ongoing: Anonymous Testing of Pathology Specimens for BRCA Mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish Individuals Who Have Cancer - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Anonymous Testing of Pathology Specimens for BRCA Mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish Individuals Who Have Cancer - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Anonymous Testing of Pathology Specimens for BRCA Mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish Individuals Who Have Cancer

This study is currently recruiting participants.

Verified July 2012 by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

First Received on December 22, 2007.   Last Updated on July 23, 2012   History of Changes

Sponsor:	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Information provided by (Responsible Party):	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00588263

  Purpose

The intent of the proposed study is to describe the prevalence of the most common recurring mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2, blmAsh , and the A636P MSH2 mutation among Ashkenazi Jewish individuals with a variety of cancer diagnoses. If a substantial proportion of these samples contain such mutations, future patients presenting with these diseases may wish to undergo genetic counseling and, if appropriate, formal genetic testing. The benefit from such a process would pertain mainly to the families of these individuals.

Condition
Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer Gallbladder Cancer Gastric Cancer Lung Cancer Melanoma Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Uterine Cancer CORPUS UTERI,ENDOMETRIUM LUNG OVARY

Study Type:	Observational
Study Design:	Observational Model: Cohort Time Perspective: Prospective
Official Title:	Anonymous Testing of Pathology Specimens for BRCA Mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish Individual With Cancer

Are Opinions Based on Science: Modelling Social Response to Scientific Facts

Are Opinions Based on Science: Modelling Social Response to Scientific Facts:

by Gerardo Iñiguez, Julia Tagüeña-Martínez, Kimmo K. Kaski, Rafael A. Barrio

As scientists we like to think that modern societies and their members base their views, opinions and behaviour on scientific facts. This is not necessarily the case, even though we are all (over-) exposed to information flow through various channels of media, i.e. newspapers, television, radio, internet, and web. It is thought that this is mainly due to the conflicting information on the mass media and to the individual attitude (formed by cultural, educational and environmental factors), that is, one external factor and another personal factor. In this paper we will investigate the dynamical development of opinion in a small population of agents by means of a computational model of opinion formation in a co-evolving network of socially linked agents. The personal and external factors are taken into account by assigning an individual attitude parameter to each agent, and by subjecting all to an external but homogeneous field to simulate the effect of the media. We then adjust the field strength in the model by using actual data on scientific perception surveys carried out in two different populations, which allow us to compare two different societies. We interpret the model findings with the aid of simple mean field calculations. Our results suggest that scientifically sound concepts are more difficult to acquire than concepts not validated by science, since opposing individuals organize themselves in close communities that prevent opinion consensus.................

Putting respect to work : The Lancet

Putting respect to work : The Lancet

The Lancet, Volume 380, Issue 9841, Page 564, 11 August 2012

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doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61330-0Cite or Link Using DOI

Putting respect to work

Edmund Dunstan a

There is an aspect of dignity that Charles Foster (June 2, p 2044)1 does not address. I found the term vague and unhelpful until I heard Gordon Lishman, former Director-General of Age Concern England, remark how whereas professionals often used the term “dignity”, the word older people themselves used was usually “respect”. In Latin the word dignus means “worthy”. Surely, our obligation is to show people the respect, whether in word or deed, that gives them dignity—the subjective experience of their own worth.

We can explore the implications for this in the scenarios Foster describes. In the case of the patient in the vegetative state undergoing vaginal examinations we could reasonably assume that her sense of worth would be impaired if she were aware of what was going on; for the brain-damaged teenager we have the difficult choice of whether to presume that her standards are ours—or accept her apparent behaviour that she does not mind; but the owner of the skull used as a drinking vessel can have no sense of worth—although we might regard the behaviour as in poor taste.

 

I declare that I have no onflicts of interest.

Reference

1 Foster C. Putting dignity to work. Lancet 2012; 379: 2044-2045. Full Text | PDF(150KB) | CrossRef | PubMed

European Journal of Human Genetics - Genetic testing and common disorders in a public health framework: how to assess relevance and possibilities

http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/v19/n1s/full/ejhg2010249a.html

Cancer care services don't differ by neighborhood

http://reut.rs/S3ffBr

HIN-1 clear cell ovarian cancer

CONCLUSIONS: Methylation of HIN-1 and CACNA1A promoters are two novel epigenetic biomarkers associated with poor outcomes in OCCA patients. Ectopic expression of the HIN-1 gene increased paclitaxel sensitivity through Akt pathway

http://www.google.ca/reader/i/?source=mog&hl=en&gl=ca#stream/search%2FOvarian


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A Retrospective Study Evaluating Frequency and Risk Factors of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in 576 Cancer Patients Receiving Intravenous Bisphosphonates

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A Retrospective Study Evaluating Frequency and Risk Factors of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in 576 Cancer Patients Receiving Intravenous Bisphosphonates

Retrospective analysis of 576 cancer patients treated with intravenous bisphosphonates found that 3.1% developed osteonecrosis of the jaw, 59% of which followed tooth extraction. Diabetes, hypothyroidism,...

Patterns of Gene Expression That Characterize Long-term Survival in Advanced Stage Serous Ovarian Cancers

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Patterns of Gene Expression That Characterize Long-term Survival in Advanced Stage Serous Ovarian Cancers

Clinical Cancer Research In Clinical Cancer Research, Vol. 11, No. 10. (15 May 2005), pp. 3686-3696, doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-2398

Purpose: A better understanding of the underlying biology of invasive serous ovarian cancer is critical for the development of early detection strategies and new therapeutics. The objective of this study was to define gene expression patterns associated with favorable survival.
Andrew Berchuck, Edwin Iversen, Johnathan Lancaster, Jennifer Pittman, Jingqin Luo, Paula Lee, Susan Murphy, Holly Dressman, Phillip Febbo, Mike West, Joseph Nevins, Jeffrey Marks

Komen founder to leave CEO role but stay on in management

http://reut.rs/OUnMWY

State of the Science in Ovarian Cancer Quality of Life Research: A Systematic Review

State of the Science in Ovarian Cancer Quality of Life Research: A Systematic Review

Hess, Lisa M. PhD; Stehman, Frederick B. MD

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer . POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 6 August 2012

doi: 10.1097/IGC.0b013e318263f02e

Abstract

Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an increasingly important focus of outcomes in cancer care with the movement toward more patient-oriented research. Quality-of-life outcomes are important in ovarian cancer, which has not yet benefitted from improved survival outcomes as have other diseases. This study was designed to systematically assess and summarize HRQOL in ovarian cancer.

Methods: A systematic search strategy was initiated to identify published literature measuring HRQOL of women with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer (OC). Data were synthesized to evaluate HRQOL and patient-reported outcome data at various time points: before, during, and after chemotherapy. Data were pooled and summary statistics compared across published studies. Comparisons of means were conducted using analysis of variance.

Results: There were 170 publications meeting all eligibility criteria, representing 139 unique studies of patients with ovarian cancer, where QOL data were collected. Within this literature, more than 90 different patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments were administered. The most common HRQOL instruments included the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy. Few studies alone demonstrated significant differences in QOL between the experimental and comparison arm or throughout the treatment period. Pooled data, however, show that baseline QOL may significantly improve, particularly after completion of chemotherapy treatment.

Discussion: Despite the increase in assessment and reporting of QOL in ovarian cancer research studies during the past 15 years, there remains little consistency in the types and format of data collected. There is a need to enhance the standardized collection and reporting of HRQOL data from research involving women with ovarian cancer so that research can build on the cumulative knowledge base to improve outcomes in this patient population.

http://mobile.journals.lww.com/ijgc/_layouts/oaks.journals.mobile/abstractviewer.aspx?year=9000&issue=00000&article=99473

No Proven Benefit For PET And PET/CT In Ovarian Cancer

Ann_Oncology: Maternal and fetal outcomes of taxane chemotherapy in breast and ovarian cancer during pregnancy: case series and review of the literature

http://m.annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/08/07/annonc.mds170.short?rss=1?rss=1?rss=1

Health IT for You - Giving You Access to Your Medical Records (3:00 min) | Patients & Families | HealthIT.gov

Health IT for You - Giving You Access to Your Medical Records (3:00 min)

August 7, 2012 | 3:00

Health Information Technology, or Health IT for short, is upgrading our healthcare system for the 21st Century. Today's technology is converting the information in our paper records into an electronic format which allows you and your doctors to have access to your health information when and where it's needed. Learn more about the benefits of health IT and how online, secure access to your health record can help make sure you get the best care.

View the 60-second version of this video.

http://www.healthit.gov/patients-families/video/health-it-you-giving-you-access-your-medical-records

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120809/Recurrences-of-ovarian-cancer-can-be-detected-earlier-and-more-accurately-with-PETCT.aspx

Recurrences of ovarian cancer can be detected earlier and more accurately with PET/CT

Due to the lack of studies, there is currently no proof that patients with ovarian cancer can benefit from positron emission tomography (PET) alone or in combination with computed tomography (CT). As regards diagnostic accuracy, in certain cases, recurrences can be detected earlier and more accurately with PET or PET/CT than with conventional imaging techniques. This is the conclusion of the final report by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) in Cologne that was published on 23 May 2012.

More reliable diagnosis is supposed to improve treatment

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common malignant tumour in women. Every year 15.9 women in every 100,000 are diagnosed with the disease in Germany and it claims the lives of 8 in 100,000 women per year. Since the ovaries lie deep in the abdomen and an ovarian tumour normally causes no symptoms for a long time, it is often only discovered at a late stage.

Many experts hope that an investigation using PET or PET/CT alone or in combination with other methods would be better able to distinguish between benign and malignant tumours when ovarian cancer is suspected. It could also help classify cancerous tumours into the correct stage, make it easier to assess whether they respond to treatment and to show earlier and with greater certainty whether a recurrence or secondary tumour (metastasis) has occurred. This information should then enable patients to be given better treatment recommendations.

Benefit for patients is crucial

IQWiG therefore searched the international literature for studies investigating the effects of diagnosis using PET or PET/CT on health aspects of direct relevance to patients. For example, the results of this research - and an appropriately tailored treatment - could contribute to patients having better chances of survival, spare them unnecessary operations or other diagnostic procedures, or improve their quality of life. However, the search for such studies was unsuccessful, so the question as to the patient-relevant benefit of PET or PET/CT had to remain unanswered.

PET can better detect recurrences in certain cases

In addition, IQWiG searched for studies in which the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic power of PET or PET/CT were compared with other diagnostic methods. The basic question is how often a PET investigation gives a correct result. On the one hand, it should overlook true, cancerous tumours as rarely as possible, but on the other, it should not awake any false suspicions.

A review of hospital characteristics associated

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22871420/


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Trends in telehealth versus on-site clinical genetics appointments in Manitoba: a comparative study

Trends in telehealth versus on-site clinical genetics appointments in Manitoba: a comparative study

J Genet Couns. 2012 

Abstract

Telehealth involves the use of information and communications technology to deliver health services to patients over distance. Canada is well suited to benefit from telehealth since many individuals live in remote, rural and isolated locations. Manitoba is the easternmost prairie province and MBTelehealth is an active Canadian program that currently has 105 sites in 73 communities. Although studies of patient satisfaction comparing telehealth to on-site clinical visits have been conducted, a comparative study of the types of genetics patients seen via these two modalities has not been performed previously. In this study we: (1) examined the uptake of telehealth in Genetics in Manitoba; (2) contrasted telehealth usage in Genetics with other clinical programs; and (3) performed a comparative study of the types of Genetics referrals seen in 2008 on-site versus via telehealth. Results indicate the uptake of telehealth is increasing and has made genetics outreach clinics unnecessary. The Program of Genetics and Metabolism is consistently one of the top ten utilizers of telehealth within the province. With respect to discipline, chi square analysis revealed the trends were not significantly different for on-site and telehealth encounters, with prenatal referrals being the most common and Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer referrals being the least common. Referrals within each discipline varied depending on the need for fetal assessment and physical examination. Telehealth was utilized regularly for test results sessions across all disciplines.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21997346/

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Trends in telehealth versus on-site cli - PubMed Mobile

Trends in telehealth versus on-site clinical genetics appointments in Manitoba: a comparative study.

Authors

Elliott AM, et al. Show all

Journal

J Genet Couns. 2012 Apr;21(2):337-44. Epub 2011 Oct 15.

Affiliation

WRHA Program of Genetics and Metabolism, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. aelliott@hsc.mb.ca

Abstract

Telehealth involves the use of information and communications technology to deliver health services to patients over distance. Canada is well suited to benefit from telehealth since many individuals live in remote, rural and isolated locations. Manitoba is the easternmost prairie province and MBTelehealth is an active Canadian program that currently has 105 sites in 73 communities. Although studies of patient satisfaction comparing telehealth to on-site clinical visits have been conducted, a comparative study of the types of genetics patients seen via these two modalities has not been performed previously. In this study we: (1) examined the uptake of telehealth in Genetics in Manitoba; (2) contrasted telehealth usage in Genetics with other clinical programs; and (3) performed a comparative study of the types of Genetics referrals seen in 2008 on-site versus via telehealth. Results indicate the uptake of telehealth is increasing and has made genetics outreach clinics unnecessary. The Program of Genetics and Metabolism is consistently one of the top ten utilizers of telehealth within the province. With respect to discipline, chi square analysis revealed the trends were not significantly different for on-site and telehealth encounters, with prenatal referrals being the most common and Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer referrals being the least common. Referrals within each discipline varied depending on the need for fetal assessment and physical examination. Telehealth was utilized regularly for test results sessions across all disciplines.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21997346/