John D. Zoidis, MD

This year in the US, the American Cancer Society estimates that lung cancer will kill more people than breast, prostate, colon, liver, and kidney cancers combined, making it the leading cause of cancer death among Americans.

News items reported in this issue: 1) 186-Gene Signature in Cancer Stem Cells Predicts Recurrence 2) National Prostate Cancer Coalition Commences Clinical Trial Education Program 3) Concomitant High-Dose Radiation Therapy Plus Cetuximab Improves Locoregional Control and Reduces Mortality, with No Increase in Radiation Therapy–Associated Toxicity in Patients with Advanced Squamous-Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck 4) STAT3 Pathway Inhibitor (Degrasyn) Drug Class Shows Promise in the Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors

Analysis of molecular genetic markers in biological fluids has often been proposed as a potential tool for cancer diagnosis. Markers are needed for lung cancer in particular because the disease is notorious for presenting late in its course.

New pancreatic cancer vaccine findings were presented at the 2007 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held January 19-21 in Orlando, FL.

A simple blood test may soon be able to identify persons at risk for developing smoking-related head and neck cancer.

The treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer often represents a therapeutic challenge. As the most common malignancy in men and the second-leading cause of cancer death in the US, the number of patients requiring posthormonal therapy is increasing.

Companies in the news: 1) AVAX and CTCA Collaborating for Cancer Therapies 2) Full Speed Ahead for GPC Biotech's Satraplatin 3) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Adnexus Therapeutics: Collaboration for New Oncology Compounds 4) Graffinity and Amgen in Drug Discovery Agreement 5) Roche Suspends Enrollment in CERA Phase II Oncology Trial

The Academy delivers the latest news on biotechnology and oncology research, providing a link between the clinical world of cancer care and the university researchers who are pushing farther into knowledge and discovery. In this issue: 1) Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute 2) Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 3) University of Leicaster (UK) 4) Purdue University 5) St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 6) MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology of the University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

This month's Fed Focus highlights such topics as Medicare reimbursement for cancer care and NCI budget cuts that affect cancer research. From "The State House" and Justice Department, we cover the HPV vaccine mandate and a governor under fire as well as state laws requiring colon cancer screening coverage. Reimbursment, NCI budget cuts, and more

Physicians' Financial News focuses on news-making and/or notable companies in the oncology/biotechnology sector. In this issue: 1) Avalon Could Earn More Than $200M in Deal with Merck & Co. 2) OXiGENE Sets Fiscal 2007 Priorities 3) Genentech Shares Fall Nearly 3% on Avastin Study 4) Start-Up Biotech Firm VentiRx Acquires $26.6 Million in Venture Capital Financing to Develop New Cancer Drugs 5) Vion Reports Fourth Quarter Loss of $6.1 Million 6) Somanta Acquisition Enhances Access Pharmaceuticals Cancer Focus 7) Stemline In-Licenses Compound that Targets Leukemia Stem Cells

The Clinical Trials reported in this issue include: PHASE I: 1) Cell Genesys and Medarex Remain Positive on Combination Immunotherapy Study 2) Active Biotech Achieves Success with TASQ for Prostate Cancer PHASE II: 1) Myriad Initiates Evaluation of Brain Cancer Drug that Crosses the Blood-Brain Barrier 2) Second Lung Cancer Trial Adds Data to Novel Therapy PHASE III: 1) Nexavar Could Soon Add Primary Liver Cancer to its Label 2) Point Therapeutics Provides Clinical Update for NSCLC Studies

A study was commissioned by the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to assess the supply and demand for oncology services through 2020.

News items featured in this month's issue: 1) Preventive Health Exams May Lead to Cancer Screenings by Prachi Patel-Predd 2) Canine Cancer Vaccine Being Investigated for Use in Humans by Diane West 3) Antirejection Drug Shows Promise In Preventing Lung Cancer in Smokers by Diane West 4) Colon Cancer Survival Linked to Number of Lymph Nodes Examined by Querida Anderson 5) Combined Therapies Improve Breast Cancer Survival by Prachi Patel-Predd 6) Mapping the Cancer Genome by Nick Rose 7) Gleevec May Decrease Risk of Recurrence in Patients with Primary Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor by John D. Zoidis, MD 8) Dendreon Closes in on Offering First Prostate Cancer Vaccine by Nick Rose 9) PSA Kinetics is a Poor Predictor of Lethal Prostate Cancer by Querida Anderson

The results of Amgen's "145 study" of Aranesp in patient's with late-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) are released.

Novel therapeutic approaches represent the latest advances in targeted cancer therapy that may one day provide clinicians with a better means of custom-tailoring cancer treatment. Eventually, treatments may be individualized based on unique sets of molecular targets.

This issue features reports from: American Association for Cancer Research meeting April 14-18, 2007 Los Angeles, CA BIO International Convention May 6-9, 2007 Boston, MA

The first revision in 12 years, the new guidelines are based on a growing body of evidence-based research and emphasize communication with the patient regarding risk, treatment options, and potential outcomes.

Two presentations are highlighted from the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology held in Chicago, IL: 1) Navigating Multiple Pathways: Evolving Strategies and Future Directions in Targeted Therapies 2) Two Studies Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Lapatinib (Tykerb) in Advanced Breast Cancer

Treatment advances focus on the potential use of Bortezomib and Lenalidomide in the front-line setting to improve patients' response rates.