Among the highlights in the May 1999 Cancer Watch issue are: BRCA2 Mutations in Male Breast Cancer, The Ret Proto-oncogene in Human Cancer, Retinoic Acid and Skin Cancer, Recurrence of Cancer in Transplanted Lungs, Increased Incidence of Kidney Cancer in the US, Biological Determinant of Prostate Cancer Progression, Biological Markers Determines Cancer Treatment Success, Preventing Blood Vessel Leaks May Increase Drug Effect, Blood Test to Screen Ovarian Cancer, New Drug Combination for Ovarian Cancer, Arsenic Compounds in Treating Lymphomas, Communication Between Cancer Patients and Their Physicians is Important, Global Progress in Breast Cancer Mortality Rate, Understanding Tumor Cell Glycolysis, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Dendritic Cells (DC): Sentinels of the Immune System and Cell Surface Protein-Targeted Therapy Stimulates Cancer Immunity.

• BRCA2 Mutations in Male Breast Cancer
• The Ret Proto-oncogene in Human Cancer
• Retinoic Acid and Skin Cancer
• Recurrence of Cancer in Transplanted Lungs
• Increased Incidence of Kidney Cancer in the US

• By modifying existing diagnostic criteria, a subgroup of prostate cancer patients can be better identified.

• Molecular markers that are found to be useful in predicting cancer treatment failure are also detected in esophageal cancer. These will allow the physicians to identify subgroups and design effective and aggressive chemotherapy.

• Leaky blood vessel syndrome, a severe adverse side effect, produced by cancer therapeutics such as immunotoxins and interleukin-2 is caused by their specific interaction with cells of the blood vessels. A common motif containing three amino acids in these agents is implicated in this interaction. Deletion or modification of this motif, may therefore maintain their therapeutic power without producing leaky blood vessels.

• A pilot randomized trial shows that sequential serum CA-125 antigen measurement and ultrasonography can be used to screen ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women.

• Before paclitaxel was introduced in cancer therapy, the standard chemotherapeutic regimen for ovarian cancer patients was cisplatin/cyclophosphamide combination. Administration of paclitaxel along with cisplatin extended the survival time of these patients by 50 percent. Now it appears that replacing the platinum compound by carboplatin reduces the toxicity as well as enhances the safety to administer over a three-hour period instead of a 24-hour period required for the cisplatin/paclitaxel compound.

• Arsenic trioxide, in clinically achievable concentrations, is found to be effective in preventing cell growth and is shown to be promising against a variety of lymphatic cancers.

• Fatigue is a common syndrome among cancer patients on chemotherapy. However, they are reluctant to inform their physicians the condition of their well being, thinking that it may distract the physicians from paying more attention to the cure of the disease. A recent study shows that both patients and physicians need to be better educated about cancer fatigue and its treatment.

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and its mortality rates for Western and industrialized countries are high. However, a recent study shows a significant decrease in breast cancer-related deaths in certain countries during 1990s.

• A previously unknown form of an enzyme that stimulates the synthesis of a specific metabolite of glucose is found to play a critical role in sustaining glycolysis in cancer cells even in the presence of oxygen. Increased glycolysis produces precursors of DNA synthesis required for rapid proliferation. This enzyme can be targeted for chemotherapy.

• Immunotherapy for cancer patients is a way to improve the clinical response after conventional treatment of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Various strategies have been developed in recent years which can stimulate patients own immune system in non-specific or specific way to destroy the cancer cells. Preliminary results show promise but as with all new approaches time is needed to determine the full impact.

• tDCs are ubiquitous, originate from bone marrow progenitors, travel with the blood and are seeded in non-lymphoid tissues. They capture the antigens, process them and present them as peptide-MHC complexes at the cell surface. They interact with T cells and stimulate them to proliferate. They therefore play an adjuvent role in the immune response.

• Mice with B cell lymphoma expressing CD40 protein on cell surface can be effectively treated with monoclonal antibodies against CD40. This treatment destroys the cancer cells and provides protection against future assault with the same cancer cells without further antibody treatment. This treatment therefore produces immunity against this particular type of lymphoma.

Glossary

• A glossary of unfamiliar words and jargons in Cancer Watch, May 1999.