Partial Breast Irradiation as Effective as Conventional Therapy
October 29th 2015Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using multicatheter brachytherapy in patients with early-stage breast cancer was not inferior to conventional whole breast irradiation (WBI), according to a phase III study presented at the 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
FDA Approves New Adjuvant Option for Patients with Melanoma
October 29th 2015The FDA has expanded the approval of Yervoy (ipilimumab) to include adjuvant treatment of fully resected stage III melanoma. The treatment will apply to patients with pathologic involvement of regional lymph nodes >1 mm.
First Oncolytic Immunotherapy Approved for Advanced Melanoma
October 28th 2015The FDA has approved the first-in-class oncolytic viral therapy Imlygic (T-VEC; talimogene laherparepvec) for the local treatment of unresectable lesions of the skin and lymph nodes in patients with melanoma that recurred after initial surgery.
Alternative Medicine Use High in Elderly Patients With Cancer
October 27th 2015A study published recently in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology found that as many as 1 in 4 senior oncology patients were using complementary or alternative medicines (CAM), and the authors note that few oncology clinicians are sufficiently aware of the alternative medicines their patients take.
Preventive Mastectomy May Not Benefit, but Decision Tool Can Help
October 26th 2015Contralateral prophylactic mastectomies (CPM) have been a growing trend among women at average risk of breast cancer with a diagnosis of cancer in one breast, but the procedure is not medically recommended for this population.
Crafting a Harmonized Approach to Safety
October 26th 2015In her role as division head of Occupational & Environmental Medicine at the University of Maryland, Melissa A. McDiarmid, MD, MPH, spends a lot of her time working with individuals who have been occupationally or environmentally exposed to toxic substances..
Trabectedin Now FDA-Approved for Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcomas
October 23rd 2015Trabectedin (Yondelis) chemotherapy was approved by the FDA for treatment of patients with specific metastatic soft tissue sarcomas-liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma-who previously received chemotherapy that included an anthracycline.
Onivyde FDA Approved to Treat Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
October 22nd 2015The FDA has approved MM-398, branded as Onivyde (irinotecan liposome injection) in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy and leucovorin for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The treatment follows prior administration of a gemcitabine-based regimen.
American Cancer Society Raises Age to 45 for First Mammogram
October 21st 2015The American Cancer Society (ACS) has revised its breast cancer screening guidelines, recommending that women at an average risk of breast cancer receive a mammography annually starting at age 45-5 years later than previous recommendations formulated in 2003.
Aprepitant Shows Promise for Managing Cough in Lung Cancer
October 12th 2015The antiemetic NK-1 antagonist aprepitant (Emend) was shown to significantly reduce cough in patients with lung cancer, according to findings of the first antitussive trial in patients with lung cancer using objective quantification of cough.
Automated Symptom Monitoring Eases Caregiver Stress During Home-Based Cancer Care
October 9th 2015A novel approach using an automated system of remote monitoring coaching system can help relieve particular stressors caused by adult children caring for their parents receiving hospice care at home.