Few women with metastatic breast cancer live five years or longer, and predictors of long-term survival are not well understood. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pennsylvania identified demographic- and disease-specific factors related to survival and presented their findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.
Genetic testing during treatment can improve accuracy of response and outcome prediction compared to other prognostic tests, according to results from a study assessing on-treatment changes in gene expression in patients receiving chemotherapy. Researchers from Oikonomidou O Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.
Intratumor heterogeneity can lead to cancer progression, and tumors with the highest levels of heterogeneity may be more likely to progress. Researchers compared mutational loads from separate areas of pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to genetic heterogeneity in DCIS lesions that coexist with invasive cancer and presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.
As a staunch advocate for the advancement of cancer treatments, research, and patient care, President George H.W. Bush left an enduring legacy through contributions to the field of oncology and health care in the wake of his death on November 30, 2018. His continued support of healthcare professionals—including oncology nurses—spoke to his administration’s focus before, during, and after his tenure in Washington, DC.
Access to quality breast cancer screening and treatment may contribute to racial disparities outcomes. In 2016, researchers at the urban safety net Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Chicago, IL, implemented changes in mammography practices, which included installing digital machines at one of four sites, centralizing reading of images at a single site with radiologists specialized in mammography, and increasing care coordination such as enhanced patient outreach efforts.
Current guidelines recommend asymptomatic surveillance of breast cancer only for the detection of locoregional recurrences. Researchers from the Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Republic of Korea, conducted a retrospective 10-year survival analysis of a large cohort of patients with recurrent breast cancer to identify the impact of early detection on survival outcomes and presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 5, 2018.
Dollars spent on cancer drugs increased from $26.8 billion in 2011 to $42.1 billion in 2016, according to the results of a study reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice.
In 2000, I was diagnosed with stage III esophageal cancer—adenocarcinoma—and was put on a treatment regimen of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and ultimately surgery to my esophagus. After talking with my doctors and nurses, heartburn was determined to be the cause of cancer. I didn’t realize at the time that survival rates for my disease were extremely low.
People often use idioms—such as “going under the knife” as a euphemism for surgery—to avoid confronting distressing situations, which is even more pronounced when it comes to life events as serious as cancer. But for many patients with cancer, undergoing a surgical procedure is key to positive outcomes, and they count on the expert clinical care and support of their surgical oncology nurses to see them through it.
Many patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) achieve complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy; however, just 30% of patients maintain CR for three years or longer. Long-term outcomes for those who do maintain CR are largely unknown. Results from a new study have shown that new medical problems frequently occur, and patients require routine surveillance and preventative measures. Catherine Kendall Major, BS, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Lakeland, TN, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 3, 2018.