Findings from recent cancer research include a potential optimal time window to complete treatment after a breast cancer diagnosis, among others.
Here are 10 cancer-related findings from research published by Becker's Hospital Review since June 4:
1. All lung cancer patients should be screened for MET amplification/overexpression before determining a treatment plan, a new study led by researchers at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic suggests.
2. In April 2020, screenings for breast and cervical cancer in the U.S. fell dramatically compared to the previous five-year averages for that month, according to a study led by CDC researchers published June 30 in Preventive Medicine.
3. Survival rates for breast cancer increase when treatment is completed within 38 weeks of diagnosis, according to research led by Cleveland Clinic oncologists.
4. Just 12.9 percent of eligible Medicare and Medicaid patients were screened for lung cancer between 2019-2021, despite having insurance coverage, according to a recent analysis of data from Epic's Health Research Network.
5. Of 423 encounters between oncologists and patients, just 5 percent included end-of-life discussions, with oncologists often shying away from such conversations even when the opportunity presented itself, according to findings recently published in JAMA Network Open.
6. For patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, an aggressive form of the disease, surgery to remove the tumor before starting chemotherapy should lead to better outcomes than the reverse, according to research published June 14 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
7. A small survey shows oncologists may often underestimate their patients' use of complementary medicines, Medscape reported June 14.
8. Nearly a quarter of childhood cancer survivors experience at least one debilitating neuromuscular condition 20 years post diagnosis, according to a study published in the June issue of Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
9. While current U.S. guidelines recommend cervical cancer screening stop at age 65, less than 1 in 3 women aged 64-66 met the criteria to safely discontinue screening, according to research published June 7 in Gynecologic Oncology.
10. AstraZeneca's Lynparza drug cut the combined risk of recurrence of cancer or death from any cause by 42 percent among early-stage breast cancer patients with certain mutations, compared to those who received a placebo, according to research published June 3 in The New England Journal of Medicine.