A class of medication used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy, or non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, shows potential as a treatment to delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study.
New Guidelines Make Targeted Therapy Recommendations for CRC
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently developed recommendations for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
More Research Needed on MMPs, Especially in CRC Patients With IBD
An important research focus in colorectal cancer concerns the enzymes comprising the 24-member matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family of zinc- and calcium-dependent endopeptidases.
Understanding of KRAS Variations and Their Management Is Evolving
Since 2010, KRAS molecular testing has been guideline-recommended in the VA healthcare system. The goal has been to help determine how metastatic cancer is likely to respond to anti-EGFR drug therapy.
VA Pushes to Increase Uptake of Genomic, Other Precision-Testing in CRC
Patients receiving oncology care within a VHA facility are eligible for genomic- and other precision-testing, if they have an advanced-stage tumor or blood cancer and can tolerate recommended therapies.
Epidemiological Changes in CRC Will Have Significant Impact on VHA
The VA treats about 3% of all cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the United States each year—6% among cases in men. So, any epidemiological changes have an outsized effect on the nation’s largest integrated healthcare system.
Study Spotlights Barriers to Best Lung Cancer Care Within VHA
While it is well known that veteran populations have higher lung cancer incidence and worse overall survival compared with non-veteran populations, it is not clear how VA lung cancer patients perceive their care.
Patient Selection for Lung Cancer Screening Is Less Than Optimal
Clinician judgment, not patient characteristics, often is the deciding factor in which VA patients are screened for lung cancer, according to a new study.
Real-World Pneumonitis Rates After Chemotherapy Plus Durvalumab
ANN ARBOR, MI – While adjuvant durvalumab after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is well-tolerated in clinical trials, that is not always the case in the real-world, according to a new VA study....
NSCLC Survival Rates Higher with Distant Recurrence vs. De Novo Metastasis
PALO ALTO, CA – Even with new and improved therapies, clinicians remain challenged by how to deal with advanced lung cancer. “The survival profile of patients with metastatic lung cancer remains poorly understood by metastatic disease type (i.e., de novo stage IV vs....
Biomarkers Predict Survival, Risk of Adverse Effects in Metastatic NSCLC
ANN ARBOR, MI – Lung cancer outcomes have been significantly improved with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), although some patients derive only limited benefit from the therapy and others experience potentially serious toxicities. That’s why a new study...
Concurrent Steroids Do Not Reduce Cancer Drugs’ Effectiveness
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have played a crucial role in the field of immuno-oncology over the past decade, substantially improving the prognosis of different cancers.
Prostate Cancer Outcomes Not Affected by FSH Levels
The standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC) is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), usually delivered via a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist.
Toxicities From PARP Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer
Poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) are an important class of therapeutics for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC),
Black Veterans 50% Likelier to Get Prostate Cancer Diagnosis on First Biopsy
Black men are more likely than non-Hispanic white men to develop and die from prostate cancer, yet not much data exists that is specific to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening protocols by race.
Multilevel Intervention Aligns Colorectal Cancer-Screening Use With Benefit
Each year, the VA diagnoses some 4,000 new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) in veterans. Colorectal cancer screening can help detect cancer early, when it is most treatable. But the benefits of screening in older adults varies by individual, according to a new study.
No Racial Differences in DLBCL Treatment Within VA Healthcare System
No statistically significant racial differences in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) outcomes were found for patients treated within the VHA, according to recent research.
Very Elderly Patients Fare Much Worse When Treated for DLBCL
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) becomes much more difficult to treat in older patients, according to a new study suggesting that more adults of advanced age be included in clinical trials for new agents.
Despite Disparities, Making a Difference for Veterans With Relapsed DLBCL
DURHAM, NC—Recent Food and Drug Administration approvals of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies and novel immunotherapies have helped to significantly improve outcomes for patients with relapsed and refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL)....
More Diverse Dataset Raises Questions about MGUS Risk Models
Patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) have been thought to have a less than 1% chance of progressing to multiple myeloma as long as their M-protein levels are below 1.5 g/dL.
Lower Relapse Rates Suggest Limited Value for Prophylaxis in DLBCL
Up to 40% of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) relapse or progress following first-line chemoimmunotherapy.
For CLL, BTK Inhibitors Appear to Extend Time to Next Line Most
JACKSONVILLE, FL—As treatment options for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) multiply, physicians face an increasing array of sequencing options but have little guidance from clinical trials of the most effective order given each patient’s specific disease...
MHS Patients Receive Earlier Cancer Diagnoses Than General U.S. Population
Cancer patients treated within the MHS generally receive their diagnoses earlier than members of the general U.S. population covered by employee-provided insurance, Medicaid or without insurance.
CRC Screening Levels Too Low for Veterans With Anemia, Hematochezia
Already the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in adults younger than 50. Early-age onset CRC (EAOCRC) is often diagnosed at later stages, which require more intense treatment, according to a new study.
MGUS Higher in Servicemembers, No Association Seen With Burn Pit Exposure
Individuals who have served in the U.S. military have about three times the risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) as a similarly aged cohort in the Icelandic iStopMM study.
Mental Health Issues Increase Mortality in Some Veterans With AML
Venetoclax combinations are common treatments for individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are unable to withstand the rigors of intensive induction chemotherapy.
BTK Inhibitors Provide Option for CLL Patients With Severe Renal Dysfunction
BTK inhibitors have proven to be a powerful tool in CLL treatment and have replaced chemoimmunotherapy as the preferred first-line treatment.
Evaluate Veterans With MGUS for Cardiovascular Disease
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is not considered a hematological condition of concern, yet it is associated with lower overall survival. VA researchers led by Lawrence Liu, MD, of the St. Louis VAMC, explored whether the reduced life expectancy arose from an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Dasatinib Fails to Improve Outcomes in B-ALL With ABL-Class Fusions
While most blood cancers affect people in their later years, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) strikes at a much earlier age. It is the most common hematologic malignancy in adults under the age of 40, the age range of 80% of U.S. servicemembers.
Deployment Linked to Longer Survival in Servicemembers, Veterans With NHL
A study presented at the 2023 ASH Conference, provided additional evidence for the healthy deployer effect, this time in individuals with non-Hodkin lymphoma.