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Showing 14151 - 14200Alternative Therapies: Knowledge Is Power, but Consider the Source
The use of dietary supplements and other complementary and “alternative” therapies by patients with cancer has increased significantly over the past 20 years despite insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness. Finding reliable sources of information about complementary therapies can be...
Journal of Clinical Oncology’s Fall Special Series, Journal of Global Oncology’s Inaugural Issue
This fall, the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) presented two special series: “Pediatric Cancer—Progress Through Collaboration” and “Head and Neck Cancer: Recent Advances, Changing Epidemiology, and Future Directions.” The Pediatric Special Series highlighted collaborative efforts that have...
Important Research in the Palliative Care of Patients With Cancer
The emphasis at this year’s Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium, held earlier this month in Boston, was on patient-centered care throughout the cancer continuum. The meeting attracted more than 650 attendees and included six general sessions featuring best practices in communication,...
Smoking Cessation Reduces Mortality in Lung Cancer Screening Population
Data from an analysis of lung cancer screening programs in Italy add further evidence that smoking cessation reduces mortality. Heavy smokers screened by low-dose computed tomography (CT) who stopped smoking before or during the screening period had a three- to fivefold reduction in mortality...
MRI Improves Breast Cancer Detection in Women at Average Risk
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening of women at average risk for breast cancer achieved a mean additional cancer yield of 15.8 cases per 1,000 women, greatly surpassing yields for supplemental digital breast tomosynthesis (1.25 per 1,000) or supplemental ultrasound (4.1 per 1,000). The...
Expert Point of View: William J. Gradishar, MD
Discussant William J. Gradishar, MD, the Betsy Bramsen Professor of Breast Oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University in Chicago, endorsed Dr. Shafaee’s conclusions, while highlighting caution in interpreting the results. “At first blush, it certainly is...
Expert Point of View: Clifford Hudis, MD
Clifford Hudis, MD, Chief of the Breast Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, said the findings suggest there is essentially no meaningful benefit from chemotherapy in the recurrence score low-risk subset. “It is clinically appropriate to offer endocrine therapy...
TAILORx: Chemotherapy Not Necessary for Women With a Low Recurrence Score
The long-awaited first results are in from the TAILORx study, showing that patients with early breast cancer considered at low risk for recurrence can forgo chemotherapy and be treated with endocrine therapy alone.1 “Women with axillary node-negative, estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative...
Expert Point of View: Enrique Grande, MD
Enrique Grande, MD, Head of the Endocrine and Genitourinary Tumors Section of the Medical Oncology Service at Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, discussed the NETTER-1 and RADIANT-4 studies at the Presidential Session of the 2015 European Cancer Congress. “There is now a stronger rationale...
Treatment Options Expanding for Neuroendocrine Tumors
Patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors have two promising new treatment options, according to studies that earned spots in the Presidential Session of the 2015 European Cancer Congress, held recently in Vienna, Austria. The phase III studies evaluated the mTOR inhibitor everolimus (Afinitor)...
Expert Point of View: Michael F. Greene, MD, and Dan L. Longo, MD
In an accompanying editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine, Michael F. Greene, MD, Chief of Obstetrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dan L. Longo, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, mentioned the low odds for both oncologists and...
Chemotherapy/Radiotherapy Safe in Second and Third Trimesters of Pregnancy
Children with in utero exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy during maternal treatment for cancer had no impairment in cognition, cardiac function, and general early childhood development, according to a study reported at the European Cancer Congress in Vienna, Austria, and published...
Atezolizumab Makes Inroads in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The anti–PD-L1 (programmed cell death-ligand 1) antibody atezolizumab (formerly known as MPDL3280A) achieved encouraging outcomes in patients with non–small lung cancer (NSCLC) in two different trials: POPLAR1 and BIRCH.2 PD-L1 has emerged as a predictive biomarker for atezolizumab response in both ...
Expert Point of View: Cora N. Sternberg, MD, FACP
Cora N. Sternberg, MD, FACP, Chief of Medical Oncology at San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy, discussed the implications of the METEOR trial. Everolimus (Afinitor) is considered standard second-line therapy, with a benchmark progression-free survival of 4.9 months in the RECORD-1 trial,...
Expert Point of View: Frederic Amant, MD, PhD
Frederic Amant, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Staff Gynecologic Oncologist, and Head of the Scientific Section of Gynecologic Oncology at University Hospitals Leuven in Leuven, Belgium, stressed that the study by Lambertini et al is a meta-analysis, not a randomized controlled trial. Nevertheless,...
Ovarian Suppression During Chemotherapy Preserves Fertility in Young Women With Breast Cancer
Several studies have addressed the risks and benefits of ovarian suppression during chemotherapy for breast cancer in women of childbearing age. A new meta-analysis of randomized trials found that it prevented premature ovarian failure and was associated with a higher number of pregnancies post...
Discussing Financial Toxicity With Patients Who Have Cancer
Patient: “Doc, how much are these drugs going to cost me?” Physician: “They are expensive, and you can see our financial counselor to help you understand the costs.” Cancer care is not a black-and-white endeavor, and costs are considered a distasteful subject to be passed over in tactful silence. ...
FDA Approves First Oncolytic Viral Therapy in the United States
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the biologics license application for talimogene laherparepvec (Imlygic), a genetically modified oncolytic viral therapy indicated for the local treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in patients with melanoma...
ASCO-Endorsed ASTRO Guidelines: Searching for Consensus on Radiotherapy for Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer, but there has been little consensus about the appropriate indications for adjuvant therapy. One reason for the lack of consensus is the absence of randomized studies in endometrial cancer that report an overall survival benefit. This may be...
ASCO Endorses ASTRO Guideline on Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Endometrial Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Larissa A. Meyer, MD, MPH, and colleagues, ASCO has endorsed the recently published American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) guideline on postoperative radiation therapy for endometrial cancer.1 The ASCO clinical practice guideline...
Patient Guides Available Through ASCO University Bookstore
ASCO Answers: Managing the Cost of Cancer Care explains the various costs associated with cancer treatment, including health-care coverage through the Affordable Care Act. It also provides a list of financial resources available to help offset expenses related to care and tips for organizing...
Shadowed by Cancer
Although genetic testing has not turned up any inherited mutations that might explain the number of cancers that have plagued my immediate family, over the past 15 years, I have lost my father, aunt, and sister to the disease. In 2001, my husband, Wayne, died of acute promyelocytic leukemia, and...
Equanimity
The following essay by S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, is adapted from The Big Casino: America’s Best Cancer Doctors Share Their Most Powerful Stories, which was coedited by Stan Winokur, MD, and Vincent Coppola and published in May 2014. The book is available on Amazon.com and thebigcasino.org. It was...
A Cancer Diagnosis Can Lead to Significant Loss of Working Hours, Income
A new analysis indicates that when American adults are diagnosed with cancer, they experience significant decreases in the probability of working, in the number of hours they work, and correspondingly, in their incomes. Such negative impacts of a cancer diagnosis are particularly pronounced among...
Answers: Primary Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System
Question 1: What is next best step in the management of this patient? Correct Answer: C. Ophthalmoscopy/slit lamp examination. Expert Perspective Ophthalmic involvement should be sought by noninvasive procedures such as slit lamp examination and ophthalmoscopy and abnormal findings must be...
A Chemist Exposes Dangerous Chemicals
Bookmark Title: Pick Your Poison: How Our Mad Dash to Chemical Utopia Is Making Lab Rats of Us All Author: Monona Rossol Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Publication date: October 2015 Price: E-book, 210 pages Monona Rossol is a chemist and “industrial hygienist” who is a frequent contributor to...
A Pandemic’s Story of Tragedy and Success
Bookmark Title: AIDS Between Science and Politics Author: Peter Piot Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication date: May 2015 Price: $29.95; hardcover, 216 pages AIDS is a global phenomenon that recognizes neither national boundaries nor social strata. The AIDS pandemic was one of the...
Congress Passes Continuing Resolution, Research Funding Dips Slightly
On September 30, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution that will fund the government at current levels through December 11. Funding for both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) dipped slightly as part of a 0.21% cut to all nondefense discretionary...
New Study Indicates Key Differences Between Trial Enrollees and Patients Receiving Treatments
A new article published in the Journal of Oncology Practice evaluates differences between the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell cancer who participated in clinical trials vs those who received the same therapy in routine clinical practice. Nearly 40% of patients in the real-world...
A Message from W. Charles Penley, MD, FASCO
Dear Friends: This is the time of year when I often receive cards from patients celebrating their holiday season. Most cards include photos of my patients on vacation or alongside their growing families, conquering cancer in the simplest and most perfect way—with happiness and hope. I am grateful...
The Future of ASCO: President-Elect Candidates Share Their Vision
S. Gail Eckhardt, MD, FASCO, is a tenured Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she also holds the Stapp Harlow Chair in Cancer Research. She has been a faculty member at the institution since 1999 and was Division Head of Medical Oncology from 2006–2014. Currently, she...
Nivolumab in Metastatic NSCLC After Platinum Therapy
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. On October 9, 2015, the anti–programmed cell death protein 1...
Management of Aromatase Inhibitor–Induced Musculoskeletal Symptoms: A Physiatric Approach
Aromatase inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence in hormone receptor–positive patients, but medication compliance can be limited by uncomfortable side effects, including musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. Musculoskeletal symptoms have been reported ...
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Pfizer recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to the company’s investigational antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The FDA’s decision was based on the results of the phase III ...
Cancer on the Global Stage: Incidence and Cancer‑Related Mortality in Algeria
The ASCO Post is pleased to continue this special focus on the worldwide cancer burden. In this issue, we feature a close look at the cancer incidence and mortality rates in Algeria. The aim of this special feature is to highlight the global cancer burden for various countries of the world. For the ...
LUNGevity Foundation and Celgene Collaborate to Create Resource for Lung Cancer Caregivers
The LUNGevity Foundation and the biopharmaceutical company Celgene have joined forces to launch a new resource for caregivers of people diagnosed with lung cancer. The program, “Your Journey Together,” is a support tool focusing on the specific needs of this group and includes a series of videos,...
Geriatric Oncology in Europe: A Commitment to Improving Cancer Care for Older Patients
In Europe, the field of geriatric oncology has a long history of development, and its organization and implementation continue to improve every day. This would not have happened without the strong commitment of national authorities to health policies, a critical success factor. Four Missions In...
Why Melanoma Rates Are Increasing in Adolescents and Young Adults, Especially Among Females
The incidence of melanoma among children, adolescents, and young adults has reached epidemic proportions, increasing more than 250% over the past 4 decades, with young females at highest risk for the deadly cancer, according to a study1 by researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo,...
UCLA and VA Launch Program to Enhance Cancer Care for Veterans
A new collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System will provide access to the latest therapeutic cancer clinical trials and state-of-the-art care for men and women who have served in the armed forces. The...
Survival and Bevacizumab in Early Breast Cancer: Time to Reconsider?
In metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer, several trials have shown that the addition of the anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin) to different chemotherapy regimens significantly improved response rates and progression-free survival by various...
Improved Overall Survival With Neoadjuvant Plus Adjuvant Bevacizumab in Early HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
The phase III National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-40 (NRG Oncology) trial showed that the addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to docetaxel + anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy improved pathologic complete response rate, the primary endpoint, in patients with early...
ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline Update: Recommendations for the Use of White Blood Cell Growth Factors
ASCO has issued a clinical practice guideline update on use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors, as reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Thomas J. Smith, MD, FACP, FASCO, FAAHMP, and colleagues.1 This update to the ASCO 2006 guideline was based on a systematic review of...
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Names Marc Hurlbert, PhD, as Chief Mission Officer
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) announced that it has appointed Marc Hurlbert, PhD, as its new Chief Mission Officer (CMO). Formerly the Executive Director of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, Dr. Hurlbert succeeds Margaret (Peg) Mastrianni, who will retire in January 2016 after serving...
End-of-Life Clinical Decisions Still Need Conversations About Improving Care
In 2014, the Institute of Medicine report Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life called for more conversations about improving care for those who are dying. Improving the care of the imminently dying is an important issue in the oncology...
NCCN Unveils Graphic Evidence Blocks to Guide Decision-Making
Treatment decision-making for oncologists and their patients may become simpler through the use of graphic NCCN Evidence Blocks™, which were unveiled at the NCCN 10th Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies™ sponsored by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN¨). The first of the NCCN...
Study Finds Quality of Physician Recommendation to Parents Key to Encourage/Discourage HPV Vaccination of Adolescents
A nationwide online survey of 776 pediatricians and family physicians assessing the quality of their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine recommendations to parents has found that approximately 27% of respondents said they do not strongly endorse HPV vaccination; further, 26% and 39% of respondents...
Ovarian Cancer Trialists Forming Work Group to Standardize Definition of Pathologic Complete Response
Ovarian cancer clinical trialists are forming a working group to develop a standard definition of pathologic complete response in ovarian cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Such agreement within the field potentially would enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider...
Antibody-Drug Conjugate Makes Strong Showing in Small Cell Lung Cancer
The antibody-drug conjugate rovalpituzumab tesirine has shown strong clinical activity as second- and third-line treatment for small cell lung cancer in a phase I/Ib multicenter study,1 especially in the subset with high expression of the delta-like protein 3 (DLL3), which the drug targets. This...
Expert Point of View: Martin Reck, MD, PhD
Martin Reck, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of Thoracic Oncology at the Lung Clinic Grosshansdorf in Germany, discussed the study at the Presidential Session, calling it “very important work.” This study shows that, with more sensitive assays, T790M mutations are much more frequent than previously ...
Combined EGFR and VEGF Inhibition Ameliorates the Impact of the EGFR T790M Mutation in NSCLC
Treatment with erlotinib and bevacizumab (Avastin) may help overcome the poor prognosis associated with T790M mutations present at diagnosis in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the results of the phase II BELIEF trial.1 At the 2015 European Cancer Congress, Rolf A. Stahel,...
