Missouri has a high breast cancer mortality rate, as well as high rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and hypertension, which present more often in individuals who are poor, those living in rural areas, African Americans, and older adults. Women with comorbidities at the time of breast cancer diagnosis may have a worse prognosis, so researchers assessed survival disparities among these patient populations. According to the findings presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 5, 2018, comorbidities can negatively impact overall breast cancer survival.

Researchers in Spain developed the Geriatric Assessment in Hematology (GAH) scale to classify patients as robust (those with strength or vigorous health) or frail (those with a poorer prognosis). The tool is validated for use in myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Researchers assessed its use and validity among patients with lymphoma. Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 3, 2018.

The presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus at the time of breast cancer diagnosis has been suggested to adversely affect survival—independent of breast cancer stage, grade, and tumor phenotype—but few of those studies included people of Hispanic descent. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and the University of Louisville in Kentucky examined the association between self-reported diabetes history, breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women diagnosed with breast cancer. They presented their results on Saturday, December 9, during a poster session at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Data from U.S. Lymphocare suggest that older patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) are more commonly treated with watchful waiting or single-agent rituximab and found no difference in outcomes by treatment groups, but comorbidity was not studied. Researchers aimed to describe patient features, comorbidity use of positron-emission tomography (PET) staging, management choices, and the impact of polypharmacy on outcomes of patients with FL aged 70 years or older. Prathima Reddy, MD, at CHI Franciscan Hospital in Federal Way, WA, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting.

Hospital readmission rates may be avoidable in some patients with metastatic disease. Researchers assessed patient factors more likely to be associated with increased readmissions, such as demographics, comorbidities, hospital type, payer, and discharge disposition, in a study presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

Many patients with cancer also have diabetes and other hormonal disorders. Multiple elements of cancer care can impact comorbid endocrine conditions.

Zika disease (ZIKV) is a viral infection spread to humans primarily through the Aedes species of mosquito. ZIKV can also be passed through sexual conduct and vertical transmission from mother to fetus during pregnancy. In February 2016, the World Health Organization declared the spread of ZIKV to be a public health emergency, citing clusters of neurologic-related conditions and birth defects corresponding with geographical outbreaks of the illness.