Monday, May 31, 2010
Survivorship in Lynch Syndrome Families - Full Text View - Clinical Trial
Further study details as provided by M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center:
Primary Outcome Measures: Compare Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life (QOL) among Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Survivors who have Lynch Syndrome (LS) with patients who have Sporadic CRC [ Time Frame: 1 Year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Simulation in Surgery: Perfecting the Practice
abstract
The apprenticeship model that surgical training has traditionally relied on has proven to be an expensive, time-consuming, and inconsistent model for producing skilled surgeons. Combined with increased public scrutiny on patient safety, financial concerns, restricted work hours, and expanding skill requirements, it has become clear that a new pedagogic paradigm is required. This article reviews the evidence supporting the need and justification of simulation in surgical education and explores the existing and potential roles of simulation in the training and evaluation of future surgeons.
LISTSERV Choice Awards: vote for your favourite listserv (ACOR/Ovarian Cancer results to date)
Should Cause of Death From the Death Certificate Be Used to Examine Cancer-Specific Survival? A Study of Patients With Distant Stage Disease; Cancer Investigation
ABSTRACT
Death certificates are used to classify cause of death for studies of cancer survival and mortality. Using data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, we evaluated cause of death (site-specific, cancer cause-specific, or other cause of death) for 229,181 patients with distant stage disease during 1994–2003 who died by 2005. Agreement between coded cause of death and initial diagnosis was 85% in patients with only one primary and 64% in patients with more than one primary. Our findings support the usefulness of site and cancer cause-specific causes of death reported on the death certificate for distant stage patients with a single cancer.
abstract/free full pdf access:P redictive and Prognostic Protein Biomarkers in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Recommendation for Future Studies Cancers
"Abstract: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Due to its lack of symptoms, this disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage when the cancer has already spread to secondary sites. While initial rates of response to first treatment is >80%, the overall survival rate of patients is extremely low, mainly due to development of drug resistance. To date, there are no reliable clinical factors that can properly stratify patients for suitable chemotherapy strategies. Clinical parameters such as disease stage, tumor grade and residual disease, although helpful in the management of patients after their initial surgery to establish the first line of treatment, are not efficient enough. Accordingly, reliable markers that are independent and complementary to clinical parameters are needed for a better management of these patients. For several years, efforts to identify prognostic factors have focused on molecular markers, with a large number having been investigated. This review aims to present a summary of the recent advances in the identification of molecular biomarkers in ovarian cancer patient tissues, as well as an overview of the need and importance of molecular markers for personalized medicine in ovarian cancer."
..........
"High grade serous tumors show particular differences in terms of their development, genetic alterations and prognosis. This has led to the classification of ovarian cancer into two types: type 1 tumors, which are low grade and slowly developing (endometrioid, mucinous and low grade serous tumors), and type 2 tumors, which rapidly progress (high grade serous). In addition, the association of biomarker expression with survival varies substantially between subtypes, and can easily be overlooked in whole cohort analyses. Although these data suggest substantial differences between subtypes, until recently ovarian carcinomas were typically approached as a monolithic entity by researchers and clinicians. This practice impeded progress in understanding the biology or improving the management of the less common ovarian carcinoma subtypes. To avoid this effect, each subtype within a cohort should be analyzed individually. Therefore, molecular classifiers of ovarian cancer are of high clinical relevance in the management of these cancer patients...." cont'd
Fertility Success: Researchers Determine How Chemo Affects Female Fertility
"Chemotherapy induces menopause in some hormone-dependent cancers. It has a beneficial effect because it's withdrawing the stimulants for the cancer cells. Menopause is contributing to the cure," said Astsaturov. "It's still debated whether we should preserve menstrual function at all costs."
Emerging drugs for ovarian cancer
"Strategies currently being exploited in clinical trials include attempts to deliver more killing selectively to tumours (e.g., intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin or radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies), agents designed to target drug resistance mechanisms (e.g., TLK-286 activated by glutathione transferase), agents targeting proteins/receptors shown to be selectively expressed in the disease (e.g., monoclonal antibodies recognising CA-125 or HER1; small molecules targeting HER1 such as gefitinib) and disrupting established tumour vasculature (e.g., 5,6-dimethyl xanthenone 4-acetic acid). At the pre-clinical level, agents being developed to target the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/AKT/mTOR pathway, and K-Ras inhibitors, may offer efficacy in the future."
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