Bilateral Mastectomy Rates on the Rise, Particularly Among Younger Women
September 3rd 2014A new study has shown that while there was an increase in the percentage of women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer undergoing a double mastectomy, the increase was not associated with a lower risk of death compared to breast-conserving surgery plus radiation.
NPF Launches Patient Registry to Improve Treatments for Pancreatic Diseases
August 29th 2014The National Pancreas Foundation (NPF), a nonprofit organization that provides hope for those suffering from pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, has announced that it will build the first-ever national patient registry devoted to all pancreatic diseases, including pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis.
Three-Time Cancer Survivor Inspires Others With Her Courage
August 29th 2014Every year, Cancer Hope Network (CHN) awards a group or individual who has made a difference through their own courageous battle with cancer, or who has helped others through the ordeal of treatment. The Committee evaluates nominees on how they made a difference through a display of courage, spirit, inspiration, or support in the battle with cancer.
Discontinuing Statins in Late-Stage Cancer Patients
August 29th 2014Patients starting palliative care for advanced cancer are often already on repeat prescriptions of statins to lower cholesterol and reduce risk of a heart attack or stroke, and many of these patients continue on statin therapy until death.
Trial Suggests Potential Role for DHEA in Relieving Vaginal Symptoms
August 28th 2014A randomized multi-center trial examining the efficacy of adding the prohormone dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) to a vaginal bioadhesive moisturizer in postmenopausal survivors of breast or gynecologic cancer has found that daily rather than as-needed use of such a moisturizer significantly relieves symptoms of vaginal atrophy in these women, and that when DHEA is added, survivors report significant improvements in sexual desire, arousal, pain, and overall sexual function.
FDA Approves Eltrombopag for Severe Aplastic Anemia
August 27th 2014The FDA has approved eltrombopag (Promacta) as a treatment for patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) following an insufficient response to immunosuppressive therapy, based on data from an open-label, single-arm phase II trial.
New Patient-Centered Care Standards: What's Ahead for Nurses and Navigators?
August 26th 2014As the clock ticks closer to the January 1, 2015 deadline for the implementation of the new Commission on Cancer (CoC) standards, I've been asking nurses and patient navigators this question: What are you going to focus on come January 2, 2015 and beyond? What's next?
Survival Comparable With Bevacizumab, Cetuximab in mCRC
August 26th 2014Frontline therapy with bevacizumab or cetuximab combined with either FOLFOX or FOLFIRI yielded a comparable survival benefit of approximately 29 months in patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), according to results from the phase III CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial.
Most Patients Don't Opt for Breast Reconstruction and They Don't Regret It
August 20th 2014Even though universal coverage for postmastectomy breast reconstruction is mandated, a new study has found that the majority of women are deciding not to undergo breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy.
Can NSAIDs Help Prevent Recurrence in Overweight Breast Cancer Patients?
August 19th 2014Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found that postmenopausal overweight or obese breast cancer patients receiving hormone therapy as part of their treatment who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have significantly lower breast cancer recurrence rates and a sizable delay in time to cancer recurrence.
Providing Hope for Patients With Pancreatic Disease
August 14th 2014The National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) provides hope for those suffering from pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer through funding cutting-edge research, advocating for new and better therapies, and providing support and education for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
Study Supports Mammography in Women 75 Years and Older
August 14th 2014According to researchers at the University of Washington, the benefits of mammography extend to women older than 75 years, and the findings have the potential to change public health recommendations for breast cancer screening.
Study Finds Mouth Rinse Alleviates Oral Mucositis Symptoms in Head and Neck Cancers
August 13th 2014A growing understanding of the biological pathways at work in the development of oral mucositis in patients treated with cytotoxic cancer therapies has helped spur interest in steering symptom management away from "institutional folklore" rinses and anecdotal approaches toward evidence-based strategies
FDA Approves First DNA-Based CRC Screening Tool
August 12th 2014The FDA has approved Cologuard as the first noninvasive stool-based DNA test for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) in asymptomatic individuals at average risk, based on clinical trial results demonstrating superiority to the fecal immunochemical test (FIT).
Exercise Lowers Breast Cancer Risk, But Benefits Fade When Activity Stops
August 12th 2014A new study has found that postmenopausal women who undertook regular physical activity equivalent to at least 4 hours of walking per week in the last 4 years had a lower risk for invasive breast cancer compared with women who exercised less during those 4 years.