A number of cancer stories made headlines this week, including a few on breast cancer.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente found strong evidence linking alchohol consumption and breast cancer recurrence, especially in overweight and post-menopausal women. To see the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/health/research/15risk.html?_r=1&hpw

Other studies found that some bone drugs may lower risk of breast cancer: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/health/research/11bone.html?em

Here is some news out of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium about drugs in the pipeline for breast cancer: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/559197/?sc=dwhp

Post by Melanie Thomas, MD

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) this week released its Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer 1975-2006. The report contains both good news and some less encouraging news, but all of the finds are important.

The study examines trends in the incidence (number of new cases each year of a particular cancer, per 100,000 individuals) and the mortality rate (number of individuals who die of a particular cancer, per the incidence of that cancer) of the top 15 cancers that affect Americans.   The good news is that incidence and mortality from all cancers combined has steadily declined during the 31 years covered in the report.

Most of the decreases took place from 1999-2006, with new diagnoses declining 1 percent per year and death rates declining 1.6 percent per year. Most of these decreases happened in the most common cancers, which include lung, prostate and colorectal cancers in men; and breast, lung and colorectal cancers in women.  The report also contains an in-depth analysis of the status of colorectal cancer in the United States.

Findings show that significant declines in colorectal cancer have occurred in the most recent decade (1997-2006), and that much of this progress is attributable to increased screening.   From 1975-2000, colorectal cancer incidence fell by 22 percent, and deaths fell by 26 percent. This improvement is very encouraging, and gives strong support to colorectal cancer screening efforts. It should be noted however, that the incidence of new colon cancer is increasing in men and women under age 50.

While parts of this report are certainly encouraging, it is important to note that the rates of several less common but very difficult to treat  cancers, specifically primary liver cancer, melanoma, and kidney cancer, continue to increase, at annual rates of 3.6 percent , 3.1 percent,  and 1.8 percent respectively. The agencies compiling the report were the National Cancer Institute, North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the American Cancer Society, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information and the full report, visit http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2009/nci-07a.htm  

NCI has announced the recipients of its new Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award:

Designed for midlevel clinical investigators, the awards provide recognition and funding for those who lead cancer research programs at academic cancer centers. Eleven clinical investigators are being recognized for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of effective new therapies through their collaborative team science approach within NCI-funded clinical trials. The 2-year award provides investigators with partial salary support for their leadership roles in clinical trials at NCI-designated cancer centers.

The awards are the result of one of the recommendations of NCI’s Clinical Trials Working Group (CTWG), which was established to advise the institute on methods to improve and enhance the publicly funded clinical trials enterprise. The goals of the awards are to offer support and provide academic recognition to investigators who promote collaborative team science. The broad clinical trials community, including the Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, provided input into the development of this award.

“We are truly excited to be able to recognize these key clinical investigators without whom we couldn’t conduct clinical trials,” said Dr. Sheila Prindiville, director of NCI’s Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, the office that oversees implementation of the CTWG’s recommendations. “These recipients have exceptional leadership skills in cancer clinical trial activities and have demonstrated a commitment to conducting cancer clinical trials that promise to advance care for patients.”

The initial phase of the program funds 11 awards of $50,000 in each of the next 2 years. The funding is provided to the recipient’s institution and can be applied toward the investigator’s salary, fringe benefits, and associated facilities and administrative costs. Recipients are expected to devote 10 to 15 percent of their time to the activities associated with the award.

Otis W. Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS), visited Hollings Cancer Center recently to discuss the future of cancer. Dr. Brawley’s visit coincided with an announcement that Hollings will receive a $450,000 grant from the ACS supporting research. 

This grant program supports new projects undertaken by junior faculty. Past recipients of these grants have gone on to make important discoveries in cancer research and treatment around the world.

 “By supporting our young researchers now, we are investing in the next generation of investigators who have the potential will make important strides in the fight against cancer,” said Andrew S. Kraft, MD, director of Hollings Cancer Center. “It’s important to remember that some of the best drugs have been developed by researchers who got their start with American Cancer Society funding. “We are so appreciative of our relationship with a world leader in fighting cancer.” 

Brawley addressed physicians and researchers at Hollings about the future of cancer. 

 “Medical research and especially cancer research is in crisis,” said Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. “As funding and support is drying up, it becomes much less attractive to our best and brightest. We’re extremely grateful for the public’s continued support that allows us to support these researchers whose work will benefit us all.” 

In March, Hollings was awarded designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a distinction shared by just 65 cancer centers in the U.S. Hollings is the only NCI center in South Carolina.

Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, will visit Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston Thursday, Oct. 1. Also that day, Hollings will announce significant funding from the ACS supporting young faculty in the research projects. Hollings is thankful for its longtime relationship with the ACS in helping many generations of cancer researchers.

It is only through research at academic cancer centers that discoveries are made. 

The Hollings Cancer Center was pleased to welcome last Friday SC Rep. Wendell Gilliard (D) and Rep. Chip Limehouse (R). Both men represent parts of Charleston County, with Hollings sitting in Rep. Gilliard’s district. Rep. Gilliard, who was elected to his seat in 2008 after serving 11 years on Charleston City Council, is coming off his first term and we congratulate him. Rep. Limehouse has served in the legislature since 1995.

Our discussion about Hollings’ recent NCI designation led to questions about where we are headed. Our goal is to apply for the NCI’s Comprehensive Cancer Center status in 2014. To do that, we’ll be strengthening our Cancer Prevention & Control program and expanding the breadth of our chemoprevention research. 

This led to questions from Rep. Limehouse about what people should be eating to prevent cancer. Rep. Limehouse was on to something with this topic as disease prevention via diet and lifestyle behaviors is an exciting frontier in many areas of medicine. Hollings has a chemoprevention research program, and we look forward to sharing what our researchers discover about what causes and inhibits cancer.

It’s a priority of mine to stay in touch with our elected leaders in South Carolina and Washington, DC. As part of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Hollings serves the entire state, by way of clinical care and clinical trials, as well as treating patients referred to us from other places.  

Like MUSC, Hollings has been hit hard by the severe budget cuts higher ed. institutions have endured in the last year. MUSC alone suffered a 25% cut to its budget from the state. With state and federal funding scarcer than ever, we must keep lawmakers updated on the work we’re doing here. We want them to know that even in tough economic times, we won’t stop searching for a cure, and we won’t offer patients any less than the very best medical care.

A recent article in the Wall St. Journal holds important information for survivors of childhood cancer. Survivors of childhood cancer who have received anthracyline chemotherapy (doxorubicin, danuorubicin, idarubicin, epirubicin, and mitoxantrone) and/or radiation that included the heart in the treatment field must have regular follow-up to look for cardiomyopathy. 

Cardiomyopathy is a weakness of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure.  Prior studies have shown that the majority of childhood cancer survivors do not know details of their treatment plans- the first step is to make sure you have a written record of chemotherapy drugs and doses given along with the doses and treatment fields of any radiation therapy. 

Second, regular follow-up is needed in a late effects clinic, such as the FACT (Follow Up After Cancer Treatment) clinic here at MUSC in the division of pediatric oncology.  Depending on age at treatment and the details of prior therapy, echocardiograms will be used to measure heart function. 

Stay tuned as we bring you up-to-date on cancer from the clinic and research bench.