Global cancer research initiative (full access0

Note: full access is available/click on 'pdf' "For the majority of citizens worldwide, effective, nontoxic, culturally appropriate, and attainable care for cancer has not yet been defined."

EvidenceUpdates - A clinical review of statins and cancer: helpful or harmful? (short abstract/commentaries)

full free access:Prevalence of mental health conditions in cancer patients in acute care—a meta-analysis — Ann Oncol

"Further research is needed to identify reasons for the heterogeneity in prevalence rates. It may be that tumour site, stage, and treatment as well as cultural factors may play a role, but this needs further investigation. In addition, a fair amount of oncological care takes place in outpatient settings. It would therefore be worthwhile to carry out another meta-analysis of studies, investigating the prevalence of mental disorders at that stage of cancer care."

Abstract/free full access: Comparison of numerical and verbal rating scales to measure pain exacerbations in patients with chronic cancer pain

Background
Numerical rating scales (NRS), and verbal rating scales (VRS) showed to be reliable and valid tools for subjective cancer pain measurement, but no one of them consistently proved to be superior to the other. Aim of the present study is to compare NRS and VRS performance in assessing breakthrough or episodic pain (BP-EP) exacerbations.

Gene link to cancer risk in families - protein RAD51C (news item) breast and ovarian

Note: this report is worthwhile reading especially for those who test negative for BRCA 1/2

"No significant mutations were found in RAD51C in the 620 families with breast cancer only.  However, when they looked at the breast and ovarian cancer families, things got really interesting.  In all, they were able to identify a total of 6 mutations in the 480 families that had sufficient evidence to implicate them in the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility.  Thus, in this German study of women with unexplained familial breast and ovarian cancer, the cancer susceptibility in 1.3% of the families could be explained by heterozygous mutations in the RAD51C gene."

International Cancer Genome Consortium

Note: those studying ovarian cancer -  

Ovarian Cancer Australia

Ovarian Cancer United States

"Once thought of as a single disease, cancer is now understood to be the result of genetic mutations in cells which disrupt normal functions leading to uncontrollable growth. Because mutations are often specific to a particular type or stage of cancer, systematically mapping the changes that occur in each cancer could provide the foundation for research to identify new therapies, diagnostics and preventive strategies."

Impact of gene patents and licensing practices on access to genetic testing for inherited susceptibility to cancer: Comparing breast and ovarian cancer

Genetics in Medicine:
April 2010 - Volume 12 - Issue 4
Article
Impact of gene patents and licensing practices on access to genetic testing for inherited susceptibility to cancer:
Comparing breast and ovarian cancers with colon cancers

Abstract

Genetic testing for inherited susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer can be compared with similar testing for colorectal cancer as a “natural experiment.” Inherited susceptibility accounts for a similar fraction of both cancers and genetic testing results guide decisions about options for prophylactic surgery in both sets of conditions.

One major difference is that in the United States, Myriad Genetics is the sole provider of genetic testing, because it has sole control of relevant patents for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, whereas genetic testing for familial colorectal cancer is available from multiple laboratories.

Colorectal cancer-associated genes are also patented, but they have been nonexclusively licensed.

Prices for BRCA1 and 2 testing do not reflect an obvious price premium attributable to exclusive patent rights compared with colorectal cancer testing, and indeed, Myriad's per unit costs are somewhat lower for BRCA1/2 testing than testing for colorectal cancer susceptibility. Myriad has not enforced patents against basic research and negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Cancer Institute in 1999 for institutional BRCA testing in clinical research. The main impact of patenting and licensing in BRCA compared with colorectal cancer is the business model of genetic testing, with a sole provider for BRCA and multiple laboratories for colorectal cancer genetic testing.

Myriad's sole-provider model has not worked in jurisdictions outside the United States, largely because of differences in breadth of patent protection, responses of government health services, and difficulty in patent enforcement.

Note: see abstract for authors which include: Robert Cook-Deegan, MD. Director, IGSP Center for Genome Ethics, Law & Policy.

Restless legs syndrome and its relationship with anxiety, depression, and quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

(abstract) Review: The use of proteomics as a research methodology for studying cancer-related fatigue: a review

Note: limited information in the abstract

Reminder: A patient's perspective on ovarian cancer as a chronic disease—Devaluing a survivor's challenge Caridad Vera-Garcia

Note: Cary is now with us 'in spirit'

Requests for Cancer Prevention Information: The Cancer Information Service (2002–2006)

Physicians' Awareness and Attitudes Toward Decision Aids for Patients With Cancer

Early Release, published online ahead of print Mar 30 2010
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO.2009.25.2874

Physicians' Awareness and Attitudes Toward Decision Aids for Patients With Cancer

Chantalle Brace, Selina Schmocker, Harden Huang, J. Charles Victor, Robin S. McLeod, and Erin D. Kennedy*
From the Department of Surgery, University Health Network–Toronto General Hospital; Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital; Dr Zane Cohen Digestive Disease Research Unit; and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Purpose: Patient decision aids are interventions designed to help patients make deliberative choices about their treatment options and have been shown to significantly improve patient outcomes. Although considered optimal, decision aids are not widely used in clinical practice for cancer treatment. The objectives of this study are to determine physicians' awareness and use of decision aids, physicians' perceptions of the major barriers to the use of decision aids, and physician characteristics predictive of use of decision aids in clinical practice.

Impact of the Cost of Cancer Treatment: An Internet-Based Survey -- Markman and Luce 6 (2): 69 -- Journal of Oncology Practice

Note: abstract only, did not include ovarian cancer patients Conclusion: This survey suggests that a substantial proportion of patients and their families experience considerable distress associated with the cost of cancer care delivery. Furthermore, these costs affect the decision of patients with cancer to receive recommended treatment. This is a particularly serious issue for individuals with a modest annual income.

Efficacy of intranasal fentanyl spray versus other opioids for breakthrough pain in cancer; Current Medical Research and Opinion

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intranasal fentanyl spray (INFS), oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC), fentanyl buccal tablet (FBT) and oral morphine (OM) for the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP).

Conclusion: Based on currently available evidence, INFS is expected to provide the greatest improvement in the treatment of BTCP. Due to its slow onset to effect OM cannot be considered an efficacious treatment for BTCP.

UK site: Understanding Cancer

Note: plain english, many topics

"Hello, I am Avril Morrison and I run this website “Understanding Cancer”. I’m a scientist and I write about cancer research and cancer information on the web."

Cancer and the Family: The Silent Words of Truth -- JCO The Art of Oncology series

INCONCLUSIVE THOUGHTS: One of the aims of psycho-oncology is to explore, clarify, and accept different realities that are alluded to in the unspoken words of the family narrative, while also eliciting family stories of survival, adjustment, mutuality, belief, and hope. The psycho-oncologist is trained to understand the language of the patient and family members in their subjective appraisals of health and illness and then to encourage them to share their truths about being understood, heard, supported, and emboldened or discredited and stigmatized.

(U.S.) Information on Life after Cancer Now Available on NIHSeniorHealth.gov Feb 24, 2010 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Revisiting biographical disruption: Exploring individual embodied illness experience in people with terminal cancer

"Biographical accounts of illness offer useful insights into the social and adaptive processes of living with chronic illness. Yet there are concerns that the underlying theoretical assumptions of a reflexive self seeking to maintain meaning may not reflect the lived experience of individuals....We discuss the possibilities for new approaches to clinical assessment and management of need."

Disrupted lives and threats to identity: The experiences of people with colorectal cancer within the first year following diagnosis -- Hubbard et al. 14 (2): 131 -- Health:

Note: It's very unfortunate that this is not full access as it would apply across cancer domains.

"We conclude that universal application of the concept biographical disruption to the experience of cancer within the first year of diagnosis is not appropriate. This study has implications for cancer services, in particular, the findings call for the development of interventions to support those people who experience cancer as an assault on their identity."

Cigarette Smoking as a Cause of Cancers Other Than Lung Cancer: An Exploratory Study Using the SEER Program — CHEST