New Research in JNCCN Suggests a Simple and Inexpensive Option for Reducing a Major Chemotherapy Side-Effect

New research in the November 2023 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network suggests that breast cancer patients who have insufficient levels of vitamin D before starting paclitaxel treatment are more likely to experience peripheral neuropathy.

Most Non-English Speakers in the U.S. Are Turned Away Before Their First Cancer Visit According to New Research in JNCCN

New study in JNCCN from the University of Michigan found English speakers who call a hospital general information line were able to get information on next steps to access cancer care 94% of the time, compared to 38% for Spanish speakers and just 28% for Mandarin speakers.

Food-Drug Interactions Could be Impactful for Some Lung Cancer Patients According to New Study in JNCCN

New research in the June 2023 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that when alectinib—a safe and effective small molecule kinase inhibitor used to treat some types of advanced lung cancer—was taken with a fuller breakfast, or with lunch, it resulted in significantly higher drug concentrations than when taken with a low-fat breakfast.

Cancer Symptom Algorithm Presented in JNCCN Can Aid Doctors in Predicting Patients at Risk for Unplanned Emergency Visits

New research in the February 2023 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network illustrates how the use of an algorithm to calculate a patient-reported symptom complexity score can help oncologists identify patients who are at increased risk for unplanned visits to the emergency department (ED), creating the potential for additional proactive care, and the reduction of healthcare costs.

Surgery First for Colon Cancer? Not So Fast, According to New Study in JNCCN

New research in JNCCN finds that immunotherapy from immune checkpoint (PD-1) inhibitors prior to surgery was strikingly effective for patients with localized mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC).

Patients and Doctors Agree on Treatment Goals Only Half the Time, According to JNCCN Study on People with Neuroendocrine Tumors

New research in JNCCN finds that only 30% of patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) say their top goal for treatment is living longer. Only 51.7% of patients perceived that they had the same treatment goals as their physician.

New Study in JNCCN Presents Evidence for ‘Tough Conversations’ Around Racism in Access to Cancer Care

A study in JNCCN, led by researchers at Duke University School of Medicine, found that Non-Hispanic Black patients were less likely to receive guideline-appropriate treatment for ovarian cancer compared to Non-Hispanic White patients, even after adjusting for healthcare access issues.

Cancer Patients Treated with Immunotherapy Can Safely Receive mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines, According to JNCCN Study

New research published in the October 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network confirms the safety of mRNA vaccines in people with cancer undergoing immunotherapy treatment.

New Study in JNCCN Suggests Way to Predict Outcomes with High Accuracy Prior to Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Patients

New research in the September 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds the use of positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracer adds significant prognostic benefit in objectively assessing neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in borderline resectable/locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients prior to surgery.

There’s a Better Way to Detect High-Risk Medications in Older Adults with Cancer According to New Study in JNCCN

Gerontology researchers teamed up with hematologic-oncology investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to look at the association between older patients with blood cancers who were taking multiple medications and their corresponding frailty. They also created a new scale based on a list of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) from the NCCN Guidelines® for Older Adult Oncology—called the Geriatric Oncology-Potentially Inappropriate Medications (GO-PIMs) Scale—and found it to be more effective at predicting frailty than conventional methods.

JNCCN: Mismatch in Breast Cancer Trial Results and Real-World Outcomes Based on Treatment Discontinuation

New population study in JNCCN on adjuvant hormone therapy for breast cancer finds correlation between hot flashes and poorer outcomes—in contrast to clinical trial results; likely due to patients with side-effects ending treatment early.

Are Too Many Phase III Cancer Clinical Trials Set Up to Fail?

New research in JNCCN finds four out of five cancer therapies tested in Phase III trials do not achieve clinically-meaningful benefit in prolonging survival, and is the first study to quantify the number of false-positive, false-negative, and true-negative trial results.

JNCCN Study Reveals Neuroendocrine Tumor Mortality Patterns to Inform Treatment Decisions

New study in JNCCN finds that among all patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), the risk of dying of cancer was higher than that of dying of other causes, but mortality varies by primary tumor site, in first population-based cohort study on cancer-specific death after a NET diagnosis.

JNCCN Study Highlights Gaps in Patient Supportive Services at U.S. Cancer Centers

New research in the July 2021 issue of JNCCN indicates a need to increase substance use and mental health support capabilities at cancer centers across the United States. Researchers found 85.4% of centers offered mental health services but only 45.5% had chemical dependency services.

JNCCN: New Evidence on Need to Address Muscle Health among Patients with Cancer

Results of new study in JNCCN from Mass General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute underscore the need for the development and testing of nutrition and fitness interventions, as muscle quality significantly correlates with symptom burden, healthcare utilization, and survival.

Unexpected Findings on Weight Loss and Breast Cancer from International Study in JNCCN

New research in the February 2021 issue of JNCCN examined body mass index (BMI) data for people with HER2-positive early breast cancer, and found a 5% weight loss in patients over two years in was associated with worse outcomes. Weight gain over the same time period did not affect survival rates.

New Research in JNCCN Highlights Dangerous Disparities for Life-Saving Cancer Screening

New research in the January 2021 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds more than a third of eligible people miss timely screening tests for colorectal cancer and at least a quarter appear to miss timely screening tests for breast and cervical cancers.

New Research in JNCCN Evaluates Cost-Effectiveness of Olaparib, a PARP Inhibitor, for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

New research in the November 2020 issue of JNCCN identifies metastatic pancreatic cancer patient subgroups with the highest relative cost-effectiveness from maintenance olaparib, a PARP inhibitor.

JNCCN: New Research Finds Low Bone Health Testing Rates after Prostate Cancer Treatment

New research in the October 2020 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds the rate of bone mineral density (BMD) testing in people with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has improved in recent years, but remains low.

New Research in JNCCN Sheds Light on Multi-Organ Adverse Events from Immunotherapy

New international research in the September 2020 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds immunotherapy-related adverse events (irAEs) can impact more than one organ in a single patient. Multi-organ irAEs are more likely to happen sequentially rather than simultaneously.

JNCCN: Many Hospitalized People with Advanced Cancer Struggle with Important Daily Tasks

New research from Mass General Cancer Center, published in the June 2020 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, found 40.2% of hospitalized patients with advanced, incurable cancer were functionally impaired at the time of admission.

JNCCN: Improving COVID-19 Safety for Cancer Patients and Healthcare Providers

NCCN Best Practices Committee publishes peer-reviewed feature in JNCCN presenting latest insights on how to keep oncology patients and healthcare workers safe during COVID-19 pandemic. Visit NCCN.org/covid-19 for continually-updated resources for patients, providers, and care systems.

JNCCN: How to Manage Cancer Care during COVID-19 Pandemic

Experts from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance share lessons learned from early experiences treating people with cancer during COVID-19 outbreak via free online article in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Younger Cancer Survivors Far More Likely to Experience Food and Financial Insecurity than their Cancer-Free Peers, According to Researchers from American Cancer Society

New research from the American Cancer Society in the March 2020 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that younger cancer survivors are more likely to experience significant financial strain for food, housing, and monthly bills after diagnosis.

Gaps in Cure Rate Appear Linked to Race and Insurance Status for a Common HPV-Related Cancer, According to New Research

Largest population-based analysis on factors that affect survival outcomes for HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) find significant racial and socioeconomic disparities, according to new study in JNCCN-Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Researchers Surprised by High Levels of Alcohol Consumption among Cancer Survivors

New research JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, using data from NHIS to examine self-reported drinking habits among people reporting a cancer diagnosis, finds 56.5% were current drinkers, 34.9% exceeded moderate drinking levels, and 21% engaged in binge drinking.

New Research in JNCCN Offers Reassurance about Rarity of Recurrence for Early-Stage Breast Cancer after Breast-Conserving Surgery

New research in the November 2019 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute examines the implications of invasive breast cancer after breast-conserving treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (aka DCIS, a form of non-invasive breast cancer) and which factors could impact overall survival.

Maintaining Full Doses of Chemotherapy Can Be Key for Breast Cancer Survival, According to New Research in JNCCN

Study in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, finds early dose reduction of adjuvant FEC-D chemotherapy negatively impacts overall survival rates for women with intermediate- or high-risk breast cancer.