Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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To estimate the prevalence of financial hardship associated with cancer in the United States and identify characteristics of cancer survivors associated with financial hardship. ⋯ Cancer survivors, especially the working-age population, commonly experience material and psychological financial hardship.
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Patients with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), except those younger than 10 years with embryonal RMS, have an estimated long-term event-free survival (EFS) of less than 20%. The main goal of this study was to improve outcome of patients with metastatic RMS by dose intensification with interval compression, use of the most active agents determined in phase II window studies, and use of irinotecan as a radiation sensitizer. ⋯ Patients with metastatic RMS with one or no Oberlin risk factor had an improved 3-year EFS of 69% on ARST0431 compared with an historical cohort from pooled European and US studies; those with two or more risk factors have a dismal prognosis, and new approaches are needed for this very-high-risk group.
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Comparative Study
Racial Differences in the Use and Outcome of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: Results From the National Cancer Data Base.
To explore racial differences in the use and outcome of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. ⋯ Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is given more frequently to black, Hispanic, and Asian women than to white women. Black women have a lower likelihood of pCR for triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer. Whether this is due to biologic differences in chemosensitivity or to treatment or socioeconomic differences that could not be adjusted for is unknown.