Conference Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO—A number of interventions can help reduce breast cancer among women at high risk, but uptake is sluggish, and there can be confusion about which agent to prescribe to a given patient. Seema Khan, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, addressed the topic of pharmacologic risk reduction at the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium.

WASHINGTON, DC—Psychosocial stress may play a role in the etiology of breast cancer aggressiveness, particularly among minority populations, according to study results. In a cross-sectional study, greater levels of fear, anxiety, or isolation were found to be associated with more aggressive breast cancer; however, no clear driver for the association is yet identified.

The following articles are based on presentations at the Fourth American Association for Cancer Research Conference on The Science of
Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved held September 18-21, 2011, in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC—The overall incidence of breast cancer is generally higher among white women than black women. The incidence of a second breast cancer in the opposite breast, however, is higher among black women, according to new data.

SAN FRANCISCO—One of the most perplexing issues for healthcare providers caring for breast cancer patients is the management of hot flashes, both natural and induced by treatment, because estrogen replacement therapy is not considered wise.

STOCKHOLM—Oncology nurses can take simple measures to help patients manage incontinence related to surgery for rectal cancer.

Restoration of intestinal continuity and preservation of the anal sphincter is now done via an ultralow anterior resection, but this can leave patients with functional problems that need attention, said Claire Taylor, RN, a lecturer at the Burdett Institute of Gastrointestinal Nursing at St. Mark’s Hospital in London.

STOCKHOLM—After radiation to the pelvic area, gastrointestinal symptoms are common and can be severe. Jervoise Andreyev, MD, consultant gastroenterologist in pelvic radiation disease at the Royal Marsden Hospital in the United Kingdom, maintained that such patients are not given the attention they deserve, leading to unnecessary suffering.

Results from an important phase 3 trial presented at the plenary session of the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) could lead to prolonged treatment with adjuvant imatinib for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

The extension of imatinib treatment to 3 years, compared with the usual 1 year, resulted in a 54% reduced risk of recurrence and 55% reduced risk of death within 5 years for patients with high-risk disease, reported Heikki Joensuu, MD, of Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland.

CHICAGO—The population of cancer survivors is growing rapidly. More than 12 million Americans are alive after a cancer diagnosis, with most living at least 5 years, and 16% living 20 years after their initial diagnosis.

This growing population of cancer survivors is at risk for many comorbid health conditions, especially as they age. A study of 10,397 childhood cancer survivors found this group to be 8 times more likely to have a severe or life-threatening condition than their siblings (Oeffinger K, et al. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:1572-1582).

CHICAGO—Several studies addressed key questions in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). One evaluated a shorter, more intense rituximab-based regimen, and another evaluated the benefit of autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) in high-risk patients. The 21-day regimen of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) is still the standard of care for this paient population.

CHICAGO—The cancer drug pipeline is bursting with promising new therapies for a variety of tumors. Of the many investigational drugs presented, this article highlights some of the most promising agents now in phase 2 or 3 clinical trials.

Cabozantinib

This oral inhibitor of MET kinase and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor produced high rates of disease control in several solid tumor types, and fully or partially eliminated bone metastases in a randomized phase 2 study.