Evaluation of primary and secondary prevention of oral cancer

 A special report produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on the primary and secondary prevention of oral cancer has determined that "cessation of tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and areca nut use will contribute to significant reductions in the risk of oral cancer." Cancer of the lip and oral cavity is the 16th cause of mortality worldwide, with "a wide range of genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors" all contributing to oral cancer risk.  

To read more about this report, click here. 

Source mentioned: Bouvard V, Nethan ST, Singh D, at al. IARC Perspective on Oral Cancer Prevention. NEJM; Published online 18 October 2022. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsr2210097

Long-term clinical benefit with nivolumab and ipilimubab extends beyond treatment discontinuation in patients with metastatic NCSLC, regardless of PD-L1 expression

According to a 5-year follow-up of the CheckMate 227 trial, nivolumab and ipilimumab "continued to demonstrate long-term, durable clinical benefit for previously untreated patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) versus chemotherapy, regardless of tumour PD-L1 expression."   Following a 5-year survival rate of 24% for nivolumab and ipilimumab in PD-L1, the authors of CheckMate 227 concluded that this is the "first phase III study to report 5-year clinical outcomes with a first-line combination of ICIs for patients with metastatic NSLSC." 

To read more about CheckMate 227, click here. 

Source mentioned: Brahmer JR, Lee J-S, Ciuleanu T-E, et al. Five-Year Survival Outcomes With Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab Versus Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in CheckMate 227. JCO; Published online 12 October 2022. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.01503

Long-term follow-up confirms pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy as effective first-line treatment options for recurrent or metastatic HNSCC

 A recently published follow-up study of the first-line pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy KEYNOTE-048 trial "continued to demonstrate overall survival benefit compared with cetuximab-chemotherapy" in head and neck cancer patients.  A 4-year follow-up period noted a survival plateau of 20% for patients administered pembrolizumab alone, and a 30% survival rate for those patients receiving a pembrolizumab-chemotherapy combination.  However, study authors did observe more favourable side effects in patients receive pembrolizumab alone without additional chemotherapy.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned:  

Harrington KJ, Burtness B, Greil R, et al. Pembrolizumab With or Without Chemotherapy in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Updated Results of the Phase III KEYNOTE-048 Study. JCO; Published online 11 October 2022. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02508 

Ho AL. Immunotherapy, Chemotherapy, or Both: Options for First-Line Therapy for Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. JCO; Published online 12 October 2022. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.01408

Modest effectiveness of screening colonoscopy for the prevention of colorectal cancer: the NordICC study

 Results from the Nordic-European Initiative on Colorectal Cancer (NordICC) were recently unveiled at the United European Gastroenterology Week held in Vienna from October 8-11, 2022. Authors of the NordICC study state that "colonoscopy is considered to be more effective than sigmoidoscopy, but colonoscopy has not been adopted in many parts of the world, partly because evidence from randomized studies regarding the benefits is lacking."  The authors further emphasized that findings were significant in the 84,85 participants in NordICC (28,220 in the invited group, 11,843 of whom underwent screening, along with 56,365 participants in the usual-care group: "during a median follow-up of 10 years, 259 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in the invited group as compared with 622 cases in the usual-care group." 

To read more about this study, click here.  

Sources mentioned: 

Bretthauer M, Løberg M, Wieszczy P, et al., for the NordICC Study Group. Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death. NEJM; Published online 9 October 2022. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2208375

Dominitz JA, Robertson DJ. Understanding the Results of a Randomized Trial of Screening Colonoscopy. NEJM; Published online 9 October 2022. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe2211595

Cancer survivors delaying care due to transportation barriers use ER more; have highest risks for all-cause and cancer-specific mortality

 New findings unveiled by the American Cancer Society indicates that lack of transportation is a contributing factor in delayed care for cancer survivors and subsequent visits to the emergency room. Led by Dr. Xuesong Han, scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society, 30,000 cancer survivors and 500,000 adults with no cancer history were observed from 2000-2018.  The study revealed that "2.8% if cancer survivors and 1.7% if adults without a cancer history reported delays in care due to transportation barriers."   The study authors thus emphasized the need to "mitigate transportation barriers in vulnerable cancer survivor communities." 

To read more about this study, click here.