NCI Cancer Bulletin for October 20, 2009 - National Cancer Institute

Better Options for Children with Difficult-to-Treat Leukemia

Some young patients with forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that do not respond to current treatments may have new options, according to two clinical trials published online October 5 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Both trials were led by the NCI-supported Children's Oncology Group (COG), and each yielded impressive results for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. Read more > >

Minimally Invasive Prostate Cancer Surgery Shows Benefits, Shortcomings
Traditional open surgery remains gold standard, researchers argue
Liver Cancer Study Finds Potential Marker for Treatment
Small RNA may predict patient survival and response to treatment
Gene Mutation Linked to Aggressive Childhood Cancer
Researchers find an oncogene they may be able to target with current drugs
Primary and Metastatic Tumors from Same Patient Sequenced
The tumors were collected 9 years apart from a woman with breast cancer
Prostate Tumor Microenvironment Found to Change Immune Cell's Function
The findings in a mouse study may improve cancer immunotherapies

Guest Director's Update: The NExT Steps in Drug Development at NCI

by Dr. James H. Doroshow

The FDA's recent approval of the new agent pralatrexate (Folotyn) for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) was especially satisfying news for those of us at NCI who have been involved with this drug. Of course, we are always pleased to see a new, effective cancer treatment reach the clinic, especially one for patients with this rare form of lymphoma who have relapsed after or failed to respond to their initial treatment. Read more > >

Duplicated Gene May Explain Rare Cancer in Some Families
The discovery suggests an alternate strategy for finding susceptibility genes
Does Mammography Sometimes Detect Too Much Breast Cancer?
Screening reduces the risk of breast cancer death but also finds some cancers that don't need to be treated
Featured Clinical Trial: Testing Satraplatin in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Will the drug delay disease progression in men with ERCC1 gene alterations?
Cancer Center Profile: University of Chicago Cancer Research Center
UCCRC scientists have made groundbreaking discoveries in chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, gene therapy, and bone marrow transplantation

Legislative Update
- Experts Testify on Pending Breast Cancer Legislation
- Congressional Delegation Visits NIH
FDA Update
- FDA Approves Two HPV Vaccines: Cervarix for Girls, Gardasil for Boys
- FDA Approves New Targeted Therapy for Kidney Cancer
Notes
- NIH Mourns Passing of Former Acting Director Dr. Ruth Kirschstein
- NCI Cancer Bulletin Recognized with NIH Merit Award
- International Palliative Care Resources Available Online

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 .

NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.

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