Clinical Cancer Advances 2007

Listen to the Cancer.Net Podcast: Highlights of ASCO's 2007 Clinical Cancer Advances Report, with Julie Gralow, MD, adapted from this report.

A new report published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) summarizes the most important advances in clinical cancer research over the past year. Clinical Cancer Advances 2007: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention, and Screening highlights those studies that significantly changed the understanding of a specific type of cancer or will have the greatest impact on cancer care. The report, now in its third year, is written for those with an interest in cancer care and was developed by a 21-member editorial board of leading oncologists (doctors that treat cancer). Clinical Cancer Advances 2007 recognizes six "major advances" and highlights 18 other notable advances across 10 cancer types. In addition, the report identifies emerging trends and issues in the areas of cancer prevention and survivorship.

How the studies were identified

The editors reviewed research studies published in peer-reviewed, scientific journals or presented at major scientific meetings from October 2006 to September 2007. The editors considered a range of clinical cancer issues when evaluating the research studies, including epidemiology (identifying populations at greatest or increasing risk), prevention, screening/early detection, treatment, access to high-quality care, and survivorship. Studies are identified as major advances or other notable research depending on the importance of the advance for patient care and survival.

Clinical research themes of 2007

Clinical Cancer Advances 2007 includes several broad themes in cancer:

Prevention and screening. Studies on cancer prevention and screening resulted in new guidelines on the appropriate use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for breast cancer screening. Other studies include:

• the discovery of a link between breast cancer incidence (number of new cases) and the decline in the use of hormone replacement therapy
  
  
• the identification of a link between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and head and neck cancers
  
  
• the ability of radiation therapy to prevent the spread of lung cancer to the brain

Targeted therapy. A treatment that targets faulty genes or proteins that contribute to cancer growth and development is called a targeted therapy. In 2007, targeted therapies were shown to be effective against liver and kidney cancers. For more information about targeted therapies, read the Cancer.Net Feature: Understanding Targeted Treatments.

Cancer survivorship. Today, there are more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States, and more than 250,000 of them were first diagnosed when they were under the age of 21. Several studies this year examined these survivors and their long-term health problems, known as late effects. One study discovered that almost 75% of these survivors had one or more health problems, including second cancers, heart disease, lung problems, and endocrine (hormone) system disorders. Survivors of childhood leukemia and brain tumors are at increased risk of stroke, according to another study, and a report from the National Cancer Institute's Childhood Cancer Survivorship Study found that most survivors of childhood cancer do not get recommended follow-up care.

Highlights of the report

The six major advances identified in Clinical Cancer Advances 2007 include the following (these advances are not listed in a particular order):

• Some studies have suggested that MRI may be better able to detect some breast cancers compared with mammography. One study suggests that women recently diagnosed with cancer in one breast may benefit from having an MRI of the other breast to increase the chance of detecting additional cancers that may have been missed by mammography or physical examination. Another study found that MRI is significantly more sensitive than mammography for detecting ductal carcinoma (a noninvasive, precancerous condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of the breast duct). The American Cancer Society released new guidelines recommending routine MRI screening for women at high risk for developing breast cancer. However, MRI is not yet recommended as a screening tool for women at average risk for breast cancer because of the high rate of false-positive results and inconsistent standards for performing MRIs.
  
  
• Infection with HPV in the mouth is strongly associated with certain types of head and neck cancers. But, patients with these cancers who carry the HPV virus are at lower risk of their disease spreading. These studies suggest a possible role for the HPV vaccine, recently approved for the prevention of cervical cancer, in preventing head and neck cancers.
  
  
• A drop in the number of breast cancer cases may be associated with the declining use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopausal women.
  
  
• Preventive radiation therapy to the head for most patients with advanced small cell lung cancer reduces the risk that the tumor will spread to the brain by about two-thirds and extends these patients' lives.
  
  
• Sorafenib (Nexavar) extends the lives of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer.
  
  
• Bevacizumab (Avastin) in combination with interferon-2a (Alferon, Roferon A) for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer lengthens the time during and after treatment that the cancer does not grow.

More Information

View Clinical Cancer Advances 2007: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening

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View Clinical Cancer Advances 2006: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening

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