Monthly Briefings

January 2012 Briefing - Hematology & Oncology

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

Diabetes Drugs Affect Pancreatic Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term use of the diabetes drug metformin is associated with a lower risk of pancreatic cancer only in women, while long-term use of sulfonylureas and insulin are associated with a significantly higher risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

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Breast Reexcision Rates Vary With Surgeon, Institution

TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- For women with invasive breast cancer who undergo partial mastectomy and have negative margins, reexcision rates vary substantially depending on the surgeon and institution, according to a retrospective chart review published in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Laparoscopy Acceptable for Staging Uterine Cancer

TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Comprehensive surgical staging of endometrial cancer can be performed laparoscopically with relatively small differences in recurrence rates compared to laparotomy, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Similar Morbidity for Robotic, Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- While complication rates are similar between robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomies for the treatment of endometrial cancer, robotic treatment is significantly more costly than laparoscopic treatment, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Erivedge Approved to Treat Basal Cell Carinoma

MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Erivedge (vismodegib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat the most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, the agency said Monday.

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Education Reduces Distress During Breast Cancer Treatment

MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Interventions such as telephone counseling can help women with early-stage breast cancer adjust to emotional distress stemming from the side effects of treatment, according to a study published in the February issue of Applied Nursing Research.

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Drug Approved for Advanced Kidney Cancer

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Inlyta (axitinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma in people who haven't responded to another drug. Six medications had been sanctioned previously for advanced kidney cancer, the agency said.

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Warfarin Use Lowers Mortality in Septuagenarians With A-Fib

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- In a group of septuagenarian patients with atrial fibrillation, followed for up to six years, warfarin use is associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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New PCR-Based Assay Better Predicts Lung Cancer Survival

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A new quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay can better identify which patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are at higher risk of mortality after surgical resection, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in The Lancet.

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Polypectomy Outcomes Similar to Surgical Resection

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with malignant colonic polyps who have similar clinical characteristics, management with either polypectomy or surgical resection results in comparable outcomes, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of Cancer.

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Comparable Clinical Activity for Low-, High-Dose Clofarabine

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Low and high doses of clofarabine have comparable clinical activity for the treatment of patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of Cancer.

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Not Enough Americans Being Screened for Cancer

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. residents are not being screened for cancer at the recommended levels, and screening rates vary by several demographic factors, according to research published in the Jan. 27 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.

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Mutations in IDH1/2 Seen in Intrahepatic Bile Duct Cancers

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Mutations in genes encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1 and IDH2) are present in about a quarter of biliary tract carcinomas arising within the liver, according to a study published online Dec. 16 in The Oncologist.

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Radiation Benefits Mixed After Breast-Preserving Surgery

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with radiation therapy after excision of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in women age 60 is associated with a slight improvement in survival, but may increase the likelihood of eventual mastectomy, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of Cancer.

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Survival Reduced for Patients With Cancer Who Have Diabetes

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with cancer generally have reduced survival if they also have type 2 diabetes, although this depends on the type of cancer and diabetes treatment, according to a study published online Jan. 20 in Diabetes Care.

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Bevacizumab Efficacious for HER2-Negative Breast Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer, the addition of bevacizumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves the pathological complete response (pCR), according to two studies published in the Jan. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Overuse of Health Care Services Understudied

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Overuse of health care services in the United States is an understudied problem, with the majority of research limited to a few interventions, according to a review published in the Jan. 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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New Pathway Inhibits TRAIL Apoptosis in Glioblastomas

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- An A20 ligase mediates ubiquitination to inhibit tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma cells, according to an experimental study published online Jan. 24 in Cancer Discovery.

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Adrenalectomy Rates Remain High in Radical Nephrectomy

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- During a recent 10-year period, the rate of ipsilateral adrenalectomy at the time of radical nephrectomy decreased slightly, according to a study published in the February issue of The Journal of Urology.

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Imaging May Spare Nerves in Prostate Cancer Surgery

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The use of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help guide surgical decisions that may spare nerves in men with prostate cancer undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), according to a study published online Jan. 24 in Radiology.

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More Adverse QOL Issues in Young Breast Cancer Patients

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Younger women with breast cancer experience a decrease in their health-related quality of life (QOL), including increased psychological distress and fertility-related concerns, according to a review published Jan. 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Oxaliplatin Improves Survival for Colorectal Cancer Patients

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of oxaliplatin to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) improves survival for stage III colon cancer patients in diverse practice settings, including among older and minority patients, according to a study published online Jan. 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Unemployed Have Poorer Mental and Physical Health

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Unemployed adults are about half as likely to have health insurance as employed individuals; have poorer mental and physical health, regardless of their insurance status; and are less likely to receive needed medical care and prescriptions, according to a January data brief issued by the National Center for Health Statistics.

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BRCA Carriers Have Improved Survival in Ovarian Cancer

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are associated with improved five-year survival, according to a study published in the Jan. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Dutasteride Delays Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Progression

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- For men with low-risk prostate cancer who undergo active surveillance, treatment with dutasteride delays the time to cancer progression, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in The Lancet.

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HealthGrades IDs Notable Hospitals for Clinical Excellence

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The top 5 percent of U.S. hospitals has more than a 30 percent lower risk-adjusted mortality across 17 procedures and diagnoses, compared with other hospitals, according to the 10th annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence study published online Jan. 24.

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Anastrozole Sequence Doesn't Significantly Improve Survival

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Sequencing two years of tamoxifen (TAM) and then three years of anastrozole (ANA) in the first five years of endocrine therapy leads to small, but nonsignificant improvements in breast cancer recurrence, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Statins May Reduce Risk for HCC in Hep B-Infected Patients

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- For hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients, statin use is associated with a reduction in the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in a dose-dependent manner, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Substantial Minority Continue Smoking After Cancer Diagnosis

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable minority of patients with lung and colorectal cancer continue smoking after being diagnosed, according to study published online Jan. 23 in Cancer.

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No Mitotic Difference in Single or Multiple Primary Melanomas

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with single primary melanoma (SPM) and multiple primary melanomas (MPM), there is no significant difference in the presence or absence of mitosis, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in Cancer.

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Three New Breast Cancer Susceptibility SNPs Identified

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Three new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) conferring susceptibility to breast cancer have been identified, according to a letter published online Jan. 22 in Nature Genetics.

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Many Tweens Don't Follow Correct Sun Behaviors

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- At least half of 10 year olds report experiencing sunburn in the past year and, as they hit their teen years, they report spending more unprotected time in the sun to get a tan, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in Pediatrics.

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Variability in Number of Lymph Nodes After Surgery Probed

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In two pathology departments in different hospitals, significant differences have been seen in the number of lymph nodes found following pelvic lymph node dissection for bladder cancer, according to a study published in the February issue of The Journal of Urology.

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Matted Lymph Nodes ID Poor Oropharyngeal SCC Prognosis

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) who present with matted nodes have a worse prognosis than those without matted nodes, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in Head & Neck.

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Warfarin Patients With Head Trauma Need Second CT Scan

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- For patients on warfarin with minor head trauma who have an initial negative computed tomography (CT) scan, 24-hour observation followed by an additional CT scan identifies the majority of cases of delayed bleeding, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

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Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Loses Prognostic Factors Over Time

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The current staging system and postoperative nomograms, which are based on patient and tumor characteristics and predict prognosis after resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS), are no longer significant one year after survival, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in Cancer.

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Mutant p53 Disrupts Mammary Acinar Morphology

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Mutant p53 disrupts breast architecture, possibly via upregulation of the mevalonate pathway, according to a study published in the Jan. 20 issue of Cell.

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Design Flaws Cast Doubt on Million Woman Study

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The largest study linking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to breast cancer, the Million Women Study (MWS), had flaws in its design and the findings do not satisfy the principles of causation, according to an evidence review published online Jan. 16 in the Journal of Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care.

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Ability to Predict Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence Limited

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A published nomogram from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is imperfect for predicting the risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) following excision of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Backscattering Intensity Measure May Help ID CIN Grade

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Use of backscattering intensity measurements in optical coherence tomography (OCT) for the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is influenced by perceptual and or cognitive bias, according to a study published in the January issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

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Calcium Associated With Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Dietary calcium intake is inversely associated with prostate cancer risk, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.

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Cancer Prevention Guidelines Updated

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The American Cancer Society (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines were recently updated and published in the January/February issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

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Voraxaze Approved to Treat High Levels of Methotrexate

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Voraxaze (glucarpidase) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat high blood levels of methotrexate, a common chemotherapy drug.

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BRAF + MEK Inhibitor May Help Avoid Cutaneous Carcinomas

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Combining the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib with an MEK inhibitor may help prevent squamous-cell carcinomas in melanoma treatment, according to a study published in the Jan. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Interaction of RNA Binding Proteins ID'd in Glioblastoma

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The RNA-binding protein (RBP) HuR interacts with and regulates Musashi1 (Msi1) post-transcriptionally in glioblastoma cells, according to an experimental study published in the January issue of Molecular Cancer Research.

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Psychosocial Interventions Reduce Cancer Pain in Adults

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- For adults with cancer, psychosocial interventions have a positive effect on pain severity and pain interference, according to a meta-analysis published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Bevacizumab Combo Improves Colorectal Cancer Survival

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of bevacizumab to combination chemotherapy for the treatment of stage IV colorectal cancer increases overall survival, particularly for patients receiving irinotecan-based chemotherapy regimens, but is associated with increased rates of strokes and gastrointestinal (GI) perforations, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Circulating Tumor Cells Predict Small-Cell Lung CA Prognosis

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and the change in CTC number after one cycle of chemotherapy predict prognosis in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Dual Inhibition of HER2 Beats Single Agent in Breast Cancer

TUESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer with two anti-HER2 agents (lapatinib and trastuzumab) is superior to treatment with single-agent therapy, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in The Lancet.

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ROR2 ID'd As Novel Biomarker of Soft-Tissue Sarcomas

TUESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- ROR2 gene mutations are expressed in a subset of soft-tissue sarcomas, including leiomyosarcoma (LMS), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), and desmoid-type fibromatosis (DTF), and expression may be indicative of poor prognosis, according to a study published online Jan. 4 in The Journal of Pathology.

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Patients With Breast Cancer Lack Knowledge of the Disease

MONDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Many early-stage breast cancer survivors lack knowledge about their disease and report not being involved in treatment decisions, although most receive treatment consistent with their goals, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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Additional Mutations Identified in Relapse-Specific AML

FRIDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with acquisition of new mutations and clonal evolution, according to a letter published online Jan. 11 in Nature.

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U.S. Health Care Expenditure Still Unevenly Distributed

FRIDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Health care expenditure in the United States is still unevenly distributed, with 1 percent of the population accounting for approximately 20 percent of expenditure in 2008 and 2009, according to a January statistical brief published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

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Thromboprophylaxis Rate Low for Knee Arthroplasty in Taiwan

FRIDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis for Taiwanese patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is very low, at 2.2 percent, which may correlate with the low incidence of post-surgery venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

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Increased CD4⁺ T Cells in Peripheral Blood of Obese

FRIDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Morbidly obese individuals have a selective increase in CD4⁺ T cells in the peripheral blood T-cell compartment, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Diabetes.

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PEDF Has Tumor-Suppressive and Neuroprotective Functions

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) rapidly suppresses experimental brain metastases and protects the brain from tumor-induced damage in a mouse model, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of Cancer Research.

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Dark Chocolate Inhibits Platelet Function in Smokers

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In smokers, dark chocolate lowers oxidative stress and has an inhibitory effect on platelet function, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

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Change in Bone Scan Index Predicts Prostate CA Survival

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- On-treatment related change in the bone scan index (BSI) is strongly associated with survival in patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic prostate cancer, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Parabens Seen in Almost All Breast Mastectomy Samples

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- One or more esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) are seen in 99 percent of post-mastectomy, primary breast cancer tissue samples, and their concentrations vary within and between breasts, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in the Journal of Applied Toxicology.

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Novel Anticancer Agents ID'd From NIH Drug Collection

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) of a large pharmaceutical collection can identify novel agents with anticancer activity, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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CDC: 2010 Saw Decrease in Age-Adjusted Death Rates

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- From 2009 to 2010, age-adjusted death rates decreased and life expectancy increased, according to a Jan. 11 report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Gene Variant Linked to Hereditary Prostate Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A mutation in a gene important in prostate development is associated with a higher risk of hereditary prostate cancer, particularly early-onset cancers, according to a study published in the Jan. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Benefit of Aspirin in Primary Prevention Questioned

TUESDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals without prior cardiovascular disease (CVD), aspirin prophylaxis does not reduce cardiovascular death or cancer mortality, although it is associated with reductions in nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), according to a meta-analysis published online Jan. 9 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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ROS1 Rearrangements Seen in Small Subset of NSCLC Tumors

MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately 2 percent of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have rearrangements of the ROS1 receptor tyrosine kinase gene, with clinical characteristics similar to those seen in ALK-rearranged NSCLC, according to a study published online Jan. 3 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Most Parents Communicate BRCA Test Results to Offspring

MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of parents who get tested for BRCA1/2 mutations share the test results with their offspring, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in Cancer.

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Post-Op QOL Poor in Some Esophageal Cancer Survivors

MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- While most esophageal cancer patients recover their pre-surgery health-related quality of life (HRQL), a notable percentage continue to suffer adverse effects from the surgery five years later, according to a study published online Jan. 3 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Antiestrogens May Counter Increased Skin Cancer Risk

MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- For breast cancer patients receiving antiestrogen therapy, there doesn't appear to be an excess risk of secondary cutaneous melanoma, according to a study published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

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No Mortality Benefit for Annual Prostate Cancer Screening

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- There is no evidence of a mortality benefit for organized annual prostate cancer screening versus usual care, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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In-Hospital, 30-Day Standardized Mortality Measures Differ

THURSDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The mean risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) differ for in-hospital and 30-day models, with wide variability across U.S. hospitals, according to a study published in the Jan. 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Cancer Incidence, Mortality Higher in Adults With Diabetes

THURSDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of cancer and the mortality rate due to cancer is higher in people with type 2 diabetes compared to those without the condition, according to a study published in the January issue of Diabetes Care.

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Potential Genetic Marker of Colorectal Cancer Risk Found

THURSDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- There is an association between an increase in the degree of germline allele-specific expression (ASE) of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene and the risk of common forms of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a study published in the January issue of Gastroenterology.

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New Predictors of Treatment Response Identified for CRC

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- In colorectal cancer patients, hypermethylation of the gene encoding transcription factor AP-2 epsilon (TFAP2E), which targets a gene involved in chemoresistance (dickkopf homolog 4 protein [DKK4]), is associated with treatment resistance to fluorouracil but not irinotecan or oxaliplatin, according to a study published in the Jan. 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Cancer-Related Mortality Continues to Decrease

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Overall cancer rates have decreased for men and remained stable for women, but mortality from cancer has declined for both men and women, according to a report from the American Cancer Society published online Jan. 4 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

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Gene Involved in Familial Pancreatic Cancer Identified

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Specific ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene mutations that increase the hereditary risk of familial pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma have been identified, according to a study published online Dec. 29 in Cancer Discovery.

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Hormone Receptor Levels Predict Trastuzumab Effect

TUESDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer whose tumors also express hormone receptors may be less responsive to the addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy, suggesting that hormone receptor expression has a predictive role in determining response to therapy, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of Cancer.

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