Radiation oncologists at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® are adopting single-dose intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for use in patients with early-stage breast cancer. IORT is performed in the surgical suite immediately after tumor removal. Once the surrounding healthy organs and tissues are shielded, IORT uses a mobile linear accelerator to deliver a full dose of radiation directly to the tumor site.

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The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a study that examined mice that were given the breast cancer drugs fulvestrant and raloxifene, both of which work by preventing estrogen from functioning in cells, HealthDay News reports. The mice where genetically engineered to carry HPV, an STD strongly linked with cervical cancer. The drugs cleared precancerous growths in the cervix and prevented cancer in mice with precancerous lesions, according to the research.

Researchers at Drexel University are developing a new portable, low-cost, radiation-free breast cancer detector that can be used in a doctor’s office as a first-line to detect breast cancer in younger women and in women over 40 with mammographically dense-tissue breasts. The detector is based on piezoelectric fingers (an elastic and shear modulus sensor) developed at Drexel. In evaluations on tumor specimens, it has positively identified a 3mm tumor previously missed by mammography, ultrasound and the physician’s palpation.

A new study that compared the newer drug, letrozole, to the widely used tamoxifen found that the former was more effective. The study confirmed that survival rates for postmenopausal women, who are suffering from breast cancer and have undergone surgery, taking letrozole (Femara) are higher than that taking tamoxifen. Both letrozole and tamoxifen have been used to prevent recurrence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive cancer.

The FDA has approved Genentech’s cancer treatment Avastin (bevacizumab) for kidney cancer. Avastin blocks new blood vessels from forming and supplying tumors with the nutrients they need to grow and spread to other parts of the body. This drug is already being used for the treatment of colorectal cancer, breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer and is being tested for the treatment of more than 30 tumor types.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given clearance to Ikonisys’ oncoFISH HER2 test, a fully computerized microscopy application to determine HER2 status in human specimens of breast cancer developed with Abbott’s PathVysion® HER2 DNA Probe Kit. The company’s proprietary CellOptics® platform which features the Ikoniscope® drives the test by providing an earlier and precise indication for amplification of gene. This diagnosis reveals whether a patient is a candidate for Herceptin (trastuzumab) treatment. Higher quantity of HER2 protein can lead to rapid growth of tumor, resistance to some types of treatment, prolonged illness and reduced survival period.

The joint venture of Biocon in Abu Dhabi, NeoBiocon has launched Abraxane, the drug for breast cancer, based on nanotechnology, in the UAE. Developed by Abraxis BioScience, Inc., Abraxane will be marketed in South Asia and West Asia by Biocon,  as per the agreement they signed in 2007. The drug will be effective for patients who did not benefit from combination therapy. A chemotherapy agent, the drug combines paclitaxel with a naturally occurring human protein, albumin. The drug can be delivered without the use of solvents, allowing for a higher dosage. Also, the time to administer is 6 times lesser.

A research conducted at Wayne State University has found a breast cancer vaccine that completely eliminates cancers that are resistant to current anti-HER2 therapy – without any toxicity in mice. The study suggests the vaccine could treat women with HER2-positive breast cancer. The vaccine has the potential to eliminate the need to depend on use of current therapies. It consists of naked DNA – genes that produce the HER2 receptor along with an immune stimulant.

Pro-Pharmaceuticals Inc., on the 30th of August, 2008, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for use of DAVANAT® in combination with 5-FU to treat a patient of breast cancer at the Brown Cancer Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Also, DAVANAT is being administered in Phase II clinical trials for first-line treatment of colorectal and biliary cancer patients. Studies showed that DAVANAT®, when given along with chemotherapy, reduced tumor growth and toxicity considerably in mice implanted with metastatic human breast cancer. It also lowered the levels of side effects.

Xoft Inc. has received clearance from the FDA for applicators to be used with the Axxent electronic brachytherapy system for the treatment of endometrial cancer. Previously cleared for accelerated treatment of early stage breast cancer, the system also recently received expanded approval for use in the treatment of other cancers or conditions where radiation therapy is indicated. The system that delivers electronic, X-ray-based radiation treatment may reduce external radiation therapy from seven weeks to five days.