AOS physician David Brachman, MD recently appeared on KPNX Channel 12 in Phoenix to discuss the results of a new study on incidence of colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Click here to watch.
AOS Highlights from Recent Leksell Gamma Knife Society Meeting
At the 16th annual International Meeting of the Leksell Gamma Knife Society meeting held during the last week of March 2012, AOS doctors co-authored two of the abstracts presented. One presentation reviewed results of Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery for a condition called glomus tumors, done as a part of multiple institution study. The second study dealt with improving detection of cancers that had spread to the brain. Read more.
ASTRO News Release on Lung Cancer Treatment - February 16, 2011: Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) provides better outcomes than surgery for cancer patients with common lung diseases. Stereotactic body radiotherapy uses sophisticated imaging with multiple radiation beams to deliver a high dose of concentrated radiation to tumors anywhere in the body. Patients are typically able to complete their treatments in 3 to 5 outpatient visits, usually spread over a ten day period. Arizona Oncology Services offers stereotactic body radiotherapy as a treatment option for patients with primary lung cancers, and lung or liver metastases from other primary cancers at our centers across the valley, as well as brain and spine tumors at our downtown location within St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. Read the ASTRO news release.
Cancer News
Timing of Radiation Post-surgery Very Critical in Head and Neck Cancer Outcomes
It has been found that the package time (time between surgery and the end of radiation) is critical in the outcome of head and neck patients following surgery. If the package time is less than 11 weeks, there is a benefit in terms of locoregional control and survival as opposed to the package time being greater than 13 weeks. This has also been reported when studied specifically for oral cavity cancers. In an article in the Red Journal, patients were stratified by both package time and by time from surgery to RT. In both cases, the longer the interval for radiation to start after surgery, the more locoregional control and survival were negatively impacted. Read more.
Study Evaluates Higher Mortality Rate for Older Breast Cancer Patients
A common adage heard in medical schools across the country is “treat the patient, not their age.” The truth of this saying is demonstrated in a recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb 8 issue from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. In this study, women who had been enrolled in another randomized trial called the TEAM (Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational) trial were analyzed for age related breast cancer specific survival. A total of 9766 patients were enrolled in the study and divided into three age groups; <64, 65-74, and >75. Read more.
Proton Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Protons are becoming increasingly popular as a primary treatment for prostate cancer, despite the fact that it costs two to three times as much as conventional therapy and has not been shown to have a better cure rate. The physics of a proton beam is different than that of an x-ray or photon beam, and based on the difference of what is known as a Bragg Peak, many doctors and their patients have hoped that the risk of complications could be reduced. Read more.
Skin Cancer in a Nutshell
Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer with over 1 million new cases diagnosed annually. The annual rates are also increasng yearly. Read more.
Lifestyle and Cancer Risk
While it is true that fate or genes have much to do with the risk of cancer, a recent study confirms that about 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change. Read more.
Head and Neck Cancer Mortality Improves with Education
A new study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery has shown that when a person attains at least some college education, the chance of surviving a cancer of the head and neck significantly improves. This was true regardless of socioeconomic background, race, or gender. Read more.
Childhood Cancer and Radiation Therapy
The welcome announcement of a clinical trial by the Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen) assisted by Dell to improve care of children with neuroblastoma brings welcome attention to the problem of childhood cancer. Read more.
Prostate Screening Guidelines
In October 2011, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force released a report suggesting that testing of men with a PSA blood test for prostate cancer should no longer be considered a routine screening test. For years, as prostate cancer specialists, Arizona Oncology Service (AOS) has recommended that men have regular check ups with a digital rectal exam (DRE) and PSA to identify early cancers. We have done so because we recognized that even if the US-PSTF cannot prove that the survival is better for 100,000 men who are screened, we have seen time and time again, that for an individual man whose cancer is found in the early stages we can make a difference with relatively non-invasive cancer treatments. Read more.