Thursday, January 28, 2010
media article: Plant-based flavonoid may cut ovarian cancer risk (Apigenin)
language issues: borderline - significant ??
"women reporting the highest apigenin intake had a "borderline significant decrease" in ovarian cancer risk"
Time to end pelvic exams done without consent - The Globe and Mail
This article by Andre Picard of the Globe and Mail is a regurgitated column previously noted media columns. Interestingly enough the SGOC has an 'award' for columnists at the moment so it is highly suspect in its timing.
However, included are comments from both public and healthcare individuals.
Illumina to Complete Analysis of Ovarian Cancer - Sequencing - Genome Web
"The original plan was to analyze 25 ovarian and 25 gastric tumor/normal pairs by the end of 2009 using the company's Genome Analyzer, including whole-genome sequencing to at least 30-fold coverage, mRNA-seq, methylation sequencing, and chip genotyping. That timeline got delayed somewhat, and the company now expects to finish the ovarian tumors by the end of March and move into a validation phase, and then tackle the gastric cancer samples.
The delay was largely due to a longer-than-expected process of acquiring and qualifying the samples, Heath explained. For the ovarian cancer project, for example, he said the company was looking for stage I or II samples with a tumor content of at least 70 percent from non-smokers who did not have mutations in the BRCA 1 or 2 genes. He also said that the type of consent required for whole-genome sequencing is "quite a bit different from what is normally consented" and required the company, in some instances, to go back and ask for additional consent."
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the detection and characterization of liver tumors
"Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has unique advantages over contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the characterization of hepatic tumors."
Now's the time to find biomarkers on purpose -- Annals of Oncology
"Studies need to be conducted to determine the optimal design for using genome-wide profiling to identify putative biomarkers of drug response. To date, most biomarkers of drug response identified through genome-wide profiling have occurred through retrospective analysis of available tissue. To really progress this field, realistic planning for biomarker discovery and validation in clinical trials needs to be conducted. We, as clinical scientists, need to progress from only using convenient clinical cohorts to identify biomarkers to actually planning and following through with prospective clinical trials whose aims are to discover and/or validate putative biomarkers of drug response. To initiate a study without a realistic plan for discovery and validation reflects a lack of serious desire to find robust clinical predictors..... Until this becomes more commonplace, the genomic revolution will be focused on manuscript generation and investigator career development, leaving the benefit to patients nothing more than an unrealized dream."
Patient Participation: Current Knowledge and Applicability to Patient Safety — Mayo Clinic Proceedings
"...Patient-related factors, such as acceptance of the new patient role, lack of medical knowledge, lack of confidence, comorbidity, and various sociodemographic parameters, all affect willingness to participate in the health care process. Among health care workers, the acceptance and promotion of patient participation are influenced by other issues, including the desire to maintain control, lack of time, personal beliefs, type of illness, and training in patient-caregiver relationships. Social status, specialty, ethnic origin, and the stakes involved also influence patient and health care worker acceptance.
Cancer Causes and Controls: abstract - Microsatellite instability and survival in rectal cancer (Lynch Syndrome)
"Abstract
Objective High levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) have been associated in many studies with improved prognosis in colon cancer. Very few studies have evaluated the effect of MSI-H on rectal cancer survival. We assessed MSI-H and other genetic and epigenetic changes on survival of 990 individuals diagnosed with first primary rectal cancer.
Conclusion The genetic and epigenetic characteristics of MSI-H rectal cancers suggest that they are enriched for Lynch-associated tumors; adverse prognosis associated with MSI-H in these tumors may reflect the relatively high frequency of Lynch-associated cancers and/or the effect of radiation or chemotherapy on Lynch-associated rectal cancers or MSI tumors in general."
Women's decision-making needs related to treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer: a pilot study
"abstract:
The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the decision-making needs of women with ovarian cancer related to treatment of recurrent disease. ..... CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide some beginning direction for an inter-professional decision support approach, as well as implications for future research.
Email Guidelines for Patients (Patient Handout)
About these guidelines
Adopting appropriate email practices with patients is an important step
to safeguarding the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship and
maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive patient information.
The email guidelines that you are about to generate will outline when, why and how your patients may use email to contact you.
These guidelines can be:
- printed and used as a patient handout
- used as a patient consent form
- used as a statement of best practices for you and your staff
- saved on your computer
- downloaded from your practice website
A Revision Of The EU Clinical Trials Directive Supported By European Cancer Organization
"Certain groups of patients have been particularly hard hit: children, patients with rare cancers, patients who would profit greatly from international trials that optimise already existing treatments and which, therefore, do not find commercial sponsorship, and elderly patients with other health problems, including secondary cancers due to earlier treatments."
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
2009 Expert Perspectives on Challenges, Controversies, and Opportunities in Ovarian Cancer Therapy: The Present and the Future | PeerView Press
(free) viewing:
Includes: Dr's Markman, Armstrong & Coleman
Topics:
- Expert Perspectives on Challenges, Controversies, and Opportunities in Ovarian Cancer Therapy: The Present and the Future
- Taking Stock of the Current Research: Which New Therapies Are Showing Promise in Ovarian Cancer?
- Audio - Q&A Lightning Round: Expert Opinions on Unanswered Questions and Controversies in Ovarian Cancer
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