• High dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue, can provide durable remissions in women with breast cancer, resulting in longer periods of disease-free and overall survival. Patients most likely to benefit from this treatment approach are those with metastatic breast cancer responsive to chemotherapy.

• An entirely new approach of collecting stem cells for bone marrow transplantation has been utilized by the CEPRATE SC System Cell Concentration (CellPro) which uses a technology known as affinity chromatography. The system selects targeted CD34+ cells by incubating bone marrow with a biotinylated monoclonal antibody, and then processing the incubated cell mixture through an avidin-coated column. Target cells adhere to the column for collection, while unwanted cells pass through. The entire column-processing procedure is automated and easy to use.

• In certain cases nutritional supplement of selenium is found to decrease the incidence of some cancers such as lung, colorectal, and prostate, but it does not appear to have any preventative effect on the cancer of skin, breast, or bladder.

• Low oxygen tension found inside the tumor may be responsible in causing excessive DNA damage found in cancerous cells.

• Besides the Ashkenazi Jewish women, more and more different ethnic groups around the world, are showing similar unique breast cancer gene mutations. This observation allows the scientist to investigate the molecular basis of the mutations involved in breast cancer development.

• The antiestrogen toremifene is an analogue of tamoxifen. It is reported to possess some qualities superior to tamoxifen when used in breast cancer patients. For example, though less potent than tamoxifen it is better tolerated at higher daily dosage and has powerful suppressive effect on numerous hormone-independent, estrogen-negative experimental tumors. No liver toxicity is reported so far. When used in combination with killer cells toremifene is more potent that tamoxifen. It also may stimulate cell-mediated immunity.

• Cathepsin D has been identified as an important protease with a role in tumor neoangiogenesis, invasive potential and metastasis. In breast cancer, it appears to be of value in the identification of poor risk node-negative patients which would allow the early (and therefore beneficial) introduction of adjuvant treatment.

• Human breast tissue contains a large proportion of fatty cells that are found to collect fat-soluble chemicals capable of damaging DNA and this in turn can induce cancer.

• Androgen hormones can alter the prooxidant-antioxidant balance in prostate cancer cells, producing a state of oxidative stress that may influence the development of prostate cancer.

• The tumor marker CA-125, a glycoprotein present in blood, is significantly increased in asymptomatic postmenopausal women and is a powerful index for ovarian cancer. The role of this marker in monitoring ovarian cancer is well established. Its use as a tool for screening this cancer is currently under investigation.

• Patients with blood-related cancers benefits from combination chemotherapy including interferon and autologous stem cell transplantation. CLL patients showed better response rate and longer progression-free survival when fludarabine, a nucleotide analogue was used instead of the standard alkylating agent chlorambucil. In cases of follicular lymphoma cytarabine in combination with interferon performed a better job.

• NCI funds to develop a national infrastructure to process information related to cancer genetics. The function of these establishments will be to establish centers for quality testing and research to investigate cancer susceptibility genes. An important part of this network will be a sophisticated electronic communication system linking participants from all the sites for ongoing clinical, treatment, and prevention trials. In addition, the network will also provide counseling when necessary and probably would be involved with broader education and dissemination of information as they become available.

• To settle the contoversy that exists in the treatment of ovarian cancer with high-dose chemotherapy NCI launches a large nationwide study. This study will enroll 275 advanced stage ovarian cancer patients who still display evidence of disease after undergoing surgery and one course of chemotherapy. One group will receive high doses of three drugs--carboplatin, mitoxantrone, and cyclophosphamide with autologous stem cell transplantation. The second group will receive paclitaxel and carboplatin, a combination now widely considered an optimal therapy for ovarian camcer at this stage.

Glossary

• A glossary of unfamiliar words and jargons in Cancer Watch, January 1997.