Cancer
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Historical Article
Cancer, sleep problems, and mind-body medicine use: Results of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey.
Sleep problems affect physical and emotional well-being as well as immune system function. Evidence has demonstrated an improvement in sleep problems in patients with cancer through the use of mind-body medicine (MBM). In the current study, the authors sought to elucidate the prevalence of sleep problems and the use of MBM in adult cancer survivors. ⋯ The high prevalence of sleep problems in cancer survivors is a major health issue that needs to be addressed. A considerable number of cancer survivors with sleep problems use MBM. This finding warrants the investigation of MBM concepts as treatment options for cancer survivors experiencing sleep problems.
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Blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell-engaging (BiTE®) immuno-oncology therapy, demonstrated superior overall survival versus standard-of-care chemotherapy (SOC) in adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R ALL) in the phase 3 TOWER study. Herein, the authors reported clinical features and outcomes for those patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after treatment with blinatumomab. ⋯ Evidence before this study: Blinatumomab is associated with superior morphologic and molecular response rates and superior overall outcome when compared with standard of care chemotherapy in adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Added value of this study: The best outcomes with blinatumomab were observed in patients who achieved minimal residual disease remission in first salvage treatment regardless of subsequent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Implications of all the available evidence: Patients achieving CR/CRh/CRi following blinatumomab can have a durable response with or without HSCT.
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In the phase 3 MARIANNE trial, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) with or without pertuzumab showed noninferior progression-free survival and better tolerability than trastuzumab plus a taxane (HT) for the first-line treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer. This article reports the final descriptive overall survival (OS) analysis, updated safety data, and additional patient-reported outcomes and biomarker analyses. ⋯ These results support T-DM1 as a first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who are deemed unsuitable for taxane-based therapy.
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Cancer contributes substantially to the life expectancy gap between US blacks and whites, and racial cancer disparities remain stubborn to eradicate. Disparities vary geographically, suggesting that they are not inevitable. ⋯ Mortgage discrimination is associated with larger black-to-white cancer mortality disparities. Some areas are exceptions to this trend. Examination of these exceptions and of policies related to housing discrimination may offer novel strategies for explaining and eliminating cancer disparities.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomized phase 3 trial comparing nimotuzumab plus cisplatin chemoradiotherapy versus cisplatin chemoradiotherapy alone in locally advanced head and neck cancer.
Because the addition of nimotuzumab to chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer improved outcomes in a phase 2 study, the authors conducted a phase 3 study to confirm these findings. ⋯ The addition of nimotuzumab to concurrent weekly CRT improves PFS, LRC, and DFS. This combination provides a novel alternative therapeutic option to a 3-weekly schedule of 100 mg/m2 cisplatin in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who are treated with radical-intent CRT.