(Press-News.org) ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Five additional studies to be presented at the 2012 Quality Care Symposium provide insight on how oncology practices can improve the quality of care they provide. The Symposium will take place November 30 – December 1, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.
Note to Media: Statements from ASCO Communications Committee Member, Jyoti Patel, MD, can be cited throughout can be used in part or in their entirety.
Abstract #69
Rates of diagnostic imaging in long-term survivors of young adult malignancies
Corinne Daly, BSc, MSc
Institute of Medical Science
University of Toronto
Toronto
Oral Abstract Session A
Friday, November 30, 2012, 10:50-11:00 AM PST
Manchester Grand Hyatt, Douglas Pavilion B
"For the past several years, clinical practice guidelines have recommended decreasing the amount of surveillance in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Unfortunately, we are still seeing overuse of diagnostic imaging, which is associated with increased anxiety about test results and unnecessary radiation exposure. To mitigate this problem, we are educating internists ,general physicians, and patients about overuse of scans."
- Jyoti Patel, MD, ASCO Cancer Communications Committee
Abstract #73
Rational use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) as determined by radiation oncologists in cooperation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA)
Harvey J. Mamon, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston
Oral Abstract Session B
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 11:45-11:55 AM PST
Manchester Grand Hyatt, Douglas Pavilion B
"Many hospitals may be using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) unnecessarily. To maximize resources for both the physician and patient, we want to make sure that IMRT is used only when needed. This study provides a model that will help radiation oncologists decide when the use of IMRT is warranted."
- Jyoti Patel, MD, ASCO Cancer Communications Committee
Abstract #285
Data-driven transformation to an oncology patient-centered medical home
John David Sprandio, MD
Consultants in Medical Oncology and Hematology
Delaware County Memorial Hospital
Drexel Hill, Penn.
General Session II: Models That Work: Integration across the Spectrum (Part I)
Friday, November 30, 2012, 2:10-2:30 PM PST
Manchester Grand Hyatt, Douglas Pavilion B
"There is an effort to get electronic medical records (EMRs) into every medical practice, but implementation of EMRs alone does not improve care. Having a patient-centered medical home, such as the one described in this study, would improve the quality of the EMR system as well as its use because it integrates data from specialists and tracks patient care against national guidelines."
- Jyoti Patel, MD, ASCO Cancer Communications Committee
Abstract #287
Improving cancer care by linking community cancer center physicians to disease site-specific experts
Patricia H. Hardenbergh, MD
Shaw Regional Cancer Center
Vail Valley Medical Center
Edwards, Colo.
Oral Abstract Session B
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 12:05-12:15 PM PST
Manchester Grand Hyatt, Douglas Pavilion B
"The online technology described in this study enables community radiation oncologists to discuss cases and review radiation oncology treatment plans with a panel of experts. Those discussions are leading to changes in treatment decisions. In remote and underserved areas, being able to do a telemedicine consult instead of requiring a patient to travel to the practice for an assessment might be very helpful."
- Jyoti Patel, MD, ASCO Cancer Communications Committee
This study is funded by the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Improving Cancer Care Grant, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.
Abstract #298
Short-term outcomes of implementation of computer-based breast cancer risk assessment program during screening mammography
Debra M. Ray, MD
Leon Hess Cancer Center and Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center
Long Branch, N.J.
General Poster Session B
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 12:30-2:00 PM PST
Manchester Grand Hyatt, Douglas Pavilion C
"High risk breast cancer screening is very time-consuming and expensive, so we want to make sure that we are targeting the appropriate patients. This study offers a computer-based model for identifying women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer at the point of care – at the time of screening mammography. "
- Jyoti Patel, MD, ASCO Cancer Communications Committee
###
To view the full release click here: http://www.asco.org/ASCOv2/Press+Center/Latest+News+Releases/Meetings+News/Studies+from+2012+Quality+Care+Symposium+Highlight+Findings+in+Improving+Quality+of+Cancer+Care
Information for Media: www.asco.org/QCSpresskit
ATTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY QUALITY CARE SYMPOSIUM IS REQUESTED IN ALL NEWS COVERAGE.
Funding for this conference was made possible in part by a grant (1 R13 HS021377-01) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
About ASCO
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world's leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With more than 30,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.Cancer.Net. END
Studies from 2012 Quality Care Symposium highlight findings in improving quality of cancer care
2012-11-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Researchers report first success of targeted therapy in most common non-small cell lung cancer
2012-11-28
BOSTON - A new study by an international team of investigators led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists is the first to demonstrate that chemotherapy and a new, targeted therapy work better in combination than chemotherapy alone in treating patients with the most common genetic subtype of lung cancer.
Published online today in The Lancet Oncology, the combination of chemotherapy and the targeted drug selumetinib was more effective than chemotherapy alone in a clinical trial involving patients with a form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that carries a mutation ...
Joslin researchers increase understanding of genetic risk factor for type 1 diabetes
2012-11-28
BOSTON – November 28, 2012 – As part of their ongoing research on the role of genes in the development of type 1 diabetes, Joslin Diabetes Center scientists, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Würzburg, have demonstrated how a genetic variant associated with type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases influences susceptibility to autoimmunity. The findings appear in the upcoming issue of Diabetes.
Recent studies of the human genome have identified genetic regions associated with autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. Joslin scientists in the ...
Record-setting X-ray jet discovered
2012-11-28
A jet of X-rays from a supermassive black hole 12.4 billion light years from Earth has been detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This is the most distant X-ray jet ever observed and gives astronomers a glimpse into the explosive activity associated with the growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe.
The jet was produced by a quasar named GB 1428+4217, or GB 1428 for short. Giant black holes at the centers of galaxies can pull in matter at a rapid rate producing the quasar phenomenon. The energy released as particles fall toward the black hole ...
Banking Industry Veteran Michael Sanchez Addresses Conference at IMPACT 2012 Venture Summit
2012-11-28
Savana Inc CEO Michael Sanchez, was one of several financial services industry executives invited to speak at the recently held IMPACT 2012 Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT). Sanchez joined a panel to share his insight on trends in Fin-Tech and how the financial services industry is changing to support new business models through the use of software-based innovation.
Over a thousand attendees participated in the two day summit which featured speakers including former AOL Chairman Steve Case, former ...
4 common antipsychotic drugs found to lack safety and effectiveness in older adults
2012-11-28
In older adults, antipsychotic drugs are commonly prescribed off-label for a number of disorders outside of their Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indications – schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The largest number of antipsychotic prescriptions in older adults is for behavioral disturbances associated with dementia, some of which carry FDA warnings on prescription information for these drugs.
In a new study – led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Stanford University and the University of Iowa, and funded by the ...
The hungry caterpillar: Beware your enemy's enemy's enemy
2012-11-28
When herbivores such as caterpillars feed, plants may "call for help" by emitting volatiles, which can indirectly help defend the plants. The volatiles recruit parasitoids that infect, consume and kill the herbivores, to the benefit of the plant. However, such induced plant odours can also be detected by other organisms. A new study published November 27 in the open access journal PLOS Biology shows how secondary parasitoids ('hyperparasitoids') can take advantage of these plant signals to identify parasitoid-infected caterpillars, and duly infect the primary parasitoid, ...
Studies examine whether therapies for heart failure are associated with improved survival
2012-11-28
CHICAGO – An analysis of two heart failure therapies finds differing outcomes regarding improvement in survival, according to two studies appearing in the November 28 issue of JAMA.
In one study, Adrian F. Hernandez, M.D., M.H.S., of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, N.C., and colleagues examined the clinical effectiveness of aldosterone antagonist therapy and associations with long-term outcomes of older patients discharged from a hospitalization for heart failure.
"Aldosterone antagonist therapy [a diuretic drug] for heart failure and reduced ejection ...
Heart failure drug less effective in real world
2012-11-28
DURHAM, N.C. – A large study addressing the effectiveness and safety of aldosterone antagonist therapy for older heart failure patients has found notable differences between the drug's results in clinical trial vs. what occurs in actual practice, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.
Those differences have been noted anecdotally by doctors, and likely contributed to the slow adoption of aldosterone antagonists in clinical practice, but they had not been confirmed in a large study examining the drugs in real-world situations.
The Duke-led research, published Nov. ...
Risk of pertussis increases as time since last dose of DTaP vaccine lengthens
2012-11-28
CHICAGO – In an examination of cases of childhood pertussis in California, researchers found that children with pertussis had lower odds of having received all 5 doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) vaccine series; however the odds increased as the time since last DTaP dose lengthened, which is consistent with a progressive decrease in estimated vaccine effectiveness each year after the final dose of DTaP vaccine, according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA.
"Pertussis remains a poorly controlled vaccine-preventable disease ...
Study examines anticoagulation treatment following aortic valve replacement
2012-11-28
CHICAGO – Although current guidelines recommend 3 months of anticoagulation treatment after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement surgery, a study that included more than 4,000 patients found that patients who had warfarin therapy continued between 3 and 6 months after surgery had a lower rate of cardiovascular death, according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA.
"Biological prostheses are preferred to mechanical valves for aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery in elderly patients older than 65 years because of shorter life expectancy and lack of a need to ...