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
Prostate Cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : 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
Most 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)
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Relevance: 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.
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Study : Financial burden affects quality of life of cancer survivors
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with cancer
Cancer-related financial burden can keep survivors from getting the care that they need, yet how this burden affects mental and physical health is still unknown. A study found that almost one-third of cancer survivors report having financial burden; those most likely to be affected were under age 65, female, members of racial or ethnic minority groups, and people who lack access to adequate insurance. (5/17/16)
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Study : Factors that affect the ability to work in people with metastatic cancer
Most relevant for: People living with metastatic cancer
Some patients who live with metastatic cancer either want or need to continue working while coping with symptoms of their disease and treatment. A recent study that looked at over 600 people with metastatic breast, prostate, colon, or lung cancer found that about one-third of them continue working full or part time. People most likely to continue working were those undergoing hormonal treatment and those with less severe symptoms or side effects from treatment. (4/12/16)
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Article : New York Times report demonstrates need for genetic counseling, but doesn’t give the whole story
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with breast cancer
A New York Times report discussed how genetic testing could provide “grim data” without guidance for patients. While this is a valid concern, this report does not sufficiently emphasize certain important issues regarding genetic testing, particularly the need for genetic counseling by a health care provider with expertise in genetics before and after genetic testing. (4/5/16)
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Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : What are the genetics underlying 12 different cancer types?
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with cancer
As gene sequencing has become more affordable, researchers and health care providers are now looking for mutations in many genes beyond BRCA1, BRCA2 and others that are associated with known hereditary cancer syndromes. By sequencing thousands of genes rather than just one or two, researchers can better understand which inherited mutations affect cancer risk. In this study, researchers sequenced thousands of genes in patients with one of 12 cancers, including breast, and catalogued which gene mutations are most commonly found in each cancer. (03/01/16)
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Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Study : How many children with cancer have mutations in genes that increase cancer risk?
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Most relevant for: Survivors of childhood cancer and people with a family history of relatives diagnosed with childhood cancers
Many genes are associated with increased cancer risk in adults, but it is unclear how common these mutations are in children with cancer. This study found that about 9% of children with cancer carry mutations in a gene that is known to increase cancer risk. Over half of the mutations were in the TP53 gene, which is associated with increased cancer risk at a young age and increased risk of breast cancer in adults. (12/15/2015)
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Relevance: Low
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Animal Studies
Study : Do antioxidants encourage the spread of cancer cells?
Relevance: Low
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Animal Studies
Most relevant for: The clinical relevance of this study for people is not clear
Scientists do not yet know why some cancers spread to other parts of the body (a process called metastasis). A study in mice suggested that high doses of some antioxidants (chemicals that can protect cells from damage) might actually make it easier for cancer cells to spread. (12/01/2015)
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Relevance: Low
Quality of Writing: Low
Article : What “The Truth About Cancer” got wrong about BRCA mutations and cancer
Relevance: Low
Quality of Writing: Low
Most relevant for: Because this video is full of medical misinformation, it is not relevant for anyone making healthcare decisions
A website called thetruthaboutcancer.com, created a 9-part docu-series titled “The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest” (TACGQ). The video states that Angelina Jolie’s decision to remove her breasts was one made out of fear; one commentator states that her decision was “barbaric." This video contains a lot of dangerous misinformation about BRCA mutations and inherited cancer. FORCE XRAYS provides the following point-by-point analysis on "The Truth About Cancer." (11/10/2015)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Study : Impact of familial breast cancer risk on young girls
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Most relevant for: Young women and girls from high-risk breast cancer families
Does growing up in a family that is at high risk for breast cancer affect young girls? Recent research found girls from families with BRCA mutations and/or a strong family history of cancer to be as well adjusted as peers of the same age. The one difference was that girls from families facing breast cancer risk had more stress related to breast cancer than their peers. While these findings are reassuring, parents know their children best, and they should ask for help if they believe their daughters are not coping well. (11/03/2015)
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