RCC on FOX NEWS ORLANDO FLORIDA

• By joyceg98
• Posted July 10, 2008 at 1:05 pm

I poked around and was not able to find the article you are referring to. The American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) met in Florida recently, so that is likely what they were reporting. If anyone else finds it, I would appreciate a copy.

Most of the new drugs that have been approved for advanced (metastatic) kidney cancer are based on research on the VHL gene, which is indeed a tumor suppressor. Here is one of the first major papers on that linkage:

http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/10/18/6290S

There was also a report at ASCO this year about a link between the TSC genes (tuberous sclerosis) and kidney cancer -- a less direct link that does not affect as many people as are affected by the VHL gene, but important to the research nonetheless.

Just to be clear, in addition to those of us who are born with a flaw in one copy of the VHL gene, changes in the VHL gene can lead to cancer. In people who have inherited two working copies of the VHL gene, both copies need to get altered in a single cell in order to form a tumor -- which is why people in the general population tend to be older than folks with VHL when they develop kidney cancer.

Researchers have studied the genetic makeup of kidney cancer tumors, and have found that in 85% of kidney cancer tumors in the general population there are changes in the VHL gene.

So research on the VHL gene is not only benefitting us, it is also benefitting everyone who gets kidney cancer in the general population. Other connections will undoubtedly emerge as well. VHL plays a major role in angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), which is essential for the growth of every cancer tumor.

VHL is a tumor suppressor gene. When it is good working order, it keeps tumors from forming and growing. As long as one copy of the VHL gene is working right, things are fine. When changes occur to both copies, it loses its ability to suppress tumors. They are learning how to bolster the work done by the VHL gene and keep things working right "downstream" -- even if there is a blockage at one point, what can they do to keep things moving downstream and keep the body's processing normal?

Best wishes,
Joyce

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• By birdmom
• Posted July 10, 2008 at 11:28 pm

Thank-you Joyce for clarifying all of that for me, I also recently recieved an artical from my sis in NEW YORK she found it in a CURE magazine. It talks about VHL and a new drug therapy , a better understanding of Von Hipple-Lindau or VHL gene has resulted in new drugs, such as Nexavar" sorafenib "and Sutent,"sunitinib", to inhibit the blood supply that fuels kidney cancer's growth. I hope and pray this will pave the way for the future, for all people affected by kidney cancer. The magazine add is from 2007 hopefully things will even look better as we go forward into the future, with more research and understanding on VHL . I am looking foward to learning as much as I can. There is no better place than right here, with the friends from inspire. I thank all of you for sharing in the good times and bad. Thanks again Jeannie

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