vidaurri, Adriana Guadalupe; Santana-Chávez, Luis Alejandro; González-Villalobos, Cynthia Guadalupe
2013-01-01
to prove the impact of social marketing strategies in breast cancer detection, taking as a parameter the number of mammographies performed. quasi-experimental research, before and after. Sixty-nine physicians in charge of medical consultation and fourteen nurses were studied for a period of seven months, applying social marketing strategies. The total of mammographies were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test (p marketing proved to be an adequate strategy, which has an impact on the clinical practice of both physicians and nurses.
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Breastfeeding and the prevention of breast cancer: a retrospective review of clinical histories.
González-Jiménez, Emilio; García, Pedro A; Aguilar, María José; Padilla, Carlos A; Álvarez, Judit
2014-09-01
To evaluate at what age parous and nonparous women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Factors taken into account for parous women were whether they had breastfed their children, and if so, the length of the lactation period. Other factors considered for both groups were obesity, family histories of cancer, smoking habits and alcohol consumption. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in younger women in Western countries. Its growing incidence as well as the increasingly early age of diagnosis led us to carefully analyse its possible causes and the preventive measures to be taken. This is a particularly important goal in epidemiological research. A retrospective study of the clinical histories of patients diagnosed with breast cancer at the San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada (Spain). In this study, we analysed 504 medical records of female patients, 19-91 years of age, who had been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer from 2004-2009 at the San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada (Spain). Relevant data (age of diagnosis, period of lactation, family history of cancer, obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking habits) were collected from the clinical histories of each patient and analysed. A conditional inference tree was used to relate the age of diagnosis to smoking habits and the length of the lactation period. The conditional inference tree identified significant differences between the age of the patients at breast cancer diagnosis, smoking habits (p cancer. Our study concluded that breastfeeding for over six months not only provides children with numerous health benefits, but also protects mothers from breast cancer when the mothers are nonsmokers. Nurses play a crucial role in encouraging new mothers to breastfeed their children, and this helps to prevent breast cancer. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Scientist, Single Cell Analysis Facility | Center for Cancer Research
The Cancer Research Technology Program (CRTP) develops and implements emerging technology, cancer biology expertise and research capabilities to accomplish NCI research objectives. The CRTP is an outward-facing, multi-disciplinary hub purposed to enable the external cancer research community and provides dedicated support to NCI’s intramural Center for Cancer Research (CCR). The dedicated units provide electron microscopy, protein characterization, protein expression, optical microscopy and nextGen sequencing. These research efforts are an integral part of CCR at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR). CRTP scientists also work collaboratively with intramural NCI investigators to provide research technologies and expertise. KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist II to join the newly established Single Cell Analysis Facility (SCAF) of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at NCI. The SCAF will house state of the art single cell sequencing technologies including 10xGenomics Chromium, BD Genomics Rhapsody, DEPPArray, and other emerging single cell technologies. The Scientist: Will interact with close to 200 laboratories within the CCR to design and carry out single cell experiments for cancer research Will work on single cell isolation/preparation from various tissues and cells and related NexGen sequencing library preparation Is expected to author publications in peer reviewed scientific journals
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Clinical application of dendritic cells in cancer vaccination therapy
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Svane, Inge Marie; Soot, Mette Line; Buus, Søren
2003-01-01
During the last decade use of dendritic cells (DC) has moved from murine and in vitro studies to clinical trials as adjuvant in cancer immunotherapy. Here they function as delivery vehicles for exogenous tumor antigens, promoting an efficient antigen presentation. The development of protocols...... for large-scale generation of dendritic cells for clinical applications has made possible phase I/II studies designed to analyze the toxicity, feasibility and efficacy of this approach. In clinical trials, DC-based vaccination of patients with advanced cancer has in many cases led to immunity...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Paul A Christensen
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Introduction: Next-generation-sequencing (NGS is increasingly used in clinical and research protocols for patients with cancer. NGS assays are routinely used in clinical laboratories to detect mutations bearing on cancer diagnosis, prognosis and personalized therapy. A typical assay may interrogate 50 or more gene targets that encompass many thousands of possible gene variants. Analysis of NGS data in cancer is a labor-intensive process that can become overwhelming to the molecular pathologist or research scientist. Although commercial tools for NGS data analysis and interpretation are available, they are often costly, lack key functionality or cannot be customized by the end user. Methods: To facilitate NGS data analysis in our clinical molecular diagnostics laboratory, we created a custom bioinformatics tool termed Houston Methodist Variant Viewer (HMVV. HMVV is a Java-based solution that integrates sequencing instrument output, bioinformatics analysis, storage resources and end user interface. Results: Compared to the predicate method used in our clinical laboratory, HMVV markedly simplifies the bioinformatics workflow for the molecular technologist and facilitates the variant review by the molecular pathologist. Importantly, HMVV reduces time spent researching the biological significance of the variants detected, standardizes the online resources used to perform the variant investigation and assists generation of the annotated report for the electronic medical record. HMVV also maintains a searchable variant database, including the variant annotations generated by the pathologist, which is useful for downstream quality improvement and research projects. Conclusions: HMVV is a clinical grade, low-cost, feature-rich, highly customizable platform that we have made available for continued development by the pathology informatics community.
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Cancer Research in the Arab World
Hamadeh, Randah R.; Borgan, Saif M.; Sibai, Abla M.
2017-01-01
This review aimed to examine trends in cancer research in the Arab world and identify existing research gaps. A search of the MEDLINE® database (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) was undertaken for all cancer-related publications published between January 2000 and December 2013 from seven countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Sudan. A total of 1,773 articles were identified, with a significant increase in yearly publications over time (P social and structural determinants of health (27.1%), followed by behavioural risk factors (14.1%), particularly tobacco use. Overall, more cancer research is needed in the Arab world, particularly analytical studies with high-quality evidence and those focusing on older age groups and associations with physical activity and diet. PMID:28690885
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Medical researchers unite for study on cancer intervention
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Editorial Office
2016-08-01
individual genetic variation and environmental factors to study human’s susceptibility to complex diseases. This would in turn allow the researchers to execute personalized medicine in a clinical setting. “In the future, we envision an increase in disease treatment and prevention that take into account the individual genetic variation,” they concluded. Drs. Antoine Snijders and Jian-Hua Mao publish their work entitled “Multi-omics approach to infer cancer therapeutic targets on chromosome 20q across tumor types” in this issue of AMOR (page 215–223.
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Overholser, Linda S; Moss, Kerry M; Kilbourn, Kristin; Risendal, Betsy; Jones, Alison F; Greffe, Brian S; Garrington, Timothy; Leonardi-Warren, Kristin; Yamashita, Traci E; Kutner, Jean S
2015-01-01
Describe the development and evolution of a primary-care-based, multidisciplinary clinic to support the ongoing care of adult survivors of childhood cancer. A consultative clinic for adult survivors of childhood cancer has been developed that is located in an adult, academic internal medicine setting and is based on a long-term follow-up clinic model available at Children's Hospital Colorado. The clinic opened in July 2008. One hundred thirty-five patients have been seen as of April 2014. Referrals and clinic capacity have gradually increased over time, and a template has been developed in the electronic medical record to help facilitate completion of individualized care plan letters. A primary care-based, multidisciplinary consultative clinic for adults with a history of childhood cancer survivor is feasible and actively engages adult primary care resources to provide risk-based care for long-term pediatric cancer survivors. This model of care planning can help support adult survivors of pediatric cancer and their primary care providers in non-academic, community settings as well. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mugur Geana
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Fewer than 5% of cancer patients participate in clinical trials, making it challenging to test new therapies or interventions for cancer. Even within that small number, patients living in inner-city and rural areas are underrepresented in clinical trials. This study explores cancer patients' awareness and perceptions of cancer clinical trials, as well as their perceptions of patient-provider interactions related to discussing cancer clinical trials in order to improve accrual in cancer clinical trials. Interviews with 66 former and current in inner-city and rural cancer patients revealed a lack of awareness and understanding about clinical trials, as well as misconceptions about what clinical trials entail. Findings also revealed that commercials and television shows play a prominent role in forming inner-city and rural patients' attitudes and/or misconceptions about clinical trials. However, rural patients were more likely to hold unfavorable views about clinical trials than inner-city patients. Patient-provider discussions emerged as being crucial for increasing awareness of clinical trials among patients and recruiting them to trials. Findings from this study will inform communication strategies to enhance recruitment to cancer clinical trials by increasing awareness and countering misconceptions about clinical trials.
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NORDCAN--a Nordic tool for cancer information, planning, quality control and research.
Engholm, Gerda; Ferlay, Jacques; Christensen, Niels; Bray, Freddie; Gjerstorff, Marianne L; Klint, Asa; Køtlum, Jóanis E; Olafsdóttir, Elínborg; Pukkala, Eero; Storm, Hans H
2010-06-01
The NORDCAN database and program ( www.ancr.nu ) include detailed information and results on cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence in each of the Nordic countries over five decades and has lately been supplemented with predictions of cancer incidence and mortality; future extensions include the incorporation of cancer survival estimates. The data originates from the national cancer registries and causes of death registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Faroe Islands and is regularly updated. Presently 41 cancer entities are included in the common dataset, and conversions of the original national data according to international rules ensure comparability. With 25 million inhabitants in the Nordic countries, 130 000 incident cancers are reported yearly, alongside nearly 60 000 cancer deaths, with almost a million persons living with a cancer diagnosis. This web-based application is available in English and in each of the five Nordic national languages. It includes comprehensive and easy-to-use descriptive epidemiology tools that provide tabulations and graphs, with further user-specified options available. The NORDCAN database aims to provide comparable and timely data to serve the varying needs of policy makers, cancer societies, the public, and journalists, as well as the clinical and research community.
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Electron Microscopy-Data Analysis Specialist | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Cancer Research Technology Program (CRTP) develops and implements emerging technology, cancer biology expertise and research capabilities to accomplish NCI research objectives. The CRTP is an outward-facing, multi-disciplinary hub purposed to enable the external cancer research community and provides dedicated support to NCI’s intramural Center for
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The changing landscape for clinical research.
Heinig, S J; Quon, A S; Meyer, R E; Korn, D
1999-06-01
The authors review the history of U.S. clinical research and identify the profound changes stemming from advancements in the biomedical sciences, the recent transformation in the organization and financing of health care delivery, and the increasing application of information technologies. They observe that the enterprise must reorganize to account for the changed landscape, but there is a lack of the data necessary to monitor change and determine the extent to which clinical research is successfully realigning and sustaining itself. The authors discuss the evolving definition, scope, and venues for clinical research, and review previous analyses of clinical research's difficulties and remedies proposed: shared responsibility in the financing of academic medicine, support by federal and private health insurers for routine costs of patient care in clinical trials, and strengthened collaboration between and among industry, academia, insurers, and government. The authors conclude by describing two major initiatives to foster clinical investigation in the new landscape. The first is the Clinical Research Summit Project, a convocation of representative stakeholders from the health care system with an interest in clinical research, whose charge will be to formulate a national agenda for clinical research that has the broad-based support of the stakeholders. Among the challenges of this undertaking are the needs to identify new and stable sources of support for clinical research infrastructure, assess the future workforce needs for clinical investigation, and devise new methods to ensure the continued vitality and account-ability of clinical research. The second is the Clinical Research Task Force, an initiative of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which is already exploring and advising on how AAMC member organizations can best strengthen their capacity to support clinical research programs in the current scientific, health care delivery, and financial
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CCR Magazines | Center for Cancer Research
The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) has two magazines, MILESTONES and LANDMARKS, that highlight our annual advances and top contributions to the understanding, detection, treatment and prevention of cancer over the years.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xinan Yang
Full Text Available Identification and characterization of crucial gene target(s that will allow focused therapeutics development remains a challenge. We have interrogated the putative therapeutic targets associated with the transcription factor Grainy head-like 2 (GRHL2, a critical epithelial regulatory factor. We demonstrate the possibility to define the molecular functions of critical genes in terms of their personalized expression profiles, allowing appropriate functional conclusions to be derived. A novel methodology, relative expression analysis with gene-set pairs (RXA-GSP, is designed to explore the potential clinical utility of cancer-biology discovery. Observing that Grhl2-overexpression leads to increased metastatic potential in vitro, we established a model assuming Grhl2-induced or -inhibited genes confer poor or favorable prognosis respectively for cancer metastasis. Training on public gene expression profiles of 995 breast cancer patients, this method prioritized one gene-set pair (GRHL2, CDH2, FN1, CITED2, MKI67 versus CTNNB1 and CTNNA3 from all 2717 possible gene-set pairs (GSPs. The identified GSP significantly dichotomized 295 independent patients for metastasis-free survival (log-rank tested p = 0.002; severe empirical p = 0.035. It also showed evidence of clinical prognostication in another independent 388 patients collected from three studies (log-rank tested p = 3.3e-6. This GSP is independent of most traditional prognostic indicators, and is only significantly associated with the histological grade of breast cancer (p = 0.0017, a GRHL2-associated clinical character (p = 6.8e-6, Spearman correlation, suggesting that this GSP is reflective of GRHL2-mediated events. Furthermore, a literature review indicates the therapeutic potential of the identified genes. This research demonstrates a novel strategy to integrate both biological experiments and clinical gene expression profiles for extracting and elucidating the genomic
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Construction of ethics in clinical research: clinical trials registration
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
C. A. Caramori
2007-01-01
Full Text Available Scientific development that has been achieved through decades finds in clinical research a great possibility of translating findings to human health application. Evidence given by clinical trials allows everyone to have access to the best health services. However, the millionaire world of pharmaceutical industries has stained clinical research with doubt and improbability. Study results (fruits of controlled clinical trials and scientific publications (selective, manipulated and with wrong conclusions led to an inappropriate clinical practice, favoring the involved economic aspect. In 2005, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, supported by the World Association of Medical Editors, started demanding as a requisite for publication that all clinical trials be registered at the database ClinicalTrials.gov. In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO created the International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP, which gathers several registry centers from all over the world, and required that all researchers and pharmaceutical industries register clinical trials. Such obligatory registration has progressed and will extend to all scientific journals indexed in all worldwide databases. Registration of clinical trials means another step of clinical research towards transparency, ethics and impartiality, resulting in real evidence to the forthcoming changes in clinical practice as well as in the health situation.
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Danish research-active clinical nurses overcome barriers in research utilization.
Adamsen, Lis; Larsen, Kristian; Bjerregaard, Lene; Madsen, Jan K
2003-03-01
The aim of this study was to examine whether there was a difference between clinical nurses who were research-active, and clinical nurses who were nonresearch-active in utilization of research. A further aim was to identify the most significant barriers faced by a group of Danish clinical nurses in their use of research. Discrepancy between the improved quality of research results and the lack of implementing them was the starting point for a series of studies which showed the types of barriers clinical nurses found especially cumbersome when applying the research results of other researchers. This study investigates whether the clinical nurses' own engagement in research had any impact on their perception of research utilization. The study had an exploratory and descriptive design. Seventy-nine Danish clinical nurses participated and semi-structured interviewing was used as the research method. There was a statistically significant difference between the research-active and nonresearch-active nurses on various variables. The study showed that, to a larger extent, research-active nurses used evidence-based knowledge and were generally more internationally orientated. Furthermore, two important barriers for research utilization were identified by all 79 clinical nurses included in the study, i.e. 90% of the nurses explained that the quantity of research results was overwhelming, and 75% of them found that they were unable to evaluate the quality of the research. Clinical nurses, who were research-active themselves, experienced more success in overcoming some of the barriers, which existed in applying research to practice. The research potential found amongst clinical nurses in Denmark needed to be further supported through training and guidance in research methodology, establishing introductory stipends and part-time research positions. By doing so, some of the barriers affecting research utilization and the so-called theory-practice gap might be reduced. Further
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Goodman, Karyn A.; Khalid, Najma; Kachnic, Lisa A.; Minsky, Bruce D.; Crozier, Cheryl; Owen, Jean B.; Devlin, Phillip M.; Thomas, Charles R.
2013-01-01
Background: The specific aim was to determine national patterns of radiation therapy (RT) practice in patients treated for stage IB-IV (nonmetastatic) gastric cancer (GC). Methods and Materials: A national process survey of randomly selected US RT facilities was conducted which retrospectively assessed demographics, staging, geographic region, practice setting, and treatment by using on-site record review of eligible GC cases treated from 2005 to 2007. Three clinical performance measures (CPMs), (1) use of computed tomography (CT)-based treatment planning; (2) use of dose volume histograms (DVHs) to evaluate RT dose to the kidneys and liver; and (3) completion of RT within the prescribed time frame; and emerging quality indicators, (i) use of intensity modulated RT (IMRT); (ii) use of image-guided tools (IGRT) other than CT for RT target delineation; and (iii) use of preoperative RT, were assessed. Results: CPMs were computed for 250 eligible patients at 45 institutions (median age, 62 years; 66% male; 60% Caucasian). Using 2000 American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria, 13% of patients were stage I, 29% were stage II, 32% were stage IIIA, 10% were stage IIIB, and 12% were stage IV. Most patients (43%) were treated at academic centers, 32% were treated at large nonacademic centers, and 25% were treated at small to medium sized facilities. Almost all patients (99.5%) underwent CT-based planning, and 75% had DVHs to evaluate normal tissue doses to the kidneys and liver. Seventy percent of patients completed RT within the prescribed time frame. IMRT and IGRT were used in 22% and 17% of patients, respectively. IGRT techniques included positron emission tomography (n=20), magnetic resonance imaging (n=1), respiratory gating and 4-dimensional CT (n=22), and on-board imaging (n=10). Nineteen percent of patients received preoperative RT. Conclusions: This analysis of radiation practice patterns for treating nonmetastatic GC indicates widespread adoption of CT
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Goodman, Karyn A., E-mail: goodmank@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Khalid, Najma [Quality Research in Radiation Oncology, American College of Radiology Clinical Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Kachnic, Lisa A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Minsky, Bruce D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD, Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Crozier, Cheryl; Owen, Jean B. [Quality Research in Radiation Oncology, American College of Radiology Clinical Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Devlin, Phillip M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Thomas, Charles R. [Department of Radiation Medicine, Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States)
2013-02-01
Background: The specific aim was to determine national patterns of radiation therapy (RT) practice in patients treated for stage IB-IV (nonmetastatic) gastric cancer (GC). Methods and Materials: A national process survey of randomly selected US RT facilities was conducted which retrospectively assessed demographics, staging, geographic region, practice setting, and treatment by using on-site record review of eligible GC cases treated from 2005 to 2007. Three clinical performance measures (CPMs), (1) use of computed tomography (CT)-based treatment planning; (2) use of dose volume histograms (DVHs) to evaluate RT dose to the kidneys and liver; and (3) completion of RT within the prescribed time frame; and emerging quality indicators, (i) use of intensity modulated RT (IMRT); (ii) use of image-guided tools (IGRT) other than CT for RT target delineation; and (iii) use of preoperative RT, were assessed. Results: CPMs were computed for 250 eligible patients at 45 institutions (median age, 62 years; 66% male; 60% Caucasian). Using 2000 American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria, 13% of patients were stage I, 29% were stage II, 32% were stage IIIA, 10% were stage IIIB, and 12% were stage IV. Most patients (43%) were treated at academic centers, 32% were treated at large nonacademic centers, and 25% were treated at small to medium sized facilities. Almost all patients (99.5%) underwent CT-based planning, and 75% had DVHs to evaluate normal tissue doses to the kidneys and liver. Seventy percent of patients completed RT within the prescribed time frame. IMRT and IGRT were used in 22% and 17% of patients, respectively. IGRT techniques included positron emission tomography (n=20), magnetic resonance imaging (n=1), respiratory gating and 4-dimensional CT (n=22), and on-board imaging (n=10). Nineteen percent of patients received preoperative RT. Conclusions: This analysis of radiation practice patterns for treating nonmetastatic GC indicates widespread adoption of CT
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Imaging has enormous untapped potential to improve cancer research through software to extract and process morphometric and functional biomarkers. In the era of non-cytotoxic treatment agents, multi- modality image-guided ablative therapies and rapidly evolving computational resources, quantitative imaging software can be transformative in enabling minimally invasive, objective and reproducible evaluation of cancer treatment response. Post-processing algorithms are integral to high-throughput analysis and fine- grained differentiation of multiple molecular targets.
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McBride, Colleen M; Birmingham, Wendy C; Kinney, Anita Y
2015-01-01
The past decade has witnessed rapid advances in human genome sequencing technology and in the understanding of the role of genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer development. These advances have raised hopes that such knowledge could lead to improvements in behavioral risk reduction interventions, tailored screening recommendations, and treatment matching that together could accelerate the war on cancer. Despite this optimism, translation of genomic discovery for clinical and public health applications has moved relatively slowly. To date, health psychologists and the behavioral sciences generally have played a very limited role in translation research. In this report we discuss what we mean by genomic translational research and consider the social forces that have slowed translational research, including normative assumptions that translation research must occur downstream of basic science, thus relegating health psychology and other behavioral sciences to a distal role. We then outline two broad priority areas in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment where evidence will be needed to guide evaluation and implementation of personalized genomics: (a) effective communication, to broaden dissemination of genomic discovery, including patient-provider communication and familial communication, and (b) the need to improve the motivational impact of behavior change interventions, including those aimed at altering lifestyle choices and those focusing on decision making regarding targeted cancer treatments and chemopreventive adherence. We further discuss the role that health psychologists can play in interdisciplinary teams to shape translational research priorities and to evaluate the utility of emerging genomic discoveries for cancer prevention and control. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.
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Multidrug Resistance in Breast Cancer: From In Vitro Models to Clinical Studies
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wind, N.S.; Holen, I.
2011-01-01
The development of multidrug resistance (MDR) and subsequent relapse on therapy is a widespread problem in breast cancer, but our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is incomplete. Numerous studies have aimed to establish the role of drug transporter pumps in MDR and to link their expression to response to chemotherapy. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are central to breast cancer MDR, and increases in ABC expression levels have been shown to correlate with decreases in response to various chemotherapy drugs and a reduction in overall survival. But as there is a large degree of redundancy between different ABC transporters, this correlation has not been seen in all studies. This paper provides an introduction to the key molecules associated with breast cancer MDR and summarises evidence of their potential roles reported from model systems and clinical studies. We provide possible explanations for why despite several decades of research, the precise role of ABC transporters in breast cancer MDR remains elusive
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Clinical management of gastric cancer: results of a multicentre survey
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhang, Xiaolong; Wen, Feng; Jiang, Yu; Xu, Feng; Feng, Hong; Bi, Feng; Li, Qiu; Li, Nanjing; Wei, Wen; Yao, Wenxiu; Xie, Ke; Hu, Jiankun; Shen, Lida; Ji, Weizheng; Lu, You
2011-01-01
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines in oncology-gastric cancer guidelines have been widely used to provide appropriate recommendations for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the adherence of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists' to the recommended guidelines. A questionnaire asking the treatment options for gastric cancer cases was sent to 394 Chinese oncology specialists, including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists working in hospitals joined in The Western Cooperative Gastrointestinal Oncology Group of China. The questionnaire involved a series of clinical scenarios regarding the interpretation of surgery, neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and advanced treatment planning of gastric cancer. Analysis of 358 respondents (91%) showed variations between each specialization and from the recommended guidelines in the management approaches to specific clinical scenarios. The majority of specialists admitted that less than 50% of patients received multidisciplinary evaluation before treatment. The participants gave different responses to questions involving adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and advanced settings, compared to the recommended guidelines. These results highlight the heterogeneity of the treatment of gastric cancer. Surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists are not adhering to the recommended guidelines
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Clinical application of PET in abdominal cancers
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Choi, Chang Woon
2002-01-01
Clinical application of positron emission tomography (PET) is rapidly increasing for the detection and staging of cancer at whole-body studies performed with the glucose analogue tracer 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FG). Although FDG PET cannot match the anatomic resolution of conventional imaging techniques in the liver and the other abdominal organs, it is particularly useful for identification and characterization of the entire body simultaneously. FDG PET can show foci of metastatic disease that may not be apparent at conventional anatomic imaging and can aid in the characterizing of indeterminate soft-tissue masses. Most abdominal cancer requires surgical management. FGD PET can improve the selection of patients for surgical treatment and thereby reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with inappropriate surgery. FDG PET is also useful for the early detection of recurrence and the monitoring of therapeutic effect. The abdominal cancers, such as gastroesophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, are common malignancies in Korea, and PET is one of the most promising and useful methodologies for the management of abdominal cancers
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Ovarian cancer clinical trial endpoints: Society of Gynecologic Oncology white paper
Herzog, Thomas J.; Armstrong, Deborah K.; Brady, Mark F.; Coleman, Robert L.; Einstein, Mark H.; Monk, Bradley J.; Mannel, Robert S.; Thigpen, J. Tate; Umpierre, Sharee A.; Villella, Jeannine A.; Alvarez, Ronald D.
2015-01-01
Objective To explore the value of multiple clinical endpoints in the unique setting of ovarian cancer. Methods A clinical trial workgroup was established by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology to develop a consensus statement via multiple conference calls, meetings and white paper drafts. Results Clinical trial endpoints have profound effects on late phase clinical trial design, result interpretation, drug development, and regulatory approval of therapeutics. Selection of the optimal clinical trial endpoint is particularly provocative in ovarian cancer where long overall survival (OS) is observed. The lack of new regulatory approvals and the lack of harmony between regulatory bodies globally for ovarian cancer therapeutics are of concern. The advantages and disadvantages of the numerous endpoints available are herein discussed within the unique context of ovarian cancer where both crossover and post-progression therapies potentially uncouple surrogacy between progression-free survival (PFS) and OS, the two most widely supported and utilized endpoints. The roles of patient reported outcomes (PRO) and health related quality of life (HRQoL) are discussed, but even these widely supported parameters are affected by the unique characteristics of ovarian cancer where a significant percentage of patients may be asymptomatic. Original data regarding the endpoint preferences of ovarian cancer advocates is presented. Conclusions Endpoint selection in ovarian cancer clinical trials should reflect the impact on disease burden and unique characteristics of the treatment cohort while reflecting true patient benefit. Both OS and PFS have led to regulatory approvals and are clinically important. OS remains the most objective and accepted endpoint because it is least vulnerable to bias; however, the feasibility of OS in ovarian cancer is compromised by the requirement for large trial size, prolonged time-line for final analysis, and potential for unintended loss of treatment effect
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Ovarian cancer clinical trial endpoints: Society of Gynecologic Oncology white paper.
Herzog, Thomas J; Armstrong, Deborah K; Brady, Mark F; Coleman, Robert L; Einstein, Mark H; Monk, Bradley J; Mannel, Robert S; Thigpen, J Tate; Umpierre, Sharee A; Villella, Jeannine A; Alvarez, Ronald D
2014-01-01
To explore the value of multiple clinical endpoints in the unique setting of ovarian cancer. A clinical trial workgroup was established by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology to develop a consensus statement via multiple conference calls, meetings and white paper drafts. Clinical trial endpoints have profound effects on late phase clinical trial design, result interpretation, drug development, and regulatory approval of therapeutics. Selection of the optimal clinical trial endpoint is particularly provocative in ovarian cancer where long overall survival (OS) is observed. The lack of new regulatory approvals and the lack of harmony between regulatory bodies globally for ovarian cancer therapeutics are of concern. The advantages and disadvantages of the numerous endpoints available are herein discussed within the unique context of ovarian cancer where both crossover and post-progression therapies potentially uncouple surrogacy between progression-free survival (PFS) and OS, the two most widely supported and utilized endpoints. The roles of patient reported outcomes (PRO) and health related quality of life (HRQoL) are discussed, but even these widely supported parameters are affected by the unique characteristics of ovarian cancer where a significant percentage of patients may be asymptomatic. Original data regarding the endpoint preferences of ovarian cancer advocates is presented. Endpoint selection in ovarian cancer clinical trials should reflect the impact on disease burden and unique characteristics of the treatment cohort while reflecting true patient benefit. Both OS and PFS have led to regulatory approvals and are clinically important. OS remains the most objective and accepted endpoint because it is least vulnerable to bias; however, the feasibility of OS in ovarian cancer is compromised by the requirement for large trial size, prolonged time-line for final analysis, and potential for unintended loss of treatment effect from active post-progression therapies
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Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative research: reflections from an interview-based study.
Witty, Karl; Branney, Peter; Bullen, Kate; White, Alan; Evans, Julie; Eardley, Ian
2014-01-01
To explore the challenges of engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview research. Qualitative interviewing offers an ideal tool for exploring men's experiences of illness, complementing and providing context to gendered health inequalities identified in epidemiological research on men. But conducting interviews with men can be challenging and embarking on a qualitative interview study with males can feel like a daunting task, given the limited amount of practical, gender-sensitive guidance for researchers. Reflecting on a researcher's experience of conducting qualitative research on men with penile cancer, this paper explores the potential challenges of interviewing this group, but also documents how engagement and data collection were achieved. This is a reflective paper, informed by the experiences of a male researcher (KW) with no nurse training, who conducted 28 interviews with men who had been treated for penile cancer. The researcher's experiences are reported in chronological order, from the methodological challenges of recruitment to those of conducting the interview. The paper offers a resource for the novice researcher, highlighting some advantages and disadvantages of conducting qualitative interview research as a nurse researcher, as well as recommendations on how to overcome challenges. Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview raises practical, methodological, ethical and emotional challenges for the researcher. However, when these challenges are met, men will talk about their health. Methodological procedures must enable an open and ongoing dialogue with clinical gatekeepers and potential participants to promote engagement. Support from colleagues is essential for any interviewer, no matter how experienced the researcher is.
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Oral mucosal injury caused by cancer therapies: current management and new frontiers in research
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Siri Beier; Peterson, Douglas E.
2014-01-01
by cancer therapies are also delineated as a basis for identifying pathobiologic and pharmacogenomic targets for interventions. This collective portfolio of research and its ongoing incorporation into clinical practice is setting the stage for the clinician in the future to predict mucosal toxicity risk...
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Nanomedicine in cancer therapy: challenges, opportunities, and clinical applications.
Wicki, Andreas; Witzigmann, Dominik; Balasubramanian, Vimalkumar; Huwyler, Jörg
2015-02-28
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Currently available therapies are inadequate and spur demand for improved technologies. Rapid growth in nanotechnology towards the development of nanomedicine products holds great promise to improve therapeutic strategies against cancer. Nanomedicine products represent an opportunity to achieve sophisticated targeting strategies and multi-functionality. They can improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of conventional therapeutics and may thus optimize the efficacy of existing anti-cancer compounds. In this review, we discuss state-of-the-art nanoparticles and targeted systems that have been investigated in clinical studies. We emphasize the challenges faced in using nanomedicine products and translating them from a preclinical level to the clinical setting. Additionally, we cover aspects of nanocarrier engineering that may open up new opportunities for nanomedicine products in the clinic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NCI's Antibody Characterization Program provides reagents and other critical resources to support protein/peptide measurements and analysis. In an effort to produce and distribute well-characterized monoclonal antibodies to the scientific community, the program is seeking cancer related protein targets for antibody production and characterization for distribution to the research community. Submission Period: May 20, 2011 - July 1, 2011.
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The Tumor Imaging Metrics Core (TIMC), a CCSG Shared-Resource of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, has developed software for managing the workflow and image measurements for oncology clinical trials. This system currently is in use across the five Harvard hospitals to manage over 600 active clinical trials, with 800 users, and has been licensed and implemented at several other Cancer Centers, including Yale, Utah/Huntsman Cancer Institute, and UW/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
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Black tea: Phytochemicals, cancer chemoprevention, and clinical studies.
Singh, Brahma N; Rawat, A K S; Bhagat, R M; Singh, B R
2017-05-03
Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the most popular, flavored, functional, and therapeutic non-alcoholic drink consumed by two-thirds of the world's population. Black tea leaves are reported to contain thousands of bioactive constituents such as polyphenols, amino acids, volatile compounds, and alkaloids that exhibit a range of promising pharmacological properties. Due to strong antioxidant property, black tea inhibits the development of various cancers by regulating oxidative damage of biomolecules, endogenous antioxidants, and pathways of mutagen and transcription of antioxidant gene pool. Regular drinking of phytochemicals-rich black tea is linked to regulate several molecular targets, including COX-2, 5-LOX, AP-1, JNK, STAT, EGFR, AKT, Bcl2, NF-κB, Bcl-xL, caspases, p53, FOXO1, TNFα, PARP, and MAPK, which may be the basis of how dose of black tea prevents and cures cancer. In vitro and preclinical studies support the anti-cancer activity of black tea; however, its effect in human trails is uncertain, although more clinical experiments are needed at molecular levels to understand its anti-cancer property. This review discusses the current knowledge on phytochemistry, chemopreventive activity, and clinical applications of black tea to reveal its anti-cancer effect.
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Clinical utility of polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism for breast cancer risk prediction
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shaik Mohammad Naushad
2011-01-01
Full Text Available This study addresses the issues in translating the laboratory derived data obtained during discovery phase of research to a clinical setting using a breast cancer model. Laboratory-based risk assessment indi-cated that a family history of breast cancer, reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1 G80A, thymidylate synthase (TYMS 5’-UTR 28bp tandem repeat, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T and catecholamine-O-methyl transferase (COMT genetic polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolic pathway increase the risk for breast cancer. Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII C1561T and cytosolic serine hydroxymethyl transferase (cSHMT C1420T polymorphisms were found to decrease breast cancer risk. In order to test the clinical validity of this information in the risk prediction of breast cancer, data was stratified based on number of protective alleles into four categories and in each category sensitivity and 1-specificity values were obtained based on the distribution of number of risk alleles in cases and controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were plotted and the area under ROC curve (C was used as a measure of discriminatory ability between cases and controls. In subjects without any protective allele, aberrations in one-carbon metabolism showed perfect prediction (C=0.93 while the predictability was lost in subjects with one protective allele (C=0.60. However, predictability increased steadily with increasing number of protective alleles (C=0.63 for 2 protective alleles and C=0.71 for 3 protective alleles. The cut-off point for discrimination was >4 alleles in all predictable combinations. Models of this kind can serve as valuable tools in translational re-search, especially in identifying high-risk individuals and reducing the disease risk either by life style modification or by medical intervention.
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Policy challenges for cancer research: a call to arms.
Sullivan, R
2007-01-01
Research has delivered remarkable benefits for cancer patients and their families since James Watson and Francis Crick wrote the now immortal line, 'We wish to propose a structure for the salt of deoxyribonucleic acid' thus setting the molecular foundations for the modern era of cancer control. The pace of technological innovation from fundamental scientific discoveries to the policy impact of huge population studies has been breathtaking. One has only to contrast a paper on the treatment of solid epithelial cancers written by Henri Tagnon and colleagues in 1966 (Eur J Cancer2 51-7) with the myriad of chemotherapeutic approaches at the oncologists disposal today. Inevitably, as the tide of research has risen so it has bought the flotsam and jetsam of regulations and policies. Some have been helpful, many pointless and too many actually harmful. Naturally, some of these regulatory and general policies (by this I mean those concerned with funding, structure and organization) have been specifically targeted at cancer research, e.g. US National Cancer Act 1971, whilst others have been a product of the general regulatory environment with indirect consequences for cancer research, e.g. EU Data Protection Directive 1995. Policy issues thus cover a vast terrain criss-crossed by complex interdependencies between scientific areas, countries S&T policies and socio-political constructs. Unfortunately, there has been little attention paid to the consequences of these policy issues from which the research community has, by and large, been passenger rather than driver.Global investment in cancer research is now at unprecedented levels. The recently published report by the European Cancer Research Managers Forum has found some 14 billion euros being annually spent worldwide on cancer research (this figure includes industry but overall probably underestimates spend by at least one billion [2]). With the ageing demographics of developed countries and the catch-up effect in
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Cross-disciplinary research in cancer: an opportunity to narrow the knowledge-practice gap.
Urquhart, R; Grunfeld, E; Jackson, L; Sargeant, J; Porter, G A
2013-12-01
Health services researchers have consistently identified a gap between what is identified as "best practice" and what actually happens in clinical care. Despite nearly two decades of a growing evidence-based practice movement, narrowing the knowledge-practice gap continues to be a slow, complex, and poorly understood process. Here, we contend that cross-disciplinary research is increasingly relevant and important to reducing that gap, particularly research that encompasses the notion of transdisciplinarity, wherein multiple academic disciplines and non-academic individuals and groups are integrated into the research process. The assimilation of diverse perspectives, research approaches, and types of knowledge is potentially effective in helping research teams tackle real-world patient care issues, create more practice-based evidence, and translate the results to clinical and community care settings. The goals of this paper are to present and discuss cross-disciplinary approaches to health research and to provide two examples of how engaging in such research may optimize the use of research in cancer care.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Karlsen, Randi V; Larsen, Signe B; Christensen, Jane
2013-01-01
Background. Social differences in prostate cancer (PC) incidence and mortality might be related to testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Although routine PSA screening is not recommended in Denmark, testing without clinical indication increased during the past decade. We evaluated...... associations between socio-demographic or clinical characteristics and PSA testing without clinical indication. Material and methods. In the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort, we identified 1051 men with PC diagnosed in 1993-2008. Diagnostic and clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records......, and socio-demographic information was retrieved from administrative registers. We used general logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between socio-demographic or clinical characteristics and PSA testing without clinical indication. Cox...
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Brown, Ottilia; Goliath, Veonna; van Rooyen, Dalena R M; Aldous, Colleen; Marais, Leonard Charles
2017-01-01
Communicating the diagnosis of cancer in cross-cultural clinical settings is a complex task. This qualitative research article describes the content and process of informing Zulu patients in South Africa of the diagnosis of cancer, using osteosarcoma as the index diagnosis. We used a descriptive research design with census sampling and focus group interviews. We used an iterative thematic data analysis process and Guba's model of trustworthiness to ensure scientific rigor. Our results reinforced the use of well-accepted strategies for communicating the diagnosis of cancer. In addition, new strategies emerged which may be useful in other cross-cultural settings. These strategies included using the stages of cancer to explain the disease and its progression and instilling hope using a multidisciplinary team care model. We identified several patients, professionals, and organizational factors that complicate cross-cultural communication. We conclude by recommending the development of protocols for communication in these cross-cultural clinical settings.
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The landscape of precision cancer medicine clinical trials in the United States.
Roper, Nitin; Stensland, Kristian D; Hendricks, Ryan; Galsky, Matthew D
2015-05-01
Advances in tumor biology and multiplex genomic analysis have ushered in the era of precision cancer medicine. Little is currently known, however, about the landscape of prospective "precision cancer medicine" clinical trials in the U.S. We identified all adult interventional cancer trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov between September 2005 and May 2013. Trials were classified as "precision cancer medicine" if a genomic alteration in a predefined set of 88 genes was required for enrollment. Baseline characteristics were ascertained for each trial. Of the initial 18,797 trials identified, 9094 (48%) were eligible for inclusion: 684 (8%) were classified as precision cancer medicine trials and 8410 (92%) were non-precision cancer medicine trials. Compared with non-precision cancer medicine trials, precision cancer medicine trials were significantly more likely to be phase II [RR 1.19 (1.10-1.29), pPrecision medicine trials required 38 unique genomic alterations for enrollment. The proportion of precision cancer medicine trials compared to the total number of trials increased from 3% in 2006 to 16% in 2013. The proportion of adult cancer clinical trials in the U.S. requiring a genomic alteration for enrollment has increased substantially over the past several years. However, such trials still represent a small minority of studies performed within the cancer clinical trials enterprise and include a small subset of putatively "actionable" alterations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Claudin-Low Breast Cancer; Clinical & Pathological Characteristics.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kay Dias
Full Text Available Claudin-low breast cancer is a molecular type of breast cancer originally identified by gene expression profiling and reportedly associated with poor survival. Claudin-low tumors have been recognised to preferentially display a triple-negative phenotype, however only a minority of triple-negative breast cancers are claudin-low. We sought to identify an immunohistochemical profile for claudin-low tumors that could facilitate their identification in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor material. First, an in silico collection of ~1600 human breast cancer expression profiles was assembled and all claudin-low tumors identified. Second, genes differentially expressed between claudin-low tumors and all other molecular subtypes of breast cancer were identified. Third, a number of these top differentially expressed genes were tested using immunohistochemistry for expression in a diverse panel of breast cancer cell lines to determine their specificity for claudin-low tumors. Finally, the immunohistochemical panel found to be most characteristic of claudin-low tumors was examined in a cohort of 942 formalin fixed paraffin embedded human breast cancers with >10 years clinical follow-up to evaluate the clinico-pathologic and survival characteristics of this tumor subtype. Using this approach we determined that claudin-low breast cancer is typically negative for ER, PR, HER2, claudin 3, claudin 4, claudin 7 and E-cadherin. Claudin-low tumors identified with this immunohistochemical panel, were associated with young age of onset, higher tumor grade, larger tumor size, extensive lymphocytic infiltrate and a circumscribed tumor margin. Patients with claudin-low tumors had a worse overall survival when compared to patients with luminal A type breast cancer. Interestingly, claudin-low tumors were associated with a low local recurrence rate following breast conserving therapy. In conclusion, a limited panel of antibodies can facilitate the identification of
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Understanding coping with cancer: how can qualitative research help?
Chittem, Mahati
2014-01-01
Research in psycho-oncology investigates the psycho-social and emotional aspects of cancer and how this is related to health, well-being and overall patient care. Coping with cancer is a prime focus for researchers owing to its impact on patients' psychological processing and life in general. Research so far has focused mainly on quantitative study designs such as questionnaires to examine the coping strategies used by cancer patients. However, in order to gain a rich and deep understanding of the reasons, processes and types of strategies that patients use to deal with cancer, qualitative study designs are necessary. Few studies have used qualitative designs such as semi-structured interviews to explore coping with cancer. The current paper aims to review the suitability and benefits of using qualitative research designs to understand coping with cancer with the help of some key literature in psycho-oncology research.
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Clinical analysis of lung cancer complicated by pulmonary tuberculosis
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sugino, Keishi; Homma, Sakae; Miyamoto, Atsushi; Takaya, Hisashi; Sakamoto, Susumu; Kawabata, Masateru; Kishi, Kazuma; Tsuboi, Eiyasu; Yoshimura, Kunihiko
2007-01-01
The aim of this study was to assess the characteristic clinical features of lung cancer associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Among 1,028 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis admitted in our hospital between 1985 and 2005, 17 (15 men, 2 women; mean age 73±8) were diagnosed as having lung cancer. Patient characteristics, clinical features, radiographic images, treatment and prognosis were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were classified into 2 groups: group A (n=5), lung cancer complicated by active tuberculosis, and group B (n=12), lung cancer with tuberculosis sequelae. All patients in group A and 8 patients (33%) in group B had either stage III or IV lung cancer, whereas 4 patients in group B had stage I lung cancer. Coexistence of lung cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis in the same segment or lobe was seen in 80% (n=4) or 60% (n=3) of group A cases, respectively, and in 67% (n=8) or 8% (n=1) respectively, in group B. Mean survival in group A and group B was 9.2 months and 26.8 months, respectively. More attention should be paid to the possibility of development of lung cancer in individuals with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis or who have had tuberculosis sequelae revealed by chest radiography. Also, the possible coexistence of lung cancer must be carefully examined in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. (author)
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Breast cancer and depression: issues in clinical care
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Thingbaijam B. Singh
2012-11-01
Full Text Available Many of breast-cancer patients experience distress and most of them experience depression which may lead to amplification of physical symptoms, increased functional impairment, and poor treatment adherence. We did a review on available literature from PubMed about prevalence, distress magnitudes, coping styles, and treatment methods of major depression in women with breast cancer from 1978 to 2010. Diagnosis and treatment of depressive episodes in women with breast cancer is challenging because of overlapping symptoms and co-morbid conditions. Major depression is often under-recognized and undertreated among breast cancer patients. This review highlighted the issues on identifying and managing depression in breast cancer patients in clinical settings. (Med J Indones. 2012;21:240-6Keywords: Breast cancer, coping, depression, distress
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NCI National Clinical Trials Network Structure
Learn about how the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) is structured. The NCTN is a program of the National Cancer Institute that gives funds and other support to cancer research organizations to conduct cancer clinical trials.
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Lebel, S.; Ozakinci, G.; Humphris, G.; Mutsaers, B.; Thewes, B.; Prins, J.B.; Dinkel, A.; Butow, P.
2016-01-01
PURPOSE: Research to date on fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) shows that moderate to high FCR affects 22-87 % of cancer survivors and is associated with higher psychological morbidity (Simard et al J Cancer Surviv 7:300-322, 2013). Despite growing research interest in FCR, the lack of consensus on
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What specifications for a centre or network of excellence in clinical research?
Diebolt, Vincent; Lang, Marie; Thoby, Frédérique
2016-02-01
The Giens 2015 Workshop Round Table entitled "What specifications for a centre or network of excellence in clinical research?" took a viewpoint distinct from earlier work and studies on changes in clinical research activities in France. The purpose of the present work was to identify, starting from concrete examples, the main strengths and advantages of clinical research activity in France related, in part, to the background environment and also to the specific characteristics of the investigation centres considered to be among the most high-performance units in activity. The criteria retained were grouped into a set of specifications that could be used to establish a "label of excellence" upon which the different teams and clinical research centres could model themselves. It was thus considered that belonging to a centre or structured network with at least a national configuration, when this is possible for the medial topic in question, constitutes a real advantage. Four benchmarks were identified: the scientific and clinical expertise of the head investigator, as well as the qualification and operational capacity of the centre's team; definition and measurement of performance using clearly displayed indicators and evaluation procedures; the quality of the overall trial "process" and of each of its component steps; communication, because know-how and promotion go hand in hand, with the main objective of informing the professional and general public about the value of the research centre meeting the above-mentioned criteria, about its networks of competencies, and more generally, about the important assets of the background of clinical research in France. This sector of research is funded by the public authorities via calls for public grants, financial aids for structures supporting clinical research in the University Hospital Centres and other healthcare institutions allowing for a professionalization of the research occupations, and the national public health
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Informatics in clinical research in oncology: current state, challenges, and a future perspective.
Chahal, Amar P S
2011-01-01
The informatics landscape of clinical trials in oncology has changed significantly in the last 10 years. The current state of the infrastructure for clinical trial management, execution, and data management is reviewed. The systems, their functionality, the users, and the standards available to researchers are discussed from the perspective of the oncologist-researcher. Challenges in complexity and in the processing of information are outlined. These challenges include the lack of communication and information-interchange between systems, the lack of simplified standards, and the lack of implementation and adherence to the standards that are available. The clinical toxicology criteria from the National Cancer Institute (CTCAE) are cited as a successful standard in oncology, and HTTP on the Internet is referenced for its simplicity. Differences in the management of information standards between industries are discussed. Possible future advances in oncology clinical research informatics are addressed. These advances include strategic policy review of standards and the implementation of actions to make standards free, ubiquitous, simple, and easily interpretable; the need to change from a local data-capture- or transaction-driven model to a large-scale data-interpretation model that provides higher value to the oncologist and the patient; and the need for information technology investment in a readily available digital educational model for clinical research in oncology that is customizable for individual studies. These new approaches, with changes in information delivery to mobile platforms, will set the stage for the next decade in clinical research informatics.
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Nutritional Science Clinical Trials | Division of Cancer Prevention
The Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) conducts and supports research to determine a person's risk of cancer and to find ways to reduce the risk. This knowledge is critical to making progress against cancer because risk varies over the lifespan as genetic and epigenetic changes can transform healthy tissue into invasive cancer.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xin-Jun Shu
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Objective: To detect the expression of Lgr5 in the colon cancer tissue, and to explore its correlation with the clinical and pathological characteristics and its role in promoting the tumor invasion and metastasis. Methods: A total of 102 specimens from the patients with colon cancer who were admitted in the General Surgery Department of our hospital for resection from April, 2013 to October, 2015 were included in the study; meanwhile, 35 colorectal adenoma specimens, and 137 normal colon tissue specimens were collected. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of Lgr5. Results: The positive rate of Lgr5 in the colon cancer tissues (62.75% was significantly higher than that in the adenoma tissues (28.57% and normal tissues (16.06%. The positive expression of Lgr5 in the colon cancer tissues was associated with the adenocarcinoma differentiation degree, Dukes staging, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis. Meanwhile, it was found by the Logistic regression that the adenocarcinoma differentiation degree, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis were the independent predictive factors for the positive expression of Lgr5. Conclusions: The increasement of Lgr5 expression is probably involved in the formation, differentiation, invasion, and metastasis of colon cancer; therefore, Lgr5 is expected to be a new therapeutic target aiming at colon cancer stem cells.
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Carpenter, William R; Reeder-Hayes, Katherine; Bainbridge, John; Meyer, Anne-Marie; Amos, Keith D; Weiner, Bryan J; Godley, Paul A
2011-02-01
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) sees provider-based research networks and other organizational linkages between academic researchers and community practitioners as promising vehicles for accelerating the translation of research into practice. This study examines whether organizational research affiliations and teaching affiliations are associated with accelerated diffusion of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), an innovation in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data were used to examine the diffusion of SLNB for treatment of early-stage breast cancer among women aged 65 years and older diagnosed between 2000 and 2002, shortly after Medicare approved and began reimbursing for the procedure. In this population, patients treated at an organization affiliated with a research network--the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) or other National Cancer Institute (NCI) cooperative groups--were more likely to receive the innovative treatment (SLNB) than patients treated at unaffiliated organizations (odds ratio: 2.70, 95% confidence interval: 1.77-4.12; odds ratio: 1.84, 95% confidence interval: 1.26-2.69, respectively). Neither hospital teaching status nor surgical volume was significantly associated with differences in SLNB use. Patients who receive cancer treatment at organizations affiliated with cancer research networks have an enhanced probability of receiving SLNB, an innovative procedure that offers the promise of improved patient outcomes. Study findings support the NIH Roadmap and programs such as the NCI's Community Clinical Oncology Program, as they seek to accelerate the translation of research into practice by simultaneously accelerating and broadening cancer research in the community.
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Tan, Hung-Jui; Meyer, Anne-Marie; Kuo, Tzy-Mey; Smith, Angela B; Wheeler, Stephanie B; Carpenter, William R; Nielsen, Matthew E
2015-03-15
Provider-based research networks such as the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) have been shown to facilitate the translation of evidence-based cancer care into clinical practice. This study compared the utilization of laparoscopy and partial nephrectomy among patients with early-stage kidney cancer according to their exposure to CCOP-affiliated providers. With linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data, patients with T1aN0M0 kidney cancer who had been treated with nephrectomy from 2000 to 2007 were identified. For each patient, the receipt of care from a CCOP physician or hospital and treatment with laparoscopy or partial nephrectomy were determined. Adjusted for patient characteristics (eg, age, sex, and marital status) and other organizational features (eg, community hospital and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center), multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association between each surgical innovation and CCOP affiliation. During the study interval, 1578 patients (26.8%) were treated by a provider with a CCOP affiliation. Trends in the utilization of laparoscopy and partial nephrectomy remained similar between affiliated and nonaffiliated providers (P ≥ .05). With adjustments for patient characteristics, organizational features, and clustering, no association was noted between CCOP affiliation and the use of laparoscopy (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-1.53) or partial nephrectomy (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.82-1.32) despite the more frequent receipt of these treatments in academic settings (P kidney cancer, indicating perhaps a more limited scope to provider-based research networks as they pertain to translational efforts in cancer care. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
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Biomedical text mining and its applications in cancer research.
Zhu, Fei; Patumcharoenpol, Preecha; Zhang, Cheng; Yang, Yang; Chan, Jonathan; Meechai, Asawin; Vongsangnak, Wanwipa; Shen, Bairong
2013-04-01
Cancer is a malignant disease that has caused millions of human deaths. Its study has a long history of well over 100years. There have been an enormous number of publications on cancer research. This integrated but unstructured biomedical text is of great value for cancer diagnostics, treatment, and prevention. The immense body and rapid growth of biomedical text on cancer has led to the appearance of a large number of text mining techniques aimed at extracting novel knowledge from scientific text. Biomedical text mining on cancer research is computationally automatic and high-throughput in nature. However, it is error-prone due to the complexity of natural language processing. In this review, we introduce the basic concepts underlying text mining and examine some frequently used algorithms, tools, and data sets, as well as assessing how much these algorithms have been utilized. We then discuss the current state-of-the-art text mining applications in cancer research and we also provide some resources for cancer text mining. With the development of systems biology, researchers tend to understand complex biomedical systems from a systems biology viewpoint. Thus, the full utilization of text mining to facilitate cancer systems biology research is fast becoming a major concern. To address this issue, we describe the general workflow of text mining in cancer systems biology and each phase of the workflow. We hope that this review can (i) provide a useful overview of the current work of this field; (ii) help researchers to choose text mining tools and datasets; and (iii) highlight how to apply text mining to assist cancer systems biology research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Suh, K Stephen; Remache, Yvonne K; Patel, Jalpa S; Chen, Steve H; Haystrand, Russell; Ford, Peggy; Shaikh, Anadil M; Wang, Jian; Goy, Andre H
2009-02-01
Modern cancer research for biomarker discovery program requires solving several tasks that are directly involved with patient sample procurement. One requirement is to construct a highly efficient workflow on the clinical side for the procurement to generate a consistent supply of high quality samples for research. This undertaking needs a network of interdepartmental collaborations and participations at various levels, including physical human interactions, information technology implementations and a bioinformatics tool that is highly effective and user-friendly to busy clinicians and researchers associated with the sample procurement. Collegial participation that is sequential but continual from one department to another demands dedicated bioinformatics software coordinating between the institutional clinic and the tissue repository facility. Participants in the process include admissions, consenting process, phlebotomy, surgery center and pathology. During this multiple step procedures, clinical data are collected for detailed analytical endpoints to supplement logistics of defining and validating the discovery of biomarkers.
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[Support Team for Investigator-Initiated Clinical Research].
Fujii, Hisako
2017-07-01
Investigator-initiated clinical research is that in which investigators plan and carry out their own clinical research in academia. For large-scale clinical research, a team should be organized and implemented. This team should include investigators and supporting staff, who will promote smooth research performance by fulfilling their respective roles. The supporting staff should include project managers, administrative personnel, billing personnel, data managers, and clinical research coordinators. In this article, I will present the current status of clinical research support and introduce the research organization of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) study, an investigator-initiated international clinical research study, with particular emphasis on the role of the project management staff and clinical research coordinators.
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NIH Clinical Research Trials and You
... Info Lines Health Services Locator HealthCare.gov NIH Clinical Research Trials and You Talking to Your Doctor Science ... Labs & Clinics Training Opportunities Library Resources Research Resources Clinical Research Resources Safety, Regulation and Guidance More » Quick Links ...
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Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer: A Clinical Review and Update.
Zahoor, Sheikh; Haji, Altaf; Battoo, Azhar; Qurieshi, Mariya; Mir, Wahid; Shah, Mudasir
2017-09-01
Sentinel lymph node biopsy has become a standard staging tool in the surgical management of breast cancer. The positive impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy on postoperative negative outcomes in breast cancer patients, without compromising the oncological outcomes, is its major advantage. It has evolved over the last few decades and has proven its utility beyond early breast cancer. Its applicability and efficacy in patients with clinically positive axilla who have had a complete clinical response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is being aggressively evaluated at present. This article discusses how sentinel lymph node biopsy has evolved and is becoming a useful tool in new clinical scenarios of breast cancer management.
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Advanced research on separating prostate cancer stem cells
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hao Yumei; He Xin; Song Naling
2013-01-01
Prostate cancer is a common malignant tumor in male urinary system,and may easily develop into the hormone refractory prostate cancer which can hardly be cured. Recent studies had found that the prostate cancer stem cells may be the source of the prostate cancer's occurrence,development, metastasis and recurrence. The therapy targeting the prostate cancer stem cells may be the effective way to cure prostate cancer. But these cells is too low to be detected. The difficulty lies in the low separation efficiency of prostate cancer stem cell, so the effectively separating prostate cancer stem cells occupied the main position for the more in-depth research of prostate cancer stem cells. This paper reviews the research progress and existing problems on the several main separating methods of prostate cancer stem cells, includes the fluorescence activated cells sorting and magnetic activated cells sorting based on prostate cancer stem cell surface markers, the side-population sorting and serum-free medium sphere forming sorting based on prostate cancer stem cell's biology. (authors)
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DOE Research Contributions to Radiation and Cancer Therapy
dropdown arrow Site Map A-Z Index Menu Synopsis DOE Research Contributions to Radiation and Cancer Therapy Possible: DOE Advanced Biomedical Technology Research, page 10 Over the time span of many years, DOE's research has made many contributions to radiation and cancer therapy, including PEREGRINE and Boron Neutron
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Health system delay and its effect on clinical stage of breast cancer: Multicenter study.
Unger-Saldaña, Karla; Miranda, Alfonso; Zarco-Espinosa, Gelasio; Mainero-Ratchelous, Fernando; Bargalló-Rocha, Enrique; Miguel Lázaro-León, Jesús
2015-07-01
The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between health system delay and clinical disease stage in patients with breast cancer. This was a cross-sectional study of 886 patients who were referred to 4 of the largest public cancer hospitals in Mexico City for the evaluation of a probable breast cancer. Data on time intervals, sociodemographic factors, and clinical stage at diagnosis were retrieved. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the average marginal effects of delay on the probability of being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer (stages III and IV). The median time between problem identification and the beginning of treatment was 7 months. The subinterval with the largest delay was that between the first medical consultation and diagnosis (median, 4 months). Only 15% of the patients who had cancer were diagnosed with stage 0 and I disease, and 48% were diagnosed with stage III and IV disease. Multivariate analyses confirmed independent correlations for the means of problem identification, patient delay, health system delay, and age with a higher probability that patients would begin cancer treatment in an advanced stage. In the sample studied, the majority of patients with breast cancer began treatment after a delay. Both patient delays and provider delays were associated with advanced disease. Research aimed at identifying specific access barriers to medical services is much needed to guide the design of tailored health policies that go beyond the promotion of breast care awareness and screening participation to include improvements in health services that facilitate access to timely diagnosis and treatment. © 2015 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society.
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Clinical advances of nanocarrier-based cancer therapy and diagnostics.
Luque-Michel, Edurne; Imbuluzqueta, Edurne; Sebastián, Víctor; Blanco-Prieto, María J
2017-01-01
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and efficient new strategies are urgently needed to combat its high mortality and morbidity statistics. Fortunately, over the years, nanotechnology has evolved as a frontrunner in the areas of imaging, diagnostics and therapy, giving the possibility of monitoring, evaluating and individualizing cancer treatments in real-time. Areas covered: Polymer-based nanocarriers have been extensively studied to maximize cancer treatment efficacy and minimize the adverse effects of standard therapeutics. Regarding diagnosis, nanomaterials like quantum dots, iron oxide nanoparticles or gold nanoparticles have been developed to provide rapid, sensitive detection of cancer and, therefore, facilitate early treatment and monitoring of the disease. Therefore, multifunctional nanosystems with both imaging and therapy functionalities bring us a step closer to delivering precision/personalized medicine in the cancer setting. Expert opinion: There are multiple barriers for these new nanosystems to enter the clinic, but it is expected that in the near future, nanocarriers, together with new 'targeted drugs', could replace our current treatments and cancer could become a nonfatal disease with good recovery rates. Joint efforts between scientists, clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry and legislative bodies are needed to bring to fruition the application of nanosystems in the clinical management of cancer.
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Construction of ethics in clinical research: clinical trials registration
C. A. Caramori
2007-01-01
Scientific development that has been achieved through decades finds in clinical research a great possibility of translating findings to human health application. Evidence given by clinical trials allows everyone to have access to the best health services. However, the millionaire world of pharmaceutical industries has stained clinical research with doubt and improbability. Study results (fruits of controlled clinical trials) and scientific publications (selective, manipulated and with wrong c...
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A Milestone in Cancer Research and Treatment in India
Tata Memorial Center is celebrating 75 years of leadership service towards cancer control and research in India. In honor of this anniversary, TMC is hosting A Conference of New Ideas in Cancer – Challenging Dogmas on February 26-28th, 2016 as part of its platinum jubilee events. CGH Director, Dr. Ted Trimble, will give a plenary talk: "Thinking Outside the Box in Cancer Research - Perspectives from the US NCI” in the session titled: Future of Cancer Research: US and European perspectives.
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Recommendations for Collection and Handling of Specimens From Group Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
Leyland-Jones, Brian R.; Ambrosone, Christine B.; Bartlett, John; Ellis, Matthew J.C.; Enos, Rebecca A.; Raji, Adekunle; Pins, Michael R.; Zujewski, Jo Anne; Hewitt, Stephen M.; Forbes, John F.; Abramovitz, Mark; Braga, Sofia; Cardoso, Fatima; Harbeck, Nadia; Denkert, Carsten; Jewell, Scott D.
2008-01-01
Recommendations for specimen collection and handling have been developed for adoption across breast cancer clinical trials conducted by the Breast International Group (BIG)-sponsored Groups and the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored North American Cooperative Groups. These recommendations are meant to promote identifiable standards for specimen collection and handling within and across breast cancer trials, such that the variability in collection/handling practices that currently exists is minimized and specimen condition and quality are enhanced, thereby maximizing results from specimen-based diagnostic testing and research. Three working groups were formed from the Cooperative Group Banking Committee, BIG groups, and North American breast cancer cooperative groups to identify standards for collection and handling of (1) formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue; (2) blood and its components; and (3) fresh/frozen tissue from breast cancer trials. The working groups collected standard operating procedures from multiple group specimen banks, administered a survey on banking practices to those banks, and engaged in a series of discussions from 2005 to 2007. Their contributions were synthesized into this document, which focuses primarily on collection and handling of specimens to the point of shipment to the central bank, although also offers some guidance to central banks. Major recommendations include submission of an FFPE block, whole blood, and serial serum or plasma from breast cancer clinical trials, and use of one fixative and buffer type (10% neutral phosphate-buffered formalin, pH 7) for FFPE tissue across trials. Recommendations for proper handling and shipping were developed for blood, serum, plasma, FFPE, and fresh/frozen tissue. PMID:18955459
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Laboratory Animal Technician | Center for Cancer Research
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies and services that are focused
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Schmitt, Manfred; Harbeck, Nadia; Brünner, Nils
2011-01-01
Clinical research on cancer biomarkers is essential in understanding recent discoveries in cancer biology and heterogeneity of the cancer disease. However, there are only a few examples of clinically useful studies that have identified cancer biomarkers with clinical benefit. Urokinase-type plasm...
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Multiparametric MRI in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Futterer, Jurgen J. [Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen (Netherlands)
2017-08-01
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men aged 50 years and older in developed countries and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Multiparametric prostate MR imaging is currently the most accurate imaging modality to detect, localize, and stage prostate cancer. The role of multi-parametric MR imaging in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer are discussed. In addition, insights are provided in imaging techniques, protocol, and interpretation.
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Farr, Deeonna E; Brandt, Heather M; Comer, Kimberly D; Jackson, Dawnyéa D; Pandya, Kinjal; Friedman, Daniela B; Ureda, John R; Williams, Deloris G; Scott, Dolores B; Green, Wanda; Hébert, James R
2015-09-01
Increasing the participation of Blacks in cancer research is a vital component of a strategy to reduce racial inequities in cancer burden. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is especially well-suited to advancing our knowledge of factors that influence research participation to ultimately address cancer-related health inequities. A paucity of literature focuses on the role of structural factors limiting participation in cancer research. As part of a larger CBPR project, we used survey data from a statewide cancer needs assessment of a Black faith community to examine the influence of structural factors on attitudes toward research and the contributions of both structural and attitudinal factors on whether individuals participate in research. Regression analyses and non-parametric statistics were conducted on data from 727 adult survey respondents. Structural factors, such as having health insurance coverage, experiencing discrimination during health care encounters, and locale, predicted belief in the benefits, but not the risks, of research participation. Positive attitudes toward research predicted intention to participate in cancer research. Significant differences in structural and attitudinal factors were found between cancer research participants and non-participants; however, directionality is confounded by the cross-sectional survey design and causality cannot be determined. This study points to complex interplay of structural and attitudinal factors on research participation as well as need for additional quantitative examinations of the various types of factors that influence research participation in Black communities.
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Big Data-Led Cancer Research, Application, and Insights.
Brown, James A L; Ni Chonghaile, Triona; Matchett, Kyle B; Lynam-Lennon, Niamh; Kiely, Patrick A
2016-11-01
Insights distilled from integrating multiple big-data or "omic" datasets have revealed functional hierarchies of molecular networks driving tumorigenesis and modifiers of treatment response. Identifying these novel key regulatory and dysregulated elements is now informing personalized medicine. Crucially, although there are many advantages to this approach, there are several key considerations to address. Here, we examine how this big data-led approach is impacting many diverse areas of cancer research, through review of the key presentations given at the Irish Association for Cancer Research Meeting and importantly how the results may be applied to positively affect patient outcomes. Cancer Res; 76(21); 6167-70. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.
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The detection, diagnosis, therapy, and pre-clinical biology of breast cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1978-01-01
The Cancergram covers clinical aspects of cancers of the mammary glands, the fat pads and the supporting tissues. Abstracts included concern certain specific types of neoplasms which occur in the breast, and in ancillary tissues related to the breast (axillary lymph nodes, etc.). Also included are selected studies on receptors and the physiological aspects of lactation, pregnancy, and ontogeny related to cancer of the breast. The topic includes clinically relevant aspects of the prevention, detection, diagnosis, evaluation, and therapy of breast cancer. With certain exceptions, pre-clinical studies of tissue culture systems or animal model studies which are not directly related to primary human disease are excluded
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Williams, Rachael; van Staa, Tjeerd-Pieter; Gallagher, Arlene M; Hammad, Tarek; Leufkens, Hubert G M; de Vries, Frank
2018-05-26
Conflicting results from studies using electronic health records to evaluate the associations between type 2 diabetes and cancer fuel concerns regarding potential biases. This study aimed to describe completeness of cancer recording in UK primary care data linked to hospital admissions records. Patients aged 40+ years with insulin or oral antidiabetic prescriptions in Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) primary care without type 1 diabetes were matched by age, sex and general practitioner practice to non-diabetics. Those eligible for linkage to Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care (HES APC), and with follow-up during April 1997-December 2006 were included. Cancer recording and date of first record of cancer were compared. Characteristics of patients with cancer most likely to have the diagnosis recorded only in a single data source were assessed. Relative rates of cancer estimated from the two datasets were compared. 53 585 patients with type 2 diabetes matched to 47 435 patients without diabetes were included. Of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) recorded in CPRD, 83% were recorded in HES APC. 94% of cases in HES APC were recorded in CPRD. Concordance was lower when restricted to same-site cancer records, and was negatively associated with increasing age. Relative rates for cancer were similar in both datasets. Good concordance in cancer recording was found between CPRD and HES APC among type 2 diabetics and matched controls. Linked data may reduce misclassification and increase case ascertainment when analysis focuses on site-specific cancers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
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Brown, Richard; Bylund, Carma L; Siminoff, Laura A; Slovin, Susan F
2011-04-01
Phase I clinical trials are the gateway to effective new cancer treatments. Many physicians have difficulty when discussing Phase I clinical trials. Research demonstrates evidence of suboptimal communication. Little is known about communication strategies used by oncologists when recruiting patients for Phase I trials. We analyzed audio recorded Phase I consultations to identify oncologists' communication strategies. Subjects were consecutive cancer patients from six medical oncologists attending one of three outpatient clinics at a major Cancer Center in the United States. Sixteen patients signed informed consent for audio recording of their consultations in which a Phase I study was discussed. These were transcribed in full and analyzed to identify communication strategies. Six communication themes emerged from the analysis: (1) orienting, (2) educating patients, (3) describing uncertainty and prognosis, (4) persuading, (5) decision making, and (6) making a treatment recommendation. As expected, although there was some common ground between communication in Phase I and the Phase II and III settings, there were distinct differences. Oncologists used persuasive communication, made explicit recommendations, or implicitly expressed a treatment preference and were choice limiting. This highlights the complexity of discussing Phase I trials and the need to develop strategies to aid oncologists and patients in these difficult conversations. Patient centered communication that values patient preferences while preserving the oncologist's agenda can be a helpful approach to these discussions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Clinical statistics of gynecologic cancers in Japan
Nagase, Satoru
2017-01-01
Cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, have both high morbidity and mortality among the gynecologic malignant tumors in Japan. The present study was conducted using both the population-based cancer registry and the gynecologic cancer registry to elucidate the characteristics of gynecologic malignant tumors in Japan. Based on nationwide estimates from the population-based cancer registry in Japan, the morbidities and mortality of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were obtained and used for analysis. Clinicopathologic factors for cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, including age, clinical stage, postsurgical stage, histological type, therapeutic strategy, and prognosis were retrieved from the gynecologic cancer registry published by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and used for analysis. The morbidities of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were 10,908, 13,606, and 9,384 women in 2012, respectively. The prevalence of endometrial cancer has significantly and consistently been increasing and represents the most common gynecologic malignant tumor in Japan. The mortalities of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were 2.1, 1.3, and 3.2 per 100,000 in 2012, respectively. In 2014, 52.2% of cervical cancer patients were classified as stage I, 22.5% as stage II, 10.2% as stage III, and 11.2% as stage IV. In addition, 71.9% of endometrial cancer patients were classified as stage I, 6.0% as stage II, 13.3% as stage III, and 7.5% as stage IV. Finally, 43.2% of ovarian cancer patients were classified as stage I, 9.1% as stage II, 27.6% as stage III, and 7.2% as stage IV. Twelve-point six percent of ovarian cancer patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. PMID:28198168
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Smart Extraction and Analysis System for Clinical Research.
Afzal, Muhammad; Hussain, Maqbool; Khan, Wajahat Ali; Ali, Taqdir; Jamshed, Arif; Lee, Sungyoung
2017-05-01
With the increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs), there is a growing need to expand the utilization of EHR data to support clinical research. The key challenge in achieving this goal is the unavailability of smart systems and methods to overcome the issue of data preparation, structuring, and sharing for smooth clinical research. We developed a robust analysis system called the smart extraction and analysis system (SEAS) that consists of two subsystems: (1) the information extraction system (IES), for extracting information from clinical documents, and (2) the survival analysis system (SAS), for a descriptive and predictive analysis to compile the survival statistics and predict the future chance of survivability. The IES subsystem is based on a novel permutation-based pattern recognition method that extracts information from unstructured clinical documents. Similarly, the SAS subsystem is based on a classification and regression tree (CART)-based prediction model for survival analysis. SEAS is evaluated and validated on a real-world case study of head and neck cancer. The overall information extraction accuracy of the system for semistructured text is recorded at 99%, while that for unstructured text is 97%. Furthermore, the automated, unstructured information extraction has reduced the average time spent on manual data entry by 75%, without compromising the accuracy of the system. Moreover, around 88% of patients are found in a terminal or dead state for the highest clinical stage of disease (level IV). Similarly, there is an ∼36% probability of a patient being alive if at least one of the lifestyle risk factors was positive. We presented our work on the development of SEAS to replace costly and time-consuming manual methods with smart automatic extraction of information and survival prediction methods. SEAS has reduced the time and energy of human resources spent unnecessarily on manual tasks.
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Clinical trial of cancer therapy with heavy ions at heavy ion research facility in lanzhou
Zhang, Hong
With collaborative efforts of scientists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences and hospitals in Gansu, initial clinical trial on cancer therapy with heavy ions has been successfully carried out in China. From November 2006 to December 2007, 51 patients with superficially-placed tumors were treated with carbon ions at Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) within four beam time blocks of 6-11 days, collaborating with the General Hospital of Lanzhou Command and the Tumor Hospital of Gansu Province. Patients and Methods: There were 51 patients (31 males and 20 females) with superficially-placed tumors (squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, malignant skin melanoma, sarcoma, lymphoma, breast cancer, metastatic lymph nodes of carcinomas and other skin lesions). The tumors were less than 2.1 cm deep to the skin surface. All patients had histological confirmation of their tumors. Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) of all patients was more than 70. The majority of patients were with failures or recurrences of conventional therapies. Median age at the time of radiotherapy (RT) was 55.5 years (range 5-85 years). Patients were immobilized with a vacuum cushion or a head mask and irradiated by carbon ion beams with energy 80-100 MeV/u at spread-out Bragg peak field generated from HIRFL, with two and three-dimensional conformal irradiation methods. Target volume was defined by physical palpation [ultrasonography and Computerized tomography (CT), for some cases]. The clinical target volume (CTV) was defined as the gross total volume GTV with a 0.5-1.0cm margin axially. Field placement for radiation treatment planning was done based on the surface markings. RBE of 2.5-3 within the target volume, and 40-75 GyE with a weekly fractionation of 7 × 3-15 GyE/fraction were used in the trial. Patients had follow-up examinations performed 1 month after treatment, in 1 or 2 months for the first 6 months, and 3
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Understanding Cancer Prognosis
Full Text Available ... to Z List of Cancer Drugs Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) Questions to Ask about Your Treatment Research ... Side Effects Clinical Trials Cancer Drugs Complementary & Alternative Medicine Coping Feelings & Cancer Adjusting to Cancer Self Image & ...
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James, Pam; Bebee, Patty; Beekman, Linda; Browning, David; Innes, Mathew; Kain, Jeannie; Royce-Westcott, Theresa; Waldinger, Marcy
2011-11-01
Quantifying data management and regulatory workload for clinical research is a difficult task that would benefit from a robust tool to assess and allocate effort. As in most clinical research environments, The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC) Clinical Trials Office (CTO) struggled to effectively allocate data management and regulatory time with frequently inaccurate estimates of how much time was required to complete the specific tasks performed by each role. In a dynamic clinical research environment in which volume and intensity of work ebbs and flows, determining requisite effort to meet study objectives was challenging. In addition, a data-driven understanding of how much staff time was required to complete a clinical trial was desired to ensure accurate trial budget development and effective cost recovery. Accordingly, the UMCCC CTO developed and implemented a Web-based effort-tracking application with the goal of determining the true costs of data management and regulatory staff effort in clinical trials. This tool was developed, implemented, and refined over a 3-year period. This article describes the process improvement and subsequent leveling of workload within data management and regulatory that enhanced the efficiency of UMCCC's clinical trials operation.
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Evaluation of eligibility and recruitment in breast cancer clinical trials.
Lemieux, Julie; Forget, Geneviève; Brochu, Olyvia; Provencher, Louise; Cantin, Guy; Desbiens, Christine; Doyle, Catherine; Poirier, Brigitte; Camden, Stéphanie; Durocher, Martin
2014-08-01
Objectives of the study were to measure recruitment rates in clinical trials and to identify patients, physicians or trials characteristics associated with higher recruitment rates. Among patients who had a clinical trial available for their cancer, 83.5% (345/413) met the eligibility criteria to at least one clinical trial. At least one trial was proposed to 33.1% (113/341) of the eligible patients and 19.7% (68/345) were recruited. Overall recruitment was 16.5% (68/413). In multivariate analyses, trial proposal and enrollment were lower for elderly patients and higher in high cancer stages. Trials from pharmaceutical industry had higher recruitment rates and trials testing hormonal therapy enrolled more patients. Breast cancer patients' accrual to a clinical trial could be improved by trying to systematically identify all eligible patients and propose a trial to those eligible and to whom the treatment is planned to be equivalent to the standard arm of the trial. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Most children with cancer are not enrolled on a clinical trial in Canada: a population-based study.
Pole, Jason D; Barber, Randy; Bergeron, Rose-Émilie; Carret, Anne Sophie; Dix, David; Kulkarni, Ketan; Martineau, Emilie; Randall, Alicia; Stammers, David; Strahlendorf, Caron; Strother, Douglas R; Truong, Tony H; Sung, Lillian
2017-06-05
Primary objective was to describe the proportion of children newly diagnosed with cancer enrolled on a therapeutic clinical trial. Secondary objectives were to describe reasons for non-enrollment and factors associated with enrollment on trials. In this retrospective cohort study, we included children newly diagnosed with cancer between 0 and 14 years of age and diagnosed from 2001 to 2012. We used data from the Cancer in Young People in Canada (CYP-C) national pediatric cancer population-based database. CYP-C captures all cases of pediatric cancer (0-14 years) diagnosed and treated at one of the 17 tertiary pediatric oncology centers in Canada. Non-enrollment was evaluated using univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis. There were 9204 children with cancer included, of whom 2533 (27.5%) were enrolled on a clinical trial. The most common reasons cited for non-enrollment were lack of an available trial (52.2%) and physician choice (11.2%). In multiple regression, Asian and Arab/west Asian race were associated with lower enrollment (P = 0.006 and P = 0.032 respectively). All cancer diagnoses were more likely to be enrolled compared to astrocytoma and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia had an almost 18-fold increased odds of enrollment compared to astrocytoma (P Canada, 27.5% of children with cancer are enrolled onto therapeutic clinical trials and lack of an available trial is the most common reason contributing to non-enrollment. Future research should better understand reasons for lack of trial availability and physician preferences to not offer trials.
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Clinical and Biological Features of Interval Colorectal Cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yu Mi Lee
2017-05-01
Full Text Available Interval colorectal cancer (I-CRC is defined as a CRC diagnosed within 60 months after a negative colonoscopy, taking into account that 5 years is the “mean sojourn time.” It is important to prevent the development of interval cancer. The development of interval colon cancer is associated with female sex, old age, family history of CRC, comorbidities, diverticulosis, and the skill of the endoscopist. During carcinogenesis, sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSA/Ps share many genomic and colonic site characteristics with I-CRCs. The clinical and biological features of I-CRC should be elucidated to prevent the development of interval colon cancer.
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Understanding participation by African Americans in cancer genetics research.
McDonald, Jasmine A; Barg, Frances K; Weathers, Benita; Guerra, Carmen E; Troxel, Andrea B; Domchek, Susan; Bowen, Deborah; Shea, Judy A; Halbert, Chanita Hughes
2012-01-01
Understanding genetic factors that contribute to racial differences in cancer outcomes may reduce racial disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality. Achieving this goal will be limited by low rates of African American participation in cancer genetics research. We conducted a qualitative study with African American adults (n = 91) to understand attitudes about participating in cancer genetics research and to identify factors that are considered when making a decision about participating in this type of research. Participants would consider the potential benefits to themselves, family members, and their community when making a decision to participate in cancer genetics research. However, concerns about exploitation, distrust of researchers, and investigators' motives were also important to participation decisions. Individuals would also consider who has access to their personal information and what would happen to these data. Side effects, logistical issues, and the potential to gain knowledge about health issues were also described as important factors in decision making. African Americans may consider a number of ethical, legal, and social issues when making a decision to participate in cancer genetics research. These issues should be addressed as part of recruitment efforts.
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Shiroishi, Mark S.; Gupta, Vikash; Bigjahan, Bavrina; Cen, Steven Y.; Rashid, Faisal; Hwang, Darryl H.; Lerner, Alexander; Boyko, Orest B.; Liu, Chia-Shang Jason; Law, Meng; Thompson, Paul M.; Jahanshad, Neda
2017-11-01
Background: Increases in cancer survival have made understanding the basis of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) more important. CRCI neuroimaging studies have traditionally used dedicated research brain MRIs in breast cancer survivors with small sample sizes; little is known about other non-CNS cancers. However, there is a wealth of unused data from clinically-indicated MRIs that could be used to study CRCI. Objective: Evaluate brain cortical structural differences in those with non-CNS cancers using clinically-indicated MRIs. Design: Cross-sectional Patients: Adult non-CNS cancer and non-cancer control (C) patients who underwent clinically-indicated MRIs. Methods: Brain cortical surface area and thickness were measured using 3D T1-weighted images. An age-adjusted linear regression model was used and the Benjamini and Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) corrected for multiple comparisons. Group comparisons were: cancer cases with chemotherapy (Ch+), cancer cases without chemotherapy (Ch-) and subgroup of lung cancer cases with and without chemotherapy vs C. Results: Sixty-four subjects were analyzed: 22 Ch+, 23 Ch- and 19 C patients. Subgroup analysis of 16 LCa was also performed. Statistically significant decreases in either cortical surface area or thickness were found in multiple ROIs primarily within the frontal and temporal lobes for all comparisons. Limitations: Several limitations were apparent including a small sample size that precluded adjustment for other covariates. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that various types of non-CNS cancers, both with and without chemotherapy, may result in brain structural abnormalities. Also, there is a wealth of untapped clinical MRIs that could be used for future CRCI studies.
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Research Areas - Clinical Trials
Information about NCI programs and initiatives that sponsor, conduct, develop, or support clinical trials, including NCI’s Clinical Trial Network (NCTN) and NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) initiatives.
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Experiences of women with a diagnosis of breast cancer: a clinical pathway approach.
Lindop, E; Cannon, S
2001-06-01
The study presented in this paper formed the first part of a large survey of breast cancer patients in one health authority in England, UK looking at individual needs expressed by women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The paper provides an account of the experiences of 12 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The women represent a wide age range and different stages of illness. The transcribed accounts of the women were analysed by means of Qualitative Solutions and Research, Non-Numerical Unstructured Data Indexing Searching and Theorising (QSR*NUDIST). The study examined the individual experiences of women with a diagnosis of breast cancer and its aftermath as they passed through different stages related to it. The women's experiences are presented within the conceptual framework of the clinical pathway and their accounts represent their journey along the pathway. Various significant points in this journey are portrayed representing the women's reactions to diagnosis, treatment, femininity and body image, support, family and friends, information and after care.
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Hickok, Jane T; Roscoe, Joseph A; Morrow, Gary R; Ryan, Julie L
2007-09-01
Despite the widespread use of 5-HT3 receptor antagonist antiemetics such as ondansetron and granistron, up to 70% of patients with cancer receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy agents experience postchemotherapy nausea and vomiting. Delayed postchemotherapy nausea (nausea that occurs >/= 24 hours after chemotherapy administration) and anticipatory nausea (nausea that develops before chemotherapy administration, in anticipation of it) are poorly controlled by currently available antiemetic agents. Scientific studies suggest that ginger (Zingiber officinale) might have beneficial effects on nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness, surgery, and pregnancy. In 2 small studies of patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy, addition of ginger to standard antiemetic medication further reduced the severity of postchemotherapy nausea. This article describes a phase II/III randomized, dose-finding, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to assess the efficacy of ginger for nausea associated with chemotherapy for cancer. The study is currently being conducted by private practice oncology groups that are funded by the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program and affiliated with the University of Rochester Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base.
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Obesity-Linked Mouse Models of Liver Cancer | Center for Cancer Research
Jimmy Stauffer, Ph.D., and colleagues working with Robert Wiltrout, Ph.D., in CCR’s Cancer and Inflammation Program, along with collaborators in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, have developed a novel mouse model that demonstrates how fat-producing phenotypes can influence the development of hepatic cancer. The team recently reported their findings in Cancer Research.
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Some aspects of cancer biomarkers and their clinical application in solid tumors – revisited
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Isaac D
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Cancer biomarkers can be used for a variety of purposes related to screening, prediction, stratification, detection, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment design, and monitoring of a therapeutic response. One of the most important characteristics of a given biomarker includes ease of collection allowing for a non-invasive approach and frequent sampling. Such samples may be obtained from serum or plasma, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, saliva, nipple discharge, pleural, or peritoneal effusions. Validation of different biomarkers is considered a mandatory method for useful evaluation. In this review, we highlight the clinical applicability of some cancer biomarkers, as well as future approaches for their development and collection, which may help guide clinicians and researchers. The role of liquid biopsies will also be summarized. Further studies using liquid biopsies are needed to elucidate the significance of various sources of biomarkers suitable for clinical application.
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Basic and technical research on lung cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Miyamoto, Tadaaki
2004-01-01
In association with clinical study of carbon beam therapy for lung cancer, the basic research for lung cancer and the patients with this disease has been carried out for the past 10 years. With regard to lung damage by the carbon beams, firstly pulmonary function was measured and analyzed for the patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Force expiratory volume in 1 second (FVE 1.0) and TLC (total lung capacity) was found to be reduced significantly at 6 and 12 months after therapy but the reduction rate was a little, which can support the safety of this treatment modality. Secondly, the regional lung damage by the beams was investigated by using correct fusion of CT images with carbon beam dose distribution, diagnostic follow-up CT images and blood flow and ventilation spect images. It demonstrated the graded decrease blood flow by dose and the compensatory increase of blood flow in the adjacent lobe of lung unexposed to irradiation. On the other hand, the biological study of carbon beam effects on lung cancer cells and tumors line was conducted. Firstly, by using 7 or 4 human lung cancer cell line, the radiosensitivity of carbon beams was compared with that of photons by different histological patterns. It was found that there was no essential difference in the sensitivity pattern for lung cancer histology between the carbon beams and photons though the former doubled the later in power. Secondly, by using IA cell lines among them, the dynamic of clonogenic cells (clonogen) in a nude tumor and the changes in its morphology following irradiation was investigated, clarifying that the clonogen proliferating under anoxic or hypoxic conditions played a pivotal role for tumor regrowth and stemmed from the different clone which had been genetically selected and developed under these conditions. The finding of clonogen becomes one of the evidence supporting the superiority of a single-dose radiotherapy to fractionated radiotherapy. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ok-Byung Choi
2009-03-01
Full Text Available Objectives : Mistletoe extracts have been in use for around 85 years, predominantly in the area of cancer therapy. Today mistletoe preparations are among the most prescribed drugs in cancer medicine, thus constituting a standard biological therapy in the area of oncology. The purpose of this study is to analyze the practical implications of mistletoe cancer therapy, their clinical status, their preparation techniques and companies. Contents : Mistletoe therapy for cancer has been developed within the context of anthroposophical medicine. One major effect of mistletoe extract is that it stimulates the immune system and cancer defences. In Germany, a total of eight different mistletoe preparations are available, five developed by Anthroposophic Medicine and three evolved from research in phytotherapy. Therapy always consists of an introductory phase in order to test the patient′s tolerance, find the right dosage and choose the most suitable preparation. This paper covers the background of mistletoe medical plant materials, mistletoe therapy for cancer, the anthroposophical medicine and clinical research, the practical regulation of treatment, preparation of mistletoe drugs. Result & suggestion : Mistletoe extracts are a complementary teratment of cancer, widely used in intergrative cancer care. The study of the integration of korean mistletoe extracts to oriental cancer medicine, its development and feasibility in Korea are urgently needed. The products, substances, compositions of european mistletoe drugs are very similar to those of oriental medicine theory. Applying the mistletoe cancer therapy and its preparation techniques to oriental medicine, the herbal acupuncture preparation should be modernized and korean mistletoe products are to be developed. To this end, government and herbal acupuncture society need to interact each other for the development of oriental mistletoe cancer medicine.
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Adoptive Cell Therapies: One Cancer at a Time | Center for Cancer Research
After completing medical school and a general surgery residency at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Christian Hinrichs, M.D., planned on doing cancer research at the start of his fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in 1996. However, a detour sent him into surgical oncology, and Hinrichs only returned to his research interests through a subsequent surgical
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Obesity Paradox in Lung Cancer Prognosis: Evolving Biological Insights and Clinical Implications.
Zhang, Xueli; Liu, Yamin; Shao, Hua; Zheng, Xiao
2017-10-01
The survival rate of lung cancer remains low despite the progress of surgery and chemotherapy. With the increasing comorbidity of obesity in patients with lung cancer, new challenges are emerging in the management of this patient population. A key issue of interest is the prognostic effect of obesity on surgical and chemotherapeutic outcomes in patients with lung cancer, which is fueled by the growing observation of survival benefits in overweight or obese patients. This unexpected inverse relationship between obesity and lung cancer mortality, called the obesity paradox, remains poorly understood. The evolving insights into the heterogeneity of obesity phenotypes and associated biological connections with lung cancer progression in recent years may help explain some of the seemingly paradoxical relationship, and well-designed clinical studies looking at the causal role of obesity-associated molecules are expected. Here, we examine potential biological mechanisms behind the protective effects of obesity in lung cancer. We highlight the need to clarify the clinical implications of this relationship toward an updated intervention strategy in the clinical care of patients with lung cancer and obesity. Copyright © 2017 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Clinical Trials of Precision Medicine through Molecular Profiling: Focus on Breast Cancer.
Zardavas, Dimitrios; Piccart-Gebhart, Martine
2015-01-01
High-throughput technologies of molecular profiling in cancer, such as gene-expression profiling and next-generation sequencing, are expanding our knowledge of the molecular landscapes of several cancer types. This increasing knowledge coupled with the development of several molecularly targeted agents hold the promise for personalized cancer medicine to be fully realized. Moreover, an expanding armamentarium of targeted agents has been approved for the treatment of specific molecular cancer subgroups in different diagnoses. According to this paradigm, treatment selection should be dictated by the specific molecular aberrations found in each patient's tumor. The classical clinical trials paradigm of patients' eligibility being based on clinicopathologic parameters is being abandoned, with current clinical trials enrolling patients on the basis of specific molecular aberrations. New, innovative trial designs have been generated to better tackle the multiple challenges induced by the increasing molecular fragmentation of cancer, namely: (1) longitudinal cohort studies with or without downstream trials, (2) studies assessing the clinical utility of molecular profiling, (3) master or umbrella trials, (4) basket trials, (5) N-of-1 trials, and (6) adaptive design trials. This article provides an overview of the challenges for clinical trials in the era of molecular profiling of cancer. Subsequently, innovative trial designs with respective examples and their potential to expedite efficient clinical development of targeted anticancer agents is discussed.
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Understanding Cancer Prognosis
Full Text Available ... Information A to Z List of Cancer Drugs Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) Questions to Ask about Your Treatment Research ... of Treatment Side Effects Clinical Trials Cancer Drugs Complementary & Alternative Medicine Coping Feelings & Cancer Adjusting to Cancer Self Image & ...
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Clinical Application of 18F-FDG PET in Pancreas Cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kang, Won Jun
2008-01-01
The prevalence of pancreas cancer is increasing. Due to difficulty in detecting early stage disease, the prognosis of pancreas cancer is known to be poor. Clinical use of FDG PET in pancreas has been reported. FDG PET showed good performance in diagnosing pancreas cancer, and is expected to be useful in staging and detecting recurrence
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Using Mechanical Turk for research on cancer survivors.
Arch, Joanna J; Carr, Alaina L
2017-10-01
The successful recruitment and study of cancer survivors within psycho-oncology research can be challenging, time-consuming, and expensive, particularly for key subgroups such as young adult cancer survivors. Online crowdsourcing platforms offer a potential solution that has not yet been investigated with regard to cancer populations. The current study assessed the presence of cancer survivors on Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and the feasibility of using MTurk as an efficient, cost-effective, and reliable psycho-oncology recruitment and research platform. During a <4-month period, cancer survivors living in the United States were recruited on MTurk to complete two assessments, spaced 1 week apart, relating to psychosocial and cancer-related functioning. The reliability and validity of responses were investigated. Within a <4-month period, 464 self-identified cancer survivors on MTurk consented to and completed an online assessment. The vast majority (79.09%) provided reliable and valid study data according to multiple indices. The sample was highly diverse in terms of U.S. geography, socioeconomic status, and cancer type, and reflected a particularly strong presence of distressed and young adult cancer survivors (median age = 36 years). A majority of participants (58.19%) responded to a second survey sent one week later. Online crowdsourcing represents a feasible, efficient, and cost-effective recruitment and research platform for cancer survivors, particularly for young adult cancer survivors and those with significant distress. We discuss remaining challenges and future recommendations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Reiter, Kristin L; Song, Paula H; Minasian, Lori; Good, Marjorie; Weiner, Bryan J; McAlearney, Ann Scheck
2012-09-01
The Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) plays an essential role in the efforts of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to increase enrollment in clinical trials. Currently, there is little practical guidance in the literature to assist provider organizations in analyzing the return on investment (ROI), or business case, for establishing and operating a provider-based research network (PBRN) such as the CCOP. In this article, the authors present a conceptual model of the business case for PBRN participation, a spreadsheet-based tool and advice for evaluating the business case for provider participation in a CCOP organization. A comparative, case-study approach was used to identify key components of the business case for hospitals attempting to support a CCOP research infrastructure. Semistructured interviews were conducted with providers and administrators. Key themes were identified and used to develop the financial analysis tool. Key components of the business case included CCOP start-up costs, direct revenue from the NCI CCOP grant, direct expenses required to maintain the CCOP research infrastructure, and incidental benefits, most notably downstream revenues from CCOP patients. The authors recognized the value of incidental benefits as an important contributor to the business case for CCOP participation; however, currently, this component is not calculated. The current results indicated that providing a method for documenting the business case for CCOP or other PBRN involvement will contribute to the long-term sustainability and expansion of these programs by improving providers' understanding of the financial implications of participation. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.
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2017-11-01
Quality assurance (QA) programmes are one of the mainstays of clinical research and constitute the pillars on which European Organisation for Research Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) delivers multidisciplinary therapeutic progress. Changing practice treatments require solid evidence-based data, which can only be achieved if integral QA is part of the infrastructure sustaining research projects. Cancer treatment is a multimodality approach, which is often applied either in sequence and/or in combination. Each modality plays a key role in cancer control. The modalities by which QA is applied varies substantially within and across the disciplines. In addition, translational and diagnostic disciplines take an increasing role in the era of precision medicine. Building on the structuring effect of clinical research with fully integrated multidisciplinary QA programmes associated with the solutions addressing the chain of custody for biological material and data integrity as well as compliance ensure at the same time validity of clinical research output but also have a training effect on health care providers, who are more likely to apply such principles as routine. The principles of QA are therefore critical to be embedded in multidisciplinary infrastructure to guarantee therapeutic progress. These principles also provide the basis for the functioning of multidisciplinary tumour board. However, technical, operational and economic challenges which go with the implementation of such programmes require optimal know-how and the coordination of the multiple expertise and such efforts are best achieved through centralised infrastructure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Wion, Didier; Appaix, Florence; Burruss, Meriwether; Berger, Francois; van der Sanden, Boudewijn
2015-09-01
Despite important human and financial resources and considerable accumulation of scientific publications, patents, and clinical trials, cancer research has been slow in achieving a therapeutic revolution similar to the one that occurred in the last century for infectious diseases. It has been proposed that science proceeds not only by accumulating data but also through paradigm shifts. Here, we propose to use the concept of 'paradigm shift' as a method of investigation when dominant paradigms fail to achieve their promises. The first step in using the 'paradigm shift' method in cancer research requires identifying its founding paradigms. In this review, two of these founding paradigms will be discussed: (i) the reification of cancer as a tumour mass and (ii) the translation of the concepts issued from infectious disease in cancer research. We show how these founding paradigms can generate biases that lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment and also hamper the development of curative cancer therapies. We apply the 'paradigm shift' method to produce perspective reversals consistent with current experimental evidence. The 'paradigm shift' method enlightens the existence of a tumour physiologic-prophylactic-pathologic continuum. It integrates the target/antitarget concept and that cancer is also an extracellular disease. The 'paradigm shift' method has immediate implications for cancer prevention and therapy. It could be a general method of investigation for other diseases awaiting therapy.
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Daniel, C; Choquet, R
2013-01-01
To summarize advances of excellent current research in the new emerging field of Clinical Research Informatics. Synopsis of four key articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2013. The selection was performed by querying PubMed and Web of Science with predefined keywords. From the original set of 590 papers, a first subset of 461 articles which was in the scope of Clinical Research Informatics was refined into a second subset of 79 relevant articles from which 15 articles were retained for peer-review. The four selected articles exemplify current research efforts conducted in the areas of data representation and management in clinical trials, secondary use of EHR data for clinical research, information technology platforms for translational and comparative effectiveness research and implementation of privacy control. The selected articles not only illustrate how innovative information technology supports classically organized randomized controlled trials but also demonstrate that the long promised benefits of electronic health care data for research are becoming a reality through concrete platforms and projects.
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Clinical target volume for rectal cancer. Preoperative radiotherapy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lorchel, F.; Bossel, J.F.; Baron, M.H.; Goubard, O.; Bartholomot, B.; Mantion, G.; Pelissier, E.P.; Maingon, P.
2001-01-01
The total meso-rectal excision allows the marked increase of the local control rate in rectal cancer. Therefore, the meso-rectal space is the usual field for the spread of rectal cancer cells. It could therefore be considered as the clinical target volume in the preoperative plan by the radiation oncologist. We propose to identify the mesorectum on anatomical structures of a treatment-position CT scan. (authors)
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Nutrition management for head and neck cancer patients improves clinical outcome and survival.
Müller-Richter, Urs; Betz, C; Hartmann, S; Brands, R C
2017-12-01
Up to 80% of patients with head and neck cancers are malnourished because of their lifestyle and the risk factors associated with this disease. Unfortunately, nutrition management systems are not implemented in most head and neck cancer clinics. Even worse, many head and neck surgeons as well as hospital management authorities disregard the importance of nutrition management in head and neck cancer patients. In addition, the often extensive resection and reconstruction required for tumors in the upper aerodigestive tract pose special challenges for swallowing and sufficient food intake, placing special demands on nutrition management. This article presents the basics of perioperative metabolism and nutrition management of head and neck cancer patients and makes recommendations for clinical practice. Implementing a nutrition management system in head and neck cancer clinics will improve the clinical outcome and the survival of the patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) is pleased to announce that teams led by Jaewoo Kang (Korea University), and Yuanfang Guan with Hongyang Li (University of Michigan) as the best performers of the NCI-CPTAC DREAM Proteogenomics Computational Challenge. Over 500 participants from 20 countries registered for the Challenge, which offered $25,000 in cash awards contributed by the NVIDIA Foundation through its Compute the Cure initiative.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yu-Fang Liu
2017-04-01
Full Text Available Objective: To study the correlation of serum LAG-3 and DKK-1 levels with cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and other clinical pathological characteristics in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: 48 patients who were diagnosed with early gastric cancer in our hospital between June 2014 and October 2016 were selected as the gastric cancer group of the research, 50 healthy volunteers who received physical examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group of the research, serum was collected to determine the levels of lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1 and angiogenesis molecules, and the gastric cancer tissue and the tissue adjacent to carcinoma were collected to determine the expression of proliferation and invasion-related molecules. Results: Serum LAG-1, DKK-1, angiogenin-1 (Ang-1, Ang-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF levels of gastric cancer group were significantly higher than those of control group (P＜0.05, and EPHA2, LOXL2, PCNA, Akt, CyclinD1, MYH-9, CXCR7, KDM1A and CatB mRNA expression in gastric cancer tissue were significantly higher than those in the tissue adjacent to carcinoma (P＜0.05; serum Ang-1, Ang-2, VEGF and bFGF levels as well as EPHA2, LOXL2, PCNA, Akt, CyclinD1, MYH-9, CXCR7, KDM1A and CatB mRNA expression in gastric cancer tissue of patients with gastric cancer were positively correlated with serum LAG-3 and DKK-1 levels. Conclusion: Serum LAG-3 and DKK-1 levels are valuable to diagnose early gastric cancer and can assess the cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and other clinical pathological characteristics in gastric cancer tissue.
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A survey of etiologic hypotheses among testicular cancer researchers
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Stang, A; Trabert, B; Rusner, C
2015-01-01
Basic research results can provide new ideas and hypotheses to be examined in epidemiological studies. We conducted a survey among testicular cancer researchers on hypotheses concerning the etiology of this malignancy. All researchers on the mailing list of Copenhagen Testis Cancer Workshops...... and corresponding authors of PubMed-indexed articles identified by the search term 'testicular cancer' and published within 10 years (in total 2750 recipients) were invited to respond to an e-mail-based survey. Participants of the 8th Copenhagen Testis Cancer Workshop in May 2014 were subsequently asked to rate...... that scored as most plausible. We also present plans for improving the survey that may be repeated at a next international meeting of experts in testicular cancer. Overall 52 of 99 (53%) registered participants of the 8th Copenhagen Testis Cancer Workshop submitted the plausibility rating form. Fourteen of 27...
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Original Research Cervical cancer in southern Malawi: A ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
by the fact that many cancers may go unrecorded and that ... International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC) ... All patients with a new diagnosis of cervical cancer presenting to QECH between ..... A specialist cervical cancer nurse could be appointed to ... Zuma, T., et al., The role of traditional health practitioners in.
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Nong, Jingying; Qin, Na; Wang, Jinghui; Yang, Xinjie; Zhang, Hui; Wu, Yuhua; Lv, Jialin; Zhang, Quan; Zhang, Shucai
2013-05-01
Icotinib hydrochloride is the third single target EGFR-TKI used in clinical treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical research reports on its efficacy and survival in patients with Recurrent Advanced NSCLC are still little.The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and survival of Icotinib hydrochloride for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who failed to previous chemotherapy and explore the association of clinical features with the efficacy and survival. The clinical data of 60 NSCLC patients referred to the Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2009 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The overall response rate (ORR) was 45.0% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 80.0%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 6.7 months. RR and PFS in female were superior to male (P=0.014, 0.013, respectively). RR, DCR in 2nd-line subgroup were superior to ≥3rd-line subgroup (P=0.020, 0.024, respectively). RR, DCR and PFS in EGFR mutation carriers were significantly superior to wild-type patients (P=0.006, Icotinib hydrochloride is effective especially in EGFR mutation carriers and well tolerated in patients with recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
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2017-08-01
encouraging the students to attend the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in Chicago in April 2018. The abstracts for this...Updates: Elucidating the Effects of Obesity on Bladder Cancer Progression - completed CTRC at UTHSCSA: Genomics Shared Resource; reduced from
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Oligometastatic prostate cancer: definitions, clinical outcomes, and treatment considerations
Tosoian, Jeffrey J.; Gorin, Michael A.; Ross, Ashley E.; Pienta, Kenneth J.; Tran, Phuoc T.; Schaeffer, Edward M.
2018-01-01
The oligometastatic state has been proposed as an intermediate stage of cancer spread between localized disease and widespread metastases. With improvements in diagnostic modalities such as functional imaging, oligometastatic prostate cancer is being diagnosed with greater frequency than ever before. Furthermore, the paradigm for treatment of advanced prostate cancers is shifting toward a more aggressive approach. Many questions surround the understanding of the process and consequences of oligometastasis, meaning that the contemporary literature offers a wide variety of definitions of oligometastatic prostate cancer. Until genomic data exist to provide a biological component to the definition of oligometastatic disease, a clinical diagnosis made on the basis of up to five extrapelvic lesions is reasonable for use. Retrospective studies suggest that interventions such as radical prostatectomy and local or metastasis-directed radiotherapy can be performed in the metastatic setting with minimal risk of toxic effects. These therapies seem to decrease the need for subsequent palliative interventions, but insufficient data are available to draw reliable conclusions regarding their effect on survival. Thus, a protocol for clinicians to manage the patient presenting with oligometastatic prostate cancer would be a useful clinical tool. PMID:27725639
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Chu, Hongling; Zeng, Lin; Fetters, Micheal D; Li, Nan; Tao, Liyuan; Shi, Yanyan; Zhang, Hua; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Li, Fengwei; Zhao, Yiming
2017-09-18
Despite varying degrees in research training, most academic clinicians are expected to conduct clinical research. The objective of this research was to understand how clinical researchers of different skill levels include variables in a case report form for their clinical research. The setting for this research was a major academic institution in Beijing, China. The target population was clinical researchers with three levels of experience, namely, limited clinical research experience, clinicians with rich clinical research experience and clinical research experts. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 13 individual interviews (face to face) and one group interview (n=4) with clinical researchers from June to September 2016. Based on maximum variation sampling to identify researchers with three levels of research experience: eight clinicians with limited clinical research experience, five clinicians with rich clinical research experience and four clinical research experts. These 17 researchers had diverse hospital-based medical specialties and or specialisation in clinical research. Our analysis yields a typology of three processes developing a case report form that varies according to research experience level. Novice clinician researchers often have an incomplete protocol or none at all, and conduct data collection and publication based on a general framework. Experienced clinician researchers include variables in the case report form based on previous experience with attention to including domains or items at risk for omission and by eliminating unnecessary variables. Expert researchers consider comprehensively in advance data collection and implementation needs and plan accordingly. These results illustrate increasing levels of sophistication in research planning that increase sophistication in selection for variables in the case report form. These findings suggest that novice and intermediate-level researchers could benefit by emulating the comprehensive
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Clinical and Neurobiological Perspectives of Empowering Pediatric Cancer Patients Using Videogames
Govender, Meveshni; Bowen, Randy C.; German, Massiell L.; Bulaj, Grzegorz
2015-01-01
Abstract Pediatric oncology patients often experience fatigue and physical and mental deconditioning during and following chemotherapy treatments, contributing to diminished quality of life. Patient empowerment is a core principle of patient-centered care and reflects one's ability to positively affect his or her own health behavior and health status. Empowerment interventions may enhance patients' internal locus of control, resilience, coping skills, and self-management of symptoms related to disease and therapy. Clinical and technological advancements in therapeutic videogames and mobile medical applications (mobile health) can facilitate delivery of the empowerment interventions for medical purposes. This review summarizes clinical strategies for empowering pediatric cancer patients, as well as their relationship with developing a “fighting spirit” in physical and mental health. To better understand physiological aspects of empowerment and to elucidate videogame-based intervention strategies, brain neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters during stress, fear, and resilience are also discussed. Neuroimaging studies point to the role of the reward system pathways in resilience and empowerment in patients. Taken together, videogames and mobile health applications open translational research opportunities to develop and deliver empowerment interventions to pediatric cancer patients and also to those with other chronic diseases. PMID:26287927
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Clinical and Neurobiological Perspectives of Empowering Pediatric Cancer Patients Using Videogames.
Govender, Meveshni; Bowen, Randy C; German, Massiell L; Bulaj, Grzegorz; Bruggers, Carol S
2015-10-01
Pediatric oncology patients often experience fatigue and physical and mental deconditioning during and following chemotherapy treatments, contributing to diminished quality of life. Patient empowerment is a core principle of patient-centered care and reflects one's ability to positively affect his or her own health behavior and health status. Empowerment interventions may enhance patients' internal locus of control, resilience, coping skills, and self-management of symptoms related to disease and therapy. Clinical and technological advancements in therapeutic videogames and mobile medical applications (mobile health) can facilitate delivery of the empowerment interventions for medical purposes. This review summarizes clinical strategies for empowering pediatric cancer patients, as well as their relationship with developing a "fighting spirit" in physical and mental health. To better understand physiological aspects of empowerment and to elucidate videogame-based intervention strategies, brain neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters during stress, fear, and resilience are also discussed. Neuroimaging studies point to the role of the reward system pathways in resilience and empowerment in patients. Taken together, videogames and mobile health applications open translational research opportunities to develop and deliver empowerment interventions to pediatric cancer patients and also to those with other chronic diseases.
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Emerging uses of patient generated health data in clinical research.
Wood, William A; Bennett, Antonia V; Basch, Ethan
2015-05-01
Recent advancements in consumer directed personal computing technology have led to the generation of biomedically-relevant data streams with potential health applications. This has catalyzed international interest in Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD), defined as "health-related data - including health history, symptoms, biometric data, treatment history, lifestyle choices, and other information-created, recorded, gathered, or inferred by or from patients or their designees (i.e. care partners or those who assist them) to help address a health concern."(Shapiro et al., 2012) PGHD offers several opportunities to improve the efficiency and output of clinical trials, particularly within oncology. These range from using PGHD to understand mechanisms of action of therapeutic strategies, to understanding and predicting treatment-related toxicity, to designing interventions to improve adherence and clinical outcomes. To facilitate the optimal use of PGHD, methodological research around considerations related to feasibility, validation, measure selection, and modeling of PGHD streams is needed. With successful integration, PGHD can catalyze the application of "big data" to cancer clinical research, creating both "n of 1" and population-level observations, and generating new insights into the nature of health and disease. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Badar, F.; Mahmood, S.
2015-01-01
Objective: To determine a frequency distribution of the type and clinical profile of cancer cases registered at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH and RC). Study Design: A retrospective, observational study. Place and Duration of Study: The SKMCH and RC, Lahore, from December 1994 to December 2012. Methodology: The time period taken into consideration for the three most common diagnoses was December 1994 - December 2012. Summaries were obtained for gender, age-group, and cancer type on: (i) all age-groups, both genders combined; (ii) adults (> 18 years); (iii) adult males (> 18 years); (iv) adult females (> 18 years); and (v) children (18 years). For a subset of cases registered between January 2004 to December 31, 2012 (9 years), summaries on cancers, age, addiction, family history, disease stage, and grade were obtained for the above groups. Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 19, was used to analyze the data. Results: The most common malignancies, for the 18-year time period, among adults, were those of breast (11,848/ 49,765, 23.81%), lip and oral cavity (3, 291/49, 765, 6.61%), and liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (2, 836/49, 765, 5.70%). Conclusion: Hospital-based results obtained from various oncology hospital and departments, can be considered as an effective way forward in getting a preview of cancer burden in the region. (author)
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Manning, H Charles; Buck, Jason R; Cook, Rebecca S
2016-02-01
Representing an enormous health care and socioeconomic challenge, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Although many of the challenges associated with preventing, treating, and ultimately curing breast cancer are addressable in the laboratory, successful translation of groundbreaking research to clinical populations remains an important barrier. Particularly when compared with research on other types of solid tumors, breast cancer research is hampered by a lack of tractable in vivo model systems that accurately recapitulate the relevant clinical features of the disease. A primary objective of this article was to provide a generalizable overview of the types of in vivo model systems, with an emphasis primarily on murine models, that are widely deployed in preclinical breast cancer research. Major opportunities to advance precision cancer medicine facilitated by molecular imaging of preclinical breast cancer models are discussed. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.
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King, Sarah; Exley, Josephine; Parks, Sarah; Ball, Sarah; Bienkowska-Gibbs, Teresa; MacLure, Calum; Harte, Emma; Stewart, Katherine; Larkin, Jody; Bottomley, Andrew; Marjanovic, Sonja
2016-09-01
Patient-reported data are playing an increasing role in health care. In oncology, data from quality of life (QoL) assessment tools may be particularly important for those with limited survival prospects, where treatments aim to prolong survival while maintaining or improving QoL. This paper examines the use and impact of using QoL measures on health care of cancer patients within a clinical setting, particularly those with brain cancer. It also examines facilitators and challenges, and provides implications for policy and practice. We conducted a systematic literature review, 15 expert interviews and a consultation at an international summit. The systematic review found no relevant intervention studies specifically in brain cancer patients, and after expanding our search to include other cancers, 15 relevant studies were identified. The evidence on the effectiveness of using QoL tools was inconsistent for patient management, but somewhat more consistent in favour of improving patient-physician communication. Interviews identified unharnessed potential and growing interest in QoL tool use and associated challenges to address. Our findings suggest that the use of QoL tools in cancer patients may improve patient-physician communication and have the potential to improve care, but the tools are not currently widely used in clinical practice (in brain cancer nor some other cancer contexts) although they are in clinical trials. There is a need for further research and stakeholder engagement on how QoL tools can achieve most impact across cancer and patient contexts. There is also a need for policy, health professional, research and patient communities to strengthen information exchange and debate, support awareness raising and provide training on tool design, use and interpretation.
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Gene screening and prevention of hereditary breast cancer: a clinical view
Klijn, J. G. M.; Meijers-Heijboer, H.
2003-01-01
Nowadays, the major tasks of the increasing number of family cancer clinics are to provide general information about cancer, to perform risk assessment, to offer (presymptomatic) DNA-testing, to advise on lifestyle, to take steps for early detection and prevention of cancer, for psychological
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Clinicopathological characteristics of clinical early gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach.
Ichikawa, Daisuke; Komatsu, Shuhei; Kosuga, Toshiyuki; Konishi, Hirotaka; Okamoto, Kazuma; Shiozaki, Atsushi; Fujiwara, Hitoshi; Otsuji, Eigo
2015-12-07
To elucidate the clinicopathological characteristics of clinically early gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach and to clarify treatment precautions. A total of 683 patients with clinical early gastric cancer were enrolled in this retrospective study, 128 of whom had gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach (U group). All patients underwent a double contrast barium examination, endoscopy, and computed tomography (CT), and were diagnosed preoperatively based on the findings obtained. The clinicopathological features of these patients were compared with those of patients with gastric cancer in the middle- and lower-third stomach (ML group). We also compared clinicopathological factors between accurate-diagnosis and under-diagnosis groups in order to identify factors affecting the accuracy of a preoperative diagnosis of tumor depth. Patients in the U group were older (P = 0.029), had a higher ratio of males to females (P = 0.015), and had more histologically differentiated tumors (P = 0.007) than patients in the ML group. A clinical under-diagnosis occurred in 57 out of 683 patients (8.3%), and was more frequent in the U group than in the ML group (16.4% vs 6.3%, P cancer recurrence was not detected in the U group in the present study. Clinical early gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach has distinguishable characteristics that increase the risk of a clinical under-diagnosis, especially in patients with larger or undifferentiated tumors.
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Clinical Research Nursing: A Critical Resource in the National Research Enterprise
Hastings, Clare E.; Fisher, Cheryl A.; McCabe, Margaret A.
2012-01-01
Translational clinical research has emerged as an important priority for the national research enterprise, with a clearly stated mandate to deliver prevention strategies, treatments and cures based on scientific innovations faster to the public. Within this national effort, a lack of consensus persists concerning the need for clinical nurses with expertise and specialized training in study implementation and the delivery of care to research participants. This paper reviews efforts to define and document the role of practicing nurses in implementing studies and coordinating clinical research in a variety of clinical settings and differentiates this clinical role from the role of nurses as scientists and principal investigators. We propose an agenda for building evidence that having nurses provide and coordinate study treatments and procedures can potentially improve research efficiency, participant safety, and the quality of research data. We also provide recommendations for the development of the emerging specialty of clinical research nursing. PMID:22172370
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NIH Research Leads to Cervical Cancer Vaccine
... Issues Sexually Transmitted Diseases NIH Research Leads to Cervical Cancer Vaccine Past Issues / Fall 2008 Table of Contents ... in women, the cause of the majority of cervical cancers. Photo courtesy of Judy Folkenberg, NLM Writer By ...
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Pre-operative diagnosis of thyroid cancer: Clinical, radiological and ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The diagnosis or exclusion of cancer in the thyroid nodule remains a clinical dilemma for general surgeons and endocrinologists. Nodular disease of the thyroid is very common, while cancer is rare; a definite diagnosis of either is difficult to make. The general prevalence of thyroid nodules is very high. They are detectable ...
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Cetuximab: clinical results in colorectal cancer.
Maiello, E; Giuliani, F; Gebbia, V; Piano, A; Agueli, R; Colucci, G
2007-06-01
In recent years, the introduction of targeted therapies into clinical practice seems to offer incremental benefits in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), mainly when they are employed in combination with optimal chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. In this paper, we focus on Cetuximab and its role in the treatment of mCRC.
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Parkinson's disease-related fatigue: A case definition and recommendations for clinical research.
Kluger, Benzi M; Herlofson, Karen; Chou, Kelvin L; Lou, Jau-Shin; Goetz, Christopher G; Lang, Anthony E; Weintraub, Daniel; Friedman, Joseph
2016-05-01
Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Since fatigue was first described as a common feature of PD 20 years ago, little progress has been made in understanding its causes or treatment. Importantly, PD patients attending the 2013 World Parkinson Congress voted fatigue as the leading symptom in need of further research. In response, the Parkinson Disease Foundation and ProjectSpark assembled an international team of experts to create recommendations for clinical research to advance this field. The working group identified several areas in which shared standards would improve research quality and foster progress including terminology, diagnostic criteria, and measurement. Terminology needs to (1) clearly distinguish fatigue from related phenomena (eg, sleepiness, apathy, depression); (2) differentiate subjective fatigue complaints from objective performance fatigability; and (3) specify domains affected by fatigue and causal factors. We propose diagnostic criteria for PD-related fatigue to guide participant selection for clinical trials and add rigor to mechanistic studies. Recommendations are made for measurement of subjective fatigue complaints, performance fatigability, and neurophysiologic changes. We also suggest areas in which future research is needed to address methodological issues and validate or optimize current practices. Many limitations in current PD-related fatigue research may be addressed by improving methodological standards, many of which are already being successfully applied in clinical fatigue research in other medical conditions (eg, cancer, multiple sclerosis). © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Clinical presentation and in-hospital death in acute pulmonary embolism: does cancer matter?
Casazza, Franco; Becattini, Cecilia; Rulli, Eliana; Pacchetti, Ilaria; Floriani, Irene; Biancardi, Marco; Scardovi, Angela Beatrice; Enea, Iolanda; Bongarzoni, Amedeo; Pignataro, Luigi; Agnelli, Giancarlo
2016-09-01
Cancer is one of the most common risk factors for acute pulmonary embolism (PE), but only few studies report on the short-term outcome of patients with PE and a history of cancer. The aim of the study was to assess whether a cancer diagnosis affects the clinical presentation and short-term outcome in patients hospitalized for PE who were included in the Italian Pulmonary Embolism Registry. All-cause and PE-related in-hospital deaths were also analyzed. Out of 1702 patients, 451 (26.5 %) of patients had a diagnosis of cancer: cancer was known at presentation in 365, or diagnosed during the hospital stay for PE in 86 (19 % of cancer patients). Patients with and without cancer were similar concerning clinical status at presentation. Patients with cancer less commonly received thrombolytic therapy, and more often had an inferior vena cava filter inserted. Major or intracranial bleeding was not different between groups. In-hospital all-cause death occurred in 8.4 and 5.9 % of patients with and without cancer, respectively. At multivariate analysis, cancer (OR 2.24, 95 % CI 1.27-3.98; P = 0.006) was an independent predictor of in-hospital death. Clinical instability, PE recurrence, age ≥75 years, recent bed rest ≥3 days, but not cancer, were independent predictors of in-hospital death due to PE. Cancer seems a weaker predictor of all-cause in-hospital death compared to other factors; the mere presence of cancer, without other risk factors, leads to a probability of early death of 2 %. In patients with acute PE, cancer increases the probability of in-hospital all-cause death, but does not seem to affect the clinical presentation or the risk of in-hospital PE-related death.
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Staff Clinician | Center for Cancer Research
The Neuro-Oncology Branch (NOB), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking staff clinicians to provide high-quality patient care for individuals with primary central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. The NOB is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of physicians, healthcare providers, and scientists who
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George, Ronie; Chandrasekaran, Archana; Brewer, Molly A.; Hatch, Kenneth D.; Utzinger, Urs
2010-09-01
Early detection of ovarian cancer could greatly increase the likelihood of successful treatment. However, present detection techniques are not very effective, and symptoms are more commonly seen in later stage disease. Amino acids, structural proteins, and enzymatic cofactors have endogenous optical properties influenced by precancerous changes and tumor growth. We present the technical details of an optical spectroscopy system used to quantify these properties. A fiber optic probe excites the surface epithelium (origin of 90% of cases) over 270 to 580 nm and collects fluorescence and reflectance at 300 to 800 nm with four or greater orders of magnitude instrument to background suppression. Up to four sites per ovary are investigated on patients giving consent to oophorectomy and the system's in vivo optical evaluation. Data acquisition is completed within 20 s per site. We illustrate design, selection, and development of the components used in the system. Concerns relating to clinical use, performance, calibration, and quality control are addressed. In the future, spectroscopic data will be compared with histological biopsies from the corresponding tissue sites. If proven effective, this technique can be useful in screening women at high risk of developing ovarian cancer to determine whether oophorectomy is necessary.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, Geewon; Lee, Ho Yun; Park, Hyunjin; Schiebler, Mark L.; Beek, Edwin J.R. van; Ohno, Yoshiharu; Seo, Joon Beom; Leung, Ann
2017-01-01
Highlights: • Radiomics is the post-processing and analysis of large amounts of quantitative imaging features that can be derived from medical images. • Radiomics features can reflect the spatial complexity, genomic heterogeneity, and subregional identification of lung cancer. • Currently available radiomic features can be divided into four major categories. • The major challenge is to integrate radiomic data with clinical, pathological, and genomic information. - Abstract: With the development of functional imaging modalities we now have the ability to study the microenvironment of lung cancer and its genomic instability. Radiomics is defined as the use of automated or semi-automated post-processing and analysis of large amounts of quantitative imaging features that can be derived from medical images. The automated generation of these analytical features helps to quantify a number of variables in the imaging assessment of lung malignancy. These imaging features include: tumor spatial complexity, elucidation of the tumor genomic heterogeneity and composition, subregional identification in terms of tumor viability or aggressiveness, and response to chemotherapy and/or radiation. Therefore, a radiomic approach can help to reveal unique information about tumor behavior. Currently available radiomic features can be divided into four major classes: (a) morphological, (b) statistical, (c) regional, and (d) model-based. Each category yields quantitative parameters that reflect specific aspects of a tumor. The major challenge is to integrate radiomic data with clinical, pathological, and genomic information to decode the different types of tissue biology. There are many currently available radiomic studies on lung cancer for which there is a need to summarize the current state of the art.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lee, Geewon [Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Department of Radiology and Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Ho Yun, E-mail: hoyunlee96@gmail.com [Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Hyunjin [School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Schiebler, Mark L. [Department of Radiology, UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI (United States); Beek, Edwin J.R. van [Clinical Research Imaging Centre, Edinburgh Imaging, Queen' s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Ohno, Yoshiharu [Division of Functional and Diagnostic Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi 650-0017 (Japan); Advanced Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi 650-0017 (Japan); Seo, Joon Beom [Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Leung, Ann [Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (United States)
2017-01-15
Highlights: • Radiomics is the post-processing and analysis of large amounts of quantitative imaging features that can be derived from medical images. • Radiomics features can reflect the spatial complexity, genomic heterogeneity, and subregional identification of lung cancer. • Currently available radiomic features can be divided into four major categories. • The major challenge is to integrate radiomic data with clinical, pathological, and genomic information. - Abstract: With the development of functional imaging modalities we now have the ability to study the microenvironment of lung cancer and its genomic instability. Radiomics is defined as the use of automated or semi-automated post-processing and analysis of large amounts of quantitative imaging features that can be derived from medical images. The automated generation of these analytical features helps to quantify a number of variables in the imaging assessment of lung malignancy. These imaging features include: tumor spatial complexity, elucidation of the tumor genomic heterogeneity and composition, subregional identification in terms of tumor viability or aggressiveness, and response to chemotherapy and/or radiation. Therefore, a radiomic approach can help to reveal unique information about tumor behavior. Currently available radiomic features can be divided into four major classes: (a) morphological, (b) statistical, (c) regional, and (d) model-based. Each category yields quantitative parameters that reflect specific aspects of a tumor. The major challenge is to integrate radiomic data with clinical, pathological, and genomic information to decode the different types of tissue biology. There are many currently available radiomic studies on lung cancer for which there is a need to summarize the current state of the art.
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Crowdsourcing for translational research: analysis of biomarker expression using cancer microarrays.
Lawson, Jonathan; Robinson-Vyas, Rupesh J; McQuillan, Janette P; Paterson, Andy; Christie, Sarah; Kidza-Griffiths, Matthew; McDuffus, Leigh-Anne; Moutasim, Karwan A; Shaw, Emily C; Kiltie, Anne E; Howat, William J; Hanby, Andrew M; Thomas, Gareth J; Smittenaar, Peter
2017-01-17
Academic pathology suffers from an acute and growing lack of workforce resource. This especially impacts on translational elements of clinical trials, which can require detailed analysis of thousands of tissue samples. We tested whether crowdsourcing - enlisting help from the public - is a sufficiently accurate method to score such samples. We developed a novel online interface to train and test lay participants on cancer detection and immunohistochemistry scoring in tissue microarrays. Lay participants initially performed cancer detection on lung cancer images stained for CD8, and we measured how extending a basic tutorial by annotated example images and feedback-based training affected cancer detection accuracy. We then applied this tutorial to additional cancer types and immunohistochemistry markers - bladder/ki67, lung/EGFR, and oesophageal/CD8 - to establish accuracy compared with experts. Using this optimised tutorial, we then tested lay participants' accuracy on immunohistochemistry scoring of lung/EGFR and bladder/p53 samples. We observed that for cancer detection, annotated example images and feedback-based training both improved accuracy compared with a basic tutorial only. Using this optimised tutorial, we demonstrate highly accurate (>0.90 area under curve) detection of cancer in samples stained with nuclear, cytoplasmic and membrane cell markers. We also observed high Spearman correlations between lay participants and experts for immunohistochemistry scoring (0.91 (0.78, 0.96) and 0.97 (0.91, 0.99) for lung/EGFR and bladder/p53 samples, respectively). These results establish crowdsourcing as a promising method to screen large data sets for biomarkers in cancer pathology research across a range of cancers and immunohistochemical stains.
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Prostate cancer - epidemiology, etiology, diagnostics, clinical symptoms, screening
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ondrus, D.
2006-01-01
Prostate cancer presents a real important medical and social problem at present. It is one of the most common malignancy in males. In global point of view it means permanent incidence increase of this disease. Despite improvement of prostate cancer diagnosis and complex treatment mortality does not decreased significantly. Knowledge of etiological factors are relatively limited. Important factors are: genetic disposition, age, life style, race, positive familial history, circulated androgens. Diagnostics is well known, based on routine clinical methods: digital rectal examination, measurement of PSA a transrectal ultrasound. Benefit of prostate cancer screening is until now unclear, controversial. (author)
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PET in tumor imaging: research only or a cost effective clinical tool?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wahl, R.L.
1997-01-01
PET imaging has for many years been a versatile tool for non-invasive imaging of neuro-physiology and, indeed, whole body physiology. Quantitative PET imaging of trace amounts of radioactivity is scientifically elegant and can be very complex. This lecture focuses on whether and where this test is clinically useful. Because of the research tradition, PET imaging has been perceived as an 'expensive' test, as it costs more per scan than CT and MRI scans at most institutions. Such a superficial analysis is incorrect, however, as it is increasingly recognized that imaging costs, which in some circumstances will be increased by the use of PET, are only a relatively small component of patient care costs. Thus, PET may raise imaging costs and the number of imaging procedures in some settings, though PET may reduce imaging test numbers in other settings. However, the analysis must focus on the total costs of patient management. Analyses focused on total patient care costs, including cost of hospitalization and cost surgery as well as imaging costs, have shown that PET can substantially reduce total patient care costs in several settings. This is achieved by providing a more accurate diagnosis, and thus having fewer instances of an incorrect diagnosis resulting in subsequent inappropriate surgery or investigations. Several institutions have shown scenarios in which PET for tumor imaging is cost effective. While the specific results of the analyses vary based on disease prevalence and cost input values for each procedure, as well as the projected performance of PET, the similar results showing total care cost savings in the management of several common cancers, strongly supports the rational for the use of PET in cancer management. In addition, promising clinical results are forthcoming in several other illnesses, suggesting PET will have broader utility than these uses, alone. Thus, while PET is an 'expensive' imaging procedure and has considerable utility as a research