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.
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Ovarian Cancer
Article : Mixed reviews of at-home genetic testing
Most relevant for: People who are considering or have had direct-to-consumer testing
National guidelines recommend that patients meet with a genetics expert before undergoing genetic testing for cancer risk. Genetic counseling can help patients decide whether genetic testing is right for them and order the most appropriate test. Once test results are available, genetics experts also help patients understand their results. Over the last decade, the popularity of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, such as 23andMe has grown. Some genetic tests are marketed to consumers on television, in print advertisements, and on the Internet. These “at-home” genetic tests give people direct access to their genetic information without first involving a healthcare provider in the process. A recent report outlines the benefits and limitations of DTC genetic testing. (10/20/17)
Read MoreRelevance: Medium-High
Quality of Writing: High
Article : Parents face challenges when deciding the best time to tell children that they may be at high risk for cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
Quality of Writing: High
Most relevant for: Parents who have an inherited gene mutation
When certain types of cancers run in families, genetic testing can determine whether the cause is hereditary. Genetic testing can help family members understand their cancer risk and make medical decisions to stay healthy. A test result can provide significant insight, but it also creates challenges for parents, because gene mutations that cause hereditary cancers can be passed from mothers and fathers to sons and daughters. People with these mutations must make difficult decisions about when to tell their children that they too may have inherited the mutation. (8/22/2017)
Read MoreRelevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
View Related Clinical TrialsStudy : New cancer risk estimates for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
View Related Clinical TrialsMost relevant for: Women with an inherited mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2
Cancer risk estimates for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers are important because they impact patient decision-making. Until now, almost all risk estimates for mutation carriers were based on results of retrospective studies that looked back on mutation carriers who had cancer. This new study is prospective—it followed almost 10,000 BRCA mutation carriers without cancer to see if or when they developed breast or ovarian cancer. The cancer risk estimates of this study may be more accurate because it followed mutation carriers who did not have cancer over time. (7/28/17)
Read MoreArticle : FDA busts myths of preventing and treating cancer by eating apricot kernels, herbs, and other ingredients
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with or concerned about their risk for cancer
Maggie Fox (NBC News) writes about a new FDA report that warns of 14 "fraudulent” cancer products claiming to either cure or treat cancer (1). The companies that sell these products claim that many of them also prevent cancer, but are they safe or effective? (6/26/17)
Read MoreRelevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
View Related Clinical TrialsStudy : Does scalp cooling help prevent hair loss after chemotherapy?
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
View Related Clinical TrialsMost relevant for: Patient undergoing chemotherapy
Hair loss is one of the most recognized and distressing side effects of some chemotherapies. Two studies looked at the use of scalp cooling therapy to help reduce hair loss after chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. (5/15/17)
Update: Based on data from clinical trials, the FDA approved Dignicap scalp cooling device for treatment in patients diagnosed with solid tumors who are receiving chemotherapy.
Read MoreStudy : Angelina Jolie spoke out on BRCA testing: Did genetic testing increase?
Most relevant for: People interested in genetic testing for an inherited mutation
Angelina Jolie published an editorial in the New York Times in 2013 about her choice to have a double mastectomy after finding out she was positive for a BRCA1 mutation. Researchers from a recent study claim that her celebrity endorsement of BRCA testing may have missed its target audience (previvors), due to the increase in BRCA testing following publication of the editorial but a decrease in the number of mastectomies performed. However, the study failed to take into account that many women without breast cancer do not pursue mastectomy in the months following genetic testing. (1/4/17)
Read MoreStudy : Removing ovaries before age 50 may increase the risk of chronic conditions for some women
Most relevant for: Women under 50 years of age who have had or are considering removing their ovaries
Removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes prevents ovarian cancer, but it may come with other health risks. Experts recommend removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes in women at high risk for ovarian cancer due to inherited mutations in BRCA or other genes linked to ovarian cancer risk. For these high-risk women the benefit of ovarian cancer prevention outweighs the risk of long-term complications. Based on a recent study, some researchers feel that for women who are not at increased risk for cancer, the risk for some chronic conditions is too high to consider removal of both ovaries. (11/1/16)
Read MoreRelevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Post Approval
View Related Clinical TrialsStudy : Rare mutations in PALB2, CHEK2, and ATM: how much do they increase cancer risk?
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Post Approval
View Related Clinical TrialsMost relevant for: People who tested positive for one of the rare variants in CHEK2, ATM or PALB2 that are covered in this study
As multi-gene panel tests become more common, people are discovering they have mutations in genes that are not understood as well as BRCA. This can make it difficult to give patients accurate assessments of their cancer risk. For example, mutations in PALB2, CHEK2, and ATM are rare, but some specific changes in these genes are even less common. The goal of this international collaboration was to better understand the cancer risks of some very rare PALB2, CHEK2, and ATM mutations. The findings are relevant only to the specific mutations covered in this paper and do not apply to all people with mutations in PALB2, CHEK2, or ATM. (9/27/16)
Read MoreRelevance: Medium
Quality of Writing: High
Article : A cancer patient’s tumor is genetically profiled—how does that info help treatment?
Relevance: Medium
Quality of Writing: High
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with advanced cancer
Jessica Wapner's Scientific American article explores the difficulties of making the vast amount of information acquired from tumor gene tests useful to patients and physicians. (9/20/16). Update: THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED. In late 2017, the FDA approved two separate tumor profiling tests to help guide treatment choices. The FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx) genomic test has been approved to test for 15 different targeted therapies used to treat five types of cancer, including ovarian, colorectal, lung, breast and melanoma. The FDA also approved the MSK-IMPACT and developed for use by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) to scan tumor samples for 468 different cancer-associated mutations or alterations.
Read MoreRelevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Human Research
View Related Clinical TrialsStudy : Do BRCA mutations affect fertility?
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Human Research
View Related Clinical TrialsMost relevant for: Women with a BRCA mutation who want to become pregnant
Age affects fertility. As women age, their ovaries release eggs that are not as healthy as those released in younger women. Fewer eggs are released each menstrual cycle as women age, making it harder for older women to become pregnant. Are women with BRCA mutations less fertile? Previous research suggested that BRCA mutations might affect women's fertility as she ages. A recent study found that BRCA1 mutation carriers may have slightly lower fertility than women without the same mutation, but more research is needed before this finding is useful for medical decision-making. (5/24/16)
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