In a secondary analysis utilizing the graded prognostic assessment—an improved diagnosis-specific index—patients with one to three brain metastases had no survival advantage when treated with whole-brain radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery, compared with whole-brain radiotherapy alone,...
In women with breast cancer, taxane-based chemotherapy—docetaxel and paclitaxel—did not appear to increase the incidence of lymphedema, according to a study by Swaroop et al in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. However, the investigators did note that adjuvant chemotherapy with...
Lower levels of ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementation group 1) and thymidylate synthase expression may be predictive of longer survival in patients with metastatic colon cancer, according to a study by Choueiri et al in PLOS One. It was shown that patients with low levels of ERCC1 and...
In patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy, outcomes were similar between patients with biopsy-proven lesions and those with radiographically diagnosed disease, according to a study by Fischer-Valuck et al in Tumori Journal....
In men who experience biochemical disease recurrence after local therapy for prostate cancer, docetaxel, bevacizumab (Avastin), and androgen-deprivation therapy may be beneficial, according to a study by McKay et al in Cancer. Further evaluation of this combination treatment is warranted to...
In patients with recurrent/persistent uterine or ovarian/primary peritoneal/fallopian tube cancers, ixabepilone (Ixempra), especially with the addition of biweekly bevacizumab (Avastin), appears to be safe and effective, according to a study by Roque et al in Gynecologic Oncology. Further...
Initial intensive induction chemotherapy may be of benefit in a subgroup of newly diagnosed elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study by Ross et al in Oncology Research. However, relapse rates remained high. Elderly patients with AML generally experience worse...
In patients with previously irradiated recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, the combination of stereotactic body radiation therapy plus cetuximab (Erbitux) appears to be safe and effective, according to a study by Vargo et al in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology...
Elevated nocturnal cortisol levels prior to surgery in patients with ovarian cancer were associated with shorter survival time, according to a study by Schrepf et al in Psychoneuroendocrinology. Thus, night-time cortisol levels may prove to be a noninvasive biomarker of ovarian cancer disease...
In patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, the combination of panobinostat (Farydak) and carfilzomib (Kyprolis) appears to be safe and effective, according to a phase I/II study by Berdeja et al in Haematologica. Further evaluation of this combination treatment is warranted to establish ...
Patients with colorectal cancer experience significantly higher rates of numbness/tingling but comparable neuropathic pain relative to patients with other cancers, according to a study by Lewis et al in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. In addition, numbness/tingling was more likely to be ...
In patients who had undergone surgery for brain metastases, the rate of recurrence at the resected site was similar between patients who received adjuvant whole-brain radiotherapy vs those who underwent adjuvant localized radiotherapy, according to a retrospective study by Hsieh et al in the...
In a study of women with stage III/IV epithelial ovarian cancer, the addition of sorafenib (Nexavar) to traditional paclitaxel/carboplatin therapy resulted in no greater efficacy and increased toxicity, according to a report by Hainsworth et al in Cancer Medicine. The investigators suggested that...
In women who have undergone mastectomy, those who underwent delayed breast reconstruction experienced greater cancer-related distress over the long term compared with women who underwent mastectomy alone, according to a prospective study by Metcalfe et al in the Journal of Surgical Oncology. For...
In patients with iodine-refractory papillary thyroid cancer, the addition of dabrafenib (Tafinlar) therapy was shown to stimulate radioiodine uptake in thyroid cancer cells, according to a report by Rothenberg et al in Clinical Cancer Research. This approach has the potential advantage of requiring ...
A genomic study of cancer patients previously treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy found that TP53 mutations may play a role in the development of treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome, according to a report by Wong et al in Nature. However, the...
In a population-based study of patients with thyroid cancer, 12.3% of patients with small papillary thyroid tumors experienced thyroid cancer–related deaths despite undergoing thyroidectomy, according to a report by Nilubol and Kebebew in the journal Cancer. From the results of this study,...
In a meta-analysis of patients with breast cancer–related lymphedema, low-level laser therapy was associated with reduced limb volume and pain levels, according to a report by Smoot et al in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship. However, the investigators noted that regarding pain management,...
In a retrospective study of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of the superior sulcus, induction chemoradiotherapy followed by resection provided complete or partial response in over 50% of subjects, according to a report by Truntzer et al in Radiation Therapy. However, the...
In a study of patients with nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the addition of ramucirumab (Cyramza) to pemetrexed (Alimta) and platinum chemotherapy did not significantly improve progression-free survival, according to a study by Doebele et al in Cancer. However, the...
In an analysis of patients with T1 node-positive colon cancer who had previous surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy provided a significant survival advantage, according to a study by Ganapathi et al in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. However, the investigators noted that a significant minority of this...
In a phase Ib/II study of patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the addition of vosaroxin to cytarabine demonstrated antileukemic activity and an acceptable risk-benefit profile, according to a study by Lancet et al in Haematologica. Based on the findings from this...
In a recent study, use of solifenacin was associated with a statistically significant improvement in continence in patients who underwent robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, although no statistically significant difference in the time to return to continence. The results of this study,...
Adding interleukin-2 to gefitinib (Iressa) therapy resulted in threefold higher response rates in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study by Bersanelli et al in Cancers. The addition of interleukin-2 enhanced the efficacy of gefitinib without negatively ...
In a secondary analysis utilizing the graded prognostic assessment—an improved diagnosis-specific index—the group of all patients with one to three brain metastases had no survival advantage when treated with whole-brain radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery, compared with...
In a retrospective analysis utilizing both uterine serous carcinoma cell lines and patient-derived xenografts, dual therapy with lapatinib (Tykerb) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) demonstrated antitumor responses, according to a study by Groeneweg et al in Clinical Cancer Research. Also, the authors...
In patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast who underwent breast-conserving surgery, hypofractionated radiation therapy was not significantly associated with an increased risk of any local recurrence when compared with conventional radiation therapy, according to the study findings...
Compared with normal colorectal mucosae, nearly half of colorectal tumors showed medium-to-high levels of lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) hypermethylation, according to the results of a study reported by Cheng et al in Medical Oncology. This finding was noted more frequent in earlier tumor...
In smokers with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the relationship between KRAS mutations and NQO1 may be of future therapeutic value, according to the study findings presented by Yilmaz et al in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The researchers...
In breast cancer patients under the age of 40, positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning may provide accurate clinical staging for stage IIB and III disease, according to the study findings presented by Riedl et al in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The utilization of...
An investigative predictive model for lung cancer demonstrated more accuracy than the more commonly used Mayo Clinic model in prescreening lung nodules prior to resection, according to the results of a study reported by Deppen et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. The investigators suggested...
The molecule threonyl tRNA-synthetase may provide value as a serum diagnostic marker and a potential target of therapy for ovarian cancer, according to the results of a study reported by Wellman et al in BMC Cancer. In addition, the mortality risk was slightly reduced for patients with high...
A temporary rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) scores after radiotherapy may have an association with outcomes in patients with prostate cancer, according to the study findings presented by Naghavi et al in the International Journal of Clinical Oncology. Experiencing a PSA bounce was...
Recurrence-free survival rates were similar for patients with cT1 renal masses who underwent partial nephrectomy or percutaneous cryoablation, according to the results of a retrospective trial reported by Thompson et al in European Urology. However, metastases-free survival was superior for...
Compared with mutations in EGFR, KRAS, or with patients with no known mutations, ALK rearrangements were independently associated with improved survival outcomes in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received radiotherapy for brain metastases, according to the results of a...
Approximately half of all patients with posterior uveal melanoma develop metastatic liver disease within 15 years. Although brachytherapy utilizing current isotopes may be hindered by associated toxicities, the isotope ruthenium-106 has been reintroduced into the U.S. market. In a study published...
Although the majority of patients with mantle cell lymphoma respond to initial therapy, the duration of remission is typically short (1.5 to 3 years). Although bortezomib (Velcade) and lenalidomide (Revlimid) as single agents have been associated with response rates as high as 53% in patients with...
A novel, dosimetry-triggered, adaptive intensity-modulated radiation therapy strategy for patients with cervical cancer may minimize the risk of target underdosing in the setting of very small margins and substantial interfractional motion, according to a study by Lim et al in the International...
Two common gene variants that lead to longer telomere length may increase the risk of glioma, according to the results of a study presented by Walsh et al in Nature Genetics. This finding suggests that telomere length may prove to be a promising epidemiologic risk factor for cancer. It is well...
Histologic grade, age, margin status, and use of endocrine therapy may identify a subset of women aged ≥ 50 with stage I breast cancer, who are at a very low risk of disease recurrence after breast-conserving surgery plus whole-breast radiotherapy, according to a study by Smith et al in the...
Extended colectomy in patients with sporadic colorectal cancer who were younger than age 50, in comparison with segmental resection, did not improve the risk of tumor recurrence or disease-free survival, according to the results of a retrospective study presented by Klos et al in the Journal of...
A “reasonable” delay prior to surgery for colon cancer may not result in worse outcomes, according to the results of a retrospective study presented by Amri et al in the Annals of Surgical Oncology. Flexibility in scheduling surgery may lead to an improvement in the quality and safety...
There may be significant genomic differences between patients with invasive lobular breast cancer and those with invasive ductal breast cancer, according to the results of a study presented by Sawyer et al in PLOS Genetics. This finding may lead to further insights into the biology of lobular...
In patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), preoperative positron-emission tomography (PET) has been shown to limit the number of unnecessary surgeries, according to the results of a study presented by Zeliadt et al in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Besides its value in accurate...
In female patients undergoing breast cancer lumpectomies, intraoperative frozen section margin assessment has been shown to decrease overall reoperation rates, according to the results of a study reported by Boughey et al in the journal Surgery. This finding may lead to lower health-care costs, a...
In women with non–small cell lung cancer, long-term hormone therapy, particularly estrogen plus progesterone, is associated with improved survival, according to the results of a retrospective study presented by Katcoff et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. This finding may lead to...
According to a new study, mutations in the SMARCA4 remodeling gene may play a key role in the development of small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type. The findings by Ramos et al were published in Nature Genetics and suggest that loss of SMARCA4 expression may serve as a biomarker for...
IDH1 mutation in patients with malignant astrocytomas may serve as a predictive molecular biomarker to guide aggressive surgical resection, according to the results of a study reported by Beiko et al in Neuro-Oncology. Maximal surgical resection may contribute a survival benefit in those who have...
In patients with late-stage epithelial ovarian cancer, high levels of microRNA-181a may be predictive of chemotherapy resistance and disease progression, according to the results of a study reported by Parikh et al in Nature Communications. Thus, microRNA-181a may serve as a biomarker for prognosis ...
In patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma, aspirin may be of benefit in minimizing tumor growth, according to the results of a retrospective study presented by Kandathil et al in Otology and Neurotology. This finding may eliminate the need for invasive therapy and may complement existing...