Rectal Cancer Increasing in People Under 40 (09/02/2010)
Although still relatively uncommon in young people, the incidence of rectal cancer appears to be increasing in this population. These results were published in the journal Cancer.

Early Palliative Care Linked with Longer Lung Cancer Survival (09/01/2010)
Palliative care is care that is focused on symptom management, psychosocial issues, decision-making, and quality of life. Among patients with newly diagnosed, metastatic, non-small cell lung cancer, the addition of early palliative care to standard cancer treatment resulted in better quality of life and mood and longer survival than standard treatment alone. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Istodax Active against Refractory Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (08/31/2010)
Final results from a Phase II clinical trial provide additional evidence that Istodax® (romidepsin) is active against refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Estrogen Alone Does Not Increase Lung Cancer Incidence or Mortality in Postmenopausal Women (08/30/2010)
Among postmenopausal women, hormone therapy with estrogen alone does not appear to increase the risk of getting or dying from lung cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Reduced-intensity Treatment May be Effective for Early Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (08/27/2010)
Among patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a favorable prognosis, it may be possible to reduce the number of chemotherapy cycles and the dose of radiation therapy without adversely affecting outcome. The results of this study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Death from Other Causes Among Men with Early-stage Prostate Cancer (08/26/2010)
Among men with early-stage prostate cancer, assessment of other health problems may help guide prostate cancer treatment decisions; men who are likely to die of causes other than prostate cancer may not benefit from aggressive prostate cancer treatment. These findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Vectibix Does Not Improve Head and Neck Cancer Survival (08/26/2010)
Among patients with recurrent and/or metastatic, squamous cell head and neck cancer, the addition of the targeted therapy Vectibix® (panitumumab) to chemotherapy does not result in significantly better survival than chemotherapy alone. The results of this Phase III clinical trial were made available in a press release from Amgen and will also be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

Pathological Complete Response Predicts Better Outcomes in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients (08/25/2010)
Among patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, a complete disappearance of detectable cancer (pathological complete response) after preoperative chemoradiation therapy is linked with better long-term outcomes. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet Oncology.

Additional Research on Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer (08/24/2010)
A recent study of menopausal hormone therapy and risk of breast cancer reported that risk may vary by body weight and the type of hormone therapy. These results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention.

Reassuring Findings Regarding Oral Bisphosphonates and Esophageal Cancer (08/23/2010)
Oral bisphosphonates—drugs commonly used to prevent or treat osteoporosis—do not appear to increase the risk of esophageal cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Randomized Study Does Not Support Use of Methylphenidate for Cancer-related Fatigue (08/20/2010)
The results of a Phase III study indicate that overall, long-acting methylphenidate is ineffective in the management of cancer-related fatigue. Methylphenidate may provide some benefit, however, to certain subgroups of patients, such as those with advanced cancer or severe fatigue. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Obesity on the Rise in United States (08/19/2010)
Rates of obesity are rising among the U.S. population, according to statistics recently released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Study Evaluates Physician Use of Finasteride for Prostate Cancer Prevention (08/18/2010)
Recent research indicates that 64% of urologists and 80% of primary care physicians surveyed do not prescribe finasteride for prevention of prostate cancer in high-risk men. These findings were recently published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Hepatitis B Virus Linked with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (08/17/2010)
Individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may have an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), according to findings recently published in The Lancet Oncology.

Mediterranean Diet May Lower Breast Cancer Risk (08/16/2010)
Postmenopausal women who consume a traditional Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk for breast cancer, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Study Evaluates Impact of Lymph Node Removal in Early-stage Breast Cancer (08/13/2010)
Early-stage breast cancer patients without evidence of cancer in their sentinel lymph node who did not have additional lymph nodes removed report fewer side effects to the arm and breast than patients who undergo additional lymph node removal.

Time Spent Sitting Linked with Risk of Death (08/12/2010)
Physical activity alone may not be enough to improve health and longevity—according to a recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the amount of time an individual spends sitting may increase risk of death, even among active people. These results were reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Antibiotic Sponge Ineffective at Preventing Surgical Infection (08/12/2010)
Patients undergoing colorectal surgery are reported to experience an increased incidence of surgical-site infection with the addition of a gentamicin-collagen sponge enclosed at the surgery site. These findings were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Provenge® for Hormone-refractory Prostate Cancer (08/11/2010)
Among men with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, the immunotherapy agent Provenge® (sipuleucel-T) improves survival by roughly four months. The findings from this Phase III study were recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Study Evaluates Impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on Cancer Risk in HIV-infected Men (08/10/2010)
Researchers reported that men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are still at an increased risk of lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), and anal cancer despite the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Components of Processed Meat May Increase Risk of Bladder Cancer (08/10/2010)
People who consume a large amount of nitrite and nitrate from processed meat may be at an increased risk for developing bladder cancer, according to a study published in Cancer.

Study Evaluates Incidence of Lymphedema Resulting from Cancer Treatment (08/09/2010)
A systematic review of 47 studies evaluating treatment for melanoma, head and neck cancer, genitourinary cancers, gynecologic cancers, and sarcoma indicates that lymphedema is a common side effect of treatment for these diseases.

Continued Chemotherapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer (08/09/2010)
Continuing chemotherapy following initial treatment of advanced ovarian cancer may improve survival, according to a study published in Cancer.

Stronger Social Ties Linked to Longevity (08/06/2010)
Social relationships play an important role in health and longevity, according to findings published in PloS Medicine.

Long-term Cardiac Risks Among Childhood Cancer Survivors (08/05/2010)
Twenty-seven percent of survivors of childhood cancers may have long-term heart complications, according to findings reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Breast Density and Hormone Therapy Add to Breast Cancer Risk (08/04/2010)
Postmenopausal women with high breast density are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This risk increases with the use of hormone therapy.

Study Evaluates Safety of Avastin and Chemotherapy in Non–Squamous Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (08/03/2010)
A large Phase IV study confirms that the safety and efficacy reported in Phase III trials of Avastin® (bevacizumab) plus standard chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer translate into the clinical practice setting. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet Oncology.

Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer Associated with Better Quality of Life (08/03/2010)
Laparoscopic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer that is confined to the uterus is associated with less pain, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and better quality of life when compared with total abdominal hysterectomy, according to the results of two studies published in The Lancet Oncology.

Study Evaluates Long-term Side Effects of Pelvic Radiation to Treat Childhood Cancer (08/02/2010)
The offspring of women who underwent pelvic radiation before puberty for the treatment of childhood cancer are at increased risk of stillbirth and neonatal death. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet.

HPV Vaccine Protects Against Genital Warts and Precancerous Growths (07/30/2010)
Results from a recent international study indicate that the vaccine Gardasil® (quadrivalent human papillomavirus [types 6, 11, 16, 18] recombinant vaccine) protects against genital warts and low-grade precancerous changes to the cervix, vulva, and vagina. These findings were published in the journal BMJ.