Ovarian cancer Archives

New class of cancer drugs could work in colon cancers with genetic mutation

New class of cancer drugs could work in colon cancers with genetic mutation, U-M study finds — 15 percent of colorectal cancers have mutation that responds to PARP inhibitors – A class of drugs that shows promise in breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA gene mutations could potentially benefit colorectal cancer patients with a different genetic mutation, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.

Gene is mutated in 1 in 3 patients with kidney cancer

Research provides new kidney cancer clues — Gene is mutated in 1 in 3 patients with common form of renal cancer – Researchers have identified a gene that is mutated in one in three patients with the most common form of renal cancer. The identification of a frequently mutated gene will provide new insights into the biology of the disease.

Parents favor genetic testing for melanoma in their children

Parents favor genetic testing for melanoma in their children – The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) support genetic testing of their children or grandchildren. Results of the two-year study at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U) appear in the December issue of the journal Genetics in Medicine. The data could lead to the establishment of formal, evidence-based guidelines for genetic testing of people younger than 18 years.

New risk factor for developing breast cancer

New risk factor for developing breast cancer – An Australian research team from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland has identified a new risk factor for developing breast cancer. This has been published online in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Preventive surgeries better in breast or ovarian cancer patients

For some women, preventive mastectomies pay off — Study shows women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations significantly reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer with preventive surgeries – A long-term study of women with a genetic predisposition for breast or ovarian cancer showed that those who elected major preventive surgeries had a significantly reduced risk of those cancers.

Preventive cancer surgeries save women’s lives

Preventive cancer surgeries save women’s lives — Genetic testing is critical for women with family history of ovarian and breast cancers – A new study underscores the importance for women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer to get genetic counseling and testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that make them more likely to develop lethal breast or ovarian cancer, says a Northwestern Medicine oncologist.

Initial trials on new ovarian cancer tests exhibit extremely high accuracy

Initial trials on new ovarian cancer tests exhibit extremely high accuracy – Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have attained very promising results on their initial investigations of a new test for ovarian cancer. Using a new technique involving mass spectrometry of a single drop of blood serum, the test correctly identified women with ovarian cancer in 100 percent of the patients tested. The results can be found online in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention Research.

Simple blood test may detect ovarian cancer early

CA-125 change over time shows promise as screening tool for early detection of ovarian cancer – Researchers find out that CA-125 protein may help detact ovarian cancer in its early stage. The findings were presented by Karen Lu, M.D., professor in MD Anderson’s Department of Gynecologic Oncology, in advance of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.

BRCA mutation increases breast cancer risk in opposite breast

Breast cancer patients with BRCA mutations 4 times more likely to get cancer in opposite breast – Women with breast cancer before age 55 who carry an inherited mutation in the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 are four times more likely to develop cancer in the breast opposite, or contralateral, to their initial tumor as compared to breast cancer patients without these genetic defects.

Isolated DNA Claims are Not Patentable, US

Federal District Court Rules Isolated DNA Claims are Not Patentable — Myriad to Appeal Decision to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals – A federal judge on Monday struck down patents on two genes — BRCA1 and BRCA2 — linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Shares of Myriad Genetics (MYGN.O) fell as much as 7 percent, a day after the ruling.

Symptoms have little value to diagnose ovarian cancer earlier

Symptoms have little value for early detection of ovarian cancer – Use of symptoms to trigger a medical evaluation for ovarian cancer does not appear to detect early-stage ovarian cancer earlier and would likely result in diagnosis in only 1 out of 100 women in the general population with such symptoms, revealed in an article.

Biomarkers for ovarian cancer rise a year before diagnosis

Assessing lead time of selected ovarian cancer biomarkers – Concentrations of the biomarkers CA125, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), and mesothelin began to rise 3 years before clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer, according to a new study published online December 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.