Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Oncology for May 2008. 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.
Risedronate Protects Bones in Breast Cancer Survivors
FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Weekly risedronate appears to protect against bone loss in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, according to an article published June 1 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Axitinib Shows Small Survival Edge in Pancreatic Cancer
FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer with gemcitabine plus axitinib was associated with a modest but non-statistically significant gain in overall survival compared to gemcitabine alone, according to results from a phase II study published online May 30 in The Lancet.
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Editorial
Metastatic Breast Cancer Has Worse Prognosis for Blacks
FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Among women with metastatic breast cancer, black patients are 24 percent more likely to die from their cancer compared to whites, researchers report in the June 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Mouse Research Traces Development of Leukemia
THURSDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Numerous genetic or molecular alterations may work together in contributing to the transformation of leukemia stem cells, according to research published in the May 22 issue of Nature. The study sheds light on the development of T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).
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Surgical Experience Counts in Prostate Cancer Recurrence
THURSDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Prostate cancer patients who undergo surgery with the most experienced surgeons have the best rates of cancer control, irrespective of patient risk, according to study findings published in the June issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Preoperative Factors Predict Risk of Future Renal Cancer
THURSDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of metastatic recurrence of renal cancer after surgery can be accurately predicted based on a range of preoperative factors, researchers report in the June issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Antioxidants Discouraged During Cancer Treatment
THURSDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer patients receiving radiation therapy or chemotherapy should not take supplemental antioxidants due to a lack of clear data on their effects on cancer treatment, according to a review published online May 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Adjuvant Taxane Benefits Women with Breast Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of a taxane to chemotherapy for women with lymph node-positive operable breast cancer improves disease-free survival and lowers the risk of death and relapse, researchers report in the June 4 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Editorial
No Link Found Between Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- Serum vitamin D levels have no effect on the overall risk of prostate cancer, but higher levels are associated with a higher risk of aggressive disease, according to the results of a study published online May 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Editorial
Gum Ailment Linked to Increased Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- Having a history of periodontal disease is associated with a modest increase in overall risk of cancer, as well as increases in risk of cancer at sites including the pancreas and kidney, according to research published in June in The Lancet Oncology.
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Review Details Cancer in Indigenous Australians
WEDNESDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- Despite gaps in data regarding cancer in Indigenous Australians, this population shows a significantly higher likelihood of potentially preventable cancers such as lung and liver cancer, and a higher risk of dying from their cancers than other Australians, according to a review in the June issue of The Lancet Oncology.
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Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency Gene Ups Lung Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Carriers of the alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (α1ATD) allele may have up to a twofold increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to an article published in the May 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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U.S. Smoking Restrictions Increasing, CDC Report Reveals
MONDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Since 2004, state laws regulating
smoking in private-sector worksites, restaurants and bars have significantly increased in number and in the level of restrictiveness, according to a report published in the May 23 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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NIH Program to Explore Most Puzzling Cases
THURSDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- The National Institutes of Health has launched a new clinical research program to learn more about perplexing medical cases and provide better disease management for individuals with such conditions, according to an announcement this week.
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Treatment Beneficial in Poor-Prognosis Anal Cancer
THURSDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- A new combined-modality treatment involving induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemotherapy and radiation results in good disease control in the majority of patients with poor-prognosis anal canal cancer, according to an article published online May 19 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Test Could Improve Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules
TUESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- Assessing galectin-3 expression in individuals with indeterminate follicular thyroid nodules could help reduce the number of unnecessary thyroidectomies for benign lesions, according to research published online May 19 in The Lancet Oncology.
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More Non-AIDS-Defining Cancers Seen in HIV Patients
TUESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- While the incidence of AIDS-defining cancers has fallen in HIV-infected patients due to treatment, these patients have significantly higher incidences of many non-AIDS-defining cancers compared with the general population, particularly anal cancer, vaginal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, researchers report in the May 20 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Prophylactic Antidepressants May Help Some Cancer Patients
MONDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Prophylactic use of citalopram hydrobromide may reduce the occurrence of depression in patients being treated for head and neck cancer, according to research published in the May issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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HPV Linked to Oropharyngeal Cancer Outcomes
MONDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- A pair of studies involving patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer investigated the effectiveness of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and also assessed the effect of factors such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression on response to therapy and outcome. The study findings were published online May 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Abstract - Worden
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Abstract - Kumar
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MRI May Lead to Wider Breast Cancer Surgery
MONDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- The use of MRI to stage the affected breast in breast cancer leads to more extensive surgery in an appreciable percentage of women, and the rate of false positives is a cause for concern, according to research published online May 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Physical Activity May Lessen Breast Cancer Risk
FRIDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are physically active may have a risk of breast cancer that is 25 percent lower than sedentary women, according to an article published online May 16 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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Early Stage Prostate Cancer Will Progress in Few Men
FRIDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Although the recorded incidence of prostate cancer has increased in the past two decades, mortality rates suggest that only a small proportion of men with early stage disease will have progression and ultimately die, according to a review in the May 17 issue of The Lancet.
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Chemotherapy Doesn't Benefit Mesothelioma Patients
FRIDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, which is nearly always fatal and for which few treatment options exist, the addition of chemotherapy to active symptom control does not improve survival or quality of life, according to study findings published in the May 17 issue of The Lancet.
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Editorial
Studies Explore Factors Affecting Breast Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have a sister with breast cancer remain at an increased risk of breast cancer throughout most of their lives, according to a study published in the May 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, while a second study in the same issue notes that high levels of physical activity during adolescence and early adulthood are associated with a lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer.
Abstract - Rebora
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Abstract - Maruti
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Physician Suicide Rate Higher Than in General Population
THURSDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- The stigma of mental illness among physicians is preventing the profession from facing the fact that the suicide rate among physicians is higher than that of the general population, according to an article published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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Less Adjuvant Therapy for Black Rectal Cancer Patients
THURSDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Even though elderly black and white patients with rectal cancer have similar consultation rates with an oncologist, black patients are less likely to receive chemotherapy or radiation, according to study findings published online May 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Hot Flashes Reduced with Stellate-Ganglion Block
THURSDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Performing stellate-ganglion block to interrupt the sympathetic nervous system pathways regulating temperature reduces the frequency of severe hot flashes and sleep disturbances in breast cancer survivors, according to a report published online May 15 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Lapatinib Benefits Some Patients with Renal Cell Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma have a similar time to progression and overall survival whether they are treated with hormone therapy or lapatinib, although lapatinib patients have significantly better outcomes if their tumors overexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), researchers report in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Ultrasound Plus Mammography Detects More Breast Cancers
TUESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Screening for breast cancer with combined ultrasound and mammography in a population at high risk allows the detection of an additional 4.2 cancers per 1,000 women screened, according to an article published in the May 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Certain Breast Cancer Subtypes More Likely to Recur
TUESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy have an overall low likelihood of local recurrence, but the risk varies based on tumor subtype, according to an article published in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Values Key to Shared Identity Between Doctors, Patients
TUESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Patients get better care and have better outcomes when they have a sense of shared identity with their physicians, particularly in the realm of personal values and beliefs, according to a report published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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No Link Between Dietary Fat and Prostate Cancer
MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Dietary fat intake has no association with prostate cancer risk, according to study findings published in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In a related study in the same journal, acrylamide, a probable carcinogen recently detected in heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods, was found to be associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer, but not bladder or prostate cancer.
Abstract - Crowe
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Abstract - Hogervorst
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HIV Patients' Cancer Risk Unaffected by Antidepressants
MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Antidepressant use does not affect cancer risk in HIV-infected individuals, who are predisposed to developing cancer, and class of antidepressant did not affect the study results, according to a report published in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Minimally Invasive Prostate Surgery Has Good Outcomes
MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Men undergoing minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (MIRP) have fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than men undergoing open radical prostatectomy, and unfavorable outcomes such as anastomotic strictures and higher rates of salvage therapy are reduced for high-volume surgeons, researchers report in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Article Assesses Weaknesses, Future of Colonoscopy
MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Issues related to the effectiveness of colonoscopy in cancer prevention, as well as the development of new screening and imaging methods, could affect the use of colonoscopy in the United States in the future, according to an article published in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Drug Combinations Examined in Colorectal Cancer Treatment
MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- A combination treatment including irinotecan and cetuximab improves progression-free survival, response rate and quality of life in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer better than irinotecan alone, according to a report in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. In a related study in the same issue, bortezomib alone or combined with irinotecan is ineffective in patients with relapsed or refractory colorectal cancer.
Abstract - Sobrero
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Abstract - Kozuch
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Most Women Make Mastectomy Decision Early
MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Most women being tested for mutations in the breast cancer antigen (BRCA) genes have already decided their preferred course of action before learning the outcome, with the decision being strongly influenced by anticipated feelings of regret in case of a future breast cancer diagnosis, according to a report in the May 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Considerable Variation in Breast Tumor Growth Found
FRIDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- A model based on breast cancer screening data shows that tumor growth rates vary considerably based on age, and screening is much more sensitive for larger tumors, researchers report in the May 8 issue of Breast Cancer Research.
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Deductibles May Affect Patients' Screening Choices
THURSDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who have a high-deductible health insurance plan continue to have screening tests that are fully covered by their health plan but may avoid tests that are subject to their deductible, according to study findings published in the May 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Neuroblastoma Associated with Genetic Variation
WEDNESDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- A genomewide association study links a genetic variation at chromosome band 6p22 with a susceptibility to neuroblastoma, the most common solid cancer of early childhood, according to research published online May 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Leukocyte Count of Prognostic Value in Platelet Disorder
MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with essential thrombocythemia, an elevated leukocyte count at the time of diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, suggesting that leukocyte count could be used for risk stratification, according to an article released online April 28 in advance of publication in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Health Costs for Uninsured Workers Examined
MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- A pair of reports released by The Commonwealth Fund on May 2 examines changing trends from the 1990s to the mid-2000s related to health coverage for American workers and the public implications created by uninsured workers.
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Merits of Proton Radiation Therapy for Cancer Debated
MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Because proton beam radiation therapy has not been definitively proven to be superior to conventional photon x-ray therapy in the treatment of cancer, randomized controlled trials comparing the two modalities are warranted, according to an article and accompanying correspondence published in the May 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Abstract -- Glatstein
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Letter to the Editor -- Macbeth
Letter to the Editor -- Brada
Role of IGF-I Receptor in Prostate Cancer Explored
FRIDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Work with a knockout mouse model points to a crucial role for insulin-like growth factor type I receptor (IGF-IR) signaling in prostate cancer and a growth control mechanism dependent upon IGF-IR, according to research published in the May 1 issue of Cancer Research.
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Jobs for Medical Grads a Hot Topic in United Kingdom
FRIDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- The availability of physician jobs for medical graduates in the United Kingdom is the subject of a Head to Head feature in the May 3 issue of BMJ.
Full Text -- Winyard
Full Text -- Maynard
Invasive Breast Cancer Risk Highest Following Childbirth
FRIDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Women who develop premenopausal breast cancer less than five years after the birth of their last child are more likely to be diagnosed with later-stage disease than women who develop breast cancer later, researchers report in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Health Behaviors Vary Among Cancer Survivors
THURSDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Though only a minority of cancer survivors are meeting standard recommendations for exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption, most are abstaining from smoking, according to research published in the May 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Investigational Prostate Cancer Drug Safe in Phase 1 Trial
THURSDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- An investigational drug for advanced prostate cancer that attempts to target a drug directly to the tumor is safe and shows some signs of efficacy at higher doses, researchers report in the May 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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