Cancer News Briefs

Among the Best in the Nation

In its 2011-12 ranking of hospitals and medical specialties, U.S.News and World Report has listed cancer care at UI Hospitals and Clinics as 28th best in the nation. Survival, advanced technologies, and patient services received the highest ratings on the cancer score card. Read more about honors received by the professionals in our Cancer Center.

Know Your Radon Risk

Radon, a gas released over time as uranium in rocks and soil breaks down, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States. Iowa has the highest average radon concentrations in the country.

You can test your home for radon with a kit available for about $10 or less from the American Lung Association or Linn County Healthy Homes (will sell outside Linn County).

A federal radon action plan for reducing risk was developed using studies by R. William Field, PhD, radon expert in the UI College of Public Health.

Read more about why you should be concerned about radon in your home.

Cancer Information Service Provides Answers

If you have questions about cancer, where can you turn? The Cancer Information Service, part of Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. You can learn about reducing your cancer risk as well as recommended screening tests; discover the latest treatments and clinical trials available at the UI and nationwide; locate other state and county resources; and obtain free copies of booklets on all cancer topics.

The Cancer Information Service team provides answers to a range of questions about common and rare cancers but does not give medical advice. Call 800-237-1225, email cancer-information@uiowa.edu, or find us at uihealthcare.org/cis

Sign Up for Cancer Information Online

UI Cancer Care Online is your gateway to free cancer information from Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa. Sign up for the latest about cancer treatments, prevention, recipes, clinical trials, and more.

Visit uihealthcare.org/canceronline to register today.

Prostate Cancer Vaccine Shows Potential

Researchers at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a vaccine using a disarmed cold virus carrying the gene for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which causes the body to develop a strong immune reaction targeting PSA-secreting prostate cancer cells.

A clinical trial involving patients with advanced prostate cancer showed side effects to be minimal and the average survival time to be 18 months, compared to the six to nine months of survival time typical for patients with such advanced disease. The study also showed evidence that the therapy did boost patients’ immune systems.

If further clinical trials show the vaccine to be effective, it will take several years before the treatment could be approved and come into general use through the prostate cancer services at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Learn more about gene therapy for treating prostate cancer in an interview with David Lubaroff, PhD, a researcher in the UI Department of Urology.