BREAKING NEWS
President to Appoint Dr. Harold Varmus to Lead NCI
Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint Dr. Harold Varmus to serve as director of the National Cancer Institute.
In an e-mail to the NCI staff yesterday, Director of NIH Dr. Francis Collins said that Dr. Varmus "brings unmatched expertise at all levels—not only in cutting edge scientific research, but also as a leader in the development of strategies for improving patient care, in scientific education and training, and in the design of novel public-private partnerships."
For additional coverage of this important development, be sure to read upcoming issues of the NCI Cancer Bulletin.
COMMENTARY
Director's Update: For Clinical Trials, a Time of Challenge, Change, and Opportunity
Last month, the prestigious Institute of Medicine released a report on clinical trials for cancer. That report, A National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century, discusses weaknesses of the Cooperative Group clinical trials system supported by NCI, and it includes four recommendations suggesting, among other items, that NCI improve the speed and efficiency of clinical trials, incorporate more innovative science into trial design, improve the prioritization of trials so that more trials are run to completion, and find incentives to encourage patients and physicians to participate. Read more > >
Inside NCI: A Conversation with Dr. Jeff Abrams about Cancer Clinical Trials
The associate director of NCI's Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program discusses some of the challenges and opportunities in coordinating the largest publicly funded oncology clinical trials organization in the world. Read more > >
NEWS
Cancer Trials Accrual Tool Focuses on Solutions
NCI researchers last month unveiled a new online tool for clinicians and professionals who recruit people to join cancer clinical trials. The tool, called AccrualNet, is both a repository of information and a forum for professionals to exchange ideas about the challenges associated with developing and managing these important studies. Read more > >
Insurance Coverage Expanding for Cancer Clinical Trials
While federal health care reform is expected to help, states have taken action to expand access to cancer clinical trialsTalking About Trials: Overcoming Bottlenecks in Clinical Communication
Researchers test ways to normalize the discussion about enrollmentTaking Action to Diversify Clinical Cancer Research
Programs to recruit underrepresented participants exist, but researchers urge a concerted national effortOvercoming Age Limits in Cancer Clinical Trials
Adolescents and Young Adults are far less likely to enroll in trials than children and middle-aged adultsAdditional Clinical Trials Resources
Learn about clinical trials conducted at the NIH Clinical Center, family cancer registries, and links to more information about cancer trials
HIGHLIGHTS
SUPPLEMENT TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE
Study Finds No Overall Increased Brain Tumor Risk from Cell Phones
The international Interphone study included 5,000 patients with glioma or meningiomaCost of Cancer Care in the United States Doubled in the Past 20 Years
Rising costs mainly driven by the increase in cancer prevalence, not cost per patientLiver Cancer Cases in the United States Continued to Rise Through 2006
Incidence rates remained highest in Asians/Pacific Islanders but increased the fastest in African AmericansDoctors Urged to Monitor Hypertension in Cancer Patients Treated with Anti-VEGF Therapies
Expert panel provides recommendations on controlling this common side effect
UPDATES
SUPPLEMENT TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE
Legislative Update
- Cures Acceleration Network Featured at Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing
Cancer.gov Update
- Recovery Act Web Site Highlights NCI Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer Initiative
Notes
- PLCO EEMS Seeks Applicants
- Enter the Celebrating Smokefree Voices Video Contest
- Meet NCI Experts at ASCO
- Abstracts Accepted for the Molecular Markers in Cancer Meeting
- President's Cancer Panel Issues Report on Environmental Cancer Risks
- Updated NCI Spanish-language Booklet on Breast Cancer
Selected articles from past issues of the NCI Cancer Bulletin are available in Spanish.
The NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which was established in 1937. Through basic, clinical, and population-based biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a future in which we can identify the environmental and genetic causes of cancer, prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases.
For more information about cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit http://www.cancer.gov.
NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.
