open access: Prevalence of BRCA1 Mutations in Familial and Sporadic Greek Ovarian Cancer Cases

PLOS ONE

"With the advance and speed of mutation detection strategies nowadays, it is anticipated that more ovarian cancer cases will be avoided as hereditary cancers will be identified before disease onset and preventive measures would be employed. "

open access: Stem Cell-Like Gene Expression in Ovarian Cancer Predicts Type II Subtype and Prognosis

PLOS ONE

"..... Discussion
The cancer stem cell theory proposes that a subpopulation of cells inherit or acquire stem-like properties that enable them to survive therapy and drive recurrent tumor growth, but the function and identification of such stem cells is controversial both in normal and malignant ovarian and fallopian tube tissue [51]–[53]. We have not demonstrated the existence of cancer stem cells in ovarian cancer; instead our analysis identified a subtype of ovarian cancer with stem-like gene expression which provides a new molecular subtype classification of ovarian cancer, a genomic context for further investigation of type I/II ovarian cancers and insights into why ovarian cancer is so likely to be fatal despite aggressive therapy...........

Ovarian Cancer Survival Better With IP Than IV Chemo

Medscape

"Long-term results from 2 large studies confirm the superiority of intraperitoneal (IP) administration of chemotherapy over intravenous (IV) administration after surgery in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
"We have known for some years that intraperitoneal administration may give superior results...but it is balanced by more toxicity," said Jubilee Brown, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
The exciting thing about these data "is that at 10-year follow-up, the survival effects persist," she told Medscape Medical News.....

"The new data come from a 10-year follow-up of patients taking part in Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) trials 114 and 172. They were presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SOG) 44th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, being held in Los Angeles, California.".....

paywalled: Measuring the Improving Quality of Outpatient Care in Medical Oncology Practices in the United States

Abstract

Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News - Heritable Colorectal Cancer: What Every Gastro Should Know (and patient/Lynch Syndrome)

Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News


People with Lynch syndrome, which is caused by a germline mutation in one of the DNA mismatch repair genes, have an 80% lifetime risk for CRC and tend to get cancers at a much younger age than the general population.
“The important thing here is that when adenomas develop in these patients, they’re on the fast track to cancer,” Dr. Itzkowitz said.


"Additionally, unlike the general population, among whom about 3% will develop a new primary colon cancer within 10 years, 30% of patients with Lynch syndrome will develop a new primary CRC within 10 years, and 50% will do so within 15 years.
Furthermore, the extraintestinal manifestations in patients with Lynch syndrome tend to be malignant; the most common are cancers of the uterus, ovaries, stomach, small bowel, hepatobiliary region, pancreas, upper genitourinary tract (eg. ureter/kidey/bladder - google search) and brain.....

Florida researchers develop medically safer hybrid grapefruit

Reuters
 "The University of Florida is in the process of commercializing the hybrid, a cross between pomelos and red grapefruit, with large-scale production likely five to seven years from now."

SGO conference: Ovarian Cancer Study Finds Widespread Flaws in Treatment - NYTimes.com

 Blogger's Note: includes comment from Karen Mason (ovarian cancer survivor/advocate/nurse); many studies (internationally) have for over a decade~ indicated these same results of inadequate care including lack of adherence to clinical practice guidelines

Ovarian Cancer Study Finds Widespread Flaws in Treatment - NYTimes.com

"Most women with ovarian cancer receive inadequate care and miss out on treatments that could add a year or more to their lives, a new study has found . The results highlight what many experts say is a neglected problem: widespread, persistent flaws in the care of women with this disease.....

National Guideline Clearinghouse | Clinical practice guideline for the patient safety at surgery settings. (Spain)

Guideline

Guideline Title

Clinical practice guideline for the patient safety at surgery settings.

Bibliographic Source(s)

Working Group of the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Patient Safety at Surgery Settings. Clinical practice guideline for the patient safety at surgery settings. Quality plan for the National Health System of the Ministry of Health, Social Policy, and Equality. Barcelona (Spain): Agency for Information, Evaluation, and Quality in Health of Catalonia (AIAQS); 2010. 191 p.  (Clinical practice guidelines in the NHS: AATRM; no. 2007/24).

Guideline Status

This is the current release of the guideline.

open access:Treatment of Anemia with Darbepoetin Alfa in Systolic Heart Failure — NEJM

Blogger's Note: note references to darbepoetin alfa/cancer

Article


 Conclusions
Treatment with darbepoetin alfa did not improve clinical outcomes in patients with systolic heart failure and mild-to-moderate anemia. Our findings do not support the use of darbepoetin alfa in these patients. (Funded by Amgen; RED-HF ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00358215.)

Risk factors of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: index for personalized antiemetic prophylaxis

Abstract

 Summary

"Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the most problematic adverse events that affects the well-being of cancer patients.

Spirituality May Boost Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer

SGO conference (via Medpage)

Action Points

• This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Ovarian cancer patients who reported high levels of spirituality presurgery had better outcomes for stress and depression, as well as factors known to regulate tumor angiogenesis and inflammation.
• Note that patients with high spirituality had significantly lower levels of IL-6, both in peripheral blood and in ascites after adjusting for stress and depression.

U.S. Why Donald Berwick's A Hero And Sarah Palin's A Zero - Forbes

Blogger's Note: some good observations

Forbes

 "...Berwick’s advocacy for care coordination has come a long way since the health overhaul debate of 2009 ......”

see article for imbedded trailer: for Escape Fire, a documentary airing tonight on CNN that features Berwick and his proposals for fixing our health care system:

Early End-of-Life Talk a Boon in Gyn Cancer

SGO conference (as reported by Medpage)

Action Points

• These studies were published as abstracts and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Early consultation for palliative care was associated with less aggressive care for patients with gynecologic cancers, as well as with lower overall and daily inpatient costs.
• Note that hospital admission within the last 14 days of life was significantly less common among those who had early palliative medicine consultation.

Power Outages, Fire Drill Interrupt Surgical Oncologists

Power Outages, Fire Drill Interrupt Surgical Oncologists

"The Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 66th Annual Cancer Symposium was repeatedly interrupted on Friday by local power outages related to the after-effects of stormy and windy weather in suburban Washington, DC............At a session on the surgical oncology workforce of the future in the United States, Karyn Stitzenberg, MD, MPH, finally got to show her audience some unique maps of the United States depicting densities of practicing surgical oncologists.(of interest/no further info provided)

Elevated Serum Calcium as a Biological Marker For Ovarian Cancer

Abstract
Conclusions: These findings suggest that higher serum calcium may be a biomarker of ovarian cancer. This is the first report of prospective positive associations between indices of calcium in serum and ovarian cancer. These findings require confirmation in other cohorts.

No Association between Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Variants and Breast Cancer Risk among Chinese Women

Abstract

Background: As breast and ovarian cancers may have similar etiologies, this study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that breast cancer shares common genetic susceptibility variants with ovarian cancer.

Hormonal and Reproductive Risk Factors for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer by Tumor Aggressiveness

Abstract

Background: Approximately half of epithelial ovarian cancers are fatal within 3 years; however, roughly 35% of women survive for at least 10 years. In the Nurses' Health Study, New England Case-Control Study, Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, and NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, we investigated potential differences in the associations with ovarian cancer risk factors by tumor aggressiveness, defined on the basis of time from diagnosis until death.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and cancer risk in older adults. Results from a large German prospective cohort study

Abstract
Background: Several observational studies assessed the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and the risk of cancer but results were inconclusive.

Combined and interactive effects of environmental and GWAS-identified risk factors in ovarian cancer

Abstract

Background:  

There are several well-established environmental risk factors for ovarian cancer, and recent genome-wide association studies have also identified six variants that influence disease risk. However, the interplay between such risk factors and susceptibility loci has not been studied. 

Methods: 

Data from 14 ovarian cancer case-control studies were pooled, and stratified analyses by each environmental risk factor with tests for heterogeneity were conducted to determine the presence of interactions for all histological subtypes. A genetic "risk score" was created to consider the effects of all six variants simultaneously. A multivariate model was fit to examine the association between all environmental risk factors and genetic risk score on ovarian cancer risk.

Defining the optimal lymphadenectomy cut-off value in epithelial ovarian cancer staging surgery utilizing a mathematical model of validation

Abstract

CONCLUSIONS:

We can mathematically predict the probability to obtain a positive node in EOC surgical staging. Our results have shown the need to obtain at least 22 lymph nodes between pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomy.

Ovarian cancer risk in postmenopausal women using estradiol–progestin therapy – a nationwide study

Abstract

Conclusion The elevated risk of non-mucinous ovarian cancer in users of EPT ≥ 5 years does not depend on progestin type, mode or route of administration of EPT


Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13697137.2012.663818

10 rare tumors that warrant a genetics referral - Springer

Abstract

"The number of described cancer susceptibility syndromes continues to grow, as does our knowledge on how to manage these syndromes with the aim of early detection and cancer prevention. Oncologists now have greater responsibility to recognize patterns of cancer that warrant referral for a genetics consultation. While some patterns of common cancers are easy to recognize as related to hereditary cancer syndromes, there are a number of rare tumors that are highly associated with cancer syndromes yet are often overlooked given their infrequency. We present a review of ten rare tumors that are strongly associated with hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes: adrenocortical carcinoma, carcinoid tumors, diffuse gastric cancer, fallopian tube/primary peritoneal cancer, leiomyosarcoma, medullary thyroid cancer, paraganglioma/pheochromocytoma, renal cell carcinoma of chromophobe, hybrid oncocytoic, or oncocytoma histology, sebaceous carcinoma, and sex cord tumors with annular tubules. This review will serve as a guide for oncologists to assist in the recognition of rare tumors that warrant referral for a genetic consultation."

Absence of loss of heterozygosity of BRCA1 in a renal tumor from a BRCA1 germline mutation carrier - Springer

Abstract

"BRCA1 functions as a tumor suppressor gene and germline and somatic mutations in this gene have been shown to be associated with many types of cancer. We report the first tumor study of renal cell (kidney)carcinoma in a carrier of the deleterious BRCA1 mutation-c.68_69delAG."

An unusual BRCA mutation distribution in a high risk cancer genetics clinic - Springer

Abstract

Chronic Diseases and Injuries in Canada - Cancer incidence, mortality and survival trends in Canada, 1970–2007 - Public Health Agency of Canada

Blogger's Note: ovarian cancer is not specifically included

open access

Introduction: Monitoring cancer trends can help evaluate progress in cancer control while reinforcing prevention activities. This analysis examines long-term trends for selected cancers in Canada using data from national databases.
Methods: Annual changes in trends for age-standardized incidence and mortality rates between 1970 and 2007 were examined by sex for 1) all cancers combined, 2) the four most common cancers (prostate, breast, lung, colorectal) and 3) cancers that demonstrate the most recent notable changes in trend. Five-year relative survival for 1992–2007 was also calculated.....