You’d think by now that this has been settled. After all, how many studies have been done on screening and its effect on detecting cancer? And screening doesn’t necessarily mean having colonoscopies. It could be as simple as having your stool checked for hidden blood or occult blood.

Yet another study, this time published in the most recent issue of Journal of the National Cancer Institute, says the same thing. According to researchers, a district in Italy experienced a 13% decline in colorectal cancer since establishing an occult blood screening program in the early 1980s.

You can read more about this in the article Screening for Colorectal Cancer Saves Lives.

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Tags: cancer blog, colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer screening, occult blood, colonoscopies

Post from: Blisstree

It’s been said before and it’s being said again…

According to the American Cancer Society, over 11,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer this year. That means that they will have cancer that is no longer superficial. Although this number is high, death from cervical cancer is dropping significantly as women are becoming more aware of the need for a Pap test. In fact, between the 1950s and the end of the century, cervical cancer deaths dropped by 74% and the number continues to drop.

Although Pap tests are very effective at detecting cancerous cells, they can’t tell the doctors how invasive the cancer is or how big the tumor is. Imaging (x-rays and such) aren’t very reliable in the cervix area. However, researchers have designed a new way to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that is showing accurate pictures of the cancerous area.

To perform the MRI, the doctor inserts a ring coil into the vagina and places it around the cervix. Using this technique, the doctor can get a high-resolution image. By doing this, surgery can be targeted better, with a better outcome.

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Tags: cervical cancer, pap test, cervical cancer death, cervix, abnormal cells

Post from: Blisstree

New MRI procedure may detect even earlier cervical cancer

The test analyzes a tumor’s gene expression pattern to help pinpoint the source of hard-to-identify tumors and is the first test of its kind to receive FDA clearance.

Up to an estimated 200,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients annually in the U.S. may have a tumor for which the site of origin is uncertain after the initial diagnostic workup.

The FDA’s clearance underscores the growing role that patients’ genomic information can play in helping physicians make better decisions.

Read the full press release from Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc. (pdf file)

Post from: Blisstree

The Pathwork® Tissue Of Origin Test: Received FDA Clearance

From Mayo Clinic:

“…two factors that play a major role in the development of stomach cancer — infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria and diet, especially the type of diet that’s high in salted, smoked and pickled foods common in areas that lack refrigeration as a means of preserving food.

Stomach cancer is more readily treated when caught early. Unfortunately, by the time stomach cancer causes symptoms, it’s often at an advanced stage and may have spread beyond the stomach. Yet there is encouraging news. You can reduce your risk of stomach cancer by making a few changes in your lifestyle.”

Now Rhode Island researchers have identified two potential molecular markers that may predict the outcome of  stomach cancer after treatment (usually surgery): two proteins, known as gastrokine 1 and 2 (GKN1 and GKN2) — which are produced by normal stomach cells.

The said research findings have reported (July 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research),that stomach cancer patients who had poor outcomes following surgery for stomach cancer also had extremely low amounts of those two proteins.

I’m such a sucker for such kinds of molecular markers. I really hope that they bring us to better treatment, better yet preventative therapies sometime in the future.

Read more about this report from Science Daily.

Post from: Blisstree

Molecular Markers May Predict Outcome of Stomach Cancer

Such were the findings that came out from a review of recent studies, thereby trumping the all-time advice to women to self examine their breasts on a regular basis to check for lumps. This report said that the practice has actually did more harm than good:

However, a review of recent studies says there is no evidence that self-exams actually reduce breast cancer deaths.

Instead, the practice may be doing more harm than good, since it led to almost twice as many biopsies that turned up no cancer in women who performed the self-exams, compared to women who did not do the exams.

Jan Peter Kosters, Ph.D., and Peter Gotzsche, Ph.D., of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, conclude in the review:

“At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination [by a trained health worker] cannot be recommended.”

Indeed it is tricky what diagnostic tool to pursue in our hope to catch breast cancer (or any other cancer for that matter) at the earliest possible stage. I have always said that getting a second or third opinion always helps in any case that your initial test turn out positive.

This reminds me of a pre-employment medical exam a long time ago. One company that hired me, sent me to one hospital/clinic for a full medical exam.

By the time it was my turn for a chest x-ray, the current x-ray machine has to be pulled out of the radiology room for some emergency trauma case. The technician then had to use a spare machine that has been lying in one dusty corner of the room. (This one detail of course didn’t easily come to mind when I got my x-ray result later — which turned out to have a big white spot (the size of a small child’s fist) in the middle of my chest.) I was told by the doctor that ‘cleared’ my medical exam that I have to go back to my company’s clinic and it’s up to them what to do with me.

I knew something was wrong but the doctor won’t tell me. On my way to the pharma plant (the company who hired me) I couldn’t resist but open the x-ray film that the doctor sealed  in the big brown envelope I was told to bring. Well I was young, out of college and of course scared that what if I have breast or lung tumor? Besides, I never really led a healthy life in college.

I felt I needed to know right away. So I opened the envelope, looked at my x-ray film and saw the ‘hole’ I mentioned above. At the bottom the doctor commented in a few lines: for apico-lordotic view.

I didn’t know what that meant back then (this was 12 years ago!) but I knew I had to be sent for another x-ray appointment. The company doctor gave me a reference letter for another clinic, another x-ray session. The radiologist did an apico lordotic view x-ray (instead of havi ng my back to the machine, this time I am facing it) and it turned out I’ve got a normal, clear lungs from that x-ray film.

The night before that? That was the scariest night of my life. The morning after after I got cleared from the apico-lordotic x-ray…I went ahead to my first day of work as quality control lab analyst in that particular pharma plant.

If now something similar happened again (i hope not, knock on wood!), I won’t let any doctor get away by not telling me the truth about the results of any medical exam or procedure or test.

The moral of this story really is: get a second or third opinion. Not just one test, but if possible 2 or more. For your own good!

Post from: Blisstree

Breast Self-Exams: Not a good practice?

This novel genetic test – a product of Invitrogen Corporation – determining whether patients with breast cancer are good candidates for treatment with the drug Herceptin (trastuzumab).

The SPOT-Light HER2 CISH kit is a test that measures the number of copies of the HER2 gene in tumor tissue. This gene regulates the growth of cancer cells.

A healthy breast cell has two copies of the HER2 gene, which sends a signal to cells, telling them when to grow, divide and make repairs.

Patients with breast cancer may have more copies of this HER2 gene, prompting them to overproduce HER2 protein so that more signals are sent to breast cells. As a result, the cells grow and divide much too quickly.

Read more from FDA News.

Post from: Blisstree

SPOT-Light HER2 CISH: New Breast Cancer Genetic Test, FDA-Approved

The limiting factor always lies in the availability and access of patients to screening procedures. Not to mention the accuracy of the procedure itself.

Now, regarding the detection of ovarian cancer, The Washington Post reports:

U.S. researchers boosted the level of early-stage ovarian cancer detection by 20 percent through use of a blood test to detect a tumor marker as well as a woman’s report of new-onset symptoms.

Using either test alone only uncovered about 60 percent of early-stage ovarian cancers in a high-risk group of women, while the two techniques together found 80 percent of early-stage tumors.

Such were the findings published online yesterday in the journal Cancer.

According to the study’s lead author . Robyn Andersen, an associate member of the Public Health Sciences Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle:

“They appear to act complementary, and appear to be able to identify women who would not be identified by a blood sample alone, and conversely would not be identified by symptoms alone.

Currently, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are caught in their earliest, potentially curable stages.”

On a personal note — let us not forget what education about this cancer can do to women, most especially women belonging to the under-served population (for the lack of better word!). I just believe that the more women are aware of their risks, the more they will practice caution (whenever applicable) and seek medical treatment or subject themselves to screening as soon as possible.

Read the full report from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Post from: Blisstree

Blood Test-Symptoms Combo Can Increase Ovarian Cancer Detection

It is interesting to know that Stanford University School of Medicine is investigating an investigational study of the this genomics-based diagnostic test for hard-to-identify tumors — The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test.

The new test uses advanced genomics-based technology to help physicians determine a tumor’s origin in order to optimize cancer-specific treatment.

The study will evaluate the test’s ability to impact diagnosis for cancer patients with hard-to-identify tumors, with test samples processed at the Stanford University School of Medicine’s laboratory.

According to Dr. Iris Schrijver, Director of Molecular Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine:

“Hard-to-identify tumors are particularly challenging for physicians.

Clinical workups for these patients can be time-consuming, expensive and frustrating for both the physician and the patient, particularly when traditional diagnostic approaches are unable to provide answers.

We are looking forward to evaluating the Tissue of Origin Test’s potential to provide diagnostic answers that can help further guide patient care in these challenging cases.”

While Deborah J. Neff, Pathwork Diagnostic’s president and chief executive officer, said:

“We are pleased that an institution of Stanford University School of Medicine’s caliber is evaluating our test.

Our test is available as a service through our CLIA-certified laboratory so that physicians outside of Stanford University can have specimens processed and clinical results provided.

Additionally, we are actively working to obtain FDA clearance so that we can offer a diagnostic kit directly to clinical laboratories at major medical centers.”

Truly I am too glad that this kind of diagnostic test exists. Makes me more believe in the hope that come will time, cancer will be caught at the earliest time possible.

What with The HPV Test and The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test, coming out now. Pretty sure there will be more to come. I just wish that diagnostic tests of such calibers become readily available to everyone, in no time.

Full press release here (in pdf link) or the similar report from San Francisco Chronicle.

[Thanks again to Tracy Morris for the hat tip!]
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Wait! Don’t forget to join this blog’s “Take the Test” HPV Awareness Bracelet Contest.

Post from: Blisstree

Stanford Is Investigating The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test

The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test measures the expression of more than 1500 genes present in a tissue sample and generates the tumor’s gene expression profile. This profile is then compared to those of 15 known tissues, representing more than 60 morphologies. An objective, probability-based Similarity Score is provided for each of the 15 potential tissue types, enabling each tissue type to be ruled in or ruled out.

What do patients need to know about The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test?

If a patient has hard to identify cancer, the doctor may recommend this test in order to fully determine the best treatment plan for the patient.

The Pathwork Tissue of Origin Test uses advanced technology to compare a molecular “fingerprint” of your tumor to those of 15 common types of cancer. This helps determine what type of tumor you most likely have – even when other tests may not be able to.

I honestly think this is a good test that will tremendously benefit the patient’s survival. If your doctor have not mentioned The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test yet, this is a good time as any to bring this up and discuss.

A genomics-based diagnostics company focused on oncology – Pathwork Diagnostics – announced the launch of The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test Test through its
CLIA-certified Pathwork® Diagnostics Laboratory.

Click here for the pdf file of the press release.

I will have more info on this test. Meanwhile, I want to thank Tracy Morris for all the info she sent my way. Thank you sooo much.
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Wait! Don’t forget to join this blog’s “Take the Test” HPV Awareness Bracelet Contest.

Post from: Blisstree

What kind of cancer do you have? The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test, may have the answer!

Two new oncology tests — classifying metastatic cancer and identifying patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer who are at high risk of recurrence as well as unlikely to respond favorably to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy — from AviaraDx, Inc. are now state-approved in New York.

The tests, based on proprietary AviaraDx molecular technologies, are New York state-approved and available through the company’s CAP-certified CLIA laboratory. Both can utilize small formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples easily available from imaging-guided needle biopsies.

CancerTYPE ID™ and H/I™ (HOXB13/IL17BR) are the two said tests from AviaraDx, Inc.

Read here to find out more.

[Thanks to Laura Baumgartner for the hat tip!]

Post from: Blisstree

AviaraDx: New Molecular Oncology Test for Metastatic & Breast Cancer