University of Michigan Cancer Center receives Millions for Cancer Research

The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a five-year $10.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study colorectal and pancreatic cancer.

The Specialized Program in Research Excellence or SPORE, grant in gastrointestinal cancers brings together basic and clinical researchers to test new approaches for cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

"This grant represents a major effort to bridge the basic science to the clinic. You have to have very good science, but it also has to translate: How are we going to use this information to help patients? The depth of expertise at the University of Michigan allows us to pursue this work," says Dean Brenner, MD principal investigator of the new grant and a professor of internal medicine and pharmacology at the U-M Medical School and the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System.

Researchers from nine different departments from the U-M Medical School and School of Public Health will collaborate on the grant.

The Gastrointestinal SPORE grant is centered on four major projects, all of which will be tested in both laboratory research and clinical trials:

1. Preventing colorectal cancer. Researchers will study whether substituting omega-3 fatty acids for omega-6 fatty acids could help prevent colorectal cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish and are believed to improve heart health.

2. Early detection of pancreatic cancer. Researchers will look for markers found in blood and plasma that are associated with pancreatic cancer. By using proteomics technology, researchers will analyze the changes in proteins in people with pancreatic cancer, non-cancerous pancreatic conditions and healthy pancreases. They hope to identify a marker or panel of markers that could be used to detect pancreatic cancer before it spreads to the rest of the body.

3. Improving pancreatic cancer treatment. Researchers will look at whether blocking a certain protein could make pancreas tumors more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. By doing this, researchers hope to improve the effectiveness of current treatments.

4. Developing new pancreatic cancer treatments. Most pancreatic cancers express a gene called ATDC. Researchers will look at new therapies designed to target ATDC as a way of treating pancreatic cancer.

The grant also allows for training of young cancer researchers to encourage the next generation of scientists.

Colorectal cancer statistics: 142,570 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year and 51,370 will die from the disease.

Pancreatic cancer statistics: 43,140 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and 36,800 will die from the disease. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancer types, with more than 70% of patients dying within six months of diagnosis.

Greenville, SC: Institute for Translational Oncology Research

By Andrea: http://nursingoncologyjob.com

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center is paving the way for a new wave of Oncology Research through the opening of its new Institute for Translational Oncology Research. The new center will work on the development of new drugs, diagnostic discovery, and advanced cancer care:

ITOR is part of the GHS Cancer Center, a recognized regional multi-disciplinary center. ITOR partners will include leading pharmaceutical companies, research universities, private industry and the government. GHS made the announcement today (Oct. 12).

The new institute, known as ITOR, builds on the success of GHS' Clinical Research Unit and its rapidly-developing biorepository tissue-banking service, which helped make GHS one of the country's prominent players in the development of promising new oncology drugs. Numerous first-in-human studies have been conducted through the CRU, which began in 2004 as part of GHS' long-standing relationship with Cancer Centers of the Carolinas.

The evolving institute is steadily moving into the arena of personalized gene-based cancer therapies, which match the treatment to tumor-specific genetic abnormalities and patient-specific predictors of toxicity. Such translational research helps bring discovery directly from the lab to practical applications in patients. Part of ITOR's strength is its focus on using innovative public and private sector partnerships and initiatives to advance leading-edge cancer care.

"Through ITOR, we will be able to make new therapies accessible to patients far more quickly than traditional models have allowed," said Joe Stephenson, M.D., who serves as the institute's medical director.

To accomplish the goal of speeding-up the delivery of patient-specific therapies, ITOR strives to identify new ways to achieve earlier prediction of drug success, find new applications and patients for existing drugs and integrate advanced molecular and gene-based technologies into diagnostic and treatment protocols.

In practical terms, that means ITOR is focused on developing a more personalized approach to cancer therapy – targeting the right drug to the right patient – by integrating leading-edge technologies such as molecular profiling into an enhanced drug validation process.

Pharmaceutical and industry partners include long-time collaborator U.S. Oncology, Caris Life Sciences and Lab21, as well as Amgen, AstraZeneca, Japanese-based Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Oncolix and Novartis, which recently selected ITOR as one of its newest designated phase 1 clinical trial sites. Early academic partners also include the Cancer Research Center of the University of South Carolina.

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) - Portal for Cancer Research

By Andrea: http://www.oncologynursingjob.com

A unique portal, offering oncologists access to the latest information in the field of cancer research, will be launched in 2011 by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in association with Thomson Reuters. The announcement was made today at the 35th ESMO Congress taking place from 8 to 12 October, in Milan, Italy.

Prof David J Kerr, President of ESMO, presented the Society's latest project at the Opening Press Conference. "ESMO is the leading European professional organization for oncologists," declared Professor Kerr. "We strive to serve our members and this year we are particularly excited about the launch of OncologyPRO. OncologyPRO stands for Oncology Professional Resources Online and is a unique scientific portal for ESMO members, providing instant access to the highest quality scientific knowledge in one easy-to-access portal. ESMO is proud to announce an exclusive partnership with Thomson Reuters, the world's largest information provider, to create the site, which gives cancer specialists access to the most complete resources in oncology today."

"First-class online resources for members are essential for knowledge-based societies and we are delighted to provide ESMO members with such a resource in OncologyPRO, our new state-of-the-art web site," said Mr. Alan Howard, ESMO CEO. "ESMO has listened to its members and carefully evaluated their needs, both in the clinical and research settings. OncologyPRO provides a variety of services, far beyond the level of service an individual society could provide, thanks to our partnership with the Thomson Reuters organization. We are confident this service will be highly appreciated by our members."

"OncologyPRO is an innovative collaboration between ESMO and Thomson Reuters that gives practicing clinicians an information portal tailored to meet their specific needs," added Jon Brett-Harris, Executive Vice President at Thomson Reuters. "We're delighted that our most up-to-date and clinically relevant content will be offered in a way that enables ESMO members to work more efficiently and ultimately to the benefit of patient outcomes."