October 2014, Vol 5 , No 8

Toronto, Canada—Survival is not improved with routine surveillance using computed tomography (CT) versus chest x-ray in patients who have undergone resection for stage I non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the results of a new analysis presented at the 2014 American Association for Thoracic Surgery meeting.

San Francisco, CA—The use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), also called stereotactic radiotherapy or radiosurgery, is an effective option for elderly patients with cancer who are inoperable or who decline surgery, but its safety and efficacy compared with surgery have not been investigated.

The initiative to improve end-of-life care in the United States is taking center stage, and it is about time. The US population is aging, and the number of older Americans with comorbidities is growing.

Chicago, IL—The commercially available cell-cycle progression test known as Prolaris is helpful for stratifying risk for men with clinically localized prostate cancer and can help to modify treatment decisions for men with prostate cancer based on the aggressive nature of their tumor, according to a poster presented at the 2014 College of American Pathologists annual meeting by Michael K. Brawer, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Urology, Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT, and colleagues.

Anew guideline for systemic therapy in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is based on a literature review of recent publications and outlines the survival and quality-of-life benefits/toxicity effects of each recommendation (Basch E, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2014 Sept 8. Epub ahead of print).

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “logistics” as the things that must be done to plan and organize a complicated activity that involves many people. The modern delivery of cancer care precisely parallels this definition.

San Francisco, CA—Patients with breast cancer who attended survivorship clinics demonstrated improved compliance with follow-up visits, increased use of supportive services, and felt their concerns were better addressed, according to the results of a cancer center’s patient survey reported by Leah L. Dietrich, MD, an oncologist at Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI, at the 2014 Breast Cancer Symposium.

San Francisco, CA—A second study adds to the body of evidence that including a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist with chemotherapy as treatment for breast cancer increases a younger woman’s likelihood of becoming pregnant.

San Francisco, CA—Preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) failed to influence clinical management in any subgroup of 257 patients with breast cancer, according to the results of a retrospective review that led one cancer center to discontinue the practice.