US Pharm. 2006;31(7)(Oncology suppl):16.

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Approved
The FDA approved Gardasil, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions, and genital warts from the human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18.

The vaccine, approved for females 9 to 26 years old, was given priority review. According to the FDA, two of the HPV strains, HPV-16 and HPV-18, cause about 70% of cervical cancers, whereas HPV-6 and HPV-11 cause about 90% of genital warts. Although cancers associated with HPV usually develop in women, the virus is spread by both men and women through sexual contact. Studies have shown, however, that the vaccine is effective only when given prior to infection. Merck, Gardasil's manufacturer, has a study underway examining the efficacy of the vaccine in males.

Gender Affects Lung Function in Cancer Patients
Women with lung cancer are less likely than men to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a known risk factor for lung cancer. These data, derived from a study in Chest (2006;129:1305-1312), indicate that clinicians should not rule out a possible diagnosis of lung cancer in women due to the absence of COPD.

Researchers compared the prevalence of COPD in men and women newly diagnosed with lung cancer. Before diagnosis, 151 men and 143 women took pulmonary function tests to determine their lung function. The diagnosis of airflow obstruc­tion was determined based on American Thoracic Society guidelines. 

Among men, 110 patients (73%) had COPD, compared to 75 female patients (52.5%)--a significantly lower prevalence. "Using the presence of COPD alone as criterion to determine a patient's risk may miss women with lung cancer," the authors noted. They stressed that more well-established risk factors (e.g., age, smoking history) should be considered when physicians screen patients for lung cancer.

How Does Exercise Help Fight Cancer?
Interactions with the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), a protein that blocks cell growth and induces cell death, may explain why physical activity can help reduce colorectal cancer mortality. This hypothesis was suggested based on findings reported in Gut(2006;55:689-694).

To determine the mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of physical activity, authors utilized data on subjects from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, which comprised 41,528 Australians enlisted from 1990 to 1994. Investigators assessed exercise level and body mass index at baseline and reviewed these measurements with prediagnosis insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and IGFBP-3 levels.

Of the colorectal cancer cases identified, 443 had IGF-1/IGFBP-3 levels measured; median follow-up of survivors was 5.6 years. Among subjects who were physically active, an increase in IGFBP-3 by 26.2 nmol/L was associated with a 48% reduction in colorectal cancer–specific deaths. For the physically active, neither IGF-1 nor IGFBP-3 was linked to colorectal cancer survival.

Cadmium Exposure Linked to Breast Cancer
Women with the highest levels of the heavy metal cadmium have twice the risk of developing breast cancer than women with the lowest levels, based on a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2006;98:869-873).

Cadmium has been designated as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but no human studies have examined the association. Authors measured cadmium levels in urine in 246 breast cancer patients, ages 20 to 69 years, and in 254 age-matched controls. Information on known breast cancer risk factors was obtained via telephone interviews.

Women with cadmium levels in the highest quartile (0.58 mcg/g or more) had twice the breast cancer risk of those in the lowest quartile (less than 0.26 mcg/g) after adjustment for established risk factors. "Whether increased cadmium is a causal factor for breast cancer or reflects the effects of treatment or disease remains to be determined," the authors concluded.

--Jessica Jannicelli

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