Fox Chase Cancer Center News

CHICAGO (June 1, 2015) — The goal of many cancer researchers is to find effective treatments that have few adverse effects. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia in collaboration with co-investigators at other centers and Merck Inc. are one step closer to finding such a treatment for urothelial cancer, for which chemotherapy is currently the standard of care.

PHILADELPHIA (June 1, 2015) — In a recent study, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers uncovered that fee-for-service Medicare Part B physician payments made to academic otolaryngologists within a single geographic region varied significantly by institution. These inconsistencies could not be accounted for by differences in patient volumes or hospital case complexity.

PHILADELPHIA (May 29, 2015) — An increasing body mass index (BMI) was associated with a higher rate of prostate cancer relapse, prostate cancer death, and death from any cause among men treated with dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer, according to the results of a retrospective study by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers.

CHICAGO (May 27, 2015) — Researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia recently collaborated with Caris Life Sciences^® to conduct three separate studies related to precision medicine, particularly in colorectal cancers. These findings will be highlighted at the upcoming 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

CHICAGO (May 21, 2015) — Although recent survey participants expressed an interest in comprehensive tumor genetic profiling (CGP)—a novel technology to help identify mutations in pathologically relevant cancer genes for targeted therapy—the participants with lower income, less education, and non-private insurance were less likely to pursue CGP if out-of-pocket costs were involved, according to recent study findings.

CHICAGO (May 20, 2015) — Cancer patients are increasingly having their tumors tested using comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to identify genetic mutations that can be targeted by precision therapies. A new study from investigators at Fox Chase Cancer Center in collaboration with Foundation Medicine has shown that 3-7% of patients receiving CGP could have a genetic mutation that they inherited from a parent that can also be identified using results from next generation sequencing (NGS)-based CGP.

CHICAGO (May 19, 2015) — African-American patients have a disproportionately high rate of cancer, and yet are less likely than Caucasian patients to participate in oncologic clinical trials that can significantly improve quality of life. Researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University recently explored the differences between African Americans who did and did not participate in a clinical trial and found significant discrepancies in perceptions and beliefs between the two groups. Lead study author Daniel M. Geynisman, MD, attending physician and assistant professor of medical oncology at Fox Chase, will present these findings during a poster session on Monday, June 1 at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.

CHICAGO (May 18, 2015) — Although various drugs have improved outcomes for metastatic colon cancer patients, researchers continually strive to find new agents to improve treatment. Antibody-drug conjugates are a promising option, due to the fact that they can deliver chemotherapy directly into a targeted cell and destroy tumor cells while keeping healthy ones intact.