There is some fascinating and potentially breakthrough news about cancer treatment vaccine trials that was reported in the National Cancer Institute Bulletin. Recent trials could reshape the field of cancer research and the quest for a cure. Whatever is accomplished is no doubt a long way off but it’s worth keeping your eyes on. I’ll continue to keep you informed as this topic develops but here is the lead on a new story…

Treatment vaccines that boost the immune system’s response to tumors may have important clinical benefits for patients with various types of cancer, according to results from several clinical trials presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando.

To many in the field, the findings represent an emergence of sorts for therapeutic cancer vaccines. Treatment vaccines have been the subject of intense study for more than 2 decades, but they have produced little in the way of FDA-approved cancer treatments. That could change based on the recent clinical trial results… 

Featured Clinical Trial: Imaging the Extent of Prostate Cancer – National Cancer Institute – NCI Cancer Bulletin – Bethesda, MD, USA – In this clinical trial, researchers are testing PET scans using a different radiolabeled molecule, carbon-11 (C-11) acetate, in conjunction with subsequent … See all stories on this topic

Clinical Trials Update: June 2, 2009 – U.S. News & World Report – Washington, DC, USA – This study seeks people who have high cholesterol. Participants will receive all study related care and investigational medication at no cost, … See all stories on this topic

New Zealand Herald – New Zealand – She said half a dozen BRAF inhibitors were being prepared for clinical trials but the teams developing them were yet to prove they were safe and effective. – See all stories on this topic

Legislative Action Alert from NORD: Support Expanded Access to … RSDSA – New York, NY, USA – Yet, current rules regarding eligibility for SSI prevent a significant number of people with rare diseases from participating in clinical trials that … See all stories on this topic

New Data from Satraplatin Phase 3 Trial in Second-Line Castrate … WELT ONLINE – Berlin, Germany – Data from other Phase I and Phase II clinical trials evaluating satraplatin in combination with other cancer therapeutic drugs were published in the 2009 … See all stories on this topic

I-SPY trial offers key insights into locally advanced breast cancer – Insciences Organisation – Basel, Switzerland – The goals are to establish a clinical trials model that supports the identification of drugs targeting the molecular profiles of aggressive breast cancers, … See all stories on this topic

Market Report — In Play (CYTK) – MSN Money – USA – In this trial, ispinesib appears to demonstrate anti-cancer activity with a similar toxicity profile when compared with prior clinical trials conducted with … See all stories on this topic