December 18, 2003 (Vol. 1, No. 4)
Advancing Knowledge, Saving Lives is a quarterly e-newsletter of cancer research and health-care advances from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Read this e-newsletter online at: http://www.fhcrc.org/about/pubs/enews/fhcrc-enews/2003-12/

New hope for leukemia patients
A sensitive molecular test developed by Fred Hutchinson researchers and colleagues precisely measures the extent of remission in cancer patients undergoing drug therapy and may help predict their likelihood of relapse. The researchers predict the test will speed the delivery of new therapies to patients by reducing the length of clinical trials, the process used to test and compare cancer treatments.

For more information, go to:
http://www.fhcrc.org/pubs/center_news/2003/oct16/sart1.html


Old yeast brew new clues to cancer
Fred Hutchinson researchers have made a landmark discovery in yeast that may reveal why growing older is the greatest cancer-risk factor in humans. Researchers have found that yeast cells, like human cells, suffer genetic damage as they approach old age. The discovery sheds light on the mechanisms and molecules that may be relevant in age-related cancer development.

For more information, go to:
http://www.fhcrc.org/pubs/center_news/2003/oct2/sart2.html


Moyer Foundation, Fred Hutchinson launch The Gregory Fund®
In honor of a former patient, The Moyer Foundation and Fred Hutchinson have launched The Gregory Fund to support early cancer detection research. Catch a Cure for Cancer Day, led by the foundation, raised nearly $250,000 for the fund earlier this year. Seattle Mariners baseball star Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen, started the foundation in 2000.

For more information, go to:
http://www.fhcrc.org/research/edi/gregory_fund/


Alcohol use increases breast-cancer risk, exercise reduces it
Older women with a history of alcohol use are significantly more likely than nondrinkers to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Post-menopausal women who reported consuming at least the equivalent of two drinks a day had an 80 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to nondrinkers. In a separate study, Fred Hutchinson researchers found that regular, moderate physical activity cuts breast-cancer risk by 20 percent and even reduces risks for women on hormone-replacement therapy.

For more information, go to:
http://www.fhcrc.org/news/science/2003/10/30/alcohol.html
http://www.fhcrc.org/pubs/center_news/2003/sep18/sart2.html


Morning exercise may help older women sleep better
Stretching and exercise performed early in the day may improve sleep quality in overweight, postmenopausal women, according to new findings by Fred Hutchinson researchers. The study found that women who exercised at a moderate intensity for at least half an hour each morning, seven days per week, had less trouble falling asleep than those who exercised less. Conversely, women who performed evening exercises experienced little or no improvement in sleep onset or quality.

For more information, go to:
http://www.fhcrc.org/news/science/2003/10/30/postmenopausal.html


New therapy for incurable lymphoma
A new therapy for an incurable form of lymphoma induced remission in 98 percent of patients, according to a preliminary clinical trial led by Fred Hutchinson researchers. In addition, more than 80 percent of patients remain disease-free more than two years after treatment. The therapy consists of chemotherapy followed by treatment with a radioactively tagged antibody to destroy cancerous cells. Researchers believe it could offer new hope to the 15,000 Americans diagnosed each year with follicular lymphoma.

For more information, go to:
http://www.fhcrc.org/pubs/center_news/2003/sep18/sart3.html



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