Noted

Vaccination rates for human papillomavirus (HPV) were found to be significantly lower among childhood cancer survivors compared with the general population—24% versus 40%. Lack of a physician's recommendation, reported by 72% of 982 childhood cancer survivors surveyed, was the most significant barrier to vaccination (J Clin Oncol 2017 Aug 24 [Epub ahead of print]). Childhood cancer survivors are particularly susceptible to HPV infection, because treatment often suppresses immune defenses.

Fewer than 1 in 5 women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer have been tested for BRCA1/2 mutations, according to an analysis of pooled data from three health surveys (J Clin Oncol 2017 Aug 18 [Epub ahead of print]). Up to 15% of these cancers can be attributed to heritable mutations—which, if identified, provide critical knowledge for treatment and prevention—so efforts to increase genetic testing are warranted, the researchers said.

Rigorous confirmatory studies to validate accelerated approval of drugs are lacking, according to research that reviewed the 22 drugs that earned accelerated approval in 24 indications from 2009 to 2013 (JAMA 2017;318:626–36). For the 10 accelerated approvals (all cancer drugs) that subsequently met FDA requirements, confirmatory studies tested surrogate measures and not overall survival (OS), the most reliable end point. OS “was among the prespecified primary end points in only 5% of required confirmatory studies,” the study authors wrote.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched an online database that includes detailed, deidentified information on several million cancer cases. Data can be analyzed by researchers and the general public to better understand cancer, inform prevention efforts, and evaluate progress in cancer control.

The FDA announced a new public education campaign aimed at discouraging the use of electronic cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems by kids. The campaign, which kicks off this fall, will include messaging to teens, a growing number of whom are using the devices, about the products' health risks.

For more news on cancer research, visit Cancer Discovery online at http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/by/section.