Susan K. Parsons, MD, MRP, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and Founding Director of the Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult Program for Cancer and Hereditary Blood Disorders at Tufts Medical Center, grew up on a working dairy farm in Sharon Springs,...
As discussed in Part I of this special feature on cancer survivorship, there are now more than 18 million cancer survivors in the United States, and that number is expected to grow to 26 million by 2040.1 However, most of those survivors—at least two-thirds—either cured or in remission or living...
The improvement in cancer survival rates since President Richard M. Nixon signed the National Cancer Act of 1971 into law is staggering. The legislation further committed the United States to greater investments in cancer-focused research to drive down the rates of cancer diagnoses, boost patient...
In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Patel et al found that the prevalence of self-reported functional limitations in U.S. cancer survivors increased between 1999 and 2018. Study Details The analysis included adults in the 1999 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)...
Investigators have found that current smoking and vaping may be associated with a higher burden of symptoms among adult cancer survivors but that these symptoms may not have had an impact on the desire to quit smoking. The new study was published by Price et al in Cancer. Background Continued...
In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Dieffenbach et al found that childhood cancer survivors had a heavy cumulative burden of late major surgical interventions. Study Details The study involved data from the CCSS on 5-year survivors of...
In a Dutch study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lubberts et al identified risk factors for cardiovascular disease among survivors of testicular cancer and assessed the impact of cardiovascular disease on quality of life. Study Details The study involved data from a multicenter cohort ...
Investigators have found that transportation barriers—delayed care as a result of a lack of transportation—may be associated with increased emergency room use and a higher risk of mortality among patients with and without a history of cancer, according to a new study published by Jiang et al in the ...
Researchers have provided strong evidence that a healthy lifestyle may significantly reduce mortality in adults who have survived pediatric cancer, according to a new study published by Dixon et al in The Lancet. The findings are among the first to reveal that the specific primary causes of...
Investigators have found that Black cancer survivors who reported high levels of discrimination showed greater biological aging and frailty than those who reported lower levels of discrimination, according to a new study published by Mandelblatt et al in the journal Cancer. Background...
Investigators have found that in breast cancer survivors, the cancer’s stage and receptor status may help clinicians predict whether and when cancer might recur after initial treatment, according to a new study published by Neuman et al in Cancer. Study Methods and Results In the new study, the...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wu et al developed models for predicting kidney failure among 5-year survivors of childhood cancer. Study Details In the study, predictive models were developed using data from 25,483 survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS)...
Investigators have found that socioeconomic deprivation, the presence of modifiable chronic health conditions, and frailty may all independently be associated with increased rates of late mortality among pediatric cancer survivors, according to a new study published by Ehrhardt et al in JAMA...
Researchers have discovered that dietary interventions may help reduce fatigue, improve diet quality, and lead to an overall better quality of life for cancer survivors, according to a new study published by Weinhold et al in Nutrition and Cancer. Background For many cancer survivors, the side...
Studies show that although clonal hematopoiesis is an age-related phenomenon in the general population, it can also be induced by exposure to chemotherapy, which can affect both the emergence and evolution of clonal hematopoiesis clones, accelerating aging at both the physiologic and molecular...
In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Weil et al found that survivors of unilateral Wilms tumor were at an increased risk for severe chronic health conditions. Study Details The study involved 2,008 5-year survivors diagnosed...
In a Dutch study reported in JAMA Oncology, Geurts et al found a dose-response relationship between radiotherapy and risk of colorectal cancer among survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, with the risk being increased with increasing procarbazine dose. Study Details The nested case-control study included...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Eric J. Chow, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that the use of dexrazoxane was associated with long-term protection of heart function in childhood cancer survivors who received doxorubicin for their cancer. According to the study investigators,...
In a population-based study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Coltin et al found that survivors of childhood medulloblastoma in Ontario were at an increased risk of numerous adverse health outcomes compared with matched noncancer controls. Study Details In the study, all 5-year...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, McDonald et al found that receipt of blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) was associated with an increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. As stated by the investigators, “Survivors of BMT are at increased risk of...
In a Taiwanese study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hsu et al found that survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers were at a significantly increased risk of multiple major psychiatric disorders compared to those without cancer. Study Details The study used data from a...
In a study (Advancing Survivors Knowledge; ASK) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Geller et al found that three patient- and patient/physician-based interventions to improve skin cancer surveillance among childhood cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy resulted in increased rates...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wang et al found that a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ROBO2 was associated with an increased risk of cardiomyopathy among childhood cancer survivors receiving higher cumulative anthracycline doses. As stated by the investigators,...
In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Friedman et al found low rates of late mortality and subsequent malignant neoplasms in survivors of neuroblastoma treated in infancy. The risk of severe chronic health conditions decreased during...
In an analysis from the BMT Survivor Study (BMTSS) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that survivors of blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) were more likely to have high out-of-pocket medical costs vs comparator siblings during the COVID-19...
Long-term recurrence and survival data are now available from the groundbreaking TAILORx trial. With 12 years of follow-up, the updated analysis—reported by Sparano et al at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) 2022 (Abstract GS1-05)—confirms the original findings that chemotherapy may...
Research shows that long-term survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma are at an elevated risk for a variety of health conditions, including cardiopulmonary morbidity, cognitive impairment, and premature death, and could also be at heightened risk for the premature onset of dementia. A new study of...
In a cohort study reported in JAMA Network Open, Chen et al found that postmenopausal breast cancer survivors with exercise patterns categorized as active or moderately active had significantly reduced risk for all-cause mortality compared to those with patterns categorized as insufficiently...
Survivors of pediatric cancer who consumed more total sugar, added sugar, and sugar-sweetened beverages had more aging-related health conditions than survivors who consumed less sugar, according to a new study presented by Lan et al at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Special...
An easy-to-deploy, automated self-management intervention may prove to be of benefit in supporting competence and symptom management among cancer survivors, according to data presented during the 2022 ASCO Quality Care Symposium.1 Analysis of the randomized controlled trial found that 12 months...
Patients and survivors of breast cancer may have better mental health, physical health, and quality of life when taking part in a “behavioral graded activity” in combination with psychological therapies, according to a new study published by Lahousse et al in the European Journal of Cancer. The new ...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Rees-Punia et al found that the risk of frailty-related bone fractures among older cancer survivors was significantly greater vs that among older adults without a history of cancer. Study Details The longitudinal cohort study used data from 92,431 older adults...
In a cost-effective analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wong et al found that only the mammography component of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) breast cancer screening guidelines for chest-irradiated Hodgkin lymphoma survivors was cost-effective; magnetic resonance imaging...
In a single-institution study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Jacola et al found that survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who received central nervous system (CNS)-directed therapy excluding cranial irradiation had poorer outcomes in numerous neurocognitive...
A small subset of patients who have undergone treatment for head and neck cancer may require a gastrostomy tube many years into survivorship, according to a new study published by Galloway et al in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics. The findings were also...
In a Japanese trial (J-SUPPORT 1703) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Akechi et al found that 8-week use of smartphone psychotherapy apps was associated with significant benefits in reducing the fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors aged 20 to 49 years. Study Details In the...
In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study reported in JAMA Oncology, Tara O. Henderson, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that rates of invasive breast cancer have declined over time among female survivors of childhood cancer, with the reduction appearing to be largely associated with...
In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nathan et al found that adult survivors of childhood cancer were more likely to report financial hardship than siblings without cancer in the era following implementation of the Affordable Care...
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and World Hospice & Palliative Care Day, ASCO and its partners—the International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care; Tómatelo a Pecho, A.C.; the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Institute for Advanced Study of the ...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Carroll et al, an analysis from the Thinking and Living with Cancer Study has shown higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline and during follow-up among women with stage 0 to III breast cancer diagnosed at age ≥ 60 years vs controls,...
Survivors of prostate cancer originally diagnosed with metastatic disease may experience significantly worse health-related quality of life than those diagnosed with early-stage disease and individuals without a cancer history across all domains, according to a new study by Zheng et al published in ...
Young women who are cancer survivors may be at a much higher risk of sexual problems, including loss of libido and discomfort, according to research published by Wettergren et al in the journal Acta Oncologica. The study also suggests that cancer type and intensity of treatment may influence the...
New research showed that cancer survivors who delayed care due to a lack of transportation were more likely to use the emergency room (ER), according to the study published by Jiang et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. They also had the highest risks of all-cause and cancer-specific...
In a report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study population reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Shin et al identified symptom clusters among adult survivors of childhood cancer and potential associations with health-related quality of life and physical and neurocognitive performance....
In a European study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, de Baat et al identified heart exposure to radiotherapy and cumulative anthracycline doses as factors associated with increased risk of heart failure in survivors of childhood cancers. Survivors who received a mean heart radiotherapy ...
Matteo Lambertini, MD, PhD, of the University of Genova and Policlinico San Martino Hospital, talks about why oncofertility counseling should now be considered mandatory in the care of young women with breast cancer. Among the treatments he recommends offering are oocyte/embryo cryopreservation (or ovarian tissue cryopreservation in those not eligible for gamete cryopreservation); ovarian suppression with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist during chemotherapy; and long-term follow-up to improve the management of gynecology-related issues faced by these women.
In a Swedish nationwide prospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Marklund et al found no increased risk of relapse or disease-specific mortality among women undergoing fertility preservation with or without hormonal stimulation at the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Study Details The...
Recent research published by Xuesong Han, PhD, and colleagues in the journal Cancer indicated that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of working-aged U.S. adults without health insurance did not change despite increases in unemployment. The prevalence of unhealthy...
For many patients who have received chemotherapy for breast cancer, cancer-related fatigue is a persistent side effect—and one that contributes to ongoing balance problems, suggests a recent paper published by Weschler et al in Rehabilitation Oncology. The new research by Stephen Wechsler, PT, DPT, ...
In an English retrospective cohort study reported in JACC: Cardio-Oncology, Helen Strongman, PhD, of the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues found that cardiovascular mortality ultimately exceeded mortality from common...