Colon cancer's location may determine patient survival

A new report indicates that the area of the colon where cancer develops can affect a patient's rate of survival.  According to Dr. David Bernstein, chief of hepatology at Northwell Health, left-sided cancers (located near the anus, rectum, sigmoid colon and descending colon), "usually present with bleeding or partial obstruction [and] patients tend to seek medical care earlier."  On the other hand, right-sided colon cancers (near the intersection of the small intestine), "do not typically present with obstruction but tend to present with anemia [and] are more likely associated with metastatic disease, especially the liver."  As such, the survival rate is estimated to be 20% greater with left-sided vs. right-sided colon cancers.

To read more about this report, click here.

Immune checkpoint-related neurotoxicity may be more common during combination treatment

Neurotoxicity is not uncommon in patients with melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab, but it may be more common in patients treated with nivolumab plus a CTLA-4-blocking antibody such as ipilimumab, a study published in the journal Annals of Oncology has shown.

Read more here.

Study mentioned:

Spain L, Walls G, Julve M, et al. Neurotoxicity from immune-checkpoint inhibition in the treatment of melanoma: a single centre experience and review of the literature. Ann Oncol. 2016 Oct 25. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdw558.

Monitoring, not treatment may be better for certain prostate cancer cases

A new study conducted on 33,000 Swedish men with very low risk (stage I) prostate cancer indicates that close monitoring maybe a more viable option than immediate treatment.  According to lead researcher Dr. Stacy Loeb, assistant professor in the departments of urology and population health at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center in New York, "there is no rush to get treatment...low-risk prostate cancer can be safely monitored...some men will eventually need treatment, but others will be able to preserve their quality of life for many years."

To read more about this study, click here.

Preventive mastectomy rates have doubled over the past decade; fear is a factor

A new study, recently presented at the American College of Surgeons meeting in Washington D.C., indicates that rates of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) have doubled in the United States over the past 10 years.  According to the study authors, nearly "25% of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients undergo this procedure"; fear of cancer recurrence is believed to be the primary reason.

To read more about this study, click here  

Further evidence linking obesity to liver cancer

A recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society provides further evidence on the link between high body mass index (BMI) and risk of liver cancer.  According to study co-author Peter Campbell, an examination of 1.57 million adults across 14 U.S. studies found that 6.5% of participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  Of these,over 2.000 developed liver cancer.

To read more about this study, click here.

Smokeless tobacco associated with higher risk of prostate cancer death

A new study conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chain School of Public Health in Boston indicates that snus, a smokeless tobacco product, may increase risk of death in a patient with prostate cancer.  According to study co-author Kathryn Wilson, the study, conducted on thousands of Swedish men from 1971-1992, determined that "those who used snus but did not smoke has a 24% higher risk of death from prostate cancer during the study period."

To read more about this study, click here.

Cryoblation as possible alternative for treating early stage breast cancer

A new study conducted at the University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine purports that the cryoblation freezing technique may be a possible treatment mechanism, in lieu of lumpectomy, for small early-stage breast cancers.  According to Dr. Deanna Attai, assistant clinical professor of surgery, the study,conducted on 86 patients, found that overall, "freezing was successful for 92% of the cancer...it worked for all tumors measuring less than 1 centimeter."

To read more about this study, click here.

Diagnosis of cancer as a medical emergency leads to poorer prognosis for many patients

Too many patients - particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds - are being diagnosed with cancer as medical emergencies, say researchers. This means that their chances of successful treatment are greatly reduced.

In an article in the journal Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, a team of researchers jointly led by the University of Cambridge and University College London reviewed current evidence from 26 peer-reviewed studies and 6 online reports from 7 countries. The evidence indicates that emergency diagnosis of cancer is a universal problem, challenging previous assumptions regarding this issue being a particular problem only in the UK.

Read more here.

Study mentioned:
Zhou, Y et al. Diagnosis of cancer as an emergency: a critical review of current evidence. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology; 11 Oct 2016; 10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.155

Night shift work and breast cancer risk

Data from three new UK studies and from a review of currently available evidence, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, indicates that night shift work has little or no effect on breast cancer incidence.

Compared with women who had not reported doing night shift work, the combined relative risks taking all 10 studies together were 0.99 for any night shift work, 1.01 for 20 or more years of night shift work, and 1.00 for 30 or more years night shift work. In other words, the incidence of breast cancer was essentially the same whether someone did no night shift work at all or did night shift work for several decades.

Study mentioned:
Ruth C. Travis, Angela Balkwill, Georgina K. Fensom, Paul N. Appleby, Gillian K. Reeves, Xiao-Si Wang, Andrew W. Roddam, Toral Gathani, Richard Peto, Jane Green, Timothy J. Key, and Valerie Beral
Night Shift Work and Breast Cancer Incidence: Three Prospective Studies and Meta-analysis of Published Studies
JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst (2016) 108 (12): djw169 doi:10.1093/jnci/djw169

Five challenges of delivering immuno-oncology trials and how to overcome them

Recent advances have seen immuno-therapy become a shining light within oncology research, transforming both the way cancer treatments are viewed and the potential standards of care and outcomes.

These are exciting developments, but at the same time can add huge complexities to the drug development process, particularly around the trial stages and processes. Particular areas of focus include more sophisticated site selection and advanced monitoring/oversight processes to moderate cost and risk, especially in early phases.

Quintiles‘ Eric Groves, MD, PhD, Vice President, Scientific Advisor, Advisory Services proposes there are five key challenges which when addressed, mitigate the majority of risks that can accompany immuno-oncology trials and has produced a blog which looks at each of them.

To view the blog and understand what these challenges are and how to approach them – please click here.

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer less safe for men with prior heart attack

A new study conducted at Yale University's Department of Therapeutic Radiology indicates that hormone-depleting therapy, often prescribed to men with prostate cancer, may pose a risk for those patients who have survived a heart attack.  While the study noted that younger patients with less cardiac risk factors benefited more positively from the hormone therapy, Dr. Manish Vira, vice chair for urologic research at the Arthur Smith Institute for Urology in New Hype Park,New York, stated tat "men who had prior documented history of heart disease as demonstrated by prior heart attack were potentially harmed by the addition of hormonal therapy."

To read more about this study, presented at the September 28th meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, click here.