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R ESEARCHERS AT THE University of Warwick in the United Kingdom have discovered that a chemical found naturally in ants and stinging nettles — a plant similar to poison ivy — multiplies the effectiveness of the cancer drug JS07 by 50 times. JS07 interferes with the energy generation of cancer cells, and combining it with the chemical sodium formate through a novel bind- ing process creates a more potent form of the cancer drug, according to the study, published in Nature Communications. This powerful version of JS07 is a catalyst that ultimately causes the cancer cells to shut down. The study indicates a lower dosage of the more potent JS07 could be used, exposing patients to reduced toxicity and potentially fewer side effects than occur with conventional treatments. Researchers initially tested the potent JS07 on ovarian cancer cells. ■ A NEW ANALYSIS suggests the United States has not gained adequate improvement in cancer mortality rates relative to the amount the nation has spent fi ghting the disease in recent decades. "Despite sharp increases in spending … in the United States compared to Western Europe, US cancer mortality rates have decreased only modestly," states the study, published in Health Affairs. Reviewing data for 12 common cancers, Dartmouth researchers found that compared with Western Europe, the United States averted 67,000 breast cancer deaths, 265,000 colorectal cancer deaths and 60,000 prostate cancer deaths from 1982 to 2010. However, the researchers noted, those outcomes came at costs "that exceed most accepted thresholds for cost-effective medical care." Moreover, they found that despite higher spending, the United States had about 1.1 million excess lung cancer deaths compared with Western Europe. ■ C ONSUMING CERTAIN FISH or fi sh oils around the time of a chemotherapy treatment may render the treatment less effective, according to research published online by JAMA Oncology. Mackerel, herring and some fi sh oil supplements increase levels of fatty acid 16:4(n-3) in the blood. Research on mice has suggested that 16:4(n-3) could lead to chemoresistance among cancer patients, the journal article notes, adding that use of fi sh oil supplements is common among cancer patients. The researchers, based in the Netherlands and Japan, say that during the 48 hours surrounding a chemotherapy treatment, patients should not consume fi sh oil or fi sh that is high in the fatty acid. Not all fi sh are created equal, however: Eating tuna did not alter blood levels of 16:4(n-3), and consumption of salmon yielded only a brief, small increase. ■ Study Questions EFFECTIVENESS Fish and Fish Oil May Reduce Effi cacy of CHEMICAL IN ANTS AND PLANTS Cancer Drug's Benefi t MULTIPLIES — By Carrie Frye of Cancer Spending — By Steve Barrett CHEMOTHERAPY — By Steve Barrett + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + THAT'SNEWS ❯❯❯ 3 4 | Central New York MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M