ONS Connect - July 2008 - (Page 6)

JUSTiN Oncology Advancements Announced at ASCO Meeting [By Deborah McBride, RN, MSN, CPON ®, Contributing Editor] Note. New research with potential impact on cancer care and treatment was discussed at 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). More than 4,300 abstracts were presented and can be accessed at www.asco.org. The research presented included the following. was used to predict future onset of lung cancer in the incident cohort. Researchers believe that the bloodbased RNA fingerprint is suitable to identify patients with lung cancer and to predict the occurrence of clinical lung cancer within two years. Zander, T., Debey-Pascher, S., Eggle, D., Staratschek-Jox, A., Stoelben, E., Linseisen, J., et al. (2008, May). Predictive value of transcriptional changes in peripheral blood for future clinical onset of lung cancer in asymptomatic smokers [Abstract 1509]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chicago, IL. they were diagnosed with cancer. Women deficient in vitamin D were more likely to have high-grade (more aggressive) cancers. After 10 years, 83% of women with adequate levels remained free from metastases and 85% were still alive, compared with only 69% and 74%, respectively, of women with vitamin D deficiency. Goodwin, P.J., Ennis, M, Pritchard, K.I., Koo, J., & Hood, N. (2008, May). Vitamin D deficiency is common at breast cancer diagnosis and is associated with a significantly higher risk of distance recurrence and death in a prospective cohort study of T1-3, NO-1, MO BC [Abstract 511]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chicago, IL. Blood Test may Detect Early-Stage Lung Cancer new blood test may be able to detect lung cancer in its early stages, according to research presented at the ASCO meeting. The RNA blood test had a sensitivity of 75% (accurately detected lung cancer) and was 85% specific (accurately identified patients who did not have lung cancer). The researchers used the RNA fingerprint from peripheral blood samples of a cohort of smokers with lung cancer (13 cases, 11 controls). The fingerprint was validated in a second cohort of smokers with lung cancer (22 cases, 15 controls). The researchers then identified 12 smokers who had developed lung cancer within two years after inclusion into European Prospective Investigation on Cancer and Nutrition and respective matched controls. The RNA fingerprint A vitamin D Deficiency may Be Linked to aggressive Breast Cancers C Terminal Care preferences anadian researchers have found may Differ by race that women with vitamin D deficiency at the time of breast cancer diagnosis were 94% more likely to experience metastasis of their cancer and 73% more likely to die compared to women with adequate vitamin D levels. They also found that 37.5% of women with breast cancer had vitamin D levels that were classified as “deficient” and 38.5% were classified as having “insufficient” levels of vitamin D. The study looked at 512 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who were enrolled at three University of Toronto hospitals from 1989–1995. Blood levels of vitamin D were measured by radioimmunoassay. The women were followed prospectively to 2006. Only 24% of the patients had adequate levels of vitamin D when B lack patients with advanced cancer were more likely than whites to die in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU), reflecting a greater preference among blacks for life-extending treatment even in the face of a terminal prognosis, according to a study led by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Researchers recorded the location of death for 231 white and 61 black patients who had stage IV metastatic cancer. Black patients were more than four times more likely to die in an ICU than white patients. A patient’s preference for aggressive care was the strongest factor in predicting death in an ICU. The researchers found that the preference was not explained by differences in education, physical or mental health, insurance, social support, doctor-patient communication, or advance care planning. They were unable to identify precisely why black patients tended 6 ONS CONNECT July 2008 http://www.asco.org

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ONS Connect - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Technologic Advancements in Cancer Care A Year in the Life - Month Seven Web Connect Capitol Connection Notice Nursing Now Caregiver Care Computerized System Standardizes Symptom Assessment and Management Nanotechnology Treats Cancer at the Atomic Level Rise in Mastectomies May Be Linked to Increased Use of MRI Detection Working for You Calendar of Events Staying on Top

ONS Connect - July 2008

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