Fox Chase Cancer Center News

Researchers Uncover a Viable Way for Colorectal Cancer Patients to Overcome Drug Resistance

CHICAGO, IL (April 4, 2012)—When combined with other treatments, the drug cetuximab—which works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells—has been shown to extend survival in certain types of cancer, including metastatic colorectal cancers.  Unfortunately, about 40 percent of colorectal cancer patients—specifically those who carry a mutated form of a gene called KRAS—do not respond to the drug.  Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, however, have been working on a way to overcome this resistance to cetuximab by unleashing a second cetuximab driven mechani

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Researchers Develop a New Cell and Animal Model of Inflammatory Breast Cancer

CHICAGO, IL (April 4, 2012)—Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive, often misunderstood type of cancer that is diagnosed more frequently in younger women compared with other types of breast cancer. The five-year survival rate is between 25 and 50 percent—significantly lower than the survival rate for other types of breast cancer. The reason for the poor prognosis is that IBC usually grows rapidly and often spreads quickly to other parts of the body, including the brain, bone and lymph nodes.

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New Compound Targets Key Mechanism Behind Lymphoma

CHICAGO, IL (April 3, 2012) – Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have come one step closer to developing the first treatment to target a key pathway in lymphoma.  The new findings will be announced at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Tuesday, April 3.

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Scientists at Fox Chase Discover Link between Estrogen and Tobacco Smoke

CHICAGO, IL (April 3, 2012) – The hormone estrogen may help promote lung cancer— including compounding the effects of tobacco smoke on the disease—pointing towards potential new therapies that target the hormone metabolism, according to new research presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Tuesday, April 3 by scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

"This research provides the link between estrogen and tobacco smoke," says study author Jing Peng, PhD, postdoctoral associate in the lab of Margie L. Clapper, PhD, also a co-author on the paper.

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New Boost for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

CHICAGO, IL (April 2, 2012) – Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center are developing a new way to treat pancreatic cancer by boosting the effects of gemcitabine (Gemzar)—the chemotherapy drug that is considered standard therapy for the disease. 

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