Advanced Studies in Oncology Webcast - Evidenced Based Management of Chemotherapy Induced Febrile Neutropenia

Note: click on Webcast

HE4 and Mesothelin: Novel Biomarkers of Ovarian Cancer

"Addition of mesothelin to this combination did not show any improvement in the sensitivity. Conclusions: As a single marker, HE4 had the highest sensitivity for detecting ovarian carcinoma specially early stage disease. Combined CA125 and HE4 was a more accurate predictor of ovarian malignancy than either alone."

Ovarian cancer test comes under fire (OvPlex/Healthlinx/Australia) media article

OvPlex also available (according to article) in Britain/Singapore

Canada playing in wrong health league - Michael Rachlis

Note: article relates to the  U.S.-based Commonwealth Fund report of June 25th, 2010 (see prior blog post); this was not the first Commonwealth Fund analysis which compared different countries on a variety of indices with Canada and the U.S. coming in dead last in overall rankings.

"The report compared Canada with other countries 18 times in the text. These included two favourable comparisons and 16 unfavourable ones, including indictments for long waits, the poor management of chronic conditions (like diabetes), the lack of electronic systems, poor care coordination and the failure to involve patients in decisions about their care."
Dr. Michael Rachlis is a health policy analyst and an associate professor at the University of Toronto.

Medical News: ENDO: Society Calls for New Look at Hormone Therapy - in Meeting Coverage, ENDO

Note: this fact from the WHI was ignored by many:

"However, Santen said, the average age of the women in the WHI was 63. Only 3.4% of women in the study were ages 50 and 55, "the usual time when women would decide to take hormone therapy," he said." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The take-home message, he concluded, is that "physicians and patients need to rethink the use of menopausal hormone therapy based on these new data. "The statement suggests a change in perspective and a need to consider the risks and benefits [of hormone therapy] for women actually considering its use."

The Elusive Goal of Maintaining Population Cancer Screening: It Is Time for a New Paradigm -- Editorial (full free access)

Note: focus on breast cancer/not specific to ovarian cancer; discusses high risk (BRCA's) "In this issue of the Journal, Vernon et al. conducted a methodologically rigorous review of the literature on controlled behavioral interventions to increase repeat mammography screening among women at average risk for the disease.......The promise of breast cancer screening has fallen short of its goals because of its imprecision, failure to screen those at highest risk, lack of compliance with screening continuance over recommended periods of time, and gaps in access to or quality of diagnostic follow-up and treatment (20). It is no longer enough to simply conduct more interventions to understand which work best in motivating individuals to undergo repeat cancer screening. New paradigms, guided by evidence from modeling, novel trials, and new scientific discovery, will be needed to realize the promise of eliminating the burden of cancer."

abstract: Hormone prevention strategies for breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers

"Prospective, randomized trials, designed to control for all known variables, are mandatory to fully assess the potential for hormonal chemoprevention in breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers."

The predictive value of serum VEGF in multiresistant ovarian cancer patients treated with bevacizumab (Avastin)

Results 

Thirty-eight patients were included. All patients were heavily pre-treated with a median of five prior regimens. ..... The VEGF serum level decreased during treatment in all patients. A low pre-treatment VEGF level was predictive to response. 

Conclusions

Single agent bevacizumab has activity in ovarian cancer patients. Pre-treatment serum VEGF seems to have predictive value.

Risk factors for carcinoma of the fallopian tube in women with and without a germline BRCA mutation

Reminder on stats: < 1.0 is decreased risk; > 1.0 is increased risk; OR=overall risk; edited some stats for ease of reading - see abstract/read more:

Conclusions

Parity and oral contraceptive use are associated with reduced risks of fallopian tube cancer. In contrast, hormone replacement therapy may be associated with an increase in the risk of fallopian tube cancer.