Blog postings will resume week of September 14

 To all Grey Horizon readers, 

Postings will resume the week of September 14th.  Please stay safe and well.  

Male patients with cancer at higher risk of severe disease course and mortality attributable to COVID-19

 A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted within the Division of Medical Oncology at the Kansas University Medical Center, indicates that gender, in particular males is a significant risk factor for advanced disease and death as a result of COVID-19.  

The study authors have posited a number of theories regarding the gender difference, including age, comorbidities, as well as "androgenic hormones in the pathogenesis, potential sex differences in one or more of the multistep immunopathogenic pathway including virus entry, innate immune virus recognition, and induction of adaptive immune response." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: 

Sex-bias in COVID-19-associated illness severity and mortality in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine; Published online 24 August 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100519

regular aspirin use may increase older people's risk of dying from cancer

 A randomized clinical trial, ASPREE, indicates that patients 70 years of age or older who regularly take 100mg of aspirin daily "have a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with an advanced cancer and of dying from cancer."  While researchers agree that further study is required, many believe that aspirin may indeed have a different effect on people as they age.  Dr. Andrew Chan, senior researcher for ASPREE the strongly believes that "cancer prevention should be tailored to each person." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Strict safety measures in Austria results in low SARS-COV-2 detection rates in cancer patients

 A recently published study conducted on 1016 cancer patients in a tertiary care hospital in Vienna between March 21, 2020 - May 4, 2020 indicates a "low rate of detectable SARS-CoV-2 infections...after implementation of institutional and population-wide safety measures."  As countries worldwide can attest to, COVID-19 mortality is highest among the elderly.  88% of the 1016 cancer patients tested were managed in an outpatient setting; 53 patients (5.2%) self-reported symptoms attributable to COVID-19, however only 4 patients (0.4%) were officially diagnosed with coronavirus.  While the study team acknowledges that their research was conducted in a controlled setting, they are adamant that "implementation of strict safety policies including routine SARS-CoV-2 testing in cancer patients in the cancer centres is advisable to present uncontrolled viral spread." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: Berghoff AS, Gansterer M, Bathke AC, et al. SARS-CoV-2 testing in 1016 consecutive cancer patients treated at a tertiary care hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Oncology; Published on 14 August 2020. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.01442. 

Health problems among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

 A new study conducted by Kaiser Permanente in Southern California has unveiled a correlation between types of cancer treatment and the risk of developing health problems in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.  According to study leader Dr Chun Chao, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors have been an understudied group, however, the risk of this age group developing one of 26 health conditions after completion of treatment was considerable: "after 10 years, 40% of AYA [adolescent and young adult] cancer survivors had developed two or more...conditions, compared with only 20% of people...with not history of cancer." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Fusion proteins in childhood cancers

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently launched the Fusion Oncoproteins in Childhood Cancers (FusOnC2) Consortium, consisting of a group of researchers with expertise in cancer biology, proteomics, genomics, computational biology, and pharmacology.  The purpose of Fu OnC2 is to investigate difficult-to-treat "cancers driven by fusion proteins in children and young adults", with emphasis on soft tissue cancers such as synovial sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, as well as ependymoma, a type of brain cancer.

Too read more about this study, click here.