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May

Week Ending May 19, 2013

Lung Cancer, Not One Disease: Diverse Patients Need Personalized Treatments, Two New Studies Show
BURLINGTON, ON – “New research taking place right here on Canadian soil is shedding light on the nation's number one cancer killer,i lung cancer. Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. today announced data from Phase III clinical trials involving two different investigational oncology treatments - afatinib* and nintedanib* - in two distinct groups of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The research is further proof that lung cancer is not just one disease - it can affect anyone, not just smokers.”

FDA approves Roche diagnostic for gene mutation in lung cancer
(Reuters) – “U.S. health regulators on Tuesday approved a test developed by Roche for a specific gene mutation present in about 10 percent of non-small cell lung cancers, and said the company's drug Tarceva could be used as an initial treatment in patients with the mutation whose cancer has spread beyond the lungs.”

Cancer survivor exudes calm in Legislature’s budget battles
Redmond Republican Andy Hill, the state Senate’s chief budget writer, learned a hard-won lesson when advanced lung cancer threatened his life four years ago. “The illness taught me not to sweat the small stuff,” he said.
OLYMPIA — “Republican state Sen. Andy Hill has a regular reminder of the advanced lung cancer that threatened his life four years ago — a dark orange capsule he takes twice a day.”

16-year-old finds a new way to detect cancer
(CBS News) “In our "Young Innovators" series, we've been featuring young people trying to change the world. This time, we spotlight Jack Andraka, who started googling ways to prevent cancer after losing a friend to the disease. And look where it took him.”

Lung biomarker testing hindered by insufficient tissue samples
“The biggest challenges faced in incorporating biomarker testing into the care of persons with lung cancer involve the ability to obtain tissue samples of sufficient size and quality, according to newly released survey findings. Biomarker testing, in which tissue is tested for a given genetic mutation or translocation, can be used to tailor treatment to a person's specific type of cancer.”

Study in hope
Research will look at best treatment options for advanced lung cancer
“The Callahan Cancer Center is one of four facilities participating in a new clinical research study aimed at Stage IV lung cancer patients. Enrollment will begin on July 1.”

Drugs Targeting Leukemia, Ovarian Cancer, And Lung Cancer To Begin Phase III, AstraZeneca Reports
The biopharmaceutical company, which operates in over 100 countries, has issued an update on its oncology pipeline for 2013.
“In 2013, AstraZeneca will be advancing three of its cancer drugs to Phase 3 clinical development, the global biopharmaceutical company reports. Leukemia, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer are the targets of the three compounds currently in development.”

Ultralow-dose CT bests X-Ray for lung cancer follow-up, but is it enough?
MINNEAPOLIS – “Minimal-dose computed tomography was superior to chest radiographs for surveillance after curative lung cancer resection in a randomized controlled trial involving over 300 patients.”

Stage 3A Lung Cancer Survival Better When Surgery Follows Chemo and Radiation
“There are several options for treatment with stage 3A lung cancer, but with options come choices. And sometimes there's no clear cut direction as to which choice is best. For example, stage 3A non-small cell lung cancer is often treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, but the proper order of these treatments has been debated.”

Week Ending May 12, 2013

Human Immune-Boosting Cancer Drugs Seen Extending Lives: Health
“Merck & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Roche Holding AG (ROG) have opened a new front against cancer with the next generation of experimental drugs that use the human immune system to seek and destroy tumor cells.”

Cheryl G. Healton Recognized for Public Health Leadership at Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Lung Cancer Workshop X
“The Prevent Cancer Foundation is proud to announce Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, as the first recipient of the James L. Mulshine, M.D., Leadership Award at the 2013 Lung Cancer Workshop X, held in Bethesda, Md. on May 2. The award recognizes Healton’s over 25 years of tireless work in public health, specifically on tobacco control. A former smoker herself, Dr. Healton’s first-hand understanding of addiction has driven her passion to find real-world solutions to smoking cessation.”

Study: No Association Between Cannabis Smoke and Risk of Lung Cancer
LOS ANGELES, CA — “In a recent presentation given at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, investigators from the University of California, Los Angeles provided the latest data reaffirming that cannabis consumption is not associated with an elevated risk of lung cancer.”

Alan Ashworth: Enough of the back slapping, let's find a cure for cancer
The molecular biologist has revolutionised treatment of breast cancer. His next challenge? The lungs.
“Professor Alan Ashworth is on a mission. He made his name by helping to discover one of the key breast cancer genes and now he wants to destigmatise lung cancer, a disease tainted by its association with smoking and an unhealthy lifestyle.”

New Lung Cancer Guidelines Recommends Offering Screening To High-Risk Individuals
Advances in Treatment Have Major Impact on Short- and Long-term Outcomes NORTHBROOK, Ill., -- “The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) third edition of evidence-based lung cancer guidelines, Diagnosis and Management of Lung Cancer, 3rd ed: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines, recommends offering low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scanning for lung cancer screening to people with a significant risk of lung cancer due to age and smoking history.”

AATS: MnDCT Beats Chest X-Ray for Detecting Lung Cancer
“Minimal Dose Computed Tomography Scan of the Chest delivers a radiation dose comparable to that of chest X-ray, with greater sensitivity for detecting new or recurrent lung cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, held from May 4 to 8 in Minneapolis.”

Brain chemotherapy improves survival after lung metastasis
“Intraventricular chemotherapy, in which the drugs are injected directly into the ventricles of the brain, improved symptom response rate and overall survival among persons with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) that developed from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Space Coast Cancer Center Adds Lung Cancer Services
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – “Space Coast Cancer Center is adding three new programs to their support and service offerings to cancer patients and the community at large.”

Targeted therapy helps lung cancer patients
“It's a sad fact that Kentucky not only leads the way in the number of people getting diagnosed with lung cancer, but also leads in lung cancer deaths as well. But new technology at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center in Louisville is putting a target on that statistic.”

UH offers $99 lung cancer screenings at 11 Northeast Ohio locations: The Frugal Patient
CLEVELAND, Ohio – “University Hospitals Case Medical Center continues to offer $99 lung cancer screenings for people who've smoked for years and are more likely to develop cancer.”

Why Aren’t More Lung Cancer Patients In Clinical Trials?
“Clinical trials can make a difference for some people living with lung cancer. I know. I have a friend who has bypassed her predicted survival by years via a medication obtained only through clinical trials. In addition, my brother's family has a grandparent that lived well beyond what doctors would predict - after the same drug became available to the general public (which was only possible through the participation of others in clinical trials.)”

April

Week Ending April 28, 2013

New cancer weapons: Blount Memorial breaking ground in lung cancer treatment, screening
“While lung cancer continues to be the No. 1 killer in the country among the four most commonly diagnosed cancers, the Blount Memorial Cancer Center is breaking new ground in lung cancer services and screening techniques.”

Frightening diagnosis also brought a new start
Joe Diana, a lung cancer survivor, is ready for the Broad Street Run five years after his surgery.
“In the summer of 2008, Joe Diana was 41, a smoker, overweight, and out of shape.

He was playing volleyball at a pool party. He was diving for a shot, hit the poolside, and thought he broke a rib. He went to the emergency room.”

Radon threat grabs attention of lawmakers
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – “You can't see it. You can't smell it. But health officials believe radon gas causes tens of thousands of lung cancer deaths every year.”

Testing Lung Cancer Patients for Gene May Aid Treatment, Study Finds
For those with the gene, drugs appeared to extend survival without spread of disease by several months
“Lung cancer patients carrying a rare gene mutation may experience delayed disease progression with drugs often taken by those with breast cancer, a new study suggests.”

Hope for lung cancer patients as new clinical trial plan launched
A new alliance is to bring fresh hope to lung cancer patients, aiming to enrol every sufferer in a clinical trial in a bid to beat the devastating disease.
London – “The newly-formed Lung Cancer Alliance will unite the country’s leading research organisations and charities in the hopes of saving lives.”

Thomas Memorial to offer early cancer screenings
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – “Thomas Memorial Hospital is starting a new program meant to help diagnose lung cancer or other lung issues more quickly than in the past.”

Comorbidities do not explain lower surgery rates among blacks with NSCLC
“Racial differences in comorbidity do not fully explain why black patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer undergo surgery less frequently than white patients, according to study results.”

For Treatment of Extensive-Disease Small-Cell Lung Cancer (ED-SCLC), No Emerging Therapy is Likely to Replace Etoposide/Carboplatin as the Standard of Care Before 2022
“Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, despite the numerous therapies in clinical development for extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC), no emerging therapy is likely to replace etoposide (Bristol-Myers Squibb's Etopophos/VePesid, generics)/carboplatin (generics) as the standard of care before 2022. Interviewed experts complain that treatment for SCLC has changed very little in decades, and--given the challenges of treating this aggressive disease and the current clinical pipeline--experts are pessimistic that the treatment landscape will improve in the near future.”

Lung cancer mortality rates linked to primary care provider density
DENVER – “Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and is tied as the third leading cause of death overall in industrialized countries. Within the United States, several groups identified by race, sex, and socioeconomic status have been linked to increased cancer mortality, suggesting a disparity because of these characteristics. The relationships are complicated by the fact that many of these characteristics may also be associated with areas of decreased access to care and local resources and not inherently based on implicit biases. Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington wanted to know the effect access to care had on lung cancer mortality among blacks and whites in the United States. In a recent study published in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO) researchers found lower mortality was associated with higher primary care provider density.”

Week Ending April 21, 2013

New treatment pioneered at Peter Mac boosts lung cancer survival rates
“LUNG cancer patients have been given three times the chance of surviving for more than four years through a new focused treatment pioneered by Melbourne doctors.”

SMH lung cancer patients breathe easier thanks to a Canadian first
“A team of thoracic surgeons at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH) are diagnosing and treating lung cancer earlier, faster, with fewer tests and ultimately saving lives through a pilot program that is a first for Canada and possibly even North America.”

St. Vincent's students raise money to fight lung cancer
“St. Vincent’s Academy students, through their second annual White the Night event, raised nearly $2,000 to help in an exercise program for lung cancer patients. Students at St. Vincent’s played a fundraising basketball game against Long County to raise money for the cause through all admissions, as well as T-shirt sales and donations.”

PARP inhibitors may beat cisplatin resistance in lung cancer
“People with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who become resistant to the widely used chemotherapy drug cisplatin may be able to counteract this problem with the use of agents that target the protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), investigators have found.”

Early detection is key, but difficult in many cases
LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana (KPLC) — “Early detection of lung cancer is incredibly difficult because most patients do not exhibit obvious symptoms until the disease has progressed. We talk to one lung cancer survivor about what brought him to the emergency room where an early diagnosis potentially saved his life.”

NCI investigators design genetically engineered mouse to study human lung squamous cell carcinoma
“National Cancer Institute (NCI) investigators have designed a genetically engineered mouse for use in the study of human lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC is a type of non-small cell lung carcinoma, one of the most common types of lung cancer, with a five-year survival rate of about 15 percent.”

Multicenter study confirms low testosterone in 84 percent of lung cancer patients taking crizotinib
“A previous study by the University of Colorado Cancer Center reported the common side effect of low testosterone in men treated with the recently approved lung cancer agent, crizotinib. A new study published this week in the journal Cancer confirms this finding in a multi-national sample, details the mechanism of reduced testosterone, and provides promising preliminary evidence that widely available hormone replacement therapies can alleviate this side effect in many patients.”

Blood test detecting lung cancer quicker
“It’s a technology that’s helping dramatically reduce lung cancer deaths.”

Week Ending April 14, 2013

Fox Chase Researchers Find Some Lung Cancers Linked to Common Virus
Nearly 6% of lung cancer tissue samples from non-smokers show signs that HPV may have triggered the tumors
“A common virus known to cause cervical and head and neck cancers may also trigger some cases of lung cancer, according to new research presented by Fox Chase Cancer Center at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 on Wednesday, April 10.”

Scott Wahle performs songs of Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney in Quincy cabaret
“When Rosemary Clooney sang the lyrics “Come On-A My House/ I’m Going to Give You Everything,” she turned the song into a hit that expressed an effusive optimism and generosity.”

Lung cancer drug trial underway
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – “A drug trial is underway for an aggressive form of lung cancer. It's at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital.”

Big Spread Seen in Lung Cancer False Positives
“Nationwide, one patient in 10 operated on for suspected lung cancer had benign disease, but the false positive rates varied widely from state to state, an analysis showed.”

Week Ending April 7, 2013

Advances in Molecular Testing Offer New Hope for Lung Cancer Patients
Leading Health Care Organizations Issue Guideline Recommendations for Molecular Testing and Targeted Therapies
“The emergence of molecular diagnostic testing in lung cancer offers new hope for patients battling the number one cancer killer in the United States and abroad. Now, for the first time after a decade of biomarker testing in lung cancer, a uniform approach for testing for the EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement along with the availability of targeted therapies offer lung cancer patients the chance for improved quality of life and more time with their loved ones.”

AACR: Lung Cancer Therapy Innovations
“Today, ahead of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, held this year April 6–10 in Washington, DC, we speak with Dr. Julie Brahmer, associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, about lung cancer therapy.”

Researchers Uncover a Genetic Vulnerability of Lung Cancer to Lay the Foundation for New Drug Options
“Physician-researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a vulnerability of certain lung-cancer cells -- a specific genetic weakness that can be exploited for new therapies.”

Novel Serum Biomarker Bilirubin Predicted Lung Cancer Risk in Smokers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — “Smokers with low bilirubin levels were at increased risk for lung cancer incidence and mortality compared with those who had the highest bilirubin levels, making serum bilirubin a potential biomarker for lung cancer risk prediction, according to data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.”

Video-assisted Surgery for Lung Cancer
“Surgeons at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are now offering lung cancer patients a new option in minimally invasive surgery, using a robot to assist them removing cancerous lobes.”

Region's first high-risk screening program for lung cancer available at UC Cancer Institute
CINCINNATI – “Lung cancer is the number one killer in the United States, and the Tri-State has a higher-than-average rate of the disease.”

South Shore Hospital Offers Lung Cancer Screenings for High-Risk Patients
Lung cancer screenings using low-radiation CT technology are now being offered at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.
“Patients at high risk of lung cancer may be eligible for a using low-radiation CT (computed tomography) technology at South Shore Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging and Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center.”

March

Week Ending March 31, 2013

Lung cancer study takes page from Google's Playbook news
“Mathematical model that allows the Google search engine to rank webpages also offers insight into how lung cancer spreads. The same sort of mathematical model used to predict which websites people are most apt to visit is now showing promise in helping map how lung cancer spreads in the human body, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer Research.”

Number of US cancer survivors is on the rise
“The number of Americans who have survived cancer is on the rise and is expected to reach 18 million people in the next decade, according to a report released Wednesday.”

Smoking Immediately Upon Waking May Increase Risk of Lung and Oral Cancer
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – “The sooner a person smokes a cigarette upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, according to Penn State researchers.”

Many doctors do not provide tobacco cessation assistance to lung cancer patients
Cancer Physicians who care for lung cancer patients recognize the importance of tobacco cessation, but often do not provide cessation assistance to their patients according to a recent study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO).
“An online survey was conducted in 2012 by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Committee. The survey asked IASLC members about their practices, perceptions and barriers to tobacco assessment and cessation in cancer patients. More than 1,500 IASLC members responded and more than 90 percent of the physician respondents believe that active current smoking affects treatment outcomes and that tobacco cessation should be a standard part of clinical care.”

Pfizer lung cancer pill rejected by NICE
(Reuters) – “Pfizer's new lung cancer pill Xalkori is too expensive to be worth using on Britain's state health service, the country's health cost watchdog said on Wednesday.”

Week Ending March 24, 2013

Pfizer Grant to be a Game Changer for Lung Cancer Patients
“A lung cancer diagnosis is often considered a death sentence because of its usually poor prognosis and the high visibility of ABC anchorman Peter Jennings’s death from the disease. Symptoms usually present during the later stages of lung cancer. Approximately 85 percent of all lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Soybean Meal Peptides Could Stop Colon, Liver And Lung Cancer Growth
“The bean used to make tofu could also have powerful anti-cancer properties, according to a new study published in the journal Food Research International.”

Researchers identify a new approach for treating brain metastases associated with lung cancer
“Lung cancer is the world's most common cause of death from cancer. In Austria, around 4,000 people develop this type of cancer every year. One particular problem is the development of brain metastases in association with the lung tumour. Until now - other than surgery or radiotherapy - there have not been any treatment options available. Now, however, researchers at the MedUni Vienna have identified a possible new approach for treatment.”

Study Aims to Find Better Detection Techniques for Lung Cancer
“Lung cancer afflicts hundreds of thousands of people per year, and early screening and detection can be extremely vital in fighting the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, the estimates of new lung cancer cases and deaths are 228,190 and 159,480 respectively for the upcoming year. Most of these deaths can be attributed to late stage cancers that were not detected early on. When lung cancer is found early, the survival rate is roughly 50 percent. However, according to a new study, the current screening tests and techniques are not good at effectively finding lung cancer until it is too late, which is why the study tested the effectiveness of a new technique.”

PLCO criteria catch more lung cancers
“Modified criteria for screening current or former smokers for lung cancer appeared to be more accurate than currently recommended criteria.”

St. Louis CyberKnife Completes First Quarter of Operations, Offers Lung Cancer Patients Alternative Treatment Option
Missouri-based cancer treatment center reports first-quarter treatment numbers for lung cancer.
“Since opening in the fall of 2012, St. Louis CyberKnife has offered an advanced cancer treatment option to help patients facing a disease responsible for more deaths annually than breast, colon and pancreatic cancers combined—lung cancer.”

Studies examine potential links between coal and cancer in Eastern Kentucky
“What do toenails have to with human health and the environment? Like hair, they can contain contaminants that our bodies are shedding.”

Week Ending March 17, 2013

Novartis lung cancer drug gets key FDA designation
“Novartis AG said Friday that its experimental cancer drug LDK378 was designated as a breakthrough therapy by the Food and Drug Administration.”

High Tech Approach To Treat Lung Cancer
“Surgeons at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are now offering lung cancer patients a new option in minimally invasive surgery, using a robot to assist them with removing cancerous lobes.”

Study focuses on potential lung cancer therapies
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- “Scientists from Marshall University, along with colleagues at Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, have completed a study that may eventually help lead to the development of new treatments for lung cancer.”

Medical Corner: Early Detection Could Stop Lung Cancer in Its Tracks
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the US. In fact, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.”

Orange Regional offers lung-cancer screenings Friday
TOWN OF WALLKILL — “Orange Regional Medical Center will offer a screening program to evaluate for early signs of lung cancer, by appointment, on Friday at the Goshen Patient Service Center, 70 Hatfield Lane, Goshen.”

Blood test could cut down on tests for lung cancer
Durham, N.C. — “Routine chest X-rays often end up with patients getting more tests for the possibility of lung cancer.”

Week Ending March 10, 2013

Fitness: Fighting lung cancer
“If there’s one thing Hal Storck discovered through his battle with lung cancer, it’s that it helps to keep moving.”

Lung Cancer CT Screening
Alabama – “Purpose of the test: UAB Hospital is now offering lung cancer screening using low-radiation CT (computed tomography) technology. Research shows a clear benefit for CT lung-cancer screening among individuals who meet strict criteria.”

Dr. Frank Bures: Studies explore relationship between radon, lung cancer
“Radon is the radioactive gas that forms as a decay product of radium, a radioactive mineral. Radium, in turn, comes from the decay of uranium. Both are ubiquitously present throughout the Earth’s crust.”

Lung Cancer Cure? Gene Therapy Eradicates Tumors in Mice
“Lung cancer was cured in mice that had up to 200 tumors, with a gene therapy that blocked the production of a protein that drives tumor development.”

Lung cancer deaths spur legislation for radon testing
“Radon is a radioactive gas that is odorless, tasteless and invisible. The gas is emitted into the air naturally from the soil. It can collect in high concentrations in the air in basements and is blamed for an estimated 700 lung cancer deaths each year in Minnesota, according to a nuclear physicist who testified before the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee on Wednesday.”

Week Ending March 3, 2013

UVA Doctors Using New Lung Cancer Research Method
“Doctors at the University of Virginia Health System are using a new approach to treat lung cancer.

For decades, doctors have treated the cancer with a "one-size-fits-all" approach - by viewing tumors under the lens of a microscope.”

New lung cancer treatment trial launching at Yale-New Haven Hospital
NEW HAVEN — “A new cancer treatment that acts like a nuclear-tipped missile aimed straight at tumor cells could be a breakthrough in treating a deadly form of lung cancer.”

Cancer center offers early test for lung cancer
SIOUX CITY | “Lung cancer can now be detected in current and former smokers earlier and treated sooner with a new testing program being offered by the June E. Nylen Cancer Center.”

Hamilton doctor gets grant to work on lung cancer therapy
“The Canadian Cancer Society has awarded a $1.2 million grant to a Hamilton doctor for his work on radiation therapy for people with inoperable early-stage lung cancer.”

Faster approval for new cancer drugs saving lives
“Michael Weitz was out of options. The Californian had endured chemotherapy, radiation and surgery but his lung cancer still spread to his bones and brain.”

Lung cancer screening could avert 12,000 deaths each year in the US
“Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in all screening-eligible current and former smokers has the potential to avert approximately 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. That is the conclusion of a new analysis published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. By providing a national estimate of potentially avertable lung cancer deaths, the study will help policy makers better understand the possible benefits of LDCT lung cancer screening.”

February

Week Ending February 17, 2013

Marijuana smoking and the risks of lung cancer: time for pause
“While smoking marijuana may have recently been legalized, one shouldn’t conclude that it is necessarily healthy.

For individuals who treat lung cancer patients in the states of Washington and Colorado, the recently passed legislations raise serious concerns. Ironically, this happened on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the first US Surgeon General Report by Dr. Luther Terry in January 1964, which concluded that lung cancer is causally related to cigarette smoking. This report had followed decades of warnings by so-called common sense alarmists who had identified this as a major public health issue but who lacked the data to fully support their claims.”

Study helps define role of early palliative services in lung cancer
“Addressing symptoms and coping were found to be the most prevalent components of early ambulatory palliative care clinic visits in recent research focusing on the emerging practice of early ambulatory palliative care.”

IKBKE gene plays a key role in tobacco-induced lung cancer
“Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have found a potential targeted therapy for patients with tobacco-associated non-small cell lung cancer. It is based on the newly identified oncogene IKBKE, which helps regulate immune response.”

Low-dose CT scans may detect lung cancer sooner
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) – “Lung cancer patients often have a grim outlook after diagnosis but technology is helping doctors find possible problems sooner.”

Study: Lung cancer 'to surpass breast cancer' in European women
“A new study released Wednesday found that lung cancer will surpass breast cancer as the top cause of cancer deaths in European women.”

COPD failed to provide independent risk factor for lung cancer
“Previous correlations between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer were due largely to smoking and ascertainment bias; therefore, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease did not represent an independent risk factor for lung cancer, according to results of a matched case-control study.”

IBM's Watson joins doctors in fighting lung cancer with cloud-based medical app
“IBM's Watson will soon be another resource available to doctors in the fight against lung cancer. IBM announced today that, so far, Watson's artificial mind has been filled with over 600,000 pieces of medical evidence. Watson has also ingested over two million pages of text from medical journals and clinical trials. All told, IBM's cognitive computing system is capable of sifting through more than 1.5 million patient records (spanning several decades) as it researches the best treatments for a given patient. Obviously when it comes to cancer, Watson aims to help physicians pinpoint the option most likely to prove successful.”

Poorer patients with lung cancer less likely to receive treatment than wealthier patients
“Poorer lung cancer patients in the developed world are significantly less likely to receive treatment than richer patients, researchers from Newcastle University have found. This inequality in treatment may contribute to the higher death rates for lung cancer in poorer patients.”

Veteran skier prepares for 28th Vasa after lung cancer diagnosis
GRAND TRAVERSE – “Nothing will stop John Bruder from skiing. The North American Vasa is having its Festival of Races this weekend at Timber Ridge Resort and Bruder is going to be a part of it despite the challenges of dealing with lung cancer.”

Breakthrough Test For Lung Cancer At LewisGale Medical Center
“It is not very often that there's a new breakthrough in cancer treatment. But now there is. It's a new tool that can detect lung cancer early enough that it can be treated. The American Cancer Society is recommending all heavy smokers and former heavy smokers 55 and older get the test. It's a low dose CT scan and it's now being offered at LewisGale Medical Center.”

For Young People With Lung Cancer, Genes Are Important
“Lung cancer happens in people who are young. Sitting at a table at the LUNGevity HOPE Summit last year I was blown away one morning. I was the oldest cancer survivor at the table. Being the oldest wasn't what surprised me (even though I'm not that old.) If I had been among a group of people with leukemia or Hodgkin's lymphoma, or even among other people with breast cancer like myself, I wouldn't have been particularly surprised. But the young people I was sitting with were all lung cancer survivors.”

Medical Edge: Lung Cancer
(ABC 6 NEWS) – “A 12-year veteran of the NFL is tackling a big opponent off the field, lung cancer.”

Week Ending February 10, 2013

IBM's Watson joins doctors in fighting lung cancer with cloud-based medical app
“IBM's Watson will soon be another resource available to doctors in the fight against lung cancer. IBM announced today that, so far, Watson's artificial mind has been filled with over 600,000 pieces of medical evidence. Watson has also ingested over two million pages of text from medical journals and clinical trials. All told, IBM's cognitive computing system is capable of sifting through more than 1.5 million patient records (spanning several decades) as it researches the best treatments for a given patient. Obviously when it comes to cancer, Watson aims to help physicians pinpoint the option most likely to prove successful.”

Poorer patients with lung cancer less likely to receive treatment than wealthier patients
“Poorer lung cancer patients in the developed world are significantly less likely to receive treatment than richer patients, researchers from Newcastle University have found. This inequality in treatment may contribute to the higher death rates for lung cancer in poorer patients.”

Veteran skier prepares for 28th Vasa after lung cancer diagnosis
GRAND TRAVERSE – “Nothing will stop John Bruder from skiing. The North American Vasa is having its Festival of Races this weekend at Timber Ridge Resort and Bruder is going to be a part of it despite the challenges of dealing with lung cancer.”

Breakthrough Test For Lung Cancer At LewisGale Medical Center
“It is not very often that there's a new breakthrough in cancer treatment. But now there is. It's a new tool that can detect lung cancer early enough that it can be treated. The American Cancer Society is recommending all heavy smokers and former heavy smokers 55 and older get the test. It's a low dose CT scan and it's now being offered at LewisGale Medical Center.”

For Young People With Lung Cancer, Genes Are Important
“Lung cancer happens in people who are young. Sitting at a table at the LUNGevity HOPE Summit last year I was blown away one morning. I was the oldest cancer survivor at the table. Being the oldest wasn't what surprised me (even though I'm not that old.) If I had been among a group of people with leukemia or Hodgkin's lymphoma, or even among other people with breast cancer like myself, I wouldn't have been particularly surprised. But the young people I was sitting with were all lung cancer survivors.”

Medical Edge: Lung Cancer
(ABC 6 NEWS) – “A 12-year veteran of the NFL is tackling a big opponent off the field, lung cancer.”

January

Week Ending January 27, 2013

MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando Ahead of the Game in Lung Cancer Screenings
“One year after MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando launched a pilot lung cancer screening program for patients most at risk for developing the disease, such screenings are now being recommended by the American Cancer Society. MD Anderson - Orlando was the first in Central Florida to offer this type of lung cancer screening program which targets those most at risk for lung cancer, smokers and former smokers, in the hopes of catching any sign of cancer early, and improving survival rates.”

Women's lung cancer death risk rises
“Female smokers are more likely to die from lung cancer now than a few decades ago, a new study says.”

IU researcher’s lung cancer work may someday improve standard of care
INDIANAPOLIS – “Lung cancer researchers at Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center are developing new anti-cancer agents that may someday improve the current standard of care.”

EGFR doesn't predict outcomes in lung cancer
“Mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is not a prognostic factor in persons with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have undergone surgical resection or who have received conventional therapies to fight a recurrence, researchers have discovered. However, after disease recurrence, the treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may prolong survival.”

Drug response marker may speed lung cancer prevention trials
“Changes in the expression of microRNA-34c 6 months after treatment with a medicine to prevent lung cancer correlated with a benefit from the drug that was seen much later.”

Lung Cancer Blood Test Could Be Epic Development
“Epic Sciences received a phase II contract from the SBIR program supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. The contract will fund the further development of an assay to identify and characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in lung cancer patients. The results of this contract are expected to provide a basis for the development of new cancer diagnostic products.”

Treatment outcomes compared in early-stage lung cancer
“A retrospective comparison demonstrated that in persons with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), overall survival was superior among patients undergoing lobectomy or pneumonectomy compared with patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), but cancer-specific survival rates were similar between the two groups.”

Valerie Harper Opens Up About Her Battle With Lung Cancer
“Veteran TV actress Valerie Harper has opened up about her secret battle with lung cancer in her new memoir.”

Week Ending January 20, 2013

The Lung Cancer Project studies disease's stigma
“A sign reading "Thank you for not smoking" hung on the front door of her home for years.”

Reduce Lung Cancer Risk in 2013 by Testing Your Home for Radon Gas / Elevated radon levels found in roughly 1 in 15 homes nationwide
WASHINGTON – “As part of National Radon Action Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today steps the public can take to test, fix and save a life from dangerous radon gas.”

Low-dose CT scanning available to lung cancer patients at Swedes
“New technology at SwedishAmerican could save more lives, it's the future of lung cancer research joins us with more on the future of lung cancer research and diagnosis in the area.”

Segregation Plays Detrimental Role For Black Lung Cancer Patients
“Lung cancer patients who are black seem more likely to die of the disease than white cancer patients in the U.S., especially those living in segregated counties, according to a new study.”

Palliative radiation use for lung cancer higher than advised
(HealthDay)—“Half of patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receive at least one course of palliative radiation therapy (RT), with younger patients and those who received chemotherapy or surgery more likely to receive palliative RT, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.”

U.S. cancer death rates fall
“The overall death rate for cancer in the United States has dropped by at least one-fifth over the past two decades, according to new statistics from the American Cancer Society.”

Can Surgery for Inoperable Lung Cancer Make a Difference?
“This title needs a little explanation. Why would someone have an operation for an inoperable lung cancer? Yet it happens "all the time" - or often anyway - when it comes to lung cancer. I'll try to explain.”

Lung Association Announces Educational Workshop for Lung Cancer Patients
(Hauppauge, NY) – “The American Lung Association of the Northeast has announced that is has partnered with the Cancer Support Community and the Stony Brook Lung Cancer Evaluation Center to offer the community a free workshop for people affected by lung cancer. The workshop, Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Lung Cancer – will discuss fundamental information about the most current lung cancer treatments, strategies for symptom/side-effect management and tools for survivorship. Members of the Stony Brook Cancer Center will present this workshop on Wednesday, February 13, 2013, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook Cancer Center, 3 Edmund D. Pellegrino Road in Stony Brook.”

Week Ending January 13, 2013

Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Lung Cancer Screening
“This week the American Cancer Society announces its lung cancer screening guidelines. In short, we recommend that health care professionals with access to high-quality lung cancer screening and treatment centers should discuss screening with healthy patients aged 55 years to 74 years who have at least a 30-year history of pack-a-day cigarette smoking and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. The health care professional and patient should discuss all the known benefits and known harms associated with lung cancer screening.”

Legacy Supports American Cancer Society's New Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screenings
“Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) published guidelines in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians that endorse screenings as a way to help patients and doctors navigate the potentially devastating diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. In its guidelines, ACS recommended that clinicians discuss low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening with high-risk patients for lung cancer.”

Lahey Clinic Offering Free Lung Cancer Screening for Veterans
Burlington's Director of Veteran Affairs Robert Hogan says veterans are at higher risk for lung cancer, so the screening is available for early detection.
“The Burlington Office of Veterans Services wants to inform Burlington veterans that the Lahey Clinic is offering Free Lung Cancer CT Screenings to eligible, qualified veterans.”

Simple radon test can help prevent lung cancer
FAIRBANKS — “January is National Radon Awareness Month and homeowners in Alaska, especially Fairbanks, are being urged to test their homes for the deadly radioactive gas if they have not done so in the last two years.”

'No one should get lung cancer from radon'
7 of 10 homes in Iowa have enough of the gas to require mitigation systems
“A two-year lung cancer survivor, Gail Orcutt has shared her story many times, with one unexpected detail — she’s never smoked. Her cancer was attributed to prolonged exposure to radon — a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas produced from the decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil.”

Common Heart Drug Might Improve Lung Cancer Survival
Beta blockers may slow the spread of the disease, researchers report
(HealthDay News) – “New research suggests that beta blockers, medications that are used to control blood pressure and heart rhythms, may also help lung cancer patients live longer.”

Lung Cancer in a Pregnant Woman - A Story That Exposes Myths and Offers Hope
“Buried amidst the excitement of reports that cancer deaths have again decreased in the United States lies a sobering statistic: Lung cancer in pregnant women is increasing.”

Lung Cancer Led Female Cancer Deaths in 2012
Think fast: Which cancer has the highest female mortality rate?
“Many of us would guess a cancer that predominantly affects women, like breast cancer. It’s a logical choice; close to 40,000 women were projected to pass away from the disease in 2012, and numerous breast cancer awareness events (rightly) keep the disease fresh in our minds.”

New Marker of Drug Response May Speed Pace of Lung Cancer Prevention Trials
“Testing medicines to prevent lung cancer requires treating many thousands of high-risk individuals and then waiting 5, 10 or 15 years to discover which of them develop cancer and which, if any, experience survival benefit from the treatment. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research proposes a possible waypoint on the way to benefit, which if validated, could dramatically reduce the number of patients needed and time required to test drugs for lung cancer prevention.”

Week Ending January 6, 2013

It's Official! Lung Cancer Alliance Hails Landmark Victory!
President Obama Signs High Mortality Cancer Bill Into Law
Lung Cancer and Pancreatic Cancers Now Research Priorities
“Just hours before the end of the 112th Congress, constitutional deadline for approval of a bill passed by that Congress, President Barack Obama today signed into law the first legislation requiring comprehensive plans of research action for high mortality cancers, with lung and pancreatic cancers given priority status for expedited attention.”

Time is of the essence when treating lung cancer
If cancer is found before it spreads to lymph nodes, the cure rate is upwards of 75 percent
“If you find a nonsmall cell squamous lung cancer early, before it has invaded the lymph nodes or spread to other organs, the cure rate is upwards of 75%.”

Former NFL linebacker, lung cancer advocate, tours OHSU
PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) - “A former NFL linebacker came to Portland to see how researchers at Oregon Health & Science University are bringing new hope to cancer patients.”

Quality of Lung Cancer Surgery Dependent on Physician Specialty
“Medicine has certainly changed in the last several decades. We now have such an array of physician specialties and subspecialties that it's hard as physicians ourselves to keep the fields straight.”

Lung cancer screenings offered
LYNCHBURG — “A cancer screening program aimed at early detection of lung cancer in current or former heavy smokers is being offered through Central Virginia Imaging, part of Radiology Consultants of Lynchburg.”

Helping smokers quit while they're ahead
Lung Cancer Institute offers Tobacco Quit program, early screening
“Some cigarette smokers wait until they have difficulty breathing or are presented with a bleak diagnosis before they decide to quit.”