Oncology News Round-Up: Breast Cancer Detection in Black Women, and More

Each week on DocWire News, editors bring you the latest hematology and oncology news and research. In case you missed it, here are this week’s top headlines:

• Relationship Identified Between Depression and Lung Cancer Survival
• Researchers Develop Breast Cancer Prediction Tool for Black Women
• Factors Associated with Intense End-of-Life Care in Young Patients with Blood Cancer
• Study Identifies Greater Multiple Myeloma Risk in Female Agricultural Workers

Keep reading for the breakdown on these top stories.

RELATED: Last Week’s Oncology News Round-Up: Updates on Cancer in Latino Americans

Relationship Identified Between Depression and Lung Cancer Survival

Patients with advanced lung cancer and depression whose depressive symptoms increased after diagnosis were found to have significantly earlier mortality compared to patients whose depression improved or stayed the same, according to a new study. This relationship was found to persist even among patients who received treatments associated with improved survival in advanced lung cancer.

Overall, depression symptoms significantly decreased as time passed from diagnosis. Patients who did not show improvement in depression symptoms and reported moderate-to-severe levels at three months post-diagnosis had a 15-month survival rate of around 30%, compared with 50% among patients with no depression or mild levels at three months. The two-year trajectory of depressive symptoms after diagnosis was found to be significantly associated with survival (P=0.002). This relationship remained significant even after adjustment for covariates.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/hem-onc-picks/relationship-identified-between-depression-and-lung-cancer-survival/

RELATED: Should Patients Wait to Undergo Surgery for Early-Stage Lung Cancer?

Researchers Develop Breast Cancer Prediction Tool for Black Women

Researchers from Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center have developed and evaluated a risk prediction model for breast cancer in Black women in the U.S. The model’s discriminatory accuracy was similar to frequently used questionnaire-based breast cancer risk prediction models in White women and was best used women under age 40.

According to the researchers, the model is simple to use and all the information required can be obtained from the women themselves with a few simple questions. “This new tool for personalized prediction of breast cancer risk in Black women can be easily used by primary care providers to guide screening recommendations and/or referral for genetic testing, particularly for young Black women, thus leading to earlier diagnosis and reduced mortality,” they noted.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/researchers-develop-breast-cancer-prediction-tool-for-black-women/

RELATED: Mayo Clinic Advocates New Approach to Breast Cancer Prevention

Factors Associated with Intense End-of-Life Care in Young Patients with Blood Cancer

A study published online in Cancer evaluated factors associated with intense end-of-life care among patients younger than 40 with blood cancer. Using a national database, the researchers found that more than half (55%) of 1,454 patients with blood cancer received high-intensity care within one month of death.

“Children and adolescents with hematologic malignancies consistently experience higher rates of aggressive care at the end of life. Clinicians and researchers must now turn their attention to reducing this disparity,” wrote Adam Rapoport MD, and Sumit Gupta MD, PhD, in an editorial about this data.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/hem-onc-picks/factors-associated-with-intense-end-of-life-care-in-young-patients-with-blood-cancer/

RELATED: Blood Cancer Awareness Month Spotlights Hematologic Cancers

Study Identifies Greater Multiple Myeloma Risk in Female Agricultural Workers

An analysis of international cohort studies, published in Environment International, reported an elevated risk of multiple myeloma among female agricultural workers compared to the general population. Other cancers with elevated risk among agriculture workers included melanoma in women and prostate cancer in males.

“Although the number of multiple myeloma cases in women was small in most of the existing studies, the data overall are suggestive of an excess of multiple myeloma in female agricultural workers, particularly farmers,” wrote the authors. “Our analysis showed a significant excess only in the [French] cohort for both men and women, which could indicate higher levels of exposure to certain risk factors for multiple myeloma in the French agricultural setting.

https://www.docwirenews.com/hematology-oncology/study-identifies-greater-multiple-myeloma-risk-in-female-agricultural-workers/

RELATED: Best of the International Myeloma Workshop with Dr. Manni Mohyuddin

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