Our Most Read Cancer Stories of 2016

December 21, 2016

This slide show highlights some of the most read stories on Cancer Network in 2016, including guidelines on surgical margins in DCIS, a study on serum vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients, and more.

Serum Vitamin D Levels Linked With Breast Cancer Prognosis:

Serum levels of a vitamin D biomarker, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), measured at the time of breast cancer diagnosis were independently associated with breast cancer prognosis, especially among premenopausal women, according to the results of the Pathways Study

Image © harmpeti / Shutterstock.com

Anti-HER2 Combo Shrunk Breast Tumors in Under 2 Weeks:

A quarter of women with HER2-positive breast cancer treated with a combination of lapatinib plus trastuzumab prior to surgery had significant tumor shrinkage within 11 days. Results from the EPHOS-B trial showed that in patients who received the combination treatment, 11% had a pathologic complete response and 17% had minimal residual disease.

Image © thailoei92 / Shutterstock.com

Longer Nightly Fasting Reduced Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence:

Researchers found a link between the duration of fasting at night and the risk for breast cancer recurrence among women with early-stage breast cancer. According to a study, fasting less than 13 hours per night was associated with an almost 40% increased risk for breast cancer recurrence compared with fasting more than 13 hours per night.

Image © Lisovskaya Natalia / Shutterstock.com

Combination Immunotherapy Linked With Rare, Potentially Fatal Complication:

A report detailed two cases of patients treated with combination immune checkpoint blockade for metastatic melanoma who developed myositis, early progressive and refractory cardiac electrical instability, and myocarditis. The researchers did not identify any cardiac-specific or cancer-specific features that predisposed patients to these adverse events.

Image © Tashatuvango / Shutterstock.com

Half of Cancer Deaths Preventable With Healthier Lifestyle:

According to a study, half of all cancer deaths and 20% to 40% of cancer cases in the United States could potentially be prevented if individuals adopted healthier lifestyles, including no smoking, moderate consumption of alcohol, and exercise.

Image © CandyBox Images / Shutterstock.com

Long-Term Aspirin Use Reduced Risk for Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers:

Regular use of aspirin has been linked with a small but significant reduction in the risk for overall cancer, with as much as a 15% reduction in the risk for gastrointestinal tract cancers and a 19% reduction in the risk for colorectal cancers, according to an analysis of data from two large studies

Image © Hurst Photo / Shutterstock.com

Physical Activity Linked With Reduced Risk of 13 Cancers:

Partaking in leisure-time physical activity was associated with a reduction in risk for as many as 13 cancer types, regardless of body size or smoking history

There was a 20% or greater reduction for 7 of 26 cancers explored by the study.

Image © Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

Even Those With Susceptibility Genes Can Lower Breast Cancer Risk:

People who carry a germline breast cancer susceptibility mutation can still substantially lower their risk of developing breast cance

The model of risk stratification suggests that genetics do not solely predict a breast cancer fate.

Image © Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com

Pembrolizumab Promising in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer:

Results from a phase Ib trial that focused on 32 triple-negative breast cancer patients who were positive for PD-L1 suggest that the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab has activity and an acceptable toxicity profile as single-agent therapy in heavily pretreated, advanced triple-negative breast cancer.

Image © Sebastian Kaulitzki / Shutterstock.com

First-Line Nivolumab Could Be Good Option in Lung Cancer:

Two parts of a phase I trial found that nivolumab could be a good first-line treatment option for patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer. In one part of the study, the immunotherapy agent yielded good safety results and durable responses as monotherapy, and in the other, nivolumab combined with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy had more toxicity but again good responses.

Image © molekuul_be / Shutterstock.com

Blood-Based Biomarker Combo Flagged High-Risk Colorectal Cancer:

A study found that a combination of four biomarkers may be able to help clinicians identify patients who have a high-risk type of colorectal cancer. An analysis showed that all of the chosen biomarkers were statistically significant for each colorectal cancer endpoint used in the study.

Risk Prediction Model Could Guide Metastatic Breast Cancer Decisions:

A novel prediction model can help predict long-term overall survival among breast cancer patients with distant metastases. The model, validated at four Korean teaching hospitals, could be used as a decision-making tool for physicians and patients.

Palbociclib/Letrozole Significantly Delayed Progression in Advanced Breast Cancer:

Patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer had significant delays in progression when treated with the combination of letrozole and palbociclib, compared with letrozole alone, according to the double-blind PALOMA-2 study. However, treatment with the combination also resulted in higher rates of myelotoxic effects.

Image courtesy of Pfizer.

Guidelines Establish Minimum Negative Margins in DCIS:

The American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology have issued a guideline on margins and recommend the use of 2-mm margins as standard in breast-conserving surgery for patients with DCIS.

Lower Vitamin D Levels Predict Poor Survival Outcomes in Melanoma:

In patients with melanoma, lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D) levels were associated with poorer survival outcomes, according to a prospective study. Using 20 ng/mL as a clinical cutoff, those with deficient vitamin D levels had a significantly worse overall survival than those above that mark, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.44 (

= .0036). The same was true for melanoma-specific survival, with an HR of 1.37 (

= .0475).

Image courtesy of the Skin Cancer Foundation.