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People With Cancer Report Inconsistency Between Desired Care and Treatment Received

More people with advanced cancer, compared with those with other serious illnesses, reported that their treatments focused on longevity when their goals prioritized comfort, according to findings from a study published in Cancer. Researchers analyzed survey responses about treatment priorities from 231 people with advanced cancer and 868 people with other serious illnesses. Researchers saw some similarities among people with cancer and those with other serious illnesses, including a preference for comfort-focused care (49% and 48%, respectively) and the rate at which people died within a 24-month period (16% and 13%), MedPage Today reported. More people with cancer, compared with those with other illnesses, said they received care that prioritized extending life despite their preference for comfort-focused care (37% vs. 19%). “We need to help patients make an educated decision about what suits their personal goals and then follow that,” Manan P. Shah, a study author and a medical oncologist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles, told MedPage Today. When focused on people with cancer who preferred comfort-focused care, researchers observed no statistically significant differences in two-year mortality in the groups of patients who received life-extending care despite their wishes and those who received the comfort-focused care they preferred.

Blood Test May Detect Ovarian Cancer in Symptomatic Women

A new blood test detected ovarian cancer even at early stages in women with abdominal symptoms, according to a study published in Cancer Research Communications. This blood test uses a machine learning model to analyze lipids, proteins and other biomarkers. Researchers tested blood samples at two institutions: the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’ Ovarian Cancer Innovations Group and the University of Manchester in England. In the first group, the blood test accurately detected 93% of cases across all stages of ovarian cancer, including those with stage I or II disease, the BBC reported. The blood test also performed strongly with the University of Manchester set, according to a press release from AOA Dx, the company developing the test. “This platform offers a great opportunity to improve the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, potentially resulting in better patient outcomes and lower costs to the health care system,” Abigail McElhinny, chief science officer of AOA Dx, said in the release. Of note, traditional diagnostic methods for ovarian cancer include invasive procedures or less reliable markers, both of which can lead to later-stage diagnoses, according to the press release. Approximately 20% of people diagnosed with ovarian cancer are categorized as stage I or II.

Topical Treatment Helps Manage Radiation-induced Mucositis in Nasopharyngeal Cancers

The topical antibiotic mupirocin reduced mouth sores in people with nasopharyngeal cancer, according to findings from a phase III clinical trial published in JAMA Oncology. This treatment approach also improved quality of life by alleviating swallowing difficulties and oral pain in this patient population. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that starts in the upper part of the throat, behind the nose. Radiation to this area can lead to mucositis, which is inflammation of the digestive system that may be the result of a bacterial infection and can cause symptoms such as mouth sores. Mipirocin combats mucositis by eliminating the bacterial infection, a process called bacterial decolonization. In the study, 176 people with nasopharyngeal cancer were randomly assigned to receive either mupirocin or routine nasal and oral care, ASCO Post reported. The treatment regimen involved applying the ointment inside the nasal cavity twice daily for five days around radiation treatment, followed by a one-week break. During the study, 22.7% of people receiving mupirocin developed acute radiation oral mucositis, compared with 47.7% in the standard-of-care group. An analysis confirmed that the findings were linked to bacterial decolonization. Researchers also noted that people in the mupirocin group had less oral pain and less difficulty swallowing than those in the standard-of-care group. “While further multicenter studies are required to validate these findings and explore synergistic effects with probiotics, this trial’s results highlight the potential of microbial management in reducing radiation-related complications,” the study authors concluded.