HPV vaccine does not eliminate need for Pap test

With January being designated as Cervical Health Awareness Month, oncologists are reminding patients about the importance and need for women of all ages to undergo Pap test screening.  According to Dr. Jayanthi Lea, from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, "the [HPV] vaccine reduces the risk of cancer, but has not yet been shown to eliminate the need for screening."

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Even small amount of daily activity can boost colon cancer survival

A new U.S. study conducted on 1,200 colon cancer patients indicated a 19% decrease in early risk of death for those exercising 30 minutes or more on a daily basis. Further, individuals who exercised at least 5 hours per week saw their survival rate rise to 25%.  According to Dr. Andrew Chan, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, these findings do support the notion that "patients who have cancer and who are physically active...have a better prognosis."

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Chemo Brain may last for several months after breast cancer treatment

A new study conducted in the United States, considered to be the largest of its kind to date, explored explored the effects of memory and attention issues affecting breast cancer survivors after undergoing chemotherapy treatment.  According to study author Michelle Janelsins, assistant professor o surgery, radiation oncology and neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Wilmot Cancer Institute in New York, "a month after chemo ended, 45% of patients reported a significant decline in so-called cognitive abilities", an effect that continued to linger 6 months later where "36% of patients still felt their mental ability had declined."

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Drug for advanced bone cancer may require less frequent dosing

Researchers at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute in Newark, Delaware have determined that use of Zometa, a drug used to treat bone cancer, reduces side effects in patients and increases cost savings wen administered every 3 months instead of monthly.  This change in dosage has not resulted in increased risk of bone problems over a 2-year period.  The study, conducted on more than 1800 patients with breast cancer, prostate cancer, or multiple myeloma indicated bone problems in 30% of patients who received the drug monthly compared to 29% who were administered the drug every 3 months.

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New targeted therapies show promise for treating advanced GIST

Two early-phase clinical trials testing new targeted therapies for advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) have produced promising preliminary results. Although the findings are preliminary, Lee Helman, M.D., of NCI's Center for Cancer Research, said the drugs show substantial promise as a treatment for patients with GIST whose tumors stop responding to standard therapies.

The trial results were presented earlier this month at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics ConferenceExit Disclaimer in Munich.

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Response to Durvalumab increased with high PD-L1 expression in pretreated NSCLC

Durvalumab treatment in the second-line setting or beyond demonstrated clinical benefit and led to durable responses in heavily pretreated patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to findings presented at the 17th World Lung Cancer Conference in Vienna.

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