Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Hematology & Oncology for July 2012. 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.
Varied Mutation Prevalence in Multiple Colorectal Adenomas
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) — For patients with multiple colorectal adenomas there is considerable heterogeneity in the prevalence of pathogenic APC and MUTYH mutations, which varies by adenoma count, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Lymphoid Neogenesis Identified in Melanoma Metastases
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) — Lymphoid follicles, comprising clusters of B lymphocytes and follicular dendritic cells (DCs) associated with high endothelial venules (HEVs), are found in melanoma metastases, but not in primary melanomas, according to a study published online July 31 in Cancer Research.
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Baseline HPV Test Predicts Cervical Cancer in Long Term
MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) — Over 18 years of follow-up, baseline testing showing a negative result for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA provides greater reassurance against invasive cervical cancer (CIN3+) than baseline normal Papanicolaou (Pap) testing, according to a study published online July 30 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Histological Subtype Impacts Survival in Renal Cell Cancer
MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) — The histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) impacts both overall and cancer-specific survival, according to a study published in the August issue of The Journal of Urology.
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PSA Test Has Cut Metastatic Prostate Cancer at Presentation
MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) — If incidence rates for the pre-prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing era (1983 to 1985) were present in the modern U.S. population, three times the number of men would have been expected to present with metastatic (M1) prostate cancer (PC) than the actual number observed in 2008, according to a study published online July 30 in Cancer.
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Prior Basal Cell Carcinoma Is Main Predictor of Future BCC
MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) — Prior basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the greatest predictor of future incidence of BCC, according to a study published online July 19 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
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Lymphovascular Invasion Is Independent Predictor of Survival
FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) — In patients with invasive breast cancer, lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a strong and independent predictor of both breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of Cancer.
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Quality of Life Good After Salvage Nasopharyngectomy
FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) — For patients with residual or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma who undergo salvage nasopharyngectomy using a maxillary swing approach, postoperative quality of life is generally good, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of Cancer.
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KRAS Mutations Predict Shorter Survival in Lung Cancer
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) — For patients with advanced lung adenocarcinomas, KRAS mutations predict shorter survival, according to a study published online July 18 in Cancer.
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Breast Cancer Doesn’t Affect Sexual Function in Women
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) — Sexual function does not seem to be significantly disrupted in women with a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to a study published online July 19 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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Selenium, Vitamins C, E May Lower Pancreatic Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) — Higher intakes of the antioxidants selenium and vitamins C and E reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by two-thirds, according to a study published online July 23 in Gut.
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Celiac Disease Linked to Lymphoproliferative Disorders
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) — Patients with celiac disease, particularly those presenting with malabsorption symptoms later in life, have a higher incidence of lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), according to research published in the August issue of the American Journal of Hematology.
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Better Analgesia From Pelvic Plexus Block in Prostate Biopsy
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) — Compared with periprostatic nerve block (PNB), pelvic plexus block (PPB), performed under Doppler ultrasound guidance, provides better pain relief for men during office-based transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy, according to research published in the August issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Immunosuppressant Switch Cuts Skin Cancer Post-Transplant
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — In kidney-transplant patients with at least one cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma, switching immunosuppressants (from calcineurin inhibitors to sirolimus) is associated with increased skin cancer-free survival and delayed development of new skin cancers, according to a study published in the July 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Review Assesses Melanoma Burden From Use of Sunbeds
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — Sunbed use correlates with a significantly increased risk of melanoma, with a dose-response association noted as well as an increased risk for those who first use sunbeds before age 35, according to a review published online July 24 in BMJ.
Vitamin E Intake Inversely Linked to Liver Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — Evidence suggests that vitamin E in the diet or from supplements may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer in men and women, according to research published online July 17 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Curettage Alone Not Advised for Sacral Giant Cell Tumors
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — For patients with sacral giant cell tumors (GCTs), curettage alone is not recommended for surgical management, according to a study published online July 16 in The Spine Journal.
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Younger Cancer Patients’ Psychosocial Needs Unmet
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — Substantial proportions of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients are not getting their psychosocial needs met, particularly in adult care settings, according to a study published in a supplement to the May 15 issue of Cancer.
Study Supports Longer Scope Intervals Post-Polypectomy
MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — For individuals who have had at least one adenoma removed at colonoscopy, the risk of developing colorectal cancer is greatly reduced up to five years later, according to a study published online June 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Genetic Evidence Identified for Role of IDO in Tumorigenesis
MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — Mice deficient in indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) have reduced tumor burden and improved survival, with greatly attenuated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and impaired protumorigenic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) seen in conjunction with the loss of IDO, according to a study published online July 19 in Cancer Discovery.
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‘Genetic Score’ May Improve Prostate Cancer Prediction
MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — A genetic score can modestly improve the prediction of which men are likely to have positive biopsies for prostate cancer after an initial negative biopsy, according to a study published online May 16 in European Urology.
Bortezomib Ups Response, Survival in Multiple Myeloma
MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — For patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), induction treatment with a combination of bortezomib, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (PAD) followed by bortezomib maintenance therapy improves complete response (CR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates, according to a study published online July 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Afinitor Approved for Advanced Breast Cancer
FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — Afinitor (everolimus) has been approved in combination with the drug exemestane to treat postmenopausal women with advanced hormone-receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
Heart Medication Converts Cancer Cells Into Vaccine
FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — A class of heart medications, cardiac glycosides, can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), whereby dying cancer cells are converted into a vaccine that stimulates antitumor response, according to a study published in the July 18 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Kyprolis Approved for Multiple Myeloma
FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — Kyprolis (carfilzomib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat certain people with multiple myeloma who have already been given at least two prior therapies.
Similar Genetic Alterations in Most Colon, Rectal Cancers
FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — About 85 percent of colon and rectal cancers are very similar in terms of genomic alterations, according to a study published online July 18 in Nature.
BMI Affects Aromatase Inhibitor-Linked Estrogen Suppression
FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — Body mass index (BMI) affects the level of estradiol and estrone sulfate suppression achieved when treating postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer with either of two aromatase inhibitors, anastrozole or letrozole, according to a study published online July 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Benefits of Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing Remain Unclear
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) — It remains unclear whether the benefits of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing outweigh the harms, but evidence suggests that men with a longer life expectancy may benefit from testing, according to a provisional clinical opinion from the American Society of Clinical Oncology published online July 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Most Doctors Satisfied With Electronic Health Records
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) — Although only 55 percent of physicians had adopted electronic health records (EHRs) in 2011, most are somewhat or very satisfied with their system and most report enhanced patient care, according to a July data brief issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Poorer Patient Experience at Safety-Net Hospitals
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) — Safety-net hospitals (SNHs) perform worse on nearly every measure of patient experience, according to a study published online July 16 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Swedish Study Questions Value of Mammography Screening
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) — County-specific mortality statistics from Sweden indicate little benefit of mammography screening on breast cancer mortality, according to a study published online July 17 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Post-Pneumonectomy, New Lung Growth ID’d in Adult Patient
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) — New lung growth can occur in adult humans, according to a case report published in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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~12,000 Preventable Deaths in English Hospitals Annually
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) — Approximately 12,000 hospital deaths in England each year are preventable, according to research published online July 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety.
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Radical Prostatectomy Doesn’t Cut Mortality Versus Observation
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) — For men with clinically localized prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy does not significantly reduce all-cause or prostate-cancer mortality compared with observation through 12 years of follow-up, according to a study published in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Racial Disparity Exists in Larynx Preserving Surgery
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) — Racial disparities exist in the use of larynx preservation for locally advanced laryngeal cancer, most notably among black patients, according to research published in the July issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery.
High Infant Birth Weight Ups Maternal Breast Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) — For women who give birth to large birth weight infants, there is an increased risk of breast cancer, even after adjustment for the mother’s birth weight and traditional breast cancer risk factors, according to a study published online July 17 in PLoS One.
Physical Inactivity Accounts for Considerable Disease Burden
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) — Physical inactivity has a considerable impact on the burden of major non-communicable diseases, and causes 9 percent of premature mortality worldwide, according to a study published online July 18 in The Lancet.
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New Drug Approved for Colonoscopy Preparation
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) — Prepopik (sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, and citric acid) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults preparing for a colonoscopy, a diagnostic procedure to inspect the colon’s inner lining.
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Social Network Analysis IDs Informal Physician Networks
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) — Informal networks among physicians who share patients demonstrate substantial geographic variability, while within networks, physician and patient characteristics are similar, according to a study published in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Induction Chemo Beneficial in Locally Advanced Pancreatic CA
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) — For most patients with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma (LAPC), induction with a combination of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is feasible, resulting in clinical benefit, a chance of resectability, and improved survival, according to a study published online July 6 in Cancer.
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Shorter Scope Interval Supported for Better CA Stage at Diagnosis
MONDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) — There is a significant benefit in the cancer stage at diagnosis for patients who undergo endoscopy screening, with similar benefits seen for intervals of one, two, and three years, according to a study published online July 16 in Cancer.
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One in Five Women Has Re-Op After Breast Cancer Surgery
FRIDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) — Twenty percent of women who undergo breast conserving surgery in England undergo reoperation, which is significantly more likely for women with carcinoma in situ versus isolated invasive disease, according to a study published July 12 in BMJ.
Chemo Combo Promising for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
FRIDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) — The combination of temozolomide and bevacizumab seems to benefit patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), according to a study published online July 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Active Surveillance Cost-Effective for Prostate Cancer
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — In a theoretical cohort of 120,000 men, selecting active surveillance for prostate cancer results in considerable cost savings at five and 10 years of follow-up, compared with immediate treatment, according to a study published in the July issue of Cancer.
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Most Breast Cancer Patients Return to Working Same Hours
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — Nearly three-quarters of women treated for breast cancer return to their prediagnosis working time, according to a study published online July 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Long-Term Mortality Risk Low After Cerebral Vein Thrombosis
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — For patients who survive a cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT), the long-term risk of mortality and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) seems to be low, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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RA Patients Are Receiving Recommended Cancer Screenings
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receive cancer screening tests at higher rates than that of the general population, according to a study published online July 10 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Drug Reduces Graft-Versus-Host After Stem Cell Transplant
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — The chemokine receptor CCR5 antagonist maraviroc, which blocks lymphocyte trafficking, is safe and reduces the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, according to a phase I and II study published in the July 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Legalization of Euthanasia Has Not Altered Prevalence
WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) — Current trends in the frequency and characteristics of euthanasia in the Netherlands are similar to those seen before enactment of the euthanasia law in 2002, according to a study published online July 11 in The Lancet.
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Study Supports Chemo After Periampullary Cancer Surgery
TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) — After adjusting for prognostic variables, patients who receive adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of periampullary adenocarcinomas have improved survival compared with those who receive only observation, according to a study published in the July 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Staging for Melanoma Reviewed
TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) — For most patients with newly diagnosed melanoma, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is an acceptable method for lymph node staging, according to research published online July 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
GI Cancer Resection OK With Mild Cirrhotic Liver Dysfunction
TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) — For patients with cirrhosis, resection of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies correlates with poor early postoperative outcomes, with severity of liver disease being the primary determinant of postoperative mortality, according to a study published in the July issue of Cancer.
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Factors Impacting Quality of Life at End of Life Identified
TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) — Nine factors explain some of the variance in the quality of life (QOL) of patients with advanced cancer in end-of-life (EOL) care, according to a study published online July 9 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
New Test Helps Evaluate Erbitux’s Merit
MONDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) — A new genetic test to help doctors determine if the drug Erbitux would be an effective treatment for certain colorectal cancer patients has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Unsuccessful Fertility Drug Use Lowers Breast Cancer Risk
MONDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) — Women with unsuccessful use of fertility drugs are at a significantly reduced risk of young-onset breast cancer, according to a study published online July 6 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Sentinel Node Biopsy Safe for Vulvar Squamous Cell Cancer
FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) — For women with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy may be safely used in place of inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy, according to research published online July 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Automated Variation Measure Indicates Risk of Breast Cancer
FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) — A variation measure, estimated from an automated algorithm of the grayscale variation within a mammogram, correlates with the risk of breast cancer as strongly or more so than percent density (PD), according to a study published online July 3 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Patient Decision Aid Beneficial in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
THURSDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) — Patients with early-stage papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) may benefit from the use of a patient-directed computerized decision aid (DA) to provide medical knowledge and resolve decisional conflicts regarding the use of adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, according to research published online July 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Eltrombopag Linked to Clinical Response in Aplastic Anemia
THURSDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) — For some patients with severe refractory aplastic anemia, treatment with eltrombopag is associated with clinically significant improvements in platelet, erythroid, and neutrophil lineages at 12 weeks, according to a study published in the July 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Dose-Escalated Cetuximab Tolerated in Colorectal Cancer
THURSDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) — For patients with irinotecan-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), dose escalation of cetuximab is well tolerated and may improve response and disease control rates, but patients experience more grade ≥2 skin reactions, according to a study published online July 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Limited Evidence Links Pioglitazone to Bladder Cancer
TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) — Limited evidence supports an increased risk of bladder cancer in adults with type 2 diabetes treated with thiazolidinediones, specifically pioglitazone, according to a review and meta-analysis published online July 3 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Ovarian Grafts Restore Endocrine Function Long Term
TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) — For female cancer survivors, heterotopic transplantation of cryobanked human ovarian tissue results in restoration of endocrine function within a few months that can last for as long as seven years, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.
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Basal Cell Carcinoma Risk Down With Caffeine Intake
MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) — In both men and women, caffeine intake, from coffee and other sources, is inversely associated with the risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), according to research published in the July 1 issue of Cancer Research.
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Direct Primary Closure Feasible for Lower Lip Reconstruction
MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) — Direct primary closure without undermining is a reliable method of reconstructing vermilionectomy defects of the lower lip, according to research published online June 18 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
