- A high score based on the expression of 23 genes involved in repairing DNA damage after platinum-based chemotherapy for ovarian cancer was associated with improved survival.
- Note that the gene score outperformed clinical factors associated with ovarian cancer outcome and was the only baseline factor that had a significant association with overall survival.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
abstract: Religion, Spirituality, and Cancer: The Question of Individual Empowerment
Religion, Spirituality, and Cancer: The Question of Individual Empowerment:
It has often been noted that people with a severe illness endeavor to deepen their religious and spiritual practice and knowledge. It is generally accepted that spiritual and religious factors help sick people confront their suffering. The authors conducted a qualitative research on the role of religious and spiritual practices and knowledge among 10 cancer patients in Québec, Canada. Individual interviews focused on their illness experience confirmed that religion and spirituality can be present and contribute to coping when life is threatened. More precisely, the analyses of the place and use of these resources during the patient’s illness showed that these resources contributed to an individual empowerment process that was undertaken in response to a biographic and existential disruption induced by the illness diagnosis. The sick people took advantage of religious and spiritual content in their quest for meaning and a cure, progressing from a stage of despair and powerlessness to a stage of hope, a critical analysis of the disease, and a better management and control of it and its evolution. This article describes how people suffering from cancer use and participate in religious and spiritual content. It demonstrates the contribution of this content to an individual empowerment process. The use of religion and spirituality constitutes a quest for self-mastery, an acquiring of power and control. We understand that religious and spiritual phenomena do not always prevent people from fighting against their suffering, limit their freedom, or systematically reduce people’s viewpoints and worldviews.
abstract: Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and colorectal cancer risk in the United Kingdom Dietary Cohort Consortium - 2012 - International Journal of Cancer
Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and colorectal cancer risk in the United Kingdom Dietary Cohort Consortium - International Journal of Cancer
Abstract
The risk for
colorectal cancer may be influenced by the dietary intake of various
vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. We conducted a pooled
analysis of dietary data collected using food diaries in seven
prospective studies in the United Kingdom Dietary Cohort Consortium.
Five hundred sixty-five cases of colorectal cancer were matched with
1,951 controls on study centre, age, sex and recruitment date. Dietary
intakes of retinol, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate,
vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, n − 6 fatty acids, n − 3 fatty acids and the ratio of n − 6 to n
− 3 fatty acids were estimated and their associations with colorectal
cancer examined using conditional logistic regression models, adjusting
for exact age, height, weight, energy intake, alcohol intake, fiber
intake, smoking, education, social class and physical activity. There
were no statistically significant associations between colorectal cancer
risk and dietary intake of any of the vitamins, minerals or essential
fatty acids examined.
open access: Cancer screening in the United States, 2012 - Smith - 2012 - CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians - Wiley Online Library
Cancer screening in the United States, 2012 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians
section related to ovarian cancer:
Testing For Early Ovarian Cancer Detection
Although
the annual incidence of ovarian cancer is low compared with breast
cancer and precursor lesions of the cervix, it is the most lethal of the
gynecologic cancers.21
Fewer than one-half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer survive
longer than 5 years, and although the 5-year survival rate for patients
with localized ovarian cancer is greater than 90%, only 15% of all
patients are diagnosed with localized disease.5
Screening
and diagnostic methods for ovarian cancer include pelvic examination,
CA 125 antigen as a tumor marker, transvaginal ultrasound (TVU), and,
potentially, multimarker panels and bioinformatic analysis of proteomic
patterns. The sensitivity and specificity of pelvic examination for the
detection of symptomatic ovarian cancer are not well established, but
are poor and do not support physical examination as a screening method.
CA 125 has limited sensitivity and specificity (ie, while CA 125 levels
are increased in many women with ovarian cancer, only approximately
one-half of early ovarian cancers produce enough CA 125 to cause a
positive test, and noncancerous diseases of the ovaries and other
cancers, as well as other noncancerous influences, also can increase the
blood levels of CA 125).45-47
TVU is capable of detecting small ovarian masses and may distinguish
some benign masses from some malignant adnexal masses, although it still
only poorly predicts which masses are cancers and which are due to
benign diseases of the ovary. As an independent test, ultrasound has
shown poor performance in the detection of ovarian cancer in women at
average or high risk.48
There have been research and attempts to develop a blood test for
ovarian cancer based on measuring genes, proteins, or multiple marker
assays that may be present in higher or lower amounts in women with
ovarian cancer compared with women who do not have ovarian cancer. This
is a relatively new area of investigation that is accumulating promising
results, but still requires prospective studies for validation.49
Thus, at this time, the lack of supporting evidence indicating that any
one or a combination of these strategies is efficacious has prevented
recommendations for ovarian cancer screening, although several
prospective randomized trials have been underway.
Two
large, prospective, randomized trials, one in the United States and the
other in the United Kingdom, have been studying screening average-risk
women with a combination of CA 125 and TVU. The US trial, the Prostate,
Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial,50 reported results in 2011.51
In the PLCO trial, 78,216 women ages 55 to 74 years were randomized to a
group that was offered 6 annual rounds of screening with CA 125, and
TVU for 4 years (n = 39,105) or a group that received usual care (n =
39,111). Participants were followed for a maximum of 13 years, with
mortality from ovarian cancer as the main study outcome. At the
conclusion of the study, the number of deaths from ovarian cancer was
similar in each group (ie, there were 3.1 ovarian cancer deaths per
10,000 women-years in the group invited to screening vs 2.6 deaths per
10,000 women-years in the control group [relative risk, 1.18; 95%
confidence interval, 0.82-1.71]). The authors concluded that
simultaneous screening with CA 125 and TVU was not associated with a
reduction in ovarian cancer mortality compared with usual care.51
However, the authors also noted that the absence of a stage shift in
the group invited to screening compared with the control group suggests
that the screening protocol in the PLCO study may not have been
sensitive enough to diagnose ovarian cancer sufficiently early to alter
its natural history. Nonetheless, for each of the 2 tests under
evaluation, lower cutoff values would result in higher false-positive
rates. An alternative approach, which is currently under evaluation in
the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening, is assessing the
efficacy of multimodal screening including annual CA 125 screening with
a risk of ovarian cancer algorithm and TVU as a second-line test versus
annual screening with TVU only.52
The risk of ovarian cancer algorithm measures changes in CA 125 over
time rather than with a single cutoff point, and is believed to improve
sensitivity for smaller tumors without measurably increasing the
false-positive rate.
While no organization
recommends screening average-risk women for ovarian cancer, in 1994, a
National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel concluded that women with 2
or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with ovarian cancer should be
offered counseling about their ovarian cancer risk by a gynecologic
oncologist (or another specialist qualified to evaluate family history
and discuss hereditary cancer risks) since these women have a 3% chance
of being positive for an ovarian cancer hereditary syndrome.53 The panel further advised that women with a known hereditary ovarian cancer syndrome, such as mutations on BRCA1 and BRCA2
(including breast-ovarian cancer syndrome, site-specific ovarian cancer
syndrome, and (Lynch Syndrome) HNPCC), should receive annual rectovaginal pelvic
examinations, CA 125 determinations, and TVU until childbearing is
completed or at least until age 35 years, at which time prophylactic
bilateral oophorectomy is recommended. Although women with these
hereditary syndromes are estimated to represent only 0.05% of the female
population, they have a 40% estimated lifetime risk of ovarian cancer." (Blogger's Note: the 40% would depend on which mutation)
abstract: Laparoscopic and laparotomic staging in stage I epithelial ovarian cancer: a comparison of feasibility and safety - oncologic safety
Laparoscopic and laparotomic staging in stage I epithelial ovarian cancer: a comparison of feasibility and safety:
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopic and laparotomic surgical staging in patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer in terms of feasibility and safety. A retrospective chart review was undertaken of all patients with apparent stage I epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent laparoscopic (laparoscopy group) or laparotomic (laparotomy group) surgical staging at the Center for Uterine Cancer, National Cancer Center, Korea, between January 2001 and August 2006. During the study period, 19 patients underwent laparotomic surgical staging and 17 patients underwent laparoscopic surgical staging. No cases were converted from laparoscopy to laparotomy. The two groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index, procedures performed, number of lymph nodes retrieved, and operating time. The laparoscopy group had less estimated blood loss (P = 0.001), faster return of bowel movement (P < 0.001), and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.002) compared to the laparotomy group. Transfusions were required only in two laparotomy patients, and postoperative complications occurred only in four laparotomy patients. However, two patients with stage IA grade 1 and 2 disease in laparoscopy group had recurrence with one patient dying of disease. The accuracy and adequacy of laparoscopic surgical staging were comparable to laparotomic approach, and the surgical outcomes were more favorable than laparotomic approach. However, the oncologic safety of laparoscopic staging was not certain. This is the first report on the possible hazards of laparoscopic staging in early-stage ovarian cancer. In the absence of a large prospective trial, this technique should be performed cautiously.
abstract: Prognostic factors associated with response in platinum retreatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
Prognostic factors associated with response in platinum retreatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer:
Abstract
The goal of this study was to determine the factors associated with response to platinum retreatment in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. A review of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer retreated with cisplatin or carboplatin between 2002 and 2004 was performed. The platinum-free interval (PFI) and treatment-free interval (TFI) were determined for each patient. Response was based on serial CA125 levels using a modification of the Rustin criteria. Patients with clinical benefit ([CB] those who attained at least stable disease) were compared to patients with disease progression (PD). An analysis was performed to determine factors associated with CB in platinum-resistant patients retreated with platinum. Of 48 patients identified, 37 were evaluable included in this analysis. CB was observed in 27 (73%) while disease progression was noted in 10 (27%) women. The PFI was longer in those women who achieved CB (12.3 vs 6.9 months; P = 0.02). The TFI was 7.1 months for patients benefited from platinum retreatment vs 3.5 months for those with disease progression (P = 0.06). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of cytotoxic agents between the time of platinum retreatment and the prior platinum regimen (2 vs 1.5 months; P = 0.61). A prolonged PFI was associated with an improved chance of achieving CB with platinum retreatment. There was no association between the response to platinum retreatment and the number of intervening cytotoxic agents utilized. Further prospective study is warranted to define the optimal timing of platinum retreatment.
abstract: Long-term adjustment of early-stage ovarian cancer survivors
Long-term adjustment of early-stage ovarian cancer survivors:
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to describe the quality of life (QOL), consequences of treatment, complementary therapy use, and factors correlating with psychologic state in 58 survivors of early-stage ovarian cancer since little is known about the QOL of early-stage ovarian cancer survivors. Survivors were interviewed using standardized measures to assess physical, psychologic, social, and sexual functioning; impact of cancer on socioeconomic status; and complementary therapy use. Survivors reported good physical QOL scores and few unmet needs. However, menopausal symptoms and negative impact on sexuality were reported. Less than 10% of survivors reported either an interest in sex or were sexually active. Psychologic assessment yielded a subset of 26% of patients with scores suggestive of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 40% of survivors scored below the norm on the Mental Health Inventory-17 Survey. One third of patients required treatment for family/personal problems and took antianxiety medications. About 56% of survivors reported fear of cancer recurrence and 59% reported anxiety when their CA125 is tested. Better mental health was significantly related to less fatigue (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy [FACT]—fatigue, r = 0.61, P < 0.0001), less pain (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC], r =−0.54, P < 0.0001), fewer stressful life events (Life Event Scale, r =−0.44, P > 0.001), and greater social support (MOS Social Support Survey, r = 0.41, P < 0.01). Early-stage ovarian cancer survivors had few physical complaints and unmet needs, but psychologic distress was evident in a subset of survivors; the majority of survivors reported sexual dysfunction. These results indicate the need for intervention and improved distress screening in the early-stage ovarian cancer population.
abstract: Common patterns in 558 diagnostic radiology errors
Common patterns in 558 diagnostic radiology errors:
Abstract
Introduction: As a Quality Improvement initiative our department has held regular discrepancy meetings since 2003. We performed a retrospective analysis of the cases presented and identified the most common pattern of error.
Methods: A total of 558 cases were referred for discussion over 92 months, and errors were classified as perceptual or interpretative. The most common patterns of error for each imaging modality were analysed, and the misses were scored by consensus as subtle or non-subtle.
Results: Of 558 diagnostic errors, 447 (80%) were perceptual and 111 (20%) were interpretative errors. Plain radiography and computed tomography (CT) scans were the most frequent imaging modalities accounting for 246 (44%) and 241 (43%) of the total number of errors, respectively. In the plain radiography group 120 (49%) of the errors occurred in chest X-ray reports with perceptual miss of a lung nodule occurring in 40% of this subgroup. In the axial and appendicular skeleton missed fractures occurred most frequently, and metastatic bone disease was overlooked in 12 of 50 plain X-rays of the pelvis or spine. The majority of errors within the CT group were in reports of body scans with the commonest perceptual errors identified including 16 missed significant bone lesions, 14 cases of thromboembolic disease and 14 gastrointestinal tumours. Of the 558 errors, 312 (56%) were considered subtle and 246 (44%) non-subtle.
Conclusion: Diagnostic errors are not uncommon and are most frequently perceptual in nature. Identification of the most common patterns of error has the potential to improve the quality of reporting by improving the search behaviour of radiologists.
Review of epidemiologic studies of dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of cancer.
Review of epidemiologic studies of dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of cancer.:
Eur J Cancer Prev. 2012 Apr 8;
Abstract
Hypothesized associations between dietary acrylamide intake and cancer have been evaluated in more than 15 epidemiologic studies examining almost every major cancer site. We have critically reviewed the epidemiologic studies of estimated dietary acrylamide exposure and cancer.....
In conclusion, epidemiologic studies of dietary acrylamide intake have failed to demonstrate an increased risk of cancer. In fact, the sporadically and slightly increased and decreased risk ratios reported in more than two dozen papers examined in this review strongly suggest the pattern one would expect to find for a true null association over the course of a series of trials. Therefore, continued epidemiologic investigation of acrylamide and cancer risk appears to be a misguided research priority.
Medpage: Medical News: DNA Repair Genes May Predict Ovarian Cancer Survival
Blogger's Note: the original paper and editorial were recently posted, however, the Medpage (Medscape) article is easier to read (eg. plain english)
DNA Repair Genes May Predict Ovarian Cancer Survival - in Oncology/Hematology, Ovarian Cancer from MedPage Today
"A high score based on the expression of 23 genes involved in repairing DNA damage after platinum-based chemotherapy for ovarian cancer was associated with a 5-year survival of 40% versus 17% for women who had a low score, investigators reported......"
Action Points
Climb4Life Documentary Coming to Denver | HERA Women's Cancer Foundation - honoring (the late) Sean Patrick founder HERA
Climb4Life Documentary Coming to Denver | HERA Women's Cancer Foundation
Climb4Life Documentary Coming to Denver
April 12, 2012
The new KUED PBS documentary on HERA’s founder, Sean Patrick, recently premiered in Salt Lake City to a very enthusiastic audience.Now, “Climb for Life: A Legacy” is coming to Denver! Please join us for this special showing as we celebrate Sean’s life and work. In establishing the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation, she gathered a community, became a catalyst for change, and continues, even after her death, to inspire the critical quest for ovarian cancer research and awareness.
Saturday, May 5, 2012, 7:00-9:00 pm
at The Garden, 3435 Albion Street, Denver, CO 80207; 303-321-5231
Higher US expenditures on cancer patients do not result in improved mortality. : denialism blog
Higher US expenditures on cancer patients do not result in improved mortality. : denialism blog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blogger: Hoofnagle has a MD and PhD in physiology from the University of Virginia, and is now a general surgery resident. His interest in denialism concerns the use of denialist tactics to confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Higher US expenditures on cancer patients do not result in improved mortality.
" But you'd never know that reading AEI's highly dubious contribution to the literature in this week's Health Affairs (lay Reuters article here). Consistent with their free-market solves everything and can do no wrong (cover ears and yell "nananananananana") attitude towards the broken US healthcare system, they have managed to contaminate the literature with a paper that suggests our higher expenditures on cancer are generating significant returns in patient survival. Except that it doesn't show this, and to her great credit, Reuter's Sharon Begley nails it:........
"Experts shown an advance copy of the paper by Reuters argued that the tricky statistics of cancer outcomes tripped up the authors.
"This study is pure folly," said biostatistician Dr. Don Berry of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "It's completely misguided and it's dangerous. Not only are the authors' analyses flawed but their conclusions are also wrong."
".... It's been a topic of debate among medical professions and discussed extensively by other medical bloggers like Ora.....(Blogger's Note: see prior postings)
abstract: (FOBT) Fecal occult blood testing instructions and impact on patient adherence
Fecal occult blood testing instructions and impact on patient adherence: Publication year: 2012
Source: Cancer Epidemiology
Introduction
Although the physician's role with patients is crucial in encouraging FOBT screening, the nature and content of physician-patient discussions about FOBT screening is unclear. As part of a larger study, this paper reports on our analyses of physician beliefs about fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and strategies they employed to enhance patient adherence. The second aim of this paper is to report on the perceptions of individuals at average risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) in regard to their awareness of the FOBT and their responses to physician recommendations about FOBT screening.
Clinical value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in detecting primary tumor for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary
Clinical value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in detecting primary tumor for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary: Publication year: 2012
Objective:
To investigate the clinical value in detecting occult primary tumors with 18F-FDG PET-CT whole body imaging.
Methods:
120 patients with unknown primary origin were referred for 18F-FDG PET-CT whole body imaging. All patients were performed 18F-FDG PET-CT whole body scan. PET-CT images were interpreted by visual inspection and semi-quantitative analysis (standardized uptake value, SUV). Histopathological and formal clinical follow-up findings were used to assess the value of FDG PET-CT.
Results:
FDG PET-CT was able to detect the primary tumor in 54/120 patients (42.5%). The primary tumors were confirmed by histopathologic and formal clinical follow-up findings, and located in the head and neck (n =17), the lung (n =19), the breast (n =2), the esophagus (n =1), the stomach (n =2), the bile ducts (n =1), the pancreas (n =3), the co1on (n =3), the ovary (n =2), the prostate (n =l), others (n =3). FDG PET results were proved false positive in 9 patients (7.5%), which were located in the head and neck (n =3), the lung (n =1), the gastric (n =1), the colon (n =2), the ovary (n =1), the prostate (n =l).
During the clinical follow-up of median 32months (range, 2–45months), primary tumor was found in only 5 patients of 60 cases unidentified by PET-CT (breast cancer, gastric cancer, co1on cancer, prostate cancer and urinary tumors, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 18F-FDG PET-CT in the detection of the primary tumor site were 91.5%, 85.2%, and 88.3%, respectively.
Conclusion:
18F-FDG PET-CT whole body imaging is both a noninvasive and a very sensitive tomographic whole-body imaging modality, allowing for the detection of a primary tumor and complete tumor staging in single examination, which can contribute substantially to selecting appropriate therapeutic methods and evaluating prognosis. Perhaps 18F-FDG PET-CT whole body imaging should be used as a first-line imaging modality for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary rather than using it after other diagnostic procedures have failed to identify a primary tumor.
open access: Gynecologic Oncology Case Reports - A case of endometrial cancer in the context of a BRCA2 mutation and double heterozygosity for Lynch syndrome
ScienceDirect.com - Gynecologic Oncology Case Reports - A case of endometrial cancer in the context of a BRCA2 mutation and double heterozygosity for Lynch syndrome
"....While endometrial cancer diagnosed under the age of 50 is not included in the Revised Bethesda Guideline, evidence suggests that these individuals should be evaluated for Lynch syndrome (Resnick et al., 2009). The patient presented was diagnosed with endometrial cancer at the age of 41 and genetic testing revealed triple heterozygosity for BRCA2, MLH1 and MSH6 mutations."
Introduction
Lynch
syndrome, also called hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
(HNPCC), is an autosomal dominant cancer susceptibility syndrome caused
by germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes, MLH1, MSH2, and less frequently MSH6 and PMS2.
MMR mutation carriers are predisposed primarily to colorectal cancer
and endometrial cancer, with an increased frequency of stomach, ovary,
pancreas, upper urinary tract, brain, small bowel, and skin consistently
reported. This hereditary syndrome accounts for approximately 2–3% of
colorectal cancers and 1–4% of endometrial cancers in the United States (Lynch and de la Chapelle, 2003).
Depending on the MMR gene involved, women with Lynch syndrome can have
up to an 80% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer, and a 20–60%
risk of endometrial cancer.
Germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2
(BRCA1/2) cause hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome. Female
carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations have excessive risks for both breast and
ovarian cancer, with lifetime breast cancer estimates ranging from 45%
to 84%, and lifetime ovarian cancer estimates ranging from 11% to 62%,
depending upon the population studied. BRCA1/2 kindreds are also noted
to have an increased frequency of prostate cancer, and in BRCA2 kindreds, increased frequencies of pancreatic cancer and melanoma are observed. The frequency of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations in the general population is estimated to be 1 in 300 to 1 in 800, respectively (King et al., 2003).
Highlights
►
Endometrial cancer with BRCA2 mutation and double heterozygosity for
Lynch syndrome.
► Loss of MLH1 and PMS2 by immunohistochemical stain.
► MSH1 and MSH6 gene mutations by genomic sequencing.
► Loss of MLH1 and PMS2 by immunohistochemical stain.
► MSH1 and MSH6 gene mutations by genomic sequencing.
abstract: Comparative cost efficiency across the European G5 countries of originators and a biosimilar erythropoiesis-stimulating agent to manage chemotherapy-induced anemia in patients with cancer
Comparative cost efficiency across the European G5 countries of originators and a biosimilar erythropoiesis-stimulating agent to manage chemotherapy-induced anemia in patients with cancer
Conclusion: Managing chemotherapy-induced anemia with biosimilar epoetin α is consistently cost efficient over treatment with originator epoetin α, epoetin β, and darbepoetin α under both fixed and weight-based dosing scenarios.
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