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New Breast Exam Nearly Quadruples Detection of Invasive Breast Cancers When Added to Screening Mammography in Women With Dense Breast Tissue
A new breast imaging technique developed at Mayo Clinic nearly quadruples detection rates of invasive breast cancers in women with dense breast tissue, according to the results of a study published by Rhodes et al in the American Journal of Roentgenology. What Is MBI? Molecular breast imaging...
Head and Neck Cancers in Young Adults More Likely to Be a Result of Inherited Factors
Data from 25 case-control studies and separate analyses show that head and neck cancers in young adults are more likely to occur as a result of inherited factors rather than lifestyle factors, such as smoking or drinking alcohol, according to a new study by Toporcov et al published in the...
Researchers Identify Potential Treatment Targeting Proliferation Pathway in Some Aggressive Tumors
Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a potential treatment targeting a pathway by which several aggressive tumors maintain their ability to proliferate, according to a study by Flynn et al published...
Genetic Diagnosis by Exome Sequencing Feasible for Familial Colorectal Cancer
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Chubb et al found that genetic diagnosis of high-penetrance susceptibility to colorectal cancer can be achieved in a sizeable proportion of familial colorectal cancer cases via exome sequencing for germline mutations. Study Details The...
Long-Term Use of Hormonal Contraceptives Could Lead to Increased Risk of Brain Tumors
Taking a hormonal contraceptive for at least 5 years is associated with a possible increase in women’s risk of developing a glioma, according to a study by Andersen et al published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Study Details While little is known about the causes of...
TP53 Mutations May Play a Role in Treatment‑Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome
A genomic study of cancer patients previously treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy found that TP53 mutations may play a role in the development of treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome, according to a report by Wong et al in Nature. However, the...
ATRX Mutation Linked to Brain and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors May Be Biomarker for Rare Adrenal Tumors
A somatic mutation in the ATRX gene has recently been identified as a potential molecular marker for gliomas, neuroblastomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that the same mutated gene may serve...
Sputum Biomarker Panel May Help Identify Which Patients With Lung Nodules Have Lung Cancer
Among patients who had an unidentifiable lung nodule detected by a chest computed tomography (CT) scan, testing sputum for a panel of three microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers successfully distinguished early-stage lung cancers from nonmalignant nodules most of the time, according to a study reported by...
Next-Generation Sequencing Uncovers Potential Genetic Drivers of Rare Breast Tumors
A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center characterizes the genetic underpinnings of phyllodes tumors, a rare type of breast tumor. The study offers the first comprehensive analysis of the molecular alterations at work in these tumors, according to Cani...
ASCO Announces Progress in the Development of CancerLinQ, With the First Version Due in Late 2015
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) announced today that it will use SAP HANA®, a data management and application platform, in the development of CancerLinQ, the Society’s health information technology platform that will harness Big Data to deliver high-quality care to...
Poor Geographic Accessibility of Advanced Cancer Clinical Trial Sites
It is estimated that approximately 2% to 7% of U.S. adult patients with cancer participate in clinical trials, and poor geographic accessibility of clinical trial sites contributes to this low participation. In a study reported in JAMA Internal Medicine, Galsky et al found that approximately 40% to ...
Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Prolongs Recurrence-Free Survival in NPM1-Mutant AML
In an analysis of the Study Alliance Leukemia (SAL) AML 2003 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Röllig et al found that allogeneic stem cell transplantation significantly prolonged recurrence-free survival in patients with NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML). NPM1...
Almost Half of Women Taking Tamoxifen for Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer Discontinue Use Before 5 Years
After 4.5 years of taking tamoxifen for primary prevention of breast cancer, 46% of women discontinued use, according to research conducted within the Sister Study, a prospective cohort of women who had a sister who had been diagnosed with breast cancer but did not have breast cancer themselves....
Breast Cancer Diagnoses and Survival Outcomes Vary by Race/Ethnicity
Among nearly 375,000 U.S. women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, the likelihood of diagnosis at an early stage, and survival after stage I diagnosis, varied by race and ethnicity, with much of the difference accounted for by biologic differences, according to a study reported by Iqbal et al...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improves Insomnia After Cancer Treatment With No Difference in Combination With Placebo or Armodafinil
In a study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Roscoe et al found that cognitive behavioral therapy combined with placebo or the wakefulness-promoting agent armodafinil (Nuvigil) had similar beneficial effects on insomnia and sleep quality in cancer survivors. Study Details In the study, 96 ...
ASCO Endorses ESMO Guideline on Hereditary Colorectal Cancer Syndromes
Approximately 5% to 6% of cases of colorectal cancer are associated with germline mutations conferring an inherited predisposition for disease. As reported by Stoffel et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has endorsed, with qualifying statements, the European Society for Medical Oncology...
Asian Cancer Survivors Report Poorer Care Communication and Care Quality
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Palmer et al found that Asian cancer survivors reported poorer care communication and care quality compared with white patients. Study Details The study involved 1,196 survivors of breast, prostate, colorectal, ovarian, and endometrial...
Management of Cancer Pain Has Improved but Remains Inadequate
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Greco et al updated a 2008 systematic review on cancer pain management. Improvements were seen between 2008 and 2013, but approximately one-third of patients still do not receive pain medication adequate for reported pain intensity. Changes...
Study Finds Whole-Genome Sequencing Is Successful in Identifying Patients’ Risk for Inherited Cancers
After performing whole-genome sequencing on patients found to have BRCA1or BRCA2 mutations as well as on those that were not carriers of either mutation, researchers found cancer risk–related potentially pathogenic variants in those without BRCA mutations. While the results highlight the ...
Somatic Tumor Neoepitopes as Basis for Response to CTLA-4 Inhibition in Melanoma
The molecular determinants of benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment have not been characterized. In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Snyder et al found that benefit of the anti–cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) antibodies ipilimumab (Yervoy) and...
More Than 1.5 Million Cancer Deaths Averted During 2 Decades of Dropping Mortality
The American Cancer Society’s annual cancer statistics report found that a 22% drop in cancer mortality over 2 decades led to the avoidance of more than 1.5 million cancer deaths that would have occurred if peak rates had persisted. And while cancer death rates have declined in every state,...
Abstract ‘Spin’ Affects Interpretation of Trial Outcome
In the SPIIN study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Boutron et al found that spin in the abstract of an article reporting results of a randomized controlled trial in cancer increased clinician rating of the benefit of the experimental treatment in the trial. Study Details In the...
Scientists Discover the Role of Gene Mutations Involved in 75% of Glioblastomas and Melanomas
After initiating several biophysical computational studies, researchers have identified mutations that destabilize a DNA structure that turns a gene “off.” They found that these mutations occur at four specific sites in the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter in over ...
Cancer Risk Associated With Lynch Syndrome PMS2 Mutation in European Cohort
The effects of PMS2 germline mutations are less well understood than those of other Lynch syndrome–associated mismatch repair gene mutations. In a European cohort study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ten Broeke et al found that risks of colorectal cancer and endometrial cancer...
Telephone Peer-Support Program Reduces Breast Cancer Distress for Women Carrying BRCA Mutation
In an Australian study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, White et al found that a telephone-based peer-support intervention reduced breast cancer distress among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. Study Details In the study, 207 mutation carriers reporting interest in talking...
Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals a High Number of Genomic Mutations in Advanced Malignant Plural Mesothelioma
Next-generation sequencing in malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors shows a complex mutational setting with a high number of genetic alterations in genes involved in DNA repair, cell survival, and cell proliferation pathways, according to a study by Lo Iacono et al in the Journal of Thoracic...
Study Identifies Mechanism Behind Genetic Abnormality That Accelerates Growth of Ewing Sarcoma
The genetic abnormality that drives the bone cancer Ewing sarcoma operates through two distinct processes, both activating genes that stimulate tumor growth and suppressing those that should keep cancer from developing. The findings by Riggi et al, published in Cancer Cell, may lead to new...
Colon Cancer Gene-Expression Risk Scores Contribute Little to Prognostic Ability of Established Risk Factors
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Di Narzo et al found that individual colon cancer gene-expression risk scores contributed little to the prognostic ability of traditional risk factors. Study Details The study involved evaluation of four gene-expression risk...
Racial Disparities in Colon Cancer Survival Linked to Advanced Disease and Comorbidities at Diagnosis
Racial disparities in colon cancer survival rates may be explained by differences in the health of the patients at diagnosis—both in the stage of the cancer and comorbid conditions—rather than by differences in subsequent treatment, a new study has found. Focusing efforts on prevention...
Germline SUFU Mutations Cause Gorlin Syndrome and Increase Risk for Childhood Medulloblastoma
In a study to identify causative mutations in patients with Gorlin syndrome without PTCH1 mutations, Smith et al found that germline mutations in SUFU were associated with Gorlin syndrome and with increased likelihood of Gorlin syndrome–associated childhood medulloblastoma. The study is...
High Frequency of Inherited Mutations in Susceptibility Genes in a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cohort Unselected for Family History of Breast Cancer
In a study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Couch et al found a high frequency of inherited mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes in a cohort of women with triple-negative breast cancer unselected for family history of breast or ovarian cancer. In the study, the frequency of...
FDA Approves Nine-Valent HPV Vaccine for Prevention of Certain Cancers Caused by Five Additional Types of HPV
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved recombinant nine-valent human papillomavirus vaccine (Gardasil 9) for the prevention of certain diseases caused by nine types of HPV. The nine-valent vaccine covers five more HPV types than the previously approved quadrivalent vaccine...
Cigarette Smoking Associated With Changes in Inflammation Markers
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Shiels et al found significant changes in levels of inflammatory/immune markers in current cigarette smokers vs nonsmokers. There was a significant relationship between time since quitting and return to nonsmoker levels for...
Effect of Computer-Aided Detection in Mammography Screening on Cost and DCIS Diagnosis in Medicare Population
In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Surgery, Fenton et al found that a sizable proportion of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) diagnoses are attributable to computer-aided detection in mammography screening in the Medicare population and that use of computer-aided detection in this...
Risk-Based Screening Misses Over 75% of Invasive Breast Cancers in Women in Their 40s
A study of breast cancers detected with screening mammography found that strong family history and dense breast tissue were commonly absent in women between the ages of 40 and 49 diagnosed with breast cancer. Results of the study were presented today at RSNA 2014, the annual meeting of the...
Bisphosphonates May Block the Development of HER-Driven Tumors, Preventing Breast, Lung, and Colon Cancers
Two studies have found that bisphosphonates may be effective in preventing certain cancers—including lung, breast, and colon—by blocking abnormal growth signals passed through HER family receptors. The studies suggest that bisphosphonates, the most commonly prescribed medications for...
3D Mammography Improves Cancer Detection in Dense Breasts
A new study presented at RSNA 2014, the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, has found that digital breast tomosynthesis, also known as three-dimensional (3D) mammography, has the potential to significantly increase the cancer detection rate in mammography screening of women ...
CONCORD-2 Study Reveals Wide Variability in Global Cancer Survival Rates
As reported in The Lancet by Allemani et al, the CONCORD-2 study of global cancer survival indicates improvements in survival in many countries in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers, persistent poor outcomes in lung and liver cancers, and wide variability in survival in many cancers. The...
More Than 40% of U.S. Women Have Mammographically Dense Breasts
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Sprague et al found that more than 40% of U.S. women have mammographically dense breasts, with the prevalence being inversely proportional to age and body mass index (BMI). As noted by the authors: “National legislation is...
Cigarette Smoking Before Diagnosis of First Cancer Is Associated With Increased Risk of Second Cancers
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Shiels et al found that prediagnostic smoking among survivors of stage I lung cancer or bladder, kidney, or head/neck cancer was associated with increased risk of second lung, bladder, kidney, and head and neck cancer. Study Details The...
Advanced-Practice Nurse Telephone Counseling Improves Rate of Cardiomyopathy Screening in At‑Risk Adult Survivors of Pediatric Cancer
In the ECHOS trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hudson et al found that the addition of two tailored telephone counseling sessions by an advanced-practice nurse to a mailed personalized survivorship care plan including cardiac screening recommendations resulted in a greater than...
Exposure to Hookah Smoke Doubles Benzene Uptake, Potentially Increasing Risk for Leukemia
Findings from a new study show that hookah smokers and nonsmokers exposed to hookah (or waterpipe) secondhand tobacco smoke at social events in hookah lounges and in private homes had significant increases in uptake of benzene, a leukemogen that causes lymphohematopoietic cancers, especially acute...
Researchers Identify Biomarker of Response to New Ovarian Cancer Drug
Researchers have found a way to identify which ovarian cancer patients are likely to respond well to a new anticancer drug called rucaparib. Previous clinical trials have shown that women with platinum-sensitive tumors with BRCA1/2 mutations respond well to rucaparib. In new findings presented...
Metabolic ‘Reprogramming’ by the p53 Gene Family Leads to Tumor Regression
Scientists have found that altering members of the p53 gene family, known as tumor-suppressor genes, causes rapid regression of tumors that are deficient in or totally missing p53. Study results suggest existing diabetes drugs, which impact the same gene-protein pathway, might be effective for...
ASCO Calls for Major Medicaid Reform to Improve Quality Cancer Care for Low-Income Americans
ASCO issued its new Policy Statement on Medicaid Reform yesterday, which calls for major changes to the program to ensure access to high-quality cancer care for all low-income individuals. The Society’s recommendations call for Medicaid expansion in all 50 states to close coverage gaps,...
Gene Sequencing Projects Link Two Mutations to Ewing Sarcoma Subtype With Poor Prognosis
An international collaboration has identified frequent mutations in two genes that often occur together in Ewing sarcoma and that define a subtype of the cancer associated with reduced survival. The research, conducted by the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital-Washington University...
HPV Vaccine Uptake Among Girls Is Lowest in States With Highest Rates of Cervical Cancer
The proportion of adolescent girls receiving human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines was much lower in states with higher rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference on The Science of Cancer Health...
Even With Equal Health-Care Access, Cancer Survival Rates Are Worse in American Indians and Alaskan Natives
The 5- and 10-year cancer survival rates were lower among American Indians and Alaskan Natives compared with non-Hispanic whites even when they had approximately equal access to health care, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference on The Science ...
CMS Announces Proposed Decision to Cover Low-Dose CT Screening for Lung Cancer
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that there is sufficient evidence to cover lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for individuals at high risk for lung cancer. Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force...
End-of-Life Discussions Are Associated With Longer Survival and Higher Quality of Life
A review of advance care planning and end-of-life communication practices among physicians by the American College of Physicians has found that implementing early discussions about goals of care with seriously ill patients results in better quality of life, reduced use of life-sustaining treatments ...
