Search Results
Your search for ,maY matches 16613 pages
Showing 11901 - 11950Expert Point of View: Genes May Predict Taxane-related Peripheral Neuropathy
As an oncologist who frequently avoids taxanes, largely due to concerns about neuropathy, Steven Vogl, MD, of the Bronx, New York, was asked to comment on the study. He observed that while the Indiana University study has no immediate applicability, it is “a good first look.” “I typically don’t...
2011 ASCO Annual Meeting: Genes May Predict Taxane-related Peripheral Neuropathy
The first identification of potential genetic biomarkers for taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy was reported at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting by researchers from Indiana University in Indianapolis.1 The presence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or common genetic variations, residing...
Planning Survivorship Programs: An International Endeavor
The March 11th report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted once again the growing number of cancer survivors—now approximately 12 million. This good news serves as a reminder to the oncology community of the need for formal care for this increasingly large group of...
A Conversation with Brad Zebrack, PhD, MSW, MPH
Each year in the United States, approximately 70,000 people between the ages of 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer. And while getting a cancer diagnosis at any age can be devastating, for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) grappling with sexuality, body image, peer pressure, dating, marriage,...
Experts Seek to Explain the Survival Gap in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer
While overall cancer survival rates continue to rise-there are nearly 12 million cancer survivors today, according to the latest figures from NCI-most of that improvement is among pediatric and older adult patients. For adolescent and young adult patients with cancer, defined by the NCI as those in ...
2011 ASCO Annual Meeting: 3-Year Screening Interval Safe for Women with HPV-negative and Normal Pap Tests, Data Show
A large, “real-world” study has validated current recommendations from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American Cancer Society (ACS), and American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) endorsing a 3-year cervical cancer screening interval for women...
Survivorship Symposium 2016: Study Finds Personalized Survivorship Care Plans Improve Health Outcomes in Low-Income Breast Cancer Survivors
Although the Institute of Medicine recommends the implementation of treatment summaries and survivorship care plans as a mechanism to improve ongoing clinical and coordination of oncology care and to address the immediate post-treatment and long-term effects of cancer therapy, empirical evidence...
Cancer Diagnosis Can Spark Worry over Numerous Health Concerns
The early discovery of my endometrial cancer is a prime example of the health rewards you can reap if you are lucky enough to have good medical care and a dogged physician. Long past menopause, I wasn’t experiencing any of the typical warning signs of the disease—vaginal bleeding or pelvic...
Capecitabine Noninferior to 5-FU with Improved Toxicity Profile in Rectal Cancer, Two Studies Demonstrate
Two separate trials presented during an oral session at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting suggest that capecitabine (Xeloda) can replace fluorouracil (5-FU) as part of chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. Patients randomly assigned to either treatment had comparable outcomes but with less toxicity from...
Changes Introduced to Better Inform Consumers about Sunscreen
The FDA announced that sunscreen products meeting modern standards for effectiveness may be labeled with new information to help consumers find products that, when used with other sun protection measures, reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging, as well as help prevent sunburn. The...
Sunitinib/Prednisone Improves Progression-free Survival but not Overall Survival in Metastatic Castrate-resistant Prostate Cancer
According to M. Dror Michaelson, MD, PhD, second-line therapy with sunitinib (Sutent) and prednisone improves progression-free survival but not overall survival in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer previously treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Dr. Michaelson, of the...
Understanding Crizotinib, 1 Year after High-profile Presentation
The findings from a phase I study of crizotinib in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were presented in a Plenary Session at the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting—an unusual event, since such early-phase data are not generally the topic of plenary sessions. The study showed that a majority of mostly...
Expert Point of View: Busulfan/Melphalan Improves Survival in High-risk Neuroblastoma Patients, Phase III Study Results Show
At the ASCO Plenary Session where the HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial was presented, formal discussant Julie R. Park, MD, of the University of Washington, Seattle, said, “Large randomized trials have previously shown that myeloablative therapy improves outcomes in high-risk neuroblastoma, and it is now...
Important Briefs: Lymphoma Research on Improved Chemotherapy, Biomarker Associations, and Stem Cell Transplant Approaches
The 11th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma was held June 15–18 in Lugano, Switzerland. More than 3,000 hematologists, clinical oncologists, pathologists, and researchers attended the meeting, which was first convened in 1981. Topics of discussion included lymphoma staging in the new...
Expert Point of View: Smoking and Lack of Exercise Increase Risk of Some Cancers, but Moderate Alcohol Consumption Reduces Colon Cancer Risk
At a press conference where results of the study by Land and colleagues were released, George W. Sledge, Jr, MD, said, “This study highlights the importance of lifestyle factors. We need to think about encouraging women who engage in unhealthy behaviors that place them at risk for cancer to change...
Smoking and Lack of Exercise Increase Risk of Some Cancers, but Moderate Alcohol Consumption Reduces Colon Cancer Risk
A substudy of the large prospective National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Breast Cancer Prevention Trial revealed both expected and surprising findings related to the association between lifestyle factors (cigarette smoking, alcohol, and exercise) and cancer risk. As might be...
Expert Point of View: Novel Agents Prolong Disease-free Survival in Ovarian Cancer
Stanley B. Kaye, MD, of Royal Marsden Hospital in London, the invited discussant, commented, “The trial of olaparib was important, showing clear superiority of olaparib with an impressive hazard ratio that was not restricted to BRCA-mutated patients.…There is a role for taking this drug forward as...
Novel Agents Prolong Disease-free Survival in Ovarian Cancer
Novel agents produced high response rates and prolonged remissions in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer, in studies reported at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting. In an international randomized phase II trial, maintenance therapy with the oral poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase (PARP)...
Expert Point of View: Iniparib Fails to Improve Outcomes in Triple-negative Breast Cancer
The discussant of the iniparib data (abstract 1007), Lisa A. Carey, MD, Medical Director of the University of North Carolina Breast Center, noted that the phase II results provoked “great enthusiasm and high expectations from doctors and patients” but the primary statistical endpoint was not met....
Iniparib Fails to Improve Outcomes in Triple-negative Breast Cancer
As reported in the March 15 issue of The ASCO Post, a phase III trial of the novel agent iniparib failed to demonstrate a significant improvement in survival for women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The “top-line” results were communicated in the spring via press releases from...
SIDEBAR: Lessons for Today
Many of Osler’s precepts and teachings are as applicable today as they were a century ago. Their universality and timeless relevance are guideposts. Some of his frequently cited aphorisms include: “In the physician or surgeon no quality takes rank with imperturbability.” “Care more particularly ...
Expert Point of View: Longer Imatinib Treatment Is Better in High-risk GIST
Charles D. Blanke, MD, Chief of Medical Oncology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, critiqued the SSGXVIII study, noting its “goals were reasonable and the methodologies for primary and secondary objectives were sound. The conclusion regarding recurrence-free survival is valid, as...
Expert Point of View: Novel Agents Improve Survival in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma
Discussing the melanoma studies at the Plenary Session, Kim Margolin, MD, of the University of Washington Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, noted that while the new therapies are welcomed, they are not without their challenges. “Ipilimumab now shows a survival benefit in...
Cervical Cancer Screening Study Should Reassure Physicians and Patients that a 3-Year Screening Interval Is Safe and Effective
Results of a large-scale cervical cancer screening study using concurrent human papillomavirus (HPV) and Pap testing should “reassure” women over 30 who test negative for HPV and have normal Pap tests that “it is extremely safe to go 3 years” before being tested again, Barnett S. Kramer, MD, MPH,...
My First of Many ASCO Meetings
In June, I attended my first ASCO Annual Meeting. Although I have been practicing and teaching urology for 35 years with a specific interest in genitourinary oncology and I have attended dozens of national meetings, the ASCO Annual Meetings were not on my radar. Focus on the Patient The...
Is Subspecialization an Option or a Necessity in Community Practices?
Should oncologists in community practices subspecialize? What would that mean for them and for their patients? These are some of the issues tackled in a Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) Strategies for Career Success article entitled “Subspecialization in Community Oncology: Option or Necessity?”...
FDA Issues Updated Safety Data on Silicone Gel–filled Breast Implants
The FDA has released a report updating the clinical and scientific information for silicone gel–filled breast implants, including preliminary safety data from studies conducted by the manufacturers (Allergan and Mentor) as a condition of their November 2006 approval. While the report confirms...
A Prominent Oncologist Retraces Her Steps from Baghdad
Maha Hussain, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Urology, is the Associate Director for Clinical Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC) and Co-leader of its Prostate Cancer/GU Oncology program. Dr. Hussain recently spoke with The ASCO Post about becoming a...
Studies Explore Potential Benefits of Sunitinib before Nephrectomy in Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cancer
The multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib (Sutent) is established as first-line therapy in metastatic clear cell renal cancer. Data supporting use of cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic clear cell renal cancer come from the pre–targeted therapy era, when less-effective immune...
NCI Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Awards: Conversations in Gynecologic Oncology
The National Cancer Institute recognized Cheryl Saenz, MD, and Linda R. Duska, MD, among others, late last year with a Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award. The 2-year award includes $50,000 in funding for cancer research programs at NCI-designated cancer centers. The ASCO Post...
Breast Cancer Studies Focus on Tailoring Therapy for Patient Subsets
As part of our ongoing coverage of the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting, The ASCO Post has provided substantive reports on key breast cancer trials, but others deserve attention. Lapatinib/Capecitabine Controls Brain Metastases Results of the French phase II LANDSCAPE trial found lapatinib (Tykerb) plus...
Expert Point of View: Novel JAK Inhibitor May Be an Option for Patients with Myelofibrosis
Ross Levine, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, was the discussant of the COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II trials.1 He explained that 70% to 90% of patients with myelofibrosis have JAK2 mutations, which appear to be endemic. “This is a driver mutation, although not the only mutation...
Novel JAK Inhibitor May Be an Option for Patients with Myelofibrosis
A new approach to treating myelofibrosis appears to be paying off, according to several studies presented at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting. Treatment with a novel JAK inhibitor called ruxolitinib demonstrated significant and sustained improvement in splenomegaly and overall quality of life,...
Maintenance Therapy Prolongs Progression-free Survival in Advanced NSCLC but Produces No Overall Survival Benefit
Maintenance therapy with either pemetrexed (Alimta) or gefitinib (Iressa) achieved modest improvements in progression-free survival in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The magnitude of improved progression-free survival was 1.3 months and 2.2 months, respectively, in the...
Emerging Targeted Therapies Offer Glimmer of Hope for NSCLC but Biomarkers for Response Needed
Among the newer approaches to treatment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors, toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonists, and vascular-disrupting agents. So far, none appears to be a “home run,” but Hsp90 inhibition may be the most promising of the three...
Axitinib Improves Progression-free Survival over Sorafenib in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
A randomized comparative effectiveness phase III trial demonstrated significantly superior efficacy for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor axitinib compared to sorafenib (Nexavar) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). These data suggest that axitinib may become a new standard of care for ...
Expert Point of View: Exemestane Prevents Invasive and Preinvasive Breast Cancers in MAP.3 Trial
According to Andrea De Censi, MD, of the E.O. Ospedali Galliera in Genoa, Italy, the invited discussant of the paper presented by Paul Goss, MD, PhD, at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting, “MAP.3 provides a paradigm shift for breast cancer prevention. Avoiding breast cancer with manageable toxicity is...
Exemestane Prevents Invasive and Preinvasive Breast Cancers in MAP.3 Trial
The aromatase inhibitor exemestane, taken for 5 years, significantly reduced invasive and preinvasive breast cancers in postmenopausal women at increased risk for the disease, in the large Canadian NCIC CTG MAP.3 randomized trial. Results of the trial were presented at the recent ASCO Annual...
Higher Risk of Recurrence for Triple-negative Breast Cancer after Modified Radical Mastectomy without Radiation
“The paucity of therapeutic options” for women with triple-negative breast cancer “emphasizes the urgent need to optimize the current locoregional management of patients with [triple-negative breast cancer] and reduce their risk of locoregional recurrence,” noted the authors of a Canadian study...
Endoscopic Excision May Be Viable Alternative to Surgical Resection of Large Colorectal Polyps
A retrospective review of 104 consecutive patients with large colorectal lesions, including 39 with carcinoma, found that “endoscopic excision of large colorectal polyps is a viable alternative to surgical resection in a select group of patients and can be performed safely with a good success...
Venous Thromboembolism More Frequent after Open Colorectal Surgery than Post-laparoscopy
The risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be nearly twice as high for patients undergoing open colorectal procedures as for those undergoing laparoscopic colorectal resections, according to a report in the Archives of Surgery. The authors also “identified malignancy, obesity, and...
Conventional Induction Chemotherapy Beneficial in Only a Subset of Older Adults with AML
Over the past several decades, progress in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the older population (generally considered to be older than 60 years) has been limited (Fig. 1). In particular, the outcome of patients over age 70 has been poor, with few long-term survivors. Although AML...
Despite Advances, Little Overall Improvement Seen in Treatment of Older Adults with AML
The outcome of treatment of older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory, although certainly not a totally futile exercise. Patients satisfying the entry criteria for cooperative group clinical trials can be expected to have complete remission rates of 50% to 55%, with...
A Conversation with Barrie R. Cassileth, PhD
Barrie R. Cassileth, PhD, Chief, Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, recently spoke with The ASCO Post about her quest to stamp out the illegitimate use of alternative medicine in cancer care and the results from her latest research. A...
SIDEBAR: Timing of Prostate Cancer Drugs: Earlier But Not Too Early?
While sipuleucel-T, abiraterone, and cabazitaxel have been approved for patients with advanced disease, they might also be used in patients with earlier-stage disease, according to Christopher J. Logothetis, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center. “I think it is fair to say that they will be used better...
SIDEBAR: Expect Questions from Your Patients
Drugs for the treatment of prostate cancer have been in the news because of recent approvals by the FDA, the costs connected with their use, and associated improvements in survival.1 More recently reported was the decision to allow Medicare coverage of sipuleucel-T treatment for men who met the FDA ...
Optimizing Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer Requires Shifting Focus from Individual Drugs to Integrated Therapies
Newer drugs, including sipuleucel-T (Provenge), cabazitaxel (Jevtana), and abiraterone (Zytiga), can extend survival modestly and ease symptoms for men with advanced prostate cancer. Maximizing the benefit to patients will require shifting the focus from developing individual drugs to developing...
Evaluating Risk for Suicide in People Diagnosed or Living with Cancer
The challenges of life-threatening physical illness can sometimes lead to suicide. In fact, given the critical stressors that a person with cancer faces, we might expect suicide to be a more common reaction. Patients with cancer are at increased risk of completed suicide, though the prevalence of...
ASCO’s Oncology Slide Library Functions as a Share‑and‑Exchange Forum
ASCO’s Oncology Slide Library—which allows ASCO meeting attendees to upload and share their ASCO meeting presentation slides with slide-library subscribers—may only be a year old, but participation is already very high. This year’s Annual Meeting in June marked the first time ASCO gave each speaker ...
ASCO’s International Cancer Corps Launches Initiatives in Ethiopia and Vietnam
Imagine just four oncologists attempting to provide care for a population of 82 million people living in a country covering twice the territory of Texas. That’s the state of cancer care in Ethiopia. And imagine a country of more than 90 million people—more than twice the population of...
