Cancer Screening

This month’s cover story highlights the growing burden of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of primary liver cancer, in the United States. Despite being a cancer that does not typically receive much attention, HCC is projected to become the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States by 2040 if current trends continue. Its increasing mortality is related to a growing number of cases in the setting of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the liver manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, and a high proportion of HCC cases being detected at a late stage. While patients detected at an early stage are amenable to curative therapies such as liver transplantation and have a median survival exceeding 5 years, those diagnosed at a late stage traditionally have had limited therapeutic options and a median survival of only 1 year.

Liver cancer — the fastest-growing cause of cancer death in the U.S. — has been notoriously difficult to treat.

Establishing biennial mammography screening beginning at age 40 years could reduce breast cancer-associated mortality by 57% among Black women, according to study results published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Amid lockdowns, many countries implemented a suspension of routine surveillance for colorectal cancer, resulting in fewer diagnoses in older patients with more complications, according to a presentation during UEG Week Virtual.

A comprehensive approach to screening for breast cancer and working with patients to reduce their lifestyle risks can save more lives, Lisa Larkin, MD, FACP, NCMP, IF, said during the NAMS Annual Meeting.

Standard cancer care may fail to adequately address the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, who face substantial disparities in access to screening, treatment and outcomes.

Women who miss cancer screenings face higher morbidity and mortality risks, and race may indicate who is more likely to get those screenings, according to a study presented at the North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting.

The overall quality of YouTube videos that researchers watched about prostate cancer screening in Black men was suboptimal, a recent analysis showed.

While on-site at a same-day cancer screening program he helped to implement, Timothy Craig Allen, MD, JD, FCAP, came across a crying woman.

Scientists have made amazing advances in recent years in understanding the molecular biology of cancer.