A consortium of breast cancer researchers reports that a variation in the gene caspase-8 (CASP8) may offer modest protection against the disease. This is the first common genetic variant to be definitively linked to breast cancer, and the researchers believe many others will follow in the years ahead.

The Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC), an international group of about 20 research teams that includes scientists from NCI, made the discovery. Formed in 2005, the Consortium examines genetic associations reported in the scientific literature by pooling data from many studies, including unpublished findings. Read more  

Last Tuesday I gave members of the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) an update on the status of NCI's budget that I'd like to share with the entire cancer community.

Currently, NCI - like many other government agencies supported by the discretionary part of the Federal Budget - is operating under a continuing resolution (CR) which expires on February 15. A CR means current NCI operations are running at fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget levels. The House of Representatives has already passed a revised CR that would cover the remainder of FY2007. That bill will now be considered by the Senate and Congress is expected to pass a new CR under which the government will operate for the remainder of FY2007.  Read more  

The NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI, which was established in 1937, leads the national effort to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. 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 on cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit http://www.cancer.gov. NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.