Going on the offensive against one of the most daunting challenges in cancer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) today announced the launch of a groundbreaking, collaborative clinical trial for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a deadly disease which has seen few improvements in treatments in more than 40 years.
Beat AML was announced yesterday by Vice President Biden, along with many new, Moonshot inspired initiatives across industry, non-profit and government.
AML is the most lethal of the blood cancers, which together are the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.; AML is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year. Despite advances in treating other blood cancers, the standard of treatment for AML – a combination of toxic chemotherapies – has remained the same for more than 40 years. Overall prognosis remains poor, with a five-year survival rate below 20 percent for patients over age 60.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7554854-lls-beat-aml-acute-myeloid-leukemia/
In an effort to improve outcomes for patients with some of the deadliest childhood cancers, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have created the world’s largest collection of pediatric solid tumor samples, drug-sensitivity data and related information and have made the resource available at no charge to the global scientific community.
St. Jude and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute collaborated to create the resource, known as the Childhood Solid Tumor Network. The work is reported today as an advance online publication in the scientific journal Nature.
“Survival rates for children with recurrent solid tumors have not improved significantly in more than 20 years and remain below 30 percent,” said corresponding author Michael Dyer, Ph.D., chair of the St. Jude Department of Developmental Neurobiology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. “This research will change that by promoting scientific collaboration to leverage the efforts of researchers worldwide to advance understanding and ultimately treatment of pediatric solid tumors.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8121952-st-jude-childrens-childhood-solid-tumor-network/
In honor of World Pancreatic Cancer Day on Nov. 16, people around the world will come together to Demand Better in the fight against the world’s toughest cancer, starting with earlier diagnosis. The annual one-day campaign is an initiative of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition, which is comprised of more than 60 organizations from 27 countries on six continents.
Every day, more than 1,000 people worldwide will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Of that, an estimated 985 will die from the disease. Additionally, pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate among all major cancers, and in nearly every country, it is the only major cancer with a single-digit five-year survival rate (2-9 percent). These stunning figures are not merely statistics, they represent family members, friends and colleagues on every corner of the globe.
“This year, we are turning World Pancreatic Cancer Day from a day of awareness to a day of action,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition chair. “As we expand our global movement to end pancreatic cancer, we are demanding better for pancreatic cancer patients now and in the future.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8201651-world-pancreatic-cancer-day-demand-better/
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their family is presented with treatment options – often a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Radiation and chemotherapy have been used to treat kids’ cancers for more than 50 years and often come with long-term late effects including secondary cancers, heart damage and cognitive issues. Often a child’s best chance at survival is a clinical trial which offers them the newest treatment options available.
In recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation will highlight the critical need to fund lifesaving research and share stories of kids affected by cancer – like Micah, who is alive today because there was a clinical trial available.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8284352-st-baldricks-foundation-conquer-childhood-cancers/
