Even though clinical guidelines recommend that clinicians selectively offer colorectal cancer (CRC) screening to older adults aged 76 to 85 years, taking into account their life expectancy, values, and preferences.
Thrombosis Risk With Cancer Treatment Varies With VA Patient Characteristics
PORTLAND, OR -- Has cancer-directed therapy changed patterns of the incidence and risk of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) at the VA? That was the question raised in a cohort study of 434,203 veterans with solid tumors and hematologic neoplasms within the VHA....
High Serum TARC Levels Predict Hodgin Lymphoma Years Before Diagnosis
A study found that TARC levels measured in pre-diagnostic serum samples had notably increased values in most patients up to over six years before diagnosis.
Lymphoma Most-Common Cancer Diagnosed in Active-Duty Military Personnel
SAN ANTONIO –Active-duty servicemembers diagnosed with lymphoma within the MHS had better overall survival than a matched civilian cohort, but the authors of a study with that finding emphasized that more information is needed to ensure optimal treatment for those...
Real-World Prognostic Data for Radiation Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer
Accurate information regarding treatment outcomes after radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer is important for shared decision-making.
Diabetes Has Surprising Effect on Prostate Cancer Prognosis
How diabetes affects the prognosis of advanced prostate cancer (PC) is not well documented, according to a new study which sought to provide more information.
Mast Cell Depletion Affects Prostate Cancer Progression
Better understanding of the cellular immune components underlying aggressive prostate cancer, especially among African American (AA) men who are disproportionately affected by the disease compared with white men, could help improve precision medicine treatment strategies, according to a new study.
Agent Orange Appears to Be Prostate Cancer Risk Factor
Agent Orange exposure appears to be an independent risk factor for a prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, although it remains unclear how Vietnam veterans exposed to the defoliant fare when it comes to metastasis or mortality.
Oral Cancer Patients Have Higher Risk of Death From Other Causes
Patients with oral cancer have a higher risk of death from noncancer causes compared to their counterparts of the same age and sex, and this risk increases by stage, according to a recent study.
Sooner Is Better for Obscure GI Bleeding Evaluation
Small-bowel evaluation through video-capsule endoscopy (VCE) or double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is often necessary to determine the cause of overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OOGIB).
VA Is Screening for Breast Cancer in Veterans Under 40 With Toxic Exposures
Veterans younger than age 40 might be eligible for breast cancer risk assessments and mammograms if they were exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service, according to the VA.
Agent Orange Exposure Linked to Risk of Bladder Cancer in Vietnam Veterans
U.S. veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange have a modestly increased risk of bladder cancer, according to a recent study, which also found that younger Vietnam veterans appeared to be in the most peril.
Better Gauging Breast Cancer Risk in Women Veterans of African Ancestry
Polygenic risk scoring (PRS) appeared to work well in predicting incident breast cancer for a prospective cohort of European (EUR) ancestry women veterans but not as well for those of African ancestry, according to a recent study.
Chemotherapy-Free Option Could Be Viable for Some Metastatic Breast Cancer
VA and MHS are treating far more breast cancer than ever before, especially since some recent studies suggest that women veterans are as much as 40% more likely to develop breast cancer than their civilian counterparts.
Military Health Mammography Lapses During Pandemic Spotlights Disparities
Breast cancer screening within the Military Health System (MHS) plummeted by 74% in the early COVID-19 pandemic period and 22% in the late pandemic period, compared with the pre-pandemic period.
Better Survival Rates for Lymphoma With Military vs. Civilian Healthcare
U.S. military servicemembers diagnosed with lymphoma have superior overall survival compared with their civilian counterparts, according to a recent study.
Changing How Cancer Immunotherapy Is Delivered Could Save VHA Millions
Changing modes of delivery could save the VHA millions annually on the cost of cancer immunotherapy treatments, according to a new analysis.
Higher Risk Veterans Vs. Others Challenge Lung Cancer Risk Calculators
Comparing VA patients with higher lung cancer risk to a general population group with lower risk underscored the limitations of using risk calculators in a clinical setting.
Study Found That SBRT Works Well for Multiple Primary Lung Cancers
As survival grows for lung cancer patients, more are presenting with multiple primary lung cancers (MPLCs).
Lung Cancer Affected Minority, Enlisted Servicemembers More Than Others
Non-Hispanic Black veterans and servicemembers had almost twofold greater lung cancer mortality risk compared with those who are non-Hispanic white.
VA Studies Provide Insight Into Improving Survival in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the third-most-common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S. Because of their high rate of smoking and, potentially, military-related exposures, veterans are at greater risk of lung cancer than the general population.
Black Veterans Are Significantly Less Likely to Complete Lung Cancer Screening
Despite the VHA being an equal-access healthcare system, Black veterans in a recent study had considerably lower rates of lung cancer screening (LCS) than white ones.
ICI Cancer Therapy, Chemo Linked to Similar VTE Rates
Is immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy associated with higher rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy (chemo) in patients with comparable cancer type, staging and comorbidities?
No Increased Bladder Cancer Risk Seen With SGLT2 Inhibitors
For years, reports of higher risks of breast and bladder cancer with the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have raised concerns.
Microscopic Hematuria in Urine Rarely Raises Cancer Risk
The discovery of blood in the urine might be alarming, but do patients with microscopic hematuria (MH) and a negative initial evaluation have an elevated risk for urinary carcinoma?
Recurrence Risk Lower When Blue Light Cystoscopy Used for Detection
White light cystoscopy has been found less effective in detecting cases of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) than blue light cystoscopy.
HCC, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Cases Increase Dramatically in US
The incidence and mortality trends of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer in the United States had a dramatic increase from 1975 to 2017, according to data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment, Survival Varies Among VA Regions
Veterans have higher rates of cirrhosis, hepatitis C infection, obesity, high alcohol use and diabetes—all of which put them at greater risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment is challenging, and a new study found that it tends to be inconsistent across regions within VA healthcare, with the West providing more interventions and having longer survival.
VA Study Endorses Extended-Interval Dosing of Single-Agent Pembrolizumab
Even though extended-interval dosing of single-agent pembrolizumab isn’t often used, despite approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the practice has potential health system and public health benefits, according to a VA study.
NSAIDs Might Be Associated With Improved Survival in ICI-Treated NSCLC
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have played a major role in the increased survival of patients with NSCLC. Now, a new study looking at veterans has raised the possibility that common painkillers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), could play a role in further lengthening survival rates in lung cancer patients being treated with ICIs.
