While the incidence rates of soft-tissue sarcomas are lower in young U.S. active-duty military servicemen compared with those in the general population, according to a new study, those are higher in middle-aged servicemen, possibly because of greater cumulative exposure to toxins.
Frailty Assessment Can Improve Decision-Making for Older NSCLC Patients
Frailty indices predict overall survival and toxicity among older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy.
Clotrimazole Shows Promise in Improving NSCLC Survival
Preclinical data has suggested antifungal azole derivatives have antitumor efficacy that might modulate response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). A new study evaluated the association of azole drugs with overall survival (OS) in a population of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with ICI within the VHA.
Multiple Comorbidities Affect NSCLC Survival in Older Veterans
Most advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are older adults, and they often have multiple other comorbidities (multimorbidity) when initiating treatment. A new study sought to learn more about the nature and impact of multimorbidity, especially since aging patients are often excluded from clinical trials.
Clinical Challenges When NSCLC Histologically Transforms Into SCLC
In the last two decades, targeted therapies have dramatically improved the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that possess actionable driver mutations.
Psychological Distress Common in Veterans with Lung Cancer
Cancer patients often suffer psychological distress, but the condition often is an underrecognized and burdensome adverse effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment, according to a new study.
Longer Survival for SCLC Patients with Immunotherapy-Related Adverse Events
A new study examined if small-cell lung cancer patients live longer when they have side effects from immunotherapy.
‘Prescription Rules’ Could Lengthen Survival in mCRPC
If detected and treated at an early stage, prostate cancer is often curable. That is not the case, however, with an advanced stage such as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), which has a high risk of mortality.
No Problems Found With Concurrent Spironolactone, Abiraterone Administration
The most common cancer in men in the United States, prostate cancer has low survival rates once metastasized.
VA Overtreats Prostate Cancer in Veterans with Limited Life Expectancy
Overtreatment, especially with radiotherapy, has increased for veterans with limited life expectancy and intermediate-risk or high-risk prostate cancer, according to a new study.
Veterans Study Found Positive Sotorasib Results Similar to CodeBreak Trials
Three years ago, based on the CodeBreak100 trial, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to the KRAS G12C inhibitor sotorasib for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the second line or later.
Limited Information on Breast Cancer Risk After Military Exposures
A long list of health effects have been attributed to military environmental exposures (MEE) such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), tactile herbicides, airborne hazards and open burn pits (AHOBP) and depleted uranium.
Reducing Patient Anxiety Caused by ‘Active Surveillance’ of Low-Risk Cancer
In patients with low-risk cancers undergoing active surveillance, the medical field needs to help manage the anxiety caused by waiting, according to a recent study.
Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer: Emerging Therapies after Decades of Stagnation
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive form of lung cancer, characterized by rapid growth and early metastasis.
Veterans Face Unique Risks for Small Cell Lung Cancer, Prompting Advances in VA Treatment
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and among veterans, who face an increased risk of developing the malignancy.
Military Exposures and Small Cell Lung Cancer in Veterans
Military service often places individuals in environments where they may be exposed to hazardous substances with potential for long-term consequences.
Lung Cancer Survival Rates in Federal Medicine Compare Well to Community
Survival rates appear to be somewhat better for veterans and military healthcare beneficiaries diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) but are not as improved as with non-small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to recent studies.
As Small Cell Lung Cancer Rates Drop, Understanding of Disease Increases
“The more things change, the more they stay the same” could be a tagline for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In recent decades, the epidemiology of SCLC has shifted substantially, as have the understanding of the disease, screening options and the treatments available. The malignancy, however, remains both challenging and highly lethal.
Overcoming Barriers to Veteran Participation in Outside-VA Cancer Clinical Trials
While clinical trials are essential for advancing treatment options in oncology and making certain patients receive innovative care, too few cancer patients are referred to them, according to a new study.
Indeterminate Liver Nodules Have a High but Variable Risk of HCC
For more than a decade, the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) has been used to standardize the interpretation and reporting of liver lesions in patients at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Understanding Bispecific Antibodies for B-Cell Lymphoma Treatment
Bispecific antibodies represent a new approach to cancer immunotherapy that offers a two-for-one mechanism of action to increase efficacy in treating several types of lymphoma and multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening Associated With Improved Survival in Patients Cured of HCV Infection
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne pathogen in the United States, with HCV-related cirrhosis being the leading cause of primary liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Agent Orange Exposure Not Linked to Hepatocellular Carcinoma
U.S. veterans are much more likely to be diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, but at least one toxic exposure during military service doesn’t appear to have much to do with that.
Remote Consent, Testing Used to Identify and Treat Germline Pathogenic Alterations in VA Million Veteran Program Participants
About 10% of men with metastatic prostate cancer show germline pathogenic alterations which can inform precision therapy, surveillance, and cancer prevention for family members, according to a recent study.
Closing in on More Than a Half Century of Cancer Breakthroughs, VA Continues Pioneering Work in Oncology
The VA has been at the forefront of cancer research in the United States. Starting with the establishment of its first tumor research laboratory in 1932 and groundbreaking work in the 1950s on the association between smoking and respiratory tract cancers, the agency has repeatedly changed the course of oncology.
Military Study Finds That Pulmonary Hypertension Diagnosis Has Detrimental Effect on NSCLC Survival
A study from the VA and U.S. military research organizations addresses the question of how a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) affect survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Highlights of the VA’s Contributions to Cancer Research
In the more than 90 years since the VA established its first tumor research laboratory at the Hines, Ill., VA hospital, the agency has published some of the most instrumental studies in cancer in the U.S.
In Advanced NSCLC, Frail Patients Receive Less Intensive Treatment Even If Performance Status Isn’t Poor
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy is often preferred over intensive ICI treatment for frail patients and those with poor performance status (PS) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
KRAS G12C in Veterans with NSCLC Has Favorable Outcomes Compared to Non-G12C Variants; Availability of Sotorasib Treatment Credited
KRAS mutations have historically carried a poor prognosis in NSCLC, and the most common variant, G12C, had similar suboptimal survival compared to non-G12C variants. That has changed with the approval of new KRAS G12C inhibitors.
Real-World VA Study Shows Substantial Mortality Benefit From Lung Cancer Screening
Veterans who underwent VHA lung cancer screening were more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage and had higher cure rates than those who were not screened, according to a new observational study.
