January | February | March | April | May | June | July
| August | September | October | November | December

December

Week Ending December 26, 2010

For Vanderbilt janitor with lung cancer, gift comes in hope of cure
“The Christmas gift came without a bow. Joseph Neequaye was a thousand miles from home on a solitary journey when he got it.”

Brunswick hospital boasts cutting-edge treatment for cancer
The precise treatment will begin targeting tumors in January.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. – “Doctors at Southeast Georgia Health System's Brunswick hospital will wield cutting-edge technology beginning next month to treat cancer patients without subjecting them to the pain and stress of surgery.”

Cancer patients get free massages at Holy Name Hospital.
“Just two decades ago, prevailing wisdom held that touching oncology patients was a no-no, for fear of hurting them.”

Veteran gives home to fellow vet for Christmas
ROSEWOOD HEIGHTS, Ill. — “A Vietnam veteran is spending Christmas in the first home he ever has owned, thanks to the generosity of a fellow soldier from that war.”

LC-MS links amino acids with lung cancer
Amino acids may predict lung cancer risk, LC-MS research suggests
“A screening trial for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to investigate the potential for predicting cancer risk through amino acids.”

Lung Cancer Alliance Calls 2010 'A Watershed Year' For Lung Cancer
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- “Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) called 2010 "a watershed year" for lung cancer that included increased research funding, additional Congressional support, a new national coalition of key policy organizations, and the validation of CT screening - a convergence of forces that can reverse the historic underfunding and neglect of lung cancer.”

Week Ending December 19, 2010

Scientists find gene clue in smokers’ lung cancer
“In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a German-led team of researchers said a gene known as FGFR1 was “a new suspect” in squamous cell lung cancer and their findings may lead to targeted drugs for patients whose current treatment options are limited.”

Knoxville Jury Holds CSX Liable for Lung Cancer Death, $8.6 Million Verdict
“Our client, Winston Payne, was a railroad switchman for CSX. He lost his life to lung cancer after being exposed to radiation, asbestos, and diesel fumes during his 40-year career with the railroad. Mr. Payne's lead attorney, Richard N. Shapiro, of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm (Va. Beach, VA) and TN attorney Sidney Gilreath, argued that Mr. Payne’s cancer was caused by four decades of on the job exposure to these workplace toxic carcinogenic chemicals and fumes.”

Lung cancer screen: a license to smoke?
(Reuters Health) – “Dutch researchers have found that men who screen negative for lung cancer are a bit less likely to try to quit smoking than men whose scan is inconclusive and requires follow up.”

New Combined Cancer Treatment Shows Promise
“A new cancer therapy combining the entinostat and erlotinib treatments has been found to produce greater survival rates in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Cuban Vaccine for Advanced Lung Cancer Extended to Primary Health Care
“The first Cuban therapeutic vaccine to treat advanced lung cancer, the only one registered in the world for this type of malignant tumor, has been extended to primary health care throughout the country.”

Veterans Higher Risk For Lung Cancer- Steps To Take
“Veterans both Agent Orange and Gulf War Veterans need to pay attention! One of our own a LtCol steps forward to do his part to speak up and to be heard. Information and Communication is critical. “

Manitowoc woman first to undergo lung cancer procedure in Northeastern Wis.
“Doctors planted seeds of hope in lung cancer patient Carol Wheelock of Manitowoc. Radioactive seeds, that is.”

Week Ending December 12, 2010

Radiotherapy Possible Option in Early-Stage Lung CA
“Stereotactic radiotherapy appears to be a reasonable alternative to surgery for older patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), an observational Dutch study showed.”

What You Can't See
“Pollution sickens, and pollution kills.
Scientific studies have proven it beyond a doubt. Research now is focusing on the widening variety of health problems it can cause or worsen, while tabulating a more precise death toll.”

At 86, Finding a Way to Pass the Time That’s Left
“Mary Ruberto spends most of her time alone in her apartment, though not by choice. She is an avid reader, and her only companions are the characters she follows in her books and her pet Chihuahua, Chiquita Juanita.”

VA Study of NSCLC Finds Better Survival for Black Patients
“When barriers to care are removed, previously observed racial disparities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) outcomes are not seen, researchers found.”

Personalized molecular therapy 'effective for advanced lung cancer'
“A new study has pointed out that a combination of epigenetic therapy and molecular targeted therapy has promising results at combating advanced lung cancer.

Week Ending December 5, 2010

Tower climb event to heighten awareness of lung cancer
“More than 500 people are expected to take steps next week to raise awareness of the dangers of lung cancer.”

Local lung cancer survivor, Victoria Kelly, a winner at art and life
“Victoria “Vicky” Kelly, of Baldwin, Michigan, describes herself as being “a mass of terror” after learning she had lung cancer. She decided to face it head on, however, and her determination, hope, positive outlook, as well as her creativity won her second place in an art competition.”

Eighteen Dead
“Eighteen people die each hour in the U.S. from lung cancer. To make that point, students with the campus group Colleges Against Cancer staged a flashmob in the Nebraska Wesleyan dining hall on Friday, Nov. 19. Shortly after the largest group had moved through the lines, members of CAC (dressed in black) strode silently in two lines to surround the main dining area. They did not greet friends, kept their faces emotionless and then evenly spaced themselves along the path.”

New protein analysis technique may help in early diagnosis of lung cancer
“SomaLogic researchers have described a new approach that may help in early detection of lung cancer.”

Sex and Race Differences Found in Small Cell Lung Cancer
VANCOUVER, B.C. – “Small cell lung cancer presentation varies by sex and race, according to a retrospective analysis of U.S. national data spanning a 32-year period.”

CytRx Initiating Phase 2b Clinical Trial with Tamibarotene in Advanced Lung Cancer
“CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that it is initiating a multicenter Phase 2b clinical trial with its oncology drug candidate tamibarotene in combination with chemotherapeutical agents for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Study uses CT scans to find lung cancer
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – “Bay Area researchers are investigating a new screening method that could help detect lung cancer much earlier. It builds on recent research suggesting CT scans can increase the odds of spotting and successfully treating the disease.”

Experimental vaccine sets sights on lung cancer
Physician-scientists at Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College offer lung cancer therapy to patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as part of an ongoing clinical research trial
“An experimental immunotherapy may someday become the newest weapon against lung cancer. Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center are enrolling patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as part of an ongoing Phase III trial.”

November

Week Ending November 28, 2010

Rates of New Lung Cancer Cases
Lung cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer in both men and women. Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and it is estimated that smoking is the principle cause of about 90% of lung cancer in men and almost 80% in women. Smoking also can contribute to cancer of the voicebox (larynx), mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia.”

The forgotten cancer victims: Lung charity hits out over survival rates no better than 1970s
“Tens of thousands of people with lung cancer are being neglected, with their chances of surviving the disease hardly better than in the Seventies, it has emerged.”

Less Invasive Method For Determining Stage Of Lung Cancer Shows Benefits
“A comparison of two strategies to determine the stage of suspected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) finds that the less invasive method is more effective at identifying a type of lung cancer that has spread, and may result in a reduction of unnecessary surgical procedures and associated adverse effects for certain patients, according to a study in the November 24 issue of JAMA”

Passive smoking kills 50,000 Americans each year
“World Health Organization researchers have recently reported that passive smoking or secondhand smoke kills about 600,000 people worldwide each year, including 379,000 deaths from heart disease, 165,000 deaths from lower respiratory infections, 36,900 deaths from asthma and 21,400 lung cancer deaths.”

Lung cancer patient looks to dispel disease's stigma
“Peter Matloff hadn't smoked in decades, but he was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago despite his efforts to be healthy and allow his lungs to recover from the damage.”

Ultrasound, Surgery Can Identify Advanced Lung Cancer Tumors
Combined Endosonography, Surgery Can Protect Patient From Unnecessary Surgery
“A study shows CT scans of the lungs of heavy smokers reduced lung cancer-related deaths by 20 percent. It's the first time lung cancer screening was shown to save lives.”

Cancer Answer: Living With Lung Cancer
“Meet George Washington....he's not trying to solve the country's problems, but he says he's pretty good at solving cross word puzzles. and now he's facing lung cancer, "since the beginning of the year I lost about 25 pounds."”

Ann Arbor police officer with lung cancer is grateful on Thanksgiving and every day
“Ann Arbor Police Officer Vada Murray is thankful today and every day. Murray, 43, has advanced-stage lung cancer.”

Few People Realize Persistent Cough Is A Key Symptom Of Lung Cancer
“A new survey timed to coincide with Lung Cancer Awareness Month found that only a small minority of people in the UK realize that a persistent cough is a key symptom of lung cancer.”

Experimental drug seen to clear lung cancer in just weeks
“It's the deadliest kind of cancer. More people die from lung cancer than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. It will kill nearly 160,000 people this year alone, but doctors are testing out a new experimental treatment that is making a dramatic difference.”

Week Ending November 21, 2010

Researcher Lauded For Leading-Edge Lung Cancer Research Efforts
Uniting Against Lung Cancer (Uniting) announces the “Caine Halter Hope Now Award for Lung Cancer Research.”
“This year’s recipient is Avrum Spira, M.D., M.Sc., Associate Professor of Medicine, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Director, Translational Bioinformatics Program, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Boston University.”

Celebrate Lung Cancer Awareness Month by demanding more funding for research
“November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and calls to end smoking are high. The FDA is on mission to make warnings on cigarette packages more graphic. A new Harvard study shows pregnant women who smoke are more likely to have children who grow up to be criminals. And this week the American Cancer Society is holding its annual Great American Smokeout.”

Minimally Invasive Surgery Is a Breath of Fresh Air for Lung Cancer Patients at Saint John's Health Center
“November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and as the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the United States, lung cancer will claim an estimated 86,220 men's and 71,080 women's lives this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Saint John's Health Center is doing its part to help fight this deadly disease by providing the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques at Saint John's new Thoracic Surgery Department.”

CMMC Joins Effort to Test CT Scans for Detecting Lung Cancer
“Earlier this month, the National Cancer Institute made waves by suggesting that annual CT scans can reduce deaths from lung cancer, one of the country's deadliest and hardest--to-detect diseases. Dr. Carmine Frumiento, a cardio-thoracic surgeon at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, calls the government-sponsored research a breakthrough. But he says questions remain.”

Lung Cancer Patients the Centerpiece for Northwestern Medicine Quality of Care Study
“Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of six national participants in a pilot study that will test whether operable lung cancer patients and their families have a smoother care experience and better outcomes by hardwiring data systems to reduce medical error and to reliably adhere to best practice standards.”

Week Ending November 14, 2010

Avila, Dana-Farber pursue similar lung cancer drugs
“An experimental lung cancer drug discovered at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston is at the center of a lawsuit involving Dana-Farber, the Swiss drug giant Novartis, and California-based Gatekeeper Pharmaceuticals. But while that complicated case unfolds, Waltham-based biotech Avila Therapeutics is working on a similar molecule to treat certain drug-resistant forms of lung cancer.”

Jamey Gelina of Air Quality Control Agency Recommends Radon Testing and Mitigation During National Lung Cancer Awareness Month: November 2010
“November 2010 is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Jamey Gelina, A radon specialist with Air Quality Control Agency of Denver Colorado, suggests that all homes should be tested for radon gas. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, so Lung Cancer Awareness Month is an ideal time to test. If radon levels are 4.0 or higher, a radon mitigation system will fix the problem.”

Anti-smoking drives need state funding
“On Nov. 5 the National Cancer Institute released results from a study that indicated annual CT scans can reduce death from lung cancer by 20 percent due to early detection.”

Local doctors cautiously optimistic about lung cancer study
“By the time many lung cancer patients know they're sick, it's already too late.”

Lung cancer may be different diseases in smokers, nonsmokers
Finding suggests the cancers arise through different molecular pathways
“Lung cancer that develops in smokers is not the same disease as lung cancer that develops in people who've never touched a cigarette, a new study finds.”

Work exposure to diesel fumes tied to lung cancer
(Reuters Health) – “Miners, railway workers and others with years of on-the-job exposure to diesel exhaust may have a heightened risk of developing lung cancer, a new research analysis suggests.”

Week Ending November 7, 2010

For doctor pushing lung screening, a vindication
“Dr. Claudia Henschke was delighted with the news -- a trial of 53,000 people had shown that screening smokers and ex-smokers for lung cancer can save lives, something she has been trying to prove for 10 years.”

Asthma Linked to Lung Cancer Risk in Study
But data insufficient to change current practice, expert says
(HealthDay News) – “University of Missouri researchers believe they have found a correlation between asthma and lung cancer in a small study.”

Lung cancer, the deadliest of all cancers, receives far less funding, empathy in Asheville area
Most fatal cancer receives less funds, empathy
ASHEVILLE — “Lung cancer doesn't have an iconic ribbon or well-known signature color. In fact, it doesn't even have its own support group in Western North Carolina.”

Waiting to Exhale: Lung Cancer at 21
“Taylor Bell wasn’t your average college student. The small town girl from Wilmington, N.C., signed with East Carolina University to play Division I soccer, and majored in political science – all while finding time to make new friends.”

Lung cancer patients 'are denied surgery by NHS'
“Tens of thousands of lung cancer patients are being denied life-saving surgery on the NHS, a shocking report reveals.”

Tumor Antibody Test Detects Early Lung Cancer
(Reuters Health)—“A blood test to measure autoantibodies to tumor-associated antigens (AABT) can help diagnose lung cancer—even in the early, asymptomatic stage—according to several presentations this week at CHEST 2010, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Vancouver.”

One in Five US Women Still Smoke—Smokers Urged to Quit
“Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the US, yet despite the well-documented negative health consequences, nearly one in five women still smoke. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages women to abstain from smoking during the Great American Smokeout on November 18, 2010, and use that day as a starting point to quit smoking for good.”

October

Week Ending October 31, 2010

Lung cancer still kills many, yet draws little research funding
“Eric Gray had just taken the helm of the local American Lung Association chapter when a woman cornered him in a board meeting.”

Lung Cancer Awareness Month
“We're kicking off the month of November with a closer look at the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. Lung cancer can affect people from all walks of life including those who have never smoked a single cigarette.”

Lung Cancer Patients Benefit More from Fast Neutron Radiotherapy than Photon Radiotherapy, Studies Show
“Recently concluded studies show that Fast Neutron Radiotherapy (FNRT) is better than and as safe as typical photon radiotherapy in treating non-small cell lung cancer.”

Lung Cancer Drug Speeds Through Clinical Trials
“A new targeted therapy that has been accelerating through its clinical trials is showing strong promise for patients with a metastatic form of lung cancer. The results of the early trial of the drug, called crizotinib, will be published tomorrow (Oct. 28) in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

New Experimental Drug Shows 'Dramatic' Results in Lung Cancer Patients
Study Finds Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy Halts Tumors With a Specific Genetic Mutation
“Evie Cogan sat in her car, waiting for the light turn to green. She grabbed the X-ray and CT documents that she had just picked up from the doctor's office moments before. Scanning the page, she saw the diagnosis: Right lung carcinoma.”

Survey: Americans in the dark about lung cancer
“Men and women worry about prostate and breast cancer, yet the number one cancer killer in the United States – lung cancer – isn’t on their radar.”

Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit Finds Fast Neutron Radiotherapy Effective, Safe for Lung Cancer Patients
“Scientists from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSU SOM) in Detroit are presenting two research studies that found the use of Fast Neutron Radiotherapy (FNRT) – a form of radiation that is about three times more powerful than typical photon radiotherapy – is highly effective and safe for patients who are dealing with non-small cell lung cancer. The findings are being formally presented Monday, Nov. 1, at the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.”

At CU Hospital, survival rates rise as caregivers sort out cancer subtypes
“Treating all cancers equally is less effective than targeting their differences, researchers are discovering."

Pfizer Hopes to Pair Cancer Drug, Gene Test
“Pfizer plans to submit its proposed new lung cancer drug to the Food and Drug Administration in the first half of next year at the same time that it submits a gene diagnostic test being developed with Abbott to identify patients most likely to benefit from the drug, company officials said Thursday.”

Management of Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Time to Move Forward
“Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a pathologically distinct malignancy of the lung, characterized by rapid growth, propensity for early metastatic spread, and responsiveness to chemotherapy and radiation. Despite its generally good initial response, the relapse and subsequent mortality rate remain very high.”

Week Ending October 24, 2010

Brookline resident announces awards gala to combat lung cancer
Brookline — “Upstage Lung Cancer, founded by Brookline resident Hildy Grossman, will honor Dr. Thomas J. Lynch at the Boston Center for the Arts Nov. 15 for a gala night of cabaret and a reception to honor the dedicated oncologist.”

Medical providers in Berks focus on quality of life for seriously ill patients
The attitude among doctors and caregivers toward those with life-threatening illnesses has changed in recent years.
“Millie Maynazarian has endured four rounds of chemotherapy and radiation in the six years she has had lung cancer.”

Cindy Lange-Kubick: Siblings to run in lung cancer 5K after sister's death
“Their sister Sandi Kay Callaway was fun and loving and one of a kind.”

New cancer care center at Baptist Medical Center-Beaches named for Ponte Vedra Beach couple
“Tylee Wilson supported Baptist Medical Center-Beaches in leadership and philanthropic roles long before he became a patient there.”

Cassandra Jardine: 'How do you tell your children you have cancer?’
Cassandra Jardine on confronting the toughest task about her lung cancer: breaking the news of her illness to her family.
“Telling my children that I have cancer was one of the hardest things I have ever done. A parent’s first instinct is to protect. We want our children to be happy, so it is horrible to imagine delivering a blow that is bound to send them reeling, without being able to, in any obvious way, “kiss it better”.“

Lung Cancer Screening and Management Techniques
“A multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer diagnosis and disease management is increasing the speed and effectiveness of treatment. Two physicians share their work to improve outcomes for people with lung cancer.”

Life Becomes Art: Cancer Survivor Awarded Top Prize in 2010 Oncology On Canvas(SM) Art Competition
“Following her lung cancer diagnosis, a woman who had spent nearly 30 years in nursing felt as if her life had been "cut up, rearranged and become a different picture." An amateur artist, Annette Zalewski, of Peoria, Ariz., sought to express her cancer journey on canvas by using a cut-up painting technique for the first time. Her mixed media entry, "Wild Water," took first prize among the more than 600 submissions to the fourth biennial Oncology On Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey Art Competition and Exhibition.”

Noninvasive lung cancer treatment extends patient life
“In 2005, a patient came to my office with a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer – the most serious classification of cancer. With large tumors in both lungs, she was given two to six months to live. Although other doctors told her that the cancer was inoperable, my patient wasn’t ready to give up. She came to see me, even though she knew conventional wisdom said her cancer was incurable.”

Overall Survival Advantage Eludes Afatinib in NSCLC
MILAN – “The investigational oral agent afatinib tripled median progression-free survival, but failed to extend overall survival in the third- and fourth-line setting of non–small cell lung cancer in the LUX-Lung 1 trial.”

Trek and Treat tops $40K for lung cancer research
“An estimated 2,000 residents turned out for the second annual Hank Thompson Trek and Treat held Oct. 16 at the Streets of Indian Lake.”

Week Ending October 17, 2010

A Grand event: Diagnosis puts her on mission to fund lung cancer research
“Two years ago, Mary Jo Grand was hit hard with the diagnosis of stage four lung cancer. She suddenly went from working on fund-raising for the University of Michigan Cancer Center to being a patient there.”

Lung cancer therapy offers new hope
“When you meet Michael Weitz, you immediately notice his friendly demeanor, warm smile and penchant for hugs. Next you learn about his loving wife, Janice, and his three teenage sons, Steven, Robbie and David. And, most likely, you find out that he’s an emergency medical physician and the associate medical director at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.”

Radon Gas No. 1 Cause Of Lung Cancer In Non-Smokers, Many Unaware
“For non-smokers in Fort Wayne, avoiding second-hand smoke inhalation has been an achievable goal since the implementation of the city's tough anti-smoking ordinance. But this is not the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and many go unaware.”

Saved by her saintly friend
“Kathleen Evans, the Hunter Valley grandmother whose cure from inoperable brain and lung cancer became Mary MacKillop's second accredited miracle, yesterday joined the Sisters of Joseph in St Peter's Basilica to rehearse for tonight's canonisation ceremony for her benefactor and saint-to-be.”

Boehringer Ingelheim drug shows efficacy in lung cancer trials
“Boehringer Ingelheim has demonstrated the effectiveness of its compound afatinib among lung cancer patients with data from two new clinical studies.”

IsoRay's Revolutionary Internal Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancers is Focus of National Study
FDA-Cleared Cesium-131 Therapy is Creating New Paradigm for Cancer Treatment
“IsoRay, Inc. announced today the initiation of a multi-institutional study of Cesium-131 brachytherapy seeds (internal radiation therapy) for use in Non Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC).”

Week Ending October 10, 2010

New Pfizer drug may add to mix in lung cancer war
(Reuters) – “A drug being developed by Pfizer (PFE.N) known as PF-299 has shown an ability to prevent lung cancer getting worse when given as a first-line treatment to patients with advanced disease in a small study.”

B vitamins cut risk of lung cancer by 50 percent
(NaturalNews) “A higher daily intake of B vitamins may decrease lung cancer risk, according to a study conducted by researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.”

Erlotinib Trumps Chemo in Advanced NSCLC With EGFR Mutations
MILAN – “First-line erlotinib nearly tripled progression-free survival when compared with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced lung cancer carrying mutations activating the epidermal growth factor receptor.”

ESMO: Hit and Miss for Drugs Aimed at New Lung Cancer Target
MILAN – “Two investigational drugs for metastatic lung cancer that attack the molecular target "Met" showed modest benefits in subsets of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer but failed in other patients, researchers reported here.”

Cheek Swab May Detect Lung Cancer
In clinical trial, technique appears to detect lung cancer far afield from a tumor
“Early detection is critical for improving cancer survival rates. Yet, one of the deadliest cancers in the United States, lung cancer, is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages.”

Congressman Ben Chandler (D-KY, 6th) Joins as Co-Sponsor of Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- “Today, Lung Cancer Alliance Kentucky/So. Indiana (LCA-KY/So.IN) Chapter hailed the support of Congressman Ben Chandler (D-KY, 6th) who has joined in support of first ever legislation to fund a multi-agency, comprehensive program targeted at lung cancer. Entitled Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act, H.R. 2112 authorizes a five year program to reduce the mortality rate of lung cancer which continues to be the number one cancer killer.”

Many New Lung Cancer Drugs Expected This Decade
(RTTNews) – “A new study from pharmaceutical research firm Decision Resources suggests that in the next 10 years the market for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drugs will increase from $4 billion to around $6.9 billion.”

NIH awards New Innovator grant for lung function CT program
“The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has presented a New Innovator Award of $1.5 million to Thomas Guerrero, MD, PhD, of the department of radiation oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, for his development of a computer algorithm that uses CT to characterize lung function.”

Women and Lung Cancer: A 21st Century Epidemic
“Medical researchers are faced with solving a difficult puzzle. Why is the prevalence of lung cancer in men decreasing at the same time it is increasing in women?”

Week Ending October 3, 2010

Race Doesn't Seem to Predict Lung Cancer Survival in Blacks
HealthDay News) – “Race does not appear to play a role in how long a black patient or a white patient with lung cancer will ultimately survive the disease, researchers report.”

Blacks Likely to Benefit From Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy
Those with non-small cell cancers found to have mutation that responds to drug treatment
(HealthDay News) – “Despite previous findings to the contrary, new research indicates that black patients with non-small cell lung are as likely to harbor a specific mutation in tumors as white patients.”

Fewer smoking = fewer with lung cancer
“California's tobacco control program has resulted in lung cancer rates about 25 percent lower than those in other states, researchers say.”

New lung cancer research finds half of advanced lung cancer patients receive chemotherapy
Contemporary, diverse population reports rate of chemotherapy administration more than twice that reported by SEER
“For the first time to date, research published in the October edition of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO) sought to determine the use of chemotherapy in a contemporary, diverse non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) population encompassing all patient ages. Prior population-based studies have shown that only 20 to 30 percent of advanced lung cancer patients receive chemotherapy treatment.”

Pomegranates Show Promise in Halting Lung Cancer
“Move over red wine and green tea, there is a new cancer-busting sheriff in town.”

September

Week Ending September 26, 2010

NCCN Announces New Treatment Guidelines for Patients
“Patients with cancer and their caregivers have a new resource to help them navigate the maze of treatment options that they often confront. Today at the NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C., the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) launched its new series of NCCN Guidelines for Patients™, consumer-friendly translations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) outlining appropriate cancer treatment.”

An Early Warning System for Lung Cancer?
Oncimmune believes it has one in EarlyCDT-Lung, a blood test it says can be an important complement to CT scanning.
“Even with the most advanced detection and treatment modalities at their disposal-CT screening and radiation therapy among them-physicians ultimately still lose the vast majority of their battles to this formidable foe.”

Caliper's New Quantum FX microCT for Preclinical Lung Cancer Imaging Studies Selected by NCI
“Caliper Life Sciences, Inc., a leading provider of tools and services for drug discovery and life sciences research, today announced that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has purchased Caliper's Quantum FX, a stand-alone microCT system for pre-clinical imaging, to study spontaneous tumor models in lung cancer.”

Diesel Dangers: Mining Companies Get First Look at Government Cancer Study
“A long-delayed government epidemiological study of possible ties between diesel exhaust and lung cancer in miners may finally be published this fall -- but only after a mining industry group, represented by the Washington lobbying powerhouse Patton Boggs, finishes a pre-publication review of the study's drafts.”

Dr. Raja Flores, Renowned Surgeon and Lung/Esophageal Cancer Specialist, Joins Mount Sinai as Chief
“One of the world's most prominent surgeons in the treatment of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and esophageal cancer, Raja M. Flores, M.D., has joined The Mount Sinai Medical Center as Chief of Thoracic Surgery, and as Director of the Thoracic Surgical Oncology Program at Mount Sinai's Tisch Cancer Institute.”

Grants aid in fight against lung cancer
“— Men who smoke are 23 times more likely to get lung cancer, while women are 13 times more likely. In men, 90 percent of lung cancer is caused by smoking, 80 percent in women.”

Lung cancer drug trial offered in Round Rock
“Patients with a certain type of lung cancer — non-small cell — could be eligible to take part in a drug trial at Scott & White Healthcare - Round Rock.”

Lung Cancer: The Deadliest Disease Kills 160 000 People in the US Each Year
“Lung cancer kills more people than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined, reports the Centers for Disease Control, making it the deadliest cancer of them all. Nearly 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year. Of those, 160,000 die.”

Week Ending September 19, 2010

Dose of denial good for some lung cancer patients
(Reuters Health) – “A little denial can go a long way in helping lung cancer patients deal socially and emotionally with the life-changing diagnosis, suggests a new study.”

For some lung cancer patients, a 'miracle' drug
“Terry Lentsch decided he’d had enough of chemotherapy. Three rounds of the stuff in 18 months wore him out, and his stage IV lung cancer was no better. In fact, it seemed to have spread to his left lung, his spine and lymph nodes.”

Lacing Up Against Lung Cancer
Binghamton, NY – “Lung cancer is the second most common cancer. It's also the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States.”

Hundreds stride for late Saratoga city councilman and cancer research
“Saratoga City Councilwoman Susie Nagpal wasn't a runner. But more than 300 of her friends and relatives showed up under pleasant skies Sunday for "Stride for Susie," a walk and run in her memory that raised money for lung cancer research.”

Anti-smoking crusade finally pays dividends
'Biggest Quitter' found peace helping others before he died
“When doctors told Randy Zisook in April 2009 that he had lung cancer that would take his life inside two years, he made a video and had it posted on YouTube.”

Cancer can't stop vet's commitment to Norwich VFW post
Norwich, Conn. — “Camaraderie is a spirit of fellowship or brotherhood — it’s what makes John Foley run the benefit for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 594 in Norwich, despite undergoing treatment for advanced lung cancer.”

Scott & White Healthcare to participate in international trial investigating lung cancer treatment
“Scott & White Healthcare in Round Rock, Texas is recruiting patients for a Phase III lung cancer trial aimed at preventing the disease's recurrence in previously treated patients. The trial will evaluate the potential of an immunotherapy called Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic (ASCI) for the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).”

Walk raises money in the fight against lung cancer
“LUNGevity’s vision is a world where no one dies from lung cancer. Bringing together world-class scientific minds created LUNGevity in an attempt to find a cure for lung cancer.”

Bishop Steinbock talks about being diagnosed with cancer
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) – “Bishop John Steinbock announced last month he had been diagnosed with cancer ... we have since learned it's stage three lung cancer. Action News anchor Liz Harrison was able to sit down with the bishop Wednesday for an exclusive interview ... his first since his diagnosis. The 73-year-old bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fresno was his usual upbeat self during the interview, but was also realistic about what his future may hold.”

Love and Tennis: One man's tribute to his late wife
“It's been an emotional week in an emotional year for Ken Wheatley, but it's ending on an upswing.”

Study finds a new way to prevent lung cancer
Health benefits for smokers were found in fruits and vegetables.
“It’s no secret that regular tobacco smokers put themselves at risk of developing lung cancer, but there is new evidence to suggest that this chance can be reduced by regularly consuming a mix of fruits and vegetables.”

Week Ending September 12, 2010

Times-Union reporter battles cancer
“I sure hope my doctors don't run out of drugs to try to kill those cancer cells that keep cropping up in various parts of my anatomy.”

Community gathers at 'Walk the Walk' event at Genesys Regional Medical Center to fight lung cancer
GRAND BLANC, Michigan —“Seven years ago, Debi Walsh would not have believed she would be spending this weekend in Grand Blanc.”

Bridgeport Hospital to offer Cancer College on Sept. 25; Free to the public
CT-“Bridgeport Hospital’s Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute will sponsor its third annual One-Day Cancer College on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull.”

Stars Stand Up 2 Cancer
CULVER CITY, Calif. — “Recession be damned. That was the attitude at Friday's Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon inside Stage 30 at Sony Pictures Studio. A multitude of stars from entertainment, sports, music and journalism came together to raise money and awareness at the one-hour fundraiser simulcast live and commercial-free on the four major networks as well as several cable stations.”

Survivor Supporting Others In Cancer
“Perhaps no one is more entrenched on the front lines of the fight against cancer than Gail Lemaire of Irving. While most people may only deal with cancer once in their lifetime, Gail has had a nearly 30-year battle through a gut-wrenching FIVE separate diagnoses.”

Dhruva joins Georgia Cancer Specialists
“Georgia Cancer Specialists, a private cancer practice with offices in metro Atlanta, North and Central Georgia, Southeast Tennessee and Southwest North Carolina, recently added Dr. Nirav Dhruva to the medical staff at the Athens office.”

Reprogramming Cancer Cells
Money Raised Through "Stand Up to Cancer" Leads to Promising Clinical Trials
“On Friday night, CBS and the other major networks were joining forces once again to bring you Stand Up To Cancer -- a program designed to raise awareness of the disease and raise money to fight it.”

Cancer Genomics: Targeting Treatment to the Patient
“Jeff Wigbels didn't smoke. He had no family history of cancer, and he was a triathlete and marathon runner. By many measures, he was a picture of health.”

Cancer trials planned
MUSC lung researcher to personalize treatment
CHARLESTON – “The outlook for advanced-stage lung cancer patients in South Carolina could become a bit brighter in the next few years. Dr. George R. Simon, a nationally known lung cancer researcher who joined the Medical University of South Carolina last month, said he plans to add at least six new clinical trials for stage-four lung cancer patients by the end of 2011.”

New Treatment Options For Advanced Lung Cancer
SOUTHWEST RANCHES (CBS4) ―”Yoram Aisenberg was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in April, but thanks to new targeted therapies, is now cancer free.”

Take a Breath For Life Foundation raising awareness for lung cancer
“When Michelle McMahon was a teenager in 1977, her 52-year-old mother died of lung cancer. Last year, McMahon, who lives in Colden and who has never smoked a cigarette in her life, was diagnosed with the same disease. “I was surprised with the diagnosis, but quickly learned that many other non-smokers are afflicted with this disease,” she says.”

Lung Cancer Survivor Uses Good Health To Educate Others
Greensboro – “Dusty Donaldson did something few people have ever done. She survived lung cancer. With a 15% survival rate, lung cancer kills more people than breast, colon, prostate, liver and kidney cancers combined. Now, she has decided that her mission in life is to save others from the deadly disease.”

Soprano has cancer, yet active in key of life
“"Now I can stand on my own. I'm actually doing great," Zheng Cao is saying, seated comfortably in her high-rise apartment looking out over the water and the soaring Bay Bridge.”

Week Ending September 5, 2010

The Banshee hosts Camera for a Cure
“Timmy Walsh and his Camera For A Cure held a showing and sale of his work during the First Friday Scranton celebration Sept. 3, 2010 at The Banshee on Penn Ave., Scranton. While talking with those in attendance, he explained why he decided to start Camera For A Cure and how it is important to not only raise funds, but to also raise awareness of lung cancer.”

Dream Foundation Sending Milford Man With Lung Cancer To Tennessee
MILFORD – “In December, Rick Adams was diagnosed with Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma of the lungs.”

Relationship between tumor size and disease stage in non-small cell lung cancer
“Whether tumor size and stage distribution are correlated remains controversial. The objective is to assess the relationship between tumor size and disease stage distribution in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

New Approach To Treating Lung Cancer Patients
“A study just released in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows it is possible to screen lung cancer patients for a sensitivity to certain chemotherapy drugs and then individualize their drug therapies for better outcomes.”

Aging vets' costs concern Obama's deficit co-chair
RALEIGH, N.C. — “The system that automatically awards disability benefits to some veterans because of concerns about Agent Orange seems contrary to efforts to control federal spending, the Republican co-chairman of President Barack Obama's deficit commission said Tuesday.”

Cornell Study: Any Amount of Cigarette Smoking Can Lead To Cancer-Causing Gene Changes
“Even that one drunk cigarette outside the bar on Friday night could lead to lung cancer and other pulmonary disorders, according to a new Cornell study.”

Winship to Research Lung Cancer Mutations
“Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, Georgia’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center, is partnering with 14 cancer centers around the nation to research and catalogue genetic mutations in lung cancer, as part of the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC).”

August

Week Ending August 29, 2010

Palliative Care Could Prove Beneficial To Cancer Patients
(RTTNews) - “A new report published in the current edition of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that lung cancer patients who receive palliative care enjoy a higher quality of life and often live longer than those who don't.”

Study is helpful
“We were interested to read the Aug. 19 article titled, "Aggressive cancer care not always best." This article nicely summarized a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine (Aug. 19) demonstrating that early palliative care improves quality of life and may well prolong survival in patients with a certain type of lung cancer.”

Lung cancer myths go up in smoke
“Canberrans of all ages came together yesterday in a bid to raise awareness and stop discrimination against people diagnosed with lung cancer.”

Diabetes drug cuts risk of lung cancer: Metformin blocks cigarette tumours
“Smokers could be protected from lung cancer by taking a drug used by diabetics.”

Lung cancer support group launched
“A support group for people living with lung cancer will be launched next month at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital.”

American Lung Association Joins Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Call To Action Campaign
“The American Lung Association is encouraging patients with lung cancer to take charge of their diagnosis and learn about clinical trials through the Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Call to Action campaign.”

Linda's Legacy tennis tournament will include area pros in action, a kids clinic, and national champ Tracy Austin
“After the MPS Group Championships left Ponte Vedra Beach this year, a popular tournament for a cause hopes to tap into the tennis void left at the Beaches.”

Kathryn Joosten of 'Desperate Housewives' shines her Emmy-nominee spotlight on lung cancer research
“Ask Kathryn Joosten about lung cancer. Go ahead. After all, the Emmy-nominated "Desperate Housewives" actress has survived it -- twice.”

Cancer-Zapping Precision Radiation Beams Could Soon Target Other Diseases
“Targeted beams of high-intensity radiation can shrink early-stage tumors with limited collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissue.”

Medicare Expands Coverage To Help Seniors Quit Smoking
“Medicare coverage for seniors trying to quit smoking has been expanded to include those who have not already been diagnosed with a tobacco-related disease, the Obama administration announced Wednesday.”

Recurrent Pneumonia in People With HIV Might Increase Lung Cancer Risk
“Recurrent bacterial pneumonia infections in people living with HIV increase the odds of developing lung cancer, according to a study published online August 23 in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.”

Southcoast announces Thoracic Cancer Clinic
Fall River — “Southcoast Hospitals Group announces the region’s first clinic dedicated to treating patients with lung cancer. The Thoracic (Lung) Cancer Clinic at the Southcoast Center for Cancer Care in Fall River pulls together the expertise needed to diagnose, treat and coordinate care for patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer and need a multidisciplinary team approach.”

Pfizer's Sutent Fails to Improve Survival in Lung Cancer Patients
“Drugmaker Pfizer said its lung cancer treatment drug Sutent failed to provide statistically-significant late-stage cancer survival in patients, however the drug did help in progression-free survival rates.”

Lung Cancer Vaccine Tested In Memphis
“Doctors are working on a way to prevent cancer from coming back, in patients battling lung cancer. A clinical trial is already underway in the Bluff City.”

Clinical trial for lung cancer patients offered at CRMC
COOKEVILLE – “Physicians at the Cancer Center at Cookeville Regional are currently screening patients for a new clinical trial for lung cancer patients.”

Week Ending August 22, 2010

Cancer strategy: Easing the burden
Study shows patients who start palliative care early live longer
“By the time doctors diagnosed Jim Windhorst with lung cancer, the disease was already on the march, gnawing through vertebrae and ribs.”

Study Reveals Canadians Living With Lung Cancer Are Too Often Stigmatized
1 in 5 Canadians are less sympathetic because of smoking link
“Canadian lung cancer patients are likely to suffer significant stigma due to the disease's link to smoking, a connection that may impact the care and treatment patients receive. According to a 16-country survey carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition, one in five Canadians admit feeling less sympathetic towards lung cancer sufferers because of its known association with smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products.1”

Estrogen Not Associated With Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality Among Postmenopausal Women, Study Finds
(ScienceDaily) - “Use of estrogen alone did not increase lung cancer mortality in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online August 13 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.”

Woman 'Cancer-Free' After Taking New Lung Cancer Drug In Colo.
Drug in Clinical Trials At University Of Colorado Cancer Center
“Doctors at the University of Colorado Cancer Center are very hopeful about the possibilities of a new cancer drug in clinical trials with Pfizer. It's helping people like Lindsay Gomes.”

MSU Project May Lead To New Approaches Against Lung Cancer
“A Michigan State University researcher is analyzing the immune system's own ability to protect the body against lung cancer.”

Quarter of Chinese Adults Aware Of Smoking Risk-Survey
(Reuters) – “Only a quarter of Chinese people believe smoking tobacco increases the risk of cancer and anti-smoking campaigns are failing to influence them, a government survey released on Tuesday showed.”

Cancer Care Differs by Race, Language
(HealthDay News) — “Patients' ratings and reports of care for lung or colorectal cancers differ significantly by language, health status, and race, with Asian and Pacific Islander patients and those in worse health reporting worse care experiences, according to research published online Aug. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.”

Researchers Find Genetic Marker for Repeat Lung Cancer
“Current lung cancer survival statistics present a grim prognosis, but new findings could greatly impact survival rates. Researchers led by Lan Guo, Ph.D. at the West Virginia University Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center have identified a gene pattern associated with lung cancer patients who are at high risk for recurrence of the disease.”

How Secondhand Cigarette Smoke Changes Your Genes
“As if the growing number of smoking bans in restaurants, airplanes and other public places isn't sending a strong enough message, researchers now have the first biological data confirming the health hazards of secondhand smoke.”

Cancer Costs the World Nearly $1 Trillion
“Cancer researchers announced Tuesday that cancer costs the global economy nearly $900 billion a year -- more than any other cause of death.”

Week Ending August 15, 2010

N.J., Pa. Weigh How Much To Regulate Deadly Radon
“When it comes to carcinogens that industrial plants dump into the water, the government generally takes a hard line on levels of public exposure.”

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund Join Forces
“Two leading lung cancer organizations unite to push for international efforts to eradicate lung cancer.”

Marathon Of Memories
Waverly woman, two-time lung cancer survivor, tackles marathon with husband, sister.
WAVERLY – “With Lung Cancer Awareness month in November in mind, Waverly residents Jim, 55 and Karen, 51, Arscott are gearing for a Philadelphia Marathon to battle the disease. On Nov. 21, with Karen Arscott’s sister, Linda Sacco, 48, Scranton, the Waverly couple will walk the total 26.2 miles of the Philadelphia Marathon.”

Drive for Hope 2010 Raises $36,000 for Lung Cancer Research
“Drive for Hope 2010 Raises $36,000 for Lung Cancer Research MADISON, Wis.- Drive for Hope 2010 fundraising efforts have resulted in a total donation of $36,000 to the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center’s “Creating Hope” Lung Cancer Campaign to provide facilities, researchers and support for lung cancer research.”

Patricia Neal Dies From Lung Cancer Aged 84
“Patricia Neal has died from lung cancer at the age of 84. The Oscar- winning actress was the former wife of author Roald Dahl and the grandmother of supermodel-turned-chef Sophie Dahl. She passed away surrounded by relatives.”

Lung Cancer Alliance Commends Senator Mark Warner For His Support For Lung Cancer Research
“Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) commended Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) for joining his colleagues in support of legislation to fund a more comprehensive plan of action on lung cancer. Warner's endorsement brings to 20 the total number of United States Senators backing S. 332, The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act (LCMRA), first-ever legislation to authorize a multi-agency five year program to reduce the mortality rate of lung cancer.”

ABC News Remembers Peter Jennings On Fifth Anniversary Of His Death
“"ABC World News Saturday" anchor David Muir said that Jennings would have wanted to know if the statistics regarding lung cancer and smoking had gotten better since his death. As part of a segment in Jennings' memory, Muir reported on what he said were "new numbers that even Peter would welcome."”

Cancer Battle Tests Anthem Family
“After spending 16 days in the hospital Mary Bettag is relieved to be at home. While she still needs an oxygen machine to help her breathe Bettag, who on Friday was just days removed from being on a ventilator, is appreciative that things are looking up.”

Breathing Life into Underfunded Fight Against Deadliest Of Cancers
“Some people might try to distance themselves from a disease that has stolen the lives of three relatives and was about to take one more.”

Week Ending August 8, 2010

Lung Cancer Survivors Speak Out On Stigma, Blame
“A few weeks ago, this space was devoted to an astonishing fact: Although lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer in the United States, it draws the least research funding, per death, of any major cancer.”

New York's Lois Green Named Winner in CIGNA Falmouth Road Race Challenge Essay Contest
An avid, healthy runner, Lois Green overcame lung cancer to inspire others to fight
“Lois will receive an all-expense-paid trip to run as a member of the CIGNA Team at the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race, Sunday, August 15, Falmouth, Mass.”

National Recognition for Dallas Cancer Research
“UT Southwestern Medical Center on Wednesday received a National Cancer Institute designation — a high honor that will mean better cancer care in North Texas.”

Lung Cancer Survivors Experience Long-Term Effects of Dyspnoea
“With the growing number of long-term lung cancer survivors, research is needed to identify and address cancer survivorship issues. One of the most common and debilitating symptoms among patients with lung cancer is dyspnoea.”

Research Defines Timeframes, Factors to Deem Early Stage Lung Cancer Cured
“In patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 5-year disease-free survival is currently the benchmark of cure. However, there are 2 issues that remain with the follow-up standards: (1) When can cure be declared with confidence and (2) for how long should follow-up examination be continued?”

Arqule Lung Cancer Treatment One Step Closer To Market
“Woburn-based biotech ArQule Inc. and New Jersey pharmaceutical firm Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. are heading toward a Phase 3 clinical trial of their treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, and Daiichi Sankyo is filing a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to guide the design of the trial.”

Vanderbilt Takes Cancer Personally
“Kristen White swallows an anti-cancer pill daily to fight her lung cancer, a battle she had been winning. Chemotherapy and the medication had helped keep her cancer at bay since she was diagnosed in 2007. About nine weeks ago the cancer started growing back.”

Charity Brawl: Nonprofits Aren't So Generous When a Name's at Stake
“As the leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen For the Cure helped make "for the cure" a staple of the fund-raising vernacular.”

Avastin Shows Longest Overall Survival for Patients with Adenocarcinoma, The Most Common Type of Advanced Lung Cancer
“This update outlines data from a preplanned analysis of the pivotal E4599 study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. The analysis looked at the impact of treatment with Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy, according to histology subgroup of NSCLC.”

Flushing Woman Plans Run for Lung Cancer Awareness
“A Flushing woman who ran in the Philadelphia Marathon after having lost her father to lung cancer will host information sessions in Bayside, College Point and Astoria this month on how to train for the race.”

New Study Demonstrates Clinical Validity of EarlyCDT-Lung™
Highlights that its use may significantly improve prognosis for lung cancer patients
“KANSAS CITY, Kansas, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncimmune® , provider of EarlyCDT-Lung™, a simple blood test that aids physicians in risk assessment and the early detection of lung cancer, today announced the publication of a study that demonstrates the clinical validity of the test. The study titled "Clinical Validation of an Autoantibody Test for Lung Cancer Diagnosis" is now available on line at Annals of Oncology.”

Week Ending August 2, 2010

Allos Therapeutics' Folotyn Meets Study Goal
“Allos Therapeutics Inc. said Wednesday its drug Folotyn met key goals in a midstage study on lung cancer patients.”

Time to Have an Impact
“Benjamin Franklin famously remarked that only two things are inevitable: death and taxes. In this era of superior diagnostics, timely treatment, miracle drugs, and breathtaking medical innovation, he might have been tempted to add a third item to the list -- serious long-term illness.”

Researchers Hunt For Reliable Early-Detection Test For Lung Cancer
“It takes more lives in a year than colon, breast, liver, kidney, melanoma and prostate cancers combined. Yet there is still no definitive screening test to detect lung cancer early, when tumors are at their smallest and before the cancer has spread.”

Lung Cancer Patients Fared Slightly Better With Placebo
“Lung cancer patients taking selenium daily to prevent recurrence or second primary malignancy of the disease likely will not benefit from taking the mineral supplement.”

Maine’s Delegates All Sign On To Lung Cancer Bill
“Our state motto, “Dirigo (I Lead)” is in full action. Last week, Sen. Susan Collins joined her congressional delegates from Maine in support of the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act (LCMRA), S 332. (HR 2112 is the House companion bill).”

Hope Walk for Lungevity
Helping those with lung cancer
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) – “Terri recently lost her sister-in-law, Chris Stepanek, after a brave nearly six year battle with lung cancer. Today...Chris's husband Greg joins us along with Chris's dear friend Sandy Johnson to talk about a way to honor her memory and bring attention to the type of cancer she so bravely battled.”

Walk To Fight Lung Cancer Planned In Roxbury Township
ROXBURY TWP. – “Jim Dennison, a six year lung cancer survivor, is organizing the inaugural “Free To Breathe” 3.5K walk at Horseshoe Lake in Succasunna on Saturday, Sept. 25.”

Volleyball Tournament Planned To Honor Cancer Victim
“Clark Fisher was an avid volleyball player who competed and coached the game for more than 20 years. The North York resident, "who never smoked a cigarette a day in his life," lost his battle to lung cancer last year at age 47, said Chad Baker, a volleyball teammate and best friend of Fisher.”

July

Week Ending July 25, 2010

Gene Probes Show Promise for Lung Cancer Diagnosis
“Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had significantly higher levels of circulating genetically abnormal cells compared with cancer-free patients -- suggesting that a DNA-based test might be valuable for early diagnosis, according to data from an initial clinical study.”

Myths About Lung Cancer
“Growing up, Angela Franks had ongoing respiratory problems. "I always had bronchitis, just different things like colds - a lot of emergency room visits," she said.”

Few Feel Sorry For Lung Cancer Patients, Survey Finds
“A recent survey finds that many Canadians have little sympathy for lung cancer patients, mistakenly believing that they brought the disease upon themselves.”

Avastin Largely Safe for Patients With Type of Advanced Lung Cancer
(HealthDay News) – “The cancer drug Avastin, when used in combination with standard chemotherapy, is safe and can effectively treat an advanced form of one of the most common lung cancers, researchers report.”

Asbestos' U.S. Legacy May Be Half-Million Deaths
“The first sign of trouble came as Bill Rogers was mowing his lawn one January morning in 2007. "As I would go back and forth with the mower, I would run out of air," said Rogers, 67, of Palm Bay, Fla.”

Testing for Lung Cancer Genes
“Many people who never smoked or lived or worked with smokers still get lung cancer, explains Jane Brody in her recent Personal Health column. And “recent discoveries of unusual genetic abnormalities in lung cancers that afflict nonsmokers have spawned targeted treatments that can buy patients years of quality time,” she writes.”

An Advocate for Research
NY Times – “Re “Blame’s Net Catches Lung Cancer Patients” (Personal Health, July 13): As the executive director of an organization that serves lung cancer patients and raises money for research, I’m often asked tough questions by those in the lung cancer community: Why doesn’t lung cancer matter?”

Captains Climb Reveals True Impact Of Lung Cancer
“Health editor Madeleine Brindley is one of the members of the Brains SA Captains Climb team which will attempt to climb Kilimanjaro in September.”

Week Ending July 18, 2010

20 Percent of Women with Lung Cancer Don't Smoke
“Janice Pearce of Indiana, Pa., was only 47 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She wasn't coughing. She had no trouble breathing. She just wasn't feeling well and her doctor ordered a chest x-ray.”

Blame’s Net Catches Lung Cancer Patients
“When it comes to advocacy and research funds, the leading cancer killer in the United States — lung cancer — clearly gets short shrift. People with the disease are commonly assumed to have brought it upon themselves by smoking.”

Cutting Your Lung Cancer Risk
“If you stop smoking, does your increased cancer risk eventually return to zero? Can eating carrots protect against lung cancer? Should a recovering cancer patient test for radon, and are there other risks to be aware of in the home?”

Quit Smoking to Improve Your Health
“Even longtime smokers know that lighting up is bad for your health. What fewer people understand, however, is just how quickly you can begin to reverse the damage caused by cigarettes when you quit.”

$1.7M Grant Awarded to MSU microRNA Researcher
“An MSU researcher will study links between arsenic exposure and lung cancer to determine new treatments using a recently secured $1.7 million grant.”

Lung Cancer Patients Suffer Under Blame
“When it comes to advocacy and research money, the leading cancer killer in the United States — lung cancer — clearly gets short shrift. People with the disease are commonly assumed to have brought it upon themselves by smoking. And the 10 percent to 15 percent of lung cancer patients who never smoked are typically tarred with the same brush.”

Cancer Dream Team
“The Florida Department of Health has awarded five researchers at the Jacksonville campus of Mayo Clinic more than $6.5 million in grant money derived from tobacco taxes to investigate aspects of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of cancer and tobacco-related diseases.”

Peregrine Initiates Second Phase IIb Lung Cancer Trial
“Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company, has initiated a second randomized Phase IIb non-small cell lung cancer trial in front-line patients.”

Asia's Smoking Related Deaths Likely To Double By 2030
“New Australian research has found the number of people dying from smoking related lung cancer will double in Asia over the next twenty years.”

North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership To Host Inaugrual Lung Cancer Advocacy Summit
“Local nonprofit to host the state's first Lung Cancer Advocacy Summit at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center on August 28, 2010.”

Week Ending July 11, 2010

Lung Cancer: One fight, many battles
In the war against lung cancer, perhaps the greatest enemy is the stigma
“Roberta “Birdie” Urban struggles to catch her breath sometimes. Understandable, given that she’s missing a lung and several ribs. It’s a wonder that she’s drawing breath at all.”

BOLTON: Celebrating, Two Years After Cancer Diagnosis
“It's not exactly the kind of anniversary to observe in an exuberantly festive sort of way, but the anniversary of finding out I am afflicted with lung cancer certainly is something to celebrate. And celebrate it is something Wife Sharon and I certainly intend to do.”

Patient And Doctor Team Up In Critical Fight Against Lung Cancer
“IN THE WORLD of medicine, patients often say how their doctor saved or changed their lives. As physicians, many patients have changed our lives, too. I want to share the story of a dear patient of mine, whom I consider a friend, who has helped me grow as a physician and as a person.”

Whitehouse Cancer Survivor Beats Odds, Inspires
WHITEHOUSE, OH – “NBC24 is partnering with the American Cancer Society to bring you the stories of local men and women with connections to the disease. Keep an eye out for these reports the first Wednesday of every month.”

Lung Cancer Vaccine Appears Promising
“One of the hottest areas of cancer research is the use of vaccines to 'rev up' the body's immune system to fight a tumor.”

Homeowners should check for gas that causes lung cancer: officials
Homeowners should investigate if the may be at risk from high levels of naturally occuring gas that can cause lung cancer, government scientists said.
“Radon gas which is emitted from the ground can build up in the home and is thought to cause over 1,000 deaths from lung cancer a year in Britain.”

Study Reveals Canadians Living With Lung Cancer Are Too Often Stigmatized
“Canadian lung cancer patients are likely to suffer significant stigma due to the disease's link to smoking, a connection that may impact the care and treatment patients receive.”

Cancer Stem Cells are Not One Size Fits All, Lung Cancer Models Show
Boston, Mass. – “Cancer stem cells have enticed scientists because of the potential to provide more durable and widespread cancer cures by identifying and targeting the tumor's most voracious cells”

New 3-D Imaging Techniques for Improved Lung Cancer Drug Development
“The Optical Society of America issued the following news release: Advanced imaging technologies that promise to improve the development of effective drugs to treat lung cancer are the focus of the current special issue of Optics Express, an open-access journal published by the Optical Society (OSA).”

U.S. Cancer Death Rates Continue Drop: Report
(Reuters) – “U.S. cancer death rates are falling, with big decreases in major killers such as colon and lung cancer, the American Cancer Society said on Wednesday.”

Week Ending July 4, 2010

Commission on Cancer Launches National Pilot Study For Expansion of Geisinger Health System’s Provencare Methodologies in Select Lung Cancer Patients
“A national pilot study that will promote evidence-based evaluation and treatment standards for patients with resectable non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was launched yesterday by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons.”

Cancer Stem Cells Are Not One Size Fits All, Lung Cancer Models Show
“Cancer stem cells have enticed scientists because of the potential to provide more durable and widespread cancer cures by identifying and targeting the tumor's most voracious cells. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and their colleagues have identified cancer stem cells in a model of the most common form of human lung cancer and, more significantly, have found that the cancer stem cells may vary from tumor to tumor, depending upon the tumor's genetic signature.”

Response Genetics Launches EML4-ALK Genetic Test in Lung Cancer
Additional Biomarker Associated with Sensitivity to New Generation of Cancer Fighting Agents
“Response Genetics Inc., a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, today announced that it has expanded its ResponseDX: Lung(TM) genetic test panel to detect the presence of EML4-ALK gene variants in lung cancer patients.”

Gefitinib Improves Progression-free Survival for Metastatic Lung Cancers with EGFR Mutations
“Patients newly diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received gefitinib (Iressa) had significantly higher response rates and longer progression-free survival compared with patients who received carboplatin plus paclitaxel (73.7 percent versus 30.7 percent and 10.8 months versus 5.4 months, respectively), according to results of a phase III trial conducted in Japan. The results were published in the June 24 New England Journal of Medicine.”

Lung cancer patients stigmatised, report claims
Charity boss says the disease’s link with smoking makes people less sympathetic.
“Her comments come as new figures have revealed that almost a quarter of Britons felt less sympathy towards people with lung cancer than those with other forms of the disease.”

Manufacturing Firm Fined $118,750 for Hexavalent Chromium, Other Hazards
“The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has cited Hastings Manufacturing Company LLC of Hastings, Mich., with $118,750 in proposed penalties for allegedly failing to adequately protect employees from serious health and safety hazards.”

Get Moving: Cancer Survivors Urged To Exercise
“New guidelines are urging survivors to exercise more, even — hard as it may sound — those who haven't yet finished their treatment.”

Vet felled by Agent Orange never stopped loving U.S.
“Thomas Pleasants "Tom" Stockton of Winston-Salem died a few days ago, a victim of the war he came home from almost 40 years ago.”

Desperate Housewives' Kathryn Joosten Has Lung Cancer
“Kathryn Joosten, a two-time Emmy winner for her role as feisty neighbor Mrs. McCluskey on Desperate Housewives, has lung cancer – and she plans to do everything she can to fight it.”

June

Week Ending June 27, 2010

A New Approach to Quantifying Risk of Developing Lung Cancer is published in Academic Radiology
Groundbreaking study finds a strong association between airway bifurcation CT densities, loss of lung function and lung cancer risk
“Kitware announces today the first published report of a new and quantitative method for measuring lung cancer risk within the July issue of Academic Radiology. The paper provides a multi-disciplinary scientific literature rationale and preliminary study data showing that increased calcification at upper airway bifurcations, when combined with pulmonary function test scores, can be used to estimate an individual’s risk of developing lung cancer.”

Lab-Engineered Lung Tissue Lives On In Rats
“Bioengineered organs, still largely the stuff of sci-fi, may have just moved a step closer to reality with reports that scientists have successfully implanted lab-made lung tissue into living rats.”

“Jumping Genes" Make Each Person Unique: Study
(Reuters) – “Stretches of DNA known as "jumping" genes are far more common than anyone thought, and almost everyone has a unique pattern of them, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.”

Biomoda Completes Patient Enrollment and Sample Collection in Pilot Study
“Cancer diagnostics company Biomoda, Inc. today announced it completed patient enrollment and sample collection in a pilot study to determine the clinical sensitivity and specificity of its CyPath(R) labeling solution for the early detection of lung cancer. Top-line data and results will be released when available.”

First-Line Gefitinib Slows EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer Progression
“Patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring susceptibility mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) did better with first-line gefitinib than with standard chemotherapy, in a randomized trial in Japan.”

U researcher to study lung cancer
Hecht will explore why some races are more likely to develop the cancer.
“Stephen Hecht knows tobacco. He knows lung cancer. He’s spent his career studying the two.”

Lung Cancer, Hereditary, Yet Preventable
“Lung cancer has become a plague that can’t be ignored; some have it because of life-style habits, for some it is hereditary - not negating the fact that secondary smoking can also be a factor.”

Smoking Takes Toll on Pets, Too
“The effects of secondhand smoke on humans are well known. Studies have shown that up to 20 different carcinogens found in tobacco smoke may be inhaled by nonsmoking bystanders.”

Horses Help Daughters, Family Cope With Disease
“Jim Greenwald says he's not dying. But in the past few months, he's felt like it. Diagnosed in March with stage three, small cell lung cancer, Greenwald, 49, can only drink fluids. The rest goes in a feeding tube attached directly to his stomach. He lifts his shirt to prove it.”

Philip Morris To Appeal Class-Action Ruling
“Philip Morris USA says it plans to appeal a decision by a federal judge in Boston to grant class action status in a lawsuit that demands that the company pay for chest scans to see if heavy Marlboro smokers have early signs of lung cancer.”

Week Ending June 20, 2010

Protect Your Lungs Merges with LUNGevity, Creates Premier Lung Cancer Foundation
Established organizations join to combat nation’s deadliest cancer
“To combat the nation’s number one cancer killer, non-profit organizations Protect Your Lungs and LUNGevity Foundation today announced they will join forces in an effort to fund research and hope for a cure for lung cancer. Together, the new organization hopes to create the same successful improvements for lung cancer mortality rates as those experienced by breast, prostate, and colon cancer.”

Cancer Connections: Lung Cancer Patients Need Our Support, Not Our Blame
“There's a warm and fuzzy side to breast cancer. Not the disease itself, which is life-disruptive at its best and deadly at its worst. But there are celebratory races with survivors crossing the finish line, arms raised in triumph; magazine covers honoring celebrities who have survived the disease; and pink ribbons seemingly everywhere.”

Area Researchers Target 'Crisis' Of Lung Cancer
“It's America's deadliest cancer, taking more than 159,000 lives each year and killing Kentuckians at the highest rate in the nation.”

Merck KGaA Resumes Stimuvax Trial For Lung Cancer
“Germany's Merck KGaA said Thursday it has resumed its experimental cancer vaccine trial in non-small cell lung cancer patients after getting the go-ahead from U.S. authorities.”

Study Examines Reasons Patients with Early-Stage Lung Cancer Do Not Have Surgery
“Despite a greater likelihood of poorer outcomes, many patients newly-diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer do not undergo surgery. New research indicates that among the factors associated with this decision include misunderstandings of the prognosis, negative perceptions of patient-physician communication and older age, with black patients more likely to not have surgery, according to a study in the June 16 issue of JAMA.”

Doctors Recouped Cuts in Medicare Pay, Study Finds
“When Congress aims to reduce Medicare spending, lawmakers often rely on cutting the prices they pay doctors and hospitals. But a new study shows how that approach may have limited success, if doctors respond by simply treating more patients to make up for the lost income.”

Vitamin B6 Lowers Risk of Lung Cancer?
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – “A new study reveals people with higher blood levels of vitamin B6, along with the essential amino acid methionine (found in protein), have a lower risk of developing lung cancer.”

Lung Cancer Alliance Hails Senator John Kerry for His Support for Increased Lung Cancer Research
“Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) commended Senator John Kerry (D-MA) for backing the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act, S.332. This is the first ever authorizing legislation that establishes a multi-agency, comprehensive program targeted at lung cancer.”

Week Ending June 13, 2010

Researchers Report Treatment Headway Against Lung Cancer
(HealthDay News) -- Researchers report they prolonged survival for some patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, for whom the median survival is currently only about six months.

Arqule Says Drug Could Help Lung Cancer Patients
Biotechnology company ArQule Inc. said its potential lung cancer drug did not meet a key goal in a midstage study, but results show it may benefit a sub-group of patients.

Oxigene Reports Safety Data from Phase II Lung Cancer Study
Oxigene, a biopharmaceutical company, has presented updated safety and clinical activity data from the Falcon trial, a randomized, controlled Phase II study of Zybrestat in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Texas Invests $1.9 Million for Lung Cancer Diagnostics And Treatment
Governor Rick Perry today announced the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) is investing $1.9 million in Savara Inc. of Austin for the development of their innovative product that improves lung cancer diagnostics and treatment delivery.

Family Caregivers Share Experiences of Dying Patients
(HealthDay News) -- People who are taking care of a family member with lung cancer need support for the entire time that their loved one is terminally ill because they encounter tremendous stress during the dying process, a new study has found.

Cancer Survivors Skipping Medical Care
Cancer survivors are more likely to forgo or delay medical treatment because of health care costs, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer.

Week Ending June 6, 2010

Captains Climb to put Wales at forefront of lung cancer research
“Fifteen former rugby captains will help put Wales at the forefront of ground-breaking international lung cancer research. Money raised by the Brains SA Captains Climb team – the captains and coach Warren Gatland will attempt to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro in September – will allow the Wales Cancer Bank to start collecting lung cancer samples.”

A ‘completely different approach’ to cancer treatment
“"Up until very recently, all patients with breast cancer were basically given the same therapy. We now clearly know that's not the right way to do things." Professor Peter Rigby, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, believes that recently the way treatments for cancer are being researched has completely changed.”

WHO launches online cancer database, lung cancer most fatal
“Geneva - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday launched an online database of cancer research, in an effort to make information more widely available. The system used data from 2008 statistics, the WHO said, and indicated lung and breast cancer were the most prevalent forms of the disease. Lung cancer was also the most fatal, followed by stomach tumours.”

Doctors use designer drug to kill cancer
“LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- About 1.6 million people will get a cancer diagnosis this year. The majority of them will be subjected to chemo and radiation -- a brutal approach that might or might not work. Doctors are trying to take the guesswork out of cancer by tailoring treatment to each patient. The new approach is giving two terminal cancer patients the gift of time.”

Is Secrecy Hurting Drug Research?
“The big question in the drug industry is why nobody seems to be able to invent any new drugs. Big Pharma is going to lose billions of dollars to patent expirations over the next five years, but fewer products are emerging from drug company labs, and those that reach the market are not selling as well as they used to. What has gone wrong?”

Blood test picks up early signs of lung cancer
“A blood test for lung cancer is being released commercially across the United States this week. The makers of the early Cancer Detection lung test (CDT) hope it will help more people survive lung cancer. Currently sufferers are diagnosed on their symptoms, which means it can often be too late for treatment.”

A Prognostic And Predictive Biomarker For Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer
Predictive biomarker for NSCLC
“The era of one-size-fits-all medicine will eventually be history; after all it is no news that drugs and treatments do not work the same for everyone. For patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a lung cancer that kills approximately 1 million people annually, the treatment currently available is basically the same for all patients, despite the fact that some patients may respond to treatment while others may not. New biological markers and prognostic tools are urgently needed to help doctors decide on the best course of action for each NSCLC patient. It now appears that this reality is not years away, at least for NSCLC treatment.”

Researchers test lung cancer vaccine
“Researchers in Oregon are testing a vaccine that could protect against the deadliest cancer in the U.S.--lung cancer.”

Positive Phase II Lung Cancer Data to Be Presented at ASCO Support Recently Opened Registrational Phase IIb Trial for Bavituximab
43% Objective Tumor Response, 6.1 Months PFS for Front-Line Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Bavituximab and Paclitaxel/Carboplatin
“Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and viral infections, today announced positive data from a Phase II clinical trial treating front-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with bavituximab in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin. 43% (21 of 49 patients) of patients achieved an objective tumor response. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.1 months and median overall survival will be reported once these data mature. These results are superior to data showing an objective response rate of 19% in a similar patient population receiving the same treatment regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel alone from the published study upon which Peregrine's trial was based. Peregrine's Phase II data will be highlighted in a poster presentation on June 6, 2010 at the ASCO Annual Meeting.”

Infinity Reports Results From Phase 2 Clinical Trial of IPI-504 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
“Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported the results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of IPI-504, the company's i.v.-administered Hsp90 chaperone inhibitor, in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data reported show that IPI-504 demonstrated clinical activity in patients with NSCLC, in particular among patients with oncogenic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements. Dr. Lecia Sequist of Massachusetts General Hospital will present the data in a poster discussion session on Monday, June 7 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Ill. (Abstract #7517).

UPDATE 1-Drug fights tumors in advanced lung cancer
More than half of patients benefit from Pfizer drug
“ A drug being developed by Pfizer Inc shrank lung cancer tumors in more than half of treated patients, and nearly all showed some benefit, U.S. researchers said on Saturday. The experimental drug crizotinib is designed to target a specific genetic mutation most commonly found in nonsmokers with non-small cell lung cancer. "Many of these patients had received three or more prior treatments, and we would expect only about 10 percent to respond. That is why we are so excited about the results," said Dr. Yung-Jue Bang, the study's lead investigator, who presented the data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Abraxane outperforms Taxol in lung cancer study
“ Abraxis Bioscience Inc said its cancer drug Abraxane outperformed the generic drug Taxol in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, without requiring patients to take steroids or antihistamines, U.S. researchers said on Saturday. They said 33 percent of patients who got Abraxane in combination with the chemotherapy drug carboplatin responded to it, compared with 25 percent of patients who got chemotherapy combined with Taxol, a drug developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb that is available generically as paclitaxel.”

ArQule drug works best in certain lung cancers
Most gain: non-squamous, KRAS mutation, EGFR wild-type
“A mid-stage trial of ArQule Inc's experimental drug ARQ197 showed that it was most effective in certain types of lung cancer tumors. The drug worked best in tumors that were non-squamous, had mutations in a gene called KRAS or did not have genetic mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor, according to trial data provided to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.”

AVEO Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Trial Evaluating SCH 900105 (AV-299) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
“AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating SCH 900105 (also referred to as AV-299) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.”

May

Week Ending May 30, 2010

Women Smokers Targeted on 'World No Tobacco Day'
Smoking-related illnesses kill more females than males, organizers say
(HealthDay News) – “Although cancer death rates for women are generally on the downswing, statistics indicate that female lung cancer fatalities are rising, the American Lung Association (ALA) says.”

Making The Call: Early Detection Lung Study Gives Participant A New Perspective
“David Gray was 12 years old when he lit his first cigarette. Growing up as the middle child in a family of six wasn’t easy. Times were tough and David went to work at a young age to help his mother pay the bills.”

Lung Cancer Alliance Hails Maine Delegation Support for Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act
“Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) commended Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) for joining Congressman Michael Michaud (D-ME) as cosponsors of the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act (LCMRA), a bi-partisan, bi-cameral bill that establishes the first ever multi-agency, comprehensive research program targeting all aspects of lung cancer.”

What To Do About Asbestos In Your Home
“If you live in an older home, there's a chance you could be living with asbestos. In some cases, this isn't cause for concern. In other cases, though, the situation might call for the repair or removal of the asbestos.”

First Arizona 'Strides For Life' Event Nets $25,000 For Tgen Research
Lung Cancer Research Foundation already planning follow-up for 2011
“Following its first major Arizona fundraising event, the national Lung Cancer Research Foundation will donate $25,000 for lung cancer studies at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).”

Shark Cartilage Not Beneficial in Advanced Lung Cancer
Study found no difference in survival when compared to chemoradiotherapy alone
(HealthDay News) – “A drug derived from shark cartilage failed to improve survival in patients with advanced lung cancer, researchers report.”

Single Lung Tumor Contains 50,000 Mutated Genes
Finding throws monkey wrench into idea of individualized therapies, experts say
(HealthDay News) – “Malignant lung tumors may contain not one, not two, but potentially tens of thousands of genetic mutations which, together, contribute to the development of the cancer.”

Eli Lilly Releases Lung Cancer Study Data Evaluating Chemotherapy Regimen With Concurrent Radiation
“Eli Lilly has released results of two Phase II trials evaluating Alimta (pemetrexed for injection) in combination with a platinum chemotherapy and radiation for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Boulder's Clovis Oncology Signs Development Agreement For Lung Cancer Drug
“Boulder-based Clovis Oncology inked an agreement to develop and commercialize a drug to treat non-small cell lung cancers, officials for the local biopharmaceutical company announced Tuesday.”

Mesothelioma Research Involving Cancer Stem Cells Warrants Further Investigation
“A study recently published in Lung Cancer investigated cancer stem cells for the first time in malignant mesothelioma cancer.”

Week Ending May 23, 2010

Tarceva Prolongs Life In Advanced Lung Cancer Patients –Study
“Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche Tarceva oncology drug, when used as maintenance therapy after platinum-based chemotherapy, is well tolerated and significantly increases overall survival of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, and extends the length of time their disease doesn't worsen, researchers said Thursday.”

Controlled Phase 2 Study of Ipilimumab Shows Clinical Activity in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Study of Investigational Immuno-Oncology Agent Meets Primary Endpoint of Efficacy; Planning for Phase 3 Study Underway
“Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced positive results from a randomized Phase 2 study evaluating ipilimumab in combination with standard chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Expert Comments on Radon Recommendations
“A report recently released by the President's Cancer Panel focuses on underestimated cancer risks related to environmental contaminants and other harmful exposures, including radon. The report, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now," notes that "the cancer risk attributable to residential radon exposure has been clearly demonstrated and must be better addressed."”

Drug May Prevent Lung Cancer, US Study Finds
(Reuters) – “A drug approved to treat a range of conditions may also work to prevent lung cancer in people who have given up smoking, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.”

Cancer Connections: Know The Right — And Wrong — Things To Say
“Most people find it awkward when first talking with a friend or acquaintance who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Even though nearly everyone is well-intentioned, many say things that hurt or mystify more than they comfort.”

Research Shows CT Scans Catch Lung Cancer Early - When It's Most Curable
“Those at risk for developing lung cancer may be able to breathe a bit easier, thanks to a study being conducted at the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital in Summit.”

New Research Reveals Genetic Overlap Between COPD and Lung Cancer Susceptibility
“New research shows genes that make smokers more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or emphysema, are also closely linked to an increased likelihood of developing lung cancer, according to studies presented today at the American Thoracic Society’s annual meeting.”

Lung Cancer Alliance Testifies In Support of Lung Cancer Research Program Within Department of Defense
“Today, LCA President and CEO Laurie Fenton-Ambrose testified before a House appropriations subcommittee on the Lung Cancer Research Program within the Department of Defense which LCA helped to have established two years ago.”

UC Researchers Win American Cancer Society Grants
“Two University of Cincinnati scientists will share $1.4 million in grants from the American Cancer Society to study causes of stomach and lung cancer, UC said Thursday.”

Glassybaby Candles Light Up New York Charity Scene
“During her seven-year battle with lung cancer, Lee Rhodes was moved by the struggles of the patients sitting alongside her in the waiting rooms. Many were overwhelmed with medical bills, barely able to scrape together enough money for bus fare or weekly groceries.”

Lung Cancer and Exercise?
“Regular exercise is one of the best things a person can do as a cancer patient or survivor, with studies showing improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, quality of life, fatigue, and depression.”

Week Ending May 16, 2010

Local People With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Needed For Immunotherapy Trial
Syracuse, NY – “Syracuse area patients are being recruited to participate in the world’s largest lung cancer treatment trial.”

BMC Takes Part in Lung Cancer Vaccine Trial
BEND, Ore. – “It's the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. "Lung cancer is universally one of the worst cancers to have," Dr. Bill Schmidt of Bend Memorial Clinic Oncology said Wednesday.”

Impotence Drugs May Aid Brain Tumor Treatment
Levitra, Viagra allowed anti-cancer medication to more easily penetrate brain barrier, study found
(HealthDay News) – “A drug already approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction may actually help boost the effectiveness of treatments for brain tumors tied to both lung and breast cancer, research shows.”

Cancer: More Environmental Risks and Even Higher Costs
“Last week, the President's Cancer Panel issued a somewhat alarming report about environmental cancer risks. "The American people -- even before they are born -- are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures," the panel wrote. It urged President Obama to act "to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation's productivity, and devastate American lives."”

Drop Of Blood To Aid Cancer Fight
Study to pinpoint environmental, genetic factors behind disease
“Nicole Borla's father died in 2001 from colorectal cancer. Her mom died in 2006 from lung cancer. That's why Borla didn't hesitate to give seven teaspoons of blood to the American Cancer Society as part of a major initiative to find the causes of cancer.”

Women Need to Know More About Deadly 'Hidden' Lung Cancer
“More women die from lung cancer than breast cancer, and a new education effort aims to change that while lowering lung cancer rates.”

Doctor with Lung Cancer Tells His Story
Emergency room doctor becomes a patient himself.
“Lung cancer kills more Americans than most other forms of cancer combined. Many of the victims never smoked. It happened to a doctor in Santa Monica, who suddenly became a patient. He wants to tell his story so we all pay more attention to this deadly disease.”

Run/Walk At Anschutz To Benefit Lung Cancer Research
“Hundreds of people will run or walk a five-mile loop around the Anschutz Medical Campus this weekend as part of a race to raise money for research for early detection of lung cancer.”

Scientist Who Predicted Scale of Asbestos-Disease Epidemic Honored
“Prof. Julian Peto, who has done influential research defining the environmental factors that affect development of asbestos-related cancer in the workplace, received the Medal of Honor this week from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization.”

Week Ending May 09, 2010

Lung Cancer Disparities Center at HSPH Announced As One of Ten Awardees for Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities
“The Lung Cancer Disparities Center at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has been named one of ten Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities (CPHHD) by the National Institutes of Health as part of a major new effort to understand and address inequities associated with the two leading causes of death in the United States: cancer and heart disease.”

UT Southwestern Participates In Nationwide Study Offering Free Lung Tumor Genetic Testing
“UT Southwestern Medical Center is the only site in North Texas participating in a national study that offers advanced lung-cancer patients free screenings of their tumors for genetic mutations, some of which might be targets for treatment with existing or experimental therapies.”

CDC Urges Greater Efforts To Reduce Smoking And Save Lives
“As states rake in billions of dollars annually in tobacco settlement money, the Centers for Disease control would like to see states like Missouri use some of that money toward proven anti-smoking efforts to save lives and reduce millions of dollars in health care costs due to disease and illness.”

4D-Software Adjusts for Breathing During Lung Cancer Radiotherapy
“A new 4-dimensional software program promises to improve the treatment of lung cancer by taking the movement of breathing into account when administering radiotherapy, French researchers announced at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.”

Lung Cancer Alliance Responds to Presidential Cancer Panel's Warnings on Environmental Cancer Links
“Lung Cancer Alliance President and CEO Laurie Fenton-Ambrose said today that the President's Cancer Panel's report on environmental links to cancer is a strong call to action for more comprehensive research and preventative measures on lung cancer.”

WTF! One Woman's Fight Against Lung Cancer
Omaha, NE – “Every hour 19 people will die of lung cancer. But the stigma that only smokers get lung cancer is slowing the effort to get money to fight the disease. One in five women diagnosed, never smoked. As mother's day approaches, we show you one daughter's effort to figure out, Where's the Funding?”

Study Focuses on Asbestos and Mesothelioma Risk in Firefighters
“Firefighting is a highly risky profession, not only because of the dangers posed by flames and fragile burning buildings themselves.”

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Advances in Chemotherapy
“Chemotherapy is being used in new ways to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NCSLC). Until a few years ago, only patients with late-stage lung cancer received chemotherapy to help prolong life. Now, chemotherapy is given at earlier stages, in addition to other treatments, to slow the progression of cancer and to help cure the disease.”

Before Her Death, Denise Kaley Set Up Fund For Women With Cancer
“On Dec. 16, 2008, Denise Kaley received the devastating news that her recent bout with fatigue, cough, respiratory problems and recent weight loss was not, in fact, caused by the pneumonia doctors had been treating her for for the past two months, but something much worse.”

Stage 4 Cancer Patient Can't Get Insurance
Las Vegas, NV- “Part of our mission here at Channel 13 is to make Las Vegas a better place to live and one issue many of you keep bringing to us, is health insurance. Many of you have written to us about challenges getting coverage, especially for those unexpected sicknesses.”

Week Ending May 02, 2010

ASTRO Releases SBRT For Lung Cancer Report
“The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has released its Emerging Technology Committee's report evaluating the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in lung cancer treatment.”

Imaging Costs Soar for Medicare Cancer Patients
Whether more scans are wasteful or improve outcomes isn't known, experts say
(HealthDay News) – “Among cancer patients on Medicare, the costs for medical scans have increased twice as fast as overall costs for cancer care, Duke University researchers report.”

New Data from Phase III Lung Cancer Trial Show VeriStrat(R) Identifies Patients Likely to Respond
“Results from the VeriStrat biomarker analysis of a multicenter Phase III trial were presented today at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland.”

Genes Affect Smoking Behavior, Lung Cancer Risk
(Reuters Health) – “Addicted to smoking and unable to quit? Your genes may be partly to blame, according to a trio of studies published Sunday in Nature Genetics that link several gene variants to a range of smoking habits, as well as increased risk for lung cancer.”

Gefitinib Approved As First Line Treatment For Lung Cancer Patients.
“AstraZeneca announced that it has received approval from the Drug Control Authority in Malaysia for its drug, IRESSA™ (gefitinib), as first-line treatment for adult patients diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have activating mutations of the EGFR-TK.”

High-Tech Lung Probe Helps Battle Cancer
“Dr. Costanzo Di Perna, a thoracic surgeon at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, seeks to dispel the notion that lung cancer means certain death.”

Tarceva Now Approved In The EU For Maintenance Use In Advanced Lung Cancer
“Roche announced today that the European Commission has approved Tarceva (erlotinib) as monotherapy for maintenance treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease remains largely unchanged (known as ‘stable disease’) after platinum-based initial chemotherapy.”

CXCR4: A New Drug Target in Lung Cancer
ScienceDaily — “Lung cancer patients whose tumors over-express a cell surface molecule called CXCR4 do significantly worse than those who do not, Canadian researchers have found. Their work, reported at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, highlights the exciting possibility that the molecule could soon become a new target for personalized cancer therapy.”

Lung Cancer Risk Particularly High For Heart And Liver Transplant Recipients
“Heart and liver transplant recipients are at particularly high risk of developing lung cancer after receiving the donated organ, researchers report at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference. They are advising doctors to screen for such cancers in these patients to maximize the chance of detecting the malignancy early.”

Amrubicin Active In Refractory Small-Cell Lung Cancer
““Refractory patients have the worse prognosis, with survival of three to five months and overall response rates [ORRs] to second-line chemotherapy of approximately 10%,” the researchers wrote. The study enrolled 75 patients with either progressive disease as best response or with progression within 90 days of first-line therapy. Sixty-nine patients received treatment, with a median of four amrubicin cycles of 40 mg/m2 per day for three days every 21 days.”

Britons Lag Behind Swedes In Lung Cancer Survival
(Reuters Health) – “Almost twice as many Swedes as Britons survive the first five years after a lung cancer diagnosis, a new report reveals.”

Improving CT Scans To Speed Up Lung Cancer Diagnosis
“Currently, radiologists measure the sizes of potentially cancerous lung nodules by measuring their largest widths using a two-dimensional computer screen. (The method widely used to do this is called RECIST.) Now, researchers are investigating volumetrics, by which they can measure nodules in 3D.”

April

Week Ending April 25, 2010

Medical Research Spending: Where Does the Money Go?
“With the advent of ObamaCare and the promise of prevention as part of the health care debate, it seems important to consider how our tax dollars are spent. I never used to think about the spending of medical research dollars, beyond knowing that three percent of the GNP goes to science and healthcare spending.”

Moffitt Cancer Center Announces Growing Interest in Recently Launched Prognostic Test for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
“Moffitt Cancer Center announces steadily growing interest in the ERCC1 Analysis, the first test developed for selecting chemotherapy for Non Small Lung Cancer patients. Each year, more than 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer.”

MU Researchers Show Potential for New Cancer Detection and Therapy Method Using Nanoparticles
“University of Missouri School of Medicine scientists explain a potentially new early cancer detection and treatment method using nanoparticles created at MU in an article published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The article illustrates how engineered gold nanoparticles tied to a cancer-specific receptor could be targeted to tumor cells to treat prostate, breast or lung cancers in humans.”

New Data Indicate Effectiveness of Clarient's Pulmotax(TM) Test for Lung Cancer
“Clarient, Inc., a premier technology and services resource for pathologists, oncologists and the pharmaceutical industry, today announced that data from a new study suggest that the Clarient Insight® Dx Pulmotax™ assay may effectively predict which lung cancer patients will respond favorably to chemotherapy.”

Trial Makes Push Toward More Individualized Lung Cancer Therapy
“Preliminary findings from the first clinical trial in lung cancer to use molecular analysis of tumor biopsy samples and an “adaptive” design to direct patients to a specific targeted therapy were presented at the AACR annual meeting in Washington, DC. In the study, dubbed BATTLE, patients had their tumor samples tested for specific biomarkers and were enrolled into one of four treatment arms, each one testing a different targeted therapy, based on that analysis.”

A Life That Sparkled
West Bloomfield author digs deep for memories of her late mother
“Suzy Rosin was a go-getter. A beautiful, blue-eyed blond with a terrific figure, she was a perennial contender for the women's golf championship at Franklin Hills Country Club, a Pilates instructor who ran her own studio and a gifted dancer who took hip-hop lessons from a highly sought-after professional dance coach in Los Angeles.”

Haggard Reflects On 'Glorious' Life
“Merle Haggard is not the man he used to be. And that’s just fine with him.”

Week Ending April 18, 2010

American Lung Association Releases Report on Lung Cancer in African Americans: Calls for Eliminating Health Disparities
“The American Lung Association today released its report, Too Many Cases, Too Many Deaths: Lung Cancer in African Americans, a compilation of research examining lung cancer among African Americans and the need to eliminate this and other health disparities. The report, which includes a preface by William J. Hicks, M.D., provides important information on the possible biological, environmental, political and cultural factors that make African Americans more likely to get lung cancer and more likely to die from it.”

FDA Approves Tarceva as a Maintenance Therapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - First Maintenance Therapy Approved For a Broad Patient Population Including Squamous and Non-Squamous Histology
“OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the daily pill Tarceva(R) (erlotinib) as a maintenance treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has not progressed after four cycles of platinum-based first-line chemotherapy.”

AACR Honors Eminent Researchers
“The world’s leading researchers whose efforts have significantly contributed to progress in the fight against cancer will be recognized by the American Association for Cancer Research at its 101st Annual Meeting 2010, held April 17-21, 2010, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.”

Harriet Benjamin Dies at 85; Cancer Patient Inspired Innovative Support Network
“Her husband Harold founded the Wellness Community in 1982, which focused on the social and emotional health of cancer patients. She was cancer-free for 35 years after her diagnosis in 1972.”

THE JOURNEY HOME: A Mauston Man’s Fight With Cancer
“Mauston native David D. Hanneman was not going to win his fight with lung cancer, but his story is anything but a tragedy.”

Lung Cancer Patient Will Walk Stairs to Help Hospital
“A Coal Branch man who is battling the final stages of lung cancer plans to spend four hours walking up and down the stairs at The Moncton Hospital next Friday to raise funds for a new ultrasound unit that will help the hospital do a better job of diagnosing other cancer patients.”

Ambitious Startup's New Plan: Gene-Sequence Every Tumor. Yes, Every Single One
“A new biotech start-up called Foundation Medicine is aiming to create a single test that every person diagnosed with cancer could take to guide treatment decisions based on personalized medicine.”

Landmark Lung Cancer Research Study Approves Only Site in Colorado
“Denver CyberKnife radiation oncologist, Dr. Gregg Dickerson, and Cardiovascular Surgical Professionals thoracic surgeon, Dr. Richard Parker, have teamed up as the principal investigators for a clinical trial comparing two standard treatments for early-stage NSCLC (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer), the most common form of lung cancer.”

Data on NewLink Genetics' HyperAcute(R) Lung Cancer Immunotherapy to be Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting
“NewLink Genetics Corporation announced today that new data on its HyperAcute® lung cancer immunotherapy will be presented at a poster session at the 101st American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting held April 17-21, 2010 in Washington, D.C.”

Week Ending April 11, 2010

Clue to Lung Cancer Detected
“Boston University researchers have identified a biochemical pathway in cells lining the airways of smokers whose activity rises before lung cancer develops, making it a potential target for an early detection test and possible treatment.”

The History of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
“The Lung Cancer Fund was founded in 1990 by Professor Ray Donnelly and, three years later, he conceived and developed the idea of an international centre for lung cancer research to be situated in Liverpool.”

TV Advertisement Targets Women with Lung Cancer
“About 811 Victorian women died in 2007 due to lung cancer: a record more than in any previous year.”

National Jewish Health Transitions into Lung Cancer Care and Research
“National Jewish Health is seeing its first cancer patients today in the newly established Lung Cancer Center. National Jewish Health has diagnosed and treated lung cancer patients for many years.”

Widespread Misperceptions About Lung Cancer
Most Americans Have Poor Understanding of Survival Rates of Lung Cancer Patients
“Most people in the U.S. underestimate the deadliness of lung cancer, but African-American's misperceptions about the disease may be especially hazardous to their own health, a study shows.”

Elekta Introduces Next Generation SBRT for Lung Cancer with Ground-Breaking 4D Image Guidance to Manage Tumor Motion and Enhance Safety
New technologies enable accurate, non-invasive lung tumor treatment without additional intra-fraction radiation imaging
“Elekta has introduced an advanced solution for treating lung tumors that enables doctors to visually confirm the tumor's position during the breathing cycle. This new technology treats the lesion with a continuous radiation beam, increasing therapy accuracy while using less imaging radiation during treatment delivery.”

Radient's FDA Approved Diagnostic Test Detects Cancer Sooner
“Douglas MacLellan, the CEO of Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation says the monoclonal antibody test that his company began working on twenty years ago and that the FDA and other international agencies have approved, may change how people screen for early cancer detection. Radient's Onko-Sure™ in vitro diagnostic test enables physicians and their patients to effectively monitor and/or detect solid tumor cancers and it is finally ready to enter a broad-reaching commercial phase.”

Dr. Nagourney Creates Personalized Cancer Treatments At Rational Therapeutics
“When Theresa (Terry) Rossiter, 67, was given the diagnosis of inoperable, metastatic lung cancer on November 11, 2009, her world ground to a halt. But, instead of “getting her affairs in order” like her physician advised, Rossiter and her husband packed their bags and moved from their home in Corvallis, Ore. to temporary housing in Long Beach, Calif.”

Lung Cancer Rates Drop Since Peter Jennings' Death
“It was five years ago tonight that Peter Jennings announced to us allthat he had been diagnosed with cancer.”

Cancer Survivor: Denver native Andy Hill Beat Lung Cancer with Miracle Pill Now He’s Running for Washington State Senate
“When we first met Andy Hill we were introduced to him as a cancer patient involved in a revolutionary study at the University of Colorado. He takes a simple pill once a day to treat his lung cancer.”

Week Ending April 4, 2010

In The Search For Cancer Drugs, Mice Get New Role
Amid a glut of treatments in need of testing, a researcher is giving them simultaneously to rodents and humans
“Dr. Pier Paolo Pandolfi has begun an experiment that could radically change the way new cancer drugs are tested: Not far from where his colleagues give trial treatments to patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he’s giving the same regimen to mice.”

Health Care Bill Retains Provision To Help Libby Mesothelioma Victims
“Montana Senator Max Baucus has made his position on the health bill clear in recent weeks, and is overjoyed that the bill has passed. The bill included a provision that he was an adamant supporter of, which will provide health care coverage to Libby, Montana residents stricken by asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related health complaints. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, affects thousands of Americans every year, and can kill within mere months after being diagnosed.”

NICE Recommending Eli Lilly's Chemotherapy Drug Alimta
“There is good news for patients suffering from locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer! Alimta, Eli Lilly & Co.'s chemotherapy, has managed to pass the second of the third step, by earning the funding from United Kingdom's National Health Service.”

Outdoor Smoking Bans
The research shows that secondhand smoke is unhealthful. But those conclusions are based on smoke-filled indoor environments. The consequences for outdoor settings are less clear.
“California legislators want to ban smoking at state beaches and parks, and they've sent a bill to the governor that would do just that. It remains to be seen whether he'll sign the measure, designed to reduce the public's exposure to secondhand smoke, not to mention cut back on cigarette butt litter.”

In Battle Against Lung Cancer, Investigators Eye Oncolytic Virus Therapy
“A virus that destroys cancer cells but leaves normal cells unharmed may offer hope to those affected by squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs (SCC lung cancer), according to investigators from the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The CTRC has started patient enrollment in a US Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN® in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with SCC lung cancer.”

Mesothelioma Patients May Benefit from Colorado Cancer Center Grant for Lung Cancer Clinical Trial
“ImClone Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, has awarded a $3.5 million grant to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. The award will be used to fund a clinical trial to test for a specific biomarker in lung cancer patients known as an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Other researchers have found that in many cases growth factors appeared higher in malignant mesothelioma patients than in control subjects or in healthy individuals.”

Martin Memorial Increasing Number of Clinical Trials
Stuart, FL – “Martin Memorial is conducting an increasing number of clinical trials as Treasure Coast leaders try to build the region’s reputation as a research hub.”

Researchers Develop and Improve Techniques for Treating Cancer
“Cancer treatment typically involves surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or biological therapy. An oncologist may use one therapy or a combination of methods, depending on the type and location of the cancer, whether the disease has spread, the patient’s age and general health, and other factors.”

Study Confirms Increased Risk of Lung Cancer in Women Following Hormone Replacement Therapy
“Researchers affiliated with the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Study have reported that women receiving estrogen and progesterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 10 years or more have an approximate 50% increased risk of developing lung cancer.”

Community Hospital Seeks Patients For Lung Cancer Trial
Munster, IN – “Community Hospital has announced that it is recruiting patients for a Phase III lung cancer trial aimed at preventing disease recurrence in previously treated patients. Specifically, the trial evaluates the potential of an immunotherapy called Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic (ASCI) for the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).”

Duke, BMH Prepare For Lung Cancer Clinical Trial
Hilton Head, SC – “One of the most promising treatments for early stage and advanced lung cancer now is available in Beaufort County.

In collaboration with local affiliate Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Duke University physicians and scientists have begun enrolling area residents in genomic clinical trials, studies that offer lung cancer patients the opportunity to receive personalized treatment based on the individual genetic signature of their tumors.”

Gemin X Completes Patient Enrollment in Phase 2 Clinical Study of Obatoclax for First-Line Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer
“Gemin X Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted cancer therapeutics, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in a Phase 2 clinical trial of the Company’s lead product candidate obatoclax (GX15-070) for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of obatoclax, a novel pan Bcl-2 inhibitor, in combination with standard chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with SCLC. It is being conducted at over 60 leading cancer centers, primarily in the United States and Europe. Full trial enrollment of 165 SCLC patients was achieved ahead of schedule and exceeded the study goal of 154 participants. Gemin X anticipates announcing preliminary data results from this Phase 2 trial during the second quarter of 2010.”

March

Week Ending March 28, 2010

Treating the Whole Person in the City of Hope Lung Cancer Study
“When Dr. Betty Ferrell got her Ph.D. in 1984, she already had 7 years of work as an oncology nurse behind her, and she had absorbed some clinic-tested insights. “Fatigue wastes time, and time is precious,” a patient once told her, and she came to realize that “fatigue is really the existential crisis of cancer.””

Medical Center Has Lung Cancer in Crosshairs
“For decades, the medical field has been searching tirelessly for answers to the callously fatal efficiency of lung cancer, a disease that kills more than 150,000 people in the U.S. every year, making it the nation’s deadliest cancer.”

Why Do So Many Female Nonsmokers Get Lung Cancer?
“If you are a fan of Desperate Housewives, you may be familiar with the recent lung cancer storyline for Karen McCluskey, the nosy and outspoken neighbor played by actress Kathryn Joosten.”

N.Y. Based Lung Cancer Research Foundation to Hold Tempe Fundraiser
“New York-based Lung Cancer Research Foundation is duplicating its Strides for Life 3-mile walk/run in Tempe on April 11 to help raise money for the Translational Genomics Research Institute.”

Want To Do More To Fight Back Against Cancer?
“In the 1950's, the American Cancer Society began conducting cancer prevention studies, following large groups of people over time, to identify and better understand the causes of cancer and find ways to prevent it. Past studies have been the first to show the link between smoking and lung cancer, the first to show the impact of obesity on cancer deaths, and the first to show the link between aspirin and colon cancer prevention.”

Beating Lung Cancer with Cyber-Knife Technology
“There are new ways to beat the odds against the deadliest form of cancer.“

Study Reveals TomoTherapy(R) Technology Plays Key Role in Enabling Concurrent Chemo-Radiation Treatments for Lung Cancer
“TomoTherapy Incorporated, maker of advanced radiation therapy solutions for cancer care, today cited the first published results on the concurrent use of hypofractionated TomoTherapy(SM) radiation treatments and chemotherapy for unresectable locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Scientists Identify Common Gene Linked To Lung Cancer In Non-Smokers
“People who contract lung cancer and who have never smoked appear to have a genetic variation in common that predisposes them to the disease.”

Lung Cancer Foundation Lauds Carbone’s Innovative Research
“Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's David Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., has received the Dr. David Jablons “Asclepios” Award for his commitment to innovative research.”

Biodesign Conducts International Cancer Screening Conference
“An international research consortium recently gathered at ASU to address the latest issues on early detection of lung cancer, a growing health care threat and the second leading cause of death in the United States.“

UK, U Of L Retreat To Highlight Lung Cancer Research Projects
“Two rival schools will come together this weekend in hopes of medical advancement. UK will host the UK-University of Louisville Retreat on Lung Cancer, which is sponsored under the Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Program.”

Fla. Jury Awards Smoker's Widow $26.6 Million
“Nathan Cohen could not stop smoking even after he was diagnosed with lung cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”

Camel Cigarette Ads Enticed Adolescent Girls, Study Finds
“Fashioned-themed advertisements for Camel No. 9 brand cigarettes featuring a shocking pink logo have piqued the interest of teenage girls in what health advocates say is just another example of the tobacco industry's long history of exploiting women.”

Week Ending March 21, 2010

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy May Improve Survival With Early Stage Inoperable Lung Cancer
When lung cancer is caught in the early stages, surgery offers the chance for a cure. But not everyone is a candidate for surgery. And for those people - whether they forego treatment or are treated with conventional radiation therapy - the survival rate at 3 years is only around 20 to 35%.

Dodd meets with Lung Cancer Alliance
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) met this week with the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), a national non-profit organization dedicated solely to providing patient support and advocacy for people living with or at risk for lung cancer.

Proposed Study Would Look At Lung Cancer in Older Navy Veterans
Omaha Nebraska Senator Bob Krist is proposing the state spend approximately $650,000 to research a test that analyzes sputum to inexpensively screen for lung cancer. Krist’s bill, LB987, would primarily use funds from a tobacco settlement for the study. Krist became more actively interested in early lung cancer detection when his father was diagnosed with lung cancer. His father died from the asbestos related lung cancer less than two years after the initial diagnosis.

Living with Lung Cancer
Life will never be the same. Not after a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer. Not after being told: “You have maybe six to eight months left.” It’s as if that moment was forever branded on my soul.

Another Joe Camel? Teen girls respond to Camel No. 9
I was a pre-teen when the Virginia Slims cigarette marketing campaign was in full force in the late 1960s. I can still remember the "You've come a long way, baby" commercials. I even ordered a free Virginia Slims day planner from a magazine advertisement. The planner contained pictures of independent, fashionable and strong looking young women. I thought it was very cool even though I had a vague feeling I was being manipulated. Fortunately, I didn't think smoking was as interesting as the planner.

Lung cancer gene tests not ready: U.S. report
(Reuters) - Genetic tests designed to predict how well lung cancer patients will fare after treatment do very little to guide doctors, government researchers said on Tuesday.

Cancer To Become Number One Killer
Cancer is expected to overtake heart disease this year as the number one reason people die in this country.

A Fatal Diagnosis, Followed by Goodbyes
In Tuesday’s Science Times, Personal Health columnist Jane Brody writes about her husband’s final days with Stage 4 lung cancer. She begins:

This is a very personal story of living gracefully with a fatal diagnosis. When I wrote “Jane Brody’s Guide to the Great Beyond,” I had no idea that I’d be putting its precepts into practice in my immediate family within a year of publication. But as I said in the book, “You never know.”

New Technique Improves Accuracy of Staging Lung Cancer
A new technique being used by thoracic surgeons at Rush University Medical Center offers a more precise, less invasive and more versatile way of assessing a patient’s lymph nodes and chest tumors to determine if lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Week Ending March 14, 2010

Tributes To Westlund Blend Honor And Humor
Governor, lawmakers, others reflect on state treasurer at Capitol
“Ben Westlund's visionary statement — spoken after his return from lung cancer surgery in 2003 — unfolded Saturday in a full House chamber at the Oregon State Capitol as family, friends and colleagues gathered to remember the esteemed state treasurer and former legislator from Central Oregon.”

In Some, Genes Elevate Cancer Risk Even with Modest Exposure to Cigarette Smoke
“Individuals with a certain genetic predisposition to lung cancer should avoid cigarette smoke
altogether or risk developing the disease, researchers say.”

Sick Ground Zero Workers Will Get a $650 Million Settlement
“After six years of legal wrangling, a New York judge is set to approve a $657 million settlement package for thousands of rescue workers and volunteers who became sick after working on the cleanup of the World Trade Center site.”

Biomoda and Obio Form Strategic Alliance to Expand Lung Cancer Screening Program
“Cancer diagnostics company Biomoda, Inc. and Obio, Inc., a corporation formed to pursue public and private funding for cancer research in Ohio, are working together to expand Biomoda's lung cancer screening program for veterans into Ohio.”

Transgene Sells Option on Cancer Vaccine to Novartis
“Transgene SA, the French biotechnology company backed by the billionaire Merieux family, sold Novartis AG an option on rights to the experimental TG4010 cancer vaccine in a deal that may fetch as much as $960 million.”

Lung Cancer Survivor Beats All Odds
“Germantown residents Jim and Cynthia Siegfried have been on a seven-year journey that no one wants to take.”

Benefit Not Seen From Adding Sorafenib in Lung Cancer
NSCLC study patients received sorafenib or placebo along with carboplatin and paclitaxel
(HealthDay News) – “The addition of sorafenib to carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) does not show a clinical benefit supporting use as first-line therapy, according to research published online March 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.”

Case Against R.J. Reynolds Goes To Jury In Gainesville
“After ten days of testimony, the case brought by the widow of a Gainesville-area man against the tobacco corporation R.J. Reynolds went to the jury at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday.”

Three Pfizer Cancer Treatments Fail to Materialize Results
“Just one week after announcing that a drug targeting Alzheimer’s has failed to generate results, Pfizer said that three potential cancer treatments that it was developing have been terminated during late-stage studies.”

Week Ending March 7, 2010

Leading Experts To Discuss Latest Pharmacogenomic Research At European Lung Cancer Conference
“Rapid advances in drug development, genetics and multidisciplinary treatment have brought the field of oncology to a critical moment, says Dr. Rafael Rosell from the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Badalona, Spain, co-chair of the second European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC), which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 28 April to 1 May 2010.”

Gender Differences Shown in Surgery for Lung Cancer: Presented at SSO
“Women with lung cancer undergo significantly fewer video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) procedures than male lung cancer patients. They also have higher in-hospital mortality rates, investigators announced here on March 6 at the 2010 Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Cancer Symposium (SSO).”

Bristol To Seek Approval Of Cancer Drug This Year
(Reuters) – “Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said on Thursday it was planning to seek approval this year for its experimental cancer drug ipilimumab as a treatment for advanced melanoma, and move it into late-stage lung cancer trials.”

Facing Lung Cancer Together
“The American Lung Association in Central Florida is spearheading the region's first lung cancer support group.”

N.J. Lung Cancer Patient Perseveres After Being Told She Has A Week To Live
“The doctor spoke to Patricia Duff in quiet, firm tones. The hospital room was dark. She could hear her roommate breathing beyond the privacy curtain. Duff had never felt more alone.”

Biomoda Awarded Patent Securing Assay Formulation and Use
“Biomoda, Inc. today awarded U.S. patent 7,670,799, entitled, "Composition and Method for Making 5, 10, 15, 20- Tetrakis (Carboxyphenyl) Porphine (TCPP)" directed to Biomoda's proprietary TCPP formulation for cancer and pre-cancer cell identification and analysis and a method of making the TCPP formulation.”

Lung Cancer Research Foundation Strides For Life-Arizona Walk Aprill 11th!
“Please join the Lung Cancer reserach Foundation(LCRF) on Sunday, Aprill 11th, 2010 at Tempe Arts Park for Strides for Life-Arizona, a 3 mile fun run/walk to benefit Lung Cancer Research!”

February

Week Ending February 28, 2010

Renaissance Center Climb Raises Money for Lung Cancer Patients
“Her tell-tale thinning hair hidden beneath a pink winter cap, Diane Andrews sat patiently at the starting point of Sunday's Fight for Air Climb Detroit, waiting for her daughter and granddaughter.”

New Cancer Treatment Helps Crawford County Woman
Pennsylvania – “Midge Brawley didn't have many options after doctors discovered cancerous tumors the size of marbles in both of her lungs.”

What Doctors May Not Tell Lung Cancer Patients: New Treatment Guide Offers Hope, Empowerment!
“Lange Productions announces today that "Be a Survivor - Lung Cancer Treatment Guide" (ISBN: 978-0-9819489-1-1) is the first book to offer a new approach to this frightening disease. It empowers patients to seek a cure, rather than accept defeat; to approach their diagnosis with hope, and shows them how to seek out effective treatments.”

Beaverton City Councilor Bruce Dalrymple Says He Has Lung Cancer
Oregon – “Beaverton City Councilor Bruce Dalrymple on Thursday said he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.”

Transgene Investors Expect Partner to Help Develop Cancer Drug
“Investors are counting on Transgene SA to attract a drugmaker to help fund development and promote what may become the first product to attack lung cancer by stimulating patients’ immune systems.”

Good News About Lung Cancer
Leafy greens may protect smokers and ex-smokers.
“There's no way to completely reverse the damage that smoking does, but a vitamin-rich diet with lots of leafy greens and folic acid may offer some protection against lung cancer in smokers and ex-smokers, according to preliminary research from the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute.”

Novelos Therapeutics Pivotal Phase 3 Lung Cancer Trial Does Not Meet the Primary Survival Endpoint
“Novelos Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapeutics to treat cancer and hepatitis, today announced that the primary endpoint of improvement in overall survival was not met in Novelos' pivotal Phase 3 trial in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) studying its lead product, NOV-002, in combination with first-line chemotherapy. Detailed trial results are expected to be presented via appropriate scientific venue later this year.”

Hormone Replacement Tied To Lung Cancer Risk
(Reuters Health) – “Women who use hormone replacement therapy combining estrogen and progestin may have a higher risk of lung cancer than non-users, a new study finds.”

Lung Cancer Vaccine Trials Begin At Marian
“Clinical trials of a lung cancer vaccine have begun in Santa Maria, Marian Medical Center announced Monday.”

Cancer Center Seeks Patients For Study
Horizon Oncology Center clinical research study
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – “Last summer, John Jean was diagnosed with lung cancer.
He went through radiation and chemotherapy treatment
but his doctor recently saw some cancer growth and suggested he enroll in a new clinical research study.”

Week Ending February 21, 2010

Survey Finds Significant Racial Differences In Lung Cancer Beliefs
“A new survey finds that while both whites and African Americans know and think little about lung cancer, African Americans are more likely to hold beliefs and perceptions about the disease that could interfere with prevention and treatment. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the report indicates that public health messages regarding lung cancer should be targeted to all communities.”

Lending A Hand: Volunteers Give Cancer Patients A Lift
“Dallas McCormack still has a car and a driver's license, but her son, Bob, wouldn't think of letting her drive herself to radiation treatments.
The 92-year-old Shiloh woman is hard of hearing and a little unsteady on her feet, especially with snow on the ground. She was diagnosed with lung cancer six weeks ago.”

Surgery Alone May Thwart Stage 1 Lung Cancer
Chemo, radiation may not be necessary for early malignancy, study finds
(HealthDay News) – “Surgery alone offers a reasonable overall level of survival for patients with stage 1 small cell lung cancer, a new study suggests.”

Duke Study: Why Do Some People Fight Lung Cancer Better Than Others?
“Lung cancer is the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women, and it is still the most common cause of cancer death, according to the American Lung Association.”

Increased Duration of Estrogen Plus Progestin Use Increased Risk For Lung Cancer
“The use of estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy increased risk for lung cancer in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women by about 25% when used for one to nine years and by about 50% when used for 10 years or more.”

Personalized Medicine Changing The Way Doctors Work
“In the past, doctors have diagnosed a disease, and often, all doctors treated that particular disease in the same way with the same drugs. Now, DNA testing is allowing doctors to treat each individual patient and not just the disease.”

HIV Contributes to Lung Cancer Risk, but Not Nearly as Much as Smoking
“HIV infection increases the risk of developing lung cancer by about 80 percent, according to a study presented Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. However, it is smoking among people living with HIV that poses the greatest risk of developing lung cancer.”

Lung Cancer Study: Seeking Participants, Smokers
“Atlantic Health participates in and conducts a variety of clinical trials. One such study, International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (IELCAP) focuses on improving the rate for the early detection of lung cancer. Lung cancer remains the top killer among men and women. Unfortunately, most lung cancer cases are detected in late stages, once the disease has progressed to a point that makes a cure difficult. Researchers in the IELCAP study are working on ways to increase the odds of early detection and better indentify the at-risk population.”

Cooking With Gas Raises Risk Of Lung Cancer - Study
“The aroma of seared meat as your pan-fried steak is prepared may set your tastebuds tingling - but it may also give the chef cancer, especially if they are using a gas cooker.”

Desperate Housewives Takes On Cancer
“Joosten, who plays Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives, recently overcame lung cancer learning she was cancer-free this past January and now her character on the show will experience a similar situation.”

Lung Cancer: Split-Course Palliative Radiotherapy Confirmed as Effective Treatment for Advanced NSCLC
ScienceDaily — “Research published in the February edition of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology sought to assess the overall efficacy of split-course palliative chest radiotherapy (RT) for symptom relief in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Additionally, researchers investigated the impact the regimen's two-week break has on survival outcomes.”

First Actuarial Analysis Shows Significant Mortality Reduction When Lung Cancer Diagnosed Early
“The first ever actuarial analysis of lung cancer mortality, published today in Population Health Management Journal, provides strong evidence that earlier detection could reduce the number of late stage lung cancer deaths by over 70,000 people each year in the US.”

Mac Tests Lung Cancer Screening
Study seeks 2,500 long-term smokers
CANADA – “McMaster University is trying to be the first to find a screening test for lung cancer. The No. 1 cancer killer has a five-year survival rate of only 10 to 20 per cent because it's not detected early enough most of the time.”

Week Ending February 14, 2010

Occupation a key factor in men's lung cancer risk
(Reuters Health) – “Men who work in certain occupations continue to be at increased risk of lung cancer, new research from Italy shows.”

Lung Cancer Survival Affected by Age, Gender
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – “The biology of lung cancer differs from one patient to the next, depending on age and gender, which may help explain why certain groups of patients do better than others even though they appear to have the same disease.”

Ill With Terminal Lung Cancer, Ex-Slot Manager Presses For Ban
“In April 2008, 60-year-old Cheryl Rose got a bad cough that wouldn’t go away. Her doctors thought she had asthma — a bizarre turn for a woman who had never had difficulty breathing, not even during frequent workouts at the gym.”

Clarient Launches New Lung Cancer Test
“Clarient, Inc. , a premier technology and services resource for pathologists, oncologists and the pharmaceutical industry, today announced the commercial launch of a new lung cancer test, Clarient Insight® Dx Pulmotype® Test, that helps physicians classify specific types of lung cancer to identify which therapies may be most effective. The new test has been clinically validated to use in the sub-classification of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for approximately 85 percent of the more than 200,000 lung cancer cases diagnosed each year.”

Senator Hoping To Bring Lung Cancer Study To His State
“Omaha Senator Bob Krist's father died of lung cancer in 2004. The cancer was linked to exposure to asbestos, a carcinogen which can cause both lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer that may affect the lungs as well as other major organs and tissues. Now, Krist is hoping to translate his loss into a study that could benefit hundreds of Nebraskans at risk for developing lung cancer.”

Tobacco heir Patrick Reynolds steps up anti-smoking campaign
Patrick Reynolds, whose grandfather founded the cigarette company R.J. Reynolds, was a smoker for 10 years before quitting. He also lost numerous family members, including his father, oldest brother and aunt, to cigarette-induced emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer.

OXiGENE Announces Restructuring to Focus Resources on Key Programs and Provides Business Update
“OXiGENE, Inc. a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat cancer and eye diseases, announced today a restructuring plan designed to focus resources on the company's highest-value clinical assets and reduce its cash utilization.”

State spends less than1 percent of health budget to directly fight Alaska's #1 killer
“A month-long CBS 11 News Investigation of the complicated makeup of the state's Health and Social Services' $1.89 billion budget shows less than one percent of the department's funding is being spent to directly fight Alaska's number one killer: cancer.”

Fred Morrison - Frisbee Inventor – Dies
“Fred Morrison, a pilot and carpenter most often credited with inventing that most ubiquitous of backyard toys, the Frisbee, died Feb. 9 at his home in Monroe, Utah. He was 90 and had lung cancer.”

Sex-Specific Lung Cancer Genes Discovered by Researchers
“On Tuesday, American researchers revealed that lung cancer is, more often than not, dramatically different in females than it is in males, in another study that hints at ways to custom-make treatment for patients of cancer.”

Evidence-Based Guidelines Can Reduce Costs in Lung Cancer Care Without Sacrificing Outcomes
“Although health care reform is taking a back seat to the economy on Capitol Hill, discussions continue in the health care industry on how best to lower the cost of care while maintaining or improving patient outcomes.

A recent study conducted by Aetna and US Oncology, Inc. suggesting that adherence to US Oncology's Level I Pathways evidence-based treatment guidelines in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can reduce costs without sacrificing outcomes will be discussed in a webinar offered from noon to 1:15 PM EST, March 3 for a cost of $299.”

Insurer To Take New Role In Assessing Cancer Treatments
“UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation's biggest insurance companies, has decided to take a more active role in the care of its policy holders who are being treated for several types of cancer, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company "has started sending doctors individualized reports assessing their treatment of breast, lung and colorectal cancer patients. The reports show that while breast-cancer patients generally receive care that conforms to professional protocols, treatments given for colorectal and lung cancer tend to fail to meet expert recommendations more often."”

Week Ending February 8, 2010

Lab mice show the way as early lung-cancer detectors
They can ID biomarkers in cancerous rodents' urine.
“Mice are said to have a nose for cheese, but with training they also can sniff out a deadly disease: lung cancer. That is the conclusion of a new study led by Gary K. Beauchamp, director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. The mice did not smell cancer directly; they were trained to detect the illness in other mice by smelling those animals' urine.”

Scientists discover enzyme that 'cleans' cancer cells
Scientists have discovered that an enzyme can rid cells of a gene believed to be responsible for a wide range of cancers.
“Dr Joerg Hartkamp and Dr Stefan Roberts have found that the protease HtrA2 can “clean” cells of the oncogene WT1, which is found at high levels in many leukaemias and solid cancers such as breast and lung cancer. Their work has given drug designers a new target which will allow them to develop treatments for all these cancers in which WT1 expression is elevated.”

Middle-school kids add to Miami Marathon
“It was an emotional race for Cydney Greech, 43, and her husband, Ron, of Colorado Springs, Colo. Cydney raised $1,000 for cancer awareness and ran the marathon, her first, as a tribute to her mother, who is dying of lung cancer. For the past five years, Cydney has been battling thyroid cancer, but it recently went into remission. ``I never felt pain, and I was strong,'' said Cydney, who cried after finishing in just over four hours. ``My mother was with me the entire way.''”

Smoking Leading Cause of Lung Cancer Increase in Women
“A shocking study reveals that lung cancer is the second leading type of cancer diagnosed in Welsh men and women. The study is focusing on location in correlation to smoking cigarettes. In the past four years, there has been a 10 percent increase among women. Considering the discoveries about smoking and cancer, the statistics are alarming, especially because the percentage of the increase in men getting lung cancer isn't as high as in women.”

Cancer and Housing
“As many of us may know, it is World Cancer Day tomorrow, February 4, and the link between cancer and housing is not a well-kept secret anymore. The ARCHIVE Inst works squarely at the intersection of housing and health: our work, therefore, seeks to use one fundamental right (housing) to deliver another (health). Housing is perhaps the ultimate nexus between the built environment and health disparities: it has been the focus of much recent research and intervention activity looking at new approaches to old problems1. Poor housing environments contribute to ill health most obviously through poor amenities, shared facilities and overcrowding, inadequate heating or energy inefficiency.”

Lung Cancer: Large Impact, Little Funding
The ACCP and FIRS Elevate Lung Cancer Status During 2010: The Year of the Lung
“NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During the 2010: The Year of the Lung campaign, the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and other members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) are honoring World Cancer Day, February 4, by elevating the awareness of lung cancer in terms of prevalence and prevention, as well as the amount of funding the disease receives for research in diagnosis and management.”

Allegro Diagnostics Planning Large Lung Cancer Diagnosis Trial for 2010
“Allegro Diagnostics is on track to launch a major clinical trial of its lung cancer test this year after a long process, completed in October, of designing the goals of the study and submitting paperwork on it to the FDA, CEO Dan Rippy says. The FDA has granted the Boston-based startup conditional approval to conduct an 800-patient study of its genetic test for lung cancer; the company expects to begin enrollment early this year.”

I-Team: Deadly Disease on the Rise
A Big I-Team investigation exposes Wisconsin's deadly secret: a super-aggressive form of lung cancer with no cure. We've heard the warnings for years. Now, people are dying. The number keeps growing. And thousands of people in Milwaukee and throughout our area could be at risk and not even know it.

Cancer Resource Center first in Alabama
Tom Woods was diagnosed with lung cancer in May 2008.
He had been a long-time smoker but had quit six years prior to his doctor finding a spot on his right lung as part of an annual exam. It was early in the disease, and Woods had surgery to remove the cancer in July of the same year.
Recently, he was encouraged to volunteer to help guide other cancer patients. Woods said he felt an obligation to do so even though he doesn’t feel like he has any special skills or knowledge. “Just time and prayer — that’s all I have to offer them,” Woods said.
But it’s Woods and other volunteers like him who will man Alabama’s first Cancer Resource Center, located at Flowers Hospital in Dothan.

World Cancer Day's Spotlight on Prevention
Experts Say That 40 Percent of Cancers Are Preventable With Lifestyle Changes
(CBS/AP) Cancer doesn't know any boundaries or borders; the disease affects all of us worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Cancer kills more people than AIDS, malaria, and TB combined, but the good news is that approximately two out of five cancers are potentially preventable. In recognition of World Cancer Day, which takes place every year on Feb. 4, the WHO is supporting the International Union Against Cancer to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. This year's theme is "Cancer Can Be Prevented Too," which focuses on simple measures to prevent cancer. Experts say about 40 percent of cancers could be prevented if people made some lifestyle changes.”

Strength in Numbers
“My wife, Dina, and I found out the other day that a friend in our social circle was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. It's the first friend/acquaintance of ours so diagnosed since I was similarly informed last February. Naturally I was sorry to hear of another person joining this less-than-exclusive cancer club. However, since I knew this new member, its effect on me was more personal. I called her the next day to offer any insights, answer any questions, share a few anecdotes, some of which hopefully she might find helpful. And in so doing, I felt another sensation, the sensation of not being alone, vis-a-vis the whole honor/camaraderie-amongst-cancer-patients thing.”

Benefits Of CyberKnife Radiosurgery For Lung Cancer Drive Continued Adoption
“Accuray Incorporated, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced that more than 12,000 courses of lung cancer treatment have been completed with CyberKnife radiosurgery. Usage of CyberKnife radiosurgery for lung cancer continues to grow, as illustrated by a 25 percent increase year over year in calendar year 2009.”

Report shows Coos County has highest lung, oral cancer rates in state
“NORTH BEND, Ore. - A new report from the Oregon State Cancer Registry, shows Coos County ranks highest in the state for lung and oral cancer. The statistics are taken from data collected over a 10 year period ending in 2006. "Coos County has had similar statistics for generations now, decades, we've most always been the highest smoking county in the state," says Coos County Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Stephen Brown.”

Local Cancer Center Testing Lung Cancer Vaccine
“Santa Barbara, CA-- The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara is participating in a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a new lung cancer vaccine. It's called Lucanix and is a cell-based therapeutic vaccine, for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The phase three clinical trial begins after more than 22 years of development. It's the final step before seeking FDA approval. The trial is open to anyone over the age of 18 and under the age of 75, who meet the advanced stage disease presentation and treatment status requirement. It is limited to 506 total participants.”

Harmless Virus Could Be an Answer to Cancer
“You'd think that infecting a cancer patient with a virus would be the last thing a doctor would want to do. But what if it was a virus that attacks and kills cancer cells? That's exactly the premise that led to the founding of Oncolytics Biotech (ONCY), a Calgary-based biotechnology company. It's about to begin Phase 3 trials that could pave the way for a marketable cancer treatment based on this technology in two years, says CEO Dr. Brad Thompson (pictured) in an interview with DailyFinance.”

Lawrence Garfinkel dies at 88; statistician helped link smoking to lung cancer
“Garfinkel had a key role in two massive studies with the American Cancer Society, one of which helped pave the way for the landmark 1964 surgeon general's report on smoking and health.”

Week Ending February 1, 2010

Mapping Cancer Genes to Find a Cure
Cancer Kills More than 500,000 Americans Annually; 1,500 People a Day
“CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric reports the top five cancer killers account for nearly 13 percent of all deaths nationwide. Although the number of new cancer cases has been dropping by 1 percent a year, and cancer deaths have been falling by more than 1.5 percent, cancer still claims more than 500,000 American lives annually. That's 1,500 people every single day.”

Newly Developed Lung Cancer Testing Methods and Treatment Options May Lead
“Over the past few months, several studies have identified ground-breaking new ways of testing for early stage lung cancer. Additionally, scientists have recently developed numerous promising treatment options for the life-threatening disease.”

NICE Wants More Data On Cancer Drug Iressa
LONDON (Reuters) – “Britain's healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog said it needed more data before deciding whether AstraZeneca Plc's cancer drug Iressa can be offered on the state-run National Health Service.”

Biomoda Endorses Nebraska Legislation to Screen Veterans for Lung Cancer
“Cancer diagnostics company Biomoda, Inc. has applauded Nebraska State Sen. Bob Krist and his co-sponsors for introducing legislation to screen up to 500 Nebraska veterans for early-stageCancer diagnostics company Biomoda, Inc. has applauded Nebraska State Sen. Bob Krist and his co-sponsors for introducing legislation to screen up to 500 Nebraska veterans for early-stage lung cancer.”

Changes in Body Fluid Odors Indicate Presence of Lung Cancer Tumors
ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2010) — “New animal research from scientists at the Monell Center and collaborators demonstrates that body fluid odors can be used to identify animals with lung cancer tumors. The findings set the stage for studies to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers in the urine of human lung cancer patients.”

Trials Point to Potential Advances in Lung Cancer Treatment
“Results from two early phase clinical trials suggest that patients with advanced lung cancer may have new treatment options that improve their survival. The results were reported recently at the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer in Coronado, CA.”

Local Cancer Patients Get New Option
Rock Hill center offers localized radiation for patients who can’t have surgery
“When Dave Evers, 74, was diagnosed with lung cancer in November, he considered his treatment options. Diminished lung capacity meant surgery wasn’t viable, and the Rock Hill man says traditional radiation treatments would have been difficult to bear.”

Moffitt Loses High-Profile Doctor To Kamanos Cancer Institute
“Dr. Gerold Bepler was named president and chief executive of the Barbara Ann Kamanos Cancer Institute.”

B-Sens Set To Drop The Puck On Lung Cancer
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – “The Binghamton Senators announced today that, in conjunction with the Michael E. Connolly Endowment for Lung Cancer Research, will host the first annual Drop the Puck on Lung Cancer benefit Saturday, Feb. 6 at 4:30 p.m.”

January

Week Ending January 24, 2010

Conference Underscores Inequities in Cancer Funding
Hopeful Research Continues Despite Lackluster Support for ‘Smoker’s Disease’ “Major genetic advancements have revolutionized the treatment of lung cancer in recent years, but medical researchers who met last week in San Diego said they’re concerned that federal funding and public support continues to lag far behind other cancer types.”

Bionumerik Initiates Treatment In Phase III Lung Cancer Trial
“BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals has announced the treatment of the first patients in a global multi-center Phase III clinical trial of Tavocept in patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the lung, the most common type of lung cancer.”

Therapy Targets Resistant Lung Cancer
“Combination therapy may produce longer remissions for patients with non-small cell lung (NSCLC) cancer that is unresponsive to treatment.”

Tobacco Toxin Helps a Protein Cause Lung Cancer
(HealthDay News) –“New research offers insight into how a carcinogen in tobacco known as NNK contributes to the formation of lung cancer tumors.”

Rosetta, Johns Hopkins University Researchers Release Lung Cancer Study Results
“Rosetta Genomics, a developer and provider of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics, announced that the results of a joint study with the Department of Pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.”

Access To Cancer Services 'Still Affected By Social Factors'
“People who develop the most common forms of cancer are still more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage in their disease if they live in a deprived area, new research has found.”

Loyola One of Few Medical Centers to Use Robots to Treat Lung Cancer
“Generally, after traditional open-chest surgery for lung cancer, patients may experience a significant amount of pain and spend up to a week in the hospital followed by months recovering.”

Week Ending January 18, 2010

Radon Gas Linked to 20,000 U.S. Deaths Per Year Says Air Quality Control -- EPA Designates January National Radon Action Month
“The World Health Organization recently published new documentation that links radon gas to more deaths throughout the World than previously estimated. According to the studies, radon causes approximately 15% of all lung cancer deaths making radon the #1 cause of the cancer for non-smokers. Air Quality Control, the nation’s largest radon remediation contractor, encourages the media to help promote awareness of this national health threat.”

AACR-IASLC: Second Shot at EGFR Drug Therapy Often Effective
“Non-small cell lung cancer may respond to a second round of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment even when the first failed, researchers found.”

FDA Extends Review Period for Tarceva Application for First-line Maintenance Use in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
“OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIP) and Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the review period for the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Tarceva® (erlotinib) as a first-line maintenance therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by an additional 90 days.”

Three Pioneering Ideas in Cancer Research Granted Prestigious Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Awards
“The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation announced that three novel approaches to fighting cancer have won 2010 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Awards. The prize of $450,000 is awarded each year to three projects by early-career cancer researchers that have the potential to have a major impact on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer”

Lung Cancer: Drug With Unique Disruption of Tumor Blood Flow Shows Promise
ScienceDaily — “Phase II study results of the agent ASA404 showed promise in patients with either squamous or non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

Researchers Identify Ways To Predict Patients With Small-Cell Lung Cancer
“MicroRNAs are key to identifying patients resistant to 'first-line' chemotherapy Researchers for TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare (TCRS) have identified a way to predict which patients with small-cell lung cancer may be resistant to first-line chemotherapy.”

Diet May Protect Against Gene Changes in Smokers
(NCI) – “Leafy green vegetables, folate, and some multivitamins could serve as protective factors against lung cancer in current and former smokers, according to a study that is a first step in understanding a complex association.”

Green Tea May Ward Off Lung Cancer
Smokers Who Indulge in the Drink May Enjoy Lower Cancer Risk
“Green tea may reduce the risk of lung cancer, particularly for smokers, according to a study released this week.”

South Carolinians Against Lung Cancer Presents Radon Awareness Month
Why should I think about radon?
“Any home can have a radon gas problem. Homes can trap radon inside where it can build up. If you breathe radon in, it can change the cells in your lungs. These changes can increase your chances for getting lung cancer.”

Study of Evidence-Based Treatment for Lung Cancer Patients Shows Enhanced Value: Equivalent Outcomes and a 35 Percent Cost Savings
“A study recently conducted by US Oncology and Aetna (NYSE:AET) finds that evidence-based care for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) results in an average cost savings of 35 percent over 12 months while demonstrating equivalent health outcomes.”

Week Ending January 12, 2010

Woman Who Survived Lung Cancer After Praying To Mary Mackillop Just 'An Ordinary Person'
AUSTRALIA - “The NSW woman whose dramatic recovery from lung cancer was confirmed as Mary MacKillop's second miracle has described herself as an ordinary churchgoer.”

Utahns’ Urged To Get Homes Tested For Radon Gas
“Laura Longhurst gets emotional talking about her treatment for late-stage lung cancer. She never smoked and never lived in a home where anyone else did.”

American Association for Cancer Research to Host Lung Cancer Conference
“Promising results from Phase II clinical trials and important biological advances in diagnosis and prognosis will be presented here, at the conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer from Jan. 11-14, 2010. This conference is jointly sponsored by the AACR and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.”

JFK Doctors Praise Speed, Accuracy of Cyberknife As Radiation Tool
“A key weapon in physicians' arsenal of cancer-fighting tools at JFK Medical Center is a $5 million robot with an intimidating name.”

Bendix Plant, Tainted By Asbestos, Will Be Demolished
“In Cleveland, Ohio, Honeywell International is preparing to demolish the former Bendix Brake plant later on this month. Demolition of existing buildings of the brake pad manufacturing plant is expected to wrap up sometime this spring, according to city officials. According to Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Economic Development Doug Berry, the Bendix plant has been designated a Brownfield site by the US Environmental Protection Agency. This is because of the large amount of asbestos present at the site.”

Relay For Life Targets Larger Goal
“Last June on an impulse, Pam Hastings, manager of downtown Gresham’s Salon Ambiance, created a salon-based team for the Relay for Life of Gresham – an annual summer event that raises money to find a cure for cancer.”

EPA Warns of Lung Cancer Risk
“Your house could be giving you lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement today warning of the risks of lung cancer caused by exposure to radon.”

Advanced Lung Cancer in Women and COPD in Men
“Cigarette smokers are not only fatally threatened by lung cancer but also by COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), shows new European study. Most new smokers are the young people and the women.”

The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Third Annual 'Addario Lectureship Award' Announced
“The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF) today announced the winner of the 2010 Addario Lectureship Award, which each year recognizes luminaries in the quest to eradicate Lung Cancer. The recipient will be honored at the 11th International Lung Cancer Congress in Southern California held on July 8-11, 2010.”

LCA Announces Former Senator Chuck Hagel as First Honorary Board Member
“Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) announced today that Chuck Hagel, a former U.S. Senator (R-NE) and current co-chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, has become the first member of LCA's new Honorary Board.”

Low Lung-Cancer Awareness In Connacht
IRELAND – “A new study by Empathy Research has found that almost one in five people living in Connacht are unable to name even one symptom of lung cancer, while a further 64 per cent are unaware that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Ireland.”

Cyclacel's Seliciclib Found Effective Against Lung Cancer Cell Lines Including K-RAS Mutations
“Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the publication of two peer-reviewed journal articles featuring the company's seliciclib (CYC202 or R-roscovitine) drug candidate, an orally available inhibitor of multiple cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs).”

Role Of Nitric Oxide, Src Kinases In Lung Cancer Could Provide Treatment Answer
“The interaction of enzymes – especially the tyrosine kinases called Src and inducible nitric oxide synthase – plays an important role in the growth of non-small cell lung cancers, the most common form of this deadly disease in the United States, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.”

Novelos Therapeutics Reaches 725th Event in Pivotal Phase 3 Lung Cancer Trial
“Novelos Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapeutics to treat cancer and hepatitis, today announced that the 725th event (patient death) has been reached in its pivotal Phase 3 trial in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) studying its lead product, NOV-002, in combination with first-line chemotherapy.”

Canary Foundation Announces New Partnerships
“Canary Foundation has engaged in six new partnerships in prostate, never-smoker lung, and ovarian cancer research. The partnerships highlight Canary's commitment to collaboration and innovation in the hope of identifying and isolating cancer at its earliest, most curable stage.”

Poniard Pharmaceuticals Announces 2010 Goals for Picoplatin
“Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today provided an overview of its 2010 corporate, clinical and regulatory goals for picoplatin.”

Week Ending January 2, 2010

25 Years in Lung Cancer: An Arduous Fight
Doctors Report Some Gains Against the Killer Disease, but More Work Remains
“"For those of us with cancer, the fear of death lingers coyly. ... It creeps up at the oddest moments, like when it was time to renew my passport and I realized I could expire before the document does." Those words -- written by Newsday reporter Lauren Terrazzano shortly before she lost a three-year struggle with lung cancer -- resonate far too loudly with the majority of today's lung cancer patients.”

Experimental Drug Shows Promise Against Brain, Prostate Cancers
“An experimental drug currently being tested against breast and lung cancer shows promise in fighting the brain cancer glioblastoma and prostate cancer, researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have found in two pre-clinical studies.”

Cancer Survivors Get Weekly Support From One Another
“It's not something a lot of us have ever heard of, but these four women gathered around a table at the Sequoia Regional Cancer Center discuss chemo brain as casually as old friends discuss their families.”

Lung Association Wants A Few Good Quitters
“Every December, Carolyn Westhues made the same New Year's resolution - this would be the year she quit smoking.”

Series Of Radon Presentation Meetings Begins Monday
NEVADA – “The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Radon Education Program will offer several radon presentation meetings in Lyon County during the coming month, and beginning next Monday, Jan. 4, at 5:30 p.m. at the Lyon County Cooperative Extension office at 504 S. Main St. in Yerington.”

DHEC Offers Free Radon Kits to Families
“The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to educate residents about the dangers of radon exposure.”

Pfizer Ends Late-Stage Lung-Cancer Study
(Reuters) – “Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday it has ended a late-stage lung cancer study of its experimental drug figitumumab after an analysis showed it was unlikely to meet the main goal of improving overall survival.”