Stand Up To Cancer

Here's some cheery news to kick off this week's roundup of links. An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights the progress that has been made against breast cancer in the past 20 years. The piece notes that women today are generally diagnosed earlier and treated more effectively - and one of the key advances it cites is the development of Herceptin by SU2C friend Dr. Dennis Slamon.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/health/stories/2009/01/28/breast_cancer_developments.html

My favorite scientific breakthroughs are always the ones that come from unexpected places, and this week's unlikely hero is the tadpole. British researchers have found that there's a compound in tadpole pigment cells that blocks their movement, giving the baby frogs their distinctive markings. But this compound could theoretically also be used to curb the growth of skin cancer in humans: "It just goes to show that studying animals like tadpoles, which may seem unusual, could lead to potential cancer drugs in the future," said one of the researchers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7851932.stm

If you're interested in boning up on the history of cancer research, CNN.com has a great timeline of milestones in the battle against cancer. Did you know that the first mastectomy was performed way back in 1890? Or that the Pap smear was invented at the turn of the century by a Dr. Pap(anicolaou)? Further down the line, Tamoxifen, Avastin and Nexavar all made the list as key developments in the past decade.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/29/timeline.cancer/

If you've ever been to North Carolina, you probably noticed that smoking restrictions are a little more lax there than in the rest of the country. The tobacco-producing state still allows smoking in restaurants, workplaces and other public areas, including some stores. Now a cancer survivor - who happens to also be the state's House Majority Leader - is looking to change all that.
http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/1386092.html

Some good news from Washington this week: Medicare has officially expanded its coverage for cancer drugs, even including treatments that have yet to receive full FDA approval. This means the agency will now cover some novel treatments it wouldn't before, saving docs and patients alike the trouble of dealing with payment. "Basically what this means is that there will be faster coverage of evidence-based and appropriate cancer medications for patients," said a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "It will reduce the hassle factor."
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2009/01/29/ap/health/d95vn0c80.txt

Stanford scientists have identified a protein that helps cells replicate by repairing the ends of chromosomes. It's the first new protein component of telomerase to be discovered in 10 years and plays a role in the reproduction of cancer cells - meaning that blocking it can limit a cell's lifespan. "We've never really understood before how the enzyme gets to the telomeres; it's been a complete black box," said one of the docs. "Now we're starting to piece together how it happens, and that gives us more opportunities to interfere with its function."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129140847.htm

Finally, in the waning days of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, here's some timely news: more women are getting the HPV vaccine than ever before. Meanwhile, health officials report that incidence of cervical cancer is on the decline. Score one for modern medicine - and ladies, if you haven't already, get that vaccine!
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090128/GPG0101/901280709/1207/GPG01

That's it for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more!

--Cat