Indoor tanning beds increase risk of melanoma

PHILADELPHIA – May 27, 2010 – In case there remained any doubts about the risks of tanning beds, the largest study of its kind on this issue has found that use of indoor tanning beds increases risk of melanoma between twofold and fourfold depending on the device and length of time indoor tanning is used.

Lead author Dr. DeAnn Lazovich, associate professor of epidemiology and community health in the School of Public Health and Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, reported the study findings of more than 2,200 participants.

GTx disappointed by drug for prevention of prostate cancer

MEMPHIS, Tenn.– Cancer Digest – GTx, Inc. today announced disappointing initial results of
a key clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of its drug, toremifene, to prevent prostate cancer in men at high risk for the disease.	Prostate cancer is a hormonally driven disease, and both testosterone and estrogen are required for its development and progression. GTx believes that by selectively blocking estrogen receptors needed for prostate cell proliferation, toremifene 20 mg may be an ideal anti-estrogen for prevention of prostate cancer. (Image courtesy of GTx, Inc.)

Change in blood protein over time may detect ovarian cancer

HOUSTON – May 20, 2010 (Cancer Digest) – Measuring the change in blood levels of a protein long used as an indicator of ovarian cancer recurrence may be useful for initial detection of the otherwise silent cancer, say researchers. Led by Dr. Karen Lu, professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the research	M.D Anderson's Dr. Karen Lu, and Dr. Robert Bast

Cell phone study shows no increased risk, but ...

GENEVA – Cancer Digest – Researchers conducting the largest international study to date of the risks of brain cancers from cell phone use have found no elevated risk for glioma or meningioma, the two most common forms of the disease.

The INTERPHONE study is a set of international population studies begun in 2000. It involved more than 10,000 people interviewed at 16 cancer centers in 13 countries and focused on tumors in younger people, 30–59 years of age – the population group expected to have had the highest prevalence of mobile phone use over the past decade.

Free skin cancer screenings this weekend

SCHAUMBURG, IL– This year marks the 25th anniversary of the American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) National Skin Cancer Screening Program and this Saturday, May 15, many dermatologists are offering free screenings. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, killing one person every hour. Melanoma is often successfully treated - if it's detected in time.

Click here What to Expect at a Screening

Study raises hopes among advocates of generic drug

EDMONTON – Cancer Digest – It is rare that a substance that kills cancer cells in a test tube produces the same effect in a human patient, but that appears to be the case in a tiny new study of a deadly form of brain cancer. Researchers at the University of Alberta, have reported evidence that the orphan generic drug dichloroacetate (DCA) may hold promise as potential therapy for a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma.

Stomach cancer rising among certain young white americans

CHICAGO – VOA News – Stomach cancer is one of the deadliest diseases, and ranks second among cancers worldwide with at least 800,000 deaths yearly. But in the United States, the number of cases has been declining, except for among one group of Americans.

Glenda Reimer, her sister Sandy Wilken and Wilken's daughter Mallorie have come to the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland to help scientists better understand the disease that has devastated their family. Continue reading

Cancer care costs double? So have all healthcare costs

ATLANTA – Cancer Digest – Researchers looking at how cancer care costs have changed over the past 20 years have found that the cost of treating cancer has doubled over that time, but as a percentage of total healthcare costs cancer's share hasn't changed much.

Orphan status granted for ovarian cancer drug

QUEBEC CITY– (Cancer Digest) – Canadian drug maker Aeterna Zentaris Inc. has been granted orphan drug status for its late-stage ovarian cancer drug AEZS-10. The drug is a hybrid that combines a molecule that naturally binds to a particular protein receptor displayed on a cell surface  with a cell-killing agent. In this case the molecule, which prefers to binds to the protein receptor called, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, or LHRH, is combined with the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin.

FDA to review safety of prostate cancer drugs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (Cancer Digest) – The FDA announced today that it will review the safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) blockers. These are a common hormone blockade therapy drugs used to treat men with prostate cancer. Recent studies have linked them with a small increased risk for diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and sudden death in men treated with one of the medications.

Studies show frequent dose radiotherapy boosts survival

GENEVA – (Cancer Digest) – A new analysis of data pooled from multiple studies reported at the second European Lung Cancer Conference shows that patients with both non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer benefit in terms of overall survival when treated with hyperfractionated or accelerated radiotherapy.

Click on video. When page
opens choose "Novel and
modified radiotherapy tech-
niques," to view video.