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Showing 8701 - 8750Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Medical Marijuana
Despite the fact that 28 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to permit the use of cannabis and cannabinoid-based drugs to treat medical conditions, including cancer and symptoms from its treatment, federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing marijuana to their patients,...
Accelerating Progress in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme
W.K. Alfred Yung, MD, has wanted a career in medicine since he was a high-school student and has spent nearly 4 decades fulfilling that dream, specifically in the research and treatment of one of the deadliest cancers, malignant brain tumor, especially glioblastoma multiforme, the most common...
Updated ASTRO Guideline Expands Pool of Suitable Candidates for Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation
On November 17, 2016, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) issued an updated clinical practice statement for accelerated partial-breast irradiation for early-stage breast cancer. The updated guideline reflects recent evidence that greater numbers of patients may benefit from...
Confirmation or Transformation? The Case of Palbociclib in Hormone Receptor–Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
Women with hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer are witnessing an unprecedented time of success in the battle against their disease. Just in the past 12 months, a number of prospective, randomized, phase III studies were reported, with positive results indicating the value of...
ASCO and ONS Release Updated Chemotherapy Administration Standards to Include Pediatric Oncology Care
ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have updated their chemotherapy administration safety standards to include pediatric oncology care. The updated standards can be found in the Journal of Oncology Practice.1 In 2009, ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society published the initial set of...
Expert Point of View: Sergio A. Giralt, MD
Sergio A. Giralt, MD, Chief of the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and the Melvin Berlin Family Chair in Multiple Myeloma, commented on the findings of the StaMINA trial for The ASCO Post. He said the results of the largest randomized U.S....
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, FACP, Named Chair of American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and Deputy Director for Clinical Services of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named the new Chair of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The...
Conquer Cancer Foundation Matching Gift Challenge Offers Chance to Double Your Impact
The Conquer Cancer Foundation has an incredible opportunity for you to make an amazing impact! An anonymous donor is offering a Matching Gift Challenge, which will double the value of every gift we receive by December 31—dollar for dollar—up to $64,000! This amount is enough to fund one of our...
Expert Point of View: Amir T. Fathi, MD
“In the past few years, there has been increased reporting of other, less traditional, response criteria in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including morphologic leukemia-free state, partial response, and complete remission [or complete response] with incomplete recovery. There is some concern that...
Women in Oncology: Breaking Down Barriers and Looking to the Future
There has been no better time than the present for women in the field of oncology: Women at all stages of their careers are finding more opportunities and avenues to excel. At the time of the last ASCO workforce survey, women made up 28.4% of the oncologist workforce, and that proportion is rising...
Achieving Complete Response Is Key to Improving Survival in Older Patients With AML
The importance of achieving complete response after intensive therapy in older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was confirmed in a follow-up analysis of the E2906 North American Intergroup trial.1 Patients in complete response had superior survival in this landmark analysis. This finding...
Richard Gorlick, MD, Joins MD Anderson to Lead Pediatrics
Richard Gorlick, MD, an expert in pediatric oncology and hematology, has joined The University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital as the Division Head and Department Chair of Pediatrics. A pediatric cancer survivor himself, Dr. Gorlick committed his life’s work to helping young...
Expert Point of View: Stephen P. Hunger, MD
Stephen P. Hunger, MD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Oncology and Director of the Center for Childhood Cancer Research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Jeffrey E. Perelman Distinguished Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,...
A Gleason 6 Tumor: Is It Cancer, and Should It Be Treated?
The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer have long been a source of controversy among the oncology community, the political sector, and patient advocacy groups. Most notably, the decision to biopsy a man’s prostate gland rests largely on his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test numbers, the...
As We Strive for a Cancer Cure, We Must Not Forget the Survivors
Although a cure for cancer remains elusive, there are many promising ideas to eradicate this disease, including the Cancer Moonshot Initiative and an ever-increasing body of cancer research that continually drives innovative treatments in an effort to improve survival and, ultimately, find a...
Expert Point of View: Michael Gnant, MD
Michael Gnant, MD, Professor of Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria and President of the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group, was the invited discussant of the three studies of extended endocrine therapy. “The trials did not reach the necessary statistical levels ...
Improved Survival With Higher Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Values in Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
In a retrospective analysis of the phase III CLEOPATRA trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Luen et al found that higher baseline tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels were associated with improved overall survival among patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer receiving trastuzumab...
ESMO Asia 2016: Study Validates Set of Six Adaptable Prognosis Prediction Models for Patients With Cancer in Palliative Care Settings
A routine blood test may predict how long patients with cancer in palliative care will survive, researchers reported at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore. “Cancer patients in palliative care want honest and accurate prognostic information but this information needs to be shared...
ESMO Asia 2016: Depressed Patients May Be Less Responsive to Chemotherapy
A brain-boosting protein plays an important role in how well people respond to chemotherapy, researchers reported at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore. A study (Abstract 497O_PR) found that patients with cancer suffering from depression have decreased amounts of brain-derived neurotrophic...
Circulating Tumor DNA May Serve as a Prognostic Marker in Pancreatic Cancer
Translational research in pancreatic adenocarcinoma has been limited by the difficulty of obtaining sufficient quality and quantity tumor tissue from patients. A study by Pietrasz et al assessing the feasibility and prognostic value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma has...
ESMO Asia 2016: Almost 20% of Swedish Breast Cancer Patients Fail to Complete Prescribed Endocrine Therapy
Around 20% of patients with breast cancer in Sweden do not complete endocrine therapy, according to research that will be reported at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress (Abstract 62O_PR), to be held December 16–19 in Singapore.The study in over 5,500 women found that younger patients and those who...
Effectiveness of Electroacupuncture for Sleep Disturbances in Patients With Breast Cancer and Hot Flashes
Studies suggest that approximately 30% to 40% of women with breast cancer report persistent hot flashes. Nocturnal hot flashes are among the most problematic because they can contribute to poor sleep. A new study published by Garland et al in Menopause shows that electroacupuncture may be effective ...
Effect of Inpatient Palliative Care on Quality of Life After Stem Cell Transplant
Integrating palliative care into the treatment of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for cancers like leukemia and lymphoma can improve their quality of life, relieve symptoms associated with the procedure, and reduce depression and anxiety, not only during the 3- to 4-week ...
WCLC 2016: Icotinib May Improve Progression-Free Survival vs Whole-Brain Irradiation in Patients With NSCLC With Brain Metastases
Patients whose lung cancer spreads to their brain typically have only 4 to 6 months left to live, but research presented by Chinese doctors suggests that using icotinib increases progression-free survival in these patients compared to whole-brain irradiation and chemotherapy combined. Yi-Long Wu,...
WCLC 2016: New Lung Cancer Tumor Staging Manual to Shape Clinical Treatment
A revised tumor classification based on more than 70,000 non–small cell lung cancer patients and 6,100 small cell lung cancer patients is now available to lung cancer specialists around the world in the form of the 8th edition of the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) classification. The...
ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline on Prevention and Monitoring of Cardiac Dysfunction in Survivors of Adult Cancers
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Saro H. Armenian, DO, MPH, of City of Hope, and colleagues, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on prevention and monitoring of cardiac dysfunction in survivors of adult cancers. Recommendations were developed by an expert panel using a ...
ESMO Asia 2016: Patients in India Wait an Average of 4 Months Before Seeking a Cancer Diagnosis
Patients in Chandigarh, India, waited an average of 4 months before seeking a cancer diagnosis, according to a recent study. Some patients waited less than a week before seeing a doctor—while others waited 3 years. The researchers will report their findings at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress ...
Rucaparib Appears Effective in Relapsed Platinum-Sensitive High-Grade Ovarian Carcinoma
In part 1 of the phase II ARIEL2 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Swisher et al found that the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor rucaparib was associated with prolonged progression-free survival among patients with relapsed platinum-sensitive high-grade ovarian carcinoma who had...
SABCS 2016: IBM Watson for Oncology Platform Shows High Degree of Concordance With Physician Recommendations
The artificial-intelligence platform Watson for Oncology (WFO) achieved a high degree of concordance with the recommendations of a panel of oncologists in a double-blinded validation study, according to results presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 6 to 10...
Investigational Immunotherapy for Advanced Melanoma
The investigational immunotherapeutic IMC-20D7S was found to be well tolerated and somewhat active in patients with advanced melanoma, including one complete response, according to the results of a phase I/Ib trial reported by Danny N. Khalil, MD, PhD, and colleagues in Clinical Cancer Research....
George A. Komatsoulis, PhD, Joins CancerLinQ LLC as Chief of Bio-Informatics
CancerLinQ LLC has announced that George A. Komatsoulis, PhD, will be its first Chief of Bio-Informatics. This marks another step toward the organization’s goal of making the CancerLinQ® platform the premier system for unlocking patient data from millions of electronic health records, breaking...
Expect Questions About Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Cancer Survivors
Reports of rare, but in some cases fatal, cardiac complications when the checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) are used in combination should be taken seriously but should not scare patients away from potentially life-saving drugs, according to Javid J. Moslehi, MD. Dr....
Cardiac Complications in Patients Receiving Combination Checkpoint Inhibitors Are Rare but Can Be Fatal
Cardiovascular toxicities associated with cancer treatments are not new. What is new, and what has prompted recent articles in The New England Journal of Medicine,1,2 is the explosion of cancer therapies, which has dramatically changed the natural course of many cancers but can lead to cardiac,...
Overcoming the Physical, Emotional, and Financial Effects of Cancer
Although my diagnosis of stage IIIB melanoma 5 years ago came as a shock, in hindsight, it shouldn’t have been so surprising. I had noticed a small freckle-like lesion on my upper left thigh that had become itchy and occasionally bled, but it didn’t fit the ABCDE (Asymmetry, Border irregularity,...
Valerian
Scientific Names: Valeriana officinalis, Valeriana radix Common Names: Garden valerian, Indian valerian, Pacific valerian, garden heliotrope Overview A perennial flowering plant prevalent in Europe, Asia, and North America, valerian has a long medicinal history as a relaxant. Its potential as a...
SABCS 2016: BELLE-3 Trial of Buparlisib Plus Endocrine Therapy Meets Primary Endpoint of Progression-Free Survival in Breast Cancer Patients
The investigational PI3K inhibitor buparlisib, in combination with endocrine therapy, improved outcomes for patients with hormone receptor–positive advanced breast cancer that had progressed after treatment with everolimus (Afinitor) plus exemestane, according to data from the phase III...
Profound Answers to Simple Questions
A few years ago, I had the good fortune to join a research team that intended to create a device to help dying children express their wants and needs despite communication challenges. The brain tumor team at SickKids [also known as The Hospital for Sick Children] had cared for several children...
Team-Based Care in Oncology: National Cancer Institute and ASCO Launch Unique Project
In its November 2016 issue, the Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) has published a special series that represents the results of a unique project launched in 2014 by ASCO and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to heighten awareness of ways to enhance team-based care in oncology. Concerns about...
SABCS 2016: Radiation Therapy May Increase Complications in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Implants
Radiotherapy increased complications and impaired patient-reported satisfaction with reconstructed breasts in breast cancer patients who received implant reconstruction, but not in those who received autologous reconstruction, according to data from a large, prospective, multicenter cohort study...
Palliative Care Improves Quality of Life, Relieves Symptoms
People living with serious illness who receive palliative care have better quality of life and fewer symptoms than those who don’t receive palliative care, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Published by Dio Kavalieratos, PhD, Assistant...
Using Art to Humanize Medicine
Among the most widely attended sessions at the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium in September was the keynote lecture, “Wit, Hex, Vin, Life, Death: Using Wit as a Teaching Tool,” given by Margaret Edson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Wit. Wit tells the story of an accomplished ...
Approval of Dinutuximab for High-Risk Neuroblastoma: Lessons Learned in Expediting the Development of Pediatric Cancer Drugs
On March 10, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to dinutuximab (formerly known as chimeric 14.18 antibody; Unituxin) for use in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and 13-cis-retinoic acid...
Integrating AYA Oncology Care Into the Worlds of Pediatric and Adult Oncology Care to Improve Cancer Outcomes
GUEST EDITORAdolescent and Young Adult Oncology explores the unique physical, psychosocial, social, emotional, sexual, and financial challenges adolescents and young adults with cancer face. The column is guest edited by Brandon M. Hayes-Lattin, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine and...
Faculty Development in Oncology: Advancing the Field by Optimizing Opportunities for Educators to Learn and Grow
In 2015, Janet Riddle, MD, and her colleagues published an article1 outlining 12 key themes for delineating how fellowship programs in medical education should be developed (See “12 Tips for Developing Successful Fellowship Programs for Medical Educators,” below.) The ASCO Post talked with Dr....
Statement From the American Association for Cancer Research on the House Passage of the 21st Century Cures Act
From Nancy E. Davidson, MD, President of the AACR and Executive Director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/University of Washington Cancer Consortium, and Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer of the AACR On behalf of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),...
Precautions in Cancer Rehabilitation Services: Imperative or Impediment in Patient Care?
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, ...
Friends of Cancer Research Rethinks Traditional Clinical Trials
Ellen V. Sigal, PhD, Chair and Founder of Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) began the annual meeting with a conversation with Douglas R. Lowy, MD, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Acting Director, and Robert M. Califf, MD, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner. “Cancer research is ...
ASCO Releases Criteria for High-Quality Clinical Pathways in Oncology
ASCO recently released its Criteria for High-Quality Clinical Pathways in Oncology, a set of 15 interrelated criteria that provide an overarching framework for assessing pathway programs in the United States. ASCO developed the criteria to guide stakeholders in assessing the quality, utility, and...
NCCN Launches Campaign to Eradicate Fatal Vincristine Errors
It is uniformly fatal and impossible to undo. When the chemotherapy drug vincristine is placed in a syringe and injected intrathecally—into the spinal fluid—the patient always dies. And despite safety guidelines and labels, deaths continue to occur. Now the National Comprehensive Cancer Network®...
Complete the Free PQRS Reporting Available Through QOPI® by December 31 to Avoid a 2% Medicare Reimbursement Cut in 2018
In September 2016, ASCO announced its latest offering to oncology practices: the ability to complete all Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) requirements through the user-friendly Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) platform at no cost. By completing the PQRS module by December 31,...
