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Showing 2601 - 2650App Triggers Earlier Detection of Relapse, May Help Improve Survival of Patients With Lung Cancer
Web-based applications have invaded mainstream culture and grabbed the attention of multitudes of people around the world. According to a study presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting, an app may also contribute to extending the lives of people with cancer and, at the same time, reduce...
Expert Point of View: Marc S. Ernstoff, MD
The field of studies of combination immunotherapies is exploding, and “the future looks bright, with currently 71 trials of combination therapy in melanoma,” said formal discussant of these trials Marc S. Ernstoff, MD, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York. “We now know that...
CMS Proposal for Part B Drug Payment: A Poorly Conceived Experiment
On March 11, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register to test a change in reimbursement for Part B drugs.1 The first phase involves changing the 6% add-on to the average sales price (ASP) used to make drug payments under Part B to...
Swiss Study Examines Cost-Effectiveness of Nivolumab vs Docetaxel in Advanced Nonsquamous NSCLC
Nivolumab, a checkpoint inhibitor approved for patients with squamous and nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2015, is not cost-effective when compared to treatment with docetaxel, chemotherapy medication. However, a Swiss analysis showed the cost-effectiveness of nivolumab is...
Long-Term Benefit of Lenalidomide/Dexamethasone Reported in High-Risk Smoldering Multiple Myeloma
As reported by Mateos et al in The Lancet Oncology, long-term follow-up in the phase III QuiRedex trial indicates continued benefit of lenalidomide (Revlimid)/dexamethasone vs observation in preventing disease progression in patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. Study Details In...
Mixed Results With Hypofractionated vs Conventional Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer
Investigators of two European phase III trials have reached different conclusions on whether hypofractionated radiotherapy should replace conventional radiotherapy as a new standard of treatment in localized prostate cancer. The CHHiP trial findings favoring hypofractionation were reported by David ...
Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Events Seen in Patients With CML Taking Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors have dramatically increased survival for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), continuous administration of these drugs may elicit long-term toxicity, including cardiovascular adverse events. To investigate the incidence of vascular events in patients...
Prevention Needed to Stem Global Rise in Human Papillomavirus–Related Anal Cancer
The incidence rate of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related anal cancer and its precursor lesion, anal intraepithelial neoplasia, is rising in the United States and globally. Although 5-year survival rates in localized disease are generally favorable, survival in metastatic disease remains poor,...
Detection of Breast Cancer With Ultrasound vs Tomosynthesis in Women With Mammography-Negative Dense Breasts
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Alberto S. Tagliafico, MD, of the University of Genoa, and colleagues, interim findings in the Italian prospective ASTOUND study indicate that ultrasound is associated with improved incremental detection of breast cancer at screening compared with ...
Higher Prediagnostic Plasma Vitamin D Levels May Be Associated With Prolonged Survival in Pancreatic Cancer
In a study reported by Yuan et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, higher prediagnostic plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were found to be associated with prolonged overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Study Details The study involved data from 493 patients from 5...
QOPI Certification Program Certifies First International Practice
On June 1, 2016, ASCO announced that the Contemporary Oncology Team of Athens, Greece, as part of the new international pilot project, is the first international practice to receive Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) certification through QOPI Certification Program, LLC (QCP). What is...
Mixed Results With Resection of Primary Tumor in Stage IV Breast Cancer
For de novo stage IV breast cancer, does resection of the primary tumor improve outcomes? Two studies presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting reached different conclusions. A prospective randomized study conducted in Turkey concluded there is a survival benefit at 5 years,1 whereas a U.S....
Primary Care Visits Result in More Colorectal Cancer Screening, Better Follow-up
People who visit their primary care physicians are more likely to get potentially life-saving colon cancer screenings and follow-up on abnormal stool blood test results—even in health systems that heavily promote mail-in home stool blood tests that don’t require a doctor visit, a study...
French Phase III Trial Shows No Benefit of Adding Zoledronate to Chemotherapy and Surgery in Osteosarcoma
In the French phase III OS2006 trial reported by Piperno-Neumann et al in The Lancet Oncology, the addition of zoledronate to chemotherapy and surgery provided no event-free survival benefit in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed high-grade osteosarcoma. Study Details In the open-label ...
ASCO Outlines Opposition to Medicare Part B Demo for Senate Finance Hearing
ASCO voiced its strong opposition to the proposed Medicare Part B demonstration project in comments submitted on June 28 for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing, “Examining the Proposed Medicare Part B Drug Demonstration.” ASCO underscored the urgent need to advance a fairer...
Increased Risk of Gallbladder Cancer May Be Associated With Consuming Large Amounts of Sweetened Beverages
A large prospective Swedish study reported by Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, of the Unit of Nutritional Epidemiology at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues found a 2.2-fold increased risk of gallbladder cancer in people who consumed two or ...
Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Ocular Cancer
Phase 0 Study Title: Use of Definity® Contrast Agent for Ultrasound of Intraocular Tumors Study Type: Interventional/single-group assignment Study Sponsor and Collaborators: Emory University Purpose: To determine if microbubbles may be used as a contrast agent to help image tumors in the eye. In...
Geriatric Oncology in Asia: The Dawn of a New Era in Cancer Care
Asia is currently experiencing an unprecedented rate of growth in its aging population. This “silver tsunami” has translated into a burgeoning number of older patients with cancer, as cancer is a disease of aging. However, unlike their Western counterparts, elderly patients with cancer in Asia are ...
Hypofractionated Radiation Found Equivalent to Conventionally Fractionated Regimen in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Early-stage breast cancer patients receiving a shorter course of whole-breast irradiation with higher radiation doses per fraction reported equivalent cosmetic, functional, and pain outcomes over time as those receiving a longer, lower-dose per fraction course of treatment, according to researchers ...
Cervical Cancer Prevention Badly Needed in India
With the advent of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test and population-based screening, along with the development of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, cervical cancer has become a largely preventable disease for many. However, in India, cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality. To...
Updated WHO Classification of Hematologic Malignancies
Question 1: Which statement about the classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues is true? Correct Answer: A. The revised WHO classification defines distant disease entities that can be reliably diagnosed using proposed criteria. Expert Perspective WHO last updated its...
Vast Differences Globally in Cancer Drug Retail Prices
A pilot study revealed large differences in median retail prices for 23 cancer drugs in 7 different countries, with the highest retail prices identified in the United States and the lowest, in India and South Africa. Notably, after the monthly drug price is expressed as a percentage of domestic...
USPSTF Issues New Recommendations for Colorectal Cancer Screening
As reported in JAMA, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued new recommendations for colorectal cancer screening. In brief, the USPSTF recommends colorectal cancer screening starting at age 50 years and continuing until age 75 years (grade A recommendation = “The USPSTF...
In the Neoadjuvant Era, Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Is of Benefit in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
The role of intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer has been debated for a long time. According to a new study presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting, a combination of IP and intravenous (IV) chemotherapy appears more effective than IV chemotherapy alone in...
Supporting Policy to Reduce Tobacco-Related Deaths
One billion lives. That is the estimated human death toll of tobacco use in the 21st century.1 Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide—20% of all deaths and 30% of cancer deaths in the United States are linked to tobacco use.2,3 Impacting this preventable public health...
ASCO Releases the Updated Version of Its Value Framework
Last June, ASCO published its initial concept for a value framework in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).1 The framework, developed by ASCO’s Value in Cancer Care Task Force, is designed to provide a standardized approach to assist physicians and patients in assessing the “value” of a new...
Japanese Trial Shows Improved Survival With Adjuvant S-1 vs Gemcitabine in Resected Pancreatic Cancer
Updated results of a Japanese phase III trial (JASPAC 01) reported in The Lancet by Uesaka et al showed that adjuvant S-1 was associated with significantly better overall survival compared with gemcitabine in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Study Details In the open-label noninferiority ...
SNMMI 2016: Personalized Kidney Dosimetry Optimizes Radiotherapy Dose in Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors
Researchers at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) presented a molecular imaging technique that allows oncologists to set patients’ radiotherapy doses right at that critical limit of delivering the most powerful dosage to neuroendocrine...
Study Finds Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Improves Outcomes vs Standard Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory ALL
In a phase III trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Kantarjian et al found that treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin resulted in a greater complete remission rate and improved overall survival vs standard therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory...
ASCO Releases Clinical Practice Guideline on Treatment of Locally Advanced, Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer
As reported by Edward P. Balaban, DO, of Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer. The recommendations are based on expert panel...
Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Events Seen in Patients With CML Taking Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors have dramatically increased survival for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), continuous administration of these drugs may elicit long-term toxicity, including cardiovascular adverse events. To investigate the incidence of vascular events in patients...
Breast Density Legislation: An Opportunity for Better Risk Assessment
Dense breasts are not an automatic indication for additional imaging. Instead, breast density generally provides an opportunity for improved risk assessment, according to Kevin Hughes, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. “More than 20 states have mandated that women be informed of...
QOPI Certification Program Certifies First International Practice
ASCO recently announced that the Contemporary Oncology Team of Athens, Greece, as part of the new international pilot project, is the first international practice to receive Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) certification through the QOPI Certification Program, LLC (QCP). “Achieving...
Atezolizumab in Platinum-Treated Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: A New Standard of Care?
Compared with a historic control rate, a phase II study of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) has demonstrated clinically meaningful responses in patients with urothelial carcinoma who progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy.1 Hailed as a “major...
Providing Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation for Patients With Advanced Cancer
Guest Editor Physiatry in Oncology explores the benefits of cancer rehabilitation in oncology practice to screen survivors for physical and cognitive impairments along the care continuum to minimize survivors’ disability and maximize their quality of life. The column is guest edited by Sean Smith, ...
Increased Risk of Gallbladder Cancer May Be Linked to Consuming Large Amounts of Sweetened Beverages
A large prospective Swedish study reported by Larsson et al found a 2.2-fold increased risk of gallbladder cancer in people who consumed two or more servings of sweetened beverages a day compared with nonconsumers. The researchers also found a 1.8-fold increase in extrahepatic biliary tract cancer...
The ENDEAVOR Trial: A Case Study in the Interpretation of Modern Cancer Trials
It can be easy to miss the forest for the trees in the interpretation of clinical trials. In particular, trials for the treatment of cancer are exceedingly complex, with long lists of inclusion and exclusion criteria, designs with hidden biases, drugs with unpronounceable names (if not cumbersome...
ASCO 2016: Vast Differences Globally in Cancer Drug Retail Prices
A pilot study revealed large differences in median retail prices for 23 cancer drugs in 7 different countries, with the highest retail prices identified in the United States and the lowest, in India and South Africa. Notably, after the monthly drug price is expressed as a percentage of domestic...
ASCO 2016: Study Finds Use of Mobile Web App Associated With Improved Outcomes in Lung Cancer
A Web-mediated follow-up application (app; Moovcare™) improved advanced lung cancer survival, according to a French multicenter randomized phase III study. Researchers analyzed the association and evolution of self-reported clinical symptoms over time. The median overall survival of patients...
ASCO Guideline on Endocrine Therapy for Hormone Receptor–Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
As reported by Hope S. Rugo, MD, of the University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on endocrine therapy for hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer. The...
QOPI-Certified Practices Eligible to Receive Discount on Medical Malpractice Rates
ASCO and its wholly owned subsidiary, Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, LLC (QCP), announced May 25 that The Doctors Company, the nation's largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, will recognize QOPI® Certification in its rate structure....
DDW 2016: Rates of Colorectal Cancer Continue to Increase in Those Under 50
A new study shows the rate of colorectal cancer continues to increase in individuals under 50 years old, despite the fact that the overall rate of the disease has been declining in recent years. Following examination of more than 1 million colorectal cancer patient records over 10 years,...
DDW 2016: Endoscopist’s Knowledge of Positive Cologuard Test Improves Colonoscopy Performance
An endoscopist's knowledge of a positive Cologuard test improves colonoscopy performance, according to a poster presentation by Johnson et al at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2016 (Abstract Su1044). Cologuard is an at-home, stool-DNA colorectal cancer screening test that has been approved by the...
Play-Based Procedural Preparation May Aid Children Undergoing Cranial Radiation Therapy
Play-based procedural preparation not only helps children cope with the stress and anxiety of radiation therapy, but can also help reduce the amount of sedation used and cut costs, according to a study from the Child Life Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The study was...
Leisure-Time Physical Activity Reduces Risk of Multiple Cancer Types
In a study reported in JAMA Internal Medicine, Moore et al found that greater leisure-time physical activity was associated with a reduced risk for many types of cancer. Study Details The study used pooled data on 1.44 million adults from 12 prospective U.S. and European cohorts with...
Noted Gastrointestinal Oncologist Leonard Saltz, MD, Tempers Optimism With Reality and Factors Cost Into the Equation of Value in Cancer Care
Leonard Saltz, MD, was born in New York, New York, and reared in Westchester County, in the suburbs of the City. Terrance Archer, his high-school biology teacher, whom Dr. Saltz described as a “force of nature,” a wonderful human being, and a major role model, influenced his nascent curiosity in...
Allen S. Lichter, MD, FASCO, Reflects on His Career Path and His Tenure as ASCO CEO, and Predicts a Bright Future for Radiation Oncology
Choosing a career path is one of life’s most challenging decisions, but for Allen S. Lichter, MD, FASCO, deciding to become a doctor was inherently natural. He was born with a great mentor and role model: his father. “I was born and raised in Detroit. My father was a general practitioner in...
A Perilous Time for Refugees With Cancer
The numbers are difficult to fathom. According to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2015, over 60 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced as a result of conflict, persecution, generalized violence, or human rights violations.1 Over 9 million of those ...
A Physician’s Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients
Despite growing awareness and the existence of guidelines, undertreatment of cancer pain remains a persistent dilemma in the oncology community. Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that more than 33% of patients suffering from invasive cancer do not receive...
Eribulin in Liposarcoma: A Closer Look at the Comparative Data
Sarcoma therapy is a challenge for oncologists. Soft-tissue sarcomas encompass more than 50 different histologies, resulting in limited familiarity of management for many treating physicians. In addition, there have been few available effective therapies. The phase III trial of eribulin (Halavan) ...
