Stand Up To Cancer

A new, experimental breast cancer drug is showing promising results in its Phase 2 trial. Forty-six patients with advanced breast cancer are being treated with the drug, which is called bavituximab, along with chemotherapy drugs paclitaxel and carboplatin; so far 74% of them have responded to the treatment, and four patients' tumors have completely disappeared. In an older trial, a similar group of patients treated with the chemo drugs alone resulted in a response rate of 62%.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q2RQ20100527

In less optimistic news, a drug derived from shark cartilage is now in the final stage of testing on patients with advanced lung cancer, and the results are disappointing: the drug has not helped extend the life spans of patients with inoperable, stage III non-small cell lung cancer. The study, which was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and looked at 379 patients, notes that its impetus was "widespread use of poorly regulated complementary and alternative medicine products, such as shark cartilage-derived agents, among patients with advanced cancer, a population likely to be vulnerable to unsubstantiated marketing claims."
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/639481.html

With summer approaching, the odds are good you've spotted a headline or two warning that sunscreen may be dangerous; one report from the Environmental Working Group claims that a Vitamin A compound used in 40% of sunscreens may break down and cause skin damage under exposure to sunlight. But dermatologist Henry Lim offers a differing perspective in this article: he notes that the claims are based on studies in mice, which are far more susceptible to skin cancer than we are. But if you'd still like to find a sunscreen without the ingredient, here's a handy database to help you out.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/26/tech/main6521447.shtml

According to results of a new animal study, the children of women who are exposed to certain industrial chemicals while pregnant will be at an increased risk for developing breast cancer as adults. The chemicals tested are bisphenol-A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES), which are used for industrial manufacturing purposes. "BPA is a weak estrogen and DES is a strong estrogen, yet our study shows both have a profound effect on gene expression in the mammary gland [breast] throughout life," said the study's lead author. "All estrogens, even 'weak' ones, can alter the development of the breast and ultimately place adult women who were exposed to them prenatally at risk of breast cancer."
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/639390.html

On a related note, this article from the Baltimore Sun looks at the challenges inherent in trying to avoid environmental exposure to carcinogens, an issue on a lot of peoples' minds following the annual report from the President's Cancer Panel issued a few weeks back. Dr. Kevin Cullen, the director of the University of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center, offers a tempered, pragmatic view in this article, pointing out that while environmental exposure is a big issue that deserves more attention, "The mistake would be to have people panic and make major changes around their lives and ignore other issues such as obesity and smoking."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-chemicals-environment-cancer-20100527,0,3225195.story

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more news you can use!

--Cat