Biomarkers are used in helping oncologists to diagnose several types of cancer. They are also used to monitor chemotherapy and radiation treatment in order for the doctor to know if they are killing the cancer cells. New biomarkers have been developed to provide more options in helping the different areas of oncology to treat patients.
Lee Biosolutions Inc. has expanded its line of biomarkers to include products used to track epithelial ovarian cancer, breast cancer and liver cancer.
Based in Brentwood, Lee Biosolutions collects biological materials — human saliva, semen, urine and vaginal secretions, among others — and produces finished proteins, enzymes, biologicals, immuno-reagents and antibodies for life science research and clinical diagnostic testing. The company’s core business is diagnostic and Lee Biosolutions sells proteins and enzymes to research labs like the Cleveland Clinic and pharmaceutical companies such as Abbott Laboratories.
Lee Biosolutions has developed a proprietary process to purify and test for novel cancer biomarkers. In addition to the new biomarkers, the company is expanding its production of the other biomarkers in its lineup.
"We continue to increase supply of CA 19-9 which often is used with patients with pancreatic cancer, CEA tumor marker that helps predict the outlook in patients with colorectal cancer and CA 72-4 which is now used in ovarian, pancreatic cancer and cancers starting in the digestive tract," said Burton Lee, president of the company. "Current research has identified CYFRA 21-1 used as a marker for non-small cell lung cancer and Lee Biosolutions has increased supply of Beta 2 Microglobuilnwhich is used as a marker for multiple myelomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia."
The products are raw finished proteins that are used in formulations in invitro diagnostic products and research.
Lee Biosolutions had revenue of $6 million last year.
It is always heartbreaking when children have cancer. Usually cancer in children affects the blood cells or brain. A very rare cancer in children is rhabdomyosarcoma. Where is this cancer located in a child's body?
Fewer than 60 children are diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma
in the UK each year. About the same number in the United States. Most of them are younger than 10 years old. It's
more common in boys than girls.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common of the soft tissue
sarcomas in children. These tumors develop from muscle or fibrous
tissue and can grow in any part of the body.
The most common areas of the body to be affected are
around the head and neck, the bladder or the testes. Sometimes tumours
are also found in a muscle or a limb, in the chest or in the abdominal
wall. If the tumour is in the head or neck region, it can
occasionally spread into the brain or the fluid around the spinal cord.
What causes this disease is unknown. Children who have rare genetic disorders are more prone to have rhabdommyosarcoma.
Image of rhabdomyosarcoma that has been removed from a child's body.
The images of the children with this cancer are very disturbing so they will not be displayed.
The signs and symptoms will depend on the part of the body
that's affected by the rhabdomyosarcoma. The most common sign is a
swelling or lump.
If the tumor is in the head area, it can sometimes
cause a blockage (obstruction) and a discharge from the nose or throat.
Occasionally, an eye may appear swollen and protruding.
If the tumor is in the abdomen (tummy), your child may
have discomfort in the abdomen and difficulty going to the toilet.
If the tumor is in the bladder, your child may have blood in the urine and difficulty passing urine.
A variety of tests and investigations
may be needed to diagnose a rhabdomyosarcoma. A small operation may be
needed to remove a sample from the tumour to be looked at under a
microscope. This called a biopsy. It's usually done under a general
anaesthetic.
Various tests may be done to check the exact size of the tumour and whether it has spread to any other part of the body. These may include:
a chest x-ray to check the lungs
an ultrasound
CT or MRI scans
blood and bone marrow tests.
Any tests and investigations that your child needs will be explained to you. The booklet A parent's guide to children's cancer gives details of what the tests and scans involve.
Rhabdomyosarcomas are rare tumours and should be treated at specialist centres.
Treatment depends upon the size of the tumour, its
position within the body, and whether it has spread. Treatment of
rhabdomyosarcoma usually includes surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatments.
Surgery
If at all possible, surgery will be used to remove the tumour. Chemotherapy, using a combination of drugs,
is often given before surgery to shrink the tumour. Radiotherapy may
also be given to the area of the tumour, particularly if it cannot be
completely removed by surgery.
Chemotherapy
If the tumour cannot be removed with surgery, treatment
will usually involve a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy
cancer cells and is usually given every three weeks. It may be given to
shrink the tumour before surgery or with radiotherapy when the tumour
can't be removed by surgery. The drugs used and the length of treatment
depends on the type and stage of the rhabdomyosarcoma.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy treats cancer by using high-energy rays,
which destroy the cancer cells while doing as little harm as possible to
normal cells. It's given to the area where the rhabdomyosarcoma occurs.
Side effects of treatment
Treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma often causes side effects,
and your child’s doctor will discuss this with you before treatment
starts. Any possible side effects will depend on the particular
treatment being given and the part of the body that's being treated.
Chemotherapy can make your child feel better by relieving
the symptoms of the cancer, but it can sometimes have side effects such
as feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting), hair loss, an increased risk of infection, bruising and bleeding, tiredness and diarrhoea.
Late side effects
A small number of children may develop side effects many years after their treatment for a rhabdomyosarcoma. Long-term side effects depend on the type of treatment used, and may include a possible reduction in bone growth, infertility,
a change in the way the heart and the kidneys work, and a slight
increase in the risk of developing another cancer in later life.
Your child’s doctor or nurse will talk to you about any
possible late side effects. There is more detailed information about
these late side effects in the booklet A parent’s guide to children’s cancer.
The following video does an excellent job of explaining your journey as a patient with cancer that requires chemotherapy treatment. Watching this tutorial will greatly reduce the anxiety of a patient's first infusion.
Chemotherapy at Norris Memorial Cancer Center
Please share this article with anyone you know that has been diagnosed with cancer and has been prescribed chemotherapy for treatment of killing cancer cells.
Researcher finds problems with the fact that all women with ovarian cancer do not have access to top quality care to boost survival. Dr. Robert Bristow believes a decidedly low-tech approach could
significantly enhance the survival rate for ovarian cancer, even though
it’s the deadliest women’s reproductive cancer, claiming 15,000 lives
each year; it has no reliable screening or prevention methods; and its
research funding is about one-sixth the amount for breast cancer. According to CancerCenter.com recent study and interview there only need to be excellent care for all women concerning ovarian cancer.
“We don’t have to redesign a molecule to improve the outcome for women
with ovarian cancer,” says Bristow, the Philip J. DiSaia Chair in Gynecologic Oncology
and director of UC Irvine’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology. “Recent
research has shown that the most profound impact on survivorship occurs
when women get proper care from surgeons trained in the latest
techniques for treating ovarian cancer.”
The sad news is that it was discovered that women with low income and black women did not receive the excellent care as white women or affluent women. This study was done in March of 2012. Our health plans have got to change.
“Not all women are benefiting equally from improvements in ovarian cancer care,” Bristow says. “The reasons behind these disparities are not entirely clear, which is why we need additional research.”
For the women who did not receive excellent care due to race and social standing they also extended the research to see if when they were treated for ovarian cancer if the they followed the National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment guidelines.
Bristow and colleagues found that five-year survival rates
varied significantly. (Improvement in ovarian cancer care is measured
in length of survival after diagnosis rather than a “cure” rate.)
Among those whose care met NCCN standards, the rate for white women
was 41.4 percent, compared with 33.3 percent for African American women.
Among those whose care did not meet NCCN standards, the rate for white
women was 37.8 percent, compared with 22.5 percent for African American
women. Those on Medicaid or without insurance faced a 30 percent
increased risk of death. Poor women – defined as having an annual
household income of less than $35,000 – had worse survival rates
regardless of race.
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive cancer. It is usually found in older patients and a compromised immune system. There are about 1500 reported cases per year but the number is increasing. One -third of patients could die quickly from being diagnosed with MCC and need to be treated immediately.
MCC is also referred as neuroendocrine carcinoma and grows in large amounts in the skin. Over weeks a small bump grows rapidly.
It is very difficult to look at the horrible picture,but this MCC growth can be seen on any part of the body.
This is a picture of Merkel Cell Carcinoma under a microscan which magnifies very high.
Merkel cells are found in the epidermis
(outer layer of the skin). Although the exact function of Merkel cells
is unknown, they are thought to be touch receptors. They have both
sensory and hormonal functions and are sometimes referred to as neuroendocrine cells.
Dr. Randall K. Roenigk of the prestigious Mayo Clinic explains Merkel Cell carcinoma.
What is the typical patient like that can get MCC? They are usually 65 or over,fair skinned,experienced lots of exposure to the sun and immuno depressed. Also persons who are HIV positive may be susceptible because this disease compromises their immune system.
The following testing is performed to diagnose MMC:
Sentinel node biopsy. When cancer cells spread,
they often travel first to your lymph nodes — small, rounded structures
that filter foreign particles from lymph, a tissue-cleansing fluid in
your body. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a procedure to determine
whether cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. This procedure involves
injecting a dye near the skin tumor. The dye then flows through the
lymphatic system to your lymph nodes. The first lymph node that receives
the dye is called the sentinel node. Your doctor removes this lymph
node and looks for cancerous cells under a microscope.
Imaging tests. Your doctor may recommend a chest
X-ray and a CT scan of your chest and abdomen to help determine whether
the cancer has spread to other organs. Your doctor may also consider
other imaging tests such as a positron emission tomography (PET) scan or
an octreotide scan — a test that uses an injection of a radioactive
tracer to check for the spread of cancer cells.
Treatment for MCC is first of surgery to attempt to remove the carcinoma. Radiation is the next step to reduce the growth of remaining cancer cells. Finally, chemotherapy is used to also decrease continued growth and kill the growing tumor.
The thymus is a specialized organ of the immune system which is also the lymph system. It is a small organ that lies under the breast bone. The thymus produces white cells which fight off infections in our body.
The thymus is composed of two identical lobes and is located anatomically in the anterior superior mediastinum, in front of the heart and behind the sternum. Histologically, the thymus can be divided into a central medulla and a peripheral cortex
which is surrounded by an outer capsule. The cortex and medulla play
different roles in the development of T-cells. Cells in the thymus can
be divided into thymic stromal cells and cells of hematopoietic origin (derived from bone marrow resident hematopoietic stem cells). Developing T-cells are referred to as thymocytes and are of hematopoietic origin. Stromal cells include thymic cortical epithelial cells, thymic medullary epithelial cells, and dendritic cells.
The thymus provides an inductive environment for development of
T-lymphocytes from hematopoietic progenitor cells. In addition, thymic
stromal cells allow for the selection of a functional and self-tolerant
T-cell repertoire. Therefore, one of the most important roles of the
thymus is the induction of central tolerance.
The thymus is largest and most active during the neonatal and pre-adolescent periods. By the early teens, the thymus begins to atrophy and thymic stroma is replaced by adipose (fat) tissue. Nevertheless, residual T lymphopoiesis continues throughout adult life.
There are different types of tumors of the thymus. Thymoma and thymic carcinoma are tumors that affect the surface thymus. Thymoma tumors look almost like the normal tissue and does not spread beyond the thymus. The thymic tumor cells are very different from the thymus tissue and spread rapidly through the body.
Encapsulated Thymoma
Tumor cells in lymphoepithelioma-like thymic
carcinoma have large, round, vesicular nuclei with prominent nucleoli.
The tumor cells are positive for keratin and many cases contain EBV genome
Tumor cells in lymphoepithelioma-like thymic
carcinoma have large, round, vesicular nuclei with prominent nucleoli.
The tumor cells are positive for keratin and many cases contain EBV genome.
Possible signs of thymoma and thymic carcinoma include a cough and chest pain.
Sometimes thymoma and thymic carcinoma do not cause symptoms. The
cancer may be found during a routine chest x-ray. The following symptoms
may be caused by thymoma, thymic carcinoma, or other conditions. A
doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:
A cough that doesn't go away.
Chest pain.
Trouble breathing
The diagnosis is determined through chest x-rays, MRI scans and CT scans
Stages of Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma
Tests done to detect thymoma or thymic carcinoma are also used to stage the disease.
Staging is the process used to find out if cancer has spread from the
thymus to other parts of the body. The findings made during surgery and
the results of tests and procedures are used to determine the stage of
the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan
treatment.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
The three ways that cancer spreads in the body are:
Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue.
Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
The new direction of cancer treatment is becoming personalized to the characteristics of individual patients. Instead of treating specific cancers the same way for all patients researchers are focusing on the characteristic's of each patient and their tumors.
These new ways of treatment was presented at the Third European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva.
A major goal of lung cancer treatment is to tailor the treatment to the
individual," says Dr Fiona Blackhall from The Christie NHS Foundation
Trust in Manchester, UK. "The studies that will be presented at ELCC
2012 are important practical steps to achieving this in the clinic.
Methods ranging from convenient blood-based molecular tests, detailed
genetic analysis of tumors and functional imaging techniques have been
applied in patient populations receiving a range of treatments. These
findings provide impetus to continue developing a personalized medicine
approach to lung cancer with the overall aim of selecting the most
effective treatment for the individual."
Proteins provide clues to outcomes
An international group of researchers report promising results with a
test that may identify patients likely to benefit from first-line
therapy with a particular drug combination.
Dr Oliver Gautschi from the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research
(SAKK), and collaborators from The Netherlands and the US company
developing the test, conducted a retrospective analysis of two phase-II
trials with a serum proteomic classifier called VeriStrat-. Their aim
was to evaluate the prognostic value of the test in patients with
advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving first-line treatment with bevacizumab and erlotinib.
VeriStrat- uses mass spectrometry to measure proteins in
pre-treatment blood and assigns a result that correlates with outcome
from treatment with a class of drugs known as EGFR inhibitors, which
includes erlotinib and gefitinib. The test was initially developed and
validated in patients who had already been treated with chemotherapy, and who then received an EGFR inhibitor in second line, Dr Gautschi explains.
"We conducted this project to see if the test is also prognostic in
untreated patients who received an EGFR inhibitor in the first line.
Until now, this has not been clear."
The researchers used VeriStrat- to analyze blood samples from 117
patients previously enrolled in two phase II trials and compared the
results to the patients' progression-free survival and overall survival.
The analysis showed that those classified by the test as likely to have
better outcomes on EGFR inhibitor therapy did indeed live longer.
"The difference in overall survival between patients classified by
the test as likely to have better or worse outcomes when receiving EGFR
inhibitors was clinically relevant," Dr Gautschi said. However he noted
that definitive conclusions about the use of this test in previously
untreated patients requires further studies.
"There is an unmet need for reliable blood-based markers in patients with lung cancer, because lung tumors are harder to biopsy than breast tumours for example. The current study indicates that modern technologies, such as proteomics, are promising tools, which need further validation in large trials," he said. In this context, the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP) is currently launching a prospective phase-III trial to futher validate this test in patients with lung cancer.
Gene Based Lung Cancer Treatment
For more information:
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120419/New-studies-on-personalized-lung-cancer-treatment-presented-at-3rd-ELCC.aspx
Wilm's tumor is a rare type of cancer that is found mainly in children. Another name for Wilm's tumor is nephroblastoma and it is the most common cancer of the kidneys. The age range of a child is 3-4 years old is when the Wilms tumor usually develops. This specific tumor is usually seen on just one of the kidneys, but can be seen in both.
Wilms Tumor in kidneys of a child
Approximately 500 cases are seen every year in the United States. Fortunately, this type of tumor is highly responsive to treatment.
Wilms' tumor is a malignant tumor
containing metanephric blastema,
stromal and epithelial derivatives. Characteristic is the presence of abortive
tubules and glomeruli surrounded by a spindled cell stroma. The stroma may
include striated muscle, cartilage, bone,
fat tissue, fibrous tissue. The tumor is compressing the normal kidney
parenchyma.
Wilms' tumors may be separated into
2 prognostic groups based on pathologic characteristics:
Favorable
- Contains well developed components mentioned above
Anaplastic - Contains diffuse anaplasia (poorly developed cells)
The symptoms that are typical of Wilm's tumor are an abnormally large abdomen, abdominal pain,fever,nausea and vomiting,blood in the urine and high blood pressure in some cases.
The diagnosis of this tumor requires several tests.
A physical examination.
The doctor will look for possible signs of Wilms' tumor.
Blood and urine tests.
Blood tests can't detect Wilms' tumor, but they can provide your child's
doctor with an overall assessment of your child's health.
Imaging tests. Imaging
tests that create pictures of your child's kidneys can help your doctor
determine whether your child has a kidney tumor. Imaging tests may include
ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI).
Surgery. If your child has
a kidney tumor, your doctor may recommend removing the tumor or the entire
kidney to determine if the tumor is cancerous. The removed tissue is
analyzed in a laboratory to determine whether cancer is present and what
types of cells are involved. This surgery may also serve as treatment for
Wilms' tumor.
Once your child's doctor has
diagnosed Wilms' tumor, he or she works to determine the extent (stage) of the
cancer. Your child's doctor may recommend a chest X-ray, chest CT scan, chest
MRI and bone scan to determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the
kidneys.
The growth of the cancer is usually described in Stages. The following are the stages for Wilm's tumor.
Stage I.
The cancer is found only in one kidney, and generally can be completely
removed with surgery.
Stage II.
The cancer has spread to the tissues and structures near the affected
kidney, such as fat or blood vessels, but it can still be completely
removed by surgery.
Stage III.
The cancer has spread beyond the kidney area to nearby lymph nodes or
other structures within the abdomen, and it may not be completely removed
by surgery.
Stage IV.
The cancer has spread to distant structures, such as the lungs, liver,
bones or brain.
Stage V.
Cancer cells are found in both kidneys.
·Standard treatment for Wilms' tumor is surgery
and chemotherapy. The stage of the tumor and appearance of the cancer cells
under a microscope help determine whether your child also needs radiation therapy.
At this point, your doctor may tell you the tumor appears to be either
favorable or unfavorable (anaplastic) — the histology of the tissue. Children
whose tumors have a favorable histology have better survival rates. However,
many children with unfavorable histology also have good outcomes.
·Because this type of cancer is rare, your doctor
may recommend that you seek treatment at a children's cancer center that has
experience treating this type of cancer.
Professor Frank Friedman explains Wilm's Tumor Kidney Cancer in Children
