News
Aspirin as Adjuvant Therapy for Colorectal Cancer - A Promising New Twist for an Old Drug
Sunday September 20, 2009 @ 8:00 PM
Alfred I. Neugut, MD, PhD
JAMA. 2009;302(6):688-689.
Even before the time of Hippocrates, willow extracts, which contain salicylates, were used in medicine as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic agents. Acetylsalicylic acid was isolated in the mid-19th century, and since 1899 when it was patented, aspirin has enjoyed global popularity. The relatively recent discovery of its antiplatelet activity has also led to the widespread use of aspirin as an antistroke and cardioprotective agent, but the list of its medical applications continues to increase.
Read more... http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/302/6/688
end
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Retreat Annual Retreat
Thursday August 13, 2009 @ 4:00 PM
Monday, October 5th, 2009 8:30 am-5:00 pm 2009 Annual Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Retreat at Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center
Keynote address: Joan Massagué, PhD (MSKCC)
Please register by September 15th, 2009.
The Retreat will bring together the Cancer Center community at Columbia University Medical Center to discuss recent advances in research and to foster scientific communication and collaboration.
end
Ultradeep Sequencing Capabilities at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Thursday July 30, 2009 @ 10:00 AM
The ultradeep (high throughput) sequencing capabilities of the Genomics Shared Resource Facility include a 454 FLX system, currently operational, and an ABI SOLiD™ 3 system, which will be open for service in the late summer 2009. The Ultradeep Sequencing Facility is operated by the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) with support from the Systems Biology and Stem Cell Initiatives, and HICCC.
The Genome Sequencer 454 FLX Instrument, powered by GS FLX Titanium and Standard series reagents, features long reads (average 350-400 bp for the Titanium platform), exceptional accuracy and high throughput. This platform accommodates a wide number of applications including de novo sequencing, resequencing of whole genomes and target DNA regions, metagenomics and RNA analysis.
The SOLiD™ System is a massively-parallel, next-generation sequencing platform that supports a wide range of applications, including de novo sequencing, targeted resequencing, whole genome resequencing, gene expression profiling, small RNA analysis, whole transcriptome analysis, epigenome, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and methylation analysis. The SOLiD™ 3 System, which will be available in the Genomics Share resource facility, can generate over 400M tags (20 Gbp) per run with an average read length of 50 bp. SOLiD™ 3 is currently the leading platform for expression, resequencing, ChIP and methylation analyses due to its higher accuracy and throughput. Its use of sequencing by ligation and the two-base encoding ensures 99.94% read accuracy.
The SOLiD™ 3 platform can simultaneously process 2 slides and each slide can be partitioned into 1, 2, 4 and 8 regions that allow processing independent samples. Additionally, the SOLiD™ 3 barcoding system allows multiplexing of up to 256 samples per slide.
Services provided by the sequencing facility include the preparation of genomic clonal PCR libraries and their ultradeep sequencing. Basic bioinformatic analysis, with scope defined per application, is also included in the cost of the project. Advanced bioinformatic support, requiring significant customization of the standard set of analyses that is provided by the facility, is provided by the Cancer Center Biomedical Informatics Shared Resource (BISR) as a fee service.
Initially, SOLiD™ services will be limited to the preparation and sequencing of fragment libraries; mate-paired sequencing applications will be available in the Fall 2009.
For detailed project-specific scoping and pricing of each procedure, and for custom design of deep sequencing projects please contact: Dr Teresa Palomero, Director of the Genomic Shared Resources at HICCC (tp2151|_at_|columbia|_dot_|edu).
http://hiccc.columbia.edu/?page=research/sharedresources/genomics
end
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Member Receives Prestigious Scientific Award
Thursday July 30, 2009 @ 9:00 AM
Carlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, Vice-Chair, Department of Pathology, Associate Director at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC), Columbia University Medical Center, received the 2009 Gabarrón Foundation Prize for Science and Research Award for his “pioneering contributions to the field of molecular pathology of cancer, an emerging biomedical discipline that promises to revolutionize the diagnosis of tumors and boost personalized cancer therapies.”
Dr. Cordon-Cardo is a Principal Investigator on several National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grants, including “Molecular and Functional Studies of p53 in Human Cancer” and “Molecular Analysis of Proliferation and Apoptotic Pathways in Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma.”
He was chosen for the award by jurors who considered 21 candidates from France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and the United States. The Foundation awards the prize to an individual, team, or institution "whose scientific or research work contributes to technological advances, discoveries, inventions, or improvements for Humanity.”
end
News, plus New Perspectives on the War Against Cancer
Wednesday May 20, 2009 @ 4:00 PM
In the Summer 2009 Issue of Cancer Prevention: News, plus New Perspectives on the War Against Cancer www.nypcancerprevention.org <http://www.nypcancerprevention.org> Cancer Prevention is published twice a year by the Cancer Prevention Program at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City *********** Global Trends in Cancer Occurrence: Priorities for Cancer Prevention Aging populations, increased smoking rates and the adoption of unhealthy Western diets and lifestyle don't bode well for cancer rates in the developing world, warns the American Cancer Society's Dr. Michael Thun and others, in our cover article. On the other hand, interventions such as aggressive vaccination campaigns against hepatitis B and HPV, along with effective public education, could help put the brakes on an emerging worldwide cancer disaster, these experts say. *********** Issues & Insights: The Argument For and Against CT Colonography Is CT colonography a reliable, less invasive form of colon screening that could get millions more Americans in for testing, or is it an unproven technology that could raise radiation exposures but not screening rates? Two experts -- New York University's Dr. Michael Macari and Indiana University's Dr. Douglas Rex -- debate this contentious issue from the Pro and Con sides, respectively. ************* Harvesting Nature's Bounty for Cancer Prevention Resveratrol from grapes (and red wine), sulphoraphane from crunchy vegetables such as broccoli, and compounds found in a variety of sea flora are all showing great promise as cancer-preventing agents. In his thoughtful essay, the University of Hawaii's Dr. John Pezzuto elaborates on the insights his lab is making into Mother Nature's own cancer-fighting pharmacopoeia. ************* Pioneers in Cancer Prevention from the Worlds of Science and Philanthropy In two profile articles, Cancer Prevention spotlights leading lights in the war against cancer: First, a focus on Dr. Frank L. Meyskens, Jr., whose pioneering work in retinoids, DFMO and other cancer-preventing agents has brought him international acclaim. Then, a profile of financier, philanthropist and prostate cancer survivor Michael Milken, whose business-model approach to prostate cancer research has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding, better public awareness of the disease, and numerous scientific breakthroughs over the past two decades. ************** PLUS: in News From The NCI, a breakthrough study finds that a key change in blood cells occurring years earlier can predict the onset of multiple myeloma; a round-up of new statistics showing that as cancer retreats in the U.S. it is on the rise internationally; a major study suggesting that daily use of NSAID painkillers might lower breast cancer risk; and the launch of the Love/Avon Army of Women campaign, which aims to link up thousands of female volunteers with the breast cancer researchers who need them. Also, our usual updates on scientific meetings and clinical trials and a listing of cancer-focused state and national legislative initiatives. To provide feedback, order hard copies or to post our newsletter URL on your website, please contact: 212-305-9074 or atb2002@nyp.org To stop receiving newsletter announcements twice per year from the Cancer Prevention Program, please email atb2002@nyp.org with "remove” or “unsubscribe" in the subject line.
end
American Cancer Society Awards $2.1 Million Grant to Researcher
Wednesday February 18, 2009 @ 12:00 PM
The American Cancer Society has awarded Dr. Charles Basch of Columbia University, a $2.1 million grant for research promoting colon cancer screening in low income and minority populations.
“The grant awarded to Dr. Charles Basch reflects the best and brightest ideas in cancer research,” said Dee McCabe, Executive Vice President of the American Cancer Society, Metro New York. “The American Cancer Society’s Research and Training Program has invested over $3.3 billion in cancer research, much of it focusing on the work of promising new investigators, since its inception in 1946. During this time, we have funded 42 researchers, primarily early in their careers, who have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize. We fully expect that the ideas and innovations arising from these new grants will continue that legacy.”
With the support of the American Cancer Society, in 2009 researchers like Dr. Basch are focusing on new discoveries to help achieve the Society’s goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem.
Research, including American Cancer Society’s recently released Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2008-2010, clearly shows that the impact of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of death among adults in the United States, could be drastically reduced through early detection and treatment.
Dr. Basch’s research will focus on how to better reach minority populations that currently have low screening rates and higher incidence of colon cancer. Specifically, Dr. Basch will evaluate the effectiveness of increasing colorectal screening on two fronts – one directed to individuals by telephone to provide education on colorectal cancer screening options. The other will focus on doctor directed outreach that educates physicians about low rates of screening and the need to motivate patients to be screened.
“I’m inspired to save lives,” said Dr. Basch. “My research will identify effective and practical strategies that can be used to increase rates of colorectal cancer screening in hard-to-reach, high-risk, urban minority populations. Most of the deaths caused by colorectal cancer can be prevented through early detection and treatment.”
The American Cancer Society has more than $7 million in grants currently in effect at Columbia University and has awarded Columbia nearly $30 million dollars in research grants over the past 25 years.
The Eastern Division is home to some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world, and currently 104 research grants totaling over $57 million are in effect in New York and New Jersey. The Society’s research program began in 1946 with $1 million, and to date has invested more than $3.3 billion in cancer research. Last year alone, $126 million was invested in cancer research. For more information about cancer research or research at work right now in your community, visit Research Central.
end