FORCE's eXamining the Relevance of Articles for You (XRAY) program looks behind the headlines of cancer news to help you understand what the research means for you.
XRAY is a reliable source of hereditary cancer research-related news and information.
Learn more about the XRAY program
Ovarian Cancer
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Update : FDA approves the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) as maintenance therapy for some women with advanced ovarian cancer
Most relevant for: Women with advanced ovarian cancer whose tumor has a BRCA mutation or a type of tumor marker called homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)
The FDA has approved the first drug combination to be used as a first-line maintenance therapy for some women with advanced ovarian cancer. (7/7/2020)
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Relevance: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Update : New FDA approval of PARP inhibitor for maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer
Most relevant for: People with advanced ovarian cancer who have had a complete or partial response to chemotherapy
The FDA has approved the use of niraparib (Zejula) as a maintenance therapy for women with advanced ovarian cancer who have had a complete or partial response to chemotherapy. (5/7/20)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Study : Cancer risk associated with inherited mutations in Lynch syndrome genes
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Most relevant for: People with Lynch syndrome mutations
Lynch syndrome is the most common inherited cause of cancer affecting about 1 in 300 people. People with Lynch syndrome have an increased risk of colorectal endometrial and other cancers. A large study followed people with mutations in the Lynch syndrome genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 to determine the risk of other types of cancer. (2/21/20)
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Second surgery may not benefit women with recurrent ovarian cancer
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: Women with recurrent ovarian cancer
Many women who have recurrent ovarian cancer have a second surgery. A new study suggests that women with platinum sensitive cancers who get chemotherapy alone may do as well as or better than women who have surgery followed by chemotherapy. (1/21/20)
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Study : Niraparib increases progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Most relevant for: Women newly-diagnosed with ovarian cancer
This study looked at the effectiveness and safety of niraparib (Zejula), a PARP inhibitor, as maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients who had a response to chemotherapy. (11/5/19)
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium
Study : Supportive care can improve quality of life for people with metastatic breast cancer
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer
Metastatic breast cancer patients have unique needs for treatment and care. Connecting patients to appropriate support services and palliative care is an area of need in health care. A recent study reported improvement in metastatic breast cancer patient quality of life and wellness with an intervention program called the Supportive, Education and Advocacy (MBC-SEA) program. (8/21/19)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : LGBTQ patients recommend improvements for their cancer care
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: LGBTQ cancer patients and their healthcare providers.
Very little research has focused on the cancer care experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. This study looks at recommendations from the LGBTQ community for improving their cancer care. (6/20/19)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Prevalence of BRCA founder mutations in Bahamian women
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: Bahamanian women
The Bahamas has the highest known frequency of BRCA mutations among people diagnosed with breast cancer. This study reviewed whether population-based BRCA testing (testing everyone regardless of family or personal history of cancer) would be an effective approach for finding mutation carriers in the Bahamas. (3/4/19)
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Relevance: Low
Research Timeline: Lab Research
Article : Promise of a cure for cancer is too good to be true
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with cancer
The Jerusalem Post published an article titled, “A cure for cancer? Israeli scientists may have found one.” The story profiled a small Israeli company called Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies that has been working on developing new cancer treatments since 2000. The article relied almost entirely on an interview with the company’s chairperson of the board who made a series of unsubstantiated claims that included that, in a year’s time, the company will offer a complete cure for cancer. (2/12/19)
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Relevance: High
Quality of Writing: High
Article : The cost of cancer care and impact of financial hardship on treatment
Most relevant for: Anyone diagnosed with cancer
Several recent studies on the cost of cancer care show the negative effects on cancer patients. We review an article by Kaiser Health News and associated studies about the financial impact of breast cancer treatment and cost of precision medicine. (2/8/19)
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