New Advances Improve Outlook For People With Cancer (NAPSA)—Cancerincidence and death rates are declining, thanks to advancesin cancer research. A new report by the nation’s cancer doctors, Clinical Cancer Advances 2008, identifies the year’s most significant advances in cancer treatment, prevention INS@O} CLINICAL CANCER ADVANCES2008 Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening and screening. Published annually by the American Society of Clinical Oncol- ogy (ASCO), the report also makes two recommendations: Increase federal cancer research funding and improve patient access to cancer clinical trials, which test promising new cancer treatments. “Scientifically, we’ve never been in a better position to advance cancer treatment. But five years of flat federal funding for cancer research puts future success at risk,” said Richard L. Schilsky, M.D., ASCO president. “In 2009, we have an opportunity to reinvest in cancer research and to support policies that will A REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY fr 1 Reinvesting in cancer research will help ensure every American receives potentially lifesaving cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. help ensure every American receives potentially lifesaving cancer prevention, early detec- contraceptives that was found to have prevented more than 200,000 cases of ovarian cancer and 100,000 deaths worldwide; According to the report, major HPV cervical cancer vaccine, tion and treatment.” advancesincluded: New treatments and tar- geted drugs that improve survival for people with lung, pancreatic and breast cancers and chronic lymphocytic leukemia; New ways to prevent breast cancer and melanoma from returning after initial treatment— such cancer recurrence is a major cause of cancer death; Discovery of a gene that pre- dicts whether colorectal patients with cancer will benefit from adding a targeted drug to standard chemotherapy—such “personalized medicine” can increase treatment effectiveness while reducing side effects and costs; A potential new use for oral A potential new role for the given new data showing that cases of HPV-related head and neck cancers have increased sharply in the U.S.; New estimates predicting a shortage of up to 4,000 oncologists by 2020 as the U.S. population erows and ages; Data showing childhood cancer survivors are more likely than healthy siblings to develop heart disease, pointing to the need to monitor for delayed effects. The report is published in ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology and at www.cancer.net. For more about cancer research funding, visit www.asco.org/ researchfunding.
