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Teresa is a 45-year-old female recently diagnosed with lobular breast cancer. She has 1 brother, aged 42 years, and 3 children, a 14-yearold son, a 12-year-old daughter, and a 10-year-old daughter. Her father is 65 years of age and has 2 sisters, aged 55 and 62, both of whom have children, and none are reported to have cancer. Her paternal grandparents died in their 80s, and the stated cause was “old age.” Teresa’s mother was reported to have had breast cancer in her late 40s and died from an “abdominal cancer” in her 50s. She had zero siblings. Read More ›

Researchers have documented diverse genetic changes in different parts of the same primary tumor, suggesting that individual tumors harbor a complexity of genetic changes that has not been well appreciated (Gerlinger M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2012;366:883-892). This discovery has implications for personalized medicine directed at genetic changes identified in 1 biopsy of a primary tumor.

For patients with hematologic cancers, an educational DVD about the bone marrow transplant process can explain complex concepts and facilitate discussions with nurses, according to representatives of Be The Match (www.BeTheMatch.org/patients), a program of the National Marrow Donor Program, which is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

At the 37th Annual Congress of the Oncology Nursing Society held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Elizabeth A. Murphy, RN, EdD, and Ellen M. Denzen, MS, shared their experience with this teaching approach.

When screening for clinically significant potentially cancerous polyps, computed tomographic colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, administered without laxatives is as accurate as conventional colonoscopy, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

The University of Arizona Cancer Center, located in Tucson, was founded in 1976 as a division of the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine. In 1990, the University of Arizona Cancer Center was designated as a Comp rehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). As such, the center is not only focused on patient care, but also conducts translational and clinical research into the development and delivery of therapies to reduce the morbidity and morphology of cancer. Read More ›

Ovarian cancer is said to “whisper,” because the symptoms are seldom obvious. The most frequent symptoms seen in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are abdominal bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating/feeling full fast, or urinary symptoms. These are often passed off as nothing other than symptoms of getting older, gaining weight, or related to menopause. However, this whispering disease is the most lethal of all the breast and gynecologic cancers and accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.¹

A new study suggests tobacco control policies may have differing results throughout the United States. For the study, researchers compared lung cancer death rates among women by year of birth. Results showed that while lung cancer death rates declined continuously by birth year for women born after the 1950s in California, rates in other states declined less quickly or even increased.

For African-American families in which a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, there are unmet psychosocial needs that affect survivorship, family relationships, and social interactions, according to new research.

“African-Americans continue to experience higher morbidity and mortality rates from prostate cancer and lower survival rates when compared to men of other ethnic and racial groups,” said study lead author Brian M. Rivers, PhD, MPH, assistant member of Health Outcomes & Behavior.

A new study has found that mild or intense physical activity either before or after menopause may decrease breast cancer risk; however, considerable weight gain may reverse these benefits.

Published early online in Cancer, the analysis done by University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill researchers reveals that women can reduce their breast cancer risk by exercising and maintaining their weight.

New guidelines for lung cancer screening are being strongly recommended. Created by a lung screening and surveillance task force established by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and led by medical professionals from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), the guidelines were published this week in the online edition of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Because recent research shows low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is valuable in reducing lung cancer deaths, the AATS task force recommends an annual LDCT lung cancer screening for: