New research published in the latest print edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Vol. 27, No. 9) shows a treatment combination used in breast and lung cancers to be effective against Hodgkin’s disease in pre-teens and young adults. Richard Drachtman, MD, the interim chief and medical director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is a member of the author team. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Hodgkin’s disease is a type of lymphoma, which compromises the body’s immune system by affecting lymph nodes, lymph tissues, and other entities in the body responsible for fighting infection. According to the American Cancer Society, 8,200 new cases of the disease were diagnosed in the United States last year, with about 1,300 deaths. It is most common in people aged 15 to 40 and in those older than 55. Between 10 and 15 percent of all cases are found in children and teens.

At focus in the study, Phase II Study of Weekly Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine for Children with Recurrent or Refractory Hodgkin’s Disease: A Children’s Oncology Group Report, was a drug combination known as GV (Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine). Previous studies have shown that GV has been well tolerated by adults with breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Investigators found that when children and young adults with Hodgkin’s disease that was recurrent or treatment resistant were administered GV, the response was greater than reported for either drug by itself. Predominant side effects were hematologic in nature and primarily consisted of decreased bone marrow activity, which results in fewer platelets and red and white blood cells.

The research looked at 30 patients with a median age of 17, who were heavily treated in their initial stage of Hodgkin’s disease. A median of five, 21-day cycles of GV was administered to each patient. Results showed 19 of 25 patients had measurable responses, with six having complete response, 11 having a very good partial response and two had a partial response. And while the one-year, event-free and overall survival rates measured 59.5 percent and 86 percent respectively, the study team notes that further evaluation of GV for this population of patients is warranted.

Dr. Drachtman, who is also a professor of pediatrics at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and his study colleagues are part of the Children’s Oncology Group, which is the world’s largest cooperative pediatric cancer research organization.

Along with Drachtman, the author team consists of Peter D. Cole, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center; Cindy L. Schwartz, MD, Brown Medical School, Hasbro Children’s Hospital; Pedro A. de Alarcon, MD, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Lu Chen, PhD, Children’s Oncology Group; and Tanya M. Trippett, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The research, which was presented in part as a poster presentation at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2007, was supported in part by a National Cancer Institute Grant (CA98543) and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (CI-16-03).

About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is dedicated to improving the prevention, detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer. CINJ’s physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice quite literally bringing research to life. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. To support CINJ, please call the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation at 1-888-333-CINJ.

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides a mechanism to rapidly disseminate important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Hospital, Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Affiliate Hospitals: Bayshore Community Hospital, CentraState Healthcare System, Cooper University Hospital*, JFK Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton (CINJ at Hamilton), Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Somerset Medical Center, Southern Ocean County Hospital, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate.

Biomoda, Inc. (OTCBB: BMOD), a medical diagnostics company based in Albuquerque, received approval from an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) to begin Phase I clinical trials of its cytology-based screening technology for early detection of cancer.

IRB review protects research subjects by reviewing the study protocol to make sure it adheres to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations, that risks to participants are minimized and acceptable in light of the possible benefits, that the informed consent document is accurate, and that the research is conducted in an ethical manner.

Citing the IRB’s approval of Biomoda’s protocol as a significant step forward, Biomoda President and CEO John Cousins said, “This not only launches our Phase I clinical study, but it also puts us in a position to have a meaningful impact on people’s lives today. Our initial study is directed at military veterans who are at high risk for developing lung cancer. If our screening reveals early-stage cancer in one of our volunteers, that person’s chance of being alive five years from now goes from 15 percent to 80 percent, all because of early diagnosis and treatment.” It is our intent in this pilot program to identify five to ten such cases and have a dramatic impact on saving lives here in New Mexico now.

Working closely with the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Biomoda will begin recruiting volunteers for the study from New Mexico’s veteran population. Volunteers must be “20 pack year” smokers, individuals who have smoked one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.

The study will initially enroll approximately 200-300 participants who will provide a deep-lung sputum sample under the guidance of a respiratory therapist. Each volunteer will also undergo a computed tomography (CT) scan, currently the standard of care for early detection of lung cancer. Later this year, the study will expand to 2,500 volunteers.

“Our internal testing on a small sample of patients has shown 100 percent accuracy. With the IRB approval, we can now expand that sample to a statistically significant number of patients which we believe will push us to final FDA approval and commercialization,” Cousins said.

Dr. Thomas L. Bauer, thoracic surgeon and cancer researcher with the Christiana Care Health System in Delaware, is the national Principal Investigator (PI) overseeing the Biomoda study. Bauer has led several lung and esophageal cancer studies and heads up Christiana’s participation in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP). Bauer will work with Dr. Lara Patriquin, a diagnostic radiologist in Albuquerque, who has agreed to serve as the local PI for the study.

Biomoda’s non-invasive diagnostic is based on a patented porphyrin application that preferentially binds to cancerous or aberrant cells extracted from lung sputum samples. Cancerous cells glow red under fluorescent light. The cytology-based assay is designed for cancer screening of large populations at a reasonable cost with expected commercial accuracy of at least 90 percent.

Rosetta Genomics Ltd. (Nasdaq:ROSG) and collaborators announced the results of a research study, showing for the first time that a microRNA-based diagnostic test can objectively identify squamous lung cancer with 96% sensitivity. The study, posted on the Journal of Clinical Oncology’s Web site,[1] was carried out in collaboration with researchers at Columbia University, NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center and Sheba Medical Center, and included 262 patients. Rosetta’s miRview™ squamous test, based on the same microRNA biomarker that was evaluated by the study, offers similar accuracy (97% sensitivity) and is now commercially available through Rosetta Genomics CLIA-certified lab in Philadelphia.

“The results of this study are very encouraging,” said Mahesh Mansukhani, Head of Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Columbia University Medical Center, and principal investigator of the study. “The study has demonstrated that a microRNA biomarker successfully identifies squamous lung cancer with high reproducibility, sensitivity, and specificity.”

The company’s scientists and collaborators have shown that a single microRNA biomarker, obtained from a routine pathological preparation (FFPE) of a biopsy, identified squamous lung carcinomas with 96% sensitivity and 90% specificity.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the US, killing over 160,000 Americans every year. In over 60,000 of these patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), identification of the squamous sub-type has significant clinical implications. Squamous lung cancer carries increased risk of severe or fatal bleeding for certain targeted biological therapies, including Bevacizumab (Avastin™) and other drugs under development.[2] Other approved therapies, such as Pemetrexed (Alimta™) are indicated for non-squamous NSCLC only.[3] Yet recent studies comparing the reliability of histopathological classification found that as many as 30% of the squamous lung cancers were misclassified.[4]

“The study strongly validates the microRNA technology that underlies our miRview™ squamous test, one of three important cancer diagnostic products we launched last quarter,” noted Amir Avniel, President and CEO of Rosetta Genomics. “We are now focused on marketing these diagnostic tests through distribution alliances, such as our recently announced agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, and other sales and marketing efforts, and expect to expand our distribution agreements in 2009.”

To order the test, physicians may contact 1-888-522-7971, or visit the company’s website at http://www.rosettagenomics.com/squamous.

[1] Lebanony et al., A diagnostic assay based on hsa-miR-205 expression distinguishes squamous from non-squamous non small-cell lung carcinoma, Journal of Clinical Oncology, March 2009

[2] Johnson et al, Randomized phase II trial comparing bevacizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel with carboplatin and paclitaxel alone in previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 22:2184-91, 2004

[3] Alimta website at http://www.alimta.com

[4] Field et al., Lung cancer histologic type in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results registry versus independent review. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 96:1105-1107, July 2004

miRview™ is a registered trademark of Rosetta Genomics Ltd Avastin™ is a registered trademark of Genentech BioOncology, Inc Alimta™ is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly

About Rosetta Genomics

Rosetta Genomics (Nasdaq: ROSG) is a leading developer of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics. Founded in 2000, the company’s integrative research platform combining bioinformatics and state-of-the-art laboratory processes has led to the discovery of hundreds of biologically validated novel human microRNAs. Building on its strong IP position and proprietary platform technologies, Rosetta Genomics is working on the application of these technologies in the development of a full range of microRNA-based diagnostic tools. The company’s first three microRNA-based tests, miRview™ squamous, miRview™ mets, and miRview™ meso, are commercially available through its Philadelphia-based CLIA-certified lab. Rosetta Genomics is the 2008 winner of Wall Street Journal’s Technology Innovation Awards in the medical/biotech category.

About miRview™ Products

miRview™ are a series of microRNA-based diagnostic products offered by Rosetta Genomics. miRview™ mets accurately identifies the primary tumor site in metastatic cancer and Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP). miRview™ squamous accurately identifies the squamous subtype of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which carries an increased risk of severe of fatal internal bleeding and poor response to treatment for certain therapies. miRview™ meso diagnoses mesothelioma, a cancer connected to asbestos exposure. miRview™ tests are designed to provide objective diagnostic data; it is the treating physician’s responsibility to diagnose and administer the appropriate treatment. In the US alone, over 100,000 patients a year may benefit from the miRview™ mets test, 60,000 from miRview™ squamous, and 60,000 from miRview™ meso, with similar numbers of patients outside the US.

About MicroRNA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered, naturally occurring, small RNAs that act as master regulators and have the potential to form the basis for a new class of diagnostics and therapeutics. Since many diseases are caused by the abnormal activity of proteins, the ability to selectively regulate protein activity through microRNAs could provide the means to treat a wide range of human diseases. In addition, microRNAs have been shown to have different expression in various pathological conditions. As a result, these differences may provide for a novel diagnostic strategy for many diseases.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

Various statements in this release concerning Rosetta’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation, statements relating to the role of microRNAs in human physiology and disease, the potential of microRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, including without limitation the potential success of the miRview™ Squamous diagnostic test, constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks related to: Rosetta’s approach to discover and develop novel diagnostics and therapeutic tools, which is unproven and may never lead to commercially accepted products or services; Rosetta’s ability to fund and the results of further pre-clinical and clinical trials; Rosetta’s ability to obtain, maintain and protect the intellectual property utilized by Rosetta’s products; Rosetta’s ability to enforce its patents against infringers and to defend its patent portfolio against challenges from third parties and its ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of others; Rosetta’s ability to obtain additional funding to support its business activities; Rosetta’s dependence on third parties for development, manufacture, marketing, sales, and distribution of products; Rosetta’s ability to successfully develop and commercialize its candidate tools, products and services; Rosetta’s ability to obtain regulatory clearances or approvals that may be required for its products and services; the ability to obtain coverage and adequate payment from health insurers for the products and services comprising Rosetta’s technology; competition from others using technology similar to Rosetta’s and others developing products for similar uses; Rosetta’s dependence on collaborators; and Rosetta’s short operating history; as well as those risks more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of Rosetta’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent Rosetta’s views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Rosetta does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements unless required by law.

http://www.rosettagenomics.com

A new study shows for the first time that a microRNA-based diagnostic test can objectively identify squamous lung cancer with 96% sensitivity, according to Harvey Pass, M.D. of the NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center, one of the authors of the study published on-line ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In a paper titled, “Diagnostic Assay Based on has-miR-205 Expression Distinguishes Squamous From Non-Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma,” researchers looked at 252 patients with lung cancer and sent their tumor samples to a lab where a single microRNA biomarker identified squamous lung carcinomas with 96% sensitivity and 90% specificity. This is important because studies have shown that as many as 30% of squamous lung cancers are misclassified. If the type of lung cancer is not identified correctly, patients may have side effects due to treatment and medications. For example, squamous lung cancer carries increased risk of severe or fatal bleeding for certain targeted biological therapies including Bevacizumab (Avastin) and other drugs in development. Other approved therapies such as Pemetrexed (Alimta) are indicated for non-squamous lung cancer only.

The study, funded by Rosetta Genomics, was conducted at the NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University and Sheba Medical Center.

“The results of this study are very encouraging,” says Harvey Pass, MD, professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director, thoracic surgery and oncology at the NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center. “The study has demonstrated that a microRNA biomarker successfully identifies squamous lung cancer with high reproducibility, sensitivity and specificity. “The study certainly demonstrates the power of microRNAs in correctly classifying lung cancer and hopefully can immediately translate into more accurate choices of targeted therapies as well as cytotoxics for the disease.”

Dr. Pass is the Vice chairman medical advisory board for Rosetta Genomics (Nasdaq: ROSG), the company who makes a test based on the same microRNA biomarker that was evaluated by the study. The test offers similar accuracy (97% sensitivity) and is now commercially available through Rosetta Genomics CLIA-certified lab in Philadelphia.

Notes:

About NYU Langone Medical Center

Located in the heart of New York City, NYU Langone Medical Center is a premier center for health care, biomedical research, and medical education. For over 167 years, NYU physicians and researchers have contributed to the practice and science of medicine. Today the Medical Center consists of NYU School of Medicine; Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first and largest facility of its kind; NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, a leader in musculoskeletal care; and such nationally recognized programs as the NYU Cancer Institute, the NYU Child Study Center, and the NYU Cardiac and Vascular Institute.

About NYU Cancer Institute

The NYU Cancer Institute is an NCI-designated cancer center. Its mission is to discover the origins of human cancer and to use that knowledge to eradicate the personal and societal burden of cancer in our community, the nation and the world. The center and its multidisciplinary team of experts provide access to the latest treatment options and clinical trials along with a variety of programs in cancer prevention, screening, diagnostics, genetic counseling and supportive services. For additional information, please visit: http://www.nyuci.org.

A new analysis has found that certain variations in genes that repair DNA can affect a person’s risk of developing Hodgkin disease. Published in the April 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that differences in these genes should be further investigated to better understand individuals’ susceptibility to this type of cancer.

Proteins that repair damage to DNA are important for maintaining cells’ health, particularly for preventing the accumulation of genetic damage that could increase the chances of becoming cancerous. Researchers have found that, in the general population, there are variations in the genes that encode these DNA repair proteins. Research has also shown a link between reduced DNA repair and susceptibility to a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, and lung cancer.

To determine the potential role of genetic variants – or polymorphisms – in DNA repair genes in the development of Hodgkin disease, Dr. Randa El-Zein and colleagues at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston evaluated the relationship between polymorphisms in five DNA repair genes (XPC, XPD, XPG, XRCC1, and XRCC3) in a population of 200 Hodgkin disease patients and 220 healthy individuals.

These five genes are involved in different pathways that repair DNA by performing different modifications to damaged DNA. Changes in these genes can change the make-up and structure of the proteins that carry out these repair processes and therefore could influence how well DNA repair is performed.

The researchers found that variations in DNA repair genes may modify the risk of HD especially when interactions between the pathways are considered. Depending on the variant or combination thereof, people could be, up to four times more likely to develop the disease.

The authors concluded that “these data suggest that genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may modify the risk of Hodgkin disease especially when interactions between the pathways are considered.” They added that genetic variants in the different DNA repair pathways should be further evaluated to better understand their role in Hodgkin disease susceptibility in individuals.

Notes:

Article: “Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes as modulators of Hodgkin disease risk.” Randa El-Zein, Claudia M. Monroy, Carol J. Etzel, Andrea C. Cortes, Yun Xing, Amanda L. Collier, and Sara S. Strom. CANCER; Published Online: March 9, 2009 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24205); Print Issue Date: April 15, 2009.

Also Included In: Genetics; Colorectal Cancer; Lung Cancer

World Lung Foundation and the American Cancer Society have published The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition and released an online version of the document at TobaccoAtlas.org. This comprehensive volume of research and its accompanying website graphically display how tobacco is devastating both global health and economies.

A $500 Billion Hole in Global Economy

According to The Tobacco Atlas, tobacco’s estimated $500 billion drain on the world economy exceeds the total combined annual expenditure on health in all low-and middle-income countries. The economic costs come as a result of lost productivity, misused resources, ineffective taxation and premature death:

* Because 25 percent of smokers die and many more become ill during their most productive years, income loss devastates families and communities.

* Cigarettes are the world’s most widely smuggled legal consumer product. In 2006, about 600 billion smuggled cigarettes made it to the market, representing an enormous missed tax opportunity for governments, as well as a missed opportunity to prevent many people from starting to smoke and encourage others to quit. A ten percent increase in cigarette prices reduces demand by up to five percent among adults, with even better results among young smokers.

* Tobacco replaces potential food production on almost 4 million hectares of the world’s agricultural land, equal to all of the world’s orange groves or banana plantations.

* In developing countries, smokers spend great sums of money in proportion to their incomes that could otherwise be spent on food, healthcare and other necessities.

Burden Shift to the World’s Poorest Countries

The Tobacco Atlas crystallizes an undeniable trend: the tobacco industry has shifted its marketing and sales efforts to countries that have less effective public health policies and fewer resources in place:

* In 2010, tobacco will kill six million people worldwide annually, 72 percent of whom will be in low and middle-income countries.

* Since 1960 global tobacco production has increased 300 percent in low- and middle-resource countries while dropping more than 50 percent in high-resource countries.

* In India and China together, over half a billion men are consuming tobacco.

* In Bangladesh alone, if the average household bought food with the money normally spent on tobacco, more than 10 million people would no longer suffer from malnutrition and 350 children under age five could be saved each day.

“The Tobacco Atlas is crucial to understanding the nature of the most preventable global health epidemic,” said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D. chief executive officer, American Cancer Society. “This single resource can help advocates in every nation get the knowledge they need to combat the scourge of tobacco in their communities and on the worldwide stage. By utilizing the information in The Tobacco Atlas to develop public health strategies to reduce tobacco use and help people stay well, we will save millions of lives. ”

“Common throughout The Tobacco Atlas is vivid evidence that the health burden is shifting from high-income countries to their low and middle-income counterparts,” said Peter Baldini, chief executive officer, World Lung Foundation.” The evidence presented herein and online, however, must do more than clearly articulate the scope and dimensions of the problem. It should be applied actively to strengthen the case for policy change.”

The four authors of the publication bring together an impressive array of credentials and unique experience. Omar Shafey, Ph.D., M.P.H., is a medical anthropologist and epidemiologist, and an adjunct professor of Global Health at Emory University. Among many publications and studies, he was a coauthor of the second edition of The Tobacco Atlas. Michael Eriksen, Sc.D., is a professor and founding director of the Institute of Public Health at Georgia State University. He has been a Senior Advisor to the World Health Organisation (WHO), and was director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health. Hana Ross, Ph.D. is an economist and strategic director of international tobacco control research at the American Cancer Society. She is also deputy director of the International Tobacco Network (ITEN), a network promoting collaboration among economists interested in tobacco control issues. Judith Mackay. M.D., is a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of Edinburgh and London, and a special advisor at World Lung Foundation. She is also a senior policy advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) and a director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control.

The new online version of the publication, TobaccoAtlas.org, enables policy makers, public health practitioners, advocates and journalists interact with the data and create customizable charts, graphs and maps.

Notes:

The Tobacco Atlas and TobaccoAtlas.org were launched at a press conference at the World Conference On Tobacco OR Health in Mumbai, India.

About The American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering, and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. Founded in 1913, the Society has local offices in 3,400 communities, involving nearly three million volunteers across the United States and internationally. The Society’s international work focuses on capacity building of civil society and on collaborating with other cancer-related organizations to carry out its mission across the globe. For more information about the American Cancer Society, visit http://www.cancer.org/international.

About World Lung Foundation

World Lung Foundation was established in response to the global epidemic of lung disease, which kills 10 million people each year. The organization improves global lung health by improving local capacity to conduct research, develop public policy and deliver public health education. The organization’s areas of emphasis are tobacco control, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, asthma, and child lung health. For more information, please visit worldlungfoundation.org

As part of its adult cessation efforts within the Hispanic community, the Utah Department of Health‘s (UDOH) Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) recently launched a series of TV spots that focus on the serious physical and emotional impact of tobacco on users and their families.

The campaign features 59-year-old Gerardo Ozorio, a former smoker who quit in June 2008 after smoking for 46 years. Two months later, Ozorio was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Gerardo passed away on January 1, 2009, shortly after recording the ads. He will never know the immense impact his story will have on the Hispanic community.

“Gerardo’s story puts a face on tobacco-related diseases and their tangible negative effects,” said David Neville, TPCP media coordinator. “The ads are incredibly powerful – we hope the Ozorio family’s story will motivate tobacco users to quit for good.”

Gerardo, his wife Adolfina, and sons Gustavo and Ramón were all interviewed for the campaign. The message is that tobacco addiction impacts not only the smoker but everyone else around them, especially loved ones. As stated by Gustavo, “…nothing can prepare you in life to see your father sick this way. Nothing prepares you in life for something as horrible as cancer.”

“We’re very grateful to the Ozorio family – especially Gerardo– for sharing their story in hopes it will encourage others to quit,” Neville said.

The TRUTH campaign is part of Utah’s comprehensive and proven approach to reducing the health and financial burdens tobacco use has on communities. The TRUTH and its partners provide programs to: prevent youth from starting to use tobacco; help tobacco users quit; protect Utahns from secondhand smoke; and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.

To view the ads, visit http://wediditstory.com/videopage/spanish.php.

For help quitting, call the Hispanic Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-629-1585 or visit http://www.utahquitnet.com

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Also Included In: Lung Cancer; Respiratory / Asthma; Cancer / Oncology

Gemin X Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted cancer therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product candidate obatoclax (GX15-070) for the treatment of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In this multi-center, randomized, open-label Phase 2 study, clinical effect of a combination of carboplatin, etoposide and obatoclax (the “CEO” regimen) will be compared to the standard chemotherapeutic therapy of carboplatin and etoposide alone (the control arm) in patients with SCLC. The primary endpoint of the study, expected to enroll approximately 150 patients with SCLC, is comparison of overall response rate (ORR) for the obatoclax-containing arm versus the control arm. Secondary endpoints include comparison of progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), as well as safety.

“We are very pleased to begin this Phase 2 study in small cell lung cancer in accordance with our broad development plan for obatoclax, which also includes Phase 2 trial initiations this year in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and systemic mastocytosis,” said Glenn Gormley, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer at Gemin X. “We are encouraged by the striking synergy observed between obatoclax and carboplatin and etoposide in preclinical studies and by the dramatic responses seen to-date in the vast majority of SCLC patients in our ongoing Phase 1b trial. It is our hope that obatoclax’s differentiated mechanism will lead to substantial improvements in response to treatment, tolerability and survival for these cancer patients.”

The ongoing Phase 1b dose-escalation portion of this study established safety and identified the recommended dose for obatoclax, when administered in combination with standard doses of carboplatin and etoposide as both front-line and second-line therapy. This Phase 1b trial showed a significant response rate for the small cell lung cancer patients dosed with the obatoclax-chemotherapy combination after two cycles of therapy, based on RECIST measures.

In the Phase 2 study, each patient in the obatoclax combination arm will receive three-hour infusions on three consecutive days of dosing every three weeks over six treatment cycles (provided there is no evidence of disease progression or intolerability). Patients enrolled into the obatoclax combination arm of the study and who have not progressed after six treatment cycles will continue to receive obatoclax alone as maintenance therapy after completion of combination chemotherapy. The trial is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year.

“The Phase 1 data using obatoclax in combination with carboplatin and etoposide demonstrated how these drugs can be combined safely, and the early efficacy data are promising. Oncologists have been looking for a combination that could improve on the results with carboplatin and etoposide in small cell lung cancer for many years, and the Phase 2 randomized study that has just begun will provide a good test of just what the addition of obatoclax can do,” said Alberto A. Chiappori, M.D., Associate Professor at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. “Based on the fact that small cell lung cancers often express prosurvival Bcl-2 family proteins, and that the combination with obatoclax has demonstrated synergy in vitro, this study of obatoclax combined with carboplatin and etoposide is an exciting opportunity for improving the treatment of small cell lung cancer.”

About Obatoclax

Obatoclax, Gemin X’s potential first-in-class small molecule antagonist of Bcl-2, is specifically designed to inhibit all relevant members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, including the dominant member, Mcl-1. Inhibition of Mcl-1 and other Bcl-2 related proteins enhances cancer cell death by facilitating apoptosis and/or autophagy. These proteins have been shown to have a pro-survival effect in malignant cells; thus their inhibition by obatoclax could increase the activity of the drug’s tumor killing effect. Obatoclax has been shown to activate cancer cell death in vitro, to exhibit anti-tumor activity in animal models, and to enhance the effects of chemotherapy in various models including with the drugs carboplatin and etoposide. It has also shown single-agent biological and clinical activity in Phase 1 studies in a variety of cancer indications. Further, obatoclax has demonstrated an early ability to mechanistically evade the resistance built up by cancer cells to traditional chemotherapeutic agents.

Gemin X’s global development plan for obatoclax is focused on diseases marked by up-regulation of Mcl-1, including small cell lung cancer (in combination with carboplatin and etoposide), refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (in combination with dexamethosone) and systemic mastocytosis (as a single agent).

Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell is an aggressive form of lung cancer, and accounts for about 15% of all lung cancer cases, according to the American Cancer Society. Chemotherapy alone or combined with radiation is the usual treatment of choice for small cell lung cancer. According to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the median survival time is approximately nine to 12 months with currently available therapies and the five-year survival rate for patients with extensive stage SCLC is less than 1%. Improved diagnostic and surgical techniques and novel combination therapies that can further extend patient survival are desperately needed to positively impact these outcomes.

About Gemin X Pharmaceuticals

Gemin X is developing first-in-class cancer therapeutics based on reinitiating programmed cell death, or apoptosis, inducing cancer cell self-digestion, or autophagy, and the inhibition of metabolism in cancerous cells. Gemin X currently has several clinical development programs underway, including Phase 2 clinical trials for its lead product candidates obatoclax (GX15-070), an innovative pan Bcl-2 inhibitor, and GMX1777, a novel inhibitor of NAD+ synthesis, and preclinical studies for its Telomere Capping and SMAC Mimetic programs. Potential treatment indications for the full scope of pipeline programs span a broad range of hematological and solid tumors, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), melanoma, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and systemic mastocytosis. Founded in 1998, Gemin X is privately held with drug development and executive headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania and drug discovery operations in Montréal, Canada.

Countless people have heard the phrase, “You have lung cancer,” but only 50 can say they’ve completed a new treatment at Temple University that doubles their chances of surviving the deadly disease – and without the conventional radiation regimen or surgery. Doctors in the Radiation Oncology Department say the technique, stereotactic body radiotherapy, or SBRT, not only improves a person’s odds of surviving early stage lung cancer, but may reduce the need for future surgeries.

“This is a big trend in radiation oncology for early stage lung cancer patients who either can’t undergo surgery or refuse it,” says Curtis Miyamoto, M.D., chair and professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the School of Medicine. “With the success of this technique, we’re now questioning whether we’ll even be doing surgeries on these patients in the future.”

Treating lung cancer with conventional radiation is a burdensome process. Patients receive radiation therapy, which kills the cancerous cells and shrinks tumors, five days a week for six to seven weeks. The travel alone can be a hardship for patients not living in the city.

In contrast, SBRT requires only three to eight treatments, not 35. Once malignancy is confirmed through a PET CT scan or biopsy, treatments can begin. Patients are placed in an immobilizing body frame to reduce movement so that doctors can focus radiation on the tumor while reducing exposure of healthy tissue. Although both traditional treatments and SBRT methods involve radiation, SBRT administers large, highly precise doses instead of multiple smaller doses.

But perhaps the most important advantage of SBRT is its effectiveness: Patients who refuse or cannot receive conventional treatments for their lung cancer face a median survival range of nine months. For those who undergo SBRT, the median survival range is more than 32 months. And depending on the size and seriousness of the tumor, the two-year disease free survival, or cure rate through SBRT increases to approximately 81 percent and can reach up to 98 percent, according to findings in the International Journal of Radiation OncologyBiologyPhysics. The cure rate with conventional radiation is closer to 35 percent; SBRT doubles the odds of surviving early stage lung cancer and can actually cure at least half of the patients.

“Such high survival rates are equivalent to other techniques, like invasive surgery, but you don’t have to go under the knife,” says Miyamoto. “I think the big thing the patient notices is it’s all done very quickly and the results are impressive.”

That’s welcome news to Americans considering lung cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in men and women (after prostate and breast, respectively), but it is the number one cause of death from cancer every year in both men and women, according to statistics from LungCancer.org.

Notes:

Miyamoto will present information on SBRT this June before the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Terapia Radiante Oncologica, or ALATRO, which represents Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking radiation oncologists who treat approximately 500 million people outside the United States.

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.

Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:

1. a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion
2. that cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis.

When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people in the world. Physicians and researchers who specialize in the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer are called oncologists.

What causes cancer?

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.

What is cancer? – Video

A short, 3D, animated introduction to cancer. This was originally created by BioDigital Systems and used in the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon.

3D Medical Animation – What is Cancer?

Genes – the DNA type

Cells can experience uncontrolled growth if there are damages or mutations to DNA, and therefore, damage to the genes involved in cell division. Four key types of gene are responsible for the cell division process: oncogenes tell cells when to divide, tumor suppressor genes tell cells when not to divide, suicide genes control apoptosis and tell the cell to kill itself if something goes wrong, and DNA-repair genes instruct a cell to repair damaged DNA.

Cancer occurs when a cell’s gene mutations make the cell unable to correct DNA damage and unable to commit suicide. Similarly, cancer is a result of mutations that inhibit oncogene and tumor suppressor gene function, leading to uncontrollable cell growth.

Carcinogens

Carcinogens are a class of substances that are directly responsible for damaging DNA, promoting or aiding cancer. Tobacco, asbestos, arsenic, radiation such as gamma and x-rays, the sun, and compounds in car exhaust fumes are all examples of carcinogens. When our bodies are exposed to carcinogens, free radicals are formed that try to steal electrons from other molecules in the body. Theses free radicals damage cells and affect their ability to function normally.

Genes – the family type

Cancer can be the result of a genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one statistically more likely to develop cancer later in life.

Other medical factors
As we age, there is an increase in the number of possible cancer-causing mutations in our DNA. This makes age an important risk factor for cancer. Several viruses have also been linked to cancer such as: human papillomavirus (a cause of cervical cancer), hepatitis B and C (causes of liver cancer), and Epstein-Barr virus (a cause of some childhood cancers). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – and anything else that suppresses or weakens the immune system – inhibits the body’s ability to fight infections and increases the chance of developing cancer.

What are the symptoms of cancer?

Cancer symptoms are quite varied and depend on where the cancer is located, where it has spread, and how big the tumor is. Some cancers can be felt or seen through the skin – a lump on the breast or testicle can be an indicator of cancer in those locations. Skin cancer (melanoma) is often noted by a change in a wart or mole on the skin. Some oral cancers present white patches inside the mouth or white spots on the tongue.

Other cancers have symptoms that are less physically apparent. Some brain tumors tend to present symptoms early in the disease as they affect important cognitive functions. Pancreas cancers are usually too small to cause symptoms until they cause pain by pushing against nearby nerves or interfere with liver function to cause a yellowing of the skin and eyes called jaundice. Symptoms also can be created as a tumor grows and pushes against organs and blood vessels. For example, colon cancers lead to symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, and changes in stool size. Bladder or prostate cancers cause changes in bladder function such as more frequent or infrequent urination.

As cancer cells use the body’s energy and interfere with normal hormone function, it is possible to present symptoms such as fever, fatigue, excessive sweating, anemia, and unexplained weight loss. However, these symptoms are common in several other maladies as well. For example, coughing and hoarseness can point to lung or throat cancer as well as several other conditions.

When cancer spreads, or metastasizes, additional symptoms can present themselves in the newly affected area. Swollen or enlarged lymph nodes are common and likely to be present early. If cancer spreads to the brain, patients may experience vertigo, headaches, or seizures. Spreading to the lungs may cause coughing and shortness of breath. In addition, the liver may become enlarged and cause jaundice and bones can become painful, brittle, and break easily. Symptoms of metastasis ultimately depend on the location to which the cancer has spread.

How is cancer classified?

There are five broad groups that are used to classify cancer.

1. Carcinomas are characterized by cells that cover internal and external parts of the body such as lung, breast, and colon cancer.
2. Sarcomas are characterized by cells that are located in bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissue, muscle, and other supportive tissues.
3. Lymphomas are cancers that begin in the lymph nodes and immune system tissues.
4. Leukemias are cancers that begin in the bone marrow and often accumulate in the bloodstream.
5. Adenomas are cancers that arise in the thyroid, the pituitary gland, the adrenal gland, and other glandular tissues.

Cancers are often referred to by terms that contain a prefix related to the cell type in which the cancer originated and a suffix such as -sarcoma, -carcinoma, or just -oma. Common prefixes include:

* Adeno- = gland
* Chondro- = cartilage
* Erythro- = red blood cell
* Hemangio- = blood vessels
* Hepato- = liver
* Lipo- = fat
* Lympho- = white blood cell
* Melano- = pigment cell
* Myelo- = bone marrow
* Myo- = muscle
* Osteo- = bone
* Uro- = bladder
* Retino- = eye
* Neuro- = brain

How is cancer diagnosed and staged?

Early detection of cancer can greatly improve the odds of successful treatment and survival. Physicians use information from symptoms and several other procedures to diagnose cancer. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, and ultrasound scans are used regularly in order to detect where a tumor is located and what organs may be affected by it. Doctors may also conduct an endoscopy, which is a procedure that uses a thin tube with a camera and light at one end, to look for abnormalities inside the body.

Extracting cancer cells and looking at them under a microscope is the only absolute way to diagnose cancer. This procedure is called a biopsy. Other types of molecular diagnostic tests are frequently employed as well. Physicians will analyze your body’s sugars, fats, proteins, and DNA at the molecular level. For example, cancerous prostate cells release a higher level of a chemical called PSA (prostate-specific antigen) into the bloodstream that can be detected by a blood test. Molecular diagnostics, biopsies, and imaging techniques are all used together to diagnose cancer.

After a diagnosis is made, doctors find out how far the cancer has spread and determine the stage of the cancer. The stage determines which choices will be available for treatment and informs prognoses. The most common cancer staging method is called the TNM system. T (1-4) indicates the size and direct extent of the primary tumor, N (0-3) indicates the degree to which the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and M (0-1) indicates whether the cancer has metastasized to other organs in the body. A small tumor that has not spread to lymph nodes or distant organs may be staged as (T1, N0, M0), for example.

TNM descriptions then lead to a simpler categorization of stages, from 0 to 4, where lower numbers indicate that the cancer has spread less. While most Stage 1 tumors are curable, most Stage 4 tumors are inoperable or untreatable.

How is cancer treated?

Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer (how much it has spread), age, health status, and additional personal characteristics. There is no single treatment for cancer, and patients often receive a combination of therapies and palliative care. Treatments usually fall into one of the following categories: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, or gene therapy.

Surgery

Surgery is the oldest known treatment for cancer. If a cancer has not metastasized, it is possible to completely cure a patient by surgically removing the cancer from the body. This is often seen in the removal of the prostate or a breast or testicle. After the disease has spread, however, it is nearly impossible to remove all of the cancer cells. Surgery may also be instrumental in helping to control symptoms such as bowel obstruction or spinal cord compression.

Radiation
Radiation treatment, also known as radiotherapy, destroys cancer by focusing high-energy rays on the cancer cells. This causes damage to the molecules that make up the cancer cells and leads them to commit suicide. Radiotherapy utilizes high-energy gamma-rays that are emitted from metals such as radium or high-energy x-rays that are created in a special machine. Early radiation treatments caused severe side-effects because the energy beams would damage normal, healthy tissue, but technologies have improved so that beams can be more accurately targeted. Radiotherapy is used as a standalone treatment to shrink a tumor or destroy cancer cells (including those associated with leukemia and lymphoma), and it is also used in combination with other cancer treatments.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals that interfere with the cell division process – damaging proteins or DNA – so that cancer cells will commit suicide. These treatments target any rapidly dividing cells (not necessarily just cancer cells), but normal cells usually can recover from any chemical-induced damage while cancer cells cannot. Chemotherapy is generally used to treat cancer that has spread or metastasized because the medicines travel throughout the entire body. It is a necessary treatment for some forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Chemotherapy treatment occurs in cycles so the body has time to heal between doses. However, there are still common side effects such as hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. Combination therapies often include multiple types of chemotherapy or chemotherapy combined with other treatment options.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy aims to get the body’s immune system to fight the tumor. Local immunotherapy injects a treatment into an affected area, for example, to cause inflammation that causes a tumor to shrink. Systemic immunotherapy treats the whole body by administering an agent such as the protein interferon alpha that can shrink tumors. Immunotherapy can also be considered non-specific if it improves cancer-fighting abilities by stimulating the entire immune system, and it can be considered targeted if the treatment specifically tells the immune system to destroy cancer cells. These therapies are relatively young, but researchers have had success with treatments that introduce antibodies to the body that inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. Bone marrow transplantation (hematopoetic stem cell transplantation) can also be considered immunotherapy because the donor’s immune cells will often attack the tumor or cancer cells that are present in the host.

Hormone therapy

Several cancers have been linked to some types of hormones, most notably breast and prostate cancer. Hormone therapy is designed to alter hormone production in the body so that cancer cells stop growing or are killed completely. Breast cancer hormone therapies often focus on reducing estrogen levels (a common drug for this is tamoxifen) and prostate cancer hormone therapies often focus on reducing testosterone levels. In addition, some leukemia and lymphoma cases can be treated with the hormone cortisone.

Gene therapy

The goal of gene therapy is to replace damaged genes with ones that work to address a root cause of cancer: damage to DNA. For example, researchers are trying to replace the damaged gene that signals cells to stop dividing (the p53 gene) with a copy of a working gene. Other gene-based therapies focus on further damaging cancer cell DNA to the point where the cell commits suicide. Gene therapy is a very young field and has not yet resulted in any successful treatments.

How can cancer be prevented?

Cancers that are closely linked to certain behaviors are the easiest to prevent. For example, choosing not to smoke tobacco or drink alcohol significantly lower the risk of several types of cancer – most notably lung, throat, mouth, and liver cancer. Even if you are a current tobacco user, quitting can still greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer.

Skin cancer can be prevented by staying in the shade, protecting yourself with a hat and shirt when in the sun, and using sunscreen. Diet is also an important part of cancer prevention since what we eat has been linked to the disease. Physicians recommend diets that are low in fat and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Certain vaccinations have been associated with the prevention of some cancers. For example, many women receive a vaccination for the human papillomavirus because of the virus’s relationship with cervical cancer. Hepatitis B vaccines prevent the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver cancer.

Some cancer prevention is based on systematic screening in order to detect small irregularities or tumors as early as possible even if there are no clear symptoms present. Breast self-examination, mammograms, testicular self-examination, and Pap smears are common screening methods for various cancers.

How to eat to prevent cancer – Video

A guide to some everyday foods that contain nutrients that may help reduce your risk of getting cancer. Video by Howcast.

How To Eat To Prevent Cancer

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