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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