Weekly Wednesday 2

It is probably the last thing on the mind of cancer patients and survivors, but cancer treatment and drug development is promoted as a great investment opportunity. I guess we all know how expensive treatment is but seeing that set out in an economic  profit and  investment scenario gives a whole new perspective.

That article is the last in this list with a couple of hopeful developments on the treatment side to start with and one on cannabis use, given that the subject has made a few recent headlines in this country.

Scan can tell if chemotherapy is effective after one round of treatment
Head and neck cancers are notoriously difficult to treat, but researchers say a new scanning technique could help determine whether chemotherapy is effective after just one round of treatment.
Combined PET and CT scans accurately measure a tumor's energy use and ability to convert glucose to energy, offering doctors a faster method of measuring treatment response for head and neck cancers, researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research report in a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Classifying participants as either responders or non-responders, the researchers found that if a tumor's energy use score fell by more than 55 percent or its glucose score dropped by more than 60 percent, the patients were more likely to respond well to treatment.
"Our work suggests that high-tech PET/CT scans can spot patients whose treatment might not work very rapidly, after only one cycle of chemotherapy," says Kevin Harrington, joint head of the division of radiotherapy and imaging at the Institute of Cancer Research Harrington.  "That gives patients and clinicians either the confidence to persist with treatment, or early warning that it isn't working so that it can be urgently switched for an alternative approach." #

Full story:  http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/09/27/Scan-can-tell-if-chemotherapy-is-effective-after-one-round-of-treatment/3521474982197/

Newer Radiation Technique Has Fewer Side Effects Than Traditional

When a patient’s cancer comes back, he or she is often left with limited treatment options and higher odds of debilitating side effects. But a University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) study  offers positive news for people with recurrent head and neck cancer.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), a technique for delivering pinpoint radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors, resulted in only half as many patients with recurrent head and neck cancer suffering severe, long-term side effects as compared to previously reported studies using more traditional treatment techniques
This discovery by UPCI scientists was made in the largest and longest follow-up analysis to date of patients with recurrent head and neck cancer treated with SBRT. The findings make SBRT a more attractive possibility for patients with few options left.

“We’re hoping that data like this will help physicians and patients understand and weigh their individual risks and benefits when deciding whether to pursue SBRT,” says Diane Ling, M.D., a resident in in UPCI’s Radiation Oncology Residency Program.

Dr. Ling and her colleagues reviewed the outcomes of 291 patients treated by UPMC CancerCenter who had recurrent, previously irradiated head and neck cancer between April 2002 and March 2013. #

Full story:   http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/09/prweb13711767.htm

Radiation oncologist tells panel that former cancer patient's trials changed his perspective on medical cannabis

FRANKFORT — A radiation oncologist says his experiences watching a cancer patient ultimately lose her battle with the illness while also defending herself against charges of growing marijuana caused his perspective on medical cannabis to change completely.
Dr. Don Stacy says the woman, a 25-year-old female, had developed head and neck cancer.
And after various prescriptions did nothing to help her cope with complications of her chemotherapy and radiation treatment, she found relief in marijuana.
The woman, eventually began growing marijuana at her home “She was arrested, her child was taken away from her, and she ended up dying of her cancer.”
Stacy says the woman isn’t the only patient who has informed him of marijuana use, adding that the patients say it is “highly effective at minimizing their symptoms” that can include nausea and pain.
Medical marijuana is legal in 25 states and the District of Columbia, and the issue has shown marginal progress in recent legislative sessions.
But lawmakers indicated that they’ll need to see more before signing onto a bill legalizing pot for medical use. #

Full story:  http://mycn2.com/politics/radiation-oncologist-tells-panel-that-former-cancer-patient-s-trials-changed-his-perspective-on-medical-cannabis

Cancer Immunotherapy Market to Hit 14% CAGR to 2021

The global cancer immunotherapy market is set to reach $19.39 billion by 2021 growing at a CAGR of 14%  (The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is the mean annual growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time longer than one year.)led by monoclonal antibodies forecast to show highest growth rate while increasing incidence of cancer, rising healthcare expenditure, and increased access to medical insurance in developed countries are major driving factors.
The complete report on global cancer immunotherapy market spread across 145 pages, profiling 10 companies and supported with 43 tables and 69 figures is now available at http://www.marketreportshub.com/cancer-immunotherapy-industry-research-marketsandmarkets.html .
The global cancer immunotherapy market has been segmented on the basis of type, application, end user, and region. The monoclonal antibodies segment is expected to register the highest growth rate in the cancer immunotherapy market, by type, during the forecast period. Factors such as high success rate and less recovery time are contributing to the high growth in this segment.
Based on application, the global cancer immunotherapy market is segmented into lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, head & neck cancer, and others (renal cell carcinoma, cervical, gastric, and lymphoma).
Geographically, the cancer immunotherapy market is dominated by North America, followed by Europe.
The major players in the cancer immunotherapy market include Amgen (U.S.), AstraZeneca (U.K.), F. Hoffman La-Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), Bayer AG (Germany), Bristol-Myers Squibb (U.S.), Eli Lilly and Company (U.S.), Janssen Global Services, LLC (Belgium), Merck (U.S.), Novartis (Switzerland), and Pfizer (U.S.). Order a copy of Cancer Immunotherapy Market by Type (Monoclonal Antibodies, Cancer Vaccines, Check Point Inhibitors & Immunomodulators), Application (Lung, Breast, Colorectal, Melanoma, Prostate, Head & Neck), End User (Hospital and Clinics) - Global Forecast to 2021 research report at http://www.marketreportshub.com/purchase?rpid=4248 .
Apart from comprehensive geographic & product analysis and market sizing, the report also provides a competitive landscape that covers the growth strategies adopted by industry players over the last three years. In addition, the company profiles comprise the product portfolios, developments, and strategies adopted by the market players to maintain and increase their shares in the market. The above-mentioned market research data, current market size, and forecast of the future trends will help key market players and new entrants to make the necessary decisions regarding product offerings, geographic focus, change in strategic approach, and levels of output, in order to remain successful in the cancer immunotherapy market. Novartis International Ag (Switzerland) and Roche Holding Ag (Switzerland) have been profiled in this 126 pages research report available at http://www.marketreportshub.com/immunotherapy-drugs-industry-research-marketsandmarkets.html .

Full story:   http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cancer-immunotherapy-market-to-hit-14-cagr-to-2021-594387481.html