CHICAGO—VA researchers have mapped the most common subsequent diagnoses for veterans diagnosed with several common cancers, allowing clinicians to better personalize care and focus prevention efforts. The study, which enabled creation of a network graph of follow-on...
Overcoming Radiation Resistant Prostate Cancer
LOS ANGELES—For nearly half of the patients with localized advanced prostate cancer, radiation therapy is the primary intervention and standard of care for recurrent disease following surgery. The problem is that nearly 30% to 50% of patients undergoing radiotherapy...
JAK Enzymes Can Treat Leukemia, Lymphoma
NASHVILLE, TN—Precision oncology prescribes the use of molecularly-targeted therapy directed by identification of genomic alterations. A new study suggested the approach is particularly applicable to neoplasms that are resistant to standard cytotoxic chemotherapy,...
Response of Veterans to PD-1 Checkpoint Inhibitors
RENO, NV—The clinical outcomes and the incidence of adverse events for programmed death-1 checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients at a VA clinic were different from the data that have been published, according to a new study. Researchers from the pharmacy service at...
An Article
This is an upcoming special issue of U.S. Medicine, to be published in June 2019. You are reading an article from this special issue of the magazine that is available online.
Surgical Staging Often Inadequate for Gallbladder Cancer
Guidelines frequently aren’t followed when it comes to radical cholecystectomy with regional lymphadenectomy for patients with T1b gallbladder cancer.
Use of Hospice During Treatment Has Limited VA Use
Unlike in most private sector settings, veterans with advanced cancer can receive hospice care concurrently with treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.
Hypertension, MGUS Associated with Herbicide Exposure in Vietnam Veterans
Based on a new review, two conditions–one extremely common and the other rare–appear to be related to herbicide exposure during the Vietnam War era.
Detailed Medical History Crucial for Lung Disease Diagnosis
Both general medicine physicians and specialists can find interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary fibrosis confusing, according to a recent study.
Melanomas Associated With Internal Malignancy Risk
Genetic and environmental risk factors have been associated with the development of multiple primary melanomas (MPM) but a new study questioned whether those patients might have increased predisposition to developing internal malignancies.
Some RCC Risk Factors Can Be Modified
Obesity, hypertension and smoking are the three modifiable risk factors that could aggressively be targeted to reduce renal cell carcinoma, according to a new study.
Better Survival for NSCLC Patients Treated by Military Medicine
Does universal healthcare access provided by the MHS translate into improved patient outcomes for non-small cell lung cancer?
Veterans Study Calls for Better Guidance on Lung Cancer Treatment
With increased imaging now detecting lung cancer nodules in sicker patients, a new report suggested that guidelines should be more directive in how to maximize benefit and minimize harm, while taking into account comorbidities and life expectancy.
VA/National Cancer Institute Partnership Increases Veteran Access to Trials
Thanks to a new partnership between the National Cancer Institute and the VA, veterans with cancer will now have greater access to potentially lifesaving clinical trials.
VA Continues Hepatocellular Screening, but Study Questions the Value
Although a recent study determined that screening veterans with cirrhosis for hepatocellular carcinoma did not reduce the risk of death associated with liver cancer, the VA has no plans to change its screening practices.
Testosterone Therapy Not Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer in Veterans
Clinicians prescribing supplemental testosterone in men with low levels always have a nagging concern about the possible link between increasing hormone levels and prostate cancer.
Side-effects Differ Between Radiation Therapies for Prostate Cancer
A recent study compared patient-reported disease-specific functional outcomes after external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and EBRT combined with low-dose-rate brachytherapy prostate boost (EB-LDR) among men with localized prostate cancer.
Parkinson’s Drug Not Associated With Higher Prostate Cancer Risk
An increased incidence of prostate cancer was observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients treated with entacapone during a pre-approval randomized clinical trial, according to a new study which noted that the relationship had not yet been intensely investigated.
Metformin Promising for Improving Prostate Cancer Survival
Metformin, a commonly used drug for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), has shown promise in helping to treat prostate cancer (PCa), according to a new study.
VA’s Use of Conservative Management for Prostate Cancer Sets Standard
The VA is taking a leading role in use of conservative treatment for veterans diagnosed with non-aggressive prostate cancer.
VA Launches Study to Address Liver Fluke/Bile Duct Cancer Concerns
A recently launched VA study of mortality in Vietnam veterans will examine whether exposure to liver flukes, a parasitic worm, increased the risk of cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer in those veterans.
Incidence of NK/T-cell Lymphoma Rises Significantly in the United States
Limited data are available regarding the incidence, survival patterns, and long-term outcomes of natural killer/T-cell neoplasms in the United States.
Early Therapy Helps Prevent Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Other AIDS-related Cancer
Prevention of AIDS-defining cancers, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, can be helped by early, sustained antiretroviral therapy, which results in long-term viral suppression, a new study found.
Memory Problems Worsen Survival Rates in Older Blood Cancer Patients
About a third of hematologic cancer patients in a recent cohort study screened positive for executive dysfunction, and more than 17% had memory problems.
Suicide risk under-appreciated among advanced lung cancer patients
Much of the focus on suicide at the VA is on recently discharged servicemembers who suffer from conditions such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
New Agents Extend Options for Increased Survival in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Accounting for nearly a third of all cancer diagnoses, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the VHA, where past research has suggested that the malignancy is caught earlier than in other healthcare systems.
Personalized Medicine Brightens Outlook for Most Common Kidney Cancer
In the past five years, 10 new system therapies have been approved for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common type of kidney cancer.
Targeted Therapies Transform RCC Treatment Over Last Decade
In the last decade, the development of multiple molecular-targeted therapies has dramatically altered the treatment landscape for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Liver Cancer Continues to Rise, Even as VA Declares Victory Over HCV Infection
In March, then-VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, announced at the annual Wharton Health Care Business Conference that the VA will have eliminated hepatitis C infections among all patients willing and able to be treated by next spring.
Undertreatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Despite Guidelines
While many other cancers have seen dramatic improvement in outcomes in the past 20 years, pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies, regardless of stage at diagnosis, with an overall five-year survival rate of only 8%, according to the American Cancer Society.
