Stand Up To Cancer

According to a new analysis by the Institute of Medicine, the US government's cancer research network is "approaching a state of crisis." Among the report's shocking findings: 40% of late-stage clinical trials funded by the government are abandoned before completion, and it can take more than two years to design and initiate new clinical trials. The Institute recommended that the National Cancer Institute consolidate its administrative operations, develop more efficient trial design, create incentives for investigators to participate in studies and more.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-15/cancer-research-by-u-s-disorganized-underfunded-study-says.html

A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine indicates that people with diabetes actually fare better following colon cancer surgery than people without the condition. In an analysis of medical records for nearly 220,000 people who had colon cancer surgery in the US between 1995 and 2005, there was a 29% lower risk of death among those with uncomplicated diabetes. One possible explanation? Doctors may keep a closer eye on patients with diabetes, and that extra attention may translate into better survival rates.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63D3R820100414

CDC researchers have found that 75% of physicians rely on an in-office fecal occult blood test (FOBT) to screen for colorectal cancer, when the home-based FOBT has been shown to be more effective. The in-office test misses a whopping 95% of cancer or precancerous polyps, and national guidelines recommend that FOBT testing be done with stool samples collected at home. "Many primary care physicians continue to use inappropriate FOBT methods to screen for colorectal cancer, thereby missing the potential to save lives," said the study's author. "FOBT is an important option for screening, but it must be implemented correctly."
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/638141.html

This LA Times article provides a neat wrap-up of new technologies in breast cancer screening. Mammography has been the gold standard of breast cancer detection for years, but it only correctly identifies 80 to 85% of women who have cancer. This piece touches on technologies like digital mammography and computer-aided detection (both on the market now) as well as digital tomosynthesis and stereoscopic mammography (emerging).
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-mammogram-20100412,0,3561975.story?page=2

Finally, two research institutes have joined to form the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium, using the DNA from dog drool, of all things, to look into the genomic causes of disease. That slobber DNA could be the key to unlocking new treatments for rare cancers in both man and his best friend. "Rare diseases in humans also show up in dogs. By studying the DNA of canines, we expect to more quickly discover the genomic causes of disease and more quickly find ways to better treat dogs, and people,'' said Dr. Mark Neff, director of the new program.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,591128,00.html

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

--Cat