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NEWS, PUBLICATIONS, AND RELATED STORIES Wall Street Journal -- Nov. 19, 2009 Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic, Rochester, Minn., answers questions related to these new guidelines. View Related  A diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus can be concerning because it increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer. View Related  The Daily Scan, genomeweb.com -- Oct. 26, 2009 Research by Stephen Ekker, Ph.D., et al, regarding genetic differences in response to nicotine, using zebrafish animal model View Abstract  Discovery's Edge - Mayo Clinic's Research Publication Zebrafish make an ideal model organism for genetic and developmental studies. A molecular biologist at Mayo is not only using the fish to investigate new treatments for cancer and nicotine addiction, but also as the foundation of a paradigm to get students excited about science. View Related  Researchers say this method is more accurate in predicting risk for an individual than the Gail model. View Abstract  Discovery's Edge - Mayo's Research Publication What causes brain tumors? Using statistics from Mayo’s enormous patient databases, genetics researchers are learning how genetic mutations and environmental triggers increase the risk of developing brain cancer. View Related          Researchers say the findings from Mayo Clinic's campuses in Florida and Minnesota suggest that patients and their physicians should not overly worry about toxicity and side effects from the treatment, known as salvage external beam radiotherapy. View Related  Mayo Clinic Performs Groundbreaking, Single-incision Surgery to Remove Young Woman's Large Intestine This operation was recommended to the patient because of a diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis. Without surgical removal of the colon and rectum, the risk of developing colorectal cancer is 100 percent. View Related  Discovery's Edge - Mayo's Research Magazine Mayo investigators studying immunotherapy for aggressive prostate cancer have found a combination therapy that has dramatically reduced tumor size to make surgery possible. The findings are preliminary — only two cases thus far — but the results are significant for future research. View Related   According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer among both men and women, and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. "Lung cancer stem cells appear to be the major drivers in many common lung cancers, and in order for a therapeutic treatment to be effective, it has to disrupt these cancer stem cells," says study senior author Alan Fields, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and chair of the Department of Cancer Biology at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. "We show that aurothiomalate, the agent now being tested in lung cancer patients, can, in fact, target these cells." View Related      It is the seventh SPORE grant that Mayo has received to support cancer research. "The Mayo Ovarian Cancer SPORE is uniquely poised to address key challenges in ovarian cancer," says Lynn Hartmann, M.D., lead investigator of the newly awarded SPORE. "Our balance of basic, population science and clinical research programs within the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center enables us to pursue major issues in ovarian cancer, such as chemotherapy resistance, and quickly move new approaches into the clinic." View Related    Cancer Center member Jan van Deursen, Ph.D. was awarded the Vita Valley Professorship in Cellular Senescence. View Related  Orland Park Prairie: Aug. 12, 2009 "Mayo Clinic received $15,000 and will use the funds for a database that will help bring new therapies by streamlining access to stored tissue samples." View Related     PCNSL most often affects the elderly, people who are immunosuppressed because of illness or transplant, and patients with AIDS. Though uncommon, this tumor is increasing in incidence, even in patients without known risk factors. View Abstract  Patient Story -- Harold Willhite "Nothing's in a rush," says Harold, back in his workshop after surviving two lung cancers. View Related     Offering cancer patients in Florida and the Southeast access to investigational therapies through rigorously monitored clinical trials "The cancer field is rapidly moving to use of these new agents as a way to improve upon the success we have seen with more traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation," says says Michael Menefee, M.D., who heads the Phase I Clinical Trial Program in Oncology at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville. View Related        Bret Friday, M.D., of the Duluth, Minn., membership will work with Mayo Clinic and other NCCTG researchers in the development and conduct of neuro-oncology clinical trials View Related  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center receives an additional five years of National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding and re-designation as a comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have found a connection between DNA alterations on human chromosome 9 and aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma. The findings are reported in the current online issue of Nature Genetics. View Abstract  Publication: Blood -- June 26, 2009 International Myeloma Working Group recommendations View Related Surgery involved removal of entire colon and joining small bowel to rectum A 32-year-old woman from Maricopa, Ariz., who was at risk for colon cancer, is believed to be the first patient in the U.S. to undergo single-incision total colectomy — an operation in which in the entire colon is removed. View Related  Full details in Discovery's Edge, Mayo Clinic research publication Two Mayo Clinic patients whose prostate cancer had been considered inoperable are now cancer free thanks in part to an experimental drug therapy that was used in combination with standardized hormone treatment and radiation therapy. View Related   Multi-center study co-authored by Mayo Clinic reveals promising treatment Dysplastic, or pre-cancerous lesions, can lead to esophageal cancer. Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses high-intensity radio waves to zap the lesions. View Related A 76-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz., man is the 100th patient at Mayo Clinic to receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant since the program began in 2003. View Related Most people associate colorectal cancer screening with invasive colonoscopy, but previous Mayo Clinic research has shown that stool DNA testing can identify both early-stage colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps. View Related  Pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer are difficult to diagnose and often fatal because they are discovered in the advanced stages of the disease. View Related  Medical Edge Newspaper -- Read Column I am a 68-year-old man in relatively good health. I am an ex-smoker, but quit the habit years ago. Last week I was diagnosed with early stage bladder cancer. Is it true that my smoking could have caused this? How serious is bladder cancer? What are the latest treatment options? View Related  Study findings presented Saturday, May 30, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Orlando. View Abstract   Mayo investigators studying immunotherapy for aggressive prostate cancer have found a combination therapy that has dramatically reduced tumor size to make surgery possible. View Related "[Advancing the Science] is aimed at the public, but the topic is how medical science improves patient care," says blog editor Bob Nellis of Mayo's Public Affairs Department. View Related   Medical Edge Newspaper -- Read Column My uncle has been diagnosed with melanoma, but the tumor is internal with no sign of external lesions. This is the second case I have heard of like this. Is this getting more common? What can be done? View Related   In the May 15 issue of Cancer, Mayo researchers showed that the levels of three proteins (survivin, B7-H1, ki-67) in ccRCC tumor tissue can be used to predict which patients will ultimately die from their cancer. View Abstract   Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) "The benefits were striking in many patients to a degree we have not previously seen in thyroid cancer in response to other therapies, including the standard treatment of radioiodine," says Keith Bible, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncologist and researcher who led the multicenter clinical trial funded by the National Cancer Institute. View Abstract  Presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). A combination of capecitabine, vinorelbine, and trastuzumab offers a treatment option that is at least as beneficial as other current options — and doesn't cause hair loss in patients. View Abstract        Presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). View Related  Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The finding is particularly significant, says the study's first author, Mamta Gupta, Ph.D., because the three cell lines studied were all resistant to the effects of chemotherapy - as are many pancreatic tumors - and because the drugs studied are already available for treatment of patients. View Related   Researchers say that a molecule known as protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is key to the ability of a tumor cell to "remodel" its structure, enabling it to migrate and invade. View Abstract Arizona News: Mayo Clinic to do one-day 'virtual' colonoscopy and complete colonoscopy if needed. Regular screening is the most powerful weapon available for preventing colon cancer. View Related   Expression of immunosuppresive B7-H3 ligand by hormone-treated prostate cancer tumors and metastases Publication: Clinical Cancer Research -- Mar. 15, 2009 View Related   Ablation technique shown effective for patients with high and low-grade dysplasia  Robotic surgery for the treatment of tonsil and base of tongue cancers is safe, effective and enables faster recovery times. An estimated 24,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with throat cancer each year. View Abstract    Named professorships at Mayo Clinic represent the highest academic distinction for a faculty member. Cancer Center member Svetomir Markovic, M.D., Ph.D., who holds the academic rank of professor of medicine and associate professor of oncology, was recognized with distinction as the Charles F. Mathy Professor in Melanoma Research View Related  RS5444, being tested in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to treat anaplastic thyroid cancer, might be useful for treating other cancers. "This is very unusual," says the study's lead investigator, John Copland, Ph.D., a cancer biologist at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. "Drugs typically target genes and proteins that are over-expressed and turn them off. We found that RS5444 turns on a valuable tumor suppressor gene. We rarely find a drug that can take a suppressed gene and cause it to be re-expressed." View Abstract   "There is need for an agent that has a proven ability to reduce colon cancer risk, and this study suggests that enzastaurin could be uniquely effective," says the study's senior investigator, Nicole Murray, Ph.D., of the Department of Cancer Biology. View Abstract  Medical Edge Newspaper A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with tongue cancer. I've never heard of such a thing. Is this common? What is he up against, and how is it treated? View Related    Patient Story -- Jorge Noguera Jorge and his family journeyed from Spain for him to receive cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic. View Related  Discovery's Edge Tamoxifen is an anti–estrogen drug that almost halves the return of cancer and reduces the mortality rate by one–third in women with early breast cancer. It is so effective that it has achieved status as somewhat of a miracle drug. However, there is a large group of women who have been taking tamoxifen who might as well have been taking a sugar pill. Three Mayo research teams are collaborating to find the best drugs for these patients. View Related   Patient Story -- Erin Sweeney Tempe girl is among the first in nation to benefit from new prosthetic device that grows with her. View Related  Presented at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. "These new results validate our earlier findings," says the study's lead investigator, Matthew Goetz, M.D., an assistant professor of oncology and pharmacology at Mayo Clinic, "and strongly suggest that going forward, postmenopausal patients being considered for tamoxifen therapy should be tested for CYP2D6 before beginning therapy." View Related Presented at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer symposium. "Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women age 25 to 49, and these young patients also have worse overall survival and increased risk of cancer coming back compared to older women, so it is important that we try to understand how the cancer develops and the measures that help prevent it," says the study's lead investigator, Karthik Ghosh, M.D. View Related    The Gores lab has furthered the understanding of how death receptors trigger the demise of liver cells. View Related  "Tamoxifen is a good drug, but it looks like aromatase inhibitors may be somewhat better," says James Ingle, M.D., a professor of oncology at Mayo Clinic, who presented the results on behalf of the Aromatase Inhibitors Overview Group (AIOG). Presented at the 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. View Abstract  Presented at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. "Tens of thousands of women in this country are prescribed tamoxifen for either treatment or prevention of breast cancer, and while it has shown remarkable success, it does not work for a substantial number of patients," says the study's lead investigator, John Hawse, Ph.D. "These findings increase our understanding of tamoxifen and, we hope, could pave the way for improved therapies." View Related Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). "These are high remission rates, and they happened quickly," says Martha Lacy, M.D., Mayo Clinic hematologist and lead researcher on the study. Also encouraging, says Dr. Lacy, is that treatment did not cause significant side effects in most patients. View Abstract  Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). The study focused on the impact of statin use on outcomes of patients with two most common lymphoma types, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Examples of commonly used statins in the U.S. include Lipitor, Zocor, Parvachol, Lescol, Mevacor and Crestor. View Abstract   Patients who had aggressive surgeries were free of tumor recurrence an average of 15 years after diagnosis If safely removing the entire tumor was not possible, patients survived significantly longer when surgery was followed by radiation therapy. This study is available online in Neuro-Oncology. View Abstract   Patient Story -- John Fulton Decades after beating bone cancer at Mayo Clinic, John Fulton returned, this time to defeat islet cell cancer. View Related   Medical Edge Newspaper I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and had a total thyroidectomy in 2005. I also had modified radical neck surgery in 2007 to remove malignant lymph nodes that were found in my neck. Even though I am on a large dose of levothyroxine and my TSH levels are perfect, I am always exhausted. Are there more blood indicators about my energy level other than TSH? View Related  "An anti-p120 agent could provide a much-needed double whammy — stop cancer spread and shut down growth at the same time," says the study's lead investigator, Panos Anastasiadis, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic cancer researcher. Available online in the November issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. View Abstract  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researcher, Diane F. Jelinek, Ph.D., a consultant in the Department of Immunology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, received the Gene and Mary Lou Kurtz Professorship in Multiple Myeloma Research. View Related  William C. Rupp, M.D., has been appointed CEO for the Florida campus effective Nov. 21, Mayo Clinic announced today. Rupp currently leads quality projects for Luther Midelfort, part of Mayo Health System, as well as Mayo Clinic.  Brooke Fridley, Ph.D., has joined Mayo Clinic's Comprehensive Cancer Center as a statistical geneticist to enhance pharmacogenomics studies. View Related  The second Schulze Symposium was held Friday, November 7, 2008. This event was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  "We believe this new approach is better for patients because it identifies those who will develop aggressive CLL sooner than later and helps delay need for more toxic treatments," says study lead investigator Clive Zent, M.D., a Mayo hematologist. View Abstract  The Gail model calculates probabilities that a woman will develop invasive breast cancer during the next five years, and by age 90. "We found that, for the group of women with atypia, the model predicted significantly fewer invasive breast cancers than were actually observed," says Shane Pankratz, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic statistician and a lead investigator in the study. "We also observed that the model was not able to reliably identify the women who were actually at higher risk of developing breast cancer." View Abstract      About 7.4 percent of U.S. women have asthma. The study found that the prevalence of asthma among breast cancer patients with recurrence of their disease as metastases in the lung is two-fold higher than among non-asthmatic women with breast cancer. "If you are a breast cancer patient with asthma, taking your anti-inflammatory inhaled steroids may be more important to you than simply stopping your wheezing" says James Lee, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic researcher in Arizona and the senior author of the study. View Abstract   virtual biopsies will eliminate the need to remove colon polyps that are not cancerous or will not morph into the disease. View Related "To prevent colorectal cancer deaths, we need an easy-to-use screening tool that consistently finds precancerous polyps," says Dr. Ahlquist. "Stool DNA testing is evolving quickly and may soon fill that need." View Related  In the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, two articles authored by Mayo researchers address the issue of how to balance the risks and benefits associated with MM treatments. View Related  Patient Story -- Aitana Paya Perez Persistant bone cancer hasn't stopped a Spanish student from pursuing her education — and her dreams. View Related  Patient Story -- Jill Lewis Neither Jill Lewis nor her primary care providers could figure out why allergies and sinus infections plagued her. View Related     Mayo Clinic is making big discoveries about minute bits of matter that could revolutionize cancer and heart disease treatment. Publication: The Journal of Cell Biology -- Sept. 22, 2008 In collaboration with the University of Minnesota View Related  Study at Mayo Clinic confirms that CT Colonography could serve as screening option "We hope that this additional, less-invasive option for cancer screening will lead more people to get screened and will ultimately result in fewer deaths from colorectal cancer," says C. Daniel Johnson, M.D., principal investigator of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) National CT Colonography Trial and chair of the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. View Related  Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that an antibody, previously identified as a treatment for cancer, also diminishes the overactive immune responses in asthma. View Related   The Mayo Clinic team proposed patient-centered processes that should occur prior to, during and after surgery to assure the likelihood of best surgical outcomes. View Related  Patient Story -- Branden Lombardi "I knew that life wasn't going to stop, so I just had to catch up and do the best I could." View Related    Cancer Center member Larry Pease, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Immunology and a professor in the Departments of Immunology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received the Gordon H. and Violet Bartels Professorship in Cellular Biology. View Related  Patient Story -- Howard Lloyd Nonmelanoma skin cancer returns twice, but can't keep a retired Navy officer from running his life. View Related   Shanna's Inspiration — 16-Year Old Bone Cancer Survivor is dedicated to Touching the Lives of Others Patient Story -- Shanna Decker When Shanna Decker was 7 years old, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. View Related    Potentially, this vaccine could be used as a complementary tool with tamoxifen, a widely used estrogen therapy used as a temporary post-treatment approach to prevent the return of tumors. Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a killer of women. In 1998-2002, according to the American Cancer Society, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of deaths occurred in women 40 and older in the United States. However, early diagnosis and treatment have led to increasing survival rates in the last 25 years. There are more than two million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a killer of women. In 1998-2002, according to the American Cancer Society, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of deaths occurred in women 40 and older in the United States. However, early diagnosis and treatment have led to increasing survival rates in the last 25 years. There are more than two million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. View Related       Patient Story -- Milo Pietz Lung cancer surgery at Mayo Clinic returns South Dakota singer to an active life. View Related  Implications of aging and self-tolerance on the generation of immune and antitumor immune responses. Publication: Cancer Research -- July 1, 2008   Publication: Cancer Research -- June 15, 2008   Patient Story -- Jim Turner Cancer treatment and heart surgery at Mayo Clinic helped Jim Turner live actively in retirement. View Related  Technique combining chemo-radiation and surgery to be presented at ISIORT conference A study of patients with locally unresectable or borderline resectable pancreas cancer has indicated that the disease survival rates can potentially be doubled by aggressively combining radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. View Related  Mayo Clinic study reveals longer survival times following staging procedure Pancreatic cancer, even when diagnosed early, often has a poor prognosis. Signs and symptoms may not appear until the cancer is quite advanced and surgical removal is not possible. Pancreatic cancer, as a result, is a leading cause of death. View Related  Mayo Clinic Researchers Find Common Gene Disorder Doubles Risk of Lung Cancer, Even Among Nonsmokers Mayo Clinic researchers have found that carrying a common genetic disorder doubles the risk of developing lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers. View Abstract  A probe so sensitive that it can tell whether or not a cell living within the human body is veering towards cancer development may revolutionize how future colonoscopies are done, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. View Related  This release is being sent in a social media format, in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute, part of the NIH. A new study being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago (Abstract #4020), may change treatment practice in about 25 percent of patients with colon cancer and is the basis for proposed changes to the way colorectal cancers will be staged. View Related  Study to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting The number of women undergoing mastectomy (total breast removal) for early-stage breast cancer has increased in the last three years at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The increase follows a steady decline during the prior seven years. View Related  Study to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting Adding a second monoclonal antibody drug to chemotherapy looks promising for treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to Mayo Clinic researchers working with the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) (http://ncctg.mayo.edu/). View Related  Findings will enable patients with advanced colon cancer to complete treatment with fewer side effects; study to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Researchers in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) have shown that patients who receive intravenous calcium and magnesium before and after the chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin for the treatment of advanced colon cancer experience a significantly reduced incidence and severity of neurological side effects (neurotoxicity). View Related  Study to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators say they have conclusively demonstrated that a substantial subset of colon cancer patients should not receive chemotherapy because it provides no clinical benefit, and actually may reduce survival time. View Related Study to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting Patients who feel better live longer, say Mayo Clinic researchers, working with the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG). View Related   Increased expression of SULF2 enhances cancer cell growth and migration, whereas decreased expression reduces both. Deadly and difficult to treat, liver cancer has long resisted attempts by researchers to develop ways to prolong life and prevent recurrence. But Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, reports in the April issue of Hepatology that the protein sulfatase 2 (SULF2) may provide one of the keys needed to begin the design of new therapies. View Abstract   Patient Story -- Jasper Johnikin Innovative technology and surgical expertise helped Mayo Clinic physicians save kidney cancer patient Jasper Johnikin's kidney — and his life. View Related  Mayo Clinic is collaborating with the University of Minnesota to identify tell-tale genes that would reveal cancerous tumors in the brain. "Already, we have identified almost two dozen primary brain tumors that appear to have been induced by a gene mutation that we introduced into our mouse models," said Robert Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic. While that is a remarkable discovery, he said, the tumors must be more fully studied to determine precise, genetically relevant information. View Related  What if you could prevent Barrett's esophagus or stop its progression to esophageal cancer? And, while you were working on that, what if you could develop therapies that replace the standard treatment with a much less debilitating treatment than removal of the esophagus? View Related   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. View Related  CT colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy, underwent rigorous studies at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years, while the stool DNA test was conceived and developed by Mayo Clinic researchers. View Related  The research team discovered that women whose atypia tissue expressed COX-2 enzymes were more likely to develop breast cancer subsequently, and that the more the enzyme expressed, the higher the risk. View Abstract  Discovery's Edge Disease should not be an eventual part of aging, yet something happens as we near retirement age that makes a variety of cancers far more likely. Joseph Lustgarten, Ph.D., and his colleagues at Mayo Clinic are focusing on changes in the immune system, trying to find a connection, a cause, and then a therapy. View Related News in Minnesota Yuichi Machida, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia, will join Mayo Clinic's Division of Oncology Research in May.  Patient Story -- Mary Jane Bollinger Transplant recipient becomes transplant volunteer. View Related  ALTTO (Adjuvant Lapatinib and/or Trastuzumab Treatment Optimization study) "There have been major improvements in the management of patients with early breast cancer in the last few years, so this new study builds on this knowledge and sets an example of the new era: good science, good worldwide collaboration," said Edith Perez, M.D., an oncologist in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., who will lead the study for TBCI. View Related 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  Study lays foundation for future development of effective treatments "This model helps us understand the genetic properties that lead to multiple myeloma and provides a framework for developing better therapies," said Leif Bergsagel, M.D., a Mayo Clinic physician and lead investigator for the study. "We will now be able to test new treatments on models." View Abstract Mayo Clinic Cancer Center IDs two signatures predicting survival The team found two survival-related 50-gene signatures, one for each of the two cancer types. These were nonoverlapping and largely unique in gene content compared to previously identified predictive gene expression signatures for lung cancer developed by other researchers. View Related   Named professorships at Mayo Clinic represent the highest academic distinction for a faculty member. Sandra Gendler, Ph.D., was named the David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Research Professor in Therapeutics for Cancer Research. Richard Vile, Ph.D., a consultant in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Immunology at Mayo Clinic Rochester, was honored with The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Professorship.  Research into the B7 molecules has been a "family affair" at Mayo. Many Mayo immunologists have joined together to tackle various aspects of their function and behavior and have discovered how they function.    Using two different endoscopes together is better than using one to stage lung cancer, and is also much more precise and less invasive than the surgical method now most commonly used. "Both scopes together found more malignant lymph nodes than did the use of a single endoscope," says the study's lead investigator, Michael Wallace, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. "Doing both procedures at once takes little time, requires only a mild sedative, and patients go home the same day." View Abstract Sound waves may help early detection of heart failure caused by Trastuzumab "Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women, and the leading cause of death," says Bijoy K. Khandheria, M.D., chair, Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Services, researcher and co-investigator of the study. "Anticancer drugs like Trastuzumab have substantial benefits, but in some patients the anticancer drug cross-reacts with the heart muscle. Therefore, methods to detect and halt heart muscle damage is therefore urgently required." View Abstract   Patient Story -- JoAnn Selvera JoAnn Selvera had almost given up hope of being able to speak or eat normally. View Related  Patient Story -- Tom Sherrard Radiation therapy and surgery put a stop to aggressive anaplastic thyroid cancer. View Related   Discovery's Edge "When we examined human breast tissue we were blown away by how dramatic and obvious the centrosome abnormalities were in the tumors," says Jeffrey Salisbury, Ph.D. "And that was literally on day one." View Related  News from Rochester, Minn. Stereotactic radiosurgery uses precisely focused radiation to treat tumors and other abnormal growths in the brain. View Related  Study's authors recruit patients for a clinical trail, another step in this ongoing research "We are now quite convinced that in most patients with pancreatic cancer the diabetes is caused by the cancer and not the other way around," says Suresh Chari, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and the study's lead author. "Our next step is to identify a biomarker for pancreatic cancer-induced diabetes in order to screen patients with new-onset diabetes for early pancreatic cancer and provide surgical treatment as quickly as possible." View Abstract  Patient Story -- Harold Gerndt Before Harold Gerndt, M.D. sought a second opinion from Mayo Clinic regarding treatment for pancreatic cancer, he and his wife, Marilyn, got input from a registered nurse and five physicians. View Related  Medical Edge Radio For more information on lung cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/lung-cancer. Read Script  Removing the entire kidney from younger patients with small kidney tumors may lead to decreased overall survival. "For patients with small kidney tumors, removal of the entire kidney may be associated with long-term consequences that we did not previously recognize when compared to removal of just the tumor," says the study's lead author, R. Houston Thompson, M.D., a Mayo Clinic urologist currently serving a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. View Related Collaboration aims to find high-tech solutions for quicker diagnosis, better treatments "This facility will allow us to explore projects in medical imaging and radiology that can provide faster and better information for our physicians, and in turn, improved treatments for our patients," said Bradley Erickson, M.D., Ph.D., head of Mayo's Radiology Informatics Lab. View Related   Patient Story -- Karen Gibson Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to remove a renal cell tumor prompted this Jacksonville mom to participate in a study to help unravel the mystery surrounding her disease. View Related  Mayo Clinic Rochester "For many people, the beginning of a new year represents a good time to take steps toward quitting smoking," says Christi Patten, Ph.D., the Mayo Clinic clinical psychologist leading this study. "Research has shown that positive support and encouragement from someone who cares about a smoker can be effective in helping that person to quit. This study is designed to identify the best ways to teach support people how to help." View Related Procedure also could prevent recurrence "We show that if you kill tumor cells directly in the tumor itself, you can get a weak immunity against the tumor, but if you use this virus to kill tumor cells in the lymph nodes, you get a higher immunity against the tumor," says Richard Vile, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic specialist in molecular medicine and immunology and the study's principal investigator. View Abstract  Presented at the 2007 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium "We need to be aware that this kind of cancer is high risk and we should do all that we can to prevent brain metastasis," says Stephanie Hines, M.D. "For women with triple negative breast cancer, improvements in outcome will likely come when new treatments for this type of cancer are successfully developed." View Related  Presented at the 2007 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium "It appears that biology and not only size matters when it comes to selecting therapy for small, invasive tumors," says the study's lead researcher, Surabhi Amar, M.D., a fellow in Hematology/Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. View Related   News from Jacksonville, Fla. "Maintaining our FACT accreditation continues to be an important achievement for the transplant program," says program director, pediatric hematologist/oncologist Michael Joyce, M.D., Ph.D., with Nemours Children's Clinic. "The physicians, hematology/oncology nursing, allied health and laboratory staff at Mayo, Nemours and Wolfson all worked extremely hard to achieve this goal." 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 - American Society of Hematology's 2007 meeting "We believe this to be the first large systematic evaluation of the risk factors leading to leukemic transformation in primary myelofibrosis," says Jocelyn Huang, M.D., lead author and hematology researcher at Mayo Clinic. "And in the process, we discovered some unexpected results." 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     Presented at the 2007 meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago Also called cryotherapy or cryosurgery, cryoablation is a procedure in which extreme cold is applied to the tumor using a cryoprobe, a hollow needle-like device filled with argon gas. The gas rapidly freezes the targeted tumor. View Related  Presented at the 2007 meeting of the Radiological Society of North America "Cancer patients are living longer and we need to be able to manage their pain over a long period of time," says Matthew Callstrom, M.D., Ph.D., a radiologist at Mayo Clinic View Related      Mayo Clinic Rochester Other patient education resources are available at the all three Mayo Clinic campuses in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Rochester, Minn. 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  Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (ASTRO) "This tells us that the standard course of therapy isn't that bad in terms of its exposure to normal tissue, but also that, sometimes, partial breast irradiation may not spare as much normal tissue as we hope," says the study's lead investigator, Laura Vallow, M.D. View Related Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (ASTRO) "Most of these patients don't have other effective treatment options, because surgery is not possible if there are multiple tumors in their liver," says the study's lead investigator, Laura Vallow, M.D. "But with this radiotherapy, no new tumors developed in patients who responded and we find this to be very encouraging." View Related  Study presented at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting http://genetics.faseb.org/genetics/ashg/menu-annmeet.shtml View Related  Study presented at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting http://genetics.faseb.org/genetics/ashg/ashgmenu.htm 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  New vaccine for glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer, is now being offered through a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. The vaccine represents a fresh and fairly simple approach to treating this cancer, says neurosurgeon Kent New, M.D., Ph.D., who will be leading the study at Mayo. About 40 percent of these tumors display a particular protein on their surface and the vaccine is designed to trick the patient's immune system into thinking the protein is "foreign" in order to mount a killing response. View Related  Up to 30 percent of patients with colon and rectal cancer may develop a bowel obstruction View Related           "We hope to find more effective nonhormonal options to assist women, and flaxseed looks promising," says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., Mayo Clinic breast health specialist and the study's primary investigator. Dr. Pruthi's team chose to research flaxseed because it is a phytoestrogen (plant-based estrogen source). Flaxseed contains lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans are antioxidants with weak estrogen-emulating characteristics, and have some anti-cancer effects. Flaxseed also appears to have anti-estrogen properties and has been shown in some recent research trials to decrease breast cancer risk. View Related  Enhanced online offerings provide users with tools and information related to cancer survival View Related     The findings may also be relevant to other cancers, such as breast, ovarian, prostate, bladder, lung and colon cancers, in which loss of sFRP-1 function is common. "Through understanding the important role sFRP-1 plays, we may be able to eventually tailor human therapies to restore its function in this type of kidney cancer and in other cancers," explains the study's senior investigator, John A. Copland, Ph.D., a molecular biologist at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. View Abstract  Until now there were no strongly-predictive molecules for prostate cancer. "This discovery will allow physicians to individualize treatment and observation plans for prostate cancer patients," says Timothy Roth, M.D., a Mayo Clinic urology resident and lead author of the study. "Being able to tell a patient his specific risk after surgery, and perhaps even prior to surgery, will be a huge step forward." View Abstract Two Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Researchers Receive Honor Named professorships at Mayo Clinic represent the highest academic distinction for a faculty member. Faculty is appointed to a professorship through nomination and endorsement of their peers and then confirmed by Mayo Clinic senior leadership. Appointed individuals are recognized for distinguished achievement in their specialty areas and for service to the institution. View Related   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  $7.5 million Department of Defense award ramps up ASU, Mayo Clinic collaboration to develop cancer vaccine "I am thrilled that this is going forward, and am also pleased to see this important project launching our joint efforts in the Mayo Clinic/ASU Center for Cancer-related Convergence, Cooperation and Collaboration (MAC5)," says Laurence Miller, M.D., director of research at Mayo Clinic Arizona. View Related     Women with at least three sites of cellular atypia in breast tissue are nearly eight times more likely than average women to develop breast cancer, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic Cancer Center led study of women with atypical hyperplasia. "With the ability to stratify the risk of breast cancer in women with atypia, we can have more informed discussions with our patients regarding their personal risk," says Amy Degnim, M.D., a Mayo Clinic surgeon and study author. "This will help us to have individualized discussions regarding how aggressively to pursue risk-reduction treatments." View Abstract  Jacksonville, Fla. This technology, an intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system known as the IMRIS Neuro system, allows surgeons to use real-time imaging as they operate and uses a unique ceiling-mounted track that moves the MRI system to the patient rather than the patient having to be moved to the magnet. View Related   Radiology researchers at Mayo Clinic have invented a diagnostic imaging tool with remarkable capabilities. It's called Magnetic Resonance Elastography or MRE. MRE can measure elasticity - detecting abnormal hardening of liver tissue - sparing some patients the need for a biopsy and allowing physicians to begin intervention aimed at treating their disease before it progresses to cause irreversible damage. 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   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  Special Event: June 3, 2007 -- Rochester, Minn. "This celebration of life is for everyone," says Janine Kokal, local planning committee chair and a Mayo Clinic nurse educator. This is a free event, but reservations are required by May 28, 2007. To register, call the American Cancer Society at 507-424-4602 or 1-888-535-4227 (toll free). 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 leads multi-center study of 100 patients First author of the study, Virender K. Sharma, M.D., gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, is encouraged by the results, calling the study "a very important milestone in the advancement of this ablative technology for our patients with Barrett's esophagus." View Related   Special Event: May 14-17, 2007 -- Phoenix, Ariz. "Every day, thousands of children and adults with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases are looking for a donor for a marrow or cord blood transplant," says Jay Maningo-Salinas, R.N., manager of the Apheresis Program at Mayo Clinic. "For a chance to survive, these patients need healthy marrow or blood cells to help their bodies make new, healthy blood cells either from a donor within their family or an unrelated donor from the National Marrow Donor Program Registry." View Related  Special Event: April 28, 2007, Rochester, Minn. Understanding the health risks and becoming educated about the issues surrounding prostate cancer can empower individuals to make decisions that may affect their quality of life and the potential outcome of the disease. View Related Prognostic enzyme for nasopharyngeal cancer identified "We continue to look for ways to combat health disparities in the United States and throughout the world," said Lewis Roberts, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., the study's principal investigator and a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic. "Our research into SULF2 suggests a number of promising possibilities for the development of more effective treatments for cancer."  Research Lost in Hurricane Katrina. Researchers Return to Mayo to Start Again Cancer vaccines are still considered experimental and so far, research results have been mixed. New studies, such as this, demonstrate that researchers are closing in on designing viable cancer vaccines, the investigators say. View Abstract    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  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  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- April 2007 Critical to the clinical management of a patient with malignant melanoma is an understanding of its natural history. As with most malignant disorders, prognosis is highly dependent on the clinical stage (extent of tumor burden) at the time of diagnosis. The patient’s clinical stage at diagnosis dictates selection of therapy. We review the state of the art in melanoma staging, prognosis, and therapy. View Related Imaging application produces results up to fifty times faster than on typical processors "This alignment of images both improves the accuracy of interpretation and improves radiologist efficiency, particularly for diseases like cancer," says Bradley Erickson, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic radiology researcher. View Related  Patients with a PSA doubling time of less than three months after therapy are at imminent risk of death from prostate cancer. View Abstract   "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 Clinical Oncology -- Apr. 1, 2007 Results of a Prospective Phase III North Central Cancer Treatment Group Clinical Trial View Related   $8.5 million for Alzheimer's, cancer research and more The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics is a unique collaborative venture among the Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota and State of Minnesota. The Partnership seeks to position Minnesota as a world leader in biotechnology and medical genomics applications that will result in important new medical discoveries, thereby improving health care for patients and supporting the development of new business and jobs in Minnesota. View Related  Early findings showing short-term success in more than 90 percent of selected patients are published in the March 2007 issue of Radiology. "This procedure appears to be a good option for some patients," says Thomas Atwell, M.D., Mayo Clinic radiologist and the study's primary investigator. "It makes their hospital stay and recovery time very short and surgical stress is minimal." 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 Mammography added little information to the initial patient evaluation. Breast cancer may be suspected by the presence of a dominant mass. Gynecomastia can be predicted on the basis of the patient's symptoms or preexisting condition. Patients with suspicious findings on examination warrant appropriate clinical management regardless of mammographic findings. Mammography in men may be of benefit only for image guidance of percutaneous biopsy of a suspicious mass. 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  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- March 2007 In the first part of this 2-part review, we discuss epidemiology, risk factors, screening, prevention, and diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Part 2 (which will appear in the April 2007 issue) will review melanoma staging, prognosis, and treatment. View Related  Death Rates for Smokers Remain the Same Despite Early Diagnosis An international study looking at computed tomography (CT) to screen current or former smokers for lung cancer found that the screening did not reduce death. Researchers from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, along with the Instituto Tumori, Milan, Italy; and Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Moffitt Cancer Centers collaborated to report the findings, which are published in the Mar. 7, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). View Related   Mayo Clinic Studies New Ways to Help Friends and Family Members of Smokers Provide Effective Support Mayo Clinic researchers are launching a study to examine which coaching and education methods are effective in preparing support people to help a smoker end tobacco use. View Related  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has opened a new Phase I clinical trial testing an engineered measles virus against multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow that currently has no cure. This is the third of a series of molecular medicine studies in patients testing the potential of measles to kill cancer. View Related  A Mayo Clinic review and analysis of existing lung cancer studies shows that this technology has not yet surpassed the accuracy of conventional methods used to assess survival in lung cancer patients. "Growing evidence suggests that gene-based prediction is not stable and little is known about the prediction power of a gene expression profile as compared to well-known clinical and pathologic predictors," according to Ping Yang, M.D., Ph.D. View Abstract  Publication: Cancer -- Feb. 15, 2007 Information gleaned from the single-item Uniscale assessment was comparable to that gleaned from multiple-item global measures. There was moderate agreement between QOL and AE. A 10-point decline in QOL occurred earlier than Common Toxicity Criteria AE reporting. This suggests the need for inclusion of a QOL instrument in lung cancer clinical trials. View Related Two major research organizations in the Phoenix area have announced they will collaborate on an ambitious goal: creating a vaccine to prevent the development of cancer. This project is the first initiative undertaken under an umbrella partnership called the Mayo Clinic/ASU Center for Cancer-related Convergence, Cooperation and Collaboration (MAC5). 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  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Jan. 20, 2007 North Central Cancer Treatment Group View Related   "This new technology allows a multidisciplinary approach to be performed safely in these rare tumors that were once considered unresectable." View Abstract  Intent on incorporating the patient's voice into cancer research and care, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center investigators have sought out the best practices, promising techniques and novel applications for quality of life (QOL) assessment. "We expect that QOL assessments will someday become as routine as having your blood pressure checked," says Dr. Jeff Sloan. "After all, if the best interests of the patient are what we seek, incorporating their needs into regular care is imperative." View Abstract  Double-strand breaks in DNA can result from external agents such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation or mutagenic chemicals. If left unrepaired, a single DNA double-strand break can lead to cell death or cancer. The Mayo research team showed that 53BP1 -- a human protein essential for repairing DNA double-strand breaks -- is recruited to the sites of DNA damage by direct interaction with histone H4, a protein constituent of the DNA packaging structure called chromatin. Findings are published in Dec. 29, 2006, issue of Cell. View Abstract Many men have breast symptoms, including enlarged or painful breast tissue, but the majority do not need a mammogram, say researchers from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. "In the vast majority of cases, a mammogram is not necessary for confirming a diagnosis of gynecomastia. Breast cancer is rare and most often easily detected on physical examination," says Dr. Hines. "The bottom line is that most men don't need a mammogram, and that is good news for them." View Abstract  A New Gamma Camera Technique for the Detection of Small Breast Tumors A diagnostic device that resembles a mammography unit can detect breast tumors as tiny as one-fifth of an inch in diameter, which may make it a valuable complementary imaging technique to mammography, say researchers at Mayo Clinic, who helped develop the technology along with industry collaborators Gamma Medica and GE Healthcare. View Related  Physicians at Mayo Clinic are now using tiny glass bubbles filled with radioactive material to deliver high doses of tumor-killing radiation directly to liver tumors. "The technique is a clever way of exploiting the differences in blood supply between the liver tumor and normal liver tissue," says Mayo Clinic interventional radiologist Ricardo Paz-Fumagalli, M.D. He, along with Mayo Clinic radiation oncologists, deliver the therapy to patients. 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 Related  "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. View Related  "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 Related  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 Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- Dec. 2006 Optimism was associated with a higher QOL in survivors of thyroid cancer compared with survivors of head and neck cancer. After adjusting for age, sex, and disease stage, optimism was not associated with QOL for survivors of head and neck cancer. Optimism was more associated with the mental rather than physical QOL subscales. View Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- Dec. 2006 Discontinuation of urine studies and reliance on a diagnostic algorithm using only serum studies (protein electrophoresis, immunofixation, and free light chain quantitation) missed 2 (0.5%) of the 428 monoclonal gammopathies with urinary monoclonal proteins, and these 2 cases required no medical intervention. View Related  Mayo Clinic announced in December 2006 that it has developed a new medical device that will help patients control their breathing (respiratory motion) when undergoing computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided biopsies. The Interactive Breath hold Control allows radiologists to perform biopsies on smaller and more difficult to access nodules during a 30- to 45-minute CT-guided procedure. The patient can return home the same day with nothing more than a Band-aid. In the past, difficult lung biopsies would require a surgical procedure resulting in a two- to four-day stay in the hospital. View Related  Mayo Clinic's ability to find and diagnose breast cancer has increased with the addition of two new digital mammography machines, the most cutting-edge screening and detection technology available for some women. An advance in the field of screening and diagnosing breast cancer, digital mammograms are proving to have their niche. "A large trial published in 2005 found digital mammograms have increased accuracy in three categories of patients," says Elizabeth DePeri, M.D., a radiologist in Mayo's Breast Clinic. View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Dec. 1, 2006 North Central Cancer Treatment Group 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  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Finds Age Not Automatic Barrier to Men with Prostate Cancer "Increased life expectancy and generally higher levels of wellness, as well as safer forms of anesthesia and less-invasive surgical techniques, have made it possible for older adults to safely and effectively have surgeries traditionally not offered over a certain age," says Michael Lieber, M.D., Mayo Clinic urologist and the study's senior investigator. View Abstract  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  Normal aging of breast tissue lessens breast cancer risk, reports a new study by Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers published in the Nov. 15, 2006, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. View Abstract Publication: Radiology -- Nov. 2006  The study will test whether the drug Chantix (varenicline) helps smokers who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) stop smoking. 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  Seeking a cure for glioblastoma multiforme, other deadly cancers Mayo Clinic is unique in its pursuit of oncolytic measles vaccine strains for cancer treatment, and the research has grown from the most basic laboratory science to the sophisticated therapy being tested today in several tumor types, including glioblastoma multiforme, recurrent ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma. View Related  More than 200 clinicians and researchers attended the 2nd Mayo Clinic Angiogenesis Symposium, Oct. 27-29, 2006. Angiogenesis is the specific growth of new blood vessels to accommodate tumor growth and the spread of many cancers. View Related  Researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center have shown that instituting a standardized protocol for surgical management of endometrial cancer results in improved surgical staging and increased detection of paraaortic nodal disease. "Without guidelines, if a surgeon is not sure how much surgery or treatment is necessary, he or she may not proceed as aggressively as might be warranted, resulting in less than satisfactory results for the patient," says Karl Podratz, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncologist and lead investigator of the study. "We wanted to eliminate the uncertainty, thus improving the overall quality of our patient care." View Related  Creators of Successful Youth Smoking Prevention Campaign truth® and World-Renowned Health Care Organization Join Forces to Help Smokers Quit The American Legacy Foundation® and Mayo Clinic announced today their first collaboration together, to marry the expertise of the Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center and the American Legacy Foundation's public health and marketing acumen to help smokers who want to quit to be successful. View Related  Publication: Cancer -- Oct. 15, 2006 The key to long-range improvement in cancer morbidity and mortality in American Indian/Alaska Native communities lies in building infrastructure to support strong partnerships that enable culturally appropriate, community-based participatory research. View Related  Publication: Cancer Research -- Oct. 15, 2006 Combined deletion of chromosomes 1p and 19q is associated with improved prognosis and responsiveness to therapy in patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma. Jenkins et al. used stem cell culture techniques to recover a t(1;19)(q10;p10) from an oligodendroglioma, suggesting that the translocation likely mediates the combined 1p and 19q deletions. The authors then developed an interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) strategy to detect the t(1;19) in paraffin-embedded tumors. Using gliomas from patients enrolled on NCCTG trials, the FISH test demonstrated that the translocation is highly prevalent in oligodendrogliomas and is associated with superior survival. View Related    Publication: Cancer Research -- Oct. 15, 2006 To understand better the underlying mechanisms by which tumor cells are resistant to CTL-mediated apoptosis, Yang et al. used a human model of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (B-cell NHL) to show that intratumoral Treg cells inhibit the proliferation and granule production of activated autologous infiltrating CD8+ T Cells. 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  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers see CDK2/FOXO1 as drug target Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a protein that initiates a "quality control check" during cell division also directs cell death for those cells damaged during duplication. This knowledge represents a potential "bulls eye" for targeting anti-tumor drugs. View Abstract  Advancing Understanding and Building Collaboration is the theme of the third annual Spit Tobacco Summit, Oct. 16-17, 2006, sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Smokeless tobacco in the United States includes moist snuff and chewing tobacco. According to recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an estimated 7.1 million individuals in the United States report past-month use of smokeless tobacco. Use is most prevalent in the Native American and Alaska Native communities. 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  Pill camera a breakthrough in non-invasive diagnosis of digestive disorders Called video capsule endoscopy, Mayo Clinic in Arizona was one of only three centers in the U.S. to begin doing the procedure in 2001, very shortly after it was approved by the FDA. View Related  Publication: Journal of Cell Biology -- Sept. 25, 2006 p120 catenin is a protein known for as a key cell adhesion component. New findings by Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers at Jacksonville show that p120 also works to break cells apart from one another and promote cellular movement when tumors metastasize. The study illuminate a very early step involved in metastasis, the spread of cancer that makes the disease difficult to treat, and suggests that a future designer drug might be able to block the beginning of this dangerous process – or stop it once it starts. View Related  The investigators found that anesthesia administered by direct infiltration of the prostate apex and the surrounding rectal tissues may provide better pain control during a prostate biopsy than other anesthetic methods. "The prostate biopsy likely will never be a completely painless procedure, but it should be tolerable," says Dr. Ashley. "Patients should request that anesthetic be used at the time of a biopsy, and pain control should be the standard of care in a urologist's office. It does not take much time, and patients do benefit from this simple procedure to make the biopsy more tolerable. Patients should also be aware that different prostate locations biopsied are associated with more pain, and this may never be completely overcome by anesthetic. However, a complete and thorough sampling of the prostate gland is necessary to give the most accurate diagnosis to the patient." View Related  "These findings reopen the debate about preventive removal of the ovaries for younger women," says Bobbie Gostout, M.D., Mayo Clinic gynecologic surgeon. Death rates rise when women under 45 years old undergo bilateral ovariectomy -- surgical removal of both ovaries -- and do not receive proper hormone replacement therapy, according to a new Mayo Clinic study to be published in the October 1, 2006, issue of The Lancet Oncology. View Abstract   Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Aug. 20, 2006 North Central Cancer Treatment Group along with Southwest Oncology Group View Related Publication: Cancer -- Aug. 15, 2006 Early and complete extended partial cystectomy, including umbilectomy, is critical to the survival of patients with UrC. The authors recommend using the Mayo staging system in future studies because of its simplicity. The current results indicated that the most important predictors of prognosis were tumor grade and surgical margin status. View Related  Publication: Cancer -- Aug. 15, 2006 Pooled Analysis of North Central Cancer Treatment Group Trials. In addition to the widely accepted prognostic factors of PS, BMI, and disease stage, both of the readily available laboratory parameters of Hgb level and WBC count were found to be significant prognostic factors for OS and TTP in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC. The authors' prediction equation can be used to evaluate the benefit of a treatment in Phase II trials by comparing the observed survival of a cohort with its expected survival by using the patients' own prognostic factors in place of comparisons with historic data that may have substantially different baseline patient characteristics. View Related Named professorships at Mayo Clinic represent the highest academic distinction for a faculty member and recognize distinguished achievement in a specialty area and service to the institution. Faculty are appointed to a professorship through nomination and endorsement of their peers and confirmed by Mayo Clinic senior leadership 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: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- Aug. 2006 These guidelines were developed in the Interest of patient safety and will be reexamined as new data emerge regarding risks and benefits. View Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- Aug. 2006 Our experience indicates that with appropriate technique, primary surgical treatment may offer benefit to selected patients with osteonecrosis of the jaw. View Related   Mayo Clinic researchers working with colleagues in Germany have devised a much-needed multilevel safety feature for viruses used to treat cancer. In the process of making cancer-killing viruses more specific to cancer tumor cells, they report having improved the therapeutic effectiveness of viruses. They did this by engineering a modified measles virus that turns on only in the presence of secretions specific to malignant cancer cells. View Related 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 In the process of making cancer-killing viruses more specific to cancer tumor cells, they report having improved the therapeutic effectiveness of viruses. The investigation was performed in laboratory mice that were transplanted with a human cancer. The process is still experimental -- and thus, years away from clinical use in humans. However, the Mayo results may be immediately useful in designing improved cancer treatments for humans. "Our work shows that oncolytic measles virus particle activation can be made dependent on substances secreted by cancer cells, and this enhances safety," explains Roberto Cattaneo, Ph.D., lead researcher on the Mayo team. "By doing this, our study broadens the safeguarding strategies possible to tightly restrict the targeted virus to cancer cells." View Abstract  Researchers Note First-Ever Criteria for Distinguishing Sun Damage from Early Melanoma, Providing Guidelines to Lessen Removal of Healthy Tissue A Mayo Clinic physician and colleagues have defined the normal number of melanocytes that are present in Caucasians' sun-exposed skin. Until now, there has not been a criterion to distinguish sun damage from early (in situ) melanoma. Results of the study, which shed light on this undefined area in skin cancer, are available in the July issue of Archives of Dermatology. View Abstract    "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   Publication: Cancer -- July 1, 2006 Mononuclear cell infiltration is associated with death from renal cell carcinoma even after multivariate adjustment. Routine documentation of mononuclear cell infiltration is recommended during the pathologic assessment of renal cell carcinoma. View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- July 1, 2006 North Central Cancer Treatment Group 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 Patients who might be candidates for the new reconstructive and treatment procedure have oral cancer involving part of the mandible. To completely remove the tumor surgically, surgeons have to remove part of the mandible. View Related  The Inaugural Run of the Nation's Only Marathon Designed to Raise Funds to Fight Breast Cancer will be held in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. February 2008. "Mayo Clinic is pleased to be a part of the 26.2 with Donna and we're excited about the national awareness and funds this marathon will raise to help us in the fight against breast cancer," said Dr. Edith Perez, professor of medicine with the Mayo Clinic. Each year approximately 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer, and the disease causes about 40,000 deaths annually. Mayo Clinic is leading the fight against breast cancer with researchers like Dr. Perez, author of a clinical trial that produced what is arguably the most significant breakthrough in breast cancer in 30 years. The trial resulted in a 52 percent decrease in the recurrence of breast cancer in those participating. View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- June 20, 2006 North Central Cancer Treatment Group clinical trial View Related  Publication: Cancer -- June 15, 2006 The current results confirmed that there were changes in the prevalence of Gleason grades on radical retropubic prostatectomy specimens between 1989 and 2001. A chronological change in pathologic grading classification is suggested by evolving prognostic implications, which must be accounted for when comparing outcomes from different eras. 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  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- June 2006 The results suggest that providing women scheduled for screening mammograms with physician-approved educational material before their appointment significantly increases knowledge about screening mammography, risks and benefits, and possible follow-up. View Related  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  North Central Cancer Treatment Group Because of the significant number of misattributions and inconsistency in attribution reporting, the researchers report limited confidence in the value or reliability of this type of data, and recommend revising the CTC requirements. 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 State and regional cancer survivors, their families and friends will come together to celebrate life during the upcoming 19th annual National Cancer Survivors Day Celebration, Sunday, June 4, 2006. "This celebration of life is for everyone," says Janine Kokal, Mayo Clinic nurse educator and local planning committee chair. "Whether you're a cancer survivor, a family member, a friend or a medical professional, National Cancer Survivors Day provides an opportunity for cancer survivors to connect with other survivors, and reunite with medical staff and families they've met along the way." View Related  The study also found that in one-half of the diabetic patients, their new-onset diabetes predated clinical diagnosis of cancer by more than six months, giving researchers one more clue for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. "Past studies have shown an association between recent diagnoses of diabetes and pancreatic cancer," says Suresh Chari, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead author of this study. "Our goal with this study was to establish a timeline for the progression of pancreatic cancer, especially in relation to the development of new-onset diabetes." View Related  "Once Barrett's esophagus is diagnosed, patients have a 30- to 125-fold increased risk of developing esophageal cancer." View Related  The incidence of melanoma, the most serious and deadly type of skin cancer, is increasing. In the United States, the lifetime risk of developing melanoma is now about one in 70. It used to be less than one in 100. View Related Your bout with cancer -- or maybe a battle royal -- is over. You beat the disease, withstood the treatment. You're a survivor. But after treatment, many women find themselves dealing with emotional fallout -- fear of recurrence, depression, body changes, loneliness, and changing relationships -- to name a few. View Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- May 2006 Pulmonary resection in patients with stage I or stage II small cell lung cancer is safe with low mortality and morbidity. Curative resection is associated with long-term survival in early stage small cell lung cancer in some patients and should be considered in selected patients. 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   Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that a subset of T-cells found in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients inhibits the normal immune response to the cancer. "Treg cells normally control the immune response process, ensuring that the body doesn't fight against itself," says Stephen Ansell, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic hematology researcher. "This study has shown that there is more to the story for NHL patients, and that the most common Treg cell, which is positive for the cell surface markers CD4 and CD25, actually contributes to disease progression by suppressing a healthy immune response to cancer cells View Abstract  Risk is especially increased if a woman has her ovaries removed at a young age. "Like any medical or surgical decision, there is a trade between risk and benefit," says Dr. Rocca. "Our findings are important for situations where the removal of the ovaries is elective -- that is, conducted to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer." View Related One in five Americans will develop skin cancer. Your chances of getting skin cancer double if you have had five or more sunburns. Generally, your risk of developing skin cancer increases as you age because the effects of sun damage accumulate over time. Until recently, the more treatable non-melanoma skin cancers were considered a problem for people over age 50. However, the occurrence of these cancers in younger adults has increased sharply. View Related Now that this signal has been identified, new strategies can be generated for enhancing the ability of the immune system to kill tumor cells in patients with cancer. "Because NK cells can communicate different messages -- one that serves health by clearing tumors and viruses and one that serves disease by blocking the response to cancer -- understanding which signals result in effective tumor clearance is a high priority for those of us fighting cancer," explains Paul Leibson, M.D., Ph.D., the Mayo Clinic immunologist and pediatrician who led the study. View Abstract  Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered clues about new molecular partnerships involving a key protein that naturally guards against cancer because it promotes repair of damaged DNA. Research shows that loss of p53 is directly related to cancer. People born without enough p53 function get spontaneous cancers. In about half of all cancers, the two genes that give the instructions for making p53 (each person gets one gene from each parent) are missing or shut off. This suggests that loss of p53 function is a common event in the origin of many different kinds of cancer. Therefore, an appealing research strategy is to devise ways to restore or protect p53 function. Discovering all the ways p53 gets turned on is an important first step toward doing that. View Abstract  Medical Edge Television Not long ago kids had to have their legs amputated to get rid of rotationplasty. But now doctors at Mayo Clinic are performing a surgery that allows kids to regain use of their leg, even after part of it has been removed. Read Script Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered a new cellular secret that may explain how certain cancers move and spread -- a feature of cancers that makes treatment especially difficult. "These findings have broad implications toward the general understanding of how specific processes in the wave may affect such things as cell growth, cell movement and metastasis," explains Mark McNiven, Ph.D., the lead researcher on the Mayo Clinic team. "Our work provides new insights into a novel mechanism by which cells can internalize growth factor information. Understanding this process is the first step toward one day halting it, preventing it or reversing it therapeutically." View Related  Researchers have determined that the occurrence rate for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) -- a known precursor condition for multiple myeloma and other related blood disorders -- is nearly twice as high as what has been reported. Mayo Clinic's study results are available in The New England Journal of Medicine. View Abstract  Treating rare cancer with high-dose chemotherapy and stem-cell transplant "Whether any of the POEMS patients we've treated with a stem cell transplant will be cured or not is still unknown," says Colon-Otero, "but most of the patients who have received the transplant have improved dramatically." The Mayo Clinic POEMS transplant experience -- the largest published series in the world -- was led by Mayo physicians Angela Dispenzieri and Alvaro Moreno-Aspitia. Though treatment for POEMS is not standardized, Mayo Clinic physicians advise that high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation should be considered a therapeutic option for patients with POEMS. This therapy is not for all patients as it is dependent on their symptoms. View Related  Identifying alterations in DNA methylation may also be useful in determining cancer progression Researchers at Mayo Clinic have narrowed the search for effective prostate cancer biomarkers (genetic variations that point to a specific disease or condition), identifying changes in the expression of genes of the whole genome closely correlated to prostate cancer development and progression. They also showed that DNA hypermethylation (DNA modification without changing sequence) plays a significant role in these processes. Results of their study were published in the Feb. 15, 2006, issue of Clinical Cancer Research. View Abstract  Mayo Clinic broke ground this morning for a new building to house advanced imaging research. Mayo received a gift of $7 million from The Opus Group to support construction of the facility. "Much of medicine in the future will depend heavily on noninvasive imaging techniques," says Denis Cortese, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic. "We are grateful for this generous gift from Opus, which will help us expand both our diagnostic and treatment capabilities through the findings of this research. Applying basic science research findings to patient care is what we do best, and we look for this activity to keep Mayo Clinic on the cutting edge of imaging." View Related Medical Edge Television This story focuses on one child who received a transplant from an unrelated donor. Her story highlights how treatment for childhood diseases such as aplastic anemia and leukemia has improved dramatically in recent years. Read Script 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 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   City of Rochester employees have a chance to participate in one of the first efforts in the state to further the goals of the Minnesota Cancer Plan, published in 2005. "Colorectal cancer is preventable if people get screened and have appropriate follow-up," says Paul Limburg, M.D., M.P.H., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead investigator of the study. "We hope to build an education and prevention model here in Rochester that will be useful for communities throughout the state and beyond." View Related  "Most patients who get invasive esophagus cancer will die. Its one of the more lethal cancers," says Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Herbert Wolfsen. "But in its precancerous phase, or the high-grade dysplasia phase, it's highly treatable." Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant condition that leads to esophageal cancer in some people. The new minimally invasive treatment is an outpatient procedure that takes about 30 minutes. View Related  A first step toward creating anti-tumor drug, Mayo has found a therapeutic gold compound to block cancer-promoting signals between key proteins involved in the development of non-small cell lung cancer. The Mayo Clinic report describing these findings appears in the Feb. 1, 2006, edition of Cancer Research. In it, the Mayo team provides the first laboratory evidence supporting the concept of blocking "oncogenic" -- cancer promoting -- communication between a specific cellular protein known as Protein Kinase C iota (PKC1) and a second protein, Par6, that relays oncogenic signals from PKC1. View Abstract   Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers report aggressive surgical removal of as much cancer as possible throughout the abdomen in ovarian cancer patients is the best option for most women. Results of the study are published in the January 2006 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. View Abstract  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 -- Dec. 1, 2005 Individual patient data from 20,898 patients on 18 randomized trials: North Central Cancer Treatment Group 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     Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- June 15, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group with National Cancer Institute of Canada View Related     Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- May 15, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group pooled results with US Gastrointestinal Intergroup and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project View Related   Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- May 1, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group study View Related      The recurrent IgH translocations are highly associated with nonhyperdiploid variant multiple myeloma Publication: Blood -- Oct. 1, 2003 View Related |
