September 2008

For most people with cancer, vaccination for influenza is not only safe, but also a crucial part of staying as healthy as possible. Owing to their weakened immune system, patients with cancer are at high risk for infection with flu and pneumonia viruses, which can be lethal in these individuals. Yearly flu and pneumonia shots often prevent infection entirely and can lessen the severity of illness in those who do get sick.

According to a randomized controlled trial, men with early prostate cancer who have their prostate glands surgically removed are less likely to die from the disease than those who take a wait-and-see approach.

The ability to predict how the course of cancer will likely play out in an individual patient based on genetic factors is already changing the way certain cancers are approached. As highlighted at the recent Biomarker World Conference in Philadelphia, clinical oncologists have an increasingly integral role.

This year's Biomarker World Conference in Philadelphia heralded exciting new advances in cancer care and emphasized the opportunities and challenges facing oncologists seeking to integrate these new predictive tools into practice.