This message was sent to ##Email## February 1, 2018     Home  |   About   Subscribe  |   Archive  |   Advertise    HEALTH CARE NEWS AND UPDATES Interactive tool improves patient knowledge of breast cancer treatment options Medical Xpress "Knowledge is a key component of decision making, and yet it's consistently low even among patients who have received treatment. We need better tools to make these decisions more informed," says Sarah T. Hawley, Ph.D., MPH, professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine. Hawley and colleagues from the Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes Research Team at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center developed an interactive online tool to help patients understand their treatment options.  READ MORE E-cigarettes may cause cancer and heart disease Medical News Today They are usually marketed as a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes, but a new study suggests that e-cigarettes may still pose serious harm to health. Researchers at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City found that mice exposed to electronic cigaratte (e-cigarette) vapor experienced DNA damage in the lungs, bladder and heart, which could increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.  READ MORE Vitamin deficiency 'puts cancer cells into hibernation' ScienceDaily A new potential therapeutic agent, diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), effectively switches off cancer stem cells, preventing their proliferation, researchers report. "It's extraordinary; the cells just sit there as if in a state of suspended animation," explains Professor Michael Lisanti, Chair of Translational Medicine and lead investigator. The discovery is significant because the drug halts the propagation of cancer stem cells without causing the toxic side-effects normally associated with more conventional chemotherapy.  READ MORE    SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Immunogen, Inc. Mirvetuximab soravtansine, a folate receptor alpha-targeting investigational agent being evaluated in ovarian cancer FORWARD I: A phase 3 study of mirvetuximab soravtansine in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer FORWARD II: Clinical trial evaluating mirvetuximab soravtansine combination therapies in ovarian cancer   Lung cancer screening more efficient for those at higher risk Oncology Nurse Advisor Lung cancer screening (LCS) is more effective and efficient for high-risk individuals, according to a research letter published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Noting that the Veterans Health Affairs LCS demonstration project identified a much higher false-positive rate after initial low-dose computed tomographic screening than did the National Lung Screening Trial, Tanner J. Caverly, M.D., M.P.H., from the VA Center for Clinical Management Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and colleagues examined how this rate influences the harm-to-benefit ratio for higher- versus lower-risk patients.  READ MORE Preventing cervical cancer: 2 things that are not being done Forbes If cervical cancer and deaths from cervical cancer are so preventable, why then do over 4,000 women in the U.S. and over 300,000 women worldwide still die from cervical cancer each year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)? The U.S. Congress designated January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in part to help address this question. But just because the calendar flips to February in about a day doesn't mean that you should let party planning for Groundhog's Day displace this important question from your consciousness.  READ MORE    PRODUCT SHOWCASE Advertisement Wiley's Oncology Apps Enjoy our journals? There’s an app for those! Journals such as those from the American Cancer Society ™, Journal of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Science and more are now available for your iPad and iPhone. Sample issues and abstracts, as well as open articles, can be accessed for free. A subscription to the journal is required to read the full text. Click here to learn more! Adding tecentriq to chemo regimen improves lung cancer outcomes Cure Not all patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) respond to immunotherapy, so researchers are exploring the use of combination regimens, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy, to improve outcomes in these patients. “One issue about immunotherapy is that a minority of patients respond to it — that is, only about 20 percent,” Paul A. Bunn Jr, M.D., distinguished professor in the Division of Medical Oncology and the James Dudley Chair in Lung Cancer Research at the University of Colorado in Denver, said in an interview with OncLive, a sister publication of CURE.  READ MORE Chemotherapy toxicity risk score use improved treatment choice for elderly Oncology Nurse Advisor Elderly patients with advanced cancer who have a high chemotherapy toxicity risk score (CTRS) may experience significant toxicity and increased rates of hospitalization when treated with combination chemotherapy, according to a study published in The Oncologist. The current criteria determining anticancer therapy for elderly patients — such as physician's evaluation of fitness, geriatric assessment (GA) — often fails to take into consideration the entire clinical picture, leading to difficulties in choosing standard therapy (ST) or reduced therapy (RT) for this patient population.  READ MORE .  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Help Doctors Without Borders Today Donate now to help Doctors Without Borders bring emergency medical care where it is needed most. Doctors Without Borders USA relies on unrestricted donations from private donors so when an emergency strikes we assess the needs and can act fast. Donate today. Light-triggered nanoparticles show promise against metastatic cancer ScienceDaily A new anti-cancer strategy wields light as a precision weapon. Unlike traditional light therapy — which is limited to the skin and areas accessible with an endoscope — this technique can target and attack cancer cells that have spread deep inside the body, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.  READ MORE Breast cancer: Body fat, not weight, poses major risk Medical News Today A new study has made a surprising finding: even women within a normal weight range may have an increased risk of invasive breast cancer if they have high body fat levels. According to the information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the major risk factors for developing breast cancer is "being overweight or obese after menopause." However, recent evidence suggests that excessive weight, as such, may not be the only element of risk.  READ MORE     .  SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT      ACS CANCER PROGRAMS UPDATES SRGS: Surgical Infection America College of Surgeons The latest issue of the American College of Surgeons Selected Readings in General Surgery (SRGS), Surgical Infection, explores the most critical surgical approaches to controlling infection, including surgeon participation in multidisciplinary infection management teams, an enhanced understanding of emerging pathogens and resistant bacteria, timely diagnosis and effective initial therapy.  READ MORE NCDB PUF application period opened Jan. 22 NCDB The National Cancer Database (NCDB) is pleased to announce that the Participant User File (PUF) application opened Jan. 22 and be open through Feb. 23. The NCDB will accept applications for site-specific files, which include cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2015. The NCDB PUF is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant data file containing cases submitted to the Commission on Cancer's (CoC) NCDB and complies with the terms of the Business Associate Agreement between the American College of Surgeons and cancer programs accredited by the CoC; i.e., no patients or facilities can be identified. The PUF is designed to provide investigators at CoC-accredited cancer programs with a data resource they can use to review and advance the quality of care delivered to cancer patients through analyses of cases reported to the NCDB. For more information review the PUF Website. Questions regarding the NCDB PUFs or the RFA process for a PUF may be directed to NCDB technical staff at NCDB_PUF@facs.org.  READ MORE CoC launches Special Study ACS-CRP The Commission on Cancer (CoC) initiated a pilot study at 20 CoC accredited facilities in the fall of 2017 as a component of the Comparison of Operative to Monitoring and Endocrine Therapy (COMET) clinical trial (PIs: Drs. Shelley Hwang, Ann Partridge, Alastair Thompson). The study examines the risks and benefits of active surveillance compared to usual care for patients diagnosed with low risk Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS), commonly known as stage 0 breast cancer. The pilot study concluded Jan. 1, 2018. Following data analysis, a CoC Special Study will be launched in spring 2018 to investigate outcomes from DCIS treatment retrospectively.  READ MORE AJCC at HIMSS18 AJCC The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) will be exhibiting at HIMSS18 in Las Vegas, March 5-9, 2018. Make sure to visit Booth 10632 to meet the AJCC staff and learn about the API interface to access the Eighth Edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual.  READ MORE 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual now available NAPBC The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) has released the 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual. You can download a PDF of the manual from the NAPBC Standards web page. Click the 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual link at the top of the standards web page. If your browser is set to auto-download, check the downloads folder on your computer after clicking the link. The 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual will be available online and as a PDF. The NAPBC will not have printed copies of the manual for purchase. Please contact us at NAPBC@facs.org with any questions or comments.  READ MORE Applications for NAPRC accreditation being accepted American College of Surgeons - NAPRC The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) is now accepting applications. The NAPRC was developed to ensure that rectal cancer patients receive appropriate care following a multidisciplinary approach. Programs will be evaluated on the standards and metrics outlined in The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer Standards Manual 2017 (revised October 2017).  READ MORE  IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES Date Event Location Jan. 8 CoC Call for Data opened Jan. 22 PUF application submission opened Jan. 26 ACS Quality and Safety Conference abstract submission closes Feb. 4 World Cancer Day 2018 Feb. 23 PUF application submission closes June 1 Call for Data closes Oct. 21-25 ACS Clinical Congress Boston, MA July 21-24 ACS Quality and Safety Conference Orlando, FL    TRENDING ARTICLES Missed last week's issue? See which articles your colleagues read most. Single blood test screens for 8 cancer types (Medical Xpress) CoC launches Special Study (ACS-CRP) Boosting cancer therapy with cross-dressed immune cells (Medical Xpress) Why are cancer drugs more expensive than ever? (Houston Chronicle) Hormonal breast cancer therapy linked to chronic disease (FIGO) Don't be left behind. Click here to see what else you missed.   The Brief Connect with AJCC Connect with CoC Connect with NAPBC Recent Issues | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Advertise | Web Version  Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469-420-2601 | Download media kit Ashley Harrington, Senior Content Editor, 469-420-2642 | Contribute news Disclaimer: The Brief is a digest of news selected for the Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), both quality programs of the American College of Surgeons, from thousands of sources by the editors of MultiBriefs, an independent organization that also manages and sells advertising. 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