Clinical Oncological Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting: Day 3

The 34th COSA ASM promises a series of stimulating and exciting presentations from international and national experts covering the many disciplines of oncology research and clinical practice. The conference is held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on November 14-16, 2007.

On Day 3, Friday November 16World first research points to bone marrow as source of cells stimulating cancer growthIn a world first, researchers from Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research have shown in a human trial that cells responsible for stimulating cancer growth are derived from bone marrow. In the study of patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant, the researchers were able to observe cells, thought to be fibroblasts, being “recruited in” from the bone marrow to support growth of the cancer. Previously, it was thought the cells resided in tissue around the tumour and were corrupted by the advancing cancer. Additional research is planned to confirm the nature of the cells. Longer term, the researchers believe that if the mechanism can be controlled or regulated, there is potential to reduce or even stop cancer growth in its tracks. New research shows bladder cancer survival lower for women New research shows that women with bladder cancer are more likely to die of the disease than men. In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, the Cancer Institute NSW has analysed bladder cancer cases in New South Wales from 1980 to 2003. When looking at the survival of patients with bladder cancer, women had significantly poorer survival with a 16 per cent greater likelihood of dying compared to men. ABC Brisbane – lessons from a workplace cancer clusterThe ABC breast cancer cluster in Brisbane was one of Australia’s most investigated cancer clusters. However, the way it was handled, particularly the initial investigation, attracted considerable criticism from ABC staff and the public. Head of the subsequent investigation, Professor Bruce Armstrong, reviews the approaches to the studies, the results and speculates on how staff and workforce concerns might have been better managed.Drug trial unexpectedly extends survivalResearchers have been surprised by the results of a breast cancer trial comparing two drug regimes, a tablet only treatment versus tablets and injections. While the tablet treatment (capecitabine) was expected to be better tolerated than the standard combination of tablets and injections CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil), there was an unexpected benefit with capecitabine extending survival. The typical woman in the CMF group lived 18 months while the typical woman in the capecitabine group lived 22 months. Those on capecitabine experienced less severe side-effects, with better physical well-being and mood and less trouble with hair loss, but had more trouble with rashes and sore hands and feet.Study reveals longer radiation treatment reduces brain tumour growthNew results from the largest randomised brain cancer trial in Australia have found that longer courses of radiation treatment are more effective in reducing the growth of tumours, without disadvantaging quality of life. The study at St George Hospital in Sydney involved 113 patients with secondary cancer cerebral metastases and compared short and longer courses of radiation treatments. It found that the longer course of radiation treatment was more effective in reducing tumour growth than the shorter course. While the study didn’t address life-expectancy, other international studies have shown that reducing the growth of brain tumours increased patient life expectancy. See www.cosa.org.au for ongoing info. (Source: Clinical Oncological Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting November 2007 : Cancer Council of Australia : November 2007)