Strategies for Survival - Gynecologic Cancer Conference - Regina, Saskatchewan Sept 24th

click: Registration

UK Study Revives Theory That Osteoporosis Drugs Cause Esophageal Cancer - OncologySTAT

"A peer-reviewed study based on a massive British database has linked long-term use of oral bisphosphonate drugs to a higher risk of esophageal cancer, contrary to a separate study of the same database released a few weeks ago that found no evidence of increased risk. The competing conclusions have reopened the debate about a class-wide cancer risk, and a label change for the popular osteoporosis agents could be on the table..." cont'd

Medical News: Palliative Care Training Program Ineffective - in Geriatrics, Pain Management from MedPage Today

The primary outcome was family satisfaction with the death of the loved one and secondary outcomes included nurse satisfaction with the care, time in ICU before death, and time to withdrawal of ventilation.
But, the researchers found, there was no effect:

• Family satisfaction was not significantly different, either between active and control hospitals or before and after the training program within each institution.
• Nurse satisfaction did not differ in either case.
• Days in the ICU before death increased slightly in the active hospitals, but did not reach significance (at P=0.07).
• Time to withdrawal of mechanical ventilation, when it was used, did not change.

"We asked whether this intervention could improve families' experience with the death of their loved one in the ICU," Curtis said, "and the answer was no."

End of life 'quality' index | Open Medicine Blog The Quality of Death: Ranking end-of-life care across the world 2010 The Economist Intelligence Unit

"....Advancements in healthcare have been responsible for the most significant quality-of-life gains in the recent past: that humans are (on average) living longer, and more healthily than ever, is well established. But “quality of death” is another matter. Death, although inevitable, is distressing to contemplate and in many cultures is taboo......Few nations, including rich ones with cutting-edge healthcare systems, incorporate palliative care strategies into their overall healthcare policy—despite the fact that in many of these countries, increasing longevity and ageing populations mean demand for end-of-life care is likely to rise sharply. Globally, training for palliative care is rarely included in healthcare education curricula. Institutions that specialise in giving palliative and end-of-life care are often not part of national healthcare systems, and many rely on volunteer or charitable status...."cont'd

Treating the Whole Patient Blog: Antidepressant Pretreatment and Chemotherapy > CMELLC - Life Long Learning > Treating the Whole Patient

Question:
"In cancer treatment, should patients undergoing chemotherapy be premedicated with anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants (with or without symptoms of anxiety or depression) to help them feel more responsive to chemotherapy by reducing inflammation in the body? Discuss the pros and cons of this idea."...cont'd

GAPP KB|GAPP Finder - Mutation detection in BRCA 1/2 resources/info

Last data update: Sep-10-2010. (Total 204 GAPPs)
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Genomic Application General Information

Disease/Disorder Breast cancer Test to be assessed Mutation detection in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (blood sample or oral rinse) Target Population Individuals who have breast or ovarian cancer in their family or a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer Intended Use To determine an individuals inherited risk for breast (and ovarian) cancer Sources/Links BRACNOW.com - Information for consumers Myriad.com - BRACAnalysis USPSTF - BRCA evidence review USPSTF - BRCA recommendation ABClocal.go.com - BVH offers test on genetic probability of breast cancer Key Indexed Terms Mammary Neoplasms [Disease] ovarian neoplasm [Disease] BRCA1 [Gene] BRCA2 [Gene] Application Type Risk prediction Status Commercially available Trade Name BRACAnalysis Company Myriad Genetics Notes USPSTF has conducted an evidence review Entered Date 08/20/2010 Last Updated Date 08/30/2010

Relevant Information

Evidence Summary from Evidence Aggregator

EGT : CYP2D6 testing to predict response to tamoxifen in women with breast cancer See detail EGAPP Recommendation : Recommendations from the EGAPP Working Group: can tumor gene expression profiling improve outcomes in patients with breast cancer? See detail Other Review : HER2 Testing to Manage Patients With Breast Cancer or Other Solid Tumors See detail EGAPP Review : Impact of Gene Expression Profiling Tests on Breast Cancer Outcomes See detail Other Review : Genomic Tests for Ovarian Cancer Detection and Management See detail

Frequent Mutations of Chromatin Remodeling Gene ARID1A in Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma (note: 2nd study)

Note: this is a second study regarding clear cell ovarian cancer/ARID1A

"The nature and pattern of the mutations suggest that PPP2R1A functions as an oncogene and ARID1A as a tumor suppressor gene. In a total of 42 OCCCs, 7% had mutations in PPP2R1A and 57% had mutations in ARID1A. These results suggest that aberrant chromatin remodeling contributes to the pathogenesis of OCCC."

FDA alert: Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents: Class Labeling Change - Risk of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

RECOMMENDATION: Healthcare professionals should screen patients prior to administration of a GBCA to identify those with acute kidney injury or chronic, severe, kidney disease. See the Drug Safety Communication for the complete list of recommendations to healthcare professionals and patients.

Medical News: Ovarian Cancer Subtype Linked to Gene Mutations (re: clear cell ovarian cancer)

Note: easier to read article

High detection rate of adenomas in familial colorectal cancer - Gut

Conclusion
The yield of colonoscopic surveillance in familial CRC is substantially higher than the yield of screening reported for the general population."