Medscape Hematology-Oncology Headlines

Importance of Surgical Margins in the Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Partial nephrectomy is more commonly used for renal cell carcinoma, but there are concerns about complete tumor excision with this procedure. The current review examines the data in regard to this issue as well as best practices to improve the success of partial nephrectomy.
Nature Clinical Practice Urology

Why the NIH Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) Should Be Abandoned

Tue, 13 May 2008 08:53:01 EDT

The $30 million, NIH Phase 3 Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) exposes subjects to a risky method that is known to be ineffective. The TACT should be abandoned and its origins investigated.
The Medscape Journal of Medicine

Lapatinib Not Cost Effective, Editorialists Argue

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:28:00 EDT

Ringing in at roughly US$2900 a month, experts are questioning whether a new treatment schedule or other strategies can be used to make the drug more accessible.
Medscape Medical News

PCA3 Could be Useful in Selecting Prostate Cancer Patients for Active Surveillance

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

A urine test already marketed for diagnosing prostate cancer could also be useful for guiding management if further studies validate these results.
Medscape Medical News

Icyou: How Social Media Is the New Resource for Online Health Information

Fri, 9 May 2008 09:16:25 EDT

Prerna Mona Khanna, MD, MPH, Medical Editor, Icyou.com, Charleston, South Carolina, describes another promising use of the health Internet.
The Medscape Journal of Medicine

High Doses of Lenalidomide for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Have "Unacceptable Toxicity"

Thu, 8 May 2008 14:53:29 EDT

Lenalinomide at a dose of 25 mg/day for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia is associated with "unacceptable toxicity."
Medscape Medical News

Congress Passes Genetic Privacy Bill

Thu, 8 May 2008 16:33:16 EDT

In this videoblog, Dr. Eric Topol updates us on some of the details and discusses what this might mean for the future if it is signed into law.

Cost -- Not Evidence -- Driving Shift in Cancer Screening

Thu, 8 May 2008 16:43:00 EDT

High-deductible health plans could be prompting patients to choose fully covered screening tests to avoid out-of-pocket expenses.
Medscape Medical News

Vascular Benefits of Stopping Smoking Are Rapid

Thu, 8 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Women who quit smoking will see a rapid decline in the risk for death from coronary heart disease and other vascular disorders, a new analysis of the Nurses' Health Study shows.
Medscape Medical News

Can A Topical Immunomodulating Agent Obviate Need for Surgery in Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia?

Wed, 7 May 2008 14:31:25 EDT

Results of a small placebo-controlled study suggest that a topical cream may serve as an alternative to surgery for some patients with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia.
Medscape Hematology-Oncology

FDA Safety Changes: Janumet, WelChol, Rituxan

Wed, 7 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The FDA has approved revisions to the safety labeling for sitagliptin plus metformin HCl tablets (Janumet), colesevelam HCl tablets (WelChol), and rituximab intravenous injection (Rituxan).
Medscape Medical News

Breast Cancer Within 2 Years of Childbirth Linked to Poor Prognosis

Wed, 7 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

A study shows that women who have breast cancer within 2 years of their last pregnancy (or 2-4 years) after delivery are more likely to have a poor prognosis.
Medscape Medical News

Neuroblastoma Linked to Genetic Variants on Chromosome 6

Wed, 7 May 2008 17:00:11 EDT

Children with this genetic variant, identified for the first time in a genome-wide association study, develop a particularly aggressive form of neuroblastoma.
Medscape Medical News

Urinary Biomarkers Show Promise in Diagnosing Brain Tumors

Tue, 6 May 2008 10:35:00 EDT

Urinary biomarkers are showing promise as an effective, noninvasive way of detecting the presence or recurrence of brain tumors, a new pilot study suggests.
Medscape Medical News

Breast Cancer and Implants: Surgery Options

Tue, 6 May 2008 15:10:00 EDT

Breast-conserving surgery may be an option for women with breast implants and breast cancer.
WebMD Health News

Pharmacovigilance in Nephrology

Tue, 6 May 2008 15:33:14 EDT

Recent controversies about heparin contamination from China and ESA adverse effects raise questions about drug safety and FDA oversight.
Medscape Nephrology

Medicare Expected to Exceed $21 Billion for Elderly Cancer Patients

Tue, 6 May 2008 17:21:00 EDT

The startling estimate is based on 5 years of cancer care for American patients 65 years or older.
Medscape Medical News

Do Women Comply with Recommendations for Papanicolaou Smears Following Colposcopy? A Retrospective Study

Wed, 7 May 2008 12:21:18 EDT

Do women with abnormal Pap smears comply with follow-up cervical cancer screening or care after completing colposcopic exams and treatment? Patient compliance is evaluated in this study.
Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health

The Equivocally Amplified HER2 FISH Result on Breast Core Biopsy: Indications for Further Sampling Do Affect Patient Management

Thu, 8 May 2008 15:29:05 EDT

Might an equivocal HER2 amplification result from a breast core biopsy specimen be consistently representative of the HER2 status of the overall breast tumor? What are the testing implications?
American Journal of Clinical Pathology

Antidepressants and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Nested Case-Control Study

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:35:19 EDT

This study examined the association between antidepressant drug use and risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases