Grey Horizon blog posts will resume the week of January 3rd; Happy Holidays

To all Grey Horizon readers, 

Thank you for supporting the blog this past year.  Postings will resume the week of week of January 3, 2023.  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  

  

Travel time for breast cancer screening remains long for many women

 A new study conducted by the American Cancer Society and recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates that location of a mammography facility is associated with lower breast cancer rates particularly among women living in rural areas. According to senior scientist Dr. Daniel Wiese, "mammography is widely available in the United States but barriers, such as long drive times, are likely influencing a women's decision to get screened."  Dr. Wise further emphasizes the importance of programs aimed at removing barriers "so women can access this potentially life-saving screening."  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

Wiese D, Islami F, Henry KA. Changes in geographic accessibility to mammography by state and rural-urban status, United States, 2006-2022. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2022 Dec 14:djac217. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djac217. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36515214.

 

Alternate approach to World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder for cancer pain management

Results of a recent randomized parallel group study conducted at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Institute in the UK unveiled a new 2-step option for cancer main management which is more cost-effective than the standard 3-step analgesic ladder approach created decades ago by the World Health Organization (WHO).  The authors of this study, led by Professor Marie T. Fallon state that study findings will be of particular interest "in low- and middle-income countries where weak opioids are expensive and switching complicated."  Further, the study, the first of its kind to access the WHO analgesic ladder from a cost-effectiveness perspective, brought forth several findings, including that the 3-step approach (direct to strong opioid) did not results in fast pain relief that the 2-step (weak opioid approach).  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

Fallon M, Dierberger K, Leng M, et al. An international, open-label, randomised trial comparing a two-step approach versus the standard three-step approach of the WHO analgesic ladder in patients with cancer. Annals of Oncology 2022;33(12):1296-1303.

Bramati PS, Bruera E. The end of the second step of the World Health Organization analgesic ladder? Annals of Oncology 2022;33(12):1212-1213.

Adjuvant pembrolizumab improves quality of life in patients with high-risk resected melanoma

 Results of the SWOG S1404 phase III randomized clinical trial were recently published in JAMA Oncology.  According to trial, "pembrolizumab provides superior clinical and patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes compared to standard care with adjuvant ipilimumab or high-dose interferon for high-risk resected melanoma."  Conducted on 1303 patients, with a variety of genders and racial backgrounds, the SWIG S1404 trial emphasized the important of physicians discussing quality-of-life issues with patients "when making shared decisions regarding the risks and benefits of adjuvant treatment in resected melanoma."  

Source mentioned: Unger JM, Darke A, Othus M, et al. Effectiveness of Adjuvant Pembrolizumab vs High-Dose Interferon or Ipilimumab for Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Patients With Resected Melanoma A Secondary Analysis of the SWOG S1404 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncology; Published online 23 November 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5486

Press Release: Ethnic diversity and disparities in access to genetic testing impact prostate cancer development and treatment

A press release from the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) discusses the importance and need for "ethnically diverse prostate cancer genomics data and accessible genetic testing."   According to Dr. Rodrigo Dienstmann, an oncologist with joint appointments at the Grupo Oncoclinicas in Sao Paulo Brazil as well as the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain, predisposition to prostate cancer does vary across ethnicities, particularly in men of African and Caribbean descent, who are at increased risk: "such race-related differences can condition the behaviour of the disease and its treatment, yet our current knowledge of prostate cancer genomics is largely limited to data from Europe and the USA, in which Asian and other non-Caucasian ethnicities are scarcely represented." 

To learn more about this press release, click here.  

Geriatric assessment intervention reduces patient-reported symptom toxicities in older patients with advanced cancer

 Findings from GAP70+, the first study to "systematically describe baseline symptom burden as measured by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) in older adults with advanced cancer" was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. 

According to the GAO70+ study, more than 25% of new cancer diagnoses occur in older patients, however this demographic is often now well-represented in clinical trials, which limits understanding of the various treatment options available.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Culakova E, Mohile SG, Peppone L, et al. Effects of a Geriatric Assessment Intervention on Patient-Reported Symptomatic Toxicity in Older Adults With Advanced Cancer. JCO; Published online 10 November. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.00738

New study shows cancer mortality higher among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals

 A new study recently released by the American Cancer Society indicates that "cancer mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals is 18% higher than among White individuals despite similar cancer incidence."  The study is the first U.S. nationwide mortality data that has been published for this demographic and explains that the "disparity is driven by common cancers that are receptive to early detection."  Thus, breast and prostate cancer incidence rates are 15% and 12% lower, but 7% and 31% higher mortality rates.  Further, mortality rates for infection-related cancers, including liver, stomach, cervix, and kidney, were twice the rate among American Indian and Alaska Native groups compared to White individuals. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned:  Kratzer TB, Jemal A, Miller KD, et al. Cancer statistics for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, 2022: Including increasing disparities in early-onset colorectal cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022;1‐27. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21757

New study shows recently diagnosed adult cancer survivors at higher risk for bone fractures

 A new study conducted by the American Cancer Society indicates that adult cancer survivors, especially those diagnosed within 5 years and/or treated with chemotherapy, "have an increased risk for bone fractures, specifically pelvic and vertebral fractures, compared to older adults without cancer." These findings were further correlated with levels of physical activity and smoking status; active adults had a lower risk of bone fractures, whereas smoking among survivors lead to an increased risk of bone issues. The study, conducted on 92,431 participants over 20 years (1997-2017) unveiled 12,943 with bone fractures.  

To read more about this study, click here.