May 19, 2016
September 2016, Vol. 5, No. 7
Exploring Topics in Personalized Medicine to Improve the Patient Experience, Quality of Life, and Therapeutic Outcomes
Dear Colleague, The vast majority of our coverage in Personalized Medicine in Oncology focuses on our ability to identify genetic mutations, unique protein expressions, and other significant biomarkers for which we can tailor individual therapy. In this issue, we broaden that scope by exploring several topics that are related to [ Read More ]
Letter to Our ReadersPrevention Is the Key to Bone Health in Patients with Prostate Cancer
An interview with The Urology Group, Cincinnati, OH
In this interview, members of The Urology Group discussed the importance of bone health in patients with prostate cancer, including details about the guidelines they use, the impact of prevention, as well as the different therapies they use in their practice. PMO How common are skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients [ Read More ]
Use of FDA-Approved and Laboratory-Developed Tests in Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results of a Retrospective Market Analysis
CĂ©line M. Audibert, PhD1; Michael B. Shea2; Daniel J. Glass, PhD1; Marina L. Kozak, PhD2; Alexis P. Caze, PharmD1; Ryan M. Hohman, JD2; Jeff D. Allen, PhD2; Ellen V. Sigal, PhD2; Jonathan S. Leff1
1Deerfield Institute, New York, NY, and Epalinges, Switzerland 2Friends of Cancer Research, Washington, DC
1Deerfield Institute, New York, NY, and Epalinges, Switzerland 2Friends of Cancer Research, Washington, DC
A variety of molecular tests are currently in use to detect oncogenic driver mutations in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in those with advanced-stage adenocarcinoma.1-4 For some time, molecular testing in the United States has been complicated by the regulatory environment, which is currently divided between the [ Read More ]
Personalized Approach to Prostate Cancer
In 2016, prostate cancer is projected to be the most common cancer among men (excluding skin cancers), occurring in 180,890 and causing death in 26,120.1 The median age at time of diagnosis of prostate cancer is 66 years, with the median age at death being 80 years.2 Simply considering both [ Read More ]
Prostate CancerIt Doesn’t Get More Personal Than This: Patient’s Biospecimens Are the Sine Qua Non of Personalized Medicine
Personalized medicine in oncology is founded on the concept of rational care and management of individual cancer patients based on and tailored to the unique biomolecular features of both the patient and his/her tumor. The vision displaces, or at least modifies, the traditional approach of classifying tumors originating from a given [ Read More ]
PathologyScalp Cooling Now More Commonly Used in the United States
Because of the recent approval by the FDA of the DigniCap system1 and growing evidence that scalp cooling is an effective treatment for preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia, the practice is steadily becoming more widespread in the United States. And Hope S. Rugo, MD, is leading the charge on educating patients and [ Read More ]
Delirium Symptoms More Severe in Patients Treated with Antipsychotics
Adult hospice and palliative care patients with hyperactive delirium symptoms who were given risperidone or haloperidol experienced greater delirium symptoms at 72 hours than those given placebo, according to new research presented by Meera Agar, MD, at the 2016 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology [ Read More ]
Oncology Nurse Survey Reveals Inconsistent Adherence to Antiemetic Guidelines
A recent survey of oncology nurses revealed inconsistencies in practice patterns and adherence to antiemetic guidelines for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), according to Rebecca Clark-Snow, RN, BSN, OCN, Oncology Clinical Nurse Coordinator at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Westwood. Nevertheless, oncology nurses, as part [ Read More ]
Treating Nausea as a Symptom Cluster
Nausea is part of a symptom cluster associated with chemotherapy, but the experience of nausea might be a symptom cluster in and of itself, according to research presented by Ian Olver, MD, at the 2016 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)/International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) Annual Meeting [ Read More ]
Probiotics Hold Potential for Preventing Radiation Enteropathy
Prophylactic probiotics can potentially prevent radiation enteropathy, according to research presented by Matthew A. Ciorba, MD, at the 2016 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer. Probiotics are defined as live microbial organisms, most often bacteria, that confer beneficial [ Read More ]
SGX942 Decreases Duration of Severe Oral Mucositis in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
SGX942 is a novel agent that decreased the incidence of severe oral mucositis (OM) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing chemoradiation (CRT), according to new research led by Oreola Donini, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Soligenix, Inc, and Mahesh R. Kudrimoti, MD, Professor [ Read More ]
“Magic Mouthwash” and the Management of mTOR Inhibitor–Associated Stomatitis
Stomatitis is a dose-limiting toxicity associated with the use of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, but new treatments can improve quality of life for patients suffering from this often debilitating condition, according to data presented at the 2016 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology [ Read More ]
Audit of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Reveals Gaps in Nutritional Care
Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are at a high risk of malnutrition, but the implementation of a best practice model for nutritional support can improve health outcomes and address the many unmet needs in nutritional management, according to Merran Findlay, MSc, AdvAPD, Senior Oncology Dietitian at the Royal [ Read More ]