Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Hematology & Oncology for September 2020. 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.
High-Risk Patients Not Aware of Needed Colonoscopy Intervals
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Many patients with biopsy-confirmed advanced colorectal polyps are unaware of their need for repeat colonoscopy as well as the proper surveillance interval, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Digestive Systems.
Review IDs Dietary Factors Linked to Lower CRC Incidence
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Decreased colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is seen in association with use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), magnesium, folate, and high consumption of fruits and vegetables, fiber, and dairy products, according to an umbrella review published online Sept. 28 in Gut.
Cancer Mortality Higher for U.S. Counties With Persistent Poverty
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — U.S. counties with persistent poverty (≥20 percent of residents in poverty since 1980) have higher rates of cancer mortality, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Hospital Admissions Not Related to COVID-19 Fell in Early 2020
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Non-COVID-19 hospital admissions decreased considerably with the onset of COVID-19, with declines generally similar across patient demographic subgroups from February to April 2020, according to a report published online Sept. 24 in Health Affairs.
Private Health Plans Pay Hospitals 247 Percent of Medicare
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — During 2018, prices paid to hospitals by privately insured patients averaged 247 percent of what Medicare would have paid, according to a study from the RAND Corporation.
Suicidal Behaviors, Deaths Lower for Childhood Cancer Survivors
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Survivors of childhood cancer have a lower prevalence of suicidal behaviors and mortality, but the prevalence of suicidal ideation is similar to that of the general population, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Cancer.
Measures of Central Adiposity Linked to All-Cause Mortality
THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Several indices of central adiposity, including waist circumference and body adiposity index, are associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality, according to a review published online Sept. 23 in The BMJ.
J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Begins Final Stage of Clinical Trials
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The final stage of clinical trials for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine have started, the company announced Tuesday.
The New York Times Article
Red Blood Cell Distribution Width, Mortality Tied in COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with COVID-19, elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with increased mortality risk, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Network Open.
Black Women Receive Less Timely Breast Cancer Treatment
MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Black women experience longer waits for treatment initiation after a breast cancer diagnosis and prolonged duration of treatment versus White women, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in Cancer.
Lung Cancer Treatment Plans Changed Due to Pandemic
FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — More than half of patients have experienced changes in their lung cancer treatment plan as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research letter published online Sept. 17 in JAMA Oncology.
Coffee Linked to Reduced Disease Progression, Death in CRC
THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of disease progression and death, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in JAMA Oncology.
Cancer Incidence Up for Adolescents and Young Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), cancer incidence increased during 2007 to 2016, according to a report published online Sept. 17 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Ultrasound Ablation Offers Option for Some With Prostate Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For men with localized prostate cancer, hemigland high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation is associated with 73 percent two-year survival free from treatment failure and 91 percent survival free from radical treatment, according to a study published in the October issue of The Journal of Urology.
Spironolactone Not Tied to Breast Cancer Recurrence
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Spironolactone is not independently associated with increased breast cancer recurrence, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
PPI Use Is Negative Prognostic Marker in Urothelial Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with advanced urothelial cancer treated with atezolizumab, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is a negative prognostic marker, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in Clinical Cancer Research.
Many Doctors Misinformed About Nicotine’s Risks
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Most doctors hold misperceptions about the risks of nicotine, according to research published online Sept. 1 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Eflornithine + Sulindac Shows No Benefit in Adenomatous Polyposis
TUESDAY, Sept. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, the incidence of disease progression is not statistically significantly lower with the combination of eflornithine and sulindac versus either eflornithine or sulindac alone, according to a study published in the Sept. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Factor V Activity Significantly Increased in Severe COVID-19
TUESDAY, Sept. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Factor V activity is significantly increased in patients with severe COVID-19, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in the American Journal of Hematology.
Darolutamide Boosts Survival in Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, Sept. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For men with nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer, the risk for death is significantly lower for those receiving darolutamide versus placebo, according to a study published in the Sept. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
NIH Launches Clinical Trials of Antithrombotics for COVID-19
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Two of three planned adaptive phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the safety and effectiveness of varying types of blood thinners to treat adults diagnosed with COVID-19 have launched, according to an announcement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
HPV Vaccination Rates Increasing Among 15-Year-Olds
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2011 to 2017, there was an increase in the proportion of U.S. 15-year-olds with at least one-dose or two-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in Pediatrics.
Smokeless Tobacco Poses Global Health Burden
FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Smokeless tobacco (ST) is used across the globe and poses a major public health threat, according to a review published online Aug. 12 in BMC Medicine.
NAMS Updates Guidance for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In a position statement from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), published in the September issue of Menopause, updated recommendations are presented for the treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).
Widespread Avoidance of Medical Care Found Due to COVID-19 Concerns
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There was widespread reporting of avoidance of medical care due to COVID-19-related concerns in June 2020, according to research published in the Sept. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Few High-Grade Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients Receive Chemo
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The rates of adults with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma (STS) who receive chemotherapy may be lower than expected, indicating a need for more aggressive systemic treatments, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Permanent Hair Dye Not Linked to Cancer Risk, Mortality
TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Use of permanent hair dye is not associated with the risk for most cancers or cancer mortality, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in The BMJ.
Guidelines Updated for Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia
TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In a second edition of international guidelines, published online Sept. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, updated recommendations are presented for the diagnosis and management of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).
Factors Clarify Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer Survival
TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — After adjustment for clinical and nonclinical factors, the Black-White disparity in prostate cancer survival is narrowed, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Cancer.
Medical Marijuana Tied to Fewer Admissions in Sickle Cell Disease
TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Use of medical marijuana is associated with fewer hospitalizations among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a study published online Aug. 13 in Blood Advances.
Child Cancer Survivors’ Hearing Loss Linked to Cognitive Deficits
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Severe hearing impairment (HI) in childhood cancer survivors is associated with neurocognitive deficits, according to a study recently published in JAMA Oncology.
Benefit of Adjuvant Dabrafenib + Trametinib Persists in Melanoma
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with stage III melanoma with BRAF V600E or V600K mutations, 12 months of adjuvant dabrafenib plus trametinib results in increased survival without relapse or distant metastasis at five years, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Long-Term Outcomes Stable After Breast Reconstruction
THURSDAY, Sept. 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Prosthetic breast reconstruction outcomes do not deteriorate over time, according to a study published online in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
No Link Between Hyperthyroidism Treatment, Solid Cancer Death
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There is no association between treatment type for hyperthyroidism and later risk of solid cancer mortality, according to a study published online July 23 in JAMA Network Open.
Model Better Predicts Lung Cancer Risk for African Americans
TUESDAY, Sept. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial Model 2012 (PLCOm2012) risk prediction model is more sensitive for identifying African American ever-smokers for lung cancer screening than the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) criteria, according to a study published online Aug. 18 in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
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