Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Hematology & Oncology for February 2017. 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.
Strategies Suggested to Protect Practices From Hackers
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Steps should be taken to protect medical practices, including small practices, from hackers, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Both Detection, False-Positives Up With Digital Mammograms
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Digital imaging has improved diagnostic capability of mammograms but the percentage of false-positives is up, too, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in Radiology.
CRC Incidence on the Rise Among Younger Americans
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Americans in their early 50s and younger are experiencing significant increases in colorectal cancer incidence, according to research published online Feb. 28 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Biomarker in Nasal Passages May ID Lung Cancer in Smokers
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — DNA-based biomarkers in the nasal passages may be able to reveal whether a lung lesion is cancerous or not, according to a study published online Feb. 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Physician Burnout Eroding Sense of Calling
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For physicians across specialties, burnout is associated with reduced odds of a sense of calling, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Supreme Court Rules Patient Safety Data Subject to Litigation
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Supreme Court of Florida has reversed a District Court of Appeal decision deeming information related to patient safety unprotected from litigation discovery, according to a report published from the American Medical Association.
Adherence to Clinical Decision Support Ups Odds of Acute PE ID
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department, adherence to evidence-based clinical decision support (CDS) for ordering computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography is associated with increased odds of an acute PE finding, according to research published in the March issue of Radiology.
Hormonal Maintenance Tx Ups PFS in Low-Grade Serous Cancer
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For women with low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum, hormonal maintenance therapy (HMT) is associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS), according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
$20 Million Awarded for Quality Payment Program Training
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — About $20 million has been awarded to 11 organizations for the first of a five-year program to provide training and education about the Quality Payment Program for clinicians in individual or small group practices, with up to $80 million to be invested over the remaining four years, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Large-Scale Skin Cancer Screening Initiative Feasible
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Large-scale skin cancer screening, including full-body skin examination (FBSE) is feasible and increases diagnosis of melanoma and thinner invasive melanoma, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in JAMA Oncology.
10 Portions of Produce a Day Can Confer Great Health Benefit
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables may be a key to reducing the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, cancer, and premature death, according to a review published online Feb. 22 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Cyberattacks Remain Serious Threat to Health Providers
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cyberattacks remain a serious threat to small providers as well as big institutions, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Targeting of Tracked Tumor Foci Ups Gleason Score Upgrading
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Targeting of tracked tumor foci allows for improved detection of Gleason score 4 + 3 or greater cancers among men under active surveillance for prostate cancer, according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.
Supplemental MRI Improves Detection of Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Supplemental breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging screening improves detection of breast cancer in women with average risk, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in Radiology.
Health Information Theft a Pressing Concern for U.S. Patients
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Forty-four percent of U.S. adults are worried about having their personal health care information stolen, according to findings from the Xerox eHealth Survey published Feb. 9 in HIT Consultant.
Cancer Survivors Likely to Change Rx Drug Use for Financial Reasons
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Nonelderly cancer survivors are more likely to report changes in prescription drug use for financial reasons than individuals without a cancer history, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in Cancer.
Exercise Most Important Lifestyle Change for Breast CA Survivors
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For breast cancer survivors, exercise may help lower their mortality risk more than other healthy habits, according to a review published in the Feb. 21 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Trials Highlight Benefits, Risks of Testosterone Treatment
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Testosterone treatment can boost bone density and reduce anemia in older men with low levels of the hormone, but it might also increase the risk of future adverse cardiovascular events, a new set of trials suggests. The research was published Feb. 21 in either the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA Internal Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text – Anemia Trial
Abstract/Full Text – Bone Trial
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Abstract/Full Text – Cognition Trial
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CMS Rule Set to Stabilize Small Health Insurance Markets
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a rule in relation to new reforms intended to stabilize individual and small group health insurance markets for 2018.
Depression, Anxiety Prevalent in Hospice Caregivers
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of hospice caregivers are moderately to severely depressed or have moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety, according to a study published online recently in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Health Care Spending Expected to Grow 5.6% Annually to 2025
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care spending is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.6 percent from 2016 to 2025, according to a report published online Feb. 15 in Health Affairs.
Review: Cannabidiol May Be Beneficial for Oral Mucositis
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cannabidiol could be beneficial for the treatment of oral mucositis, although data on its use in dentistry are scarce, according to a review published online Feb. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Bacteria, Fungi Found in Some Medicinal Marijuana Samples
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Medical marijuana may carry infectious bacteria and fungi that can pose a life-threatening risk to cancer patients who use it to ease the side effects of chemotherapy, according to a study published online recently in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
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Health Care Use Up for Relapse-Free Hodgkin’s Survivors
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Relapse-free Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) survivors have increased health care use up to 10 years after diagnosis, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in the American Journal of Hematology.
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Smoking, T4 Tumors Up Distant Mets in HPV+ Oropharyngeal CA
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer, active smokers and those with T4 tumors have increased rates of distant metastases, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in Head & Neck.
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No Chemopreventive Effect Seen for H2RAs in Barrett’s Esophagus
TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE), proton pump inhibitor (PPI) but not histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) use is associated with reduced risk of neoplastic progression, according to research published online Feb. 11 in the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
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Scalp Cooling Device May Help Reduce Chemo-Induced Alopecia
TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Scalp cooling devices may reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia in patients with breast cancer, according to two studies published in the Feb. 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Cholesterol Lowering Rx Cuts Recurrence in Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For women with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive invasive breast cancer, initiation of cholesterol-lowering medication (CLM) during endocrine therapy is associated with improved survival and distant recurrence-free intervals, according to research published online Feb. 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Interventions Up Discussion of Advanced Care Planning
TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Quality improvement interventions can increase discussions relating to advanced care planning and the mention of advance directives (ADs) in the electronic medical record (EMR), according to a study published online Feb. 9 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Surgeon-Specific Learning Curve for Transoral Robotic Surgery
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The learning curve for transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPSCC) is surgeon-specific, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
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Researchers Urge Radiotherapy for All Patients With Bone Mets
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with bone metastases, those responding to radiotherapy experience greater pain reduction and better quality of life (QOL) at day 10 after radiotherapy, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in JAMA Oncology.
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Patient-Reported Symptom Score Predicts Outcome in Amyloidosis
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A patient-reported symptom score can help predict clinical outcomes in patients with light-chain amyloidosis (AL), according to a study published online Feb. 9 in the American Journal of Hematology.
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Review: Noncomplete Mesorectal Excision Up With Laparoscopy
FRIDAY, Feb. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal resection (LRR) have increased risk for noncomplete mesorectal excision versus those undergoing open rectal resection (ORR), according to a review and meta-analysis published online Feb. 8 in JAMA Surgery.
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E-Cigarette Liquids Found to Contain Toxic Metals
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Electronic cigarette liquids can contain high levels of toxic and potentially carcinogenic metals, according to research published in the January issue of Environmental Research.
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Guideline Issued on Molecular Biomarkers for CRC Tissues
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A guideline, published online Feb. 6 in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, has been developed in relation to molecular biomarker testing of colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues.
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Not Enough High-Risk Women Being Screened for BRCA1/2
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Many high-risk women don’t get genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, often because they aren’t advised to by their doctors, according to a research letter published in the Feb. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Sickle Cell Trait May Affect Reliability of HbA1c Readings
TUESDAY, Feb. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurements may be less accurate in black people who have sickle cell trait (SCT), according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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CDC Issues Updated Immunization Schedule
TUESDAY, Feb. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A new adult vaccine schedule from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has been published online Feb. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Outreach Strategies Increase HCC Screening in Cirrhosis
TUESDAY, Feb. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Outreach strategies increase the percentage of patients with cirrhosis who undergo hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening, according to a study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.
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Many Obese Patients Not Getting Optimal Hospice Care
TUESDAY, Feb. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Obese patients are less likely to spend their last days in hospice care and less likely to die at home, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Risk of Endometrial Cancer Down With Intentional Weight Loss
TUESDAY, Feb. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Losing weight is associated with a significantly lower risk of endometrial cancer, and that benefit appears to be greatest in obese women, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Lower Rate of Adverse Events With Outpatient Treatment of PE
MONDAY, Feb. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism (PE), outpatient management is associated with a lower rate of adverse events, according to research published online Jan. 20 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Fewer Major Bleeds With Once- Versus Twice-Daily Enoxaparin
MONDAY, Feb. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Once-daily enoxaparin is associated with fewer major bleeds than enoxaparin twice daily in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Poor Pathologist Agreement for Low-Grade Dysplasia in Barrett’s
MONDAY, Feb. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is poor agreement between pathologists in diagnosis of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) in patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE), according to a study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.
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Coffee Speeds Time to Bowel Movement After Gynecologic Sx
FRIDAY, Feb. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Coffee consumption speeds the time to bowel movement after complete staging surgery of gynecologic cancers, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Lung Cancer Screening Rates Low Among Current, Former Smokers
FRIDAY, Feb. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Most current and former smokers in the United States don’t get screened for lung cancer even though they’re at increased risk for the disease, according to a research letter published online Feb. 2 in JAMA Oncology.
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Underuse, Misuse of Hormone Tx in Breast Cancer Still Occurring
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) can reduce the likelihood that women diagnosed with certain breast cancers will experience a recurrence of their disease, but these treatments are still too seldom utilized, or used incorrectly, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in JAMA Oncology.
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Bicalutamide Improves Survival After Prostate Cancer Returns
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — When prostate cancer recurs after surgery, treatment with both radiation and bicalutamide can extend some men’s lives, according to a study published in the Feb. 2 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.
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High CVD Risk in Patients With Head, Neck Squamous Cell Cancer
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Twenty-three percent of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have cardiovascular disease (CVD) at diagnosis, and 24 percent have uncontrolled blood pressure, according to research published online Dec. 29 in Head & Neck.
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Lifetime Genistein Intake May Improve Response to Tamoxifen
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Lifetime intake of soy isoflavone genistein (GEN) improves the response of mammary tumors to tamoxifen (TAM) therapy in a rat model, according to an experimental study published online Feb. 1 in Clinical Cancer Research.
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Metabolic Sx May Up CRC Risk Even in Healthy-Weight Women
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Even normal-weight women may be at greater risk for colorectal cancer if they have certain traits, such as elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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