2015

Negative news stories about statins are linked to people discontinuing treatment and an increase in heart attacks and early death

Researchers in Denmark have found that negative news stories about statins are linked to some people choosing to discontinue their statin treatment, which, in consequence, is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and dying from heart disease. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], shows that for every negative […]

Some advanced breast cancer patients can survive longer with better treatments: experts call for clinical trial

Lisbon, Portugal: International experts have called for a clinical trial to investigate the best ways for identifying and treating a small but important group of patients with advanced breast cancer who can survive for long periods without their disease progressing. Although advanced breast cancer [1] is incurable, there are some patients who have just a […]

Medicines for breast cancer: the affordability controversy

Lisbon, Portugal: New and better drugs to treat diseases such as advanced breast cancer will have little effect on improving patient outcomes if a country does not have good healthcare structures in place, Professor Richard Sullivan told the Advanced Breast Cancer Third International Consensus Conference on Friday. Without good systems, Prof Sullivan, of the Institute […]

Higher insulin is an independent prognostic factor in advanced breast cancer: patients may be helped by simple lifestyle changes

Lisbon, Portugal: Patients with breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastasised) and who have higher insulin levels than normal, but are not diabetic, have a significantly worse prognosis compared with those with normal insulin levels, a researcher will tell the Advanced Breast Cancer Third International Consensus Conference [1] on Friday. […]

Stop the damaging messages about advanced breast cancer and include us in your discussions say patients

Lisbon, Portugal: Organisations that issue “damaging messages” about advanced breast cancer [1] need to be identified and educated to change the way they talk about the disease, a patient told the Advanced Breast Cancer Third International Consensus Conference. In another presentation, a second leader from the community of USA patients with metastatic breast cancer told […]

New research shows ovarian transplants appear to be safe and effective

Women who have ovarian tissue removed, stored and then transplanted back to them at a later date have a good chance of successfully becoming pregnant, according to a review of the largest series of ovarian transplants performed worldwide. The study, published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, shows that, […]

Social deprivation and gender affects incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma in children and young adults

Vienna, Austria: Living in overcrowded conditions appears to protect children and young adults against developing a particular type of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), a cancer that originates from the lymphocytes (white blood cells). This protective effect seems to suggest that infections earlier in life may stimulate the immune system to deal with future infections and cancerous […]

A cancer diagnosis while pregnant should not lead to treatment delay or pregnancy termination

Vienna, Austria: Women who are pregnant when diagnosed with cancer can start treatment for their disease immediately and do not need to terminate their pregnancy due to worries over the effects of therapy on the development of their child. In a special session on cancer in pregnancy at the 2015 European Cancer Congress [1] on […]

First ‘targeted’ treatment for small cell lung cancer shows promise

Vienna, Austria: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease that is difficult to treat and is frequently only diagnosed when it has spread to other parts of the body (metastasised). Five-year survival rates in SCLC, which accounts for about 14% of all lung cancers, are very low, at only six percent. But US […]

Drug combination improves progression-free survival in melanoma patients regardless of genetic status, age and spread of disease

Vienna, Austria: Patients with advanced melanoma skin cancer survive for longer without their disease progressing if they have been treated with a combination of two drugs, nivolumab and ipilimumab, than with either of these drugs alone. New results show that these patients also do better regardless of their age, stage of disease and whether or […]