Hem/Onc Roundup: Cancer is the Leading Cause of Death Among Patients with Diabetes in the UK, and More

This week on DocWire News, editors spoke with Dr. Raj Chakraborty, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, about promising research on bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) for treatment of multiple myeloma, and things to consider when selecting between BiTEs and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/bispecific-t-cell-engagers-for-multiple-myeloma-with-dr-chakraborty/

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A systematic review of patients with breast cancer found that a quarter of patients experience cognitive impairment before initiating anticancer therapy. Some patients showed improvement after treatment (15%) or at one-year follow up (31%). Rates of cognitive decline appeared to vary by treatment, with higher prevalence of long-term impairment in patients who received chemotherapy.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/hem-onc-picks/one-in-four-patients-with-breast-cancer-experience-cognitive-impairment/

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Cancer, not vascular disease, is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes, according to a U.K. study. “Improvements in risk factors such as smoking and blood pressure, along with progress in medical treatments have contributed to large falls in deaths from heart disease and stroke,” explained lead study author Dr. Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard. “In contrast, improvements in cancer death rates have been much more modest, with improvements in those with diabetes lagging behind the general population.”

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/hem-onc-picks/cancer-not-vascular-diseases-no-1-cause-of-death-in-patients-with-diabetes/

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In a survey of patients with breast or prostate cancer who recently received chemotherapy, researchers found that most patients (84%) use additional herbs and supplements, or other medications that may interact with their cancer treatment. More than 600 unique medication interactions occurred before, during, and after chemotherapy—most of which occurred during. “Patients should be educated about the risk of herb and supplement–related medication interactions during treatment,” the study authors recommended.

https://www.docwirenews.com/hematology-oncology/how-do-herbs-and-supplements-interact-with-chemotherapy/