The majority of recently surveyed cancer care physicians initiate communication with the bereaved family and caregivers of their patients who have died. However, over two-thirds feel they did not receive adequate bereavement training during their residency or fellowship, according to a study presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Inadequate levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxy-vitamin D) are found in more than three-quarters of cancer patients, and the lowest levels are linked to advanced cancers, according to a study presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
A new Web site promises to assist patients with cancer when searching for the peers, resources, and information they need.
WhatNext uses unique technology to match individuals with similar diagnosis, treatment, and other factors. The site provides an online location where users can share details of their cancer experience, and it allows them to ask and answer questions. WhatNext also points users not only to American Cancer Society cancer information but also to local resources evaluated by the Society.
Older cancer myths still affect public perceptions about the disease, and many current lifestyle messages are not being recognized, according to a recent study published online in the journal Clinical Oncology.
Men have a higher incidence of advanced colon tumors compared to women in all age groups examined in an analysis of more than 40,000 colonoscopy screening results. Thus, the results suggest that the age at which individuals receive an initial screening colonoscopy should be sex specific, according to a study published in the September 28 issue of JAMA.
A platinum-based anticancer drug, oxaliplatin, has made great strides in recent years against colorectal cancer. Yet, it now appears that the drug causes possible permanent nerve damage that has the potential to worsen even months after treatment ends. The chemotherapy side effect was discovered by Johns Hopkins researchers in what may be the first attempt to trace oxaliplatin-based nerve damage through relatively inexpensive and simple punch skin biopsies, according to an article published in the September issue of Neurology.
Treating postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer resistant to hormonal therapy with a combination of 2 existing cancer drugs significantly improves outcome, according to results from a phase 3 clinical trial. Researchers reported at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress* that women had a progression-free survival of nearly 7 months when treated with a combination of everolimus and exemestane compared to women who received only exemestane.
In the longest-running trial comparing tamoxifen with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, results reveal that letrozole continues to prevent breast cancer recurrences and lower the risk of death in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer.
Men with hormone therapy resistant metastatic prostate cancer endure less fatigue when treated with a combination of abiraterone acetate and prednisone, according to results from an international phase 3 clinical trial.
In response to the increasing costs facing cancer patients, a study recently identified areas for improvement in both the cost and quality of cancer care. The new study. Benchmarks for Value in Cancer Care: An Analysis of a Large Commercial Population, was reported by one of the nation’s largest networks of community-based oncologists dedicated to advancing cancer care in America, the US Oncology Network. The study was published in the State of Oncology supplement of the peer-reviewed Journal of Oncology Practice.
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