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The ABCDs of moles and melanomasWhen you inspect moles, pay special attention to their sizes, shapes, edges, and color. A handy way to remember these features is to think of the A, B, C, and D of skin cancer-asymmetry, border, color, and diameter.
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Speech and Swallowing Rehabilitation for Head and Neck Cancer PatientsHead and neck cancer and its treatment frequently cause changes in both speech and swallowing, which affect the patient's quality of life and ability to function in society. The exact nature and severity of the post-treatment changes depend on the location of the tumor, the choice of treatment, and the availability and use of speech and swallowing therapy during the first 3 months after treatment. This paper reviews the literature on speech and swallowing problems in various types of treated head and neck cancer patients. Effective swallowing rehabilitation depends on the inclusion of a video-fluorographic assessment of the patient's oropharyngeal swallow in the post-treatment evaluation. Pilot data support the use of range of motion (ROM) exercises for the jaw, tongue, lips, and larynx in the first 3 months after oral or oropharyngeal ablative surgical procedures, as patients who perform ROM exercises on a regular basis exhibit significantly greater improvement in global measures of both speech and swallowing, as compared with patients who do not do these exercises. [ONCOLOGY 11(5):651-659, 1997]
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UFT Plus or Minus Calcium Folinate for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Older PatientsTwo studies were carried out to determine the activity and evaluate the toxicity of oral chemotherapy with uracil and tegafur in a 4:1 molar ratio (UFT) plus or minus calcium folinate in elderly patients with advanced colorectal
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Management of Anal Cancer in 2010 Part 2: Current Treatment Standards and Future DirectionsThe treatment of anal squamous cell cancer with definitive chemoradiation is the gold-standard therapy for localized anal cancer, primarily because of its sphincter-saving and colostomy-sparing potential.
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Does This Woman Have Gestational Trophoblastic Disease?The review of the histology slides revealed predominantly decidual tissue with exaggerated placental site and a small focus of trophoblastic tissue composed of cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast with mild atypia (Figure 1). However, no necrosis or tissue invasion was identified. No villi were seen.
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Oral Oncolytics: Part 2-Legislation Targeting Cost & Access, and Other Initiatives to Reduce CostsWe examine efforts to correct cost inequities of oral anti-cancer agents through legislation, and we look at further efforts to reduce the cost of oral chemotherapy via cycle management and waste reduction.
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The Indolent LymphomasThe indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphomas constitute a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders usually associated with relatively prolonged survival. They are categorized based on pathologic and cytologic features, and, with few exceptions [1], they are almost exclusively of B-cell origin.
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Minorities benefit from more sophisticated colon cancer screeningCurrent guidelines may be inadequate in at-risk African-American and Latino populations.
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Improving Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer PatientsTwenty years of research in controlling symptoms such as pain andnausea have shown persistent suboptimal performance by the US oncologysystem. The data suggest that some of the tools of palliative careprograms can improve physical symptoms of seriously ill patients at acost society can afford. To fix these problems will require recognitionof the symptoms or concerns, a system such as an algorithm or careplan for addressing each, measurement of the change, and accountabilityfor the change. Symptom assessment scales such as the EdmontonSymptom Assessment Scale or Rotterdam Symptom Check List work tomake symptoms manifest. Listing symptoms on a problem list is a necessarystep in addressing them. Physical symptoms such as pain can beimproved by use of computer prompts, algorithms, dedicated staff time,team management, or combinations of these strategies. Less concreteproblems such as medically appropriate goal-setting, integrating palliativecare into anticancer care sooner, and informing patients aboutthe benefits and risks of chemotherapy near the end of life require morecomplex solutions. We review what is known about symptom control inoncology, how and why some programs do better, and make suggestionsfor practice. Finally, we suggest a practical plan for using symptomassessment scales, listing the problems, and managing them accordingto algorithms or other predetermined plans.
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High-Dose Therapy With Stem-Cell Transplantation in the Malignant LymphomasApproximately 35,000 stem (progenitor)-cell transplants are performed annually worldwide, with an estimated yearly growth rate of between 10% and 20%.[1] Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma remains the second most common indication for stem-cell transplantation, and Hodgkin’s disease ranks approximately seventh overall.[1]
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Deferasirox for the Treatment of Chronic Iron Overload in Transfusional HemosiderosisThis report describes the Food and Drug Administration's review of data and analyses leading to the approval of the oral iron chelator, deferasirox for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to transfusional hemosiderosis.
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The Maze of PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian CancerThe development of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors as a new class of anticancer agents has created a tremendous amount of hope in the ovarian cancer community, especially in the high-risk, difficult-to-screen, hereditary ovarian cancer population.
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Uracil/Tegafur Plus Oral Calcium Folinate in Advanced Breast CancerUracil and tegafur (in a molar ratio of 4:1 [UFT]) has proven activity against breast cancer and is delivered in an easy-to-administer oral formulation. Orzel, which combines UFT with the oral biomodulator, calcium folinate, may
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DEAR Study Offers ‘Hope’ to Patients With Non-Metastatic CRPCAlicia K. Morgans, MD, MPH, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute indicates that patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer are able to stay on treatment for long periods of time with darolutamide vs enzalutamide and apalutamide.
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Individualized Local Treatment Strategies for In-Transit MelanomaFor localized in-transit disease, less is more, with local destruction, excision, and intralesional therapy being the cornerstones of treatment. If local therapies fail or if distant disease arises, isolated limb perfusion and systemic therapy remain effective options.
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Nutritional Implications of Dental and Swallowing Issues in Head and Neck CancerTumors of the head and neck account for 4% of cancers in the United States. Both the disease process itself and side effects of cancer treatment, such as xerostomia, dysphagia, and malnutrition, compromise oral health,
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Book Review: Surviving Childhood Cancer--A Guide for FamiliesSurviving Childhood Cancer, A Guide for Families" meets a tremendous need for easy-to-read, simple-to-understand information about the childhood cancer experience. All too often health-care professionals myopically focus attention and
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Management of Primary and Metastatic Tumors to the LiverPrimary and metastatic liver tumors continue to be a significant health problem in the United States. Hepatic resection or, in selected cases, transplantation are the only curative therapies for patients with resectable
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Eat Your VegetablesThe article by Fox and Freifeld presents a comprehensive history of the rationale for the neutropenic diet, along with important studies of this diet.
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When to Use Prophylactic Antibiotics in Neutropenic PatientsCurrent guidelines recommend antimicrobial prophylaxis with fluoroquinolones in patients at high risk for infection-related morbidity and mortality, but this practice provides a short-term benefit to individual patients.
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PET/CT shows high value in lung cancer staging trialNEW ORLEANS-An in-depth assessment of PET/CT at two German teaching hospitals has shown the fusion imaging technology improves on CT alone and pays dividends clinically and financially for staging non-small-cell lung cancer.
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Commentary (Wakoff/Porter): The Biology and Treatment of Chronic Myelogenous LeukemiaOver the past 2 decades, our understanding of the pathobiological events underlying chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has grown. At the same time, effective transplant and nontransplant treatment approaches to
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Advance Care Planning: We Can Do It!In my own practice, advance care planning is a part of every history and physical. In the beginning, I found the topic awkward and uncomfortable to bring up with my patients.
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The Pathology of Cutaneous T-Cell LymphomaThe diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) requires accurate histopathology, including immunocytochemistry, as well as careful clinical appraisal and analysis for T-cell clonality. This paper reviews the key histologic features of mycosis fungoides (MF) and its variants, and of lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP). Mycosis fungoides is an epidermotropic CTCL that evolves through distinct disease stages of patch, plaque, and tumor, often leading to transformation in the final stages. Disease staging is made clinically, and diagnosis may be difficult during the early stages because several common dermatologic conditions share features with MF. Therefore, clinical appraisal plus the presence of characteristic histopathologic features are needed to ensure accurate diagnosis. Clinical information is particularly important in the diagnosis of LyP, as the disease appears malignant histologically, but has a benign clinical course. Several other T-cell lymphomas were defined in a recent classification of these cutaneous lymphomas, and some key features of these disorders are also briefly reviewed.
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The Heavy Chain Diseases: Clinical and Pathologic FeaturesThis review discusses the clinical presentation; epidemiology; laboratory, radiologic, and pathologic features; and treatment options for each of the heavy chain diseases, emphasising the importance of an accurate pathologic diagnosis and correct interpretation of immunologic studies in their identification.
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Risk of Breast and Ovarian Cancer in Women With Strong Family HistoriesAssessing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer starts with obtaining a complete and accurate family history. This can reveal evidence of inherited cancer risk. The highest risk of cancer is associated with germ-line abnormalities
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Cervical Cancer: Issues of Sexuality and FertilityThe importance of quality of lifeduring and after treatment forcervical cancer has been ignoredfor too long. The pervasive attitudethat focuses on cure, withmorbidity an afterthought, is stillparamount in many patients’ and oncologists’minds. However, at the insistenceof patients and families, manyclinicians have recognized and startedto address these issues over thepast 2 decades.
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Bilateral, Multifocal Renal Masses in a 35-Year-Old Man With a History of Tuberous Sclerosis ComplexA 35-year-old man with a known history of tuberous sclerosis complex was referred to the urology clinic by his primary care physician for consultation regarding bilateral, multifocal renal masses.
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Contemporary Management of Prostate Cancer With Lethal PotentialIn this issue of ONCOLOGY, Daviset al provide a succinct overviewof the contemporary managementof high-risk prostate cancer patients.[1] As the authors point out, theintroduction and widespread implementationof prostate-specific antigen(PSA) as a tumor marker hasdriven a remarkable stage migrationin how patients present with prostatecancer, yet a significant number ofmen continue to present with featuresplacing them at high risk for localtreatment failure, development ofprostate cancer metastases, and ultimately,death.
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Commentary (Lipton): Aromatase Inhibitors and Bone LossThe aromatase inhibitors (AIs) anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin) are significantly more effective than the selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) tamoxifen in preventing recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are likely to replace SERMs as first-line adjuvant therapy for many patients. However, AIs are associated with significantly more osteoporotic fractures and greater bone mineral loss. As antiresorptive agents, oral and intravenous bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), and zoledronic acid (Zometa) have efficacy in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer treatment-related bone loss, or skeletal complications of metastatic disease. Clinical practice guidelines recommend baseline and annual follow-up bone density monitoring for all patients initiating AI therapy. Bisphosphonate therapy should be prescribed for patients with osteoporosis (T score < -2.5) and considered on an individual basis for those with osteopenia (T score < -1). Modifiable lifestyle behaviors including adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing exercise, and smoking cessation should be addressed. Adverse events associated with bisphosphonates include gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity, and osteonecrosis of the jaw. These safety concerns should be balanced with the potential of bisphosphonates to minimize or prevent the debilitating effects of AI-associated bone loss in patients with early, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
