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Allison Kurian, MD, on Assessing Quality in the Age of Precision Medicine
Allison Kurian, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, discusses pressing questions about the clinical utility and value of extended genomic testing and other forms of precision medicine.
Joseph O. Jacobson, MD, on Improving Cancer Care: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why
Joseph O. Jacobson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses a session he co-chaired on the thorny questions of how best to improve cancer care.
Sandra L. Wong, MD's, Oral Abstract Discussion: Expert Perspective
Sandra L. Wong, MD, of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, summarizes three abstracts for which she was the discussant. The topics were rates of surgical site infections, an online resource for hospital cancer surgery volumes, and barriers to oncology appointments at comprehensive cancer...
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, on Survival as a Measure of Quality and Advances in Therapy
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses his paper, which explores lessons learned from analyses of the National Cancer Data Base. (Abstract 173)
Patricia A. Ganz, MD, on Improving Quality and Value in Cancer Care
Patricia A. Ganz, MD, of the University of California at Los Angeles, the 2016 winner of the Joseph V. Simone Award, summarizes her “Lecture for Excellence in Quality and Safety in the Care of Patients With Cancer.”
Sarina Isenberg, PhD Candidate, on Better Care at a Better Cost
Sarina Isenberg, PhD Candidate, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses the cost savings of a comprehensive hospital-based palliative care program. (Abstract 2)
Joseph V. Simone, MD, on Safety and Quality in Cancer Care: The Big Picture
Joseph V. Simone, MD, of the Simone Consulting Company, reflects on the prospects for the future of safety and quality.
Craig Earle, MD, on The Science of Quality
Craig Earle, MD, of Canada’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, summarizes abstracts discussed in a ticketed session that he co-chaired on this key topic. (Abstracts 173, 174, 175)
Kerin B. Adelson, MD, on Improving Cancer Staging
Kerin B. Adelson, MD, of the Yale Cancer Center, discusses an electronic decision support tool to capture staging data. This information allows automated reports for clinical trial screening, outcomes analysis, quality comparisons, and reporting. (Abstract 151)
Kerin B. Adelson, MD, on Improving End-of-Life Planning and Reducing Futile Care
Kerin B. Adelson, MD, of the Yale Cancer Center, discusses the major healthcare cost drivers at the end of life—aggressive treatments, emergency room visits, and futile care—and strategies for improving value. (Abstract 3)
Dawn L. Hershman, MD, on Improving Quality and Safety With Multidisciplinary Teams
Dawn L. Hershman, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center, summarizes a joint ASCO/NCI session on this important topic, including the challenges and solutions.
2016 Quality Care Symposium: New Triage System Decreases Emergency Room Visits by Oncology Patients in Florida
A quality improvement initiative to reduce patients’ reliance on emergency room (ER) visits to treat cancer treatment side effects has shown to be highly effective, according to early findings from a new study. The strategy, involving a telephone triage service coupled with patient education, ...
2016 Quality Care Symposium: Online Tool Improves Access to Information on Cancer Treatment Costs
To facilitate doctor/patient conversations about costs of cancer care, researchers developed and piloted an online tool for oncologists. The innovative resource lists prices for the 50 most commonly prescribed cancer treatment regimens. A survey of the pilot users at four clinics in Washington...
2016 Quality Care Symposium: Study Suggests Many Women With Early Breast Cancer Receive Unnecessary Imaging Tests
A new study suggests that up to 60% of the computed tomography (CT) scans, bone scans, and positron-emission tomography (PET) scans performed for more than 29,000 Michigan women diagnosed with early breast cancer between 2008 and 2014 could not be medically justified based on retrospective record...
Study Finds No Adverse Impact of Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy on Long-Term Survival in Endometrial Cancer
Use of minimally invasive hysterectomy did not seem to have an adverse impact on long-term survival in women with endometrial cancer, according to an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Wright et al. Study Details The study involved Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result...
Phase III Trial Shows No Benefit of Afatinib vs Trastuzumab Plus Vinorelbine in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
In the phase III LUX-Breast 1 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Harbeck et al found no benefit of afatinib (Gilotrif)/vinorelbine vs trastuzumab (Herceptin)/vinorelbine after previous trastuzumab treatment in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Broader inhibition of ErbB...
FDA Approves Everolimus for Neuroendocrine Tumors of Gastrointestinal or Lung Origin
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved everolimus (Afinitor) for the treatment of adult patients with progressive, well-differentiated nonfunctional neuroendocrine tumors of gastrointestinal or lung origin with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic disease. ...
FDA Approves Obinutuzumab in Follicular Lymphoma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for use in combination with bendamustine (Bendeka, Treanda) followed by obinutuzumab monotherapy for the treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma who relapsed after, or are refractory to, a rituximab...
Cancer Statistics for African Americans, 2016
A new report outlines substantial progress in reducing the mortality gap between blacks and whites for some cancers, while the gap has widened or remained level for two leading cancers: breast cancer in women and colorectal cancer in men. The findings are included in Cancer Statistics for African...
Weight and Height During Adolescence May Impact Future Risk of Developing Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
A new analysis indicates that higher body weight and taller stature during adolescence increase the risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The findings were published by Leiba et al in Cancer. Rates of NHL have increased worldwide, and research suggests that rising rates of obesity may be...
Single-Center Trial Indicates No Benefit of Hepatic Artery Chemoembolization vs Embolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
In a phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Brown et al found no apparent benefit of hepatic artery chemoembolization using doxorubicin-eluting microspheres vs embolization with microspheres alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Study Details In the trial, 101...
Improved Melanoma-Specific Survival Reported With Wider Excision Margin in High-Risk Primary Melanoma
Wider excision margins in high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma were associated with improved melanoma-specific survival, according to long-term follow-up in a UK-led trial reported by Hayes et al in The Lancet Oncology. No significant improvement in overall survival was observed. The initial report ...
Quality Improvement Projects Aim at Reducing Errors in Prescribing IV and Oral Chemotherapy
Two quality improvement projects described in the Journal of Oncology Practice resulted in reduced errors in prescribing intravenous (IV) and oral chemotherapy. A project at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston outpatient infusion centers first identified 15 different types of...
Increased Cancer Mortality Among Recipients of Solid-Organ Transplants
Solid-organ transplant recipients have a higher rate of cancer mortality than that expected in the general population, according to a Canadian study published in JAMA Oncology. Cancer mortality among transplant recipients “was significantly elevated compared with the Ontario population,” with a...
ASCO Commends Confirmation of Robert M. Califf, MD, as FDA Commissioner
“We commend the U.S. Senate for confirming Robert M. Califf, MD, as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Califf brings extraordinary expertise and vision to this position and we are confident that his appointment will positively impact cancer care. “Dr. Califf's...
Eye Movement Affected in Some Former Childhood Cancer Patients
A study from Lund University in Sweden has shown that commonly used chemotherapy toxins impair the eyesight in childhood cancer survivors in a way that indicates an impact on the central nervous system. The results were published by Einarsson et al in PLOS One. It was not the former patients' ...
First-in-Class Drug ONC201 Shows Potential for Some Blood Cancers
ONC201, an investigational anticancer drug that triggers cell death in various tumor types, may have clinical potential for some blood cancers including mantle cell lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent clinical study. A research team led by Michael Andreeff, MD, PhD,...
UK Trial Shows No Survival Benefit of Low–Molecular-Weight Heparin in Patients With Lung Cancer
In the UK phase III FRAGMATIC trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Macbeth et al found no survival benefit of adding low–molecular-weight heparin to standard treatment in patients with lung cancer. Previous evidence suggested that low–molecular-weight heparin might...
ASCO Endorses Cancer Care Ontario Guideline on Active Surveillance for Management of Localized Prostate Cancer
As reported by Ronald C. Chen, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has endorsed, with qualifications, the 2015 Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) guideline on active surveillance for management of localized prostate cancer....
Minimal Residual Disease Identified by NPM1 Mutation May Be Prognostic Marker for Poorer Outcome in Standard-Risk AML
In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Ivey et al found that a leukemia-specific marker consisting of a mutation in the gene encoding nucleophosmin (NPM1) can be used to identify minimal residual disease in peripheral blood in standard-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with...
ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline Update on Ovarian Suppression/Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Burstein et al, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline update on ovarian suppression as part of the extant guideline on adjuvant endocrine therapy in hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. The update is based on an update panel...
Chemotherapy Preferable to Radiotherapy to Reduce Distant Pancreatic Cancer Recurrences
Patients who received chemotherapy after surgical resection of pancreatic cancer have fewer distant disease recurrences and longer overall survival than those who also had adjuvant chemoradiation therapy. While a course of radiotherapy in addition to chemotherapy and a cancer operation reduced the...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Induction Chemotherapy Does Not Predict Survival Advantage Over Concurrent Chemoradiation
Head and neck cancer patients who receive induction chemotherapy rather than the standard treatment of concurrent chemoradiation do not benefit from increased survival rates and are less likely to receive a full course of radiation, according to research presented by Stokes et al at the 2016...
100% of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Endorse the Promotion of the HPV Vaccination for Cancer Prevention
All National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers have united to support human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination (see below). A team of HPV experts drafted a consensus statement that advises widespread use of HPV vaccines to prevent cancer. HPV causes cancer of the cervix, anus, and...
Patients Diagnosed With Stage I to III Rectal Cancer at Younger Age Have Increased Risk for Positive Lymph Nodes
Patients diagnosed with stage I to III rectal cancer at a younger age are at increased risk of having positive lymph nodes, according to an analysis of data published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “This finding merits further investigation and may ultimately impact treatment...
Junior Investigators Win Awards for Pilot Projects
The results of the Fox Chase Cancer Center’s American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (IRG) Pilot Project Competition for Junior Investigators that was held in December 2015 have been announced. The competition was open to eligible junior faculty at Fox Chase Cancer Center or Temple...
Mistletoe
The use of dietary supplements 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 dietary supplements can be daunting. Patients typically rely on family, friends, and...
Mary-Claire King, PhD, Awarded 2016 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research
The National Foundation for Cancer Research has announced that Mary-Claire King, PhD, Professor of Genome Sciences and Medicine (Medical Genetics) at the University of Washington, Seattle, has been awarded the 2016 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research. The National Foundation for...
FDA Approves Palbociclib in Combination With Fulvestrant in Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer
On February 19, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved palbociclib (Ibrance) in combination with fulvestrant for the treatment of women with hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer with...
No Survival Benefit of Pemetrexed/Cisplatin Chemoradiation vs Standard Treatment in Nonresectable Stage III NSCLC
As reported by Senan et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the phase III PROCLAIM trial showed no significant improvement in overall survival for chemoradiation with pemetrexed (Alimta)/cisplatin vs etoposide/cisplatin followed by consolidation pemetrexed vs a platinum-based doublet in...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Chemoradiation May Increase Survival for a Subset of Elderly Head and Neck Cancer Patients
The addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy improves survival rates among a subset of elderly head and neck cancer patients, specifically those aged 71 to 79 with low comorbidity scores and advanced disease stage, according to research presented by Amini et al at the 2016 Multidisciplinary...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Most Recurrences of HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer Can Be Found Within 6 Months
For patients treated with definitive radiation therapy for oropharyngeal cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), the majority of recurrences can be detected by post-treatment imaging at 3 months and physical exams during the 6 months following treatment, according to research presented by...
Men Get Breast Cancer Too
Like many men, it never occurred to me that I could get breast cancer. But it turns out it is more common—and deadly—than I thought, with about 2,600 men diagnosed each year with invasive breast cancer and nearly 440 dying of the disease.1 In 2010, I became one of those men, and the diagnosis was...
Oncology Drug Approvals: Year in Review
In 2015, the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products (OHOP) approved 16 new molecular entities. The most notable were drug approvals in disease areas such as non–small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, renal cancer, and diseases that are particularly difficult to...
Jaclyn Biegel, PhD, Joins Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles as Director of Center for Personalized Medicine
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has named Jaclyn Biegel, PhD, a leading academic expert on pediatric brain tumors, rhabdoid tumors, and cancer cytogenetics, as the Director of the Center for Personalized Medicine at CHLA. Dr. Biegel, who formerly served as Director of the Cancer Cytogenetics ...
Carmen Solórzano, MD, Named Chief of Surgical Oncology at Vanderbilt
Carmen Solórzano, MD, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Endocrine Surgery Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), has been named Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Solórzano joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2010...
Johannes W. Vieweg, MD, FACS, Named Founding Dean of Nova Southeastern University College of Allopathic Medicine
Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, announced the appointment of Johannes W. Vieweg, MD, FACS, as Founding Dean of NSU’s College of Allopathic Medicine. The new college is aiming to welcome its first class of MD candidates in 2018, subject to achieving accreditation. Dr....
Global Cancer: The Current Reality and the Future Need for Action
The estimated number of cancer cases worldwide in 2008 was 12.7 million, with 7.6 million deaths. By 2030, it is estimated that there will be 22 million newly diagnosed cancer cases and 12 million deaths, shocking to contemplate in dollars and human suffering. Although this impending disaster has...
A Surgeon’s Inspiring Journey to Death
Every so often, a memoir comes along in which the story speaks to universal themes. For that magic to occur, the author must step aside at times and let others tell their story, too. Moreover, the writing must be clear, vibrant, and above all else honest to the core. The recently published memoir...
Emory and Winship Announce Sagar Lonial, MD, as Hematology and Medical Oncology Department Chair
Sagar Lonial, MD, an internationally renowned expert in the biology and treatment of patients with multiple myeloma, has been named Chair of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology within Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute. Dr. Lonial assumes this role...
