Afinitor® (everolimus) may be a promising treatment option for patients with metastatic gastric cancer who have undergone previous treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Afinitor is an oral targeted therapy that works by inhibiting a protein known as the mammalian... Continue Reading

Among postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, use of an aromatase inhibitor at some point in the course of adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment results in a lower risk of cancer recurrence than use of tamoxifen only. Based on these results, updated guidelines from the American... Continue Reading

Previously treated advanced breast and ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation may benefit from treatment with the oral investigational drug olaparib. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet.[1],[2] Although most ovarian cancer patients initially respond to... Continue Reading

Among patients with cancer of the esophagus or esophagogastric junction, treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy prior to surgery resulted in better overall survival than surgery alone. The results of this Phase III clinical trial were presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Society... Continue Reading

Gastric cancer forms in the tissues and lining of the stomach. Current treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The current standard of care for metastatic gastric cancer is systemic therapy. Research is ongoing to determine which therapy or combination of therapies produces the... Continue Reading

More older Americans are undergoing screening for colon cancer, but the rates for breast cancer screening remain the same, according to a government report released on July 6, 2010.[1] The best “treatmentâ€� of cancer is preventing its occurrence in the first place or detecting it early when it may... Continue Reading

Men who carry the BRCA2 genetic mutation have a 7.1% chance of developing breast cancer by age 70 and an 8.6% chance of developing the disease by age 80, according to the results of a study published early online in the Journal of Medical Genetics.[1] Inherited mutations in two genes—BRCA1 and BRCA2—have... Continue Reading

Results from a recent Phase III trial indicate that the addition of the targeted therapy Avastin® (bevacizumab) to the chemotherapy drug Gemzar® (gemcitabine) does not improve survival in advanced pancreatic cancer. These findings were reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.[1] Pancreatic cancer... Continue Reading

High levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream do not appear to reduce the risk of seven less common cancers: endometrial, esophageal, stomach, ovarian, pancreatic, kidney, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In fact, there was a suggestion that people with the highest vitamin D levels may have an increased risk... Continue Reading

Apparently, old habits die hard: less than one-third of physicians report compliance with the updated guidelines for cervical cancer screening that suggest longer intervals between screening for women with normal test results. The results of this survey were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.[1] Historically,... Continue Reading

The combination of the investigational agent trabectedin with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) resulted in a 1.5-month improvement in progression-free survival in women with recurrent ovarian cancer. Final information about overall survival is not yet available. These findings were recently published... Continue Reading

A recent study suggests that regular use of fish oil supplements may reduce the risk of breast cancer. These findings were published in the journal of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.[1] Dietary supplements are a booming business—Americans are spending approximately $25 billion a year... Continue Reading