Cancer drug Gleevec, used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), has been pulled out of another round of testing so it can get to work stopping the return of a rare stomach cancer. It's that good, according to findings announced on Thursday.

The promise of Gleevec should make it standard treatment for people with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a stomach and intestine cancer diagnosed in 5,000 to 6,000 Americans each year.

The drug has already been used for patients whose disease is too advanced for surgery. Now it will be used for those whose tumors can be removed. The drug will be administered for at least one year post-surgery.

More than 600 people participated in this Gleevec trial. Each person took either Gleevec or a sugar pill for one year after surgery. After the one-year mark, cancer returned in 17 percent of people taking the sugar pill and in 3 percent of people taking the actual drug.

Since 50 to 90 percent of GIST cases recur over time, this is great news, say researchers who call Gleevec a highly targeted cancer drug with few side effects.

Merck, maker of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, is backing off its lobbying campaign following pressure from medical groups and parents who believe the vaccine should not be mandated as a school attendance requirement for adolescent girls.

The public outcry that caused Merck to announce its stop order on Tuesday stems from the fact that the vaccine protects against the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. School-mandated vaccines are typically for diseases spread through casual contact, such as measles and mumps.

Merck's medical director for vaccines, Dr. Richard M. Haupt says, "We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts," adding that the company will continue providing information about the vaccine upon request.

Gardasil, launched in June and the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, has inspired controversy since day one. There's the cost -- $360 for three required shots -- and all sorts of insurance concerns and conservative groups who worry the vaccine encourages premarital sex and interferes with parental rights. Even those in support of the vaccine -- like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practitioners -- question Merck's quick push to market this drug, especially in light of the company's withdrawn painkiller Vioxx.

"I believe that their timing was a little bit premature so soon after (Gardasil's) release, before we have a picture of whether there are going to be any untoward side effects," says Dr. Anne Francis, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee.

Legislatures in 20 states have taken steps to mandate the vaccine for young girls. And with the exception of Texas governor Rick Perry's February 2 executive order requiring Texas girls entering the sixth grade in 2008 get vaccinated, nothing has been made official so far.

Leah-Beth Richards was diagnosed six years ago with Wilms' tumor, she was only two years old. Wilms' tumor is a cancer of the kidney that primarily affects children. The peak time of Wilms' tumor occurrence is at age three and it occurs only rarely after age eight.

Leah-Beth has been in remission twice and is currently battling another relapse of her disease. The eight year old says that she does not want to carry on with treatment. Her parents are standing behind her decision and want to discontinue the radiation they are using to fight the cancer.

Leah-Beth's mother says "I just can't put her through it again". "I'm thinking about her quality of life now, not quantity. We'd rather her have some special months than painful years".

Mrs. Richards claimed that when they told the hospital about Leah-Beth's decision not to carry on with treatment, they were told they did not have a choice.

Who do you think should make the final decision? Leah herself, even though she is only eight, the doctors or her parents?

Aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are known to halt the growth of some cancers, such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer, but no one could really explain why. Obviously, as a result it was believed that chronic inflammation might be leading to increased cancer risks. Still, no one could explain how any of this was happening enough to harness the ability to replicate it.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center researchers have announced the discovery of a novel tumor suppressor gene that works with NSAIDS to stop the growth of cancer cells.

"Current clinical trials are evaluating a range of NSAIDs for a variety of cancers without any clear vision of the best way to use them," states Towia Libermann, PhD, Director of the BIDMC Genomics Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "The fact that upregulation of this single gene MDA-7/IL-24 -- correlated not only with cell death induction of numerous types of cancer but also among various diverse classes of NSAIDs, makes this discovery particularly exciting."

As a result of this discovery, researchers believe newer targeted cancer therapies can be developed. To read more about the discovery, visit Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center's Study Explains How NSAIDs Halt Cancer Growth.

Some of the previous posts we have on inflammation, cancer and aspirin are:

• Aspirin: amazing wonder drug in fighting cancer
• Inflammation link between rheumatoid arthritis and cancer
• What aspirin reveals about cancer

An anti-viral molecule, TBK-1, that the body uses to fight viruses, seems to be vital to the survival of cancer cells. Blocking one enzyme, aldose reductase, was found to stop colon cancer cells in cell culture laboratory tests and in mice implanted with human colon cancer cells, according to University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

"We got the surprise that this mechanism is involved in cancer cell survival, even though it's normally involved in immune response," stated Dr. Michael White, associate professor of cell biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

"We found something a little bit different -- an Achilles heel of cancer cells that's apparently broadly conserved among many types of solid tumors. This is making us think that there are many other surprises awaiting discovery regarding biological systems that are inappropriately subverted during development of cancer."

The discovery is called dramatic and could lead to new treatments for colon cancer. If blocking a single anti-viral molecule does shut down the biochemical signals that promote inflammation and colon cancer cell growth, as the researchers are reporting from the results of this study, it will be a dramatic discovery.

I really do believe deep down in my gut that I will survive breast cancer -- that I will witness the wonder of my children growing up, that I will be married long enough that the years blur together, that I will live to a ripe old age. But I still have moments of doubt -- moments powerful enough to make me think I should not have a third child, just in case cancer comes back. To combat these moments -- that seem to surface more now that my treatment has stopped -- I try to keep busy, keep my mind occupied, keep living. My steps for surviving in the short-term include writing, journaling, exercising, relaxing, and spending time with family. But I also follow some steps for long-term survival -- steps that transcend the moment and give me purpose and direction. And here are seven of them.

When I first looked at my pathology report more than 18 months ago, it made little sense. Terms like Bloom Richardson Score and margins and Her2Neu were as foreign to me as the breast cancer that somehow invaded my body. So I read it over and over again and was eventually able to identify the basic meaning hidden within the four pages that detailed my disease. As it turned out, this report was my map. It led me in various directions for various treatments. It contained some roadblocks. It was sometimes confusing. And sometimes I got lost. There were some good and not-so-good stops along the way. And in the end, I reached my final destination -- in the land survival. And this is where I hope to stay. For a long time.

My map is not necessary anymore -- although I still look back at it. I've found that it makes more sense now that time has passed. I can interpret it more objectively, with more perspective and less emotion and fear. I am still learning about the disease that was removed from my breast. And I am realizing there was a lot I never really knew -- like these seven subjects -- when breast cancer was new and fresh and debilitating.

Lori Raimondo set off on a cross country journey in May with the goal of raising $9,490 -- one dollar for every day that her mother battled breast cancer. And just yesterday, she reported that her trek is over, that she is back home in New York City after her amazing adventure in search of hope. I think she found the hope she was looking for because she not only met her goal -- she exceeded it. She raised a grand total of $12,610.90 while traveling 10,334 miles -- and every cent was donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation where hope for a cure just got a bit sweeter.

Lori coined her trip the Road for a Cure and what a road it was. She crossed many state borders, met charming and kind and outrageous locals, visited with friends along the way, ate at tucked-away restaurants and slept in quaint places, toured roadside stops, and while accompishing her fundraising chronicled it all through words and photographs that appear on her own personal blog. It's inspiring -- that Lori would give of her time and effort and spirit to help others. All in honor of her mother, who lost her battle with breast cancer, and in support of those currently fighting their own battles. I am truly thankful -- as a breast cancer survivor -- that the research that might one day save my life may be a result of Lori's courage and bravery and hard work and generosity.

Welcome home, Lori. And congratulations on a road well traveled.

Past research has shown that folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, might be beneficial in protecting against the development of a number of cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancers. New research is offering more in the way of substantial study results that show folic acid might be essential in preventing the progression of all cancers. And what an easy fix folate, or folic acid is, since it can be found in a number of whole foods or simply taken as a daily vitamin supplement.

According to nutritional experts, folate deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the United States. Researchers continue to discover evidence of the link between folate deficiency, serum homocysteine elevations, and a number of cancers.

Folate is found in dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, citrus juices, fortified breakfast cereals and grain products. The highest concentration of folate is found in black-eyed peas, spinach, great northern beans, asparagus and broccoli. Research found folic acid in supplements is better absorbed by the body than the folate naturally occurring in foods.

Several facts about mouth and upper digestive tract cancers have led researchers to develop a specially-designed chewing gum that might eliminate the cause of these cancers. The facts are these: 80 percent of mouth and throat cancers are linked to smoking and drinking; smoking and drinking raises the level of acetaldehyde; acetaldehyde is linked to a greater risk of mouth and upper digestive tract cancers; and amino acid l-cysteine can bind effectively to acetaldehyde to block it from causing harm. From these facts, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital researchers created l-cysteine-containing and acetaldehyde-eliminating tablets. The first commercial product based on this patented method is l-cysteine containing chewing gum.

"We know that with this chewing gum it is possible to eliminate acetaldehyde totally from the saliva during smoking. We do hope that this will in the future turn out to be a novel method for the prevention of alcohol and tobacco smoking associated oral cancers," states Mikko Salaspuro, professor at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital.