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Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today

Latest Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today.

• Ning Wong Of Fox Chase Cancer Center Receives ASCO Cancer Foundation Career Development Award
  The American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Foundation has selected Yu-Ning Wong, M.D., M.S.C.E., of Fox Chase Cancer Center, as one of 13 clinicians to receive a 2008 Career Development Award. Career Development Awards are presented to physicians in their second, third or fourth year as full-time faculty members in an academic setting. This award marks the third time ASCO has honored Wong's accomplishments since she began her professional career in oncology in 2002.
  
  
• New Treatment Implications For Ovarian Cancer Unveiled
  New research findings from a top clinical investigator at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) indicate the potential for more targeted treatment of ovarian cancer, which is expected to claim more than 15,000 lives nationwide this year, with 480 in New Jersey.
  
  
• Nexavar Significantly Improves Overall Survival By 47 Percent In Asia Pacific Liver Cancer Study
  Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX) announced that Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets significantly improved overall survival by 47.3 percent (HR=0.68; p-value=0.014) in patients in the Asia-Pacific region with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer versus those receiving placebo. Nexavar also significantly improved time to progression in these patients by 74 percent (HR=0.57; P=0.001).
  
  
• Significant Anti-Tumor Activity Of NKTR-102 In Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors; Interim Data Published In ASCO 2008 Proceedings
  Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) announced initial results from a Phase 1 study of NKTR- 102, PEGylated irinotecan. The data shows significant anti-tumor activity in patients with refractory solid tumors. The study also demonstrates that Nektar's small molecule PEGylation technology produced an increase in SN38 exposure that was up to six-fold higher than the exposure previously reported with irinotecan at equivalent doses.
  
  
• Rosetta Genomics To Present Multiple Posters At The 44th Annual Meeting Of The American Society Of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
  Rosetta Genomics Ltd. (Nasdaq:ROSG), a leader in the development of microRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics, announced that it will present multiple posters at the upcoming ASCO annual meeting in Chicago. The company also has three publication only abstracts available on ASCO's website. The event will take place from May 30 to June 3 at the McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. Presented posters: 1.
  
  
• Memory Pharmaceuticals Highlights Progress With Key Programs At Its R&D Day
  Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: MEMY) announced progress with several key development programs at its R&D Day meeting with the investment community. The Company reported new clinical data for MEM 1414, its lead PDE4 inhibitor, demonstrating the compound's CNS activity in humans. In addition, the Company has nominated MEM 68626 as the lead development candidate from its 5-HT6 antagonist program, and separately confirmed its 2008 development goals for its pipeline.
  
  
• Cancer Awareness Efforts Need To Reach All Racial And Ethnic Groups, Opinion Piece Says
  Awareness of early cancer screening and detection methods, and "better access to cancer prevention information" need to be expanded to all California residents, particularly minorities, California Assembly member Sandré Swanson (D) writes in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece. Swanson notes that
  
  
• A 5-Year Follow-up Study Of Asymptomatic Men With Testicular Microlithiasis
  UroToday.com - This study has designed to assess the risk of testicular malignancy is patients with known microlithiasis. It is a follow-up study to the 2001 prospective screening study previously published by the authors which established the prevalence of testicular microlithiasis to be 5.6% in a healthy asymptomatic population of Army volunteers (18 to 35 years old). The initial study identified 84 patients with testicular microlithiasis (5.6%).
  
  
• Drug Therapy To Bolster Immune System Cells Found Effective Toward Childhood Cancer
  Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a possible approach to therapy that may make cancer cells more sensitive to attack by immune system cells while making the immune system cells more powerful.
  
  
• Researcher Finds An SOS Response To Cancer Causing Agents
  University of Saskatchewan microbiologist Wei Xiao has found a way to trigger a protein combination called 9-1-1 that sends an SOS signal for cells to fight cancer-causing agents such as industrial toxins, ultraviolet radiation, and X-rays.The finding published this week in the prestigious journal Cell is seen as a breakthrough in cancer research that could lead to better cancer diagnosis through targeting defective genes.