CINV Treatment Sustol Approved by FDA
August 10th 2016An extended-release injection formulation of granisetron (Sustol) has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with other antiemetic therapies for the prevention of CINV, according to the manufacturer of the treatment, Heron Therapeutics.
More Evidence That Health Insurance Status Affects Survival of Patients With Cancer
August 10th 2016Patients with cancer who have Medicaid coverage or who are uninsured are more likely to be diagnosed later and receive improper treatment for cancer, according to two recent studies, and these factors can have an impact on their survival.
Practice Guideline Enhances Role for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer
August 10th 2016While primary cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy is the standard of care for newly diagnosed women with advanced ovarian cancer, newly issued practice guidelines suggest that some patients may benefit more from first-line neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval cytoreduction.
Study Underscores Need to Raise Awareness of Melanoma Risk in Nonwhites
August 10th 2016A new study has found that overall survival is significantly worse for people of color who are diagnosed with melanoma, even though whites are diagnosed with this deadliest form of skin cancer at a higher rate.
FDA Approves the Immunotherapy Keytruda for Head and Neck Cancer
August 10th 2016The immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has been granted an accelerated approval from the FDA for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) whose disease progresses after platinum-based chemotherapy.
Hearing Loss Found in Testicular Cancer Survivors After Cisplatin Therapy
August 4th 2016Research is pointing to a connection between cisplatin-based chemotherapy and hearing loss in testicular cancer survivors across a wide age range, and the findings may have implications for survivors of other tumors treated with cisplatin as well.
Yoga Improves Quality of Life in Men Having Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
August 2nd 2016The health benefits of yoga are many, but in the oncology setting, studies of the approach have focused primarily on women with breast cancer. However, a small, first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is exploring how yoga may also improve treatment-related symptoms in men who are undergoing radiotherapy for their prostate cancer. And the results, thus far, are promising.
Women Need More Information to Cope With Aftermath of BRCA-Prompted Preventive Surgery
August 1st 2016A study involving women with a BRCA mutation who had risk-reducing surgery to lower their risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer found that many of these individuals have surgical procedures such as oophorectomy or mastectomy without a full understanding of how they will affect their sexuality and other aspects of their lives.
CMS Releases Hospital Quality Ratings
August 1st 2016The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) released the star ratings on its Hospital Compare website on July 27, 2016. The goal of the site is to enable healthcare consumers to locate information on hospital quality, conduct side-by-side comparisons of hospitals, and review the data on quality presented.
Health Coaching Aims to Support Caregivers of Patients with Advanced Cancer
July 29th 2016Caregivers of patients with advanced cancer often put their own needs aside to care for a loved one, but working to help improve this is Nick Dionne-Odom, a PhD, MSN, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing.
In Low-Risk Breast Cancer, Less Treatment May Be Better
July 29th 2016The field of breast cancer has evolved from the days of defaulting to chemotherapy for every patient, yet much work remains to individualize treatment. Though more promising novel regimens have become available, an expert urges clinicians to carefully weigh whether a particular new agent will provide a significant enough benefit to offset its associated toxicities, cost, and the time and commitment by the patient it requires.
Prioritizing Bone Density Screening Before Embarking on AI Therapy After Breast Cancer
July 28th 2016A new study has found that as women age, they are actually less like to have baseline bone density testing before embarking on aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy after breast cancer treatment, even though both increasing age and AI therapy increase fracture risk in postmenopausal women.
Sarcoma Awareness Spotlight: Why Younger Patients Need More Support
July 26th 2016Despite some advances in treatment options for patients with sarcomas, researchers are still actively seeking to improve outcomes for pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients, a group particularly impacted by this diagnosis.
Nurse-Delivered Decision Tool Supports Patient Decision Making in Prostate Cancer
July 25th 2016To help patients decide whether active surveillance or a more aggressive approach is best to treat their localized, low-risk prostate cancer, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University created an online decision-support tool that relies on a trained nurse educator to help patients better understand their treatment options.