This message was sent to ##Email## February 15, 2018     Home  |   About   Subscribe  |   Archive  |   Advertise    HEALTH CARE NEWS AND UPDATES FDA approves test to identify women with increased risk for cervical cancer Cure BD Onclarity HPV Assay, a test that can detect up to 14 types of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and provides information on women who are at risk for cervical cancer, received pre-market approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a press release by Betcon, Dickinson and Company, the New Jersey-based manufacturer of the test. The approval comes from a multi-center prospective clinical trial that included more than 33,500 women — not all of whom had the HPV vaccine.  READ MORE Bristol-Myers to pay largest fee in biotech history for Nektar cancer drug Forbes The fever over drugs that unleash the immune system on cancer just got even hotter. Bristol-Myers Squibb says it will pay a record $1.85 billion to Nektar Therapeutics, a small biotech startup, for rights to its experimental cancer drug, codenamed NKTR-214. Nektar will book 65 percent of global profits on the drug, should it reach the market, with Bristol getting the other 35 percent. That's a whopping sum, especially for a minority stake in a drug. Philip S. Ross, managing director of biotech investment banking at JP Morgan, said via a spokesperson that the deal is one of, if not the, biggest up-front partnership fees involving a single development stage biotech in biotech history.  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   Cancer-killing virus acts by alerting immune system Medical Xpress A new UC San Francisco study has shown that a cancer-killing ("oncolytic") virus currently in clinical trials may function as a cancer vaccine — in addition to killing some cancer cells directly, the virus alerts the immune system to the presence of a tumor, triggering a powerful, widespread immune response that kills cancer cells far outside the virus-infected region.  READ MORE These DNA 'nanobots' could help kill cancer by choking off its life blood Fortune The cancer treatment space has given way to some extraordinary advances in recent years, including therapies that can re-engineer your own cells to fight cancer. But, according to a paper published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, scientists may be on the cusp of yet another significant milestone — tiny little cancer-killing robots that choke off the blood supply to tumors.  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! Susceptibility gene mutations common in those with pancreatic cancer and history of other cancers Oncology Nurse Advisor A substantial proportion of individuals with pancreatic cancer and a history of other hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC)- or Lynch syndrome (LS)-related cancers have mutations in a pancreatic cancer susceptibility gene, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in Cancer. Beth Dudley, MPH, from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues used a pancreatic disease registry to identify 149 patients with pancreatic cancer and a history of cancer.  READ MORE Huntington's 'super assassin' molecule could kill cancer Medical News Today Scientists probing the reason why cancer is far less common in individuals with Huntington's disease have revealed that the gene responsible for the fatal brain condition produces a molecule that is deadly to cancer cells. In a recent paper published in the journal EMBO Reports, scientists from Northwestern University in Chicago note exactly how they tested the molecule in human and mouse cancer cells, as well as in mice with ovarian cancer.  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. Major research project launched to crack aspirin's anti-cancer properties Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK launches an international study to answer the final questions before aspirin could be recommended to reduce cancer risk. Studies have estimated that widespread use of low-dose aspirin could lead to a 10 percent drop in the number of people dying from some cancers, but for every 17 lives saved by preventing cancer or heart attacks there would be two deaths caused by strokes, bleeding or ulcers.  READ MORE How do hormones affect tumor DNA in men with breast cancer? Medical Xpress Breast cancer in men is rare, and men with breast cancer receive the same anti-hormonal therapy as women. Often with effect, but there was no scientific basis for it before now. Cancer researchers led by Wilbert Zwart from the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Oncode Institute are now the first to clarify how hormones affect tumor DNA in men with breast cancer.  READ MORE     .  SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT      ACS CANCER PROGRAMS UPDATES American College of Surgeons membership isn't just for surgeons and residents — cancer program administrators and cancer registrars can join too! ACS Realize the potential of your profession and become an Affiliate Member of the American College of Surgeons. Affiliate members receive a variety of member benefits, including: Free, online access to the Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons Access to practice management and patient education resources Discounted rates for ACS educational programs and products, including the annual Clinical Congress Participation in the ACS-sponsored insurance programs Access to an online Community of other Affiliate Members Access to the members-only side of the ACS website at facs.org Here’s what you’ll need to apply: Your current contact information Information about your current employment Details about your education and certification A reference from a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons The Affiliate Member application fee is $50, which covers your first year of membership. Annual dues are then $100 annually. Join the more than 80,000 members who are shaping the future of surgical care. Click here to join today. For questions, contact enroll@facs.org.  READ MORE ACS releases Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is pleased to announce that Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety is now available for purchase. This manual is intended to serve as a trusted resource for surgical leaders seeking to improve patient care in their institutions, departments and practices. It introduces key concepts in quality, safety and reliability and explores the essential elements that all hospitals should have in place to ensure the delivery of patient-centered care. Specific topics covered include the following: the domains and phases of surgical care, peer and case review, responsibilities of the Surgical Quality Officer, institutional infrastructure, privileging and credentialing, high reliability, applications to the unique surgical disciplines, data analytics, clinical practice guidelines, quality collaboratives and education and training. The manual also includes a look at some of the “soft skills” that influence quality and safety in health care, as well as the individual surgeon’s responsibility to the patient, colleagues and the next generation of surgeons. Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety is available for $44.95 (includes shipping) for single copies (up to a quantity of nine) or $39.95 (includes shipping) for per copy for 10 copies or more on the ACS website. 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 closes Feb. 23 NCDB The National Cancer Database (NCDB) is pleased to announce that the Participant User File (PUF) application will 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 Visit the CoC and NAPRC at DDSI AJCC The Commission on Cancer’s National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer will be exhibiting at the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute in Fort Lauderdale Feb. 14-17, Make sure to visit the booth to meet the CoC staff and learn about this new accreditation program.  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 now 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 Feb. 23 PUF application submission closes June 1 Call for Data closes July 21-24 ACS Quality and Safety Conference Orlando, FL Oct. 21-25 ACS Clinical Congress Boston, MA    TRENDING ARTICLES Missed last week's issue? See which articles your colleagues read most. Interactive tool improves patient knowledge of breast cancer treatment options (Medical Xpress) Vitamin deficiency 'puts cancer cells into hibernation' (ScienceDaily) E-cigarettes may cause cancer and heart disease (Medical News Today) Preventing cervical cancer: 2 things that are not being done (Forbes) Breast cancer: Body fat, not weight, poses major risk (Medical News Today) 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. The Cancer Programs do not endorse any of the advertised products and services. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not of the American College of Surgeons, and the Cancer Programs. 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