Latest News

• share
• favorite_border

Summary of a study being published online December 12, 2011, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finding children of childhood cancer survivors do not have an increased risk for birth defects – despite the fact that their parents received treatment with radiation and/or certain forms of chemotherapy that can damage the DNA of cancer cells and healthy cells alike. The findings provide reassurance to cancer survivors about the potential effects of their own treatment on their children, and help guide family planning.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today released Clinical Cancer Advances 2011: ASCO’s Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer, an independent review of the advances in cancer research that have had the greatest impact on patient care this year. The report also identifies the most promising trends in oncology and provides insights from experts on where the future of cancer care is heading.

• share
• favorite_border

Summary of a study being published online October 31, 2011, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finding that close relatives of women who carry mutations in a BRCA gene – but who themselves do not have such genetic mutations ¬– do not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to relatives of women with breast cancer who do not have such mutations. These results run counter to a previous study showing a higher risk for these women, and suggest they may not need extra cancer screening and other preventive measures

• share
• favorite_border

Summary of a study being published online October 3, 2011, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finding that rates of oropharyngeal cancer, a type of oral cancer, have increased dramatically in the United States since 1984, with HPV-related tumors accounting for a growing majority of all new cases. These findings are based on samples collected from registries in three states.

• share
• favorite_border

New studies on breast cancer screening, treatment, and survival were released today in advance of the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium. The symposium is being held September 8-10, 2011, at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in San Francisco.

• share
• favorite_border

In this News Digest: 1) Summary of study being published online August 29, 2011, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, finding that using MRI prior to surgery to gauge the effectiveness of pre-surgery treatment for advanced rectal cancer correlates with both overall and disease-free survival. 2) Quote for attribution from Morton Kahlenberg, MD, American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Communications Committee member. 3) Links to additional information on Cancer.net, ASCO’s patient website.

• share
• favorite_border

To help address serious racial and economic disparities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in the United States, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today released a policy statement that outlines specific provisions of 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that have the potential to reduce these disparities. ASCO’s statement makes recommendations to ensure that such provisions are carried out effectively, and urges additional steps to address systemic issues including insurance reform, quality of care, prevention, research, and diversity in the health care workforce.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today highlighted seven studies in a press briefing from among more than 4,000 abstracts publicly posted online at www.asco.org in advance of ASCO’s 47th Annual Meeting. An additional 17 plenary, late-breaking and other major studies will be released in on-site press conferences at the Annual Meeting.

• share
• favorite_border

In this News Digest: 1) Summary of study being published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology March 28 finding that men in their seventies had prostate cancer screening nearly twice as often as men in their early fifties, who are more likely to benefit from prostate cancer detection and treatment; 2) Quote for attribution to Nicholas Vogelzang, MD, Member of ASCO’s Cancer Communications Committee and prostate cancer expert; 3) Links to additional information on Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient website.

• share
• favorite_border

In this News Digest: 1) Summary of study being published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology March 14 finding that a surgical technique was able to find viable sperm and allow fertility in many male childhood cancer survivors who received chemotherapy and were thought to be sterile; 2) Quote for attribution to Lisa Diller, MD, Member of ASCO’s Cancer Communications Committee and pediatric cancers expert; 3) Links to additional information on Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient website.

• share
• favorite_border

1) Screening study shows reduced risk of prostate cancer death for men with low initial PSAs; 2) Proficiency in robotic-assisted prostate surgery requires experienced specialists; 3) Dutasteride helps slow early-stage prostate cancer growth.

• share
• favorite_border

Summary of study being published online January 31, 2011, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finding that “adoptive immunotherapy,” using a patient’s immune cells to fight cancer, could treat several cancers, including metastatic melanoma and synovial cell sarcoma, representing a potentially new therapeutic approach.

• share
• favorite_border

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today called on physicians, medical schools, insurers, and others to help improve quality of life for people with advanced cancer. In a new policy statement, ASCO recommends steps to ensure that physicians initiate candid discussions about the full range of palliative care and treatment options soon after patients’ diagnosis with advanced cancer (defined as incurable disease).

• share
• favorite_border

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has developed a set of recommendations to address whether patients who have had successful surgery for Stage II colon cancer should be offered adjuvant chemotherapy in routine clinical practice.

• share
• favorite_border

The first study to compare survival between women with breast cancer whose treatment was based on consensus guidelines and those whose treatment was not shows that adhering to established guidelines improves survival and reduces the risk of recurrence.

• share
• favorite_border

A new technology assessment from ASCO states that the use of chemotherapy sensitivity and resistance assays (CSRAs) to select chemotherapeutic agents for cancer patients should not be undertaken outside of the clinical trial setting.

• share
• favorite_border

Genetic variations in an individual's ability to repair DNA damage may help predict survival in lung cancer patients treated with the common chemotherapy drugs cisplatin or carboplatin, a new study shows. The findings, if verified in larger studies, may help oncologists tailor chemotherapy to patients based on their genetic make-up.

• share
• favorite_border

Extended lymph node dissection has shown no long-term survival benefit for gastric cancer patients, according to the largest randomized trial of limited and extended lymph node dissection among this population.

• share
• favorite_border

Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who test positive for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are twice as likely as non-carriers to opt for a double mastectomy to reduce the risk of cancer in the opposite breast.

• share
• favorite_border

The Journal of Clinical Oncology, the authoritative source for current information on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer, today announced that it will immediately begin providing free online access to original research articles older than one year.

• share
• favorite_border

Two studies have important implications for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. One shows that bilateral prophylactic mastectomy can reduce breast cancer risk by more than 90%. The other shows that women undergoing prophylactic oophorectomy can take short-term HRT.

• share
• favorite_border

Obese men with prostate cancer are more likely to have aggressive tumors and to experience cancer recurrence after surgery compared to men of normal weight or those who are overweight but not obese, according to two new studies.

• share
• favorite_border

A study examining the use of low-dose interferon following surgery in patients with high-risk melanoma showed no significant difference in recurrence-free or overall survival compared to patients receiving no further treatment.