Research Briefs

Targeted Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer
Researchers at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center are testing a novel technique for treating head and neck cancer—pairing a fluorescent agent with a monoclonal antibody to essentially paint a glowing bull’s-eye on head and neck cancer cells.

The fluorescent agent enables physicians to easily distinguish tumor cells from normal tissue when they view the cells through advanced optical imaging equipment during surgery. The potential benefits of this new technique are exciting, says Cancer Center scientist Eben Rosenthal, M.D. “This will improve our ability to take out cancer, minimize normal tissue damage, determine margins and establish whether lymph nodes have cancer in them,” he says. “UAB will probably be one of the first places in the country that does anything like this for head and neck cancer.”  

Racial Gap in Cancer Deaths Widens
According to a report from the American Cancer Society, African Americans are more likely to develop cancer and die from the disease than any other group. While death rates for all groups have fallen in recent years, the gap between African Americans and Caucasians remains as wide as it was nearly 30 years ago.

In 1981, death rates were 14 percent higher for African-American women than Caucasian women. Today, these rates are 16 percent higher. For African-American men, death rates are 33 percent higher than those of Caucasian men, which is virtually unchanged from 1981 rates. Reasons for the rise may include the tendency of African Americans to be diagnosed with cancer at more advanced stages as well as disparities in income and education, which can be barriers to receiving the highest quality care.  

Women’s Cancer Outcome Improved by Surgical Evaluation
Many women scheduled to undergo hysterectomies for pre-cancerous cell changes actually need a more comprehensive surgery, which is something they should discuss with a gynecologic oncologist, says a report published by Cancer Center associate scientist Warner Huh, M.D.

Dr. Huh and his research team examined the medical records of 3,322 women treated at seven community hospitals across Alabama from 1999 to 2008, specifically focusing on women diagnosed with pre-cancerous changes called complex atypical hyperplasia.

Of patients who had traditional hysterectomies, about half were found to have invasive endometrial cancer after the procedure. Dr. Huh believes this means that too many hysterectomy patients should have had a more comprehensive cancer surgery that focuses on lymph nodes and other organs not involved in the traditional procedure—something a gynecologic oncologist is trained to do.

Dr. Huh presented these findings at the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists’ 2009 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, where he received the SGO Presidential Award for his research.  

Patients Who Do Research Get Better Care
Cancer patients who search the Internet, newspapers and magazines for treatment options are more likely to get the newest drugs than patients who don’t spend extra time researching their conditions.

The findings were reported in the journal Cancer. The study’s authors found that patients who researched treatment options were more likely to have heard of targeted therapies such as Avastin®. However, those who pursued second opinions were the most likely to receive prescriptions for these drugs.

Experts recommend that patients learn as much as possible about their cancer and its many treatment options and discuss them with their doctor.  

Calcium Helps Ward Off Colon Cancer
A study by the National Cancer Institute has found that a high dietary intake of calcium may reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, particularly among women.

In a study of 500,000 men and women over seven years, the one-fifth of women with the highest calcium intake experienced a 23 percent lower risk of colon cancer than the women in the group with the smallest intake. For men, the risk was 16 percent lower. While the risk of colon cancer decreased, calcium intake had no effect in reducing other cancers.

The United States Institute of Medicine recommends a daily calcium intake of 1,200 milligrams for adults age 50 and older. Researchers add that the best way to meet this goal is through dietary sources rather than supplements, and they caution against taking calcium in excessive amounts.