© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
News for Patients from the Journal of Clinical Oncology
Below are summaries of research advances in clinical oncology. The information presented in Cancer Advances is the same information the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) provides to cancer physicians, in consumer terms.
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July 5, 2005
Two new studies show that patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have mutations in the gene, or who have a greater number of copies of this gene in their cancer cells, may respond better to the drug gefitinib (Iressa) than those without these genetic traits.
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April 11, 2005
Chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer can cause infertility by reducing the number of ovarian follicles (cavities in the ovaries that contain eggs). As a result, increasing numbers of women with breast cancer are seeking technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF) to preserve their fertility before undergoing chemotherapy.
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Cancer Advances: Referrals to Palliative Care Often Come Too Late, Survey of Family Members SuggestsFebruary 22, 2005
A new study suggests that referrals to palliative care often come too late to improve quality of life for patients with cancer. Palliative care treats the physical, spiritual, psychological, and social needs of a person with cancer, both during cancer treatment and at the end of life.
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January 31, 2005
A new study shows that women who are overweight prior to breast cancer diagnosis, or who are lean but gain weight following diagnosis, are more likely to have their disease return or to die of the disease. The study will be published in the (JCO).
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January 18, 2005
A new study shows that African-Americans patients with esophageal cancer are less likely than white patients to be seen by a surgeon and to receive life-prolonging surgery. The study, which examined racial differences in access to surgery among older patients with esophageal cancer, found that only 25% of African-American patients received potentially curative surgery, compared to 46% of white patients. The study will be published January 20 in the .
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November 30, 2004
A study appearing in the (JCO) has found that a promising, highly targeted cancer drug called imatinib (Gleevec)âpreviously proven effective in treating several types of cancerâmay also be effective in treating AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).
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November 15, 2004
A new study in the (JCO) has found that cancer patients over the age of 65 are significantly under-represented in cancer clinical trials. Researchers reported that other health conditions and their treatment, as well as concerns about health care costs, lack of social or home care support, and difficulty accessing hospitals or cancer clinics, may limit elderly participation in clinical trials.
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November 1, 2004
A new study in the (JCO) has found for the first time that transplantation of circulating blood that contains immature blood cells from sibling donors may be more harmful than transplantation of bone marrow in children with leukemia. It is estimated that nearly 30% of transplants from sibling donors in pediatric patients now use peripheral blood stem cells.
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October 12, 2004
A new study published in the examined young breast cancer patients' attitudes about fertility. The majority of women surveyed were very concerned about their ability to have a child, as well as the effect that pregnancy might have on their disease returning.
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September 29, 2004
This study underscores the importance of quitting smoking to reduce the risk of a variety of cancers, including head and neck cancer.
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September 27, 2004
Group therapy can be an important tool for helping breast cancer patients manage their disease and improve their health-related quality of life. However, in patients with early stage breast cancer, these benefits do not translate into living longer.
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September 13, 2004
CT scans and ultrasonography have traditionally been used to monitor cancer growth and a patient's response to treatment. However, unlike other solid tumors, ovarian cancer spreads diffusely through the abdomen, making the tumors more difficult to detect through traditional imaging techniques such as CT scans and ultrasonography.
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August 9, 2004
A new study shows that following established guidelines when giving drug therapy after surgery to women with early stage breast cancer helps women to live longer and reduces the risk of the cancer returning.
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June 1, 2004
"Platinum-based" chemotherapy treatment, including drugs like carboplatin (Paraplatin), has been the standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, fewer than 30% of NSCLC patients respond to platinum-based chemotherapy, compared to more than 70% of patients with other types of cancer, such as ovarian cancer.
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April 12, 2004
A new study has shown that extended lymph node dissectionâa treatment for stomach cancer that involves the surgical removal of lymph nodes near the tumor, in distant areas of the stomach, and in some cases, in combination with the removal of the spleen and part of the pancreasâhas shown no long-term survival benefit for stomach cancer patients.
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April 6, 2004
A new study shows that newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who test positive for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations after receiving genetic counseling are more likely to choose to have both breasts removed (double mastectomy) to help reduce the risk of cancer in the opposite breast.
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February 23, 2004
Two new studies published in the (JCO) from the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania have important implications for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations have been shown to place women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancers.
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December 23, 2003
Obesity is known to increase the risk of breast, colorectal, and endometrial cancer. Now, two new studies suggest that obesity can also increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer, particularly for black men.
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December 10, 2003
For the last decade, high-dose interferon, a common treatment for melanoma, has been considered the standard therapy for high-risk melanoma patients who, despite having undergone surgery, still have a significant risk of their disease returning. However, there has been considerable debate over the available treatment options for melanoma patients.
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October 28, 2003
Hepatocellular carcinoma, also known as hepatoma, or cancer of the liver, is a common cancer worldwide, with nearly one million new diagnoses reported each year. Often, patients with hepatoma have underlying cirrhosis, a risk factor for hepatoma. Most patients with advanced disease cannot be operated on because of the location, size or severity of the tumor(s) in the liver. As a result, liver transplants are a possible treatment for patients with advanced disease.