Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Hematology & Oncology for April 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
FDA Reconsidering Training for Doctors Prescribing Opioids
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Mandatory safety training for doctors who prescribe opioids is being reconsidered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Costs for Orally Administered Cancer Drugs Up Since 2000
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Prices of orally administered cancer medications in the United States have risen sharply since 2000, according to a study published online April 28 in JAMA Oncology.
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Wide Variation in Health Care Costs Across the U.S.
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Health care prices vary widely across the United States, even within the same state, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.
Percutaneous Needle-Based OCT Differentiates Renal Masses
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Percutaneous needle-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) can differentiate renal masses, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Article Discusses Workplace Violence in Health Care
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of data relating to the prevalence of workplace violence in health care and how to address it, according to a review article published in the April 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Ixazomib Ups Progression-Free Survival in Multiple Myeloma
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with relapsed, refractory, or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, ixazomib is associated with prolonged progression-free-survival, according to a study published in the April 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Doctors Have a Only a Few Weeks Left to Review Financial Data
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, physicians have only a few weeks left to review and report disputes relating to their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers, according to the American Medical Association.
U.S. Health Report Card Finds Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An update on Americans’ health finds that racial and ethnic disparities persist, with significant gaps in obesity, cesarean births, and dental care. But advances have been made in some important areas, including infant mortality rates, women smokers, and numbers of uninsured, according to the new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
New Research Questions Link Between Statin Use and CRC Risk
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Long-term use of statins does not appear to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but a patient’s cholesterol levels might affect risk, according to a study published online April 26 in PLOS Medicine.
Optimally Timed Follow-Up Cuts Readmissions After Cystectomy
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Detection of concerning symptoms after radical cystectomy can be improved by optimizing the timing and number of outpatient encounters, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
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High-Dose Methotrexate Beneficial in Youth With B-ALL
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For children and young adults with high-risk B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high-dose methotrexate is associated with superior five-year event-free survival (EFS) compared with Capizzi methotrexate, according to a study published online April 25 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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A Doctor’s View: EHRs Impair Physician-Patient Relationship
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electronic health records (EHRs) may be impairing the physician-patient relationship, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Pathogen Reduction System Prevents Malaria Via Transfusion
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of transfusion-transmitted malaria can be reduced with use of a whole blood pathogen-reduction system, according to a study published in the April 23 issue of The Lancet.
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Rapid-Onset Diabetes Described With Anti-PD-1 Treatment
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In a case report published online April 11 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, researchers document rapid-onset insulin-dependent diabetes in an Asian patient undergoing treatment with anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) therapy.
Physicians Can Get Involved in Developing Payment Models
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Doctors can be involved in developing new payment models for their practices, according to the American Medical Association.
Anthracyclines May Not Trigger ‘Chemo Brain’
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Anthracyclines are not related to “chemo brain,” according to a research letter published online April 21 in JAMA Oncology.
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Aromatase Inhibitors Won’t Raise Odds of Most Fatal CVD Events
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Treatment with aromatase inhibitors doesn’t raise the risk of the most fatal cardiovascular disease events among breast cancer survivors, according to research published online April 21 in JAMA Oncology.
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Stomach CA Risk Up With Alcohol, Processed Meat Consumption
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Alcohol, processed meats — such as hot dogs, ham, and bacon — and excess weight all may raise a person’s risk of stomach cancer, according to a new review released by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund International.
Comorbidity Tied to Prostate Cancer Upgrading, Up Staging
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Comorbidity burden is strongly and independently associated with pathological upgrading/up staging in men with clinically low-risk prostate cancer, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Improved Survival for Certain Cancers With Low-Dose Aspirin
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancers may have better survival odds if they are on a low-dose aspirin regimen, according to a review published online April 20 in PLOS ONE.
Pembrolizumab Active in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Pembrolizumab is associated with an overall objective response rate of 33 percent in patients with advanced melanoma, and a higher rate for treatment-naive patients, according to a study published in the April 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Ongoing Education Betters Mammography Interpretation
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Regular education can improve radiologists’ performance in detection of breast cancer from mammography, according to a study published online April 6 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
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In Breast CA, Cardiotoxicity Up With Trastuzumab-Based Chemo
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For adult women with breast cancer, trastuzumab-based regimens are associated with increased risk of cardiotoxicity, according to a study published online April 18 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Decrease in Prostate CA Mortality Parallels Drop in Smoking
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Declines in prostate cancer mortality seem to parallel declines in cigarette smoking, based on data from four U.S. states. The report was published online April 14 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease.
Metal Up in Blood With Titanium Growth Guidance Sliding Device
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Implantation of sliding growth guidance instrumentation LSZ-4D, made from titanium alloy Ti6A14V, is associated with increased content of Ti and V ions in the blood and in the tissues around the device, according to a study published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
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Oral Nicotinamide Safe for Renal Transplant Recipients
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For renal transplant recipients, oral nicotinamide seems safe and is associated with nonsignificant reductions in new non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), according to a study published online April 8 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Donor Epstein-Barr Serostatus Influences GVHD After Allo-HSCT
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Donor Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serostatus influences incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients with acute leukemia undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), according to a study published online April 18 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Article Offers Ways to Address Overlooked Details in Practice
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Looking at a family medicine practice with fresh eyes can help address unsightly issues that patients notice, according to an article published in Family Practice Management.
Testosterone Undecanoate Cuts Anemia in Hypogonadal Men
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Testosterone undecanoate reduces anemia in patients with subnormal testosterone levels, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Only Half of Rectal CA Patients Receiving Standard of Care
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of chemoradiation followed by surgery among rectal cancer patients rose from 42.9 percent in 2004-2006, to 50 percent in 2007-2009, and to 55 percent in 2010-2012 in the United States, according to a report published online April 13 in Cancer.
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Metformin May Reduce Cancer Mortality Risk
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Metformin may reduce the risk of dying from some cancers for postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
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2016 Match Marks Record Highs for Registrants, Matching
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The 2016 Match was the largest ever recorded by the National Resident Matching Program, with a higher match rate that 2015, according to a report from the American Medical Association.
Decrease in Medicare Spending for 2012 ACO Entrants
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Early reductions in Medicare spending were seen for the first full year of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) contracts for 2012 Accountable Care Organization (ACO) entrants, according to a study published online April 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Telephone Follow-Up Effective for Stage I Endometrial Cancer
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For women treated for stage I endometrial cancer, telephone follow-up (TFU) is noninferior to hospital-based follow-up (HFU), according to a study published online April 7 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
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Neratinib Not Superior to Trastuzumab in ERBB2-Breast CA
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Neratinib-paclitaxel is no better than trastuzumab-paclitaxel for progression-free survival in recurrent and/or metastatic ERBB2-positive breast cancer, although it may delay the onset and reduce the frequency of central nervous system progression, according to a study published online April 14 in JAMA Oncology.
U.S. Rates of Thyroid Cancer Leveling Off
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Fewer thyroid cancers are diagnosed in the United States now than in the recent past, perhaps signaling a change in physician practices, according to a report published online April 14 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
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Health Care Workers Skip Hand Washing One-Third of the Time
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Staff at many outpatient health care facilities in New Mexico failed to follow recommendations for hand hygiene more than one-third of the time, according to findings published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Older Age May Boost Radiation Benefits in Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Older patients with soft-tissue sarcomas may benefit more from radiation therapy after surgery than younger patients do, according to research published in the April issue of Anticancer Research.
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Hepatitis C Found to Up Odds for Certain Head and Neck Cancers
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hepatitis C may increase the risk for certain types of head and neck cancers, according to a study published online April 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Surveillance Seems Safe for Some Intermediate Risk Prostate CA
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For men with prostate cancer, active surveillance seems safe for those at low risk and for select patients at intermediate risk, according to a study published in The Journal of Urology.
Androgen Deprivation Tx for Prostate CA Tied to Depression
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Older men who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer may be at increased risk of developing depression, according to a new, large study published online April 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Doctors Can Be Misled About FDA ‘Breakthrough’ Drug Designation
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of the word “breakthrough” in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s expedited approval process could mislead doctors about the new drugs’ actual benefits, according to a research letter published in the April 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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ASCO Presents Guidelines for Increasing HPV Vaccine Uptake
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Recommendations have been developed to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake, according to an American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) special article published online April 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Hospice Care Doesn’t Up Costs for Nursing Home Decedents
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For long-stay nursing home (NH) decedents, use of hospice does not increase Medicare costs in the six months before death, according to a study published online April 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Iodine-125 Interstitial Implant Feasible for Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Iodine-125 permanent interstitial implantation is associated with long-term, biochemical control of localized prostate cancer, according to a study published online March 28 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
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Guidance Issued on Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Obese
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Recommendations have been issued for the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in obese patients; the guideline was published online March 22 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
USPSTF: Aspirin Recommended for Some Aged 50 to 69 Years
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends aspirin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) in certain adults aged 50 to 69 years, but not in younger or older adults. These findings form the basis of a recommendation statement, published online April 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Excision Margins Don’t Impact Melanoma Recurrence, Survival
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Wider excision margins in thick cutaneous melanoma cases do not improve locoregional recurrence or melanoma-specific survival (MSS), according to research published online March 25 in Head & Neck.
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FDA Approves Venclexta for CLL With 17p Deletion
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Venclexta (venetoclax) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) characterized by a specific chromosomal abnormality, 17p deletion, in patients who have been treated with at least one prior therapy.
VA Commission on Care: Eliminate VA Medical Centers
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A radical proposal has been suggested for eliminating all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and outpatient facilities in the next 20 years, floated by seven of 15 members of the VA Commission on Care, according to an article published in the Military Times.
Niacin-ER May Be Overlooked Cause of Thrombocytopenia
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Extended-release (ER) niacin is associated with progressive and reversible thrombocytopenia, according to a letter to the editor published online March 25 in the American Journal of Hematology.
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Hormone Tx No Harm After Nonserous Epithelial Ovarian CA
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For women with nonserous epithelial ovarian cancer, hormone therapy (HT) after treatment does not reduce survival, according to a study published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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FDA OKs System for Certain Lap Power Morcellator Procedures
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it would permit limited use of a “tissue containment system” in conjunction with laparoscopic power morcellators.
Considerable Agreement on Presence of BCC on Mohs Slides
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable interpersonal and intrapersonal agreement on the presence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on Mohs slides, according to a study published online April 1 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Adding Chemo May Prolong Lives of Some Grade 2 Glioma Patients
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Adding chemotherapy to radiation treatment may add years to the lives of patients with grade 2 gliomas, according to research published in the April 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
MC1R Variants May Up Melanoma Risk, Even Without Sun Exposure
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Genetics could play a role in the development of melanoma even for skin without extensive sun exposure, according to a study published online April 6 in JAMA Dermatology.
Local Heating Pad Eases IV Catheter Insertion
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Local heating pad application eases catheterization in chemotherapy patients, according to a study published online March 30 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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Distress Still High After Chemo Completion in Childhood ALL
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Emotional distress is common in children during and after therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a study published online March 29 in Cancer.
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Cancer Care and Fertility Program Improves Patient Satisfaction
TUESDAY, April 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A cancer and fertility program, which provides resources, clinician education, and fertility clinical nurse specialist consultation, is associated with improvement in patient satisfaction with information received, according to research published online April 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Increasing Radiation Dose Ups Freedom From Biochemical Fail
MONDAY, April 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with prostate cancer (PCa), increasing biologically equivalent dose (BED) of external radiation therapy (RT) is associated with freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), but not with improvement in overall survival (OS), distant metastasis (DM), or cancer-specific mortality (CSM), according to research published online March 24 in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Autologous HSCT Can Result in Remission in Myasthenia Gravis
MONDAY, April 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), treatment with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) can result in durable, symptom-free, treatment-free remission, according to a study published online April 4 in JAMA Neurology.
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Intraarterial Chemo + Radiation May Up Cerebral Infarctions
MONDAY, April 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Intraarterial chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer is tied to a higher incidence of cerebral infarction, compared to intravenous CRT, according to a study published online March 25 in Head & Neck.
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Are Guidelines Needed to Assess Competence of Aging Physicians?
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The question of whether national guidelines need to be developed for assessing the competence of aging physicians was discussed during a recent meeting of key stakeholders, according to a news release from the American Medical Association (AMA).
Inaccurate Life Expectancy in CA Not Usually From Medical Source
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Most patients with advanced cancer are inaccurate in their life expectancy estimates (LEEs), and the source of that information typically is not a medical provider, according to a study published online March 29 in Cancer.
Dose Escalation in IMRT Slows Progression of Thyroid Cancer
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Local-regional failure (LRF) in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is mostly seen in patients with gross disease at the time of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), according to a review published online March 28 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
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