Journal Of Clinical Oncology (jco) Podcast

This podcast includes commentary upon a large case control series that examined the incidence of cardiac injury in association with radiation dose to distinct segments of the left ventricle and coronary arteries. Read the associated article by Taylor et al on JCO.org.

This is an evaluation of PCI in stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.  While the incidence of symptomatic brain metastases is reduced, neurological toxicity is increased and no effect on survival is demonstrated. This trial reconfirms that routine administration of PCI is not a current standard of care. Read the associated article by De Ruysscher et al on JCO.org. This JCO Podcast provides observations and commentary on the JCO article 'Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation (PCI) Versus Observation in Radically Treated Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Randomized Phase III NVALT-11/ DLCRG-02 Study' by De Ruysscher et al. My name is Everett Vokes, and I am the Chairman and Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago in Chicago, United States of America. My oncologic specialty is head and neck and lung cancer. De Ruysscher et al present a randomized trial evaluating the role of prophylactic cranial irradiation, referred to as PCI in this podcast, in patients with stage III non-small-cell lung ca

The public perception of medical marijuana has outpaced medical knowledge. Oncologists encounter an increasing number of patient questions and interest regarding its use. This study highlights the beliefs, attitudes and knowledge of medical oncologists regarding the therapeutic use of marijuana. View the related article Medical Oncologists’ Beliefs, Practices, and Knowledge Regarding Marijuana Used Therapeutically: A Nationally Representative Survey Study by Braun et al on JCO.org.   This JCO Podcast provides observations and commentary on the JCO article ‘'Medical Oncologists' Beliefs, Practices and Knowledge Regarding Marijuana Used Therapeutically: A Nationally-Representative Survey Study' by Braun  and colleagues. My name is Kimberson Tanco, and I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. I am a Palliative Medicine physician. Medical marijuana is one of the fastest growing medical issues nationwide, so much so it is now legal under certain conditions

This commentary summarizes findings from a study of racial disparities in medical financial hardship, identifies gaps in the current evidence base, and discusses health policy considerations for to reducing the risk of financial hardship. Read the related article "Financial Impact of Breast Cancer in Black Versus White Women" on JCO.org

This podcast discusses a phase II trial evaluating the combination of everolimus and fulvestrant compared to fulvestrant alone in pretreated hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in terms of context within the current hormone treatment environment and toxicity management. Read the related article Randomized Phase II Trial of Fulvestrant Plus Everolimus or Placebo in Postmenopausal Women With Hormone Receptor–Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer Resistant to Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy: Results of PrE0102" on JCO.org

This  podcast discusses a CCSS study of very late infection-related mortality in asplenic adult survivors childhood cancer, with risk increasing precipitously after age 40.  Read the related article "Late Infection-Related Mortality in Asplenic Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study" on JCO.org

This podcast describes the extended follow-up of the large International phase II CheckMate 205 study of single-agent nivolumab for patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after failure from autologous stem cell transplant. Read the related article on JCO.org.

This podcast provides comment on the accompanying JCO article “ENGAGE: Evaluation of a streamlined oncologist-led BRCA mutation testing and counseling model for patients with ovarian cancer” by Nicoletta Colombo, et al and evaluates the need for new delivery models for genetic testing for oncology patients. Related Article: Evaluation of a Streamlined Oncologist-Led BRCA Mutation Testing and Counseling Model for Patients With Ovarian Cancer

This commentary examines whether patient-reported outcomes were substantially different in men given chemohormonal therapy versus hormone therapy in the CHAARTED randomized controlled trial. Related Article: Quality of Life During Treatment With Chemohormonal Therapy: Analysis of E3805 Chemohormonal Androgen Ablation Randomized Trial in Prostate Cancer

This podcast reflects upon a recent retrospective study of breast cancer patients with local regional recurrence, and whether imaging is needed for all such patients. Read the related article on JCO.org.

This podcast discusses whether the primary outcomes and study design for the reported trial were properly pre-specified and pre-registered prior to accruing participants. Related Article: Improving Breast Cancer Surgical Treatment Decision Making: The iCanDecide Randomized Clinical Trial

This podcast reviews the aims, methodology, and results of a population-level study that investigates the value of specialized pediatric palliative care services for children with cancer at the end of life, as well as discussing practical ways in which individuals and institutions can immediately apply study findings towards improvement of clinical care, education, and research initiatives. Related Article: Predictors of Specialized Pediatric Palliative Care Involvement and Impact on Patterns of End-of-Life Care in Children With Cancer

This podcast reviews the current evidence for using radiofrequency ablation or stereotactic body radiotherapy as primary treatment for nonsurgical management of early stage hepatocellular carcinoma.    Related Article: Radiofrequency Ablation Versus Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Localized Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Nonsurgically Managed Patients: Analysis of the National Cancer Database

This podcast addresses the clinical implications of the high cost of the 21-gene assay in women with ER-positive, node-negative breast cancer. Related Article: Population-Based Study to Determine the Health System Costs of Using the 21-Gene Assay

Though opioid abuse is clearly an issue for cancer patients post-surgery, many other potential factors were not accounted for and should be included in a more in-depth study that goes beyond database analysis. Related Arcticle: New Persistent Opioid Use Among Patients With Cancer After Curative-Intent Surgery

The paper examines the cost-effectiveness of schedules of bone-modifying agents in patients with breast cancer and skeletal metastases and supports the 3-month administration of the generic zoledronic acid in terms of cost and efficacy. Read the accompanying article on JCO.org.

In this randomized trial, momelotinib was non-inferior to ruxolitinib for spleen response but was less effective in controlling symptoms. Related Article: SIMPLIFY-1: A Phase III Randomized Trial of Momelotinib Versus Ruxolitinib in Janus Kinase Inhibitor–Naïve Patients With Myelofibrosis

A Danish population based study of adults with acute myeloid leukemia is described, and the potential significance of educational level as a predictor of receipt of allogeneic transplant and overall survival is explored. Read the associated article on JCO.org. 

With a large database analysis, the authors found an increase in hospice use among older patients with AML at the end of life, but this increase was largely driven by late enrollment. Read the associated article by Wang et al on JCO.org.

T-cell therapies targeting viral diseases have evolved from a patient-specific therapy, targeting a single virus, and requiring multiple months of specialized manufacturing, to readily-available cell banks capable of targeting multiple viruses for many individuals. Read the associated article by Tzannou et al on JCO.org.