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Complications of the bone remain a major clinical problem in oncology, resulting in significant morbidity and increased risk of death.

Although the use of bisphosphonates is a well-established form of supportive care treatment for bone metastasis, complications arising from long-term use require schedule optimization and a search for alternative strategies.

Early data from an ongoing randomized trials in the UK strongly suggest that denosumab might play a defined role in the future management of metastatic bone disease.

The exodus of doctors from Medicare and likely from private practice altogether - is accelerating.

A Seattle cancer center appoints a new leader while ASCO bestows development awards on international researchers. Learn more about the latest appointments and accolades in the cancer community.

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Authur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institution (OSUCCC-James) has begun construction on a 276-bed cancer facility.

Clinical studies examining the potential of CT exposure to cause cancer are under way, but it could be years or even a decade until the results are known, and even then, they may be inconclusive.

There was a time when a cancer diagnosis meant long commutes for patients in small communities and rural America. The kind of care they needed was available only at tertiary medical centers, typically in metropolitan areas. An expanded network of community cancer clinics changed that, providing convenience and comfort for many thousands of patients. A few years ago those centers were treating four out of five U.S. cancer patients. But now this net of care providers is collapsing under the weight of falling Medicare reimbursement.

IndicationNplate® is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins or splenectomy.

Whether elderly patients receive adjuvant therapy depends on their health status and how well the physician communicates the risks and benefits.

Glut of e-health information has put public in a ‘data smog.’

Data from French trial should inform treatment decisions in the majority of lung cancer patients aged 70 and up.

Nplate® is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins or splenectomy. Nplate® should be used only in patients with ITP whose degree of thrombocytopenia and clinical condition increases the risk for bleeding. Nplate® should not be used in an attempt to normalize platelet counts.

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As more doctors turn to fluconazole for empirical antifungal therapy, some of the weakest patients--those with hematological malignancies and neutropenia--are most likely to pay the price, succumbing to resistant microorganisms.

We are pleased to announce that internationally regarded radiation oncologist, Nora Janjan, MD, Editor-in-Chief of ONCOLOGY, will parlay her policy expertise and serve as Editor for the journal’s new Practice & Policy department set to launch in the September edition.

A 2-day meeting on the impact of Risk Evaluation & Mitigation Strategies (REMS) kicked off with feedback from a provider group, which expressed a desire for more input by outside stakeholders on the development of specific REMS.

Indication Nplate® is indicated for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins or splenectomy.

Paper records are soon to be a thing of the past, like it or not. Check out this one-stop guide to help you navigate the murky waters of government-mandated electronic healthcare records: Supplied by Physician’s Practice.

Four months after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it,” a congressional panel has released the first chart illustrating the 2,801 page health care law President Obama signed into law in March. Check out the video…

In this video interview, Oncology board member and CancerNetwork contributing editor, Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, Institute Chair, Taussig Cancer Institute gives his opinion on how the changing landscape of the American healthcare system will affect cancer care.

This year’s “Cancer Trends” survey provides insight into ambulatory cancer care, effects of the recession, and organizational strategies that may help providers adapt to the changes in the healthcare marketplace.

Go back to the beginning of MRI, in the early and mid-1980s, and you’ll find an almost rabid adoption of the modality, despite scant evidence of its clinical value. MRI has since done much to gain the trust of the medical community, opening a diagnostic cornucopia in the process. But the future has to bring more if MR is going to extend this legacy. Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are working on it.

This is decision time at FDA. Since the agency gave accelerated approval for Avastin in first-line treatment of metastatic breast, two follow-up studies “failed to confirm the magnitude” of the benefits seen in that first study of Avastin. Consequently, ODAC voted 12 to 1, urging FDA to reverse its approval of Avastin in this indication.

Most busy oncologists will never have time or patience to sift through the 864-page final rule CMS released Tuesday describing how health care providers can demonstrate "meaningful use" of electronic health records to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments under the 2009 federal stimulus package.

The journal ONCOLOGY: Perspectives on Best Practices is a peer-reviewed open access reviews journal that focuses on practical treatment issues. Reviews are accompanied by insightful commentaries from oncologists working in a variety of settings.  

Osteoporosis in elderly cancer patients is an increasing problem, yet it remains under-recognized and under-managed. We commend Dr. Balducci for writing a comprehensive review of the bone complications associated with cancer and its treatment in the elderly.

Dr. Balducci has presented a timely and useful overview of bone health in elderly patients undergoing cancer treatment. This topic has important implications, not only within geriatric oncology but also throughout the entire age spectrum. Dr. Balducci’s focus on the elderly population is especially relevant, as this group is at particularly high risk for bone complications over the course of cancer therapy. In his review, Dr. Balducci provides an introduction to the physiology of bone reabsorption and formation, and discusses risk factors for the interruptions in usual physiologic homestasis that lead to osteoporosis.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are increasingly common in cancer patients, owing to the aging of the population and to new forms of cancer treatment. Androgen and estrogen deprivation, as well as some forms of cytotoxic chemotherapy, may lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Patients at risk for osteoporosis include those treated with aromatase inhibitors and with androgen deprivation for more than 1 year. In addition, all patients 65 years of age and older are at risk of osteoporosis when treated with cytotoxic agents, and so should be screened for bone loss. Several treatments have been effective in the prevention and management of osteoporosis. In patients at risk for this complication, it is recommended to obtain a bone density evaluation and to start appropriate treatment. This may include calcium and vitamin D supplementation for mild forms of osteopenia, and bisphosphonate therapy or denosumab (Prolia) for more advanced osteopenia and osteoporosis.