[Correspondence] Effect of early palliative care: complex intervention and complex results – Authors' reply
We would like to thank Ishiki and colleagues for their comments. They note that the primary outcome solely focused on the difference of overall quality of life (QOL) scores between both groups at 12 weeks. As stated in our article,1 the effect of intervention on the primary outcome and other outcomes was assessed by multivariate regression analyses adjusted for baseline scores. Baseline scores were, therefore, taken into account: for the same baseline score (59 ·7) in both groups, the usual care group scored 7·6 points lower on QOL at 12 weeks compared with that of the early palliative care group. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 26, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Ga ëlle Vanbutsele, Koen Pardon, Simon Van Belle, Veerle Surmont, Martine De Laat, Roos Colman, Kim Eecloo, Veronique Cocquyt, Karen Geboes, Luc Deliens Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Effect of early palliative care: complex intervention and complex results
We applaud the work done by Vanbutsele and colleagues1 using a highly complex palliative care intervention. However, the results are difficult to interpret, because of multiple confounders. Here, we present a couple of discussion points regarding this. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 26, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Hiroto Ishiki, Takuhiro Yamaguchi, Yoshihisa Matsumoto, Daisuke Kiuchi, Eriko Satomi Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Anti-PD-1 antibody treatment for melanoma – Authors' reply
We reported multiple ways to assess the subsequent response of TBP and did not endorse one method over another.1 Although we reported that 19% (95 of 500) of assessable patients in the TBP cohort had subsequent decreases in target lesion tumour burden of 30% or more, we also reported that this population represented only 4% of the total treated population of 2624 patients. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 26, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Julia A Beaver, Patricia Keegan, Steven Lemery, Richard Pazdur, Marc R Theoret Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Anti-PD-1 antibody treatment for melanoma
Beaver and colleagues1 reported on the rate of radiographic response after documented disease progression by studying a pooled analysis of individual patient data provided to the US Food and Drug Administration in support of the approval of anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) therapies for patients with advanced melanoma. Defining this rate is of high importance when interpreting clinical trials of a combination of anti-PD-1 antibodies with another agent in the population of patients who did not respond to prior anti-PD-1 therapy. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 26, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Antoni Ribas, John M Kirkwood, Keith T Flaherty Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Comment] Patient-reported outcomes: an essential component of oncology drug development and regulatory review
When evaluating the risks and benefits of a new cancer drug, an understanding of the ways in which a drug affects how a patient feels and functions is crucial. Without such information, clinicians, patients, researchers, and regulators are left with an incomplete picture of the properties of that product; however, this situation is the norm in drug development programmes. Despite rising interest in patient-focused drug development in the past decade,1 most drug developers still do not rigorously and comprehensively collect information directly from patients about symptoms or physical functioning in pivotal trials upon whic...
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 26, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Ethan Basch Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Editorial] Minimalism in oncology
Expenses related to cancer treatment can diminish patients' quality of life and impede delivery of high-quality care. Thus, it is worrying that, in 2017, a study showed the price of some common cancer drugs in the USA rose at a rate higher than inflation. The US senate has recently started investigating why a 40-year-old cancer drug —lomustine, which has no generic competition—has increased in price by 1400% since 2013. At the 23rd Annual Conference of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (Orlando, FL, USA, March 22–24, 2018), oncologists had a heated debate about the congressional mandate that prohibits the Cen...
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 26, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: The Lancet Oncology Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
[News] Sarcopenia and adiposity linked to overall survival
Patients with non-metastatic breast cancer who have sarcopenia or high total adipose tissue at diagnosis might have an increased risk of mortality, a new study suggests. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 12, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Elizabeth Gourd Tags: News Source Type: research
[Articles] Tazemetostat, an EZH2 inhibitor, in relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and advanced solid tumours: a first-in-human, open-label, phase 1 study
Tazemetostat showed a favourable safety profile and antitumour activity in patients with refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and advanced solid tumours, including epithelioid sarcoma. Further clinical investigation of tazemetostat monotherapy is ongoing in phase 2 studies in adults and a phase 1 study for children, which are currently enrolling patients who have B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and INI1-negative or SMARCA4-negative tumours. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 9, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Antoine Italiano, Jean-Charles Soria, Maud Toulmonde, Jean-Marie Michot, Carlo Lucchesi, Andrea Varga, Jean-Michel Coindre, Stephen J Blakemore, Alicia Clawson, Benjamin Suttle, Alice A McDonald, Mark Woodruff, Scott Ribich, Eric Hedrick, Heike Keilhack, Tags: Articles Source Type: research
[Articles] Chemotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy after surgery and preoperative chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer (CRITICS): an international, open-label, randomised phase 3 trial
Postoperative chemoradiotherapy did not improve overall survival compared with postoperative chemotherapy in patients with resectable gastric cancer treated with adequate preoperative chemotherapy and surgery. In view of the poor postoperative patient compliance in both treatment groups, future studies should focus on optimising preoperative treatment strategies. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 9, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Annemieke Cats, Edwin P M Jansen, Nicole C T van Grieken, Karolina Sikorska, Pehr Lind, Marianne Nordsmark, Elma Meershoek-Klein Kranenbarg, Henk Boot, Anouk K Trip, H A Maurits Swellengrebel, Hanneke W M van Laarhoven, Hein Putter, Johanna W van Sandick, Tags: Articles Source Type: research
[Comment] Targeting EZH2 with tazemetostat
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a subunit of the chromatin remodelling polycomb repressive complex 2. EZH2 is a histone methyltransferase and trimethylates histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27). EZH2 activation contributes to epigenetic transcriptional silencing because H3K27 methylation is a repressive histone modification.1 Physiologically, EZH2 activity is high in stem or progenitor cells, in which EZH2 represses genes associated with cell cycle arrest and promotes self-renewal. However, in differentiated cells EZH2 activity is opposed by the switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) multiprotein complex, which promotes ter...
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 9, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Shinichi Makita, Kensei Tobinai Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Comment] A CRITICal period for chemoradiotherapy in gastric cancer
In western countries, there are two standards of care for adjuvant therapy of resectable gastric cancer: perioperative chemotherapy, as investigated in the UK Medical Research Council MAGIC trial,1 and postoperative chemoradiotherapy, as investigated in the US Intergroup 0116 (INT0116) trial.2 Over the past decade, clinical practice has varied depending on geographic location, with postoperative chemoradiation being practiced more commonly in North America, whereas European countries have mainly used perioperative chemotherapy. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 9, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Trevor Leong Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[News] Oncologists burnout in the spotlight
The newly appointed president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers in the USA for the term 2018 –19, Thomas A Gallo (Virginia Cancer Institute, Richmond, VA, USA), has outlined his intention to make burnout the focus of his tenure. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Talha Khan Burki Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Lawsuit filed against FDA for not reviewing e-cigarettes
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Truth Initiative, and five individual paediatricians are suing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their decision in July, 2017, to delay reviewing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and e-cigars. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Priya Venkatesan Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Short vs long course adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer
The results of the International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant Therapy (IDEA) collaboration project did not confirm the non-inferiority of 3 months of adjuvant therapy compared with the standard 6 months in patients with stage 3 colon cancer. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Ashray Gunjur Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Health care for cancer survivors in the USA
Despite a substantial increase in insurance coverage, cancer survivors in the USA face difficulties in health-care access and affordability compared with adults without cancer; however, new research suggests that after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, these difficulties among cancer survivors showed a decreasing trend. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - April 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Manjulika Das Tags: News Source Type: research
