ONCOLOGY & HEMATOLOGY (US) – VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 – SPRING 2011

Brief flares of severe pain that ‘breaks through’ regular pain medication are experienced by many cancer patients and are associated with significant physical, psychologic, and economic burdens on patients and their carers. Mellar P Davis discusses the characteristics, impact, and assessment of breakthrough pain in cancer. He also discusses various tools that are frequently used […]

At least two-thirds of patients suffering from advanced cancer report persistent (background) pain, described as pain lasting for 12 or more hours per day.1 Relief of chronic cancer-related pain is achieved adequately in a majority of cancer patients with analgesic medications that are administered on a fixed schedule following World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.1–3 However, […]

Breakthrough pain is a transitory flare of pain superimposed on an otherwise stable pain pattern in patients treated with opioids.1 Breakthrough pain is a common feature in patients with cancer and is associated with significant physical, psychologic and economic burdens on patients as well as their care-givers.2 The most common subtype of breakthrough pain is […]

There are currently over 450,000 cancer survivors between 19 and 39 years of age. In 2005,1–3 1,372,910 people were diagnosed with cancer and 4% (~55,000 cases) were under 35 years of age.2,3 Breast cancer, cervical cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and melanoma are the most common incident cancers in people under 40 years of age.3 Infertility […]

Lung cancer remains a major health problem, with nearly 222,520 cases diagnosed in the US in 2010. Although it is the second most common cancer in men and women, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both groups; there were an estimated 157,300 deaths in the US attributable to lung cancer in 2010.1 […]

One of the main achievements in the field of radiation oncology for breast cancer has been preservation of the breast using breast conservation therapy (BCT), classically defined as local excision of the primary tumor to achieve negative margins followed by whole breast (WB) radiation therapy (RT). Historically, all patients with early-stage breast cancer (eBC) were […]

Cavitary bone defects are created in the curettage or debridement of benign bone tumors, infections, or low-grade malignancies. In order for new bone to fill these defects, the material that resides within must be osteoconductive, or an appropriate scaffolding that prevents non-osseous (fibrous) tissue infiltration, supports the attachment of new osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells, and […]

The Magnitude of Localized Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the US. It is estimated that approximately 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the US in 2009 alone;1 this accounts for about 25% of all […]

Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract, accounting for more than 42,000 cases annually in the US (6% of new cancer cases).1 Worldwide, it is the seventh most common cancer in women, with over 200,000 cases annually.2 Fortunately, most women present with dysfunctional vaginal bleeding or spotting—an early sign of […]

Splenomegaly and Cachexia—Presentation and Burden in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are accompanied by a profound clinical profile that significantly reduces overall patient survival and quality of life.1,2 Epidemiologically, MPNs occur in approximately six per 100,000 individuals and are commonly diagnosed in the fifth decade of life or later.3 Secondary conditions related to this disease […]

The clinical manifestations of sickle cell disease vary considerably among patients. For example, some patients with sickle cell anemia have mild disease while others suffer from a severe form with increased morbidity and a high mortality rate at a relatively young age.1,2 This variability seems to be dependent on certain genetic, cellular, and rheologic factors.1 […]

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE occurs worldwide, and in all age groups and socioeconomic populations in North America and western Europe.1,2 In a recent study by Heit et al., the estimated total annual cases of VTE occurring in the US exceeded 900,000, of which more than […]

Platelet function is the key cellular mechanism of primary hemostasis. Bleeding diatheses occur as a result of quantitative or qualitative disorders of platelets, which may be due to congenital or acquired causes. Acquired platelet dysfunction can be chronic, such as in leukemia, lymphoma, or bone marrow failure, or acute, such as in trauma, disseminated intravascular […]

Autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is effective in the treatment of many lymphohematopoietic malignancies, including Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The procedure requires the prior collection of an adequate number of hematopoietic stem cells capable of rapidly producing mature hematologic cells. Acquiring such cells can be particularly challenging in patients who have been treated […]