American Association for Cancer Research, April 2-6, 2011

The American Association for Cancer Research's 102nd Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research was held from April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla., and attracted more than 16,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in cancer research. The conference highlighted recent advances in the treatment, management, and prevention of cancer, with plenary lectures, symposia, mini-symposia, workshops, poster sessions, and presentations also focusing on cancer mechanisms, systems approaches to cancer biology, diagnostics and therapeutics, translation of advances to the clinic, and cutting-edge science in the prevention and early interception of cancer.

In one study, Harvey I. Pass, M.D., of the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues found that a novel protein test detects early-stage asbestos-related pulmonary cancer with high specificity and sensitivity.

"In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a novel platform to detect proteins secreted from tumors caused by exposure to asbestos using specially designed DNA molecules, Slow Off-rate Modified Aptamers, that bind to these differential proteins, in an effort to identify biomarkers," Pass said. "We evaluated 270 blood samples from 128 patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, and 142 participants who had been exposed to asbestos, and found, in two separate blinded analyses, that the test had high specificity and sensitivity for detecting malignant pleural mesothelioma. In the initial testing, we found that the specificity was 100 percent and sensitivity [was] 80 percent."

The investigators then evaluated these 13 biomarkers in a separate independent cohort that showed the profile had both a sensitivity and a specificity of 92 percent. The test was also successful in identifying mesothelioma patients who had early disease.

"Patients with mesothelioma identified earlier have a better chance of improved survival. This new biomarker test will help us identify and treat the disease earlier. In addition, the test is easy to perform and only requires use of 10 microliters of blood," Pass said.

The platform was developed by SomaLogic Inc. in Boulder, Colo., which employs several co-authors.

Abstract No. 2812

Edward Nelson, M.D., of the University of California in Irvine, and colleagues found that improvements in quality of life measures positively impact stress-related biological markers and may improve the overall health of patients with cancer.

"We evaluated whether modifying the chronic stress response would also modulate the stress-associated accelerated telomere shortening in patients with cancer. We examined archived biospecimens from 31 women from the trial who had a diagnosis of cervical cancer, about one year removed from their primary treatment," Nelson said. "We observed an association between reducing the stress response and longitudinal changes in telomere length, with those individuals who had improved stress responses having longer leukocyte telomere lengths."

Nelson stressed that this was only a preliminary analysis and that the results of the study need to be confirmed in an adequately powered study with more patients and sustained follow-up.

"Although improving quality of life is an important objective in addition to the treatment of the disease itself, it often is a lower priority in a busy practice. This study and those of others are describing downstream biological consequences of heightened chronic stress responses. Our study supports telomere length as another one of those biological consequences that can be modulated by improving the chronic stress response in our cancer patients," he said.

Abstract No. 1833

In another study evaluating telomere length, Jian Gu, Ph.D., of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues identified a genetic variant associated with longer telomeres and reduced bladder cancer risk.

The investigators analyzed 300,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 459 healthy participants and found 15,120 of them that were associated with telomere length. The investigators then conducted a further validation in 890 and 270 healthy participants and found four SNPs that were significantly associated with telomere length. In a specific cross-analysis with genetic polymorphisms, the investigators found that the SNP rs398652 on 14q21 was linked to both longer telomeres and a 19 percent reduction in the risk of bladder cancer.

"We found that telomere length plays an important role in bladder cancer etiology and mediates the increased cancer risk from genetic variants," Gu said. "Biologically, it is exciting to identify novel SNPs and genes that are involved in telomere length maintenance and bladder cancer risk, which may provide significant insight into the molecular mechanisms of telomere maintenance and bladder cancer etiology in humans."

Abstract
Full Text

AACR: Regimen Improves CRC Progression-Free Survival

WEDNESDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of gemcitabine to a regimen of FOLFOX followed by granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and low-dose aldesleukine (GOLFIG) appears to improve progression-free survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 5511
More Information

AACR: Soy Appears Safe for Breast Cancer Survivors

WEDNESDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Consumption of food containing soy isoflavones does not appear to increase the risk of cancer recurrence or mortality among breast cancer survivors, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 4665
More Information

AACR: Aspirin Use Tied to Lower Pancreatic Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Aspirin use at least once monthly appears to be associated with a reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 1902
More Information

AACR: Blood Test Identifies Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers

TUESDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- A novel diagnostic blood test using a panel of biomarkers can identify the presence of lung cancer among individuals who have never smoked, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 2813
More Information

AACR: Beer and Gene Variant Tied to Gastric Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals who consume large amounts of beer and have a specific genetic variant in a gene cluster involved in breaking down alcohol appear to be at a higher risk of developing non-cardia gastric cancer, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 3748
More Information

AACR: Breast Cancer Risk Assessed Using Breast Milk

MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- An individualized screen evaluating epithelial cells from women's breast milk may provide insight into breast cancer risk, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Press Release
More Information

AACR: Human Papillomavirus Tied to Lung Cancer

MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Several high-risk forms of human papillomavirus (HPV) antibodies may be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 1890
More Information

AACR: Diabetes Linked to Cancer Risk and Mortality

MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes appears to be associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer in men but an increased risk of other cancer types in both men and women, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held April 2 to 6 in Orlando, Fla.

Abstract No. 947
Abstract No. 945
More Information

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com