PHILADELPHIA — Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), was honored with the 2013 Stanley P. Reimann Honor Award for her deep and far-reaching contributions to cancer science and medicine at a celebration hosted by Fox Chase Cancer Center, held last night in Philadelphia, Pa.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive the 2013 Stanley P. Reimann Honor Award,” said Foti. “Dr. Riemann was a true pioneer in the cancer research community. His vision and commitment to discovery and collaborative science continue to define the cutting-edge research program conducted at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Dr. Reimann’s vision of building purposeful coalitions to foster the exchange of new knowledge among cancer researchers is central to accelerating advances in the field and to saving more lives.”

The Stanley P. Reimann Honor Award is bestowed by Fox Chase Cancer Center to individuals from different spheres of influence who bring exceptional ingenuity and expertise to the cancer cause. Previous awardees include Nancy Brinker, C. Everett Koop, Frank Rauscher Jr. and Baruch S. Blumberg. The award was established in 1974 to perpetuate the memory of Stanley P. Reimann, M.D., the founder of the Institute for Cancer Research, which merged with the American Oncologic Hospital to form Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1974.

Foti became CEO of the AACR in 1982. Working collaboratively with the elected officers of the AACR, she has provided the continuity of leadership that has been critical to the association’s progress and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. During her tenure, the AACR’s membership has grown from about 3,000 to 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; students; cancer survivors; and research and patient advocates in the United States and more than 90 other countries.

Foti’s efforts to accelerate the dissemination of new research findings among scientists and others dedicated to the conquest of cancer have included the launch of seven peer-reviewed scientific journals: Cancer Discovery; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; Cancer Prevention Research; and Cancer Immunology Research. Her leadership also has been instrumental in expanding the AACR’s comprehensive program of national and international conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees, to increase the pace of progress in understanding cancer biology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

In addition, Foti leads the AACR’s scientific partnership with Stand Up To Cancer, a charitable initiative that supports groundbreaking research aimed at getting new cancer treatments to patients in an accelerated time frame. The AACR plays an integral role by providing expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of individual and team science grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit.

Foti has received many national and international honors and awards for her contributions to cancer research. Most recently, she was honored with the Mildred Scheel Lectureship, which was established by the German Cancer Research Center and the German Cancer Aid to acknowledge women dedicated to the advancement of cancer research. Earlier this year, she was recognized with the Distinguished Partner in Hope Award during the Annual Colorectal Cancer Conference hosted by the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In 2012, she received the National Brain Tumor Society’s Founders Award for Excellence in Cancer Research, was recognized as a “First Lady” of the Intercultural Cancer Council, received the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s 2012 Biotech Humanitarian Award and received Research!America’s 2012 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award for Sustained National Leadership.

She has received numerous other accolades, such as the first Margaret Foti Award, which was established in cooperation with the University of Catania Ph.D. Oncology Program and the Italian League Against Cancer of Catania; the first Margaret Kripke Legend Award from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; the European CanCer Organization Lifetime Achievement Award; and a citation from Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter for her dedication to increasing awareness of the importance of cancer research, as well as for her pivotal role in designating May as National Cancer Research Month. Foti was also the first recipient of an AACR award created in her name in 2007. She holds three honorary doctorates in medicine and surgery from medical institutions in Italy and Spain.

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
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• Physical activity may reduce breast cancer risk by altering estrogen metabolism.
• Women who did aerobic exercises had an increased ratio of “good” to “bad” metabolites of estrogen.

PHILADELPHIA — Changes in estrogen breakdown, or metabolism, may be one of the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise lowers a woman’s breast cancer risk, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Observational studies suggest physical activity lowers breast cancer risk, but there are no clinical studies that explain the mechanism behind this,” said Mindy S. Kurzer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul. “Ours is the first study to show that aerobic exercise influences the way our bodies break down estrogens to produce more of the ‘good’ metabolites that lower breast cancer risk.”

Kurzer and her colleagues conducted the Women in Steady Exercise Research (WISER) clinical trial, which involved 391 sedentary, healthy, young, premenopausal women. They randomly assigned the women to two age-matched, body mass index-matched groups: a control group of 179 women and an intervention group of 212 women.

While women in the control group continued a sedentary lifestyle for the entire study period, women in the intervention group performed 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise five times a week for 16 weeks. Aerobic exercises included the treadmill, stair stepper or elliptical machine. The researchers adjusted the workout intensity for each individual so that the maximal heart rate was uniform among all participants.

Eighty-six percent of participants from the control group and 78 percent from the intervention group completed the study.

The researchers collected 24-hour urine samples on three consecutive days prior to study initiation and on three consecutive days at the end of the study. Using a state-of-the-art technique called liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy, they measured the amount of three parent estrogens, E₁, E₂ and E₃, and nine of their breakdown products called metabolites, in the participants’ urine samples. According to Kurzer, estrogen metabolism favoring the production of a metabolite called 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE₁) over one called 16alpha-hydroxyestrone (16alpha-OHE₁), which results in an increase in the 2-OHE₁/16alpha-OHE₁ ratio, has been linked with a reduction in breast cancer risk.

She and her colleagues found that aerobic exercise led to an increase in the amount of 2-OHE₁ and a decrease in the amount of 16alpha-OHE₁, which led to a significant increase in the 2-OHE₁/16alpha-OHE₁ ratio. There were no changes in the 2-OHE₁/16alpha-OHE₁ ratio in the urine of control group participants.

“Exercise, known to favor fitness and improve heart health, is also likely to help prevent breast cancer by altering estrogen metabolism,” said Kurzer. “It is very important, however, to decipher the biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon.”

In collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Kurzer is conducting similar studies in women with a high risk for breast cancer.

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org

• Problems falling asleep and staying asleep increased risk for prostate cancer.
• The association was stronger for advanced disease.
• Larger studies with longer follow-up are necessary for confirmation.

PHILADELPHIA — Men who reported sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, had up to a twofold increased risk for prostate cancer, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Sleep problems are very common in modern society and can have adverse health consequences,” said Lara G. Sigurdardóttir, M.D., at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. “Women with sleep disruption have consistently been reported to be at an increased risk for breast cancer, but less is known about the potential role of sleep problems in prostate cancer.”

Previous studies have generated conflicting results for an association between sleep disruption from working night shifts and the risk for prostate cancer. Sigurdardóttir and her colleagues, therefore, investigated the role of sleep in influencing prostate cancer risk.

The researchers followed 2,102 men from the prospective Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik study, which involved an established, population-based cohort of 2,425 men aged 67 to 96. Upon enrollment into the study, the participants answered four questions about sleep disruption: whether they took medications to sleep, had trouble falling asleep, woke up during nights with difficulty going back to sleep or woke up early in the morning with difficulty going back to sleep.

Among the participants, 8.7 percent and 5.7 percent reported severe and very severe sleep problems, respectively. None of the participants had prostate cancer at study entry. The researchers followed the participants for five years, and during this period, 6.4 percent were diagnosed with prostate cancer.

After the researchers adjusted for age, they found that compared with men who reported no problems with sleeping, the risk for prostate cancer increased proportionately with reported severity of problems falling and staying asleep, from 1.6-fold to 2.1-fold. Further, the association was stronger for advanced prostate cancer than for overall prostate cancer, with more than a threefold increase in risk for advanced prostate cancer associated with “very severe” sleep problems.

To rule out the possibility that the problems with sleeping were because of undiagnosed prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate, the researchers reanalyzed the data after excluding men with symptoms of sleep disturbance that might be indicative of nocturia (waking up during the night to urinate). The results remained unchanged.

According to Sigurdardóttir, these data should be confirmed with a larger cohort with longer observation times. “Prostate cancer is one of the leading public health concerns for men and sleep problems are quite common,” she said. “If our results are confirmed with further studies, sleep may become a potential target for intervention to reduce the risk for prostate cancer.”

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) formally issued letters to all members of the House of Representatives and the Senate urging them to oppose recently introduced legislation that would exempt many cigars from regulation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently regulates cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own cigarette tobacco, and has signaled that it intends to exercise its authority over cigars this year.

The “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2013,” H.R. 792 and S. 772, will create a new classification of cigars and exempt them from FDA oversight.

“Cigars, like cigarettes, are addictive and carcinogenic; the evidence is clear,” stated Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), AACR chief executive officer. “The idea that we should treat cigars differently from other dangerous tobacco products would be a step backward in protecting the health of our nation.”
 
Cigar use has increased significantly over the past decade, posing a threat to all Americans, especially to children. The AACR’s letters express concern for the increasing prevalence of youth cigar use, and point out that under the proposed legislation cigar manufacturers could continue to add candy flavorings to cigars, increasing their appeal. Bans on candy flavoring are among the restrictions placed by the FDA on cigarettes, and the FDA is expected to extend similar restrictions to cigars this year.  

The AACR’s letters also emphasize the significant economic burden tobacco use imposes on our society. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that in 2004 smoking cost the U.S. economy $193 billion in health costs, employee absenteeism and lost productivity.

“Tobacco use is implicated in nearly one in three cancer deaths and takes an enormous financial and health toll on this country,” said Roy Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., chief of medical oncology at Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center in New Haven, Conn., and chair of the AACR Tobacco and Cancer Subcommittee. “We are slowly getting the smoking rate down and reaping dividends in terms of reduced cancer incidence, but this legislation will threaten that progress.”

The AACR issued a 2010 policy statement on tobacco and cancer* that called for evidence-based regulation of tobacco products by the FDA. (*Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org

• Smokers of both genders had increased risk for colon cancer compared with never-smokers.
• The risk increase was greater for female smokers.
• The more and longer a woman smoked, the greater her risk.

PHILADELPHIA — Smoking increased the risk for developing colon cancer, and female smokers may have a greater risk than male smokers, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Globally, during the last 50 years, the number of new colon cancer cases per year has exploded for both men and women,” said Inger Torhild Gram, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Tromsø in Norway. “Our study is the first that shows women who smoke less than men still get more colon cancer.”

Gram and her colleagues examined the association between cigarette smoking and colon cancer, by tumor location, in a large Norwegian cohort of more than 600,000 men and women. The participants from four surveys initiated by the National Health Screening Service of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health had a short health exam and completed questionnaires about smoking habits, physical activity and other lifestyle factors. The participants were followed by linkage to the Cancer Registry of Norway and the Central Population Register. During an average 14 years of follow-up, close to 4,000 new colon cancer cases were diagnosed.    

Gram and colleagues found that female smokers had a 19 percent increased risk compared with never-smokers, while male smokers had an 8 percent increased risk compared with never-smokers.

In addition, women who started smoking when they were 16 or younger and women who had smoked for 40 years or more had a substantially increased risk, by about 50 percent. Also, the dose-response association between the number of cigarettes smoked per day, number of years smoked and number of pack-years smoked and colon cancer risk was stronger for women than it was for men.

“The finding that women who smoke even a moderate number of cigarettes daily have an increased risk for colon cancer will account for a substantial number of new cases because colon cancer is such a common disease,” said Gram. “A causal relationship between smoking and colorectal cancer has recently been established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, but unfortunately, this is not yet common knowledge, neither among health personnel nor the public.”

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org

• Data on obesity and prostate cancer conflict.
• Precancerous lesions were more common in benign biopsy specimens from obese men.
• After benign biopsy, obese men at higher risk for future prostate cancer.

PHILADELPHIA — Obese men were more likely to have precancerous lesions detected in their benign prostate biopsies compared with nonobese men and were at a greater risk for subsequently developing prostate cancer, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Our study is focused on a large group of men who have had a prostate biopsy that is benign but are still at a very high risk for prostate cancer,” said Andrew Rundle, Dr.P.H., associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, N.Y. “Studies conducted in the past have attempted to determine if there are subpopulations of men diagnosed with benign conditions that may be at a greater risk for developing prostate cancer. This is one of the first studies to assess the association between obesity and precancerous abnormalities.”

Rundle and his colleagues investigated the association between obesity and future prostate cancer incidence within a cohort of 6,692 men at the Henry Ford Health System who were followed for 14 years after a biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate with benign findings. The investigation was part of a larger study of environmentally-induced tissue biomarkers for prostate cancer funded through a research grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health to Benjamin Rybicki, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Henry Ford Health System and the senior co-author of the study.

The researchers conducted a case-control study among 494 of these patients and 494 matched controls; they found precancerous abnormalities in 11 percent of the patients’ benign specimens. These abnormalities were significantly associated with obesity at the time of the procedure, according to Rundle.

After accounting for several variables, including family history of prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during the initial procedure, and the number of PSA tests and digital rectal exams during follow-up, the researchers found that obesity at the time of the initial procedure was associated with a 57 percent increased incidence of prostate cancer during follow-up.

Rundle noted, however, that this association was only apparent for tumors occurring earlier in the follow-up period. “We don’t absolutely know what the true biology is,” said Rundle. “In some ways, this reflects the association between the body size and larger prostate size, which is thought to reduce the sensitivity of the needle biopsy. It is possible that the tumors missed by initial biopsy grew and were detected in a follow-up biopsy.”

The association observed between body size and prostate cancer risk is larger than that seen in prior studies, according to Rundle. He attributed the differences to the variables of the cohort, which was composed of men at high risk for prostate cancer. In addition, since these high-risk men were members of the Henry Ford Medical System, they underwent increased medical surveillance, which included repeated biopsy and regular PSA screening.

“We need some guidance on when or for whom a full follow-up is required,” said Rundle. “Obesity should be considered a factor for more intensive follow-up after a benign prostate biopsy.”

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org

• Water-pipe smoking led to exposure to agents that may cause cardiovascular diseases and leukemia.
• Comparison of cigarette and water-pipe smoking showed different patterns of exposure to tobacco toxicants.

PHILADELPHIA — Smoking tobacco in a water pipe resulted in a different pattern of exposure to toxic substances and may result in a cancer risk profile that is different from that of cigarette smoking, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Water-pipe smoking at ‘hookah bars’ has become popular with young people in the United States, and some believe that it is less harmful than cigarette smoking,” said Peyton Jacob III, Ph.D., a University of California, San Francisco research chemist at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. “We report for the first time that toxicant exposures from water-pipe and cigarette smoking differed in pattern, with higher exposure to some toxicants like carbon monoxide and benzene in water-pipe smokers.”

To compare the levels of exposure to various tobacco toxicants, Jacob and colleagues conducted a randomized study of 13 healthy volunteers, eight men and five women. All were experienced in smoking cigarettes and using water pipes. Because different individuals excrete different amounts of toxic chemicals even if they inhale the same amounts, the most straightforward way to compare exposures was to conduct a “cross-over” study, where the same person smoked cigarettes and a water pipe on different days, according to Jacob.

Volunteers either smoked cigarettes or a water pipe exclusively during the day for four days as inpatients at the San Francisco General Hospital. After a week or more each individual was readmitted to the hospital and switched to the other product for the next four days. On average, volunteers smoked three water-pipe sessions or 11 cigarettes per day. The researchers collected blood and urine samples before, during and at the end of each type of smoking session.

The researchers found that water-pipe smoking resulted in about half the amount of total nicotine measured in the blood during a 24-hour period compared with cigarette smoking. However, exposure to nicotine, albeit at lower levels, can sustain addiction, according to Jacob. On the other hand, the researchers found that while smoking a water pipe, the total amount of carbon monoxide in the breath measured during a 24-hour period was more than 2.5 times higher than while smoking cigarettes. Jacob explained that high carbon monoxide exposure increases the risk for acute events such as a heart attack, stroke or sudden death in people who have cardiovascular or lung diseases.

In addition, the data indicated that exposure to benzene, a volatile organic compound, was considerably higher while smoking a water pipe: The researchers detected twice the amount of a metabolite of benzene in the urine of water-pipe smokers compared with that of cigarette smokers. Jacob warned that benzene exposure is a concern because it is known to cause leukemia in humans.

“People want to know if it is a lesser health risk if they switch from cigarettes to smoking a water pipe on a daily basis,” said Jacob. “We found that water-pipe smoking is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking, nor is it likely to be an effective harm reduction strategy.”

The researchers acknowledge that while sharing water pipes in social settings, the exposure to toxic agents may be lesser, and they are conducting further research to ascertain this.

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org

• Late-stage melanomas develop resistance to vemurafenib treatment.
• Treatment cessation decreased tumor growth in patients with vemurafenib-resistant melanoma.
• An intermittent treatment regimen may help overcome drug resistance.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vemurafenib-resistant tumors in patients with melanoma showed reduced growth after cessation of treatment, and in animal models, drug resistance was prevented by intermittent treatment, according to data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.

“It was exciting to witness the discovery of BRAF mutations in melanoma and the translation of this discovery into an effective therapy with vemurafenib,” said Darrin Stuart, Ph.D., senior research investigator at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in Emeryville, Calif. “It was, however, disappointing to see patients stop responding to such a promising therapy after six to eight months of treatment.”

BRAF mutations are found in more than half of all cases of melanoma, and previous studies have shown vemurafenib increases survival for these patients, according to Stuart. However, most patients relapse with lethal, drug-resistant disease.

In a previous study to investigate the mechanisms causing melanomas to become resistant to vemurafenib, Stuart and his colleagues grew patient-derived tumors expressing BRAF mutations in mice and demonstrated that not only do these tumors develop vemurafenib resistance, but they become dependent on the drug to grow. Tumors stopped growing and regressed after cessation of the drug in these animals.

To evaluate whether the drug dependency observed in animals is seen in humans as well, Stuart and his team collaborated with colleagues who evaluated 42 patients with vemurafenib-resistant tumors at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, United Kingdom. Computed tomography scans of the tumors taken after cessation of treatment were available for 19 patients. Of these patients, 14 showed a decrease in the rate of their tumor growth.

“This is the first evidence that the drug-addicted state that we observed in our mouse models may also occur in humans,” said Stuart.

He and his colleagues also implanted mice with human patient-derived tumors and treated them with vemurafenib either continuously or intermittently — four weeks on and two weeks off. They found that none of the tumors in animals assigned to intermittent dosing developed drug resistance.

“Continuous dosing maintained the selective pressure required for the few surviving tumor cells to develop resistance, and alternating the selective pressure through intermittent dosing appeared to prevent the evolution and expansion of resistant cells,” said Stuart. “This study provides insight into how vemurafenib-resistant tumors evolve. Alternative dose regimens could prolong the durability of response to vemurafenib in BRAF-mutant melanoma.”

Press registration for the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
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215) 446-7109
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In Washington, D.C.,
April 6-10, 2013:
(202) 249-4005

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) awarded 14 grants totaling more than $5 million to outstanding scientists throughout the country, supporting their innovative research in the field of pancreatic cancer. In an effort to speed advances in the field, the organizations have awarded two Inaugural Research Acceleration Network (RAN) grants totaling $1 million each.

This year’s total funding level represents the largest annual disbursement since the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network introduced the program in 2003. To date, the organization has awarded 94 research grants to researchers at institutions around the country totaling nearly $18 million. This year’s recipients will be honored at a grants reception and dinner during the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.

“The AACR is delighted to be partnering once again with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network,” said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the AACR. “It continues to be a pleasure to work with its President and CEO Julie Fleshman and other dedicated staff on the scientific review and administration of grants that fund cutting-edge research projects with the potential to lead to major breakthroughs that will prevent, detect and treat pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly of cancers. We are especially excited about the Research Acceleration Network grants, as they are new grants promoting the kind of collaborations that are vital to accelerating research progress.”

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and has a five-year survival rate of just 6 percent. In its mission to advance pancreatic cancer research and improve patient outcomes, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has collaborated with the AACR to promote and support outstanding research focused on conquering this deadly disease. The goals of the grants program are to build a robust pancreatic cancer research community; to encourage collaboration, information-sharing and innovation; and to expedite scientific and medical breakthroughs for patient benefit.

“We are thrilled to be able to expand our research portfolio this year to include the two inaugural RAN grants and to award such outstanding research projects as we work toward the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s goal to double the survival rate of pancreatic cancer by 2020,” said Lynn Matrisian, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and medical affairs at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and newly inaugurated Fellow of the AACR. “Since 2003, the organization has created a robust community of pancreatic cancer researchers and we look forward to integrating these new researchers into our team.”    

The 2013 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Inaugural Research Acceleration Network Grants are three-year grants totaling $1 million each. These grants offer strategic funding and project management services to a high-priority project already under way within the pancreatic cancer research community. This year’s recipients are:

• Michael G. Goggins, M.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.;
  Marcia Irene Canto, M.D., Johns Hopkins University; and
  Anil K. Rustgi, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
  “CAPS Multicenter Trial: Imaging and Markers for Pancreatic Cancer Screening,”
  Supported in memory of Skip Viragh

• Robert H. Vonderheide, M.D., D.Phil., University of Pennsylvania and
  Dafna Bar-Sagi, Ph.D., New York University, New York, N.Y.
  “Accelerating Development of CD40 Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer,”
  Supported by Tempur-Pedic in memory of Tim Miller

The 2013 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Pathway to Leadership Grants are five-year grants totaling $600,000 each. These grants are designed to support the future leadership of pancreatic cancer research by funding outstanding early-career investigators beginning their postdoctoral, mentored research positions and continuing through a successful transition to independence. This year’s recipients are:

• Costas A. Lyssiotis, Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass.,
  “Exploration and Targeting of Metabolic Dependencies in Pancreatic Cancer”

• Yuliya Pylayeva-Gupta, Ph.D., New York University,
  “Immunomodulatory Mechanisms in Kras-driven Pancreatic Cancer and Metastasis”

The 2013 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Innovative Grants are intended to promote the development and study of novel ideas and approaches in basic, translational, clinical or epidemiological research that have direct application and relevance to pancreatic cancer. These two-year grants provide $200,000 over the grant term. This year’s recipients are:

• Yves Boucher, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston,
  “Targeting Desmoplasia in Pancreatic Cancer to Improve Drug Efficacy,”
  Supported by the Sobrato Family in memory of Abby Sobrato

• M. Celeste Simon, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania,
  “Role of Hif1a in Inflammation, Tissue Repair and Cancer of the Pancreas”

• Timothy Cragin Wang, M.D., Columbia University, New York, N.Y.,
  “Dclk1 in Pancreatic Tumorigenesis”

• Valerie M. Weaver, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco,
  “Interplay Between Tension and Inflammation in Pancreatic Tumor Progression,”
  Supported by the Blum-Kovler Foundation

The 2013 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Career Development Awards are two-year grants of $200,000 that are designed to attract and support early-career scientists as they conduct pancreatic cancer research and establish successful career paths in the field. This year’s recipients are:

• Eric R. Lutz, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University,
  “Exploiting the Cancer Mutome for Personalized Tumor Immunotherapy”

• Andrew D. Rhim, M.D., University of Pennsylvania,
  “Using Human Circulating Pancreas Cells as a Biomarker for Early PDAC”

• Pankaj Kumar Singh, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, Omaha,
  “Targeting a Novel Metabolic Chemoresistance Mechanism in Pancreatic Cancer”

• Daolin Tang, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, Pa.,
  “Role of HMGB1 in Pancreatic Cancer Initiation and Progression”

• Monte M. Winslow, Ph.D., Stanford University, Calif.,
  “Molecular Dissection of Hmga2 Function During Pancreatic Cancer Progression,”
  Supported in memory of Skip Viragh

The 2013 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Fellowship is a one-year grant of $45,000 designed to support a postdoctoral investigator’s work in pancreatic cancer research. This year’s recipient is:

• Andrew J. Aguirre, M.D., Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass.,
  “Validation of Novel KRAS Synthetic Lethal Targets in Pancreatic Cancer,”
  Supported by Cynthia Stroum in memory of Samuel Stroum

Media Contacts:  

Lauren Riley
American Association for Cancer Research
(215) 446-7155
lauren.riley@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C.,
April 6-10, 2013:
(202) 249-4005

Jennifer Reeves Rosen
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
jrosen@pancan.org
(310) 706-3362
In Washington, D.C.,
April 7-10, 2013:
(310) 460-8901

Press registration for the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.

Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr
Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org

About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the national organization creating hope in a comprehensive way through research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure. The organization is leading the way to increase the survival rate for people diagnosed with this devastating disease through a bold initiative—The Vision of Progress: Double the Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate by 2020. Together, we can know, fight and end pancreatic cancer by intensifying our efforts to heighten awareness, raise funds for comprehensive private research, and advocate for dedicated federal research to advance early diagnostics, better treatments and increase chances of survival.

Meet these grant recipients and learn more about their funded projects.  

Follow the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network on Twitter: @pancan
Follow the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jointhefight

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and its Minorities in Cancer Research membership group will award Gabriel N. Hortobagyi with the Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.

Hortobagyi is professor of medicine in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology and holds the Nellie B. Connally chair in breast cancer at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His award presentation and lecture, “Dual Targeting for Endocrine Therapy of Breast Cancer,” will take place on Sunday, April 7 at 4:15 p.m. ET in Ballroom C in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

“I’m humbled by the AACR and the Minorities in Cancer Research group. To be recognized for furthering the advancement of minority investigators in cancer research is truly an honor,” Hortobagyi said. “All of us share a mutual dedication to breast cancer care and feel that there has never been a more exciting time for the field.”

The AACR-MICR Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship was established in 2006 to give recognition to an outstanding scientist who has made meritorious contributions to the field of cancer research and who has, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of minority investigators in cancer research.

Hortobagyi is known for his role in advancing novel agents for the treatment of breast cancer and also for his mentorship of minority investigators. Many of his key publications have been first-authored by minority junior investigators, showing his commitment to their development.

The lectureship is named in honor of Jane Cooke Wright, M.D., a pioneer in clinical cancer chemotherapy and an exceptional scientist who has made important contributions to research in this field, and who recently passed away at the age of 93. Wright, a member of the AACR since 1954, became the highest ranking black woman at a nationally recognized medical institution in 1967, at a time when there were only a few hundred black, female physicians in the United States. She attended the AACR Annual Meeting each year since the lectureship’s establishment in order to provide opening remarks and introduce the year’s lecturer. She was elected this year into the inaugural class of the Fellows of the AACR Academy. For more information on Wright, please visit www.aacr.org/JCW_Memoriam.

“I had the distinct pleasure of knowing Jane Cooke Wright. Her myriad scientific contributions and unwavering commitment to mentoring young scientists, especially African-American women, are still impactful in cancer research and the community at large,” Hortobagyi said.

Hortobagyi is an AACR member who has served on the editorial board of Clinical Cancer Research, as co-chair of the Research Grant Review Committee and as a member of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Komen Award Committee and the Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics Awards Committee.

He has received many honors throughout his career, including the Brinker International Award for Clinical Research, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Horizon Scientific Award and the Glen Robbins Award in Breast Cancer Research from the New York Cancer Society and the Metropolitan Breast Cancer Group. Last year, he received the Jill Rose Award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the William L. McGuire Award at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Additionally, Hortobagyi was named the 2005 World Leader in Oncology from the Mexican Society of Oncology and Chevalier of the Order of la Legion d’Honneur de France by President Jacques Chirac. He is also a past-president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Press registration for the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.

Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr
Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org

About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:        
Lauren Riley
(215) 446-7155
lauren.riley@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C.,
April 6-10, 2013:
(202) 249-4005

• Prior studies associating calcium intake and colorectal adenoma risk have been inconsistent.
• Variations in two specific genes were shown to modify the association.
• Genetic tests may help determine which patients would benefit from higher calcium intake.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Researchers have identified a potential explanation for inconsistent results from prior research about the association between calcium intake and risk for colorectal adenomas, which are precursors to colorectal cancers. The findings may help identify patients who would benefit from higher calcium intake or calcium supplementation, according to the researcher who presented the data at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.

Previous studies suggested that a high intake of calcium was associated with a reduced risk for colorectal adenomas and cancer, but data from the Women’s Health Initiative did not support the benefit for colorectal cancer after seven years of follow-up, according to Xiangzhu Zhu, M.D., M.P.H., staff scientist in the Division of Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn.

Zhu and colleagues conducted a two-phase study to investigate whether the associations between risk for colorectal adenoma and intake of calcium and magnesium, as well as the calcium/magnesium ratio, were modified by common changes in 14 genes involved in controlling the amounts of calcium and magnesium in the body.

They evaluated 1,818 cases and 3,992 controls from the Tennessee Colorectal Polyp Study, a colonoscopy-based case-control study conducted in Nashville. Patients with the highest calcium intake showed no reduction in their risk for colorectal adenoma if they had no changes in either of two of the 14 genes analyzed, the KCNJ1 and SLC12A1 genes, both of which were identified and replicated in the two-phase study and are essential in calcium reabsorption in the kidney.

Fifty-two percent of the study population carried genetic changes in at least one of the two genes, and 13 percent of the population carried genetic changes in both genes. The highest calcium intake — patients in the top 33 percent — was significantly related to a 39 percent reduction in adenoma risk for patients who carried a genetic change in one gene and a 69 percent reduction in adenoma risk among those who carried genetic changes in both genes, according to Zhu. In addition, the corresponding reduction in risk for advanced or multiple adenomas was 89 percent among those with genetic changes in both genes.

According to Zhu, based on these data, a person with genetic changes in any of the two genes will see an increased risk for adenoma if they consume less than about 1,000 mg of calcium a day, especially if they carry genetic changes in both genes. The risk will increase by more than 50 percent for an adenoma and by 120 percent for advanced or multiple adenomas. “These patients should increase their calcium intake to reduce the risks,” Zhu said.

“Our results may provide one possible explanation for the inconsistency in previous studies on calcium intake and colorectal abnormalities because calcium may primarily prevent colorectal cancer in the early stage and reduce risk only among those with genetic changes in calcium reabsorption, which involves KCNJ1 and SLC12A1,” Zhu said. “If confirmed in future studies, our findings will be critical for the development of new personalized prevention strategies for colorectal cancer.”

The study was funded by National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine/Office of Dietary Supplements) Grant Number 5R01AT004660-04 (PI: Qi Dai). The project was conducted using resources collected from the Tennessee Colorectal Polyp Study, a project of the Vanderbilt Gastrointestinal Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence.

Press registration for the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.

Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr
Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org

About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C.,
April 6-10, 2013:
(202) 249-4005

• RNA interference drugs silence specific genes.
• Investigational drug silences the PLK1 gene involved in tumor growth.
• Most patients tolerated the drug well; some showed therapeutic benefit.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Early results from a phase I, first in-human study indicate that a potential new class of drugs, RNA interference (RNAi) drugs, can be safely administered in humans, according to a researcher who presented data on the safety and preliminary efficacy of TKM-080301 at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10. TKM-080301, also known as TKM-PLK1, is an RNAi drug being developed by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

“RNAi  therapies are a unique approach to cancer treatment as they have the potential to ‘turn off’ the genes’ coding for proteins involved in cancer cell division,” said Ramesh K. Ramanathan, M.D., medical director of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials Program at Scottsdale Healthcare and deputy director of the Clinical Translational Research Division of the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, Ariz. “Using a lipid nanoparticle, the RNAi drug can be delivered to a cancer cell to block the expression of specific proteins involved in tumor growth.”

TKM-080301 targets a specific gene called polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), which codes for a protein involved in tumor cell growth. Prior research has shown that high levels of PLK1 are present in many types of cancer, including many of the more aggressive forms.

“Our preclinical results have shown that by decreasing PLK1 levels in cancer cells, we can stop tumor growth and kill the cancer cells,” Ramanathan said.

He and his colleagues have been enrolling patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphoma into the ongoing multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation study. Sequential cohorts of three to six patients have been assigned to escalating doses of TKM-080301 as a 30-minute intravenous infusion. To date, the researchers have assigned 23 patients to the drug at doses ranging from 0.15 mg/kg per week to 0.9 mg/kg per week.

The most common drug-related adverse events have been mild to moderate and include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Dose-limiting toxicities were observed at the 0.9 mg/kg per-week dose. One patient with a history of asthma experienced shortness of breath and hypoxia; another patient had thrombocytopenia. The researchers subsequently reduced the maximum dose to 0.75 mg/kg per week.

Two patients have been assigned to TKM-080301 for more than six months and have shown no evidence of cumulative toxicity. One of these patients has stable disease and the other has a durable confirmed partial response.

“RNAi therapies, such as the one used in our study, have the potential to make a significant and broad impact on how we treat cancer because we have the ability to target virtually any protein involved in the disease,” Ramanathan said. “This approach has the potential to augment the currently available cancer treatments to improve outcomes for the patient.”

Press registration for the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.

Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr
Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org

About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(215) 446-7109
Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org
In Washington, D.C.,
April 6-10, 2013:
(202) 249-4005