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Experts Agree that Action is Needed to Address Cancer Care in Poorer Countries (9/8/2010)
The Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries (GTF.CCC), made up of global health and oncology experts, works toward developing and implementing strategies to provide poorer countries with cancer prevention and treatment. Discussion of the task force’s agenda to expand cancer care in low and middle-income countries was recently published in the journal The Lancet.

Preventive Surgery Reduces Cancer Risk in Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutations (9/8/2010)
Among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, prophylactic mastectomy (preventive removal of the breasts) reduces the risk of getting breast cancer. Prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy (preventive removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries) reduces the risk both breast and ovarian cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Brothers of Prostate Cancer Patients Undergo More Diagnostic Testing (9/7/2010)
Some of the elevated risk of prostate cancer among those with a family history of the disease may be due to increased prostate cancer testing and detection in this population. These findings were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Addition of Sutent to Tarceva Does Not Improve Overall Survival with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (9/7/2010)
Among patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer, the combination of Sutent® (sunitinib) and Tarceva® (erlotinib) delays cancer progression but does not improve overall survival compared with Tarceva alone.

Alcohol Linked with Lobular Breast Cancer (9/3/2010)
Although alcohol is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer, it may be more strongly linked with lobular breast cancer than with ductal breast cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Rectal Cancer Increasing in People Under 40 (9/2/2010)
Although still relatively uncommon in young people, the incidence of rectal cancer appears to be increasing in this population. These results were published in the journal Cancer.

Early Palliative Care Linked with Longer Lung Cancer Survival (9/1/2010)
Palliative care is care that is focused on symptom management, psychosocial issues, decision-making, and quality of life. Among patients with newly diagnosed, metastatic, non-small cell lung cancer, the addition of early palliative care to standard cancer treatment resulted in better quality of life and mood and longer survival than standard treatment alone. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Istodax Active against Refractory Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (8/31/2010)
Final results from a Phase II clinical trial provide additional evidence that Istodax® (romidepsin) is active against refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Estrogen Alone Does Not Increase Lung Cancer Incidence or Mortality in Postmenopausal Women (8/30/2010)
Among postmenopausal women, hormone therapy with estrogen alone does not appear to increase the risk of getting or dying from lung cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Reduced-intensity Treatment May be Effective for Early Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (8/27/2010)
Among patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a favorable prognosis, it may be possible to reduce the number of chemotherapy cycles and the dose of radiation therapy without adversely affecting outcome. The results of this study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Death from Other Causes Among Men with Early-stage Prostate Cancer (8/26/2010)
Among men with early-stage prostate cancer, assessment of other health problems may help guide prostate cancer treatment decisions; men who are likely to die of causes other than prostate cancer may not benefit from aggressive prostate cancer treatment. These findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Vectibix Does Not Improve Head and Neck Cancer Survival (8/26/2010)
Among patients with recurrent and/or metastatic, squamous cell head and neck cancer, the addition of the targeted therapy Vectibix® (panitumumab) to chemotherapy does not result in significantly better survival than chemotherapy alone. The results of this Phase III clinical trial were made available in a press release from Amgen and will also be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

Pathological Complete Response Predicts Better Outcomes in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients (8/25/2010)
Among patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, a complete disappearance of detectable cancer (pathological complete response) after preoperative chemoradiation therapy is linked with better long-term outcomes. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet Oncology.

Additional Research on Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer (8/24/2010)
A recent study of menopausal hormone therapy and risk of breast cancer reported that risk may vary by body weight and the type of hormone therapy. These results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention.

Reassuring Findings Regarding Oral Bisphosphonates and Esophageal Cancer (8/23/2010)
Oral bisphosphonates—drugs commonly used to prevent or treat osteoporosis—do not appear to increase the risk of esophageal cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.