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Abstract: Cancer Watch October 1999
Among the highlights in the October 1999 Cancer Watch issue are: Dioxin and Increased Risk of Cancer, WNT Genes and Breast Cancer, Apoptosis is Reflected in Cancer Patients’ Serum, Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer with Trofosfamide, Having Children after Cancer, Tamoxifen and Risk of Endometrial Cancer, Fatigue in Cancer, Hypercalcemia in Cancer Patients, Expression of Mutant Telomerase Prevents Cancer Cell Growth, Proteins Needed for Cellular Development Stimulate Blood Vessel Formation in Tumors, An Enzyme Inhibiting Blood Clotting Blocks Angiogenesis, Exemestane Improves Survival in Tamoxifen-Refractory Breast Cancer, Sequential Cisplatin/Topotecan and Cisplatin/Paclitaxel Promising for Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Prostate-Specific Antigen May Retard Cancer Growth, Improved Strategy for Cancer Vaccine, A New Era of Cancer Immunotherapy: Herceptin, Cancer and Pregnancy, NCI Funds Early Detection Research Network.
News in Brief
- Exposure to Dioxin and Increased Risk of Cancer
- WNT Genes and Breast Cancer
- Apoptosis is Reflected in Cancer Patients’ Serum
- Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer with Trofosfamide
- Having Children after Cancer
Tamoxifen and Risk of Endometrial Cancer
- Tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer is associated with increasing risk of developing endometrial cancer. This relationship is significantly affected if the patient had a history of unopposed exogenous estrogen exposure or is obese at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.
Fatigue in Cancer
- Fatigue is one of the commonest complaints in the general population; it is subjective, not measurable in numerical terms and probably often abused, similar to lower back pain. Health insurance opened up lucrative exploitation with the recognition of a "fatigue syndrome", which has no objective parameters; it is spreading, from veterans to industrial to white collar workers. Soon, the whole nation will be fatigued…and try to make a buck from it or at least avoid working. This leads to much cynicism among health care providers and the genuine sufferers, such as cancer patients, may easily fall between the cracks.
Hypercalcemia in Cancer Patients
- The most potent bisphosphonate, zoledronate, is demonstrated to be highly effective in preventing tumor-induced hypercalcemia in phase I trials. It is well tolerated and produces minor transient side-effects.
Expression of Mutant Telomerase Prevents Cancer Cell Growth
- Inhibition of telomerase activity can be achieved in cancer cells by allowing expression of a mutant telomerase, produced by replacing a critical amino acid moiety in the catalytic subunit of normal human telomerase. High level expression of such mutated telomerase reduces the length of existing telomere and eventually halts the growth of tumor cells.
Proteins Needed for Cellular Development Stimulate Blood Vessel Formation in Tumors
- Proteins that are necessary during early embryognesis, but are absent adult tissues, can be found in human cancer cells. These proteins are found to aid in the progression of several types of cancer. They also increase new blood vessel formation in tumors.
An Enzyme Inhibiting Blood Clotting Blocks Angiogenesis
- The clot inhibiting antithrombin can also participate as an inhibitor of angiogenesis when it assumes the role of an anticoagulator. After binding with thrombin, a portion of the molecule is cleaved making it unusable as antithrombin, but this action enhances its ability to inhibit tumor and endothelial cell growth
Innovative Approaches for Difficult-To-Treat Cancers
- Exemestane Improves Survival in Tamoxifen-Refractory Breast Cancer. Exemestane, a new steroidal, irreversible aromatase inhibitor, has been shown to be the treatment of choice when compared to conventional second-line therapy with megestrol acetate in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer refractory to tamoxifen.
Sequential Cisplatin/Topotecan and Cisplatin/Paclitaxel Promising for Advanced Ovarian Cancer . Sequential couplets of cisplatin/topotecan and cisplatin/paclitaxel show promise as first-line therapy in women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, a difficult-to-treat disease.
Prostate-Specific Antigen May Retard Cancer Growth
- Prostate-specific antigen, used as an indicator of potential prostate cancer, may actually slow the growth of cancers through inhibition of blood vessel formation
Improved Strategy for Cancer Vaccine
- Results of a recently completed clinical trial showed that a lymphoma cancer vaccine has a clear antitumor effect in a small group of patients who were vaccinated over the course of five years.
A New Era of Cancer Immunotherapy: Herceptin
- After almost a century of mostly disappointing attempts at cancer immunotherapy, there seems to be a new, promising kid on the block. Previous xenogeneic, allogenic and even syngeneic models and efforts at passive or active immunity were unsuccessful, because both humoral and cell-based therapies were either not enough specific, did not reach sufficient levels or stimulated antibody formation which rapidly abrogated their effectiveness. We like to believe that a critical mass of information has now been reached and four areas are showing interesting results: manipulated dendritic and other cells of the immune system, cancer vaccines with new vectors, selective immunoconjugates of drugs and finally, monoclonal antibodies against overexpressed markers, preferably located on the surface of cancer cells. One of the latter options is trastuzumab (HerceptinTM), a monoclonal, "humanized" antibody against the HER2 protein.
Cancer and Pregnancy
John A. Kellen, M.D., Ph.D.
- There is an increasing number of women who choose to bear children while being diagnosed with or even treated for cancer. At first glance, improving therapy and prolonged life expectancy are conducive to such decisions. With a very few exceptions, pregnancy adds to the burden of or even aggravates the course of malignant growth. While the right to have children is being proclaimed by many as inherent, it takes much courage (often based on ignorance) and even more selfishness to undergo pregnancy under these circumstances. Even the healthiest among us can not ensure health of body and mind to our offspring; the risk under the shadow of cancer is obviously greater.
NCI Funds Early Detection Research Network
Glossary
- Glossary of unfamiliar terms and jargons in Cancer Watch, October '99
Redesigned and updated: April 5, 2000
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