Prognostic effects of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are enhanced by coexistence with BRAF or RAS mutations in differentiated thyroid cancer. Genetic screening for TERT promoter mutations could strengthen the predictions of mortality and recurrence by preexisting staging systems, including the American Thyroid Association and TNM systems, particularly for high-risk patients.

The prevalence of survivors of oropharyngeal cancer has increased significantly in the United States from 1975 through 2012, and the 5-year cause-specific survival of oral cavity cancers is also rising significantly. These novel findings portend substantial implications for long-term health care planning for survivors of oropharyngeal cancer and oral cavity cancer.

The number of positive lymph nodes has superior prognostic value in comparison with the lymph node ratio and American Joint Committee on Cancer N staging for surgically treated head and neck squamous cell carcinomas at all tumor sites. Oropharyngeal tumors have better overall outcomes, and more than 5 positive nodes in oropharyngeal tumors are associated with decreased survival.

Lymphocytosis develops frequently after treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia with dasatinib and is associated with higher response rates, significantly longer response durations, and increased overall survival. Prospective studies are warranted to assess whether dasatinib produces an immunomodulatory effect against chronic myeloid leukemia.

Clinical outcomes of 156 Japanese patients with relapsed soft tissue sarcoma receive pazopanib treatment are investigated. There are apparent differences in the efficacy of pazopanib treatment among histologic types of soft tissue sarcoma.

A multi-institutional retroperitoneal sarcoma nomogram was externally validated using a large, multinational, independent cohort. The nomogram provides a more individualized and disease-relevant estimation of overall survival than the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging classification.

The authors hypothesized that p16^INK4a may be a vaccine target antigen for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and therefore performed a phase 1/2a first-in-human trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a p16^INK4a-based peptide vaccine. The results of the current study indicate that p16^INK4a-based vaccination is safe and immunogenic and holds promise for the treatment of patients with HPV-associated neoplasia.

The combination of bevacizumab, docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine (B-DOC) was found to be safe and active in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Docetaxel-based triplet chemotherapy as a backbone for targeted therapies is feasible and deserves further study.

US-born Hispanics, particularly males, are at greater risk for liver cancer and death from chronic liver disease than foreign-born Hispanics. Overall known differences in risk factors do not account for these disparities.

Although the place of death has a great influence on the quality of death and dying for cancer patients, whether the survival time differs according to the place of death is unclear. In comparison with patients who die in a hospital, cancer patients who die at home have similar or longer survival.