Fizzy tablet is best method to receive fentanyl for cancer pain

Results of a mixed treatment comparison show that fentanyl in the form of an effervescent buccal tablet can better relieve the intensity of breakthrough cancer pain in the first 60 minutes after dosing compared with other fentanyl formulations.

via Med Wire News

Salivary IL-6 could predict recurrence after surgery in mouth cancer patients

Salivary levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 could be a useful predictor for locoregional recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients who are treated surgically, report researchers.

via Med Wire News

Annual follow up after ESD for early gastric cancer recommended

Almost all recurrent lesions in gastric epithelial cancer could be cured by endoscopic submucosal resection with annual follow-up exams, say the authors of a Japanese study.

via Med Wire News

Rituximab and new regimens for indolent lymphoma: a brief update from 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting

Indolent lymphoma (IL), the second most common lymphoma, remains incurable with chemotherapy alone. While R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) remains the standard frontline regimen for diffuse Large B --cell lymphoma, the optimal chemotherapy regimen for frontline therapy of advanced IL remains uncertain. FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab) has been shown to be better than fludarabine alone and fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide for IL. In FOLL05 trial, R-CHOP was compared with R-CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone) and R-FM (fludarabine, mitoxantrone). The study showed that R-CHOP appears to have the best risk-benefit ratio for IL. The StiL NHL1 trial showed that BR (bendamustine, rituximab) has longer progression free survival and is better tolerated than R-CHOP. Long-term complications with secondary malignancies between the two regimens appear to be comparable. In this review, new combination regimens reported at 2012 ASCO annual meeting were evaluated for frontline and salvage therapy of indolent lymphoma.

via Cancer Cell International

Up-regulated oncoprotein P28GANK correlates with proliferation and poor prognosis of human glioma

Background: The significance of p28GANK in gliomas remains unknown. This study aims to clarify the clinical significance of p28GANK in human gliomas. Methods: The expression of p28GANK in 138 gliomas and 50 matched para-cancerous tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining, and statistical analyses were performed to test the correlation of p28GANK with clinical parameters. To investigate the effects of p28GANK down-regulation on the growth of cells both in vitro and in vivo, an siRNA targeting p28GANK was transfected into U251 cells. Results: P28GANK expression was significantly higher in tumor specimens than in matched para-cancerous tissues. Over-expressed p28GANK significantly correlated with high karnofsky performance score (KPS), advanced WHO grade and poor overall survival of the patients. Univariate analysis showed that WHO grade and KPS also correlated with the survival of patients, and multivariate analysis suggested that KPS and p28GANK expression were two independent prognostic factors. Moreover, p28GANK gene silencing decreased the malignant growth of U251 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Increased expression of p28GANK is correlated with poor clinical outcomes in glioma patients. The down-regulation of p28GANK significantly inhibited cell proliferation, indicating that p28GANK might be a potential therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

via World Journal of Surgical Oncology

‘Sitting service’ at end of life may improve chances of dying at home

Individuals at the end of their life who use a sitting service to avoid being alone while dying or to give respite to family members who are caring for them, are significantly more likely to die at home than those who do not use such a service, report researchers.

via Med Wire News

Life-quality concerns for multiple myeloma survivors

Care of patients with multiple myeloma should not end with the achievement of long-term survival, suggests research indicating many experience poor health-related quality of life in the decade after diagnosis.

via Med Wire News