Search Results
Your search for ,now matches 6673 pages
Showing 4451 - 4500Effectiveness of Organized National Breast Cancer Screening: The Israeli Experience
Recent years have seen the publication of a considerable amount of scientific literature questioning the effectiveness of mammography screening in decreasing breast cancer mortality.1-4 This article explores how the Israeli experience has demonstrated the efficacy of organized national...
Metabolic Gene-Expression Profile May Identify Kidney Cancer Patients Unlikely to Benefit From Nivolumab
Renal cell carcinomas (RCC) positive for the protein programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) from patients who did not respond to treatment with the anti–PD-1 therapeutic nivolumab (Opdivo) had significantly higher expression of genes associated with metabolism, compared with PD-L1–positive...
Is Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide Disruptive Technology?
There was a time when transplantation across human leukocyte antigen (HLA) barriers was fraught with so much difficulty that many thought it was impossible and we should stop trying. However, most patients do not have an HLA-matched sibling donor, and death was therefore certain if they had a...
Making a Difference in Cancer Care With You: Daniel Hayes’ Presidential Theme
“Are you a member of ASCO?” I distinctly remember being asked that question in 1984, during my second year as a fellow at what was then the Sidney Farber (now Dana-Farber) Cancer Institute. My first reaction: “What’s an ASCO?” Turned out it was a) the Society that many of my mentors had or would...
Daniel F. Hayes, MD, FASCO, Leader in Translational Research, Begins Term as ASCO President
In 1995, Daniel F. Hayes, MD, FASCO, gathered with several other oncologists at a conference center in San Francisco to begin writing the first-ever ASCO guidelines on cancer treatment. He and his colleagues felt like pioneers scouting uncharted frontier. “I’ll never forget, that first hour or so, ...
Anti–PD-L1 Immunotherapy Shows Response in Microsatellite-Stable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Combination With MEK Inhibition
Anti–PD-L1 (programmed death ligand 1) immunotherapy may achieve a response in patients with microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer if combined with a MEK inhibitor, according to phase I data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 18th World Congress on...
AAPM 2016: Somatic Mutations and PET-Based Radiomic Features in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
A cutting-edge method of extracting big data from positron-emission tomography (PET) images can provide additional information to quantify lung tumors caused by a genetic mutation. This information could help guide the most effective treatment, suggest findings of a study of nearly 350 patients...
Expert Point of View: W. Robert Lee, MD
Formal discussant W. Robert Lee, MD, of Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, placed himself firmly in the camp supporting hypofractionation as a new standard of care. “We now have three large noninferiority trials with different eligibility criteria and different regimens....
Moonshots and ‘Onco-nauts’
Where were you on July 20, 1969? I certainly remember where I was—sitting in a mess hall at summer camp watching a grainy black-and-white TV as Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I recall the sense of jubilation and accomplishment that all American citizens...
ASCO and Friends of Cancer Research Launch Initiative to Modernize Eligibility Criteria for Clinical Trials
The dismal accrual rates in cancer clinical trials are well known: Just 3% to 5% of adults with cancer enroll in clinical trials.1 The reasons patients are reluctant to participate in clinical trials are equally well known: fear of reduced quality of life, concern about receiving a placebo, and...
Effect of Radiosurgery Alone vs Radiosurgery Plus WBRT on Cognitive Function in Patients With Brain Metastases
Physicians from Carolinas HealthCare System's Neurosciences Institute and Levine Cancer Institute are among the authors of a study published by Brown et al in JAMA. The study showed how among patients with one to three brain metastases, the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone, compared...
The National Cancer Moonshot Lifts Off
Just 6 months after President Barack Obama announced the establishment of a National Cancer Moonshot Initiative to accelerate the pace of research discoveries, improve patient access and care, and encourage data-sharing, dozens of new initiatives to accomplish those and other goals were rolled out...
The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation Gives $1 Million to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for Immunotherapy Research
The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation has presented a gift of $1 million to support the Shirley Sadoff Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Research Acceleration Network 2 Grant. The grant will support a large, multicenter phase II clinical trial studying an immunotherapeutic approach in patients with...
My Commitment to Helping Other Survivors of Childhood Cancers
When I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) at the age of 2 in 1974, not much was known about the cancer or the side effects of its treatment. Too young to understand what was happening to me, the burden fell to my parents and older sibling to protect and care for me. For more than...
NCCN Publishes New Patient Education Resources About Myelodysplastic Syndromes
To provide insight on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) for patients and caregivers, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has published the NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and NCCN Quick Guide™ for MDS. These resources are provided through funding from the NCCN Foundation® and, in part,...
David Bartels, DO, Joins Summit Cancer Center–Post Falls
David Bartels, DO, will be joining Summit Cancer Center–Post Falls as a medical oncologist effective August 1, 2016, leaving his current position as a medical oncologist with Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Summit Cancer Centers, associated with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, now...
Rajesh K. Garg, MD, JD, Named President, CEO of CTCA
Rajesh K. Garg, MD, JD, is now President and CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global, Inc (CTCA). The announcement was made by CTCA earlier this spring. Dr. Garg, who started this new position on June 20, 2016, will also serve as a member of the company’s national Board of Directors. Dr. ...
An Epic Medical Story by an Old-Style Doctor on the Front Lines of Care
The U.S. health-care system is a $3 trillion behemoth of dizzying complexity. Government oversight, ever-changing regulations, mountains of paperwork, electronic health records, initiative after initiative, and so forth, all of which has reshaped the delivery of care, for the good and bad. But...
Using Simulation-Based Training to Improve the Procedural Skills of Oncology/Hematology Fellows
Simulation-based education in medicine programs implemented in cancer centers for oncology/hematology fellows recreates real-world patient experiences and provides a safe—and stress-free—learning environment in which trainees can enhance their clinical and procedural skills in a variety of areas....
Fentanyl Nasal Spray Now Available at a Dose of 300 µg for Treatment of Breakthrough Cancer Pain
Fentanyl (Lazanda) nasal spray, a schedule II narcotic, is now available at a 300-µg dose to treat breakthrough cancer pain, offering physicians another titration option for dosing flexibility. The new strength can help physicians more easily and accurately target the appropriate dose for patients, ...
As Low-Dose CT Screening Moves Into the Clinic, Implementation Issues Move Up on the Agenda
Low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer in high-risk groups is moving into the clinic in the wake of its approval by the U.S. Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services. That does not mean, however, the discussion is over. As low-dose CT moves from research to everyday...
Lung Cancer Screening: Beneficial for Certain Populations but Not Without Controversy
The National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Sciences took up the issue of lung cancer screening at its mid-June workshop. Greta Massetti, PhD, Associate Director for Science, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and chair of ...
Pap Smear Screenings May Help Prevent Cervical Cancer in Women Over 65
A new study from the University of Illinois confirms a link between Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screenings and a lower risk of developing cervical cancer in women over age 65. However, most American health guidelines discourage women in that age range from receiving screenings unless they have...
Road to Successful Use of Real-World Evidence for Drug Development Is Long and Rocky
Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) has been a leader in the push for better and faster cancer drug development. Now it is tackling the use of real-world evidence in clinical trials. This is the report of a meeting on the subject that took place on June 16 in Washington, DC.1 Real-world evidence...
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project: Direct-to-Patient Research Initiative
A nationwide project is enlisting patients with breast cancer to share their tumor samples and clinical information. Launched in October 2015, the Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Project has enrolled more than 2,000 patients from all 50 states and is yielding information that will be shared with...
Using Social Media to Accelerate Genomic Research
The success of using social media to push forward causes for social good was a driving factor in the launch this past October of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Project (MBC project), which aims to accelerate the understanding of what makes patients with metastatic breast cancer genetically unique....
Sarah S. Donaldson, MD, FASCO, Honored With Inaugural Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award
Sarah S. Donaldson, MD, FASCO, of Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, is the recipient of the Inaugural Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award. Throughout her decades-long career, Dr. Donaldson has mentored countless trainees and young oncologists,...
Brachytherapy Pioneer Haakon Ragde, MD, Chosen as ASTRO 2016 Honorary Member
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has selected Haakon Ragde, MD, as its 2016 Honorary Member, the highest honor ASTRO confers on distinguished cancer researchers, scientists, and leaders in disciplines other than radiation oncology, radiobiology, or radiation physics. Dr. Ragde...
App 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: Sunil Verma, MD
Sunil Verma, MD, Professor and Head of the Department of Oncology and Medical Director of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre of the University of Calgary in Canada, was the study’s formal discussant. He cited several limitations of the study: It was an open-label study, was initially a phase II study but ...
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...
Charting a New Course at the FDA
In February, after serving for a year as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco, Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC, was named the agency’s Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Prior to his appointment at the FDA, Dr. Califf was the Donald F....
Stress and Adverse Life Events Unlikely to Cause Breast Cancer
Day-to-day psychological stress and adverse life events are unlikely to increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new prospective study published by Schoemaker et al in Breast Cancer Research. Women with breast cancer often consider stress as a likely cause of their ...
Early Evidence of Anti–PD-1 Activity in Enzalutamide-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Restoring tumor-specific immunity is a treatment strategy that works well in melanoma and lung cancer patients. Now a new study out of the Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) Knight Cancer Institute is reviving hope that the approach also may help men with life-threatening prostate...
Preclinical Study Shows Target of Trastuzumab, Receptor Protein ErbB2, Needed for Coronary Vasculature Patterning
A receptor protein that is the target of the breast cancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) is needed for proper heart blood vessel development, reported researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. They published their findings this month in a paper ...
Internationally Renowned Geneticist, Alfred George Knudson, MD, PhD, Dies
Considered a visionary in cancer research, Alfred George Knudson, MD, PhD, was internationally recognized for his “two-hit theory” of cancer causation, which explained the relationship between hereditary and nonhereditary cancer types, predicting the existence of tumor-suppressor genes. ...
New Analysis Evaluates Predictors of Persistent Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery
An analysis led by McMaster University researchers has found that women who undergo armpit lymph node surgery for breast cancer are much more likely to develop chronic pain. Wang et al published their review of studies exploring risk factors for developing chronic pain after breast cancer...
FDA Approves First HPV Test for Use With SurePath Preservative Fluid
On July 7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Roche cobas HPV Test as the first test for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that can be used with cervical cells obtained for a Papanicolau (Pap) test and collected in SurePath Preservative Fluid. The FDA approves HPV tests to be used...
ESMO Releases New Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has released new consensus guidelines for the management of metastatic colorectal cancer that reflect an increasingly personalized approach to treatment. These guidelines were published by Van Cutsem et al in Annals of Oncology. “Management of ...
Impact of Systemic Inflammation on Quality of Life in Advanced Cancer
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Laird et al found that increased systemic inflammation was associated with poorer patient-reported quality of life independent of performance status. Study Details The study involved data from 2,520 adult patients in a biobank of patients...
World GI 2016: Anti–PD-L1 Immunotherapy Combined With MEK Inhibition Shows Response in Microsatellite-Stable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Anti–PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand 1) immunotherapy may achieve a response in patients with microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer if combined with a MEK inhibitor, according to phase I data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 18th World Congress on ...
Study Finds Incidence of Mutations in DNA-Repair Genes Significantly Higher in Men With Metastatic Prostate Cancer
The incidence of mutations in DNA-repair genes was significantly higher among men with metastatic prostate cancer than among men with localized disease (11.8% vs 4.6%), according to a study by Pritchard et al reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, the frequency ...
Thriving With Cancer
Seven years ago, at age 44, I was the picture of health. I played tennis every day, went bike riding and lifted weights several times a week, and made sure I ate a healthy diet. The closest I had ever come to cancer was caring for my mother during her 2-year illness with esophageal cancer. As it...
Fentanyl Nasal Spray Now Available at a Dose of 300 μg for Treatment of Breakthrough Cancer Pain
Fentanyl (Lazanda) nasal spray, a schedule II narcotic, is now available at a 300-μg dose to treat breakthrough cancer pain, offering physicians another titration option for dosing flexibility. The new strength can help physicians more easily and accurately target the appropriate dose for...
Relapse of Leukemia After Bone Marrow Transplantation: Cytomegalovirus Infection Has No Protective Effect
Recent studies on a small number of patients with leukemia treated with bone marrow transplantation have suggested that the presence of the common cytomegalovirus (CMV) in patients or their donors may protect against relapse or even death after the transplant. A large international study published...
Regarding Beau
Like most pediatric hematologists/oncologists, my career has been a journey, hoping to discover ways to improve the outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer. I have been blessed to work with outstanding colleagues in the United States and throughout the world. And of equal importance, I...
What’s Driving the Rising Rates of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults?
The study statistics are alarming—and perplexing. According to an analysis of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) colorectal cancer registry, colon cancer incidence among young adults aged 20 to 34 is expected to increase 90% by 2030, and the incidence of rectosigmoid...
W.K. Alfred Yung, MD, Joins National Brain Tumor Society
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) has announced the appointment of W.K. Alfred Yung, MD, as Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Dr. Yung, the outgoing Chair of the Neuro-Oncology Department at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will play an important role in...
Expert Point of View: David Reardon, MD
“Adjuvant temozolomide does represent a new standard of care for 1p/19q-intact anaplastic glioma patients,” according to David Reardon, MD, Clinical Director at the Dana-Farber Center for Neuro-Oncology and the study’s formal discussant at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting. “We see a significant...
New Standard of Care Emerges for Anaplastic Glioma Without 1p/19q Codeletion
Adjuvant temozolomide, after radiotherapy, improves overall survival in patients with grade 3 anaplastic glioma without 1p/19q codeletion, according to a phase III EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) study presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 “We were...
