Scientists have found that vaccination with a heat-killed, nontoxic yeast that is genetically engineered to manufacture a common tumor protein can induce specific and repeated anti-tumor immune responses in mice. Vaccination extends overall survival and reduces tumor size in mice that have been injected with cancer cells displaying the same protein that was engineered into the yeast. Results of this research by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, can be found in the July 1, 2008 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
“These results provide a rationale for evaluating yeast vaccines in cancer immunotherapy studies in humans,” said study author James W. Hodge, Ph.D., in NCI’s Center for Cancer Research.
The type of yeast used in this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, does not cause disease in humans and has been used as a delivery vehicle for antigens, which are proteins usually on the surface of cells or organisms that stimulate immune responses. The tumor-associated antigen made by the genetically engineered yeast in this study is carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). CEA is commonly found on cancers of the colon, rectum, stomach, breast, and lung.
The current research was designed to determine the effects of this yeast-based vaccine on tumor growth and overall survival using colon and pancreatic cancer models. These studies demonstrated that the vaccine can elicit both CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses, which recruit help from other immune cells and then attack and destroy cells that bear foreign or tumor-associated antigens. Additional study findings showed that successive administrations of the vaccine resulted in increasing antigen-specific T-cell responses. Vaccination with the yeast-CEA vaccine at multiple sites induced greater T-cell responses than when the same dose of vaccine was given at a single site. Furthermore, tumor-bearing mice vaccinated with yeast-CEA had reduced tumor volumes and increased overall survival compared to control mice.
One of the reasons for interest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a vaccine vehicle is its lack of toxicity. Besides being relatively nontoxic, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is heat-killed before administration. It can also be easily engineered to express one or more antigens in large quantities, can be grown and purified rapidly, and is very stable. In addition, its safety in humans has already been established in several clinical trials.
In this study, the researchers performed 24 tests on mice that received either no treatment or the yeast-CEA vaccine. They found that body-weight measurements, blood cell counts, serum enzyme levels, and autoimmune assays were all within the normal range for the vaccinated mice and were similar to those of control mice, indicating no toxicity or autoimmunity associated with the yeast-CEA vaccine.
Since therapeutic control of cancers with vaccines is likely to require repeated vaccine administrations to effectively activate tumor-specific immune responses — especially when trying to stimulate the body’s defenses against one of its own proteins — the researchers explored whether host immune responses to the first yeast-CEA vaccination would decrease or neutralize the effectiveness of booster shots of the vaccine. On the contrary, they found that repeated administration induced greater immune responses.
These data have implications for use of the yeast-CEA vaccine in humans. A potential future application of these findings to humans would be to vaccinate patients who have CEA-positive tumors with yeast-CEA and measure CEA-specific immune responses. In view of the findings described here, patients could be vaccinated at multiple sites, targeting different lymph nodes, to maximize immune responses against CEA. “These results thus form the rationale for the use of yeast-CEA in immunotherapy protocols for carcinoma patients with CEA-positive tumors,” said study author Jeffrey Schlom, Ph.D., of NCI’s Center for Cancer Research.
These studies were conducted as part of a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement with GlobeImmune, Inc., Louisville, Colo. GlobeImmune is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery, development and manufacturing of targeted molecular immunotherapies.
Wansley EK, Chakraborty M, Hance KW, Bernstein MB, Boehm AL, Guo Z, Quick D, Franzusoff A, Greiner J, Schlom J, and Hodge JW. Vaccination with a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing a tumor antigen breaks immune tolerance and elicits therapeutic antitumor responses. Clinical Cancer Research, July 1, 2008. Volume 14, Issue 13.
By measuring the activity of four genes in cancer cells, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University accurately predicted whether colorectal tumors are sensitive or resistant to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), an important chemotherapy drug. The diagnostic advance, described in the July 1 issue of Cancer Research, could help doctors make the crucial decision as to whether a colorectal cancer patient should receive 5-FU or instead be treated surgically or with other chemotherapy agents.
Several years ago, Dr. Robert Singer and colleagues at Einstein developed a novel microscopy technique known as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) that allows researchers to see whether a gene of interest in a single cell is activated (transcribed). In this study, Dr. Singer wanted to see whether FISH could help in treating patients with colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the U.S.
“Since genes play such a significant role in causing cancer, you’d assume that you might find a different transcriptional profile in cancers that are sensitive to chemotherapy from those that are resistant,” says Dr. Singer, professor and co-chair of anatomy and structural biology at Einstein. “The drug 5- Fluorouracil is a mainstay of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer, but only 30 percent of patients respond to it-and there’s no way to know in advance which patients will benefit and which won’t. We showed in this study that applying our FISH technique to colorectal tumors could accurately predict the patients’ responses to 5-FU chemotherapy.”
The researchers started with 12 “candidate genes” that earlier were found to correlate with response to 5-FU. They then tested each gene in four different colorectal cancer cell lines (two extremely sensitive to 5-FU and two extremely resistant), using the FISH technique to look for active transcription sites in individual cells. Various combinations of these genes were then examined in search of a gene expression pattern that was associated with either resistance or sensitivity to 5-FU. The researchers found a pattern of four genes that correctly classified each of the four cell lines as either sensitive or resistant to 5-FU.
To see whether their four-gene “signature” would work under clinical conditions, the researchers obtained biopsy specimens from seven patients who had undergone treatment for colorectal cancer at the Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Then, to predict 5-FU sensitivity or resistance, they measured the activity of the four genes in several hundred cells from each specimen. (The treatment results for all patients were known, but the Einstein researchers were “blinded” to the outcomes until later.) For all seven patients, the gene-expression pattern correctly predicted whether their tumors were sensitive or resistant to 5-FU chemotherapy.
“Taking a chemotherapy drug that won’t help you means not only risking serious side effects but losing valuable time that would better be spent on a different and more effective treatment option,” says Dr. Singer. “We hope that this four-gene test may ultimately help steer colorectal cancer patients to a treatment strategy with the best chance for a successful outcome.” The next step, he says, is a clinical trial in which the four-gene pattern will be tested on a larger number of patients.
Other Einstein researchers involved in the study were lead author Rossanna C. Pezo, Saumil J. Gandhi and Leonard H. Augenlicht. Collaborators also included L. Andrew Shirley and Richard G. Pestell of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined how “hyperexpensive cancer drugs” are causing oncologists to go into debt and potentially interfering with treatment decisions. According to the Journal, a “new generation of cancer drugs,” including Genentech’s Avastin and ImClone Systems’ Erbitux, are “transforming cancer care” by giving oncologists their first new treatment options in decades for “desperately ill patients.” However, the price of the drugs — up to $100,000 per year — is pushing doctors into “new and nerve-racking territory: weighing costs alongside a drug’s potential effectiveness,” the Journal reports. Because cancer drugs are administered intravenously in a doctor’s office, oncologists often must front the cost of the treatments and are “on the hook until patients or insurers pay the bill,” the Journal reports. According to the Journal, it can take three months for Medicare or private insurers to reimburse physicians and often longer for patients to pay their cost sharing.
Pharmaceutical company officials say the high prices are required to recoup the amount they must spend to bring the drugs to market, the Journal reports. They also note that they provide millions of dollars of no-cost and discounted drugs and cost-sharing assistance for patients who are unable to pay.
Arthur Caplan, a bioethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said this is “one of the toughest issues in oncology,” especially when drug prices can mean exchanging “family assets for the possibility of a few more months of life.” A survey of 167 cancer doctors published last year in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that 42% said they regularly raised the issue of cost when discussing treatment options with patients, 23% said costs influenced their treatment decisions and 16% said they choose not to discuss certain treatments when they know the cost would place strain on patients’ resources.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has named a task force to create a guide to help physicians to discuss cost with patients. The task force is expected to release a report this fall (Chase, Wall Street Journal, 7/8).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
A randomized trial that studied the impact of the new vitespen vaccine, administered after surgery for kidney cancer, failed to demonstrate an increase in recurrence-free survival (RFS). More research is needed, according to the study authors, in order to know whether the vaccine can increase RFS if given to patients during the early stages of the disease. Results of the study - conducted by Dr Christopher Wood (M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA) and colleagues - will be published in The Lancet and have been published early online.
Though it is common for patients with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) to be treated with surgery, many face an increased risk of cancer recurrence since there is no supplemental treatment (or, adjuvant therapy) provided after surgery that has proved effective. In a randomized phase III trial, Wood and colleagues set out to analyze the efficacy of the vaccine vitespen used as an adjuvant therapy after surgery for kidney.
The trial was designed such that 818 patients, all about to undergo kidney surgery, were randomized to receive either vitespen or observation after the procedure - 409 patients in each group. The vitespen treatment consisted of an injection administered one time per week over a period of four weeks, followed by an injection every two weeks until the vaccine was exhausted. Since several patients failed to meet the necessary criteria to be included in the study after surgery, the final analysis consisted of 361 patients in the vitespen group and 367 in the observation group.
The main finding was the lack of a significant difference in RFS between the observation group and the vitespen group. Though a separate analysis showed that patients with early stage renal cell carcinoma (stage I or II disease) were about half as likely to experience cancer recurrence if they received the vaccine (15.2% in the vitespen group and 27.0% in the observation group), there was sufficient variance to render the difference not statistically significant.
“No difference in recurrence-free survival was seen between patients given vitespen and those who received no treatment after surgery for renal cell carcinoma. A possible improvement in recurrence-free survival in patients with early stage disease who received vitespen will require further validation,” conclude the Wood and colleagues.
A comment accompanying the article, written by Dr James Yang (National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA), cautions that some researchers and companies can weaken the results of cancer immunotherapy studies because they dislike or disagree with the results of randomized clinical trials. In this case, Yang is referring to the manufacturers of vitespen who have pushed aside the overall negative results of the trial to focus on a potential positive outcome. “Such practices are akin to shooting the arrow first and being permitted to draw the target afterwards,” writes Yang.
Yang also takes issue with a press release issued by manufactures of vitespen that recommends the vaccine in Russia for patients with moderate risk kidney cancer. “Commercially driven efforts that spin or obfuscate the conclusions of such a trial should be vigorously resisted because such efforts severely erode its value,” he concludes.
An adjuvant autologous therapeutic vaccine (HSPPC-96; vitespen) versus observation alone for patients at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: a multicentre, open-label, randomised phase III trial
Christopher Wood MD, Pramod Srivastava MD, Ronald Bukowski MD, Louis Lacombe MD, Andrei I Gorelov MD, Sergei Gorelov MD, Peter Mulders MD, Henryk Zielinski MD, Axel Hoos MD, Florentina Teofilovici MD, Leah Isakov MS, Robert Flanigan MD, Robert Figlin MD, Renu Gupta MD, and Bernard Escudier MD, for the C-100-12 RCC Study Group.
Using an engineered common cold virus, UCLA researchers delivered a genetic payload to prostate cancer cells that allowed them, using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), to locate the diseased cells as they spread to the lymph nodes, the first place prostate cancer goes before invading other organs.
The tiny cancer metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes are very difficult to find using conventional imaging tools such as CT scanning. This discovery could aid oncologists in finding the cancer’s spread earlier, when it’s more treatable, and before it invades distant organs, said Lily Wu, a researcher at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center and the senior author of the study.
The next step for Wu and her colleagues is linking the non-invasive imaging advance with a treatment component, activating a toxic agent in the genetic payload to kill the spreading cancer cells. Wu hopes one day to be able to find tiny prostate cancer metastases in patients and kill them at the same time, watching it all on a PET scanner. She currently is refining this image-guided therapy in her lab in mouse models.
“I think this is very exciting for many reasons,” said Wu, who also is an associate professor of pharmacology and urology. “We now know we can reach these prostate cancer metastases at an earlier stage than before, and we know we can deliver genes to those cancer cells that produce proteins that can be imaged by PET. Now we will find out how effective this genetic toxic payload is in preventing further spread of the cancer to other vital organs.”
The study appears July 11, 2008 in the early, online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine.
The spread of prostate cancer to the pelvic lymph nodes is the most reliable indicator that the patient will have a poor prognosis, with disease recurrence and progression likely. Accurately assessing pelvic lymph node involvement in patients is critical in planning their treatment, Wu said.
Currently, physicians don’t know if a treatment is attacking cancer cells until, using traditional imaging, they see a decrease in tumor size, an insensitive approach that can take weeks and months. And if the treatment isn’t working, the patient is exposed to a toxic therapy that isn’t helping them. If Wu is successful, an oncologist would know within days if the cancer has spread and whether the treatment is killing the cancer.
Using mouse models, Wu and her team engineered a virus to travel to the lymph nodes, using a prostate cancer-specific vector that dictates s its protein payload be expressed only in prostate cells. The payload in this case is a protein that can be imaged by PET scanning. The virus was introduced into the tumor in the mouse and Wu and her team were able to detect PET signals only from the lymph nodes with cancer cell involvement, indicating the virus reached and infected the prostate cancer cells and produced the imaging protein.
As part of this study, Wu co-developed TSTA, a two-step transcriptional amplification method, which increased the expression of the genetic payload inside the cancer cells - in effect boosting the imaging signals and potential killing activity of the engineered virus.
Wu believes this type of image-guided therapy has the potential to improve the way advanced prostate cancer is treated.
“It would represent a treatment advance in patients for whom outcome is not good,” Wu said. “This would help improve the prognosis for these patients by letting us find and treat these metastases early. If we can catch the cancer before it invades other organs, we have a better chance to change the outcomes for these patients.”
This type of approach was pioneered in the field of breast cancer with testing of the sentinel lymph node, the first place breast cancer goes when it spreads. A biopsy can determine if the cancer is in the sentinel node, therefore spreading, and oncologists base their treatment decisions on that information. In prostate cancer, the lymph nodes are much more difficult to access for biopsy, so Wu’s method provides a much needed, non-invasive alternative.
Wu’s work was initiated more than five years ago with the support of an interdisciplinary grant form the Jonsson Cancer Center.
UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center comprises about 235 researchers and clinicians engaged in disease research, prevention, detection, control, treatment and education. One of the nation’s largest comprehensive cancer centers, the Jonsson center is dedicated to promoting research and translating basic science into leading-edge clinical studies. In July 2007, the Jonsson Cancer Center was named the best cancer center in California by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it has held for eight consecutive years.
Brain cancer experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have been selected for membership in the Ivy Genomics-Based Medicine Project. The project is a national consortium of cutting-edge hospitals and academic centers working to improve treatment and survival for patients with a kind of malignant brain tumor called a glioma.
As part of the nine-member consortium, UAB will serve as the only research site in the Southeast. UAB is one of four consortium members working in conjunction with its own National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and with a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in brain cancer.
“Being named to this project is a huge honor for us, and it shows we’ve kept pace and excelled in collaborative and translational research objectives,” said G. Yancey Gillespie, Ph.D., UAB professor of neurosurgery and principal investigator for the Ivy Genomics-Based Medicine Project.
Gliomas are tumors that arise by transformation of the body’s glial cells, which make up 90 percent of the brain and spinal cord and normally work in concert with neurons. The consortium members strive to unravel how genetic differences between gliomas can lead to more effective and even personalized treatments for patients.
The project will categorize tumors using sophisticated molecular profiling and, for the first time, test each brain tumor against a wide spectrum of treatments to match DNA markers with differences in cancer-fighting response.
“Currently, all patients get basically the same treatment without taking into account the genetic profile of their tumor,” said Catherine Ivy, founder of the Ivy Foundation and the driving force behind the genomic project.
“The end goal of this research initiative is to identify how tumors with different genetic features respond to a set of treatment regimens and ultimately, it is hoped, provide physicians with the tools they need to offer brain tumor patients the most effective treatment options,” Ivy said.
UAB’s membership in the Ivy Genomics-Based Medicine Project is focused on the group’s first stage, which has an intensive 18-month research timeline. The nine academic laboratories will use that period to screen dozens of anti-cancer drugs in animal models that help predict tumor-fighting response.
Information from those screenings and other genetic profiling will be linked and analyzed through a secure, real-time computer network. The project’s second phase will likely involve human testing of anti-cancer drugs.
Gillespie said the genomic approach has the potential to generate several “firsts” in brain cancer research. “We already are working across disciplines: neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neuropathology, pharmacology and biomedical engineering,” he said. “This research promises to have a significant impact on the way we treat this disease in the future.”
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The other members of the consortium include Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; The Ohio State University in Columbus; The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; the University of California, San Francisco; Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio; the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Mich.; and the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix.
The Ivy Foundation is the nation’s largest privately funded foundation dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with a brain tumor. In its inception year, 2008, the foundation will grant $12 million to patient-focused research.
Patients with a rare type of breast cancer may benefit from receiving radiation therapy in addition to surgery to prevent recurrence, according to a study in the July issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Phyllodes tumors are rare breast tumors that develop in the connective tissue of the breast, as opposed to more common carcinomas, which develop in the ducts or lobules of the breast. Most patients are treated for phyllodes tumors with either a lumpectomy or mastectomy, with only a small fraction of patients receiving radiation therapy.
Traditionally, adjuvant radiation therapy is recommended for cancer patients with local recurrence risks of 15 percent or greater, but the value of adjuvant radiation therapy has not been extensively studied for phyllodes tumors because they are so rare.
Researchers at the Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Medical Physics, and Department of General and Oncologic Surgery at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., sought to determine the local recurrence rates of phyllodes tumors based on tumor size and the type of surgery performed and whether adjuvant radiation therapy should be considered as a treatment for some phyllodes tumor patients to reduce their local recurrence rate.
“Typically these tumors are treated well by surgery alone. However, local recurrences are not uncommon,” Richard Pezner, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., said.
The study authors reviewed records of 478 patients with malignant phyllodes tumors who were treated between March 1964 and August 2005. The records came from the IMPAC National Oncology Database, which consists of tumor registries from 130 hospitals.
The researchers found that the risk of local recurrence for phyllodes tumors was related to tumor size and the type of surgery received. They determined that adjuvant radiation therapy should be evaluated for phyllodes tumor patients who received lumpectomies for tumors at least 2 centimeters in size or a mastectomy for tumors at least 10 centimeters in size to reduce the risk of recurrence.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with 9,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy.
Cervical cancer screening needs to take into account a partially-vaccinated population and new technologies, according to an editorial published in the latest edition of Medical Journal of Australia.
Dr Annabelle Farnsworth, from Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, said that although Australia has an enviable record in the control of cervical cancer, there are real benefits in incorporating new knowledge and associated technologies into screening and management of the disease.
“A national, well-funded and organised program of screening using the conventional Pap Smear has significantly reduced the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer in Australia,” she said.
Dr Farnsworth said that there has been much discussion overseas about replacing cervical cytology tests with human papillomavirus (HPV) tests for primary screening.
“Currently, there is no justification for this as HPV testing is highly sensitive but not specific.
“HPV testing may have a greater role in the management of indeterminate abnormalities detected by cervical cytology tests.
“Both HPV tests and ThinPrep imaging [a newer type of cytology test] are more expensive than conventional cytology, but they could be cost-effective if used appropriately in conjunction with a comprehensive review of the cervical screening program,” she said.
Dr Farnsworth said that in addition to the new screening techniques, a national program of vaccination against two of the 15 oncogenic viruses began in April last year.
“Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee commented that there would be cost savings if vaccination fully replaced cervical screening but the cervical cancer life-time risk would increase to 1.173 per cent.
“The recommendation therefore is that screening must continue after vaccination. The screening interval and screening test for vaccinated women should be different to those for unvaccinated women and should be determined by population-based research over the next 5-10 years.”
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.
Now that school is out and the first day of summer is upon us, the cancer care experts at Texas Oncology remind Texans to “save your skin” by outsmarting the sun when spending time outdoors. Although the most prevalent cancer in the United States today, skin cancer is also the most preventable. The majority of the more than 1 million annual U.S. cases of skin cancer are sun-related.
“The skin is the largest organ in the body and should not be taken for granted. In states like Texas where sun exposure can be intense for many months, we can take an active role in preventing skin cancer,” said Dr. Meghana Bhandari, medical oncologist at Texas Oncology . “Melanoma can be deadly, but it is curable if diagnosed early and has not spread to other parts of the body.”
Nationally, melanoma, the most deadly of all skin cancers, will account for more than 60,000 cases of skin cancer in 2008 and more than 8,400 of the more than 11,000 skin cancer deaths during that time. Texas ranks third in the nation for incidence of malignant melanoma, and one in three Texans will develop skin cancer in his or her life.
“Prevention starts by knowing what the risk factors are and taking measures to protect against ultraviolet rays,” said Texas Oncology Bhandari. “In addition, because early detection leads to higher survival rates, you should be mindful of changes in your skin and have them examined by a physician.”
People with fair skin or who are outdoors frequently are at higher risk. For example, people who work outdoors are susceptible to high exposure to ultraviolet rays. Parents should also remember that even children need protection at a young age from the sun.
However, everyone is at risk of developing skin cancer and should take precautions. In fact, approximately 7 percent of all skin cancer cases occur in patients of Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American, or Native American descent.
Texas Oncology physicians recommend that people at risk check their skin regularly. Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of an existing mole. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using the ABCD method to help detect melanoma:
A = Asymmetry: One side of the mole does not match the other in size, shape, color, or thickness.
B = Border: The edge or border of the mole may be irregular.
C = Color: The color of the mole is not uniform, various shades of brown and black may be present.
D = Diameter: Skin cancer melanomas are usually larger than 6 millimeters in diameter, but they can be smaller.
Changes in the skin should be reported to your health care provider right away. You may be referred to a dermatologist, who specializes in diseases of the skin. Experts recommend the following preventative measures to “save your skin:”
- Protect your skin by wearing a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher every day. Reapply every two hours or according to the product label.
- Limit sun exposure during 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when ultraviolet light is strongest.
- Wear a hat, long-sleeved shirts, long pants or skirts, as well as sunglasses with at least 99 percent ultraviolet absorption to protect your skin and eyes.
- Newborn babies should be kept out of the sun. Babies should wear protective hats in the sun.
- Be sure to apply sunscreens on children over six months of age.
- Review your skin closely every month from the top of your head to your toes.
- See a physician if you notice any changes.
“Saving your skin is easier with some simple measures to outsmart the sun. Avoiding sun exposure when possible, and taking precautions such as using sunscreen go a long way in preventing skin cancer,” said Bhandari.
Rising public awareness about breast cancer and the treatments available has greatly improved revenues in the overall breast cancer therapeutics market. To thrive in this highly competitive market, drug developers must offer drugs that improve survival rates and the quality of life.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, U.S. Breast Cancer Therapeutics Markets, finds that the targeted therapies segment of the market earned revenues of $1.34 billion in 2007 and estimates this to reach $3.34 billion in 2013.
The fastest growing segment of the U.S. population belongs to the aging segment, where the highest rates of breast cancer occur. The breast cancer market will remain a visibly important area of oncology. Companies are putting their research dollars into developing targeted breast cancer therapies that offer patients not only increased efficacy, but reduced side effects as well.
These innovative, targeted therapies have shown the greatest promise in the market and many are touting them as the future of breast cancer treatment. Combinations of these highly specific therapies with existing cytotoxic and hormonal therapies are rapidly becoming the standard of oncology care.
“Future research into treatment strategies will focus on drugs with clear therapeutic potential, as well as minimal side-effect profiles,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Misty Hughes. “Specialized therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, angiogenesis inhibitors, and vaccines could make a significant impact through targeted mechanisms of action and minimized toxicities.”
As the cost to develop new drugs increases, so does the degree of difficulty for smaller companies to develop products that make it through the approval process. These smaller companies must often seek and obtain licensing partnerships with larger corporations in order to defray costs associated with bringing new drugs to the market.
While smaller companies receive the required funds and personnel resources for developing new compounds, large enterprises expand their portfolio of potential new products, helping them proactively manage their pipelines.
“In order to attract larger companies, smaller companies must conduct well-designed pre-clinical tests that culminate in favorable results from phase I trials,” notes Hughes. “The higher the potential of the investigative compound for treating more than one cancer is, the greater the likelihood of partnerships.”
U.S. Breast Cancer Therapeutics Markets is part of the Pharmaceutical & Clinical Diagnostics Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research in the following markets: European market for breast cancer therapeutics, world breast cancer therapeutics market, U.S. multiple myeloma market, and the U.S. colorectal cancer market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company’s TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.
