June, 2008

Provigil Helps Cancer Fatigue

Update from 2008 ASCO Meeting in Chicago

Provigil® (modafinil) reduced fatigue in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy according to a study reported by Gary Morrow PhD at the 2008 ASCO meeting.

Patients who were severely fatigued after their first chemotherapy treatment had less fatigue after they received Provigil than those who got a placebo. They were also less sleepy during the day.

Severe fatigue was considered more than 6 on a 10 point scale. Patients with mild or moderate fatigue did not have a similar improvement.

Despite improvement in severe fatigue, there was no effect on depression. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 10th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: ASCO, fatigue

Patricia Ganz M.D. Receives American Cancer Society Award at ASCO

Update from 2008 ASCO Meeting in Chicago

Patricia Ganz, MD received the American Cancer Society Award at ASCO this year. Professor of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles and Director of Cancer Prevention and Research at Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Ganz has a long history of concern for cancer patients and their quality of life.

In the lecture that accompanied the ACS Award, Dr. Ganz discussed the importance of research that looks at quality of life and the effects of cancer treatment, both during treatment and after it. In particular she encouraged the development of survivorship care plans that improve communication among patients, their oncology care providers, and other health professionals who care for them after their cancer treatment ends. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 9th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: ASCO, Patricia Ganz MD

Colonoscopy Screening Rates Rise in New York City

Colonoscopy screening increased by 50 percent in New York City in the past five years, with the biggest increase occurring among minorities.

Much of the improvement is credited to a coalition of doctors, city officials, union workers, and hospital administrators belonging to the New York Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition, known as C5.

The Coalition adopted a single colorectal cancer screening recommendation: all people of average risk over the age of 50 have a colonoscopy every ten years. People with a family history or other risk factors would be screened more often.

Funding was available to cover the uninsured.

One factor that led to success was using patient navigators to help patients through each step of the process. The bilingual navigators call patients to remind them of appointments, help them understand preparation for the procedure, and see that they have a ride home after their tests. They now work in all ten city-run hospitals and another six hospitals in New York.

Overall, patient navigators have facilitated nearly 31,000 colonoscopies in the past five years. In their first year, the rates of no-shows for colonoscopies dropped from 67 percent to 10 percent and screening rates tripled.

Rates of people over 50 who have had a colonoscopy rose from 2007 to 2003 from:

35 percent of African Americans to 64 percent
38 percent of Hispanics to 63.3 percent
48 percent of whites to 62.2 percent
25 percent of Asians to 53.6 percent

The C5 goal is to have 80 percent of New York City residents over the age of 50 screened with a colonoscopy by 2011.

Information about colonoscopy improvement was announced on June 5, 2008 by Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City Health Commissioner.

SOURCE: Dan Hurley, More People Undergoing Colonoscopy, The New York Times, June 6, 2008.

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 6th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: colorectal cancer prevention, screening

KRAS Mutations Make a Difference In Response to Erbitux

Update from 2008 ASCO Meeting in Chicago

Three studies reported during the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology found that colorectal cancer patients whose tumors have mutated KRAS genes do not benefit from treatment with the EGFR-inhibitor Erbitux® (cetuximab).

At the same time, patients with tumors that aren’t aren’t mutated (wild-type) have significantly better results when Erbitux is added to either FOLFIRI or FOLFOX chemotherapy.

Two randomized trials of initial treatment of chemotherapy with or without Erbitux found responses and improved progression-free survival only in patients with wild-type KRAS. The CRYSTAL Phase III study compared FOLFIRI to FOLFIRI with the addition of cetuximab. The Phase II OPUS trial used FOLFOX as chemotherapy and compared FOLFOX to FOLFOX plus cetuximab. Neither found benefit for patients whose tumor had mutated KRAS.

However, both trials found that adding cetuximab to chemotherapy improved both tumor shrinkage (response rates) and the time until the cancer got worse (progression free survival) for people with wild-type KRAS.

Tumors can be tested for mutated KRAS before beginning treatment providing information that can help patients and doctors make better decisions about the right therapy for each individual.

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 6th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »
Tags: ASCO, K-ras, KRAS

Speaker Pelosi - Support Increased Funding at NIH

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

“Since FY 2003, NIH and NCI have received flat funding or been cut. Research progress has been significantly hindered, and NIH and NCI have been forced to make painful cuts to ongoing research projects, including the delay and scaling back of clinical trials and research for currently under-researched and deadly cancers such as cancers of the colon and rectum, pancreas, lung, ovarian, and brain. The additional $400 million would be an infusion of support for institutions across the country, supporting as many as 700 new research grants.”

On Wednesday, June 4, One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting that the House retain the $400 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that was included in the Senate’s version of the supplemental appropriations bill (HR 2642).

As a member of OVAC, C3 is urging everyone to contact their Member of Congress and ask them to support HR 2642. Click here to find your elected official’s contact information.

Posted by Joe Arite on June 6th, 2008
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | No Comments »
Tags: Appropriations, Congress, NCI, NIH, OVAC