Sean Barrette, people relations serviceman for the City Regional Hospital, said the “skirting” clinics in cities such as Northwestern Bay and Timmins ended June 1 because there are not sufficiency medical oncologists – a person health-care write.

“Fundamentally, in arrangement for waiting nowadays to be restored and to avoid oncologist burnout, there had to be changes for follow-up want,” Barrette said.

“Volumes of cancer patients are always increasing,” he said, adding the regional centre has been functioning for a couple of years without a full complement of specialists. “It starts to eventually wear on those who are there.”

There were 285 patient visits at the clinics held twice a month in 2009, but Barrette said not all cancer outpatients will be forced to drive to Sudbury for their check ups every six or 12 months.

He said radiology oncologists will still hold clinics in North Bay when appropriate.

“Nobody likes to see any type of reduction in services, but this will ultimately benefit cancer patients. Acute treatment patients will be seen quicker,” he said.

Tiziana Silveri, vice president of surgery and maternal child at North Bay and District Hospital, said teleconferencing will also be an option for some outpatients, noting the quality of the technology has improved greatly.

And Silveri said the chemotherapy clinics providing active treatment are still being held in North Bay.

“There’s no change in that,” she said……..

Barbara Spencer, manager of the North Bay branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, said she is not sure how much more pressure will be put on the travel program which assists people attending appointments.

“Certainly, it was much easier when we had oncologists who were travelling here and it will mean an increase in the travel program, we’ll probably know more in three months,” she said.

The travel program usually costs close to $200,000 a year to run using volunteer drivers, who numbered 73 last year. Spencer said 675 adults and children were transported in 2009 to appointments at hospitals in southern and eastern Ontario, as well as Sudbury, with 3,140 trips overall.

“This year, it will be probably be up,” she said.

ddale@nugget.ca

The Exploit Conquer Constellation Send worked with the IBM-supported Humanity Territory Grid to publicise out catalyst samples for technique investigating on all of the computers. The software, squirting in the stress of the volunteers’ computers and harnessing unused compute cycles, simulated a deliver titled rock, where proteins illuminate into a massive forge.

In this form, the proteins can be further examined by special X-ray to see how they interact with cancer, and whether or not those proteins may cause the disease.

Using the World Community Grid to send out sample after sample to the volunteers, the Help Conquer Cancer Project believes it was able to determine six times as many images per protein for further testing in significantly less time than would be possible under manual human review.

By way of example, if a person looked at one image per second without rest — which is not humanly possible — it would take 1,333 days to examine all 12,500 proteins in the study. The World Community Grid did that in a fraction of the time, said Dr. Joseph Jasinski, an IBM distinguished engineer and program director of IBM’s Health Care and Life Sciences Institute………

“The World Community Grid is really good at running embarrassingly parallel computation, where you do the same task over and over again. So it’s set up for doing many possibilities to try where you want to throw away the ones that are no good quickly,” Jasinski told InternetNews.com.

Something like testing for cancer drugs works with a setup like the World Community Grid. The 1.5 million machines work independently and don’t communicate with each, hence Jasinski’s description of them as “embarrassingly parallel.” They perform the same repetitive task over and over — in this case, testing a protein to see its potential in cancer treatment.

An increasing number of firms are turning to this solution for their own large-scale computing tasks, but they are keeping the process inside the firewall. Distributed computing lends itself well to a “loosely coupled” task like searching through a vast amount of data for a match, Jasinski said

In a “tightly coupled” scenario, where the program might need the results of one step in order to continue, or processors need to communicate, a company would be better off using IBM’s BlueGene servers, where high-speed interconnects enable interprocessor communication, Jasinski said.

IBM consulting helps firms determine whether their computation needs are loosely coupled or tightly coupled, and offers the appropriate solution. Some companies are using loosely coupled computing internally, Jasinski said.

IBM has its own technology and services through its Smarter Planet initiative to help these firms build internal distributed computing systems. Companies like financial, life science and drug research firms put an agent on employee computers and request they leave their computer running at the end of the day, he said.

“We have helped companies and institutions set these things up. It’s part of a growing trend around distributed computing, a sort of precursor to cloud computing in a sense, so I think that general trend of trying to harness the horsepower you have and get as much productivity from the infrastructure you have is going to continue,” Jasinski said.

“We have a good and growing list of problems people are applying this technology toward, typically in energy, the environment, health care and life sciences. We’ve also tried to get some stuff going in computational aspects of humanities research,” he added.

The World Community Grid launched in 2004 and is the world’s largest public scientific research computer network, with 514,000 members offering 1.5 million devices, meaning many people are running more than just their own personal computer.

It runs other tests similar to the Help Conquer Cancer Project, like FightAIDS@home, which looks for a cure for HIV, plus programs to fight influenza, muscular dystrophy, human protein folding and research efforts in the field of clean energy.

via:cancer

Gloucester, founded in 2003, focused on developing new therapies to fulfill unmet medical needs in cancer treatment. The acquisition adds Istodax (romidepsin) to Celgene’s already established cancer portfolio. Istodax received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2009 for treating CTCL patients who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Celgene is expected to launch the drug in the first half of this year. Furthermore, it will pursue the European approval for Istodax in CTCL besides advancing the drug’s development for other cancer indications, including peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).

Additionally, Istodax has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s T-cell lymphoma and Fast Track status in PTCL by the U.S. regulatory agency. The drug has received orphan status designation from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products for treating both CTCL and PTCL patients. We believe that the inclusion of Istodax in the cancer portfolio of a large company like Celgene would boost its sales and allow it a competitive edge over rival drugs such as Allos Therapeutics’ (NasdaqGM: ALTH – News) injectable treatment for PTCL − Folotyn − which hit the market in 2009.

The acquisition should further strengthen Celgene’s cancer portfolio. It already boasts of Revlimid, currently approved for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and second-line multiple myeloma (MM) and the company is expanding its label into other indications. Furthermore, its product portfolio includes Vidaza for MDS, which should also drive growth.

However, sales of Celgene’s Thalomid have been declining. We feel this decline will continue since safer and more effective drugs are available for multiple myeloma in the form of Revlimid and Takeda’s Velcade.

We believe that the addition of Istodax is aimed to make up for the disappointing performance of Thalomid.

The 38-year-old actor said in a media statement that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a treatable cancer of the lymphatic system.

He did not say when the diagnosis was made.

Via:

Charles was diagnosed with stage IV urothelial carcinoma over the summer but announced Friday that he is 80 percent in remission and that his doctors have given him the go-ahead to resume working.

He will be back on the air for the Jan. 29 “ShoBox,” which is will be headlined by bantamweight prospect Chris Avalos facing Jose Nieves at the Tingley Auditorium in Albuquerque, N.M., working with analysts Steve Farhood and Antonio Tarver. Charles turns 64 the following day.

“I never really lost hope and faith that I’d be back on ‘ShoBox’ working with the finest people I know professionally and personally,” Charles said. “The boxing community has been overwhelmingly supportive. Their inspiration has moved me deeply. As important to me though are the fans of ‘ShoBox’ who have expressed to me beyond all expectations their concern and encouragement through a difficult illness.”

During Charles’ absence, Al Bernstein, who pulled double duty while also working as an analyst on “Showtime Championship Boxing,” and Curt Menefee filled in.

“We are thrilled to announce the return of Nick Charles to ‘ShoBox,’” said Showtime’s Ken Hershman, who heads the network’s sports division. “Nick is one of the great guys in our business. His strength and perseverance through this ordeal has inspired all of us. We continue to offer our support and love and we look forward to Jan. 29 when Nick returns to the mic.”

Charles, who was treated at University of Texas M.S. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, has been off “ShoBox” since July 31, although Top Rank hired him to call the international telecast of the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on Nov. 14….

Besides his work on Showtime, Charles is also known for his tenure in the 1980s and ’90s on CNN, where he won three Cable Ace Awards as the co-host of “Sports Tonight.” He won the Sam Taub Award for excellence in broadcast journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2008.

via:sports/boxing/news

The purpose of the phase-1B clinical trial was to identify the maximum tolerated dose of Bezielle and to determine the safety and feasibility of the company’s novel, oral, anticancer treatment. A total of 27 women with late stage breast cancer were enrolled to the phase-1B trial. The 27 enrolled women had failed an average of six prior therapies since diagnosis with metastatic breast disease and expected survival pre-trial was 90-120 days. To date, a total of 48 women with advanced breast cancer have been treated with Bezielle in two early phase clinical trials.

“We are encouraged by the results of the Company’s second phase-1 trial in women with advanced breast cancer and feel the oncology community is equally enthusiastic about Bezielle as our manuscript was accepted by the most widely read breast cancer specific peer reviewed journal in two days,” said Mary Tagliaferri, president and chief medical officer of Bionovo. “There are currently over 160,000 women in the United States living with advanced breast cancer who are eagerly awaiting an oral anticancer drug that can extend life without profoundly diminishing quality of life. We believe Bezielle will be an important new anticancer agent because its biological selectivity allows the drug to kill cancer cells without affecting normal cells resulting in dramatically fewer side effects.”

“In the age of sequential monotherapy as the treatment approach for women with metastatic breast cancer, Bezielle is one of the most exciting new therapies under investigation today,” said Banu Arun, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. “At our center, where over 3,000 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer each year, there is great patient demand for oral drugs with minimal toxicities for the treatment of any stage breast cancer. Bezielle is the exact type of drug our patients are seeking and the favorable clinical results in Bionovo’s two early stage clinical trials among a heavily pretreated patient population are extremely encouraging.”

“While safety and maximum tolerability were the primary endpoints of this second phase 1 trial, Bezielle demonstrated promising clinical efficacy in both phase 1 trials affording some women with long periods of stable disease without dramatically altering their day to day quality of life, which is a significant advancement,” said Alejandra Perez, director of the Breast Cancer Center at the Memorial Regional Hospital Cancer Institute, Hollywood, Florida….

A phase-2 trial of Bezielle for metastatic breast cancer under the directorship of Dr Banu Arun at the University of Texas, M D Anderson Cancer Center and Dr Alejandra Perez at the Memorial Regional Hospital will commence once funding is secured. The phase-2 study will be conducted at 16 clinical centers in the United States and will enrol 80 women with metastatic breast cancer.

Bezielle is an oral drug designed for the treatment of advanced breast cancer with a novel mechanism of action.

Bionovo is a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of safe and effective treatments for women’s health and cancer, markets with significant unmet needs and billions in potential annual revenue.

Via:pharmabiz.com

Father-of-three John Vry, 55, suffered a “horrific and sustained” attack in an alleyway in Lowestoft in December 2008, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

James Killingback, 23, of Denmark Road, Lowestoft, was sentenced on Thursday to a minimum of 19 years in prison.

Aaron Breffitt, 17, of no fixed address, must serve a minimum of 12 years.

Mr Cry was confronted when he left his family home to buy chips and died in hospital from serious head injuries, prosecutor Karim Khalil told the court.

He had been told during the summer of 2008 he had between three and six months to live because of his illness….

Mr Khalil said Mr Vry, who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy for his cancer, was in no condition to defend himself.

Killingback and Breffitt both denied murdering Mr Vry but were found guilty in October after a trial.

A Section 39 Order banning the naming of Breffitt was lifted by the court upon his conviction.

Via:bbc.com

Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) January 15, 2010 –The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation made a $50,000 donation to University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center. This contribution, as well as all future proceeds, will be used solely to fund clinical research and treatment options for metastatic breast cancer by University Hospitals (UH) Ireland Cancer Center physicians, researchers and care providers.

In addition, future Cleveland fundraising activities for the Mountains of Hope Foundation will be in partnership with the UH Ireland Cancer Center’s “Miracle Fund,” which shares the mission of focusing on new clinical trials and therapies aimed at treating advanced breast cancer and extending lives.

“We’re pleased to join forces with University Hospitals and the Miracle Fund in the fight against advanced breast cancer and look forward to a long relationship,” said Allen J. Gula, chairman of the Mountains of Hope Foundation. “With a team of the nation’s leading oncologists and breast cancer specialists, we’re confident that significant inroads in understanding the causes and treatment of metastatic breast cancer will continue to evolve.”

“The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation‘s ongoing commitment to University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center and the Miracle Fund, enables us to continue advancing our nationally recognized program for research in metastatic breast cancer as well as patient care and education.” said Stanton L. Gerson, MD, Director of University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center….

In addition to University Hospitals, 100 percent of all funds donated to the Mountains of Hope Foundation have been directly invested in renowned research facilities focused on metastatic breast cancer, including Sloan Kettering in New York, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, and UCSF in San Francisco.

The Foundation – named in honor of Garfield Heights native Marilyn Barry Gula – was established in 2003 and is committed to donating every dollar raised directly to supporting highly-regarded researchers across the nation who study advanced stages of breast cancer, with the hope of making inroads to improve the detection, treatment and management of this deadly disease.

About The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation
The Mountains of Hope Foundation (501-c3) was established in 2003 by Marilyn Barry Gula, a native of Northeast Ohio, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. Although controlled by powerful drugs, the cancer continued to recur until the drugs were ineffective and she lost her battle with this insidious disease on July 26, 2006. As a result, the Mountains of Hope Foundation was renamed “The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation” to honor her memory and continue the work she began. Based in Phoenix, every dollar donated is applied directly to funding highly-regarded researchers across the nation who study advanced stages of breast cancer, with the hope of making inroads to improve the detection, treatment and management of this deadly disease. For more information, visit www.mountainsofhopefoundation.org

About University Hospitals
University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the world, including cancer, pediatrics, women’s health, orthopedics and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, ranked second in the nation for the care of critically ill newborns; UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital, Ohio’s only hospital for women; and UH Ireland Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org

via:/news.yahoo.com

Data presented at the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer have immediate clinical implications. The EGFR-mutation signature will be evaluated as a predictor of response in the BATTLE (Biomarker-integrated Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination) I trial, which will be presented later this year…..

For the current study, the researchers conducted messenger RNA expression profiling on 195 human lung adenocarcinoma samples. They found a 93-gene signature that identified the presence of EGFR mutation and was validated in multiple cohorts of lung cancer patients. Furthermore, the presence of this gene signature was significantly correlated with drug sensitivity to erlotinib and gefitinib in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Saintigny said the EGFR-mutation signature may help guide medical treatment decisions, may provide prognosis information beyond EGFR-mutation status and may give some biological insights in EGFR-mutant tumors.

via:sciencedaily.com