Oncology

In addition to recommendations on alternate techniques, the revised guideline, being jointly developed by CAP, IASLC, and AMP, will also include testing for emerging biomarkers in lung cancer.

After their decision to include Abbvie's triple combination for hepatitis C on their formulary, over Gilead's more expensive regimens, Express Scripts indicated at the J. P. Morgan Healthcare Conference that they'll continue the stance of choosing treatments that are equally effective but save costs, especially in cancer.

The retrospective analysis of 145 patients with stage 2-3 rectal cancer found that the "wait and watch" approach, instead of surgery, in patients treated with chemotherapy might work just as well when measuring survival as an outcome.

Merck and Eli Lilly have entered an agreement to collaborate on clinical trials to evaluate the former's recently approved PD-1 inhibitor, Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with Lilly's oncology agents in several clinical trials targeting multiple tumor types.

The study evaluated data collected through a global collaboration between research institutes in the United States, India, and Africa. Study results pointed to a high rate of exposure of non-smoking teenagers to second-hand smoke, both at home and outside.

The number of cancer survivors may be on the rise, but they experience continuing issues that can impair their quality of life beyond 5 years of survival, according to a new study published in Cancer.

23andMe is betting its growing troves of genetic data will prove essential to drug companies, medical researchers, and even health and wellness companies.

The pre-clinical study by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in UK point to the gene BCL11A as a possible driver of this aggressive form of breast cancer.

Mid-trial evaluation by an independent Data Monitoring Committee found overall survival with Opdivo (nivolumab) in the Checkmate-017 trial was significantly better than the control arm. BMS now plans to submit results to the FDA for approval of the PD-1 inhibitor in lung cancer.

In comments to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Health Subcommittee, ASCO strongly supported the FDA's resolution to rigorously regulate laboratory-developed tests.

The study, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found that HPV persisted for 12 months or more in men older than 45 years of age, which could increase their susceptibility to developing head and neck cancer.

While nanotechnology has led to countless advancements, a group of Israeli researchers are now raising a flag of caution about its effects on our health. They say exposure to tiny silica-based particles can play a big role in increasing heart attack and stroke risks.

Research at Heildelberg University is targeting the production of tumor-promoting growth factors in endothelial cells to prevent metastasis. Pre-clinical results using this strategy in a mouse model reduced lung and bone metastases in treated mice and also improved survival over the control chemotherapy-treated animals.

A new collaboration between NCCN and Flatiron Health will provide the opportunity to analyze key quality and outcomes metrics and identify trends and patterns in the care of patients with cancer.

Following FDA approval of a DNA test to detect the HPV virus last year, the medical community is split over which test is more appropriate as a primary screen for cervical cancer in women.

ASCO and AACR called on the FDA to regulate e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems and for more research to occur to find out how long-term use affects health. Leaders of these groups said that e-cigarettes could cause nicotine addiction among teens, and CDC data show rising use of the products among middle- and high-schoolers.

The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found nearly 100% survival with adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab.

The investigational drug by Sandoz, filgrastim, a biological similar to Amgen's Neupogen, is already approved for use in more than 40 countries worldwide.

A new study has identified an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease in night shift workers, adding to the growing knowledge of health risks associated with those jobs.

A paper published in Science Magazine this month, co-authored by a mathematician and a biologist, suggests that heredity and environmental factors account for only one-third of the risk for developing cancer. A majority of risk is associated with random mutations, a result of mistakes during normal cellular replication.

A study conducted at the humanities and medicine departments at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania, found that there's never an ideal time to talk to cancer patients about end-of-life decisions, and most patients are not too disturbed by these discussions.

Scientists at Oregon State University have developed fluorescent nanoparticles that can aid in the removal of malignant tumors and also kill any remaining malignant cancer cells.

If the biological developed by Novartis to imitate Amgen's Neupogen is approved by the FDA, it'd open floodgates as other biosimilars find their way to the FDA's doorsteps. The cheaper alternatives would prove a tremendous cost-saving to the healthcare industry.

A perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine affirms that provisions of the Affordable Care Act will allow improved coverage of smoking cessation tools, which could be a big boost in the number of smokers planning to quit.

Rates of cancer deaths have declined 22% over the last 2 decades, which amounts to 1.5 million deaths averted, according to the annual cancer statistics report from the American Cancer Society.