Major Milestones Against Cancer

Major Milestones Against Cancer

The Cancer Progress Timeline is a historical overview of ground-breaking advances in cancer research and care that have improved the outlook for patients and led to a better quality of life. With more than 400 milestones, the Timeline spans 170 years, including advances such as the advent of general anesthesia and its use for cancer surgery in the mid-1800s, the signing of the National Cancer Act into law in 1971, and recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy.

The Timeline features a chronology of Major Milestones of ground-breaking advances across cancer care and research. In addition, there are timelines that detail practice-changing advances for common cancer types and types of care. Many of the advances in the Cancer Progress Timeline have also been featured in ASCO’s Clinical Cancer Advances report, which tells the story of each year’s most influential research.

Logo for National Cancer Act's 50th anniversary2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act, which opened a new era of cancer research in the United States. It led to a major expansion of funding for cancer research and paved the way for the next five decades of progress and advances in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment. Many of the advances in the Progress Timeline are directly attributable or can trace their development, to federal research funding. These advances are marked by ASCO’s federally funded research badge.

To learn more about the powerful impact of the National Cancer Act, read this commentary in ASCO Connection.

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2020

First-In-Class Drug Reduces Need for Transfusion in Patients With Lower-Risk MDS

First-In-Class Drug Reduces Need for Transfusion in Patients With Lower-Risk MDS

One of the most common features of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is anemia. Patients with lower risk MDS who are anemic are typically treated with red blood cell transfusions and erythropoietin-stimulating agents and can require transfusions for long periods of time. However, not all patients are able to tolerate these treatments. Luspatercept is a new type of drug that helps red blood cell precursors become mature red blood cells, increasing the red blood cell count. More patients in the phase III MEDALIST trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02631070) who received luspatercept (38%) no longer required transfusions for 8 weeks compared with those in the placebo arm (13%). The findings of this trial led to the approval of luspatercept by the FDA for patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes with ringed sideroblasts. This class of drugs fills a significant need among patients with MDS.  

2019

Long-term Data Proves HPV Vaccine Is Effective Against Infection and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Long-term Data Proves HPV Vaccine Is Effective Against Infection and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

The first vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) was licensed in 2006 with the aim of preventing infections that can lead to cervical cancer and anogenital warts later in life. Today nearly 100 countries have instituted HPV vaccination programs. In a 2019 analysis of real-world data, researchers found that the prevalence of two high-risk HPV strains (16 and 18) dropped by 83% among females age 13-19 years and by 66% in young women age 20-24 years in the 5-8 years after the introduction of HPV vaccination. The analysis included 40 trials in high-income countries between 2014 and 2018. Decreases in prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 were also seen for women age 25-29 years (most of whom are unvaccinated in the general population), as well as decreases for HPV 31, 33, and 45 for females age 13-24 years. In addition, after 5-9 years of vaccination, grade 2+ cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) decreased by 51% among screened girls aged 15–19 years and by 31% among women aged 20–24 years.

 

Targeted Therapy Ribociclib Added to Endocrine Therapy Improves Survival in Young Women with Certain Types of Breast Cancer

Targeted Therapy Ribociclib Added to Endocrine Therapy Improves Survival in Young Women with Certain Types of Breast Cancer

The combination of the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib with endocrine therapy provided an overall survival advantage for pre- and perimenopausal women with advanced HR+, HER2- breast cancer, compared to standard endocrine therapy plus placebo. Results from the MONALEESA-7 trial showed 42-month survival with ribociclib of 70.2%, compared with 46% for women who received placebo plus standard endocrine treatment. The treatment combination is an important step forward for the treatment of younger women with this disease, who tend to have more aggressive disease with worse survival than those who are postmenopausal. 

 

First FDA-Approved Combination and Chemotherapy-Free Treatment Regimen Improves Progression-Free Survival for Patients With Slow-Growing Forms of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

First FDA-Approved Combination and Chemotherapy-Free Treatment Regimen Improves Progression-Free Survival for Patients With Slow-Growing Forms of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

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Follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma are the most common types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Lenalidomide plus rituximab is the first FDA-approved combination treatment regimen for patients with these lymphomas that does not include chemotherapy. The combination’s 2019 FDA approval was based on the results of a phase-III randomized trial of the regimen conducted in patients with relapsed and/or refractory follicular or marginal zone lymphoma. Compared with placebo plus rituximab, the lenalidomide/rituximab combination roughly halved the risk of disease progression, with median progression-free survival of 39.4 months versus 14.1 months with placebo. 

 

2018

Lower Intensity Methotrexate Produces Highest Cure Rates for Pediatric Patients with T-ALL

Lower Intensity Methotrexate Produces Highest Cure Rates for Pediatric Patients with T-ALL

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A less toxic treatment regimen of the anti-cancer drug methotrexate resulted in the best outcomes ever reported for children and adolescents with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). In a federally-funded trial, the regimen showed a 5-year disease-free survival rate of 91.5% and overall survival rate of 93.7%. In comparison, the historical overall survival rate for T-ALL was approximately 81% based on earlier clinical trials in this patient population. 

 

Immunotherapy/Chemotherapy Combination Approved for Extensive SCLC

Immunotherapy/Chemotherapy Combination Approved for Extensive SCLC

The 2019 FDA approval of the immunotherapy atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy represents a major advance in the treatment of extensive small cell lung cancer. The approval was based on the results of the IMpower 133 study, which showed significantly longer survival with the addition of atezolizumab to carboplatin and etoposide chemotherapy. The combination therapy has become the standard of care for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer in the United States. 

 

Maintenance Olaparib Extends Progression Free Survival in Patients With Advanced BRCA-Mutated Ovarian Cancer

Maintenance Olaparib Extends Progression Free Survival in Patients With Advanced BRCA-Mutated Ovarian Cancer

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, or PARP inhibitors, represent a major treatment advance in ovarian cancer. These enzymes promote cancer cell death by interfering with DNA replication in cancers that have faulty DNA damage-repair genes, such as BRCA1/2. In this phase-III trial, women with newly diagnosed advanced-stage BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer received maintenance therapy with the PARP inhibitor olaparib following surgery and chemotherapy. Women treated with olaparib had a 70% lower risk of disease progression or death compared to no maintenance treatment. Not only did these results lead to FDA approval of olaparib for this indication, they represent a big step forward in treating patients with this type of cancer.

 

Treatment targets BRCA mutations in breast cancer

Treatment targets BRCA mutations in breast cancer

Findings from a large clinical trial of women with advanced, germline BRCA mutation-related breast cancer show that the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) lowers the risk of cancer progression, with fewer side effects, compared to standard chemotherapy. Based on these data, olaparib is approved for this use by FDA, marking the first time any drug has been approved to treat certain patients with a BRCA gene mutation who have metastatic breast cancer. Up to 3% of all breast cancers are related to inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which affect a cell’s ability to repair damaged DNA. PARP inhibitors further block DNA repair in cancer cells, which helps slow or stall tumor growth.

Combination therapy offers first effective treatment for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer in nearly 50 years

Combination therapy offers first effective treatment for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer in nearly 50 years

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The combination of trametinib (Mekinist) and dabrafenib (Tafinlar) shows a strong and durable response in a single-arm phase II study of patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) with BRAF V600E mutation and no satisfactory locoregional treatment options. Based on the results, the therapy is approved for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic ATC. The combination is the first therapy approved for ATC in nearly 50 years. Combination treatment with trametinib and dabrafenib become the standard of care for patients with ATC with tumors that have a BRAF mutation.

Immunotherapy Combination Extends Survival for Renal Cell Carcinoma

Immunotherapy Combination Extends Survival for Renal Cell Carcinoma

Nivolumab (Opdivo) is a programmed death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor antibody; ipilimumab (Yervoy) is an anti–cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) antibody. While both treatments are checkpoint inhibitors, they work in different but complementary ways. Results from the phase III CheckMate 214 trial shows that the combination of these two treatments provides a survival benefit for patients who were previously untreated for advanced renal cell carcinoma with intermediate- and poor-risk disease, when compared with standard treatment. The findings lead to the approval of this combination therapy — the first immunotherapy regimen — for kidney cancer.

21-Gene Expression Assay Guides Choice of Adjuvant Therapy for Certain Patients with Breast Cancer

21-Gene Expression Assay Guides Choice of Adjuvant Therapy for Certain Patients with Breast Cancer

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A 21-gene-based test (Oncotype DX) predicts risk of recurrence and guides adjuvant therapy for women with low and high risk of recurrence of hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative, lymph node-negative breast cancer. Women at low risk for recurrence can receive endocrine therapy alone, while those at high risk receive chemoendocrine therapy. However, it is unclear how to treat women with intermediate risk. The TAILORx trial shows that for women with test results indicating an intermediate risk of recurrence, chemotherapy is no longer needed as endocrine therapy alone results in comparable survival.

Sodium Thiosulfate Helps Reduce Risk of Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss

Sodium Thiosulfate Helps Reduce Risk of Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss

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 While cisplatin chemotherapy and surgery are effective treatments for children with standard-risk hepatoblastoma, cisplatin treatment can result in serious and irreversible hearing loss. The use of sodium thiosulfate following cisplatin treatment roughly halves the risk of hearing loss in a study of more than 100 patients with hepatoblastoma from 1 month to 18 years of age. Event-free and overall survival at 3 years are comparable with and without the addition of sodium thiosulfate.

First Immunotherapy Approved for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

First Immunotherapy Approved for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy is not only the first immunotherapy approved for breast cancer, but also an important advance for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, which has an extremely poor prognosis. The FDA approval of the immunotherapy combination — PD-L1 targeted therapy atezolizumab with nanoparticle albumin-bound [nab] paclitaxel — was largely based on the results of the IMpassion130 trial. Progression-free survival was improved among patients with tumors that expressed PD-L1 who received atezolizumab in combination with nab paclitaxel.  

 

2017

First gene therapy for cancer

First gene therapy for cancer

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In a landmark trial, the chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cell (CAR-T) therapy tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) causes complete remissions in a majority of young patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that progressed despite previous treatment with standard therapies. Soon after, tisagenlecleucel becomes the first gene therapy to be approved by the FDA.

CAR-T therapy works by genetically modifying the patient’s own immune T cells to target a specific cancer protein and ultimately trigger the cancer cell’s destruction. Importantly, this “living therapy” needs to be given to the patient only once, because CAR T cells continue to multiply in the patient’s body, so the anticancer effects of CAR T cells persist and can even increase over time.

First therapy introduced to treat cancer based on tumor genomics alone

First therapy introduced to treat cancer based on tumor genomics alone

Researchers demonstrate the efficacy of the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the treatment of patients with 12 different solid tumor types with high microsatellite instability, a signature of DNA mismatch repair deficiency. Pembrolizumab results in long-lasting tumor shrinkage in a significant portion of patients with these tumor types. Based in part on these results, the FDA grants accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. This approval marks a milestone in precision oncology, when for the first time a patient can be treated on the basis of the tumor’s genomics, instead of its location in the body.

Integrating patient-reported outcomes into routine cancer care improves survival

Integrating patient-reported outcomes into routine cancer care improves survival

A large, randomized trial demonstrates for the first time that capturing patient-reported outcomes on an ongoing basis using a web-based tool helps patients with advanced cancer live several months longer, compared to standard care. The web-based tool enables patients to report common symptoms in real time and triggers alerts to clinicians if symptoms worsen. When appropriate, clinicians take action to relieve symptoms, such as lowering chemotherapy dosing or changing supportive care plans. The study demonstrates how newer technologies aimed at improving communications between patients and their health care teams can have a meaningful impact on survival and quality of life. This development spurs greater focus on integrating similar tools into routine cancer care.

Lu 177 Dotatate Delivers Targeted Radiation to Somatostatin Receptor-positive Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors

Lu 177 Dotatate Delivers Targeted Radiation to Somatostatin Receptor-positive Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors

 Lutetium 177 dotatate is a compound that combines a radioactive isotope with a somatostatin (growth hormone-inhibiting hormone) analog. This combination makes it possible to deliver radiation directly to tumor cells in patients with advanced, progressive, somatostatin receptor-positive midgut neuroendocrine tumors. The results of the NETTER-1 trial demonstrate improved response and longer progression-free survival with Lu 177 dotatate compared with standard treatment. Based on this data, the FDA approvedLu 177 Dotatate (Lutathera) for the treatment of adults with this type of tumor in the midgut, foregut, or hindgut.

2016

Pembrolizumab extends NSCLC survival, with fewer side effects

Pembrolizumab extends NSCLC survival, with fewer side effects

Studies find that pembrolizumab (Keytruda) improves survival and causes fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and high levels of PD-L1 protein in the tumor. These trials include patients who were newly diagnosed and previously treated with other therapies, leading the FDA to approve the drug for both populations of patients. These approvals establish a new treatment paradigm for this type of lung cancer, with immunotherapy becoming the preferred treatment over chemotherapy regimens for PD-L1-positive cancers. 

First new treatment for bladder cancer in three decades

First new treatment for bladder cancer in three decades

The FDA approves atezolizumab (Tecentriq) for treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma, the most common form of bladder cancer. With this approval, atezolizumab becomes the first new bladder cancer treatment in 30 years and the first PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for any use. The approval follows an early clinical trial in which atezolizumab rapidly shrank tumors in patients with previously treated advanced urothelial cancer, particularly those with high levels of PD-L1 in the tumor and immune cells.

Childhood cancer survivors living longer and healthier

Childhood cancer survivors living longer and healthier

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A federally funded analysis of over 34,000 five-year childhood cancer survivors shows significant gains in long-term survival over three decades, owing to steady refinements in treatment. The rate of death from any cause within 15 years of childhood cancer diagnosis declined by half (from 12% to 6%) among survivors treated in the 1990s compared to those treated in the 1970s. While treatment advances played a major role, reductions in treatment-related health complications likely had the greatest impact on long-term survival. This includes lower dose of radiation for certain cancers and less use of anthracycline chemotherapy. These advances helped make it possible for more than 400,000 childhood cancer survivors to be alive today in the United States.

2015

A new class of breast cancer treatment introduced

A new class of breast cancer treatment introduced

2015-2016

Palbociclib (Ibrance) becomes the first in a new class of medicines called cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, which block key proteins that control cell division. In clinical trials, addition of palbociclib to standard hormone therapy extended the time until the cancer worsened by a median of 11 months when given as initial therapy and by about 5 months for women with previously treated cancer. In 2015, the FDA grants accelerated approval to palbociclib in combination with letrozole (Femara) as initial hormone-based therapy in post-menopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer. In 2016, the FDA grants accelerated approval to palbociclib with fulvestrant (Faslodex) to treat advanced breast cancer that worsens following initial hormone therapy.  

Three immunotherapies introduced for most common type of lung cancer

Three immunotherapies introduced for most common type of lung cancer

Three new immunotherapies are approved by the FDA for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that worsened during or following chemotherapy. In clinical trials, the three drugs, nivolumab (Opdivo), atezolizumab (Tecentriq), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda), were each shown to extend survival and cause fewer severe side effects than chemotherapy. These treatments target the so-called immune checkpoint proteins PD-1 and PD-L1, respectively, helping the immune system fight cancer.

2014

Four new drugs transform CLL treatment

Four new drugs transform CLL treatment

In a span of eight months, the FDA approves four new treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a blood cancer that most commonly develops in older adults. Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) and ofatumumab (Arzerra), approved as initial treatments for CLL, delay cancer worsening by about a year when given with chemotherapy. Targeted drugs idelalisib (Zydelig) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica) were approved for use in patients with CLL that became resistant to or relapsed after standard treatment. In clinical trials, both slowed cancer worsening and ibrutinib also helped patients live longer.  All four new therapies are easier for patients to tolerate than prior therapies, making treatment possible for more patients than ever.  

FDA approves two immunotherapies for melanoma

FDA approves two immunotherapies for melanoma

FDA grants accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) for patients with advanced melanoma that cannot be removed with surgery who no longer respond to other treatments.

These therapies, known as “immune checkpoint inhibitors,” work by blocking a pathway called PD-1, that prevents the body’s immune system from attacking cancer cells.

Approval comes following research showing that the therapies shrank tumors in up to 40% of patients. In one clinical trial, nivolumab extended survival compared to targeted therapy for patients with BRAF mutations. 

2013

Potential new approach to treating childhood leukemia found

Potential new approach to treating childhood leukemia found

An early clinical trial shows that a new approach called chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cell (CAR-T) therapy led to complete remission of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that had not responded to previous aggressive treatment in two children. This is the first report on the use of CAR T-cell therapy in patients with ALL. 

CAR-T therapy works by genetically modifying the patient’s own immune T cells to target a specific cancer protein.

2011

Aromatase inhibitors cut breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women

Aromatase inhibitors cut breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women

2011-2014

A large Phase III trial shows for the first time that exemestane (Aromasin) – part of a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors – greatly lowers the chance of developing invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at high risk for breast cancer. This includes women with BRCA gene mutations, as well as other risk factors. In 2014, another aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole (Arimidex), was shown to lower the risk of breast cancer by nearly 50% over five years.

Two other drugs, tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and raloxifene (Evista), are also FDA-approved for breast cancer prevention in women at high risk for the disease Aromatase inhibitors work differently, however, and tend to carry milder side effects.

2010

Record number of Americans surviving cancer – nearly 14 million

Record number of Americans surviving cancer – nearly 14 million

The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society report that the number of cancer survivors in the U.S. increased to an all-time high of 13.7 million. This represents a more than four-fold increase since 1971 (when just 3 million survivors were alive). By 2022, the number of survivors is expected to reach 18 million. The report highlights major progress in treatment that has led to improved survival rates, as well as the need to address the long-term health effects of cancer, and cancer treatment, among survivors.

New prohibitions on indoor tanning after it’s declared carcinogenic

New prohibitions on indoor tanning after it’s declared carcinogenic

2009-2017

In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a working group of the World Health Organization, declared that UV-emitting tanning devices are “carcinogenic to humans.”

Between 2011 and 2017, several new pieces of legislation are enacted to restrict the use of indoor tanning, starting with a new California law prohibiting indoor tanning to people under the age of 18. Fourteen other states and the District of Columbia subsequently follow suit.  In 2014, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration issues an order requiring all indoor tanning devices to carry a visible black-box warning against use before age 18, and it reclassifies indoor tanning devices from a low to a moderate risk, allowing the agency greater control over the devices. Policy changes continue in Australia, where nearly all states enact bans on indoor tanning in 2015.

Adding palliative care to standard chemotherapy improves survival for advanced lung cancer patients

Adding palliative care to standard chemotherapy improves survival for advanced lung cancer patients

A head-to-head trial shows that patients who received standard chemotherapy along with palliative care (specialized treatment to address the symptoms of cancer, but not treat the disease) immediately after their diagnosis with advanced lung cancer lived three months longer and had a higher quality of life than patients who had chemotherapy alone. Patients who received the combination approach were also less likely to undergo aggressive therapy at the end of life, such as resuscitation. The results demonstrate the potential for palliative care to no only improve quality of life, but to extend patients' lives as well.

First drug shown to improve survival for patients with advanced melanoma

First drug shown to improve survival for patients with advanced melanoma

In a Phase III study, the targeted drug ipilimumab (Yervoy) – which boosts a specific component of the immune system – is found to improve survival and delay disease progression in patients whose advanced melanoma progresses despite other therapies. The drug is approved for this use in early 2011.

Soon after, a second trial finds that treatment using a combination of ipilimumab and dacarbazine (a chemotherapy drug commonly used in melanoma) extends survival compared to dacarbazine treatment alone.

CT scanning reduces lung cancer deaths among heavy smokers

CT scanning reduces lung cancer deaths among heavy smokers

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Results from a large clinical trial show that annual screening with low-dose spiral CT (LDCT) scans reduces the risk of lung cancer death by 20 percent, compared to annual chest X-rays, in current and former heavy smokers.

The National Lung Screening Trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, compared LDCT scanning to standard chest X-rays in this group of people at high risk for developing lung cancer. This finding marks the first-ever lung cancer screening approach that has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality. The debate about the appropriate use of LDCT screening for lung cancer among the general population, however, continues.

2009

Major studies report conflicting results about benefits of PSA testing

Major studies report conflicting results about benefits of PSA testing

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The proper role of PSA testing remains uncertain after large, randomized trials provide conflicting results on whether routine testing reduces deaths from prostate cancer. Initial results from two studies indicate that PSA testing has minimal, if any, effect on overall survival and leads to the over-diagnosis and treatment of slow-growing cancers that are unlikely to be life-threatening. A third study finds that PSA testing reduces the risk of prostate cancer death in some men by 40 percent. Given the conflicting evidence, leading medical societies urge men to discuss the risks and benefits of screening with their doctors.

2006

First vaccine approved to prevent cervical cancer

First vaccine approved to prevent cervical cancer

The FDA approves the first vaccine to prevent infection with two high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV16 and HPV18) that are known to cause about 70 percent of all cervical cancers. The vaccine, called Gardasil, is approved for girls and young women aged 9 to 26, based on a clinical trial showing that the vaccine was safe and was 100 percent effective against these types of HPV, and those that cause genital warts, for at least four and a half years after vaccination. A second vaccine, Cervarix, is approved in 2009 to prevent infection against the cancer-causing HPV strains in young women aged 10 to 25. Gardasil is later approved to prevent additional HPV-related diseases in children and young adults aged 9 to 26, including vaginal, vulvar, and anal cancers in females, and anal cancer and genital warts in males. Studies have also linked HPV infection to head and neck cancers, suggesting that the vaccine may help prevent these cancers as well.

2005

Two targeted drugs approved for advanced colon cancer

Two targeted drugs approved for advanced colon cancer

The drugs cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix) are approved to treat colon cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic disease). These drugs attack tumors that express the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein, which is involved in cancer cell growth. Later, a coordinated analysis of multiple studies shows that cetuximab and panitumumab are effective only in patients with the normal form of a gene known as KRAS. This discovery helps physicians ensure that the drugs are used only for patients who stand to benefit, while eliminating unnecessary treatment and costs for patients who will not.

Research sheds light on long-term health problems of cancer survivors

Research sheds light on long-term health problems of cancer survivors

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In the 1990s, researchers begin a major study of the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment, focusing on survivors of childhood cancer. In 2005, the Childhood Cancer Survivors Study reports that survivors' risk of long-term health problems – including heart problems, second cancers and scarring of the lungs – was five times greater than that of their healthy siblings. Similar results have been found for survivors of other cancers with high cure rates, such as testicular cancer.

The results are helping oncologists and primary care providers monitor and better manage the long-term health of the millions of cancer survivors alive today.

U.S. launches effort to map cancer genomes

U.S. launches effort to map cancer genomes

The National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute team up to launch The Cancer Genome Atlas project. In its initial phase, the project aims to develop a comprehensive atlas of the genomes of three common cancers – lung, ovarian, and glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. By gaining a deeper understanding of the genetic pathways involved in the development and growth of these cancers, researchers hope to identify molecular targets that can guide development of effective new treatment.

2004

Adjuvant therapy proven effective in lung cancer

Adjuvant therapy proven effective in lung cancer

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In findings that quickly change the standard of care, clinical trials show that giving chemotherapy after surgery dramatically improves survival for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease. Previously, chemotherapy was considered to be largely ineffective for lung cancer. These study results demonstrate that adjuvant chemotherapy could have an equal or greater impact on survival in lung cancer as it does in breast or colon cancer.

FDA approves first "anti-angiogenic" drug, bevacizumab

FDA approves first "anti-angiogenic" drug, bevacizumab

Bevacizumab (Avastin) is the first of a new generation of targeted drugs, called anti-angiogenics, that attack cancer by blocking the growth of blood vessels that tumors needs to grow. First approved to treat colorectal cancer, in 2004, the drug has since become an important treatment for patients with advanced lung, ovarian and kidney cancers, and for certain brain tumors, who have few other effective options.

2003

First targeted drugs for lung cancer attack "EGFR" receptor

First targeted drugs for lung cancer attack "EGFR" receptor

The FDA approves two new targeted treatments for advanced, non-small cell lung cancer, gefitinib (Iressa) and erlotinib (Tarceva). Both drugs target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a protein on cell surfaces that is involved in driving lung cancer growth and spread. Approval is based on data showing that erlotinib extends survival in patients with advanced lung cancer – a rare finding for any treatment – and that gefitinib delays the time before a patient's cancer progresses. Around the same time, studies show that the drugs only work for patients with specific mutations in the EGFR protein. These mutations are found most often in lung cancer patients who never smoked.

To date, the two drugs are approved only for certain patients whose cancer no longer responds to other therapies. But recent studies indicate that for people with the relevant EGFR mutations, the drugs could also be valuable first-line treatment options.

Obesity pinpointed as cause of many cancer deaths

Obesity pinpointed as cause of many cancer deaths

An important prospective analysis involving nearly 1 million Americans reports that obesity could account for up to 20 percent of U.S. cancer deaths. Obesity is linked to a higher risk of death from liver cancer, along with several other cancer types. The researchers also estimate that 90,000 cancer-related deaths could be prevented annually if Americans maintained a healthy weight.

As obesity becomes more prevalent, researchers project that deaths from liver cancer and other forms of the disease will rise as well.

Scientists decode the human genome

Scientists decode the human genome

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Scientists announce that they have successfully mapped the 3 billion DNA letters in the human genome. This marks the completion of the Human Genome Project, an unprecedented international collaboration between researchers in the U.S. in and six other countries, funded primarily by the U.S. government. Results of the 13-year effort are made freely available to scientists around the world, paving the way for research to identify the genetic defects that fuel cancer, and for new ways of screening for and treating the disease.

2002

Doubling of U.S. biomedical research budget expands cancer research

Doubling of U.S. biomedical research budget expands cancer research

Beginning in 1998, President Bill Clinton and Congressional leaders enact a series of large, annual budget increases for the National Institutes of Health, doubling the agency's biomedical research efforts over the next five years. The new investments accelerate the pace of cancer research in the lab and in the clinic, leading to important advances over the next decade. More recently, however, federal support for cancer research has declined in real terms, potentially slowing the pace of progress against the disease.

2001

Imatinib found highly effective against rare gastrointestinal tumor

Imatinib found highly effective against rare gastrointestinal tumor

Just weeks after being approved to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia, the targeted drug imatinib is shown to be effective against a rare abdominal tumor called GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). Prior to imatinib, available drug treatments had little effect on GIST tumors. Imatinib works like a "circuit breaker" to block enzymes that can send faulty signals to trigger tumor cell growth. In GIST, it blocks the growth signal of a gene called c-Kit.

New targeted therapy transforms treatment for rare leukemia

New targeted therapy transforms treatment for rare leukemia

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The FDA approves imatinib (Gleevec) after just three months of review – the fastest approval in FDA history – based on data showing the drug halted the growth of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in the majority of patients. Imatinib is the first drug proven to counteract a molecular defect on the so-called "Philadelphia chromosome," first discovered in 1960. It has since become the standard of care for this disease, and its effectiveness and easily-administered pill form enables most patients to live with CML as a manageable, chronic disease.

2000

Study links household radon exposure to lung cancer

Study links household radon exposure to lung cancer

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The Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study demonstrates that ongoing exposure to residential radon – a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that can emerge through basements and crawl spaces – is associated with increased risk of lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency now estimates that more than 20,000 lung cancer cases in the U.S. are due to long-term radon exposure in the home. Since the study, radon inspections have become a routine part of homeownership, promising to reduce the future burden of the disease.