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Gynecologic Cancers
Survivorship

High-Quality Diet Before Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis May Lengthen Survival

An overall high-quality diet at least 12 months before a diagnosis of ovarian cancer “was associated with a statistically significant 27% lower risk of death after ovarian cancer,” an analysis of dietary data from the Women’s Health Initiative showed. The protective effect was strongest among women ...

Survivorship
Gynecologic Cancers

Cancer Was My Wake-Up Call to a Healthier Life

I come from strong physical stock and inherited a sort of “tough it out mentality” when it comes to coping with the usual aches and pains that creep up as you age. So by the time I realized that my legs had become so swollen and my breathing so labored it was difficult for me to walk, I could...

Survivorship
Breast Cancer

Mobile Patient-Centered App Tracks Breast Cancer Survivors’ Experiences

Patricia Ganz, MD, Director of Cancer Prevention and Control Research at the Jonsson Cancer Center of UCLA, and collaborators Apple and Sage Bionetworks, recently announced the launch of “Share the Journey: Mind, Body and Wellness after Breast Cancer,” a patient-centered mobile application (app)...

Breast Cancer
Survivorship
Thyroid Cancer

New Analysis Reports Increased Risk of Thyroid Cancer After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Breast cancer survivors are at increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, especially within 5 years of their breast cancer diagnosis, according to a new analysis of a large national database. The study results were presented at the Endocrine Society’s 97th Annual Meeting.1 “Recognition of this...

Breast Cancer
Survivorship

Breast Cancer Management in Review

With the field of breast oncology as complex as ever, a brief update of the latest findings impacting breast cancer treatment seems timely. To that end, I have assembled highlights from a collection of newsworthy studies featured over the past year and into early 2015. Part 1 of this review, which...

survivorship

Providing Survivorship Care Bundle: Oncology Provider Guides and Patient Guides

ASCO’s new product bundle combines provider and patient information about cancer survivorship. Providing High Quality Survivorship Care in Practice: An ASCO Guide aims to assist oncologists and other clinicians with implementing high-quality survivorship care programs within their practice. The...

Survivorship

Cancer Survivors: Facts and Figures

The National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Survivorship recently issued the following data: As of January 2014, it is estimated that there are 14.5 million cancer survivors in the United States. This represents over 4% of the population, according to a report published recently.1  The...

Supportive Care
Survivorship

Physiatry Has Become a Valuable Component of Survivorship Care in Cancer Centers

The role of a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at cancer centers continues to grow, as survivors live longer and national cancer organizations advocate for more rehabilitation services throughout the continuum of survivorship care. Working with physiatrists at your institution can...

Prostate Cancer
Survivorship

Prostate Cancer Survivorship: Identifying Opportunities for Improvement

Prostate cancer survivors currently approach 3 million in number and comprise 43% of all male cancer survivors in the United States.1 These men face myriad unique oncologic, functional, emotional, and psychological issues that require evaluation and management throughout the survivorship phase of...

survivorship

ASCO Releases Updated, Expanded Set of Survivorship Care Planning Templates

ASCO has issued an updated and expanded set of treatment and survivorship care plan templates for oncology care professionals and patients with cancer. The templates serve to enhance ASCO’s existing suite of tools to help providers and patients fully plan a course of cancer treatment, from...

Survivorship

Survivors of Childhood Cancer Living Longer, Largely Due to Treatment Improvements

Survivors of childhood cancers can expect longer lives than their peers of 30 years ago. Improvements in the care of children with cancer have reduced the long-term mortality rate, according to an analysis of 34,000 participants in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.1 Cumulative all-cause late...

Health-Care Policy
Survivorship
Legislation

NCCS Advocates for Legislation to Establish Medicare Service for Cancer Survivorship Care Planning

Some years after successful treatment of a childhood cancer, a 16-year-old survivor required surgery to replace both hip joints, which were damaged from therapy containing steroids. An x-ray of the teenager’s destroyed joints is a stark reminder of the serious health challenges faced by cancer...

Survivorship

Mayo Clinic Receives $11 Million Grant from NCI to Study NHL Survivorship

Mayo Clinic has received a 5-year, $11 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study survivorship in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes Cohort Study will enroll 12,000 patients with NHL. The study will follow these patients for...

Breast Cancer
Survivorship

‘Share the Journey’ Mobile App Aims to Understand the Different Experiences of Breast Cancer Survivors

In March 2015, Sage Bionetworks and Apple released “Share the Journey: Mind, Body, and Wellness After Breast Cancer,” a patient-centered iPhone app that tracks five common consequences of breast cancer treatment, including fatigue, cognitive function, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and a...

Survivorship

ASCO Statement Addresses Recommendations for Obesity Clinical Trials in Cancer Survivors

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Jennifer A. ­Ligibel, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues, ASCO has issued a statement providing recommendations for obesity clinical trials in cancer survivors.1 ASCO convened the Research Summit on Advancing Obesity Clinical...

Supportive Care
Survivorship

Patient and Survivor Care Studies Yield Useful Results to Improve Quality of Life

Recent studies have yielded useful results that clinicians can put into practice, some right now, to help improve the quality of life for patients with cancer. Concerns addressed included cachexia, pain, “chemobrain,” and fertility preservation. At the Best of ASCO®/Chicago meeting, Arif ­Kamal,...

Survivorship

Starting Over

My diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma early in 2015 couldn’t have been more surprising. In one day, I went from being a healthy, vibrant woman with a busy career and the excitement of launching a promising new business venture to a woman facing the greatest challenge of her life. The fact that my...

Survivorship

Cancer Survival Improves in Europe, With Wide Regional Variations

EUROCARE-5, the latest in a series of comprehensive reports on the state of cancer survival in Europe, shows an improvement in 5-year survival from 1998 to 2007, with large variations among regions of Europe, according to a presentation at the European Cancer Congress.1 Furthermore, although 5-year ...

Survivorship

ASTRO Launches Template to Help Radiation Oncologists Guide Cancer Survivors Through Ongoing Care

A new template published by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) standardizes and streamlines the creation of patient-focused plans for long-term cancer survivor care following radiation therapy. As the number of cancer patients and survivors in the United States continues to...

Breast Cancer
Survivorship

Breast Cancer Survivors May Expect More Extensive or Frequent Follow-up Testing Than Recommended

Patients who have been treated for breast cancer may overestimate the value of follow-up testing and may expect—or even ask for—more testing than recommended, Harold J. ­Burstein, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, told participants at the Lynn Sage...

survivorship

Study Finds Cardiovascular Disease Is Prevalent and Often Asymptomatic in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Although historically the leading cause of death among survivors of childhood cancer has been cancer recurrence, adverse late effects of cancer therapy have become the leading cause of death 30 years after diagnosis, and those deaths are frequently attributed to premature cardiovascular disease,...

breast cancer
survivorship

Higher BMI Associated With Increased Risk of Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema

Each year, about 1.38 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer. Advances in treatment have facilitated a 90% 5-year survival rate among those treated. Given the increased rate and length of survival following breast cancer, more and more survivors are facing a lifetime risk of...

breast cancer
survivorship

SABCS 2015: Women With Luminal A Breast Cancer Did Not Benefit From Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Phase III Trial

Premenopausal women whose invasive breast cancers were of the luminal A subtype had comparable 10-year disease-free survival rates, regardless of whether or not they received adjuvant chemotherapy, according to data from the phase III Dutch Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG77B) clinical trial...

head and neck cancer
survivorship

Depressed Head and Neck Cancer Patients 3.5 Times Less Likely to Survive, Have Higher Recurrence Risk

Depression is a significant predictor of 5-year survival and recurrence in head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. These findings, published by Shinn et al in Psychosomatic Medicine, represent one of the largest reported...

survivorship

Cancer Survivors Are Less Likely to Receive Callbacks From Potential Employers

Job applicants who are cancer survivors are less likely to receive callbacks from potential retail employers than those who did not disclose their health history, according to a recent study by Rice University and Pennsylvania State University researchers. Study Findings The study, published by...

palliative care
breast cancer
survivorship

ABC3: Experts Create New Consensus Guidelines for Advanced Breast Cancer Treatment

Although advanced breast cancer is incurable, there are some patients who have just a few small metastases who would respond well to systemic treatments such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy. In new guidelines agreed on by participants at the Advanced Breast Cancer Third International Consensus...

cns cancers
survivorship

Chemotherapy-Induced Hearing Loss Affects Cognition in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors

More children are surviving malignant brain tumors than in the past, thanks to the use of intense treatments using platinum-based chemotherapy (cisplatin and high-dose carboplatin). Unfortunately, the therapy has a known side effect of permanent hearing loss, resulting from damage to the inner ear. ...

breast cancer
survivorship
cost of care

ABC3: Patients Speak Out Against 'Damaging Messages' About Metastatic Breast Cancer, Call for Inclusion in Discussion About Treatment Costs

Organizations that issue “damaging messages” about advanced breast cancer need to be identified and educated to change the way they talk about the disease, a patient told the Advanced Breast Cancer Third International Consensus Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 5, 2015. In...

breast cancer
survivorship

Breast Cancer Adjuvant Therapy Benefit Can Wax and Wane Over Time

After breast cancer surgery, women are prescribed adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy and endocrine drugs to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. It has been assumed that the treatment effects of these therapies remain constant over time, but a new study from the Cancer Therapy &...

survivorship
issues in oncology

Cancer Survivors More Likely to Have Poor Diets Than Those With No History of Cancer

While most cancer survivors in the United States are motivated to seek information about food choices and dietary changes to improve their health, a new study comparing their dietary patterns to federal guidelines indicates that they often fall short. By Zhang et al in Cancer, the findings point to ...

breast cancer
survivorship
issues in oncology

ECC 2015: Treatment of Elderly Patients With Breast Cancer Varies Throughout Europe

First results from the largest international comparison of the treatment of elderly patients with breast cancer have shown substantial differences in the use of surgery, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy among European countries. The European Registration of Cancer Care (EURECCA) study compared the ...

survivorship

Tailored Education Improves Awareness of Risk for Therapy-Related Complications Among Childhood Cancer Survivors

In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Landier et al found that education tailored to personal risk for therapy-related complications improved risk awareness in survivors of childhood cancer. The level of awareness appeared to reach a maximum after several educational sessions....

breast cancer
survivorship
issues in oncology

ECC 2015: Hormone Therapy May Prevent Ovarian Failure and Preserve Fertility in Women With Breast Cancer

Young women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer may be more likely to remain fertile if they also receive hormonal treatment, according to new research (Abstract 1957) presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in Vienna, Austria, and published simultaneously by Lambertini et al in Annals ...

health-care policy
survivorship
issues in oncology
issues in oncology
issues in oncology

ECC 2015: Childhood Cancers in Europe: Progress Has Been Made, but Much Still to Do

Each year in Europe, 6,000 young people die from cancer, and two-thirds of those who survive suffer from treatment-related side effects. Although there has been considerable progress in the treatment of childhood cancers over the past few decades, and cancer in childhood is rare, these are major...

head and neck cancer
survivorship

ECC 2015: Association Between Primary Surgery and Survival Benefit in Patients With Advanced Throat Cancers

Patients with cancers of the mid and lower throat may have higher survival rates if their initial treatment includes surgery, according to new research (Abstract 2804) presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in Vienna, Austria. Researchers explained that a nationwide study in Taiwan found...

survivorship
issues in oncology
issues in oncology

ECC 2015: EUROCARE Results Show Large Variations in Survival Among European Countries

Comparisons of cancer patients’ survival and care in Europe up to 2007 showed that although more patients are surviving for at least 5 years after diagnosis, there are large variations among countries, which are particularly significant in cancers of the blood. Milena Sant, MD, from the...

survivorship

ASCO Statement: Recommendations for Obesity Clinical Trials in Cancer Survivors

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Ligibel et al, ASCO has issued a statement providing recommendations for obesity clinical trials in cancer survivors. ASCO convened the Research Summit on Advancing Obesity Clinical Trials in Cancer Survivors in November 2014. The meeting involved...

breast cancer
issues in oncology
survivorship

Breast Cancer Symposium: Recurrence Rates for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Treated Between 1978–2010

A new retrospective analysis explored local recurrence rates for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated between 1978 and 2010. In the research (Abstract 32) by Van Zee et al, to be presented September 25 at the 2015 Breast Cancer Symposium, in San Francisco, investigators evaluated a...

skin cancer
issues in oncology
survivorship
issues in oncology
issues in oncology

Antifungal Agent Increases Risk of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Some Lung Transplant Recipients

Voriconazole, commonly used to prevent and treat fungal infections in lung transplant recipients, significantly increases the risk for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in this population, according to a new study by University of California San Francisco researchers. The team recommends physicians ...

breast cancer
survivorship

Group-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention Successful in Overweight/Obese Breast Cancer Survivors

Obesity increases the risk for overall and breast cancer mortality and comorbidity. As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Rock et al, the Exercise and Nutrition to Enhance Recovery and Good Health for You (ENERGY) study has shown that a group-based behavioral intervention can produce...

issues in oncology
survivorship
cost of care

AACR’s Cancer Progress Report Details Major Advances in Cancer and Rising Costs of Treatment

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2015 Cancer Progress Report highlighted the accelerated pace of the number of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved targeted therapies over the past 5 years, which reached 52 this year; the dramatic increase in the 5-year survival rate...

survivorship

Dose Equivalence Analysis Indicates Reduced Risk of Late Heart Failure With Daunorubicin vs Doxorubicin in Survivors of Childhood Cancer

In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Feijen et al found that daunorubicin may be associated with reduced risk of late heart failure vs doxorubicin in survivors of childhood cancer. Study Details The study included data from 15,815 survivors of childhood cancer who survived...

breast cancer
supportive care
survivorship
issues in oncology

Sham and Real Electroacupuncture Reduce Hot Flashes vs Gabapentin and Pill Placebo in Breast Cancer Survivors

In a study assessing placebo effects reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Mao et al found that sham electroacupuncture produced a greater reduction in hot flashes than placebo pills and gabapentin, with the greatest reduction being achieved with real electroacupuncture. Study Details In...

survivorship

Survivors of Childhood Cancer Have High Risk of Recurrent Stroke

Recent evidence suggests that survivors of childhood cancer have a high risk of suffering a stroke at a surprisingly young age. A new study from the UC San Francisco Pediatric Brain Center shows that childhood cancer survivors suffering one stroke have double the risk of suffering a second stroke...

survivorship

Increased Risk of Cancers After Age 40 in Childhood Cancer Survivors

In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Turcotte et al found that survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms after age 40 years. Study Details The study involved data from 3,171 survivors of...

survivorship

Increased Risk of Intestinal Obstruction and Mortality in Survivors of Childhood Cancer

As reported by Madenci et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study showed that childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of intestinal obstruction requiring surgery at ≥ 5 years after cancer diagnosis and poorer overall survival. Study...

breast cancer
supportive care
survivorship
issues in oncology
issues in oncology

Fertility Concerns and Side Effects Keep Many Young Women With Breast Cancer From Taking or Completing Tamoxifen

Concerns about fertility kept one-third of young women with breast cancer surveyed in a recent study from taking tamoxifen, despite its known benefit in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence. In addition, the study found fertility concerns led one-quarter of women who started...

gynecologic cancer
gynecologic cancer
survivorship

Long-Term Survival in Ovarian Cancer May Be Better Than Expected in Some Patients

Combing data collected on thousands of California patients with ovarian cancer, University of California Davis researchers have determined that almost one-third of patients survived at least 10 years after diagnosis. The findings upend the notion that women diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries...

survivorship

Psychosocial and Neurocognitive Impairment in Adult Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer

In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Prasad et al found evidence of impaired psychosocial and neurocognitive function among long-term cancer survivors diagnosed during adolescence and young adulthood. Risk of Impairment In the...

breast cancer
survivorship

Study Finds Breast Cancer Survivors Gain More Weight Than Cancer-Free Women

A prospective study examining weight gain in breast cancer survivors compared with cancer-free women from a familial risk cohort has found that, overall, breast cancer survivors gained significantly more weight than cancer-free women of the same age and menopausal status. According to the study...

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