Genetics and Cancer: recent news

HER2/Neu Gene Associated With Breast Cancer May Play Major Role In Prostate Cancer Recurrence

Herceptin may not be the key therapy

Oct 24, 2005-- The HER2/neu gene, associated with breast cancer, may also play a major role in the recurrence of prostate cancer, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Herceptin, a drug which targets HER2/neu and has "stunning" effects for some women with breast cancer. Another drug called lapatinib (GlaxoSmithKline) is now in clinical trials to see if it blocks HER2/neu's effects in men with aggressive prostate cancer.

Prevent Prostate Cancer with Antioxidants? Gene Pathway May Reveal Clues September 21, 2005

Scientists have identified a molecular pathway that makes prostate cells vulnerable to cancer-causing oxygen damage. When the tumor suppressor gene Nkx3.1 malfunctions, prostate cells lose the ability to protect themselves from oxygen damage. The Nkx3.1 pathway may help show if antioxidants can prevent prostate cancer.

Anti-cancer Mechanism That Arrests Early Prostate Cancer Aug 3, 2005

"If we can maintain a higher level of p53 in prostate cancer and induce cellular senescence, the disease should remain stable. This provides new opportunities for therapeutic intervention."

Gene Set Linked to Breast Cancer's Spread to Lungs Identified July 28, 2005

"Our work shows that the ability of a tumor to form metastases depends on the combined action of multiple genes - and a different set of genes is required for each organ the tumor spreads to."

Scientists have identified a set of genes in breast tumors that appear to predict if the disease will spread to the lungs and, once there, how virulent it will become.

New class of cancer-causing genes:
aberrant "microRNA" linked to human cancer

"These studies change the landscape of cancer genetics." Dr. Paul Meltzer. June 9, 2005

A Bond of Brothers: Siblings and Prostate Cancer

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center are seeking men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their unaffected brothers to help find out what genes are involved, if siblings realize they are at higher risk and what they are doing about it. Sept 2004

If your brother has prostate cancer, your risk of the disease is nearly tripled Overview study from Fox-Chase Cancer Center. Sept 16, 2003

Gene Variant May Make Some Men Prone to Cancer-Causing Pollutants

Some men may be more susceptible to prostate cancer because they carry a variant of a gene sensitive to cancer-causing pollutants that interact with hormones, Wake Forest and Johns Hopkins scientists report.... The gene, which is called CYP1B1, has been under study since the early 1990s. CYP1B1 is thought to play an important role in the development of cancer. It is classified as "dioxin-induced." Oct 17 2003

Telltale Prostate Cancer Protein Key to Breast Cancer, Too

The double-duty offender, called EZH2, appears to help cancer cells invade nearby tissue and form colonies, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. This makes it crucial for aggressive, metastatic forms of breast and prostate cancers, both of which are regulated by steroid hormones. Sept 2003

Combining Gene Therapy and Radiation Holds Promise

Gene therapy commbined with radiation therapy for treating prostate cancer looks safe and effective according to Henry Ford Hospital researchers. The study is the first in the world to test the safety and effectiveness of a "replication-competent virus" in combination with radiation therapy. The virus used is the one associated with the common cold. The patients treated had had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that, if treated with standard radiation therapy alone, would likely recur and possibly spread. Dec 20 2003

Ki-67 Biomarker Predicts Outcome For Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Androgen Deprivation plus Radiotherapy

Oct. 23, 2003 - The presence of a protein biomarker called Ki-67 may be a significant predictor of patient outcome for men with prostate cancer treated with both radiation and hormones.

Bostwick Laboratories Announces uPM3(TM) Test, First Genetic Test for Prostate Cancer Oct 10 20003

This page last edited by J. Strax, Aug 3, 2005.

 

Information on this website is not intended as medical advice nor to be taken as such. Consult qualified physicians specializing in the treatment of prostate cancer. Neither the editors nor the publisher accepts any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or consequences from the use or misuse of the information contained on this website.

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