 |
|
Cancer researchers confirm brain tumor genetic subtype informs treatment, predicts outcome
July 07, 2006Calgary — Research confirms that determining the genetic composition of brain cancers can better inform doctors and patients for treatment options and prognosis. The findings could change the future of how cancers are diagnosed.
A study published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology confirmed that a specific chromosomal change in oligodendroglial brain tumours, first discovered by U of C researcher Dr. Gregory Cairncross, is associated with a very good prognosis and may also identify patients who would benefit from chemotherapy treatment in addition to radiotherapy at diagnosis for longer tumour control.
"The old school of thought was that a cancer is a cancer is a cancer, but that simply doesn't hold true with what we know today. Looking at a cancer under the microscope is not enough anymore," says Cairncross, principal investigator for the clinical trial and head of clinical neurosciences at the U of C's Faculty of Medicine and Calgary Health Region. "By testing for the genetic makeup of brain cancers, we can better define what 'cancer' we're dealing with, which helps us make better and wiser treatment recommendations for our patients."
This insight offers hope to refine the way brain cancers — and all cancers — are evaluated in the future. Recognizing the evolution from microscopic diagnosis to molecular diagnosis, the U of C and Alberta Cancer Board are developing a new Molecular Diagnostics Program in the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alta. The program, which will provide space for testing the molecular and genetic composition of brain tumours, is initially funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation Chair in Brain Tumour Research at the University of Calgary.
"The new laboratory will allow us to test the genetic makeup of brain cancers prior to starting treatment," says Dr. Chris Brown, director, of the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute. "Research is leading cancer researchers and clinicians to change the way we test tumours and customize treatments. We are excited about the laboratory's potential to guide and improve cancer treatment in Alberta and the world."
"When fully operational, the new laboratory will focus attention on the evaluation of genetic changes in oligodendrogliomas and glioblastomas, two types of brain cancer where genetic subtypes exist," says Tony Magliocco, director, Translational Laboratories, Tom Baker Cancer Centre. "Currently, the diagnostic test procedures are being perfected and in the coming months will be applied to newly diagnosed tumour samples from across Alberta."
Alberta Cancer Board
This insight offers hope to refine the way brain cancers — and all cancers — are evaluated in the future. Recognizing the evolution from microscopic diagnosis to molecular diagnosis, the U of C and Alberta Cancer Board are developing a new Molecular Diagnostics Program in the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alta. The program, which will provide space for testing the molecular and genetic composition of brain tumours, is initially funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation Chair in Brain Tumour Research at the University of Calgary.
"The new laboratory will allow us to test the genetic makeup of brain cancers prior to starting treatment," says Dr. Chris Brown, director, of the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute. "Research is leading cancer researchers and clinicians to change the way we test tumours and customize treatments. We are excited about the laboratory's potential to guide and improve cancer treatment in Alberta and the world."
"When fully operational, the new laboratory will focus attention on the evaluation of genetic changes in oligodendrogliomas and glioblastomas, two types of brain cancer where genetic subtypes exist," says Tony Magliocco, director, Translational Laboratories, Tom Baker Cancer Centre. "Currently, the diagnostic test procedures are being perfected and in the coming months will be applied to newly diagnosed tumour samples from across Alberta."
Alberta Cancer Board
Brain Tumor Current Events and Brain Tumor News RSSCancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer
Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that its scientists have established, for the first time, that the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activity consistent with a cancer-causing gene, or oncogene.
Barrow study identifies new way to biopsy brain tumors in real time
A new miniature, hand-held microscope may allow more precise removal of brain tumors and an easier recognition of tumor locations during surgery.
Men leave: Separation and divorce far more common when the wife is the patient
A woman is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after a diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than if a man in the relationship is the patient, according to a study that examined the role gender played in so-called "partner abandonment." The study also found that the longer the marriage the more likely it would remain intact.
Childhood cancer survivors less likely to marry, Yale researchers find
Adult survivors of childhood cancer are 20 to 25 percent more likely to never marry compared with siblings and the general population, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Brain tumors in childhood leave a lasting mark on cognition, life status
Brain tumors in childhood cast a long shadow on survivors. The first study of the lasting impact of these tumors -- the most common solid malignancies in childhood -- shows that survivors have ongoing cognitive problems.
Angiochem crosses BBB, shows safety, efficacy in phase 1/2 brain cancer studies
Angiochem, Inc. a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing drugs that are uniquely capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier to treat brain diseases, announced today that its lead drug candidate, ANG1005, has demonstrated a favorable safety and efficacy profile in more than 100 patients with brain cancer from two separate Phase 1 /2 clinical studies in patients with progressive gliomas, including recurrent glioblastoma, and in patients with progressive brain metastases.
Researchers report benefits of new standard treatment study for rare pediatric brain cancer
A team of researchers led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center unveiled results today from the largest-ever collaborative study addressing the treatment of a rare pediatric brain tumor.
Unequal access: Hispanic children rarely get top-notch care for brain tumors
Hispanic children diagnosed with brain tumors get high-quality treatment at hospitals that specialize in neurosurgery far less often than other children with the same condition, potentially compromising their immediate prognosis and long-term survival, according to research from Johns Hopkins published in October's Pediatrics.
tudy: The new buzz on detecting tinnitus
It's a ringing, a buzzing, a hissing or a clicking - and the patient is the only one who can hear it. Complicating matters, physicians can rarely pinpoint the source of tinnitus, a chronic ringing of the head or ears that can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a jackhammer.
New Approach for the Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors
Initial chemotherapy alone after surgery is just as successful as initial radiation therapy for patients from whom a very malignant brain tumor (anaplastic glioma) was removed. With this treatment, the patients survive on average > 30 months without a recurrence.
More Brain Tumor Current Events and Brain Tumor News Articles
 |
Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor by Liz Holzemer (Author) Life seemed idyllic for thirty-two-year-old Liz Holzemer. Wife of Major League Baseball pitcher Mark Holzemer, Liz was enjoying a successful career as a journalist when an MRI revealed a baseball-size brain tumor she soon found out was called meningioma. Told with clarity and unwavering humor, this book is an inspirational and informative account of one woman’s battle for her life. It shows how she emerged from this frightening diagnosis and two brain surgeries retaining her remarkable spirit of survival and renewed sense of purpose and hope. With practical information about meningioma and brain surgery, Curveball is a manual for people who face life-altering challenges and is also proof that one need not fight such battles alone. |
 |
Living with a Brain Tumor: Dr. Peter Black's Guide to Taking Control of Your Treatment by Peter Black (Author) Each year, 100,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor. With his new book, Dr. Peter Black fills a gap in the lay readership, providing an accessible medical resource for adult patients and their families. Dr. Black, who has operated on more than 3,000 patients with brain tumors, is uniquely qualified to discuss both clinical treatment of and research into brain tumors. This invaluable resource tells patients everything they need to know to understand and address their diagnosis, in a four-part structure: • “What is a Brain Tumor?" provides straightforward information about how brain tumors are diagnosed, the different types of tumors and how they develop, and where to go for treatment. • “Coping with Shock” addresses the emotional... |
 |
Guerilla Guide to Brain Tumors: Shameless Dirty Tricks to beat the system and STAY ALIVE! by Skip Goebel (Author) In an unprecedented format, the Guerilla Guide to Brain Tumors is written in a format that combines the layout of the For Dummies series with a drill-sargent's attitude. (the back page says it all) This is a book of War Nothing warm and fuzzy or socially acceptable here and nothing about "Dying with Dignity". Just what it takes to win. And win you will, complete with a trail of wreckage behind you. It's a book for the patient, NOT the caregiver. The Guerilla Guide to Brain Tumors is a book that will take you out of the "Grovel and Wretch" mode and into the "Command and Dominate" mode with the following factions of our society: The Medical EstablishmentThe Social Services EstablishmentChurch, Friends and FamilyAnd most importantly...Yourself No punches are pulled here. Prepare to be... |
 |
Damn The Statistics, I Have a Life to Live!: Coping with a Brain Tumor My Personal Story by Harry Wolf (Author) June 3, 2002 was the day that changed my life forever. A 43-year-old father of three, whom in oneday went from being a successful senior manager to a man with a braintumor. I have a glioblastoma multiformegrade IV brain tumor, the most deadly and aggressive type of brain tumor. This book covers how I have dealt with lifeafter being informed that I have a tumor that only 1-2% survive for 2years. I share the experiences, thoughts,and events from my first year as a survivor. When I was first diagnosed, I searched for a book that covered thedetails of what could be expected on both a medical and personal level. I could not find, so I wrote one. I maintained a detailed journal. I cover the first surgery, an awakecraniotomy, and the subsequent head infection that led to a second... |
 |
Brain Tumors: Leaving the Garden of Eden--A Survival Guide to Diagnosis, Learning the Basics, Getting Organized, and Finding Your Medical Team by Paul M. Zeltzer (Author) A guidebook for the 150,000+ people/ year and families affected by brain tumors. This book will help you learn the basics about diagnosis, getting organized and finding your medical team. Included are chapters on all major types of brain tumors & metastases, glossary, medications, using the Internet to search for information, and getting a second opinion. "Brain Tumors:Leaving the Garden of Eden" is all about improving your odds by gathering information, & assessing your situation: What you need to do; what you need to know; what you can do now! |
 |
Searching for Normal, My Life with a Brain Tumor by Mikki Baker (Author) This is a simple and true story of a young nurse, wife and mother of three, leading a typical American middle-class life, until one day in April 2003. It is a deeply personal and detailed account from Mikki Baker, of how a grand mal seizure on Easter Monday led to the discovery of a large brain tumor, and sent her life and the lives of her family into initial chaos, and how it forever changed the course of the daily existence. The story follows the events from the day of the seizure through the first four-and-a-half years of recovery following the surgery, with the day-to-day details drawn from a journal started by family members. It is a reflection of many of the procedures, problems and emotions that brain tumor patients encounter. The reader will see how very gradual the recovery... |
 |
100 Q&A About Brain Tumors (100 Questions & Answers) by Virginia Stark-Vance (Author) |
 |
Brain Surgeon: A Doctor's Inspiring Encounters with Mortality and Miracles by Keith Black (Author), Arnold Mann (Author) Welcome to tiger country: the treacherous territory where a single wrong move by a brain surgeon can devastate-or end-a patient's life. This is the terrain world-renowned neurosurgeon Keith Black, MD, enters every day to produce virtual medical miracles. Now, in BRAIN SURGEON, Dr. Black invites readers to shadow his breathtaking journeys into the brain as he battles some of the deadliest and most feared tumors known to medical science. Along the way, he shares his unique insights about the inner workings of the brain, his unwavering optimism for the future of medicine, and the extraordinary stories of his patients-from ministers and rock stars to wealthy entrepreneurs and uninsured students-whom he celebrates as the real heroes. BRAIN SURGEON offers a window into one man's... |
 |
Brain Tumors (Diseases and Disorders) by Arda Darakjian Clark (Author) Brain tumors, both benign and malignant, present severe challenges to patients, their families, and to the medical professionals who treat them. This book discusses symptoms and diagnosis of brain tumors, standard and experimental treatments, and the need for care and rehabilitation following treatment. (20051001) |
 |
Brain Tumors: Finding the Ark. Meeting the Challenges of Treatment Choices, Side Effects, Childrens Issues, Healthcare Costs and Long Term adjustment by Paul M. Zeltzer (Author) In this sequel to Brain Tumors: Leaving the Garden of Eden, Dr. Paul continues to guide you through the brain tumor minefield so you have the best chances for quality survival. Here are the key answers to questions about medications, side effects and late effects of treatment, insurance, Medicare & HMOs, clinical trials, heredity, brain tumors in children, Complementary and Alternative Medicines & Lists of 250 major brain tumor treatment centers worldwide (30 blk-and-white illustrations , 350 websites and other resources to contact.) |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |