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Showing 9851 - 9900Surgeon General Releases New Report on Youth Smoking
The fight against tobacco use among young people was accelerated recently by Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA, with the release of the Surgeon General’s Report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults. This report details the scope, health consequences, and influences that...
Radiation Oncologists Are Discussing Infertility Risks with Young Patients
More than 80% of radiation oncologists discuss the impact of cancer treatments on fertility with their patients of childbearing age. This can lead to improved quality of life for young patients with cancer, according to a study in Practical Radiation Oncology.1 In the past, the clinical focus for...
NCCN Announces New Guidelines for Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced that it has issued new NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology.1 Adolescent and young adult patients are defined in the guidelines as individuals 15 to 39 years of age at initial cancer...
Expert Point of View: SELECT Trial Update: Vitamin E Fails to Prevent Prostate Cancer in Healthy Men, Appears to Increase Risk
According to Adam Kibel, MD, Urology Chair at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, it would appear to be logical that increasing the doses of vitamin E and selenium would decrease the risk of prostate cancer, since the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that these supplements do so. “The...
Expert Point of View: Study Shows Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy to be a Viable Strategy for Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer
According to Seth P. Lerner, MD, Professor in the Scott Department of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and Co-chair of the session at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium where the study by Mak and colleagues was presented, the data clearly demonstrate proof of principle that the...
Study Shows Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy to be a Viable Strategy for Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer
Combined-modality therapy provides a bladder-sparing alternative to radical cystectomy with comparable outcomes in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to a pooled analysis of six Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) trials.1 The study included 468 patients and showed that...
Expert Point of View: Controlled Study Links ‘Chemobrain’ to Longitudinal Changes in Brain
Commenting on the study by Deprez et al, Patricia Ganz, MD, noted the importance of the finding for clinicians. “This study tells us that self-reported complaints mapped onto the neuropsychologic tasks; this has not been shown very often,” said Dr. Ganz, who is Director of the Division of Cancer...
Controlled Study Links ‘Chemobrain’ to Longitudinal Changes in Brain
The phenomenon called “chemobrain”—impaired cognitive functioning following chemotherapy—correlates with longitudinal changes in the brain’s white matter, according a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1 Structural changes in the white matter, measured by magnetic resonance diffusion...
ASCO Releases Palliative Care Provisional Clinical Opinion
ASCO has released a provisional clinical opinion (PCO) addressing the integration of palliative care services into standard oncology care.1 The ASCO Post recently spoke with one of the PCO’s lead authors, Thomas J. Smith, MD, Director of Palliative Care for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns...
ACCC Meeting Focuses on Affordable Care Act: Its Future, and What It Might Accomplish
The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) mid-March Annual Meeting devoted several sessions to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Will it still be here after the Supreme Court decides its fate? If so, how much of it will survive, and how will it affect oncology practice? In...
Our Patients, Our Teachers
There is no greater professional satisfaction than the knowledge that you have cared for a patient and the care brought an improvement in the patient's health. Regardless of the level of appreciation, whether the patient is cured or not, and even if the patient's sense of well-being may be...
Adding Cetuximab to Adjuvant Therapy with Modified FOLFOX6 Does Not Improve Survival
Adding cetuximab (Erbitux) to adjuvant treatment with mFOLFOX6, the modified sixth version of FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin) did not improve disease-free survival among patients with resected stage III colon cancer, even those with wild-type KRAS, according to a phase III study in...
SIDEBAR: Expect Questions from Your Patients: Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines
Changes in the cervical cancer screening guidelines, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), mainly concern longer intervals between screening tests and recommended ages when women should start and stop being screened. USPSTF Co-Vice Chair Michael L. LeFevre, MD, MSPH,...
SIDEBAR: Women Who Received HPV Vaccine Still Need Cervical Cancer Screening
The updated cervical cancer screening guidelines from the the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) note that women who receive the HPV vaccine still need to be screened for cervical cancer because the vaccine does not protect against all strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer. “The...
SIDEBAR: Could HPV Testing Be Used Alone?
“In the United States, there are no recommendations currently for HPV screening alone as a primary screening test for cervical cancer,” Michael L. LeFevre, MD, MSPH, Co-Vice Chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) told The ASCO Post. “Cytology picks up very few cases of...
New Guidelines Recommend Less Frequent Screening for Cervical Cancer, but That Doesn’t Mean Screening Is Less Important
In the News focuses on media reports that your patients may have questions about at their next visit. This continuing column will provide summaries of articles in the popular press that may prompt such questions, as well as comments from colleagues in the field. In March 2012, the U.S. Preventive...
Changing the Course of Human Health through Bold Pursuits in Science
The synergy between industry, academic research, and regulatory bodies will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the future of a robust cancer drug pipeline. To gain insight on oncologic development trends, The ASCO Post recently spoke with Jean Pierre Bizzari, MD, Head of Global...
SMAC Mimetics Induce Proinflammatory Cancer Cell Death and Adaptive Antitumor Immune Response
SMAC/DIABLO (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase/direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding protein with low pI) is a proapoptotic mitochondrial protein that is released in response to various apoptotic stimuli. Molecular mimetics of SMAC are being investigated for use in cancer treatment,...
Bone Morphogenesis Protein 4 Pathway as Treatment Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Bone morphogenesis protein 4 (BMP4), which belongs to the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family, is a multifunctional cytokine that is known to be involved in human carcinogenesis. The cytokine exerts its effects through pathways dependent on and independent of SMAD proteins, which are the...
PEDF Has Cytotoxic Effect on Breast Cancer Cells and Neuron-protective Effect
The cytokine pigment epithelium–derived factor (PEDF) is downregulated in brain metastases of breast cancer by approximately 14-fold compared with primary breast tumors, suggesting that promoting its expression might inhibit metastatic spread. Normal breast epithelial cells express high levels of...
Constructing a Top Five List in Oncology
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has joined the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation and eight other medical specialty societies to take a collective stand in improving patient care and addressing rising health-care costs. As part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely®...
Clinical Findings and Consequences of Distributing Counterfeit Drugs for Hematology and Oncology
As introduced in our report on page 1 of this issue, counterfeit pharmaceuticals are an increasingly important safety concern, and three of the most prominent drug-counterfeiting episodes in recent years have involved hematology/oncology products. Counterfeit Erythropoietin Helen B., a 61-year-old...
Expert Point of View: ColoPrint Gene Assay Can Guide Treatment Decisions in Stage II Colon Cancer
Axel Grothey, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, told The ASCO Post that he finds the data “intriguing” and that the study exemplifies the value of developing molecular signatures for use in colon cancer. “It identifies patients with an excellent prognosis, who perhaps should not be...
ColoPrint Gene Assay Can Guide Treatment Decisions in Stage II Colon Cancer
ColoPrint, an 18-gene expression profile assay for patients with early-stage colon cancer, accurately stratifies patients by recurrence risk and identifies a subset who can be adequately treated by surgery alone, investigators reported at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.1 According to...
Letter to the Editor: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Reconsidered
I read with interest the front-page interview of Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel by Jo Cavallo in the December 15, 2011, issue of The ASCO Post. Dr. Emanuel may have had some of the most prestigious positions in all of medicine, but his opinion of the Affordable Care Act is completely misguided. This...
Defining Meaningful Benefit: The Debate Continues in Bevacizumab’s Wake
The events surrounding the labeling of bevacizumab (Avastin) have been well covered since last November when the FDA withdrew the drug’s accelerated approval as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer. However, the controversy initiated a debate over the value of endpoints in clinical trials in...
Expert Point of View: Novel Multikinase Inhibitor Improves Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The results of the CORRECT trial created some degree of “buzz” at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, with experts predicting that regorafenib will become FDA-approved and have strong clinical utility. While numerically, the benefit appeared small, “There is a real difference with this...
Novel Multikinase Inhibitor Improves Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor regorafenib, given as a single agent to patients with treatment-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, significantly improved overall survival and delayed disease progression in an international phase III trial presented at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers...
I Refuse to Let Cancer Win
My battle with cancer started with a simple sore throat in June 2005. Despite two rounds of an antibiotic to clear up the problem, within 2 months my throat hurt so much I couldn’t swallow, and a mysterious lump had suddenly appeared on my tongue. By the end of August, I was diagnosed with stage...
Partial Nephrectomy Can Optimize Survival in Patients with Early-stage Disease
Following recent clinical trial data from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment (EORTC) showing a survival benefit for patients with small kidney cancers treated with radical vs partial nephrectomy, an analysis using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) and...
Integrated Genetic Profiling Can Identify Predictors of Outcome and Improve Risk Stratification in AML Patients
A mutational analysis of 18 genes in 398 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found at least one somatic alteration in 97.3% of the patients and identified genetic predictors of outcome that improved risk stratification among patients with AML, independent of age, white-cell count, induction...
Women Treated with Breast-conserving Surgery More Likely to Have Diagnostic and Invasive Procedures over Time
Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with breast-conserving surgery “continue to have diagnostic and invasive breast procedures in the conserved breast over an extended period,” according to a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “The estimated 10-year...
Collaborating to Conquer Cancer, Theme of 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting
Developing curative regimens and other advances in pediatric oncology have demonstrated "what can be accomplished through collaboration, through the understanding of multidisciplinary care," said Michael P. Link, MD, ASCO President. Dr. Link commented to The ASCO Post about the theme for this...
Update on Oncology Drug Shortage: Better for Now, But Permanent Solutions Must Address Underlying Issues
Over the past few years, drug shortages in the United States have been on the rise, involving hundreds of agents, many of which are lifesaving medications for patients with cancer. In recent months, the FDA has taken steps to alleviate some of the most critical oncology drug shortages. “We should...
Oncology Professionals and Leaders to be Honored at ASCO Annual Meeting
ASCO is recognizing researchers, patient advocates, and leaders of the global oncology community through its Special Awards Program at this year’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. Recipients of ASCO’s special awards collectively represent significant strides in cancer treatment and leadership in the...
Oral Rivaroxaban Is Noninferior to Standard Anticoagulant Therapy in Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Thromboembolic disease is common in patients with cancer and increases risk of mortality. Recent studies showed that the oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban (Xarelto) was as effective and safe as standard anticoagulant therapy in treating deep-vein thrombosis, with superior efficacy of rivaroxaban ...
Geriatric Oncologists: A Small but Passionate Group
Although age is the major risk factor for developing cancer, geriatric oncology is still a relatively new discipline within the oncology community. To gain insight into this evolving component of cancer care, The ASCO Post recently spoke with a leader in the field, Stuart M. Lichtman, MD, FACP,...
SIDEBAR: Social Media: A Generational Thing?
Overheard Monday morning conversations about concerns expressed by patients and family members over the weekend triggered the idea for the article about the challenges of using social media to communicate with patients in the oncology setting, according to the article’s lead author, Lori Wiener,...
Before Accepting a ‘Friend’ Request on Social Media, Carefully Consider the Potential Pitfalls and Perils
To friend or not to friend? That is the question many social networkers ponder daily. Oncologists and other health professionals considering “friend” requests from patients would be wise to first consider the potential pitfalls and perils of accepting such requests, according to an article written...
Expert Point of View: Chemoradiation with Fluorouracil and Mitomycin Reduces Recurrence of Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer
In an editorial accompanying the recently reported UK phase III Bladder Cancer 2001 (BC2001) trial, Shipley and Zietman, from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, point out that this trial shows that “the addition of a very tolerable regimen of chemotherapy to radiotherapy...
New Research Shows Promise in Cachexia, a Persistent Clinical Challenge
In the late 1980s, researchers led by Alfred L. Goldberg, PhD, first isolated the large protein complexes now called 26S proteasomes, which are the sites where most cellular proteins are degraded back to amino acids. Protein degradation by the proteasome pathway is critical in regulating many...
Expert Point of View: More New Data Support Use of Daily Aspirin to Prevent Cancers
Is it time to recommend aspirin for cancer prevention? “It’s the question we are asking,” said Andrew T. Chan, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who wrote a commentary accompanying three new studies in The Lancet and Lancet Oncology. The studies, by Peter M. Rothwell,...
FDA Reminds Public about Potential for Life-threatening Harm from Accidental Exposure to Fentanyl Patches
The FDA has issued a statement reminding patients, caregivers, and health-care professionals of the importance of appropriate storage, use, application, and disposal of fentanyl transdermal systems (including Duragesic and generic products) to prevent potential life-threatening harm from accidental ...
JAMA Highlights New Comparative Effectiveness Studies
A recent press briefing moderated by Phil B. Fontanarosa, MD, MBA, Executive Editor, JAMA, presented new findings on comparative effectiveness research, and two of the studies discussed focused on cancer. Dr. Fontanarosa started by defining comparative effectiveness research, which gained...
Cancer.Net, ASCO’s Patient Education Website: Celebrating 10 Years of Trusted Cancer Education
“For 10 years, Cancer.Net has reflected the voice of the physician and given people with cancer and their loved ones the tools they need to actively participate in their cancer care. ASCO has used all the technological advances of the past decade to make information more accessible, interactive,...
ASCO Past President Highlights QOPI® Efforts to Improve Care in Michigan
ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) can be used to assess the quality of care in a statewide consortium of oncology practices and ultimately can lead to better care for patients with cancer, said ASCO Past President Douglas W. Blayney, MD, at a recent briefing on cancer care value...
Conquer Cancer Foundation Board Member Tom Roberts Cites Need to Grow Research Capacity as Opportunity for Discovery Accelerates
Thomas G. Roberts, MD, dedicates a shelf in his home to memories of patients—photographs, notes, expressions of gratitude, traces of lives linked with his through cancer treatment. He looks at it every day, he says, and the memories inform his mission. “In oncology, you become part of people’s...
Analysis Suggests CT Screening Could Save Lives at Relatively Low Cost
Results of an actuarial analysis suggest that offering lung cancer screening with low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) as a commercial insurance benefit to individuals who are 50 to 64 years old and have a smoking history of 30 pack-years or more could save lives at relatively low cost....
Study Reports on New Potential Biomarker of Response in Lung Cancer Chemoprevention Studies
MiRNAs, negative post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, are involved in bronchial carcinogenesis from the very early steps of this process. Endobronchial histology is currently considered as the best intermediate endpoint for chemoprevention studies. However, no intermediate biomarker...
Untreated Cancer Pain Remains a Significant Global Problem
“Physicians are afraid of morphine … Doctors [in Kenya] are so used to patients dying in pain … they think that this is how you must die. They are suspicious if you don’t die this way — [and feel] that you died prematurely.” —Human Rights Watch interview with Dr. John Weru of Nairobi Hospice,...
