Breast Cancer Symposium 2008

Direct anti-tumor and anti-vascular effects were studied of Tykerb, Nexavar and Avastin in fresh biopsy specimens of breast cancer and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Breast Cancer Symposium on September 5, 2008.

While the other clinically-available 'nib' drugs have been shown to have anti-vascular activity, anti-vascular activity of Tykerb has not been previously reported.

Angiogenesis studies are limited by the clinical relevance of laboratory model systems. They don't do "real world" studies under "real world" conditions. Patient outcomes need to be reported in real-time, so patients and cancer physicians can learn immediately if and how patients are benefiting from new drug therapies.

Cell culture detection of microvascular cell death in clinical specimens of human neoplasms and peripheral blood can identify the activity of both single drugs and combinations of drugs at the level of individual patients with individual cancers. It works by measuring drug effects (real-time) upon endothelial cells which make up blood vessels.

Drugs like Avastin had striking anti-microvascular effects but minimal anti-tumor effects. Tarceva and Gleevec had mixed antitumor and anti-microvascular effects. Anti-microvascular effects of Tarceva and Iressa were equal to those of Sutent and Nexavar. Anti-microvascular additivity was observed between Avastin and other drugs on an individual basis.

Conclusions of the study had shown that Tykerb has antivascular activity superior to that of Nexavar. Avastin + Tykerb may be the first clinically-exploitable antivascular drug combination. High dose, intermittent 'bolus' schedules of Tykerb to coincide with Avastin administration may be clinically advantageous, even in HER2-negative tumors.

The system utilized for the study was a functional profiling assay, which may be used to individualize antivascular therapy. It can be adapted for simple, inexpensive and sensitive/specific detection of tissue and circulating microvascular cells in a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions, for drug development, and individualized cancer treatment.

It can accurately sort drugs into categories of above average probability of providing clinical benefit on one hand and below average probability of providing clinical benefit on the other hand, based both on tumor response and patient survival.

Source: http://www.weisenthal.org/Weisenthal_ASCO.pdf

Thank you very much for the information on Breast cancer Symposium 2008, It will be very helpful. Take care, Debbie

I join Debbie in thanking you for placing this here, gpawelski. One time... one time 'they' will get to the point this illness can be completely cured or prevented. Research, research and research (and bringing it to the public) -

New Findings May Improve Treatment Of Inherited Breast Cancer

Scientists have identified some of the elusive downstream molecules that play a critical role in the development and progression of familial breast cancer. The research, published by Cell Press in the October 10th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, also identifies a compound found in grapes and red wine as an excellent candidate for treatment of some forms of breast cancer.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125076.php

Cancer researchers recognize that hundreds if not thousands of genes must be down-regulated to conquer cancer (i.e. at least 74 genes must be controlled in renal cancer). So all the promiscuous gene inhibitors must be found. Resveratrol favorably switches many genes. Studies have shown the Resveratrol can inhibit cancer initiation, promotion, and progression.

Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol (phytoalexin). It is produced in a plant in response to an invading fungus, stress, injury, infection or ultraviolet irradation. Red wine contains high levels of resveratrol, as do grapes, raspberries, peanuts and other plants.

Resveratrol has been shown to reduce tumor incidence in animals by affecting one or more stages of cancer development. It has been shown to inhibit growth of many types of cancer cells in culture. Evidence also exists that it can reduce inflammation. It reduces activation of NF kappa B, a protein produced by the body's immune system when it is under attack. This protein affects cancer cell growth and metastasis. Resveratrol is also an antioxidant.

While many of the new gene-targeted drugs do not target enough genes, it appears that Resveratrol can target all genes involved in cancer. It is possible that it also chemosensitizes tumor cells, all the genes within the cell, a potentiator of chemotherapy drugs.

Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in the skin and seeds of grapes. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine because the making of white wine requires the removal of the skins after the grapes are crushed. When wine is made from grapes, the alcohol produced by the fermentation process dissolves the polyphenols contained in the skin and seeds.

What makes this most interesting in cancer is the anti-angiogenic enhancer and potentiator effect of the alcohol in red wine. The alcohol reduces the angiogenic secretions by the tumor cells. If it does that, it could both reduce these secretions and make an anti-angiogenesis drug less resistant to the tumor cells, making it more effective.

In the presence of an anti-angiogenesis drug, you can have a lethel 1-2 combination which knocks out the new blood vessels which are dependent for survival of the cancer. Polyphenols extracted from red wine could be converted into a pill that is highly likely to be safe, relatively easy and inexpensive to create, and deliver.

The use of a polyphenol (Resveratrol) presents important advantages because of its good safety profile, low cost and can be obtained everywhere on the planet.

Cancer Biol Ther. 2004 Sep;3(9):889-90
J Intern Med 2008; 264: 275-287
BMC Urol. 2004 Jun 22;4:9
Epub 2004 Sep 24
PMID: 15467424

Thanks again for all the wonderful info to help us learn more on how we can fight breast cancer. It is very nice you do this! Take care, Debbie

Gpawelski, thank you for placing this here. Sounds like a good development - the findings of this component. Do you think Resveratrol will become a medicine of the future or is this still in clinical test stages?

What I've also presented here is the anti-angiogenic enhancer and potentiator effect of alcohol in red wine (not the red wine itself). It seems that alcohol reduces the angiogenic secretions by the tumor cells. Doing so, it could both reduce these secretions and make an anti-angiogenesis drug (like Avastin) less resistant to tumor cells, making it more effective.

I don't encourage the drinking of alcohol for cancer prevention. Scientists have found effective substances in alcohol, Resveratrol, vitamin C, talc, endostatin, herbs, or whatever. But these cannot be patented and have pharmaceutical sponsors for "GoodHouseKeeping Seal of Approval" clinical trials.

OK, I see. Thank you for explaining that