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In Brief
BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Expression Influenced by Genetic and Familial FactorsGenetic and family-based factors can influence the type of cancer women who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are at highest risk for, a new study suggests.
Ephrat Levy-Lahad, M.D., of the Hebrew University Medical School in Jerusalem, and colleagues examined 660 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations of Ashkenazi Jewish descent in Israel and the United States. For women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, breast cancer risk was higher for women who were relatives of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and ovarian cancer risk was higher for women who were relatives of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The authors conclude that the expression of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations can be modified by genetic and familial factors that may predispose women more highly to breast or ovarian cancer.
The study was published in the March 7 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
FDA Approves Cetuximab for Treatment of Head and Neck Cancers
On March 1, the FDA approved the drug cetuximab (Erbitux) for use in addition to radiation therapy for squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN) that cannot be treated with surgery or for SCCHN that has metastasized. Erbitux was previously approved by the FDA for use in treating colon cancer.
The approval is based on the results of two studies, one showing decreased tumor growth and increased survival time in 424 patients given cetuximab and radiation, and another trial showing that Erbitux combined with radiation therapy helped shrink tumors in 103 patients who did not respond to other therapies. Common side effects of cetuximab include nausea, fatigue, and skin rash.
New Federal Health Initiative Aims To Improve Cancer Therapy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have collaborated to develop the Oncology Biomarker Qualification Initiative, a plan to improve cancer therapy and patient outcomes using biomarker technology.
For cancer patients, biomarkers may be able to assess the progression and utility of cancer therapies and indicate levels of tumor growth or shrinking. The goal of the initiative includes assessing biomarkers for use in evaluating new cancer technologies and therapies. Initiative leaders hope the plan will shorten clinical trials, increase the safety and utility of new cancer drugs, and speed up the process of drug development.
More information on the initiative is available at http://www.cancer.gov.
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