August 2010 Briefing - Hematology & Oncology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Hematology & Oncology for August 2010. 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.

Preventive Surgeries Linked to Benefit With BRCA Mutations

TUESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Among women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, risk-reducing mastectomy is linked to a lower risk of breast cancer, and risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy is associated with numerous benefits, including lower risk of ovarian cancer and first breast cancer diagnosis, according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Abstract
Full Text

Diverse Veggie Intake May Lower Lung Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a variety of vegetables and fruits may reduce the risk of lung cancer in current smokers, according to research published online Aug. 31 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Abstract
Full Text

No Benefit Seen for Vitamin Use With Colon Cancer Chemo

TUESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with stage III colon cancer, the use of multivitamins during and after adjuvant chemotherapy is not associated with a lower recurrence rate or improved survival, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Drinking Alcohol Appears to Increase Breast Cancer Risks

TUESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Among women who previously were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, alcohol drinking may increase the risks for disease recurrence and death, especially in postmenopausal and overweight and obese women, according to research published online Aug. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial

Study Finds Vitamin D Links to Disease-Associated Genes

FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding sites are significantly enriched at genes that have been linked to several autoimmune diseases and cancer, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to disease pathogenesis, according to research published online Aug. 24 in Genome Research.

Abstract
Full Text

PET/CT Imaging Restages Prostate Cancer After Surgery

FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) to detect [11C]choline uptake appears to be useful for re-evaluating prostate cancer disease stage for men who have increasing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy and no evidence of disease on conventional imaging, according to a study in the September issue of The Journal of Urology.

Abstract
Full Text

Racial Disparities Seen in Colorectal Cancer Mortality

FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Stage-specific colorectal cancer (CRC) survival and life expectancy have been worse for blacks than whites over the past few decades, and the disparities appear to be due to differences in quality of and access to care, according to research published online Aug. 19 in the American Journal of Public Health.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

New Mechanism Found for Viral Suppression of Cell Defenses

FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which adenoviruses breach cellular defenses, and this could help explain how p53 tumor-suppressor genes are disabled in cancer cells and point the way to the development of new, more effective targeted cancer therapies; these findings have been published in the Aug. 26 issue of Nature.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Heavy Lynch Syndrome Men at Risk for Colorectal Adenomas

THURSDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Men with Lynch syndrome (LS) and a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m² or more may be at increased risk for developing colorectal adenomas, according to research published online Aug. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Tosedostat Appears to Be Effective Leukemia Treatment

THURSDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Tosedostat, a novel metalloenzyme inhibitor, appears to be well tolerated at 130 mg daily and to have a favorable risk-benefit profile for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome, according to research published online Aug. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Physicians' Religious Views Linked to Care Decisions

THURSDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Non-religious physicians are more likely than religious physicians to make decisions that could hasten the end of patients' lives, and are also more likely to discuss these types of decisions with patients, according to research published online Aug. 25 in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Novel Targeted Therapy for Melanoma Shows Promise

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Therapy targeting the V600E BRAF mutation found in many melanoma tumors can result in complete or partial tumor regression in most patients, according to a study in the Aug. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Novel Combo Treatment for Brain Tumors Promising

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- For glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor, treatment with the chemotherapy agent temozolomide (TMZ) plus a γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI) to suppress tumor recurrence offers a novel and promising therapeutic approach, according to a study in mice published online Aug. 24 in Cancer Research.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Alcohol May Not Raise Risk of All Breast Cancer Types Equally

TUESDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Alcohol use in postmenopausal women appears to increase the risk of only certain subtypes of breast cancer, according to research published online Aug. 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Rectal Cancer on the Increase in Younger People

TUESDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of rectal cancer and rectosigmoid cancer in younger patients appears to have been increasing in recent decades, according to research published online Aug. 23 in Cancer.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

New Breast Imaging Methods May Sharply Raise Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- One breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) or positron emission mammography (PEM) exam is associated with a lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of fatal cancer that is at least as high as that associated with a lifetime of annual screening mammography, according to a report published online Aug. 24 in Radiology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Researchers Isolate BRCA2 Protein for First Time

MONDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time, scientists have purified the entire protein encoded by BRCA2, allowing for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking BRCA2 to cancer and DNA repair; the findings are reported in three articles published online Aug. 22 in Nature and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Abstract - Jensen
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Abstract - Liu
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Abstract - Thorslund
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Prenatal DDT Exposure Tied to Testicular Cancer Risk

FRIDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In the early postpartum period, maternal serum DDT-related compounds appear to be associated with sons' risk of testicular cancer three decades later, according to a study in the July issue of the Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health.

Abstract
Full Text

Ipilimumab Linked to Survival Benefit in Melanoma

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Ipilimumab may improve survival in patients with previously treated metastatic melanoma, but with risk of severe adverse events, according to research published in the Aug. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Early Palliative Care Beneficial in Metastatic Lung Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, early palliative care is associated with longer survival and improvements in quality of life and mood, according to research published in the Aug. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Full Text
Editorial

Cancer Care Differs by Race, Language, and Health Status

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Patients' ratings and reports of care for lung or colorectal cancers differ significantly by language, health status, and race, with Asian and Pacific Islander patients and those in worse health reporting worse care experiences, according to research published online Aug. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Vitamin D Insufficiency May Hurt Lymphoma Prognosis

TUESDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with two non-Hodgkin's lymphoma subtypes, vitamin D insufficiency is associated with inferior overall survival (OS) as well as inferior event-free survival (EFS), according to a study published online Aug. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Nottingham Prognostic Index Accuracy Improved

TUESDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) to the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) in the classification of patients with primary operable breast cancer results in improved five-year prognostic accuracy, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Patient Role in Cancer Treatment Decisions Varies

MONDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer patients tend to participate in treatment decision-making more when evidence of benefit is uncertain, but leave treatment decisions to physicians in cases where there is no evidence at all to support treatment benefits, according to research published online Aug. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Estrogen Alone Does Not Increase Lung Cancer Risk

MONDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women treated with estrogen alone do not have increased incidence of, or mortality from, lung cancer, according to research published online Aug. 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Mass Spectrometer Test IDs Cancer With High Accuracy

THURSDAY, Aug. 12 (HealthDay News) -- A novel method of mass spectrometer technology plus a computerized algorithm can identify ovarian cancer in blood sera with nearly 100 percent accuracy, according to research published online Aug. 10 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Bone Marrow Transplant May Treat Blistering Disease

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation may help children with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa by increasing the deposition of type VII collagen (C7), the lack of which characterizes the disease, according to research published in the Aug. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Less Intense Treatment Found Effective for Hodgkin's

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A less intense chemotherapy and radiation treatment regimen for patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma appears just as effective at five years as a more intensive and toxic regimen, according to research published in the Aug. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Longer HRT Duration Tied to Lower Colon Cancer Rate

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Longer duration of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use among women is linked to a greater reduction in distal large bowel cancer incidence, independent of race, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

TP53 Mutation Indicates Poor Prognosis in Leukemia

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- TP53 mutations are linked with poor prognosis in people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), regardless of whether 17p deletion is present, according to research published online Aug. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Coagulopathy Often Untreated in Brain Hemorrhage Patients

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- In many patients with symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) associated with thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke, coagulopathy goes untreated, and often, patients experience continued bleeding after diagnosis, according to research published in the August issue of the Archives of Neurology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Patients, Doctors Often Have Communication Discrepancies

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitalized patients and physicians may have differing beliefs regarding patients' knowledge and aspects of their care, suggesting a need for improved patient-physician communication, according to research published in the Aug. 9/23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Bisphosphonate Exposure Not Linked With Esophageal Cancer

TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- There appears to be no association between oral bisphosphonate use and risk of esophageal or gastric cancer, according to research published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Study Sheds More Light on Hormones, Breast Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Longer use of estrogen or estrogen-progestin therapy (EPT) is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, with risks varying by body mass index (BMI) and tumor subtype, according to research published online Aug. 10 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Non-White Breast Cancer Patients May Face Chemo Delay

TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Most breast cancer patients receive adjuvant chemotherapy in a timely fashion, but African-American and Hispanic patients are more likely than white patients to experience delays to adjuvant chemotherapy in excess of 60 or 90 days, according to research published online Aug. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Oncologists From Canada, U.S. Share Attitudes on Drug Costs

TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Canadian oncologists and those from the United States have similar attitudes and concerns about the costs and cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs as well as related health policies, according to research published online Aug. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Endocrine Sensitivity Measure Predicts Breast Cancer Survival

MONDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A patient's sensitivity to endocrine therapy (SET) index, a measure of estrogen receptor-related transcriptional activity, appears to be predictive of distant relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients who receive endocrine therapy alone or endocrine therapy after chemotherapy, but not in those who receive no adjuvant therapy, according to research published online Aug. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Risk Higher With Chronic Hepatitis

THURSDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), according to research published online Aug. 4 in The Lancet Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Liver Cancer Clinical Trial Priorities Assessed

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Research in hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC), the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, should be prioritized to develop new prognostic indicators and effective therapies for the disease, according to the consensus recommendations of a National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Planning Meeting published online Aug. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

TNFα Blockers May Raise Risk of Malignancies in Children

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Children taking tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) blockers may be at increased risk for developing malignancies, but confounding factors make it difficult to establish a causal relationship, according to research published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Gene Variants, High BMI Linked to Prostate Cancer Mortality

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene for fatty acid synthase (FASN) are associated with lethal prostate cancer, particularly among overweight men, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Hormone Combination Effective in Metastatic Breast Cancer

TUESDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The combined use of the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole and the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist goserelin appears to have substantial antitumor activity in the treatment of premenopausal women who have hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Industry-Funded Clinical Trials Yield More Positive Outcomes

TUESDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Drug clinical trials supported by industry are more likely to produce favorable results than trials supported by government or nonprofit/nonfederal organizations, and they are less likely to be published within two years of the study being completed, according to research published in the Aug. 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Use of Some Common Drugs May Lower PSA Levels

TUESDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), statins, or thiazide diuretics can significantly lower tested levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), according to research published online Aug. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Vaccine May Block Tumor Growth in Some Cancers

MONDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental vaccine based on an encephalitis virus may be able to block tumor growth in some advanced cancers by stimulating an immune response -- even when an immune system has been suppressed, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Full Text

Shorter Survival More Likely for Poorer Patients

MONDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In Ontario, Canada, socioeconomic status (SES) seems to have little impact on cancer stage at time of diagnosis, but poorer patients tend to have shorter duration of survival than wealthier patients regardless, according to research published online Aug. 2 in Cancer.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Bladder Cancer Linked to Compounds in Processed Meat

MONDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A diet high in certain compounds found in processed meats could put people at a slightly elevated risk for developing bladder cancer, according to research published online Aug. 2 in Cancer.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com