Acupuncture for cancer survivors with chronic pain

 A recently completed clinical trial purports that two types of acupuncture may help reduce chronic pain in cancer survivors.  While acupuncture has long been used to relief pain in non-cancer patients, "the trial is one of the first large randomized clinical studies designed to test whether the therapy might offer relief for cancer-related pain in survivors of a host of different cancers."  According to results from the trial, led by Dr. Jun Mao, chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, "participants who received electroacupuncture reported modestly better pain control than those treated with auricular acupuncture."  However, regardless of which type of acupuncture was administered, decrease in pain lasted up to 4 months.  

To read more about this trial, click here. 

New trial alert: FACE-Q in facial reconstructive surgery

 A recently posted clinical trial, sponsored by McMaster University, aims to "establish a prospective database of clinical information, FACE-Q scores, and patient photographs...to enhance the understanding and practice of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery."  FACE-Q is a validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) that investigates patient experience following facial surgery due to skin cancer.  

To learn more about this trial, click here. 

Low-dose aspirin could be an alternative to colectomy for preventing colorectal cancer in familial adenomatous polyposis

 Researchers in Japan recently reported that "low-dose aspirin safely suppressed the recurrence of colorectal polyps larger than 5mm in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)."  Prior to the study's release, colectomy was the only recognized treatment for preventing colorectal cancer in FAP patients, despite reducing quality of life.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

Ishikawa H, Mutoh M, Sato Y, et al. Chemoprevention with low-dose aspirin, mesalazine, or both in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis without previous colectomy (J-FAPP Study IV): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, two-by-two factorial design trial. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Published online 1 April 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00018-2

Lynch PM. Low-dose aspirin and mesalazine for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Published online 1 April 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00102-3

Adjuvant nivolumab prolongs disease-free survival in patients with resected oesophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer

Results from the CheckMate 577 study, recently published in the April 2021 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine determined that "among patients with resected oesophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant therapy with nivolumab was associated with a significantly longer disease-free survival than placebo."  CheckMate 577 is a worldwide randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial evaluating treatment with nivolumab following chemotherapy and surgery for oesophageal or gastroesophageal cancer.  Patients who received nivolumab had an average disease-free survival period of 22.4 months, compared to 11months for the 262 patients receiving placebo.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Studies mentioned: 

Kelly RJ, Ajani JA, Kuzdzal J, et al. Adjuvant Nivolumab in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer. N Engl J Med 2021;384:1191-203. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032125

Ilson DH. Adjuvant Nivolumab in Esophageal Cancer — A New Standard of Care. N Engl J Med 2021; 384:1269-1271. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe2101983