NEWS, PUBLICATIONS, AND RELATED STORIES  Mouse study shows dopamine blocks tumor-feeding blood vessels "Sometimes new drugs may not be the answer. We looked instead at a novel use for an established product and have found very promising results," says Mayo Clinic oncology researcher Sujit Basu, M.D., Ph.D. Agreement strengthens relationship and spawns new scientific collaborations "TGen takes seriously our commitment to work toward helping patients with cancer and other disorders. This announcement is another mechanism allowing TGen and Mayo faculty to work bi-directionally in a more seamless fashion," said Jeffrey Trent, Ph.D., TGen's president and scientific director. View Related     New treatment provides a 'more frequent, rapid and deep response' "For newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, this new drug treatment provides a more frequent, rapid and deep response, compared with earlier treatment options," said Craig B. Reeder, M.D., a Mayo Clinic hematologist/oncologist and lead investigator of the study. View Related  Presented at the American Society of Hematology's 2007 meeting "In this study we were hoping to find that a lower dose of steroids would be just as effective," says Vincent Rajkumar, M.D., Mayo Clinic Cancer Center hematologist and lead investigator of the study. "We were surprised to find that the regimen with high-dose steroids actually was decreasing survival, besides contributing to increased side effects." View Related       The study, which was done in mouse models, is featured on the cover of the November issue of Cancer Research. There are few effective treatments for advanced breast cancer, but in this case, the study authors feel that 2ME2 has the potential to improve the prognosis of patients with advanced breast cancer. View Related  Phase 2 Consortium clinical trial shows promising results Presented by the study's primary investigator, Keith Bible, M.D., Ph.D., at the Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics International Conference, a jointly-sponsored symposium of the American Association for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. "We are encouraged by the interim results of this trial," says Dr. Bible, a medical oncologist and researcher at Mayo Clinic. "Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer responds poorly to traditional therapies, and we've been working toward developing more effective treatments for this disease. This combination looks very promising." View Abstract  According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 20,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2007 and almost 13,000 will die from the cancer. "We are pleased to have a new and promising therapy to offer patients who want to participate in this clinical trial," says Kent New, M.D., Ph.D., neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. "The results, so far, have exceeded expectations." View Related    Medical Edge Radio For more information on inflammatory breast cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/inflammatory-breast-cancer Read Script  Highly effective translational research collaboration continues Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a national recognition of excellence in education, research and treatment of cancer. The lymphoma SPORE is one of six SPORE cancer research programs at Mayo's locations in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Mayo Clinic also has been awarded SPORE grants in brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer, and shares a SPORE for myeloma. View Related       Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- June 4, 2007 A Final Report of the AIO Colorectal Study Group (Association of Medical Oncology within the German Cancer Society) View Related  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center had researchers from many disciplines presenting more than 60 oral abstracts and dozens of posters, also educational sessions and other special events throughout the 2007 ASCO program, June 1-5. View Related   The National Institutes of Health chose Mayo Clinic as one of the first 12 institutions to receive Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) in October 2006. "There are two objects in medical education: to heal the sick and advance the science." - Dr. Charles H. Mayo View Related  Yuan-Ping Pang, Ph.D. established the Computer-Aided Molecular Design Laboratory (CAMDL) to learn more about how biological systems function and to establish models that could lead to new treatments for infectious diseases and cancer. View Related  Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the United States after lymphoma, yet no new treatments have been developed in a generation. "Our goal is to deliver individualized care based on the latest genomic information and drugs available," Dr. Lief Bergsagel says. "We intend to find ways to offer the right drug to the right patient each time. And we're set to be among the first to make it happen for patients with multiple myeloma." View Related  Osteoporosis was not even considered a disease before Mayo Clinic's 1980s groundbreaking epidemiology studies. Funded by a $1.2 million per year NIH Program Project grant, the osteoporosis research team is also taking their research to the genetic and molecular levels to study the physiology of bone metabolism in an aging population. Their studies investigate the TGF-beta-Inducible Early Gene (TIEG) gene's role in bone and skeletal disorders such as osteoporosis and breast cancer metastasis to the bone. View Related  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have found that chaetocin, a by-product of a common wood mold, has promise as a new anti-myeloma agent. Results of their study are available online in the March 15, 2007, issue of Blood. Mayo Clinic has a long tradition of leadership in myeloma research and novel therapeutic development, with the oldest and largest myeloma program in the country. Dr. Bible’s research is part of an ongoing initiative within Mayo’s Dysproteinemia and Myeloma Groups to find promising natural or man-made agents for the treatment of myeloma and other blood diseases; and to investigate at a basic science level and subsequently translate that research into clinical practice. View Abstract   From studies reviewing basic laboratory science, to clinical trials and the final translation of that research to individualized patient care, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has a broad portfolio of presentations at the 2007 AACR meeting. View Related Clinical Trial Stopped Early Because of Very Positive Results in Treatment Arm A large clinical trial has been halted early because gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients taking Gleevec after surgery did so much better than patients who did not take the drug. The Phase III trial was conducted by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), an NCI Cooperative Group, in collaboration with Cancer and Leukemia Group B, South West Oncology Group, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, and National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. ACOSOG is led by Group Co-chairs Dr David Ota of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the site of the operations office, and Dr Heidi Nelson of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, the site of the Biostatistics. View Related  "So in a nutshell, we have a highly effective and safe regimen now, which is orally administered for the treatment of myeloma. Patients can take this and not know they are on chemotherapy. That's how effective this is." -- Vincent Rajkumar, M.D. View Related  Collaborative approach uses lapatinib (Tykerb) and trastuzumab (Herceptin), tests heart function View Related  Publication: Journal of Supportive Oncology -- March 2007 North Central Cancer Treatment Group in conjunction with Mayo Clinic Cancer Center View Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- March 2007 The purpose of this consensus is to offer a simplified, evidence-based algorithm of decision making for patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. In cases in which evidence is lacking, our team of 18 Mayo Clinic myeloma experts reached a consensus on what therapy could generally be recommended. The focal point of our strategy revolves around risk stratification. Although a multitude of risk factors have been identified throughout the years, including age, tumor burden, renal function, lactate dehydrogenase, beta2-microglobulin, and serum albumin, our group has now recognized and endorsed a genetic stratification and patient functional status for treatment. View Related  In the largest single-institution retrospective study to date, researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center have shown that giving patients both radiation and chemotherapy after completely removing invasive pancreatic cancer may improve survival rates. Drs. Miller and Corsini and their fellow researchers think these findings are important to clinicians worldwide. "While long-term outcomes with pancreatic cancer are generally poor," Dr. Corsini says, "our findings show that including both chemotherapy and radiation following surgery may significantly improve patient survival rates." Mayo currently uses a treatment strategy for most patients that includes a combination of radiation and chemotherapy after surgery. View Related   Findings may help target specific, individualized treatments to patients Certain patients suffering from multiple myeloma, a difficult-to-treat cancer of the plasma cells, may respond positively to a drug that shows potential to extend their survival rates by as much as six months, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. For the first time, Mayo researchers have identified tumor-specific alterations in the cellular pathway by which the multiple myeloma drug, bortezomib (Velcade), works, as well as nine new genetic mutations in cancer cells that should increase a patient's chance of responding to the agent. View Related  Novel therapies are greatly improving the long-term outlook for patients with multiple myeloma, say researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, who have led efforts in testing these treatments and moving them quickly into first-line therapies. "These treatments represent a revolutionary approach to the care of patients with multiple myeloma, especially in those who are newly diagnosed," says S. Vincent Rajkumar, M.D., hematologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and lead author of some of the studies presented. Multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells, is the second most common blood cancer in the United States, diagnosed in about 15,000 people annually. As yet, no cure exists for the disease, and average survival has been about three to four years, says Dr. Rajkumar. View Abstract  "We were pleased with the results of this study because it demonstrates that tipifarnib has some single-agent activity in this aggressive tumor group," says Dr. Witzig. "Now we need to combine it with other effective agents to further enhance activity." Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Iowa, presented results Dec. 11, 2006, of a Phase II clinical study indicating that an oral drug, tipifarnib, can stall or reverse disease progression for patients with relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  "We are very pleased with the results of this study," says Dr. Kay. "This is a new, viable option for high-risk patients who might not have had much hope before, and it's especially exciting that it works for patients of all age groups." Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, working in collaboration with Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, presented evidence Sunday that a novel regimen of three chemotherapy drugs, pentostatin, cyclophosphamide and rituximab, resulted in significant clinical response in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. View Abstract  Defining how bortezomib works to help physicians find patients most likely to respond to the drug Researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, collaborating with industry, have, for the first time, identified tumor specific alterations in the cellular pathway by which the multiple myeloma drug bortezomib (Velcade) works, and they have identified nine new genetic mutations in cancer cells that should increase a patient's chance of responding to the agent. View Abstract  Inside Mayo Clinic Magazine Patients with metastatic melanoma have new hope, according to a recently published study by Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. The study shows that a combination of two drugs, paclitaxel and carboplatin, appears to be effective for metastatic melanoma when traditional treatments have failed. The study was published in the journal Cancer. View Abstract  Custom-fitting a Drug for a Child with Leukemia Some 20 years ago, Mayo Clinic researcher Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., and colleagues made a groundbreaking discovery: They determined why a dose of a drug that could produce astonishing cures in a lethal childhood cancer sometimes also could produce side effects that killed children. The reason behind this strikingly individual response to a drug was found in the genes. With this profound insight into the role that a patient's genetic make-up plays in how the patient responds to a drug, the new field of pharmacogenomic medicine was born. It continues to grow today—Mayo Clinic research leading the way discovering new treatment applications that range from depression, to breast cancer, to chemical dependency. View Related  Seeking to prevent cancer using anti-inflammatory medication "While searching for the cure is important, even more so is finding effective ways to prevent cancer," says Paul Limburg, M.D., M.P.H., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead researcher on the colon cancer prevention study. "We have observed that some of the same biological processes that cause inflammation may also be involved in developing cancer, so the next step was to see if drugs that prevent inflammation also serve to lessen the risk of cancer." View Related The collaboration will allow Mayo Clinic and Colorado State to combine expertise in comparative oncology and new treatments for disease. The goal of this collaboration is to bring new diagnostic tests specifically related to cancer and infectious diseases to help us advance biomedical research and bring new diagnostics and therapeutics to patients," says Ronald J. Marler, D.V.M, Ph.D., and associate director for Research/Research Alliances at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. View Related  Researcher-clinician offers advice for navigating the new world of molecular treatment The news that the world's first targeted therapy, trastuzumab (Herceptin), is now available for many women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer "highlights a truly significant advance in the management of breast cancer," says Edith Perez, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic's Breast Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. Dr. Perez, who led one of the four pivotal studies that proved the drug's benefit in early-stage disease, says the approval of trastuzumab by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Nov. 16 for this new use now allows physicians to manage an aggressive type of breast cancer much more effectively than just a few years ago. View Related   Tim Stepanek passed away in January 2006 after a long and heroic battle with amyloidosis and multiple myeloma. His family hopes that Tim's story will inspire others help support research to find new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent amyloidosis. "I think the important thing for me and for them [researchers] was to connect it with a patient. They work very, very hard – way over 40 hours a week. They don't often get the benefit of connecting the practical aspects of what they're doing with the reality of patients' lives. That's the exciting thing." Tim Stepanek View Related  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center's Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for prostate cancer research has been renewed for an additional five years. SPORE grants are highly competitive awards given to institutions on the cutting edge of translational research in specific types of cancer. View Related  Publication: Science -- Oct. 13, 2006 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department researchers report that a protein that initiates a “quality control check” during cell division also directs cell death for those cells damaged during duplication. View Related  This annual education event brings cutting-edge research and the clinicians and scientists who study it to those who are interested in women's cancers. View Related Mayo Awarded $72 Million for Clinical and Translational Research "The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Research will coordinate the efforts of our outstanding clinical research education and training programs, our world-class scientists and clinical research investigators, and the vast resources of Mayo Clinic to speed the process of turning our research discoveries into the medications and treatments our patients need and expect," says Robert Rizza, M.D., Mayo Clinic's director for research and the director of the new center. View Related  The Clinical Research Training Program provides a formal education in all aspects of clinical research, including grant-writing, legal and ethical issues, statistics, epidemiology and study design and protocols. "I realized how exciting research can be, and how exciting it is to advance the science." Jon Ebbert, M.D. View Related  Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is thalidomide now approved for use in patients with multiple myeloma? My father took it "off label" several years ago and had a very good result. Are there other treatment options for this disease? View Related   Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Aug. 20, 2006 North Central Cancer Treatment Group along with Southwest Oncology Group View Related  Mayo Clinic's multiple myeloma research team has jointly issued a consensus statement regarding the use of bisphosphonates to prevent or treat bone disease associated with the disease. Their recommendations address several controversial issues, including the type of bisphosphonate to be used and the duration of such therapy, and are available in the August 2006 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. View Abstract Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Aug. 1, 2006 A companion study to the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group study MA.17 View Related     "This collaboration will enable us to work with the Indian Health Service to address health care-related needs specific to Native Americans, ranging from developing research initiatives to address unique problems, to finding ways to improve access to medi View Related  Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that the molecule B7-H4 helps renal cell carcinoma (RCC) grow and spread by blocking the immune system. The findings may one day help physicians predict patient outcome and direct treatment, as well as serve as a target at which to aim new and better therapies for this most lethal urologic malignancy. View Abstract  In helping young investigators, Mayo Clinic again is connecting all the dots -- leading back to the same point, the same mission, ongoing and yet unchanged for over a century: the needs of the patient come first. New, young investigators are critical to biomedical research. Their fresh ideas, innovativeness, and enthusiasm are necessary for scientific progress. Yet the steps from a junior research position toward a self-sufficient laboratory can be difficult. Mayo Clinic is dedicated to fostering future, investigators. Here we look at two of them and what Mayo is doing to help. View Related Researchers Find Biomarker May Indicate Probable Response to Therapy for Ovarian and Gastric Cancers "In this study we've been able to identify a protein whose expression was associated with the effectiveness of cisplatin and paclitaxel for ovarian and gastric cancer treatment." Mayo Clinic researchers, in collaboration with several international teams, report that individuals respond better to cisplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy treatments for ovarian or gastric cancer, specifically stomach cancer, when they have higher levels of the HtrA1 protein -- indicating a potential clinical use of this biomarker to predict treatment response. View Abstract  North Central Cancer Treatment Group Study Patients who receive trastuzumab at the same time as post-chemotherapy radiation treatments for HER-2 positive breast cancer have no more risk for major side effects or complications than those who do not receive the drug. View Related  Most recent research demonstrates the effectiveness of Thal/Dex therapy We are happy to be able to report such positive results for this still incurable cancer," said Dr. Vincent Rajkumar. "Not only have we consistently shown that Thal/Dex reduces the amount of cancer cells in the bone marrow, but now we can state that primary therapy with this combination produces superior long-term results compared to dexamethasone alone." View Related  In scientific literature, epidemiologic studies have linked reduced rates of certain cancers to cultures in Asia where green tea is a popular drink. Legend has it that the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea around 2737 B.C.E. He was known as the Divine Healer, and that title is almost all one needs to know about why legends, right or wrong, persist. Green tea has come down through the ages, trailing behind it mythic tales of health benefits from "cheering the heart" to reducing inflammation, from improving bladder function to treating tumors. View Related  Robert B. Diasio, M.D., has been appointed Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Director, succeeding Franklyn Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Diasio, who will be based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, will also direct cancer center activities at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. View Related  Medical Edge Newspaper First, a cancer diagnosis. Then, worries about possible side effects from the treatment -- the nausea and vomiting you've heard about from others who have been treated for cancer. This article explores some of the options available for dealing with the side effects of treatment. View Related The first radiation therapy and respiratory care baccalaureate classes of Mayo School of Health Sciences and the University of Minnesota will be conferred on Friday, May 12, 2006, at Mayo Clinic. View Related Medical Edge Television: Read script (http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-television-2006/2006-oct-05.html) Medical Edge Television Read Script  Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) Released: Osteoporosis Drug Raloxifene Shown to be as Effective as Tamoxifen in Preventing Invasive Breast Cancer "The initial results from the STAR trial are truly exciting for the future of breast cancer prevention," said Sandhya Pruthi, M.D. the principal investigator at Mayo Clinic Rochester and director of the Mayo Breast Diagnostic Clinic. View Related  The 2-gene expression profile of HOXB13 and IL17BR in a woman's breast cancer predicts risk of recurrence in node-negative patients treated with tamoxifen Mayo Clinic researchers report that the expression of two novel genes within the tumors of women with early stage breast cancer may allow identification of women who are and are not at risk for early relapse or cancer-related death. Results of the study are published in the April 1, 2006, issue of Clinical Cancer Research. View Abstract  North Central Cancer Treatment Group Research Mayo Clinic researchers working with other North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) investigators have found that a single dose of depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) more effectively reduces hot flashes than does the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor®). Results of the study are available in the March 2006 Journal of Clinical Oncology. View Abstract  North Central Cancer Treatment Group Research Mayo Clinic researchers working in concert with other North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) (opens in new window) investigators have found that administering epoetin alfa for anemia once every three weeks to patients with anemia and cancer, instead of the traditional weekly epoetin treatments, maintains similar levels of red blood cells. Results of the study are available in the March 2006 Journal of Clinical Oncology. View Abstract  Mayo Clinic’s Molecular Medicine Program has three gene therapy clinical trials open in which the entire preclinical cycle—concept, discovery of agent, vector manufacture, toxicology and efficacy studies, and new drug application—was conducted at Mayo The projects engineered strains of the measles virus, MV-CEA and MV-NIS, which kill multiple cancer cells, and can be monitored easily. The open trials are in ovarian cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (brain cancer), and multiple myeloma. This article discusses the general research and the first trial which opened -- ovarian cancer. The projects are a fine example of a clear translational effort from bedside to bench and back to the bedside. View Related In terms of a medical diagnosis, nothing is more devastating than hearing the "C" word - cancer. But now, ASU and Mayo Clinic are hoping that five different C's will become the best arsenal against the big C. The organizations have teamed up to introduce a new research entity called MAC5. MAC5 is short for the Mayo Clinic - ASU Center for Cancer-related Convergence, Cooperation and Collaboration. View Related   Mayo Clinic study shows the combination of paclitaxel and carboplatin appears to be effective for MM when traditional treatments have failed, is in the January 2006 issue of Cancer. The National Cancer Institute reports a 2.4 percent increase in the incidence of melanoma between 1992 and 2002. New cases are diagnosed in about 60,000 people each year in the United States, and almost 8,000 die because of metastasized melanoma. Because they know that most therapies provide palliative as opposed to curative options, researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center consider developing more effective curative treatment options to be a priority. View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Dec. 20, 2005 Results of a pooled analysis from the North Central Cancer Treatment Group View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Dec. 20, 2005 A North Central Cancer Treatment Group Phase II study View Related   Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Aug. 10, 2005 A North Central Cancer Treatment Group Study View Related  Gemcitabine and ISIS-2503 for patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Dec. 15, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group clinical trial View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Sept. 15, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group clinical trial View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Aug. 15, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group -- intergroup clinical trial View Related      |