Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Oncology for May 2006. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Medicare Drug Benefit Limit Linked to Mortality Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Limiting Medicare+Choice recipients' drug benefits means lower drug costs but is associated with poorer health, according to research published in the June 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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High Fat Intake May Reduce, Not Boost Skin Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- High fat intake actually appears to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer, contradicting previous research that suggested that a high-fat diet could increase skin cancer risk, according to a study published online May 30 in BMC Cancer.
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HPV Tests More Sensitive Than Cytology for Cervical Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing may be more sensitive than cytology in detecting grade 2 or higher cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), according to a report published online in the International Journal of Cancer. The authors suggest HPV testing should replace cytology, the current standard for cervical cancer screening.
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Spectroscopy Plus MRI May Reduce Breast Biopsies
TUESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy of suspicious breast lesions may reduce the need for breast biopsy, according to a study published in the June issue of Radiology.
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Imaging Technique May Detect Early Emphysema
TUESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- An imaging technique called diffusion-weighted hyperpolarized helium 3 magnetic resonance imaging (3He MRI) may detect early signs of emphysema more accurately than standard computed tomography, according to a study published in the June issue of Radiology.
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HIV-Positive Males Likely to Also Have HPV Infection
MONDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- HIV-infected males, regardless of their sexual orientation, are likely to have simultaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, according to a report in the May 12 issue of AIDS.
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Program Reduces Risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis
FRIDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- In cancer patients who are undergoing hip surgery, a prophylactic program of mechanical compression and low-molecular-weight heparin (dalteparin) can significantly reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Genetic Defect Predisposes to Benign Pituitary Tumors
THURSDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- A low-penetrance genetic defect has been identified in individuals who are predisposed to developing pituitary adenomas, according to a Finnish study published in the May 26 issue of Science. Two mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene may be responsible for 16 percent of all pituitary adenomas that secrete growth hormone, the report suggests.
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Ethnicity Tied to Quality of Life After Prostate Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Men who are black or Hispanic have a lower quality of life after prostate cancer treatment than whites, but medical comorbidities, physical activity and sleep problems explain much of the difference, according to the results of a study published in the May issue of Urology.
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Limited Benefit in Colonoscopy Screening of Elderly
TUESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Screening elderly individuals for colon cancer detects more cancers but does not increase life expectancy compared with younger individuals, and colon cancer incidence remains low 10 years after a negative colonoscopy result, according to two studies in the May 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Breast MRI Cost-Effective for Some High-Risk Women
TUESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to mammography screening is most cost-effective for women 35 to 54 years old who carry mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, according to a report in the May 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Childhood Cancer Linked to Unemployment in Adulthood
TUESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- The effects of childhood cancer pose a significant risk for unemployment when survivors reach adulthood, according to a report published online May 22 in Cancer.
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Postmenopausal Weight Gain Linked to Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal weight gain is associated with an increased risk of all types of breast cancer, even for women who have not used hormone replacement therapy, according to a report published online May 22 in Cancer.
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Radical Prostatectomy Effective in Younger Men
FRIDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Radical prostatectomy affords cancer control in men under the age of 50, a finding that is important because young men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer in larger numbers due to serum prostate-specific antigen testing, according to a study published in the May issue of Urology.
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Solitary Fibrous Head and Neck Tumors Are Rare, Treatable
FRIDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Solitary fibrous tumors of the head and neck are extremely rare and can be treated effectively with complete surgical removal, according to a clinicopathologic and radiologic review of 12 cases published in the May issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Sterol Synthesis Important in Growth of Medulloblastomas
FRIDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- The growth of medulloblastoma cells in culture can be blocked by inhibitors of sterol synthesis such as statins, according to a study published online May 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Anti-TNF Antibody Therapy May Boost Infection, Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) antibody therapy may increase the risk of serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and there is a dose-dependent increase in risk of malignancies, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Multiple HER2 Copies Affect Response to Anthracyclines
WEDNESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Amplification of the HER2 gene or overexpression of the HER2 protein in breast cancer cells is associated with a better clinical response to anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens, according to a randomized study in the May 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Proteins Predict Breast Cancer Survival After Tamoxifen
WEDNESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Women whose breast cancers have high expression of the estrogen receptor and low expression of p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) protein, which activates estrogen receptors, have better recurrence-free survival after treatment with tamoxifen, according to a report in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Anemia Treatment May Increase Risk of Blood Clots
TUESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- In cancer patients, treatment with epoetin or darbepoetin for anemia may increase the risk of blood clots when used in combination with thrombogenic chemotherapy drugs, according to a review of 57 trials published in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Statin Use Not Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- In postmenopausal women, statin use is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, while one class of drugs -- hydrophobic statins -- may actually reduce the risk, according to a study in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Radiation Therapy Benefits Elderly Breast Cancer Patients
TUESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Radiation therapy can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and mastectomies in women at least 70 years old with early-stage breast cancer, according to a report in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Lung Cancer Deaths Not Higher in Female Non-Smokers
TUESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to widely held views, the lung cancer death rate is not higher in female than in male never-smokers, but it may be higher in black female never-smokers than in white female never-smokers, according to a study in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Carcinogens Found in Urine of Infants Exposed to Smokers
MONDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of infants under a year old who are exposed to cigarette smoke in the home or car have detectable levels of a marker of tobacco smoke in their urine, according to a study in the May issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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Women with Lung Cancer Less Likely to Have COPD
FRIDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Women with newly diagnosed lung cancer are less likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than their male counterparts with lung cancer, according to a study published in the May issue of Chest. The findings suggest that screening for lung cancer in "high risk" patients, or those with COPD, may miss cases in women.
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New ASCO Guidelines for Use of Colony-Stimulating Factors
THURSDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- The American Society of Clinical Oncology has issued new guidelines for use of hematopoietic colony stimulating factors (CSF) for treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to a report published online May 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Frivolous Claims Account for Small Fraction of Costs
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of resources involved in malpractice claims go toward resolving and paying those that involve errors, indicating it may be more cost-effective to streamline claims processing rather than discourage claims, according to a study in the May 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Gleevec May Alter Bone Metabolism in Cancer Patients
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia or gastrointestinal stromal tumors, including those with normal serum phosphate levels, imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) therapy may cause changes in bone and mineral metabolism and inhibit bone remodeling, according to a study in the May 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Donor Factor May Affect Kidney-Graft Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A newly identified donor factor, an allotype of the C3 complement molecule, may be associated with better long-term outcomes for patients who receive cadaveric kidney grafts, according to a study in the May 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Tailored Chemo More Effective with Amplified Cancer Genes
WEDNESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer patients whose tumors have amplifications of two genes have better relapse-free survival if treated with individually tailored and dose-escalated adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy, according to a report published online May 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Early Detection May Be Reason for More Thyroid Cancer
TUESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased in the United States over the past 30 years, though this appears to be due to the increased detection of small papillary cancers, according to a study in the May 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Pain Management Program Improves Pain Assessment
TUESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- A pain management instrument that includes enhanced pain assessments and nursing staff updates improves some aspects of pain management in hospitalized adults, but not overall pain scores, according to one of the largest studies of its kind reported in the May 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Lobular Breast Cancer Can Be Managed Like Ductal Cancer
TUESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Women with infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma who undergo breast-conserving therapy have similar outcomes as patients with the more common invasive ductal breast carcinoma and do not require more extensive preoperative evaluation, according to a study in the June 15 issue of Cancer.
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Radiation Effective for Younger Men with Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Men who are 55 years of age or younger with localized prostate cancer experience outcomes as good as older men when treated with external beam radiation, according to a study published online May 8 in Cancer.
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Higher Breast Cancer Risk for Long-Term Estrogen Users
TUESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women with hysterectomies who undergo long-term estrogen use have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to a study in the May 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Many Breast Cancer Survivors Skip Mammograms
MONDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- During the five years after breast cancer treatment there is a steady decline in the number of patients who receive annual mammograms, according to a study published online April 24 in the journal Cancer.
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Lung Cancer Outcomes Better in Never-Smokers
MONDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Never-smokers with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) respond better to treatment and have improved overall survival compared to NSCLC patients with a smoking history, according to a study published online April 24 in the journal Cancer.
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Sentinel Lymph Nodes Can Give False Positives
FRIDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Using sentinel lymph nodes for diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma may lead to false positive results because of the presence of benign or iatrogenically introduced epithelial cells, according to a report in the May 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Vulvar, Vaginal Tumor Risk Higher in Women with HIV
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women infected with HIV have a much higher risk of getting vulvar, vaginal or perianal cancer than women without HIV, according to a report published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Randomized Trials Lack Information to Assess Quality
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Most randomized controlled trials do not include information necessary to assess their quality based on criteria established a decade ago, according to an article in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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FDA Approves Drug for Myelodyplastic Syndromes
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Dacogen (decitabine) injection for the treatment of myelodyplastic syndromes (MDS). The drug, which is a new molecular entity, was given orphan status under the Orphan Drug Act, and therefore has a seven-year period of exclusive marketing because it is used to treat a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
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One-Quarter of Older Cancer Patients Don't Finish Chemo
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- About one in four elderly patients with stage III colon cancer do not complete adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery, possibly due to physical frailty, treatment complications or a lack of social and psychological support, according to a study in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Mice Lacking Gene Develop Alopecia Areata and Cancers
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Mice lacking one copy of a tumor suppressor gene are prone to alopecia areata and precancerous lesions, according to a report published online May 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Lower Cancer Recurrence for Young Women on Fenretinide
THURSDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Younger women who take the vitamin A-related drug fenretinide have a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence, according to a study published online May 4 in the Annals of Oncology.
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Persistent Disease Risk Low with Triploid Molar Pregnancy
WEDNESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with triploid molar pregnancies are at very low risk of developing persistent trophoblastic disease, according to a study published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Better Outcomes for Sentinel Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- For women with early-stage breast cancer, a sentinel node biopsy rather than lymph node removal is associated with better arm function and quality of life, according to a study in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Incidence of In Situ Vulvar Carcinoma Rising in the U.S.
WEDNESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- There is an increasing incidence of in situ vulvar carcinoma, and incidence of the invasive form of the disease is also on the rise albeit at a slower rate, according to a study published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Higher-Income Uninsured Lack Preventive Screening
TUESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- A higher income does not ensure that adults without health insurance will receive needed screening tests for cancer, diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Aggressive Prostate Cancer Therapy Affects Quality of Life
TUESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Aggressive treatment for older men with localized prostate cancer minimally reduces the absolute risk of dying, but is linked to significant decreases in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), according to a study in the May issue of the American Journal of Medicine.
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