HPV Vaccine Protects Against Genital Warts and Precancerous Growths (07/30/2010)
Results from a recent international study indicate that the vaccine Gardasil® (quadrivalent human papillomavirus [types 6, 11, 16, 18] recombinant vaccine) protects against genital warts and low-grade precancerous changes to the cervix, vulva, and vagina. These findings were published in the journal BMJ.

Study Explores Prostate Cancer Among Men with Low PSA Levels (07/30/2010)
In a large U.S. cancer database, 14% of prostate cancer diagnoses occurred among men with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 4.0 ng/mL or lower. More than half of these men had cancer that was considered “low-risk,” but roughly three-quarters were treated aggressively with radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. These results were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Painters May Have Higher Risk of Bladder Cancer (07/29/2010)
Occupational exposures appear to increase bladder cancer risk in painters, according to a study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

FDA Advisory Committee Recommends that Avastin No Longer Be Approved for Breast Cancer (07/29/2010)
The Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has voted 12 to one that Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with paclitaxel should no longer be approved for initial therapy for metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Regimen Promising for Metastatic Penile Cancer (07/28/2010)

Newly Diagnosed Ph+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients May Benefit from Sprycel/Chemotherapy Combination (07/28/2010)
The initial report of a Phase II study evaluating Sprycel® (dasatinib) combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) indicates that 94% of patients achieve a complete remission. These findings were recently published in the journal Blood.

Childhood Cancer Survivors Experience Elevated Risk of Premature Death Years after Diagnosis (07/27/2010)
Childhood cancer survivors may experience a persistently higher risk of premature death due to disease compared with the general population. These findings were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Study Evaluates Melanoma Trends in High-risk Region of United States (07/27/2010)
Melanoma incidence in Hispanic men and African-American women residing in Florida may be higher than in other regions of the United States. These findings were recently published in the journal Archives of Dermatology.

Mixed Findings on Combination Therapy for Nasopharyngeal Cancer (07/26/2010)
Results of a Phase III trial indicate that treating nasopharyngeal cancer with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy can significantly reduce disease progression but that the combination may also increase the rate of death from other causes. These findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Twenty Possible Causes of Cancer (07/26/2010)
The American Cancer Society along with three federal agencies have identified 20 potential causes of cancer that warrant further investigation, according to the results of a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives.