April 15, 2013 (View All Issues)
Is Aspirin Protective against Colorectal Cancer?
A growing body of evidence provides biologic and clinical evidence that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents are protective against colorectal cancer.
“It is fascinating for me as a medical oncologist and epidemiologist to see how the worlds of colorectal cancer treatment and epidemiology are...
Sexual Health after Cancer: Communicating with Your Patients
Studies show virtually all cancer survivors will experience some form of sexual dysfunction following a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Yet few cancer survivors seek help for physical problems they may be experiencing, such as vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, chemically induced menopause, reduced...
Homoharringtonine/Omacetaxine: The Little Drug that Could
First, a clarification: Homoharringtonine is a natural plant alkaloid derived from Cephalotaxus fortunei; from the 1970s until the present, it was the subject of intensive research efforts by Chinese investigators to clarify its role as an antileukemic agent.1-3 Omacetaxine mepesuccinate (Synribo)...
Errata
In the March 1 issue of The ASCO Post, the article on page 2, “Outcomes Comparable for Panitumumab and Bevacizumab in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer,” contained an inaccuracy about the FDA-approved indications of bevacizumab (Avastin) in colorectal cancer. Specifically, the article noted that...
New Findings in Prostate and Kidney Cancers Clarify the Roles of Abiraterone, Finasteride, Bevacizumab, and Surveillance
Attendees at the 2013 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in Orlando, Florida, were brought up to date with the latest news on cancers of the prostate, testes, bladder, and kidney. Below are selected highlights from the meeting describing findings of noteworthy abstracts to extend our regular news...
Clinical-Pathologic Stage Discrepancy High in Patients with Bladder Cancer Undergoing Surgery
About 48% of all patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy have a discrepancy between their clinical stage and pathologic stage, according to the largest study to date to examine this issue. Upstaging after surgery is associated with reduced survival, while downstaging after...
Important Data and Treatment Advances Reported in GIST and in Pancreatic and Liver Cancers
The 10th annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held recently in San Francisco, was jointly sponsored by ASCO, the AGA (American Gastroenterological Association), ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology), and the SSO (Society of Surgical Oncology).
“We seek to present the newest...
Society of Surgical Oncology Fellow Receives Colorectal Cancer Research Scholar Award
The Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation (CCCF) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) named Karen Lo, MD, a surgical resident at the University of Colorado, as recipient of third annual Colorectal Cancer Research Scholar Award. The award was presented at the SSO Annual Cancer Symposium held...
BRAF Mutations in Colorectal Cancer: The Next Frontier
Some 5% to 10% of patients with colorectal cancer harbor the BRAF mutation, placing them at risk for poor treatment response and worse outcomes. The ASCO Post interviewed S. Gail Eckhardt, MD, an expert in this area who is Professor and Head of the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of...
Three Molecular Subtypes of Colorectal Cancer Identified
Intrinsic molecular subtyping in breast cancer has become clinically applicable, and the same could be happening for gastrointestinal tumors, according to an international study reported at the 2013 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.1
While recent efforts have yielded prognostic...
FDA Approves New Radioactive Diagnostic Imaging Agent to Help Locate Lymph Nodes in Patients with Certain Cancers
The FDA has approved technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept (Lymphoseek Injection), a radioactive diagnostic imaging agent that helps doctors locate lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer or melanoma who are undergoing surgery to remove tumor-draining lymph nodes.
Tilmanocept is an imaging drug that...
Philips Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for MicroDose SI Mammography System
Royal Philips Electronics recently announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its MicroDose SI system, a full-field digital mammography system that has the capability to enable future single-shot spectral imaging applications.
High Breast Density
High breast density is a...
Similar 15-year Functional Outcomes after Prostatectomy or Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer
Comparative longer-term functional outcomes of radical prostatectomy and external-beam radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer remain undefined. In a study recently reported in The New England Journal of Medicine,1 Matthew J. Resnick, MD, and colleagues at Vanderbilt University, Nashville,...
Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine in Metastatic Breast Cancer
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs.
Indication
On February 22, 2013, ado-trastuzumab emtansine...
Does All DCIS Need Treatment? Debaters Take Sides at Surgical Oncology Meeting
There are a few things about ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) on which everyone agrees: Incidence increased dramatically with the advent of mammography screening, not all cases detected will go on to cause symptoms in the patient’s lifetime, and there’s no proven way to tell which cases will...
Genomic Analysis of Squamous Cell Lung Cancer Tumors May Lead to More Targeted Therapies
Last fall, a consortium of more than 300 researchers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network published the results of their large-scale genetic analysis of squamous cell lung cancer in the journal Nature.1 The study, the first of its kind, compared the tumor cells from 178 untreated...
Study Shows Lung Cancer CT Screening Could Save 12,000 Lives Annually
Screening all current and former heavy smokers could prevent over 12,000 lung cancer deaths a year, according to a new study published in Cancer.1 The study, funded by the American Cancer Society, arrived at that number based on data from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST),2 which found that...
The Risk of Death From Smoking Now Nearly Identical for Men and Women
Researchers from multiple organizations, including the American Cancer Society (ACS), studied the smoking trends among men and women over the last 50 years and found that women’s smoking habits in that time have significantly increased their risk of dying from lung cancer and chronic obstructive...
New Data Reported on Melanoma, Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, and Cancer Treatment Side Effects
At the recent American Academy of Dermatology 71st Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, researchers presented interesting findings regarding melanoma and other skin cancers. The ASCO Post brings you the following news briefs on these topics.
Melanoma Incidence Decreases among Adolescents and Children
New NCCN Guidelines for Patients Available for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), with support from the NCCN Foundation and the LIVESTRONG Foundation and through collaboration with Critical Mass: The Young Adult Cancer Alliance (Critical Mass), recently announced the availability of the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caring for...
SIDEBAR: Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, Elected Chairman of NCCN Board of Directors
Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been elected Chairman of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Board of Directors. Dr. Silver was previously Vice Chairman of the Board and succeeds Thomas A. D’Amico, MD, of the Duke Cancer...
NCCN Adds Two New Member Institutions
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recently announced the addition of two new NCCN Member Institutions: UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center in La Jolla, California, and the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Aurora, Colorado.
“We are extremely pleased that UC San Diego Moores...
SIGGAR Trials Compare CT Colonography vs Barium Enema and Colonoscopy in Evaluation for Colon Cancer
The companion UK Special Interest Group in Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (SIGGAR) trials compared computed tomographic (CT) colonography with barium enema and colonoscopy in patients with symptoms suggestive of colon cancer. As recently reported by the SIGGAR investigators in The...
CT Colonography Reconsidered
The parallel SIGGAR trials recently published in Lancet add to the growing body of literature regarding the utility of computed tomographic (CT) colonography in the detection of colorectal polyps and cancers. These papers reinforce the results seen in other large multicenter trials1-3 and echo the...
Similar Outcomes for 18 vs 36 Months of Androgen Blockade in High-risk Prostate Cancer Treated with Radiation
Eighteen months of hormone therapy appears to be as safe and effective as 36 months when combined with radiation for patients with high-risk prostate cancer.1 Patients who received the shorter course of hormone therapy plus radiation had survival rates similar to those who received 36 months of...
American Association for Cancer Research Inaugurates the First Class of Fellows of the AACR Academy
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) inaugurated the first class of Fellows of the AACR Academy at the association’s annual meeting held this month in Washington, DC. The AACR Academy has been created to recognize and honor distinguished scientists whose major scientific...
Gene Transfer Therapy Is Producing Prolonged Remissions in Patients with Advanced Leukemia
In August 2011, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania published their breakthrough findings of a pilot study showing sustained remissions of up to 1 year in a small number of patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who had been treated with genetically engineered...
ASCO-SEP®, 3rd Edition, Features Digital Formats and Complementary Study Tools
ASCO has released the latest edition of ASCO-SEP®, a comprehensive resource designed to help medical providers assess and improve their level of knowledge in the various areas of oncology, enabling them to provide care that will optimize the quality of life for people with cancer. ASCO-SEP, 3rd...
ASCO Leadership Development Program Participants 'Give Back' by Supporting the Conquer Cancer Foundation
In the fast-paced world of oncology, where the science of patient care is constantly evolving, it is critical for practitioners—and, by extension, their Society—to consistently be one step ahead. For ASCO and the Conquer Cancer Foundation, that means maintaining a strong focus not only on the...
ASCO’s State Oncology Societies Booth Provides a Place for Relationship Building and Sharing Best Practices
Want to learn how to best lobby your local state legislators on the issues that affect your practice in your state? Or finally meet the executive director of your state’s oncology society?
Look for the State Oncology Societies Booth at ASCO’s Annual Meeting this year. The booth will be located in...
Conquer Cancer Foundation Arms Patients with Knowledge through patientACCESS
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a frightening and overwhelming experience, and the first thing many people do upon receiving the news is seek out information, hoping to be empowered through knowledge. At the Conquer Cancer Foundation, we are working to ensure that vital information—focusing on...
ASCO Develops New Physician Payment Reform Webpage and Four-part Educational Series
To help keep its members and the cancer community apprised and educated on the issue of payment reform, ASCO has developed a payment reform webpage and issued an ASCO in Action educational series. This four-part series is designed to help ASCO members better understand the complex issue of...
Managing Side Effects: Urinary Incontinence
Cancer.Net recently added an article on urinary incontinence to help patients learn how to cope with this side effect. In the article, patients can learn about the causes of urinary incontinence and how it is diagnosed, as well as read about the treatment options and how it can be managed. To learn ...
C. Everett Koop, MD, Surgeon General Under Ronald Reagan, Dies at 96
Appointed by the President and called “America’s Doctor,” the Surgeon General’s chief task is to protect and advance the health of the nation. Most of our Surgeon Generals have tiptoed around hot-button public health issues that might bruise political sensibilities and their own careers.
C....
New Partnership Will Harness Technology to Foster Improved Palliative Care in Oncology
ASCO and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine (AAHPM) have announced a joint initiative to support delivery of high-quality palliative care in medical oncology. The initiative, funded by the Agency for Health Care Research & Quality, aims to address the complex care...
Indiana University Researchers Earn $3.2 Million Grant to Develop, Improve Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer
Two Indiana University researchers have been awarded a multiyear, $3.2 million grant to develop and improve therapies for pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
Mark R. Kelley, PhD, Betty and Earl Herr Professor of Pediatric Oncology Research, and Melissa ...
Dual Awards Pay Tribute to Gender Equity Trailblazers
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston recently recognized two leading advocates for women in medicine and research.
Karen Antman, MD, Provost of the Boston University Medical Campus and Dean of its School of Medicine since 2005, was the recipient of the 2013 Margaret L....
The Future of Clinical Guidelines in Oncology
Clinical guidelines, like those of ASCO and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), clearly have represented the standard of care and, to a large extent, the basis for coverage policy, especially in the area of medical oncology. However, guidelines increasingly seem to be in the shadow of ...
It Takes a Village to Survive Ovarian Cancer
My odyssey with ovarian cancer started in May 2005, when I saw my gynecologist for an annual exam and mentioned an odd twinge I had been experiencing on my left side. A subsequent pelvic ultrasound followed by an MRI showed that my ovaries were enlarged, and my doctor warned me that the problem...
Implementing a National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century
In March 2011, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in conjunction with ASCO, held a workshop to discuss a collaborative approach to making the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded clinical trials system more viable and productive.
That workshop included...
Highlights of ACCC Annual Meeting Include Discussion of Trends Shaping the Future of Health Care
The 39th Annual National Meeting of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) was held in Washington, DC, in March. With a focus on business, economics, and policy, the program included the inauguration of a new ACCC President (see page 102), a keynote speech on the future of health care,...
AACR Briefs Congressional Staffers on Importance of Continued Funding for Research
As we all now know, the start of the sequestration prescribed by the Budget Control Act of 2011 was delayed until March 1, 2013, by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. With Congress unable to strike a deal, the mandatory reductions in Federal spending were triggered on March 1. Those...
NCI Guide Helps Providers Get Adolescent and Young Adult Patients Involved in End-of-life Care
Enabling adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients to become involved in advance care planning can help parents and health-care agents make informed decisions, alleviate distress, and possibly improve the patients’ quality of life, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute’s...
City of Hope Investigators Find Young Breast Cancer Survivors Understudied and Underserved
Researchers at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, have been studying the effects of breast cancer on young women, particularly ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic populations. They have found that young women are increasingly being diagnosed with breast cancer, yet...
Tobacco Cessation Treatment Needed in Routine Cancer Care
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reported that a new behavioral tapering intervention combined with cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy did not affect short- and long-term abstinence rates compared to cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy alone among smokers newly...
Pilot Study Seeks to Offer Social Support to Patients with Mesothelioma
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) reported that group therapy sessions may help patients cope with mesothelioma. Their two-part pilot study, which began recruitment in May 2011, is examining the emotional burden of the cancer and offers discussion groups as a source of...
Qigong Practice Associated with Quality-of-life Benefits in Women Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer
Qigong (“qi” or “chi” = energy flow, “gong” = skill or achievement) is an integrated mind-body exercise and meditative practice that involves rhythmic breathing coordinated with repetition of fluid movements and calm focus on the body. A study reported in Cancer by Zhen Chen, MD, and colleagues...
Addition of Liposomal Daunorubicin Improves Early Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Relapsed AML
Optimal reinduction therapy for patients with relapsed pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains undefined. Liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome), which offers the potential for reduced cardiotoxicity compared with traditional daunorubicin, is effective in this setting. Gertjan J.L. Kaspers, MD,...
New ACCC Officers and Trustees
Results of the election of new officers and trustees (2013–2014) for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) were announced recently at the ACCC Annual National Meeting.
First Nonphysician ACCC President Elected
Virginia Vaitones, MSW, became ACCC President at the 39th Annual National...
Effects of Menarche and Menopause on Breast Cancer Risk: Meta-analysis Findings
Menarche and menopause mark the onset and offset of ovarian and endocrine activity associated with reproduction, and early menarche and late menopause are known to increase risk of breast cancer. In a recent Lancet Oncology article, the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer...
Jonathan Friedberg, MD, Named Director of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center
Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, has been appointed Director of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Dr. Friedberg joined the Medical Center in 2002 and was named Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine in 2009. ...
CDC Reports Racial Disparity in Breast Cancer Mortality
Breast cancer deaths have declined over the past 2 decades, with approximately half of the decrease estimated to be due to advances in early detection and treatment. However, not all racial groups have benefited equally from these advances. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and...
p53 Inactivation in the Tumor Microenvironment Promotes Tumor Progression via Immunosuppressive Lymphoid-like Stromal Network
Inactivation of the tumor suppressor p53 through somatic mutations is observed in approximately half of cancers. The finding that p53 mutations sometimes occur in tumor-associated fibroblasts and are correlated with an increased rate of metastases and poor prognosis suggests that p53 dysfunction in ...
Effects of siRNA Combining TGF-β1 Silencing and RIG-I Activation in Pancreas Cancer
Dysregulation of TGF-β signaling promotes tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and a potent immunosuppressive network in pancreas cancer. A strategy for disrupting the tumor-promoting pathway is the silencing of TGF-β by use of small-interfering (si) RNA. Ellermeier and colleagues found that the...
Mixed-lineage Kinase 4 Interacts with Activated RAS Signaling in Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer that is microsatellite stable but chromosomally unstable is characterized by poor prognosis and remains largely intractable at the metastatic stage. Mutational analysis has shown that the mixed lineage kinase 4 (MLK4) protein kinase is frequently mutated in microsatellite-stable...
Three-marker Assay for Early Detection of Renal Cancer
Early detection of renal cell carcinoma using biomarkers remains challenging. Kim and colleagues recently evaluated a three-marker assay consisting of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), L-plastin (LCP1), and nonmetastatic cells 1 protein (NM23A).
After validation of the three-marker assay in ...
Oncology Meetings
April
IV Latin American Symposium of Gastroenterology Oncology
April 17-20 • Vina del Mar, Chile
For more information: www.slago.com
3rd ITLT Essen 2013 - Interdisciplinary Treatment of Liver Tumors
April 18-20 • Essen, Germany
For more information: www.itlt.org
The Arizona Clinical Oncology Society ...
Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Gives Ovarian Cancer Patients Better Chance of Survival
Patients with advanced ovarian cancer who undergo intensive treatment with chemotherapy that bathes the abdomen are significantly more likely to live longer than those who receive standard intravenous (IV) chemotherapy, according to a study that analyzed long-term follow-up from two landmark...
Majority of Ovarian Cancer Patients Do Not Receive Recommended Treatment, Study Shows
Women are 30% less likely to die of ovarian cancer if they have guideline-recommended treatment, yet nearly two-thirds of those with the disease do not receive it, often because they are cared for at hospitals that treat a small number of ovarian cancer patients. These are the findings of a study...
New Vice President of Indiana Cancer Services
Holly Goe, RN, MSN, has been named Vice President of Indiana University Health Cancer Centers, Indianapolis. She has been serving as interim Vice President since October after being named the program’s Executive Director for Clinical Operations last April.
Before joining IU Health in April 2012,...
Radiation, Still Misunderstood after All These Years
Over the past few decades, radiation therapies have rapidly advanced, due, in large part, to an increasing technologic armamentarium. Among modern science’s most impressive machines, for example, 220-ton particle accelerators can generate near-light-speed beams of protons, with sniper-like...
Recently Reported Long-term Outcomes Could Motivate More Men with Prostate Cancer to Consider Active Surveillance
Fifteen years after being treated with radical prostatectomy or external-beam radiation for localized prostate cancer, “the prevalence of erectile dysfunction was nearly universal,” among men enrolled in a long-term functional outcomes analysis of the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study (PCOS). There...
Immunoassay Test May Help Identify Early Kidney Cancer
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of adult kidney cancer and the third most common urologic malignancy, accounting for about 2% of all malignancies and 2% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is also one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat because it is usually found...
Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, Named Chair of Oncological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Renowned scientist Ramon E. Parsons, MD, PhD, has been named Chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Dr. Parsons is a researcher in cancer genetics and will bring an interdisciplinary, holistic approach to Mount Sinai’s research...
Focus on the Louisiana Oncology Society
Founded on September 1, 1992, by John M. Rainey, MD, the Louisiana Oncology Society has had numerous legislative successes (see sidebar) since that time, including leading the effort to support Louisiana’s Oral Chemotherapy Parity Law, which was passed in 2012 and is now in effect throughout the...
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Introduces Centers of Excellence Program to Further Childhood Cancer Research
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a registered 501(c)(3) charity, is furthering its commitment to finding cures for all children with cancer by introducing the ALSF Centers of Excellence program. The Centers of Excellence program aims to fund the research of leading childhood cancer...
Another Perspective on Accountable Care Organizations
I read with great interest Dr. Richard Boxer’s editorial on accountable care organizations in the January 15 issue of The ASCO Post. Much of what he says is unfortunately true. There are several points that I would like to make, however.
First of all, Dr. Boxer states that the “principle that...
Conflicts of Interest
In looking at a recent issue of The ASCO Post, I noted that expert opinions from specialists were published alongside a number of clinical reports. Below each opinion was a disclosure statement, often saying that the expert had no conflict of interest to report. While I do not know each of these...
Disclosure: Appropriate or Not?
The ASCO Post is an outstanding publication that I always look forward to reading. I also understand there are policies and rules to be followed, particularly regarding conflicts of interest and disclosures from contributors. I am writing in regard to “Cancer Has Made Me A Better Doctor,” by David...
Barrie R. Cassileth, MS, PhD, Champion of Integrative Oncology, Continues to Nurture Growth of the Field
Over the past decade, integrative oncology has gained wide acceptance as an evidenced-based way to improve the lives of patients with cancer throughout the continuum of their care. The ASCO Post recently spoke with Barrie R. Cassileth, MS, PhD, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service and Laurance ...
Flaxseed
Dietary supplement use by patients with cancer has increased significantly over the past 2 decades despite insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness. Finding reliable sources of information about dietary supplements can be daunting. Patients typically rely on family, friends, and the...
Number of Cancer Survivors Expected to Increase to 18 Million by 2022
The American Association for Cancer Research recently released its second Annual Report on Cancer Survivorship in the United States. The report shows that as of January 2012, there were approximately 13.7 million cancer survivors in the United States, a number that is expected to rise by 31% to 18...
Two Studies Focus on Treatment Strategies for Preserving the Larynx While Increasing Survival
Two recent studies in the Journal of Clinical Oncology focused on treatment strategies to preserve the larynx while increasing survival of patients with cancer of larynx.
RTOG 91-11
Ten-year results from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 91-11 trial found that both chemotherapy regimens ...
Modified and Updated Risk-prediction Model Is More Efficient in Identifying Persons for Lung Cancer Screening
An updated and modified lung-cancer risk-prediction model developed from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial “was more sensitive” for lung cancer detection than criteria from the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST), according to a study in TheNew...
Thalidomide/Prednisone Maintenance after Stem Cell Transplant Improves Progression-free but Not Overall Survival
Maintenance therapy with thalidomide (Thalomid) and prednisone after autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma improved progression-free survival but not overall survival, according to results of a phase III trial reported in Blood. Patients receiving maintenance...
