Andrea Bertotti, MD, PhD

Andrea Bertotti, M.D., Ph.D. 
Istituto per la Ricerca e la Cura del Cancro, Candiolo, Italy 

Improving targeted therapy in colorectal cancer through xenopatients

Grant amount: $100,000 over 2 years

Dr. Bertotti has created a unique collection of “xenopatients”–mice which are implanted and living with more than 300 different human colorectal cancer tumors. Each tumor has been meticulously analyzed for gene expression, exome, and cell pathways. With this grant, he will be able to test (in mice rather than in patients) how specific human tumors with defined genetics respond to specific drugs and combinations. Bertotti’s work will also speed the search for biomarkers—tests that could predict which drug will work for an individual’s specific metastatic colorectal cancer.

Dr. Bertotti’s research marks a milestone for Fight Colorectal Cancer: It is our first-ever two-year $100,000 grant to a scientist whose work fights advanced stage colorectal cancer.

Dr. Bertotti has already made a mark in colorectal cancer research. “Andrea has stood out as one of the most brilliant young scientists of our institution,” said Dr. Paolo Comoglio, Scientific Director of the IRCC. He led “a huge institutional effort” to create the library of genetically analyzed human tumors transplanted into mice. With those human tumor samples, the laboratory will focus on the 40 percent of human metastatic cancer samples in which the tumor is held stable—but does not shrink—when treated with Erbitux (cetuximab).

Using the mouse models, the lab will be able to safely test a combination treatment, adding lapatinib (another drug which works similarly but in a different pathway than Erbitux). The scientists will analyze the cells, looking for biomarkers that predict response to the treatments, as well as other pathways for which new drugs could be developed. If the drugs substantially shrink a subset of tumors, the research could potentially move into clinical trials.

“His work will be ground-breaking and exactly in line with the reason Lisa Dubow created this fund—to support a promising researcher working to advance the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer,” said Carlea Bauman, president of Fight Colorectal Cancer.

Make an investment in colorectal cancer research. Donate to the Lisa Fund today.

On Monday, April 25th, Fight Colorectal Cancer held a free patient webinar that tackled the somewhat complex but fascinating topic of personalized medicine.

Personalized medicine is what the cancer community calls treatments that are tailored to each patient’s genetic makeup. It is the future of cancer care and in some cases, it is already making a big difference in the ways patients are treated.

You can learn about these cutting edge treatments and about emerging findings in an archive of the webinar below.

Our thanks to Carolyn Grande, CRNP, AOCNP for leading the discussion. She a phenomenal educator on this topic and a member of our Medical Advisory Board. She graciously donated her time to bring this information to patients.

Medicine that is tailored to each patient’s genetic makeup is the future of cancer care. In some cases, it is already making a big difference in the ways patients are treated. Learn about these cutting edge treatments and about emerging findings that will be important for future diagnoses and treatments of colorectal cancer. Discussion led by Carolyn Grande, CRNP, AOCNP.

Fight Colorectal Cancer is giving you the opportunity to talk to researchers and medical professionals in April and May through online webinars designed to bring the science of treating colorectal cancer down to the personal.

The latest news from the petri dish
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
8 – 9 PM Eastern

Dr. Yaeger at work in her lab

Dr. Rona Yaeger will discuss the research she has been conducting over the past year with the grant she received as part of Fight Colorectal Cancer’s Lisa Fund research program.

Dr. Yaeger’s research focused on inhibiting the AKT pathway in colorectal cancer cells. She conducted basic research to determine how inhibitors to the pathway might affect cells of patients who have mutated KRAS and are resistant to EGFR inhibiting drugs. Dr. Yaeger has also been conducting a phase II clinical trial with an AKT inhibitor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have normal (wild type) KRAS.

If you are interested in learning more about the future of cancer treatments, or if you’ve ever donated to the Fight Colorectal Cancer Lisa Fund, do not miss this webinar!

Read the rest of this entry »

Colon cancer has undergone significant changes and has seen increasing treatment options. With more and more drugs available and approved for colon cancer we are facing difficult decisions deciding what is the right treatment at the right time.

For patients with newly diagnosed colon cancer we have two chemotherapeutic regimens: a combination of infusional 5-FU with irinotecan (FOLFIRI) or with oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). Both regimens have shown similar efficacy and similar extent of toxicity however there are differences in the quality of toxicity.  More often FOLFOX has to be stopped because of its neurotoxicity than because it stopped working. Read the rest of this entry »