Utilization of a breast cancer risk assessment tool by internal medicine residents in a primary care clinic: impact of an educational program.

Background: Despite strong evidence of benefit, breast cancer risk assessment and chemoprevention are underutilized by primary care physicians. This study evaluates the impact of an educational program on knowledge and utilization of the NCI Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT) by internal medicine residents.

Methods: Internal medicine residents at the primary care clinic at William Beaumont Hospital participated in an educational program on breast cancer risk assessment and chemoprevention.

Targeted DNA sequencing of non-small cell lung cancer identifies mutations associated with brain metastases.

Introduction: This study explores the hypothesis that dominant molecular oncogenes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are associated with metastatic spread to the brain.

Methods: NSCLC patient groups with no evidence of metastasis, with metastatic disease to a non-CNS site, who developed brain metastasis after diagnosis, and patients with simultaneous diagnosis of NSCLC and metastatic brain lesions were studied using targeted sequencing.

Results: In patients with brain metastasis versus those without, only 2 variants (one each in BCL6 and NOTHC2) were identified that occurred in ≥ 4 NSCLC of patients with brain metastases but ≤ 1 of the NSCLC samples without brain metastases.

Impact of BRCA Mutation Status on Survival of Women With Triple-negative Breast Cancer.

Introduction: The effect of germline BRCA mutations on the outcomes of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is not well understood.

Materials And Methods: The present retrospective study included women with newly diagnosed TNBC from January 1, 2004 to December 30, 2013. The demographic and tumor characteristics, genetic testing results, and outcomes were collected by a review of the patients' medical records.

Antitumor activity of the dual PI3K/MTOR inhibitor, PF-04691502, in combination with radiation in head and neck cancer.

Background And Purpose: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a clinical challenge where new treatments are required to supplement the current-standard-of care of concurrent chemoradiation. The PI3K/AKT/MTOR pathway has been identified from several next generation DNA sequencing studies to be commonly altered and activated in HNSCC.

Material And Methods: In this study we investigated the activity of PF-04691502, an orally active ATP-competitive, dual inhibitor of PI3K and mTOR, in combination with a clinically relevant fractionated radiation treatment in two contrasting, well characterized, low passage HNSCC models.