Noted

The majority of Americans are unaware of key cancer risk factors, according to a national survey carried out by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (available at www.asco.org). Less than a third knew that obesity and alcohol consumption increase cancer risk; meanwhile, cell phones and caffeine were incorrectly identified as risk factors by 14% and 8% of those polled, respectively.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) launched four “Cancer Interception” teams aimed at detecting lung cancer and pancreatic cancer as early as possible. The groups will receive a total of $16.6 million in funding from SU2C, the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, LUNGevity, and the American Lung Association. Their research efforts include testing new preoperative treatments to allow more patients with pancreatic cancer to achieve complete tumor resection, and developing a blood-based lung cancer interception assay that can be used in conjunction with low-dose CT scans.

The FDA launched an educational campaign about biosimilars, posting fact sheets and graphics to a new website aimed at helping health care professionals better understand of these products and their approval process (available at www.fda.gov).

Being overweight or obese is associated with 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported (www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/obesity-cancer). Two in three U.S. adults weigh more than recomxmlerrmended, the CDC noted, and more than half of Americans aren't aware that excessive weight increases the risk of at least 13 cancer types, including meningioma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, multiple myeloma, and colorectal cancer.

The FDA cleared Magnetom Terra (Siemens), a seven tesla (7T) MRI device, for clinical use. This is the first 7T system to receive clearance; it more than doubles the static magnetic field strength available for use in the United States, and will enable “better visualization of smaller structures and subtle pathologies that may improve disease diagnosis,” the agency said.

For more news on cancer research, visit Cancer Discovery online at http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/by/section.