E-Newsletter - Summer 2017

alliance trials in the news

AML Study Correlates Gene Mutations with 34 Disease Subgroups
[CALGB 8461 | CALGB 9665 | CALGB 20202]
Findings from a large study of adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) might help guide mutation testing and treatment decisions in the future. The study involved 1,603 newly diagnosed adult patients with AML, who were treated on CALGB (Alliance) trials, CALGB 8461, CALGB 9665 and CALGB 20202. The study correlated 80 cancer-related gene mutations with five subtypes of AML, which were defined by the presence of specific chromosomal abnormalities.

The researchers combined the cytogenetic abnormalities that define each of 34 AML subgroups with the mutation status of the 80 cancer-related genes to produce an "oncoprint," a compact tabular summary of the gene mutations associated with each cytogenetic group.

Reported in the journal Leukemia, the findings identify:
- Potentially important genetic differences among the 34 subgroups
- Unexpected associations between the AML subsets and both specific gene mutations and gene functional groups
- Significant differences in cytogenetic and mutational features between patients younger than 60 years of age and those 60 years and older

According to investigators, the study summarizes cytogenetic and mutational information of all the patients in a single image. The identification of key mutational features of each subgroup may help to better understand the pathogenesis of the different AML types and provides a wealth of information for ongoing and future research. If their findings are confirmed, it may mean that the mutational oncoprint may help to guide mutation testing and potentially even future treatment decisions for patients.

Reference: A-K Eisfeld, K Mrózek, J Kohlschmidt, D Nicolet, S Orwick, C J Walker, K W Kroll, J S Blachly, A J Carroll, J E Kolitz, B L Powell, E S Wang, R M Stone, A de la Chapelle, J C Byrd, C D Bloomfield. The mutational oncoprint of recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities in adult patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia, 2017

* * * * * *

Adding Mindfulness: Innovation for an Optimal Preoperative Rehabilitation Before Lung Cancer Resection
[Alliance 221502]
Several recent studies determined that perioperative pulmonary rehabilitation improves ultimate functional capacity and reduces postoperative complications, as well as enhances recovery in operated patients. However, the optimal intervention tailored to patients with lung cancer, either pre- or post-surgery, has yet to be established.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, the Alliance has launched a large study that tests a mindfulness-based preoperative rehabilitation for patients undergoing lung cancer resection. Outcomes of the study will be daily quality of life after surgery, which will be measured by validated tools, as well as the length of hospital stay and number of postoperative complications.
Read more online from Cure Today
Learn more about the trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02887521

* * * * * *

Diet Rich in Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improves Disease-Free Survival in Colon Cancer
[CALGB (Alliance) 89803]
Consumption of foods rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and dark meat fish may prolong disease-free survival among people with colorectal cancer, according results from a study population of 1,011 men and women with stage III colon cancer who were enrolled in the CALGB (Alliance) 89803 adjuvant chemotherapy trial between 1999 and 2001. The study's author Erin Van Blarigan, ScD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, along with her colleagues, reported these findings earlier this year at 2017 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.
Read more online from Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News and GastroEndoNews.com
Learn more about the trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00003835


 

For other articles in the Summer issue of the Alliance E-News newsletter, see below.