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Assessment of benefit–risk for treatments is usually complex and involves trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting, preferences. Although discrete choice experiments are increasingly used in health outcomes research to assess trade-offs in preferences, their usage in benefit–risk assessment so far is fairly limited. This is primarily because of the high cognitive burden to assess multiple attributes and the requirement for a large pool of respondents. The hierarchical Bayes benefit–risk model using choice based conjoint that we propose drastically reduces the cognitive burden as each respondent only needs to evaluate a small fraction of preference questions, each of which compares a single pair of attributes. This method also leverages the Bayesian framework to borrow strength for analysis with a limited number of respondents. This article illustrates both a simulated experiment and a pilot experiment incorporating experts' preferences in oncology. Ultimately, patients are the most important voice in the benefit–risk balance. Therefore, we propose an augmented model to obtain a more precise estimate of benefit–risk preferences based on patients' characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Although reductions in bone mineral density are well documented among children during treatment for cancer and among childhood cancer survivors, little is known about the long-term risk of fracture. The objective of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of and risk factors for fractures among individuals participating in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS). METHODS: Analyses included 7414 ≥5-year survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 who completed the 2007 CCSS follow-up questionnaire and a comparison group of 2374 siblings. Generalized linear models stratified by sex were used to compare the prevalence of reported fractures between survivors and siblings. RESULTS: The median ages at follow-up among survivors and siblings were 36.2 years (range, 21.2-58.8 years) and 38.1 years (range, 18.4-62.6 years), respectively, with a median 22.7 years of follow-up after cancer diagnosis for survivors. Approximately 35% of survivors and 39% of siblings reported ≥1 fracture during their lifetime. The prevalence of fractures was lower among survivors than among siblings, both in males (prevalence ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.94; P < .001) and females (prevalence ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-1.04; P = .22). In multivariable analyses, increasing age at follow-up, white race, methotrexate treatment, and balance difficulties were associated with increased prevalence of fractures among female survivors ( P = .015). Among males, only smoking history and white race were associated with an increased prevalence of fracture ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study indicated that the prevalence of fractures among adult survivors did not increase compared with that of siblings. Additional studies of bone health among aging female cancer survivors may be warranted. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Allogeneic hematopoeitic progenitor cell transplantation (HPCT) is a curative therapy for pediatric patients with both malignant and nonmalignant diseases. Single or multiple benign exostoses or osteochondromas have been reported after total body irradiation (TBI), as well as after focal irradiation. Patients exposed to TBI at a young age are at highest risk of developing exostoses. The objective of this institutional review board–approved study was to look at potential factors, besides radiation, that may play a role in development of exostoses. All patients who underwent allogeneic and autologous HPCT at a single institution between March 1992 and December 2003 and who developed an exostosis identified by clinical findings or as an incidental finding on a radiologic study were included. A case-control design matched patients with controls who had the same stem cell source. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in childhood have an increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs). Herein, the authors extended the follow-up of a previously reported Late Effects Study Group cohort and identified patients at highest risk for SMNs to create evidence for risk-based screening recommendations.Methods: The standardized incidence ratio was calculated using rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program as a reference. The risk of SMN was estimated using proportional subdistribution hazards regression. The cohort included 1136 patients who were diagnosed with HL before age 17 years between 1955 and 1986. The median length of follow-up was 26.6 years.Results: In 162 patients, a total of 196 solid SMNs (sSMNs) were identified. Compared with the general population, the cohort was found to be at a 14-fold increased risk of developing an sSMN (95% confidence interval, 12.0-fold to 16.3-fold). The cumulative incidence of any sSMN was 26.4% at 40 years after a diagnosis of HL. Risk factors for breast cancer among females were an HL diagnosis between ages 10 years and 16 years and receipt of chest radiotherapy. Males treated with chest radiotherapy at age <10 years were found to be at highest risk of developing lung cancer. Survivors of HL who were treated with abdominal/pelvic radiotherapy and high-dose alkylating agents were found to be at highest risk of developing colorectal cancer and females exposed to neck radiotherapy at age <10 years were at highest risk of thyroid cancer. By age 50 years, the cumulative incidence of breast, lung, colorectal, and thyroid cancer was 45.3%, 4.2%, 9.5%, and 17.3%, respectively, among those at highest risk.Conclusions: Survivors of childhood HL remain at an increased risk of developing sSMNs. In the current study, subgroups of survivors of HL at highest risk of specific sSMNs were identified, and evidence for screening provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health complications related to childhood cancer may be influenced by risky health behaviors (RHBs), particularly when RHBs co-occur. To the authors' knowledge, only limited information is available describing how RHBs cluster among survivors of childhood cancer and their siblings and the risk factors for co-occurring RHBs.Methods: Latent class analysis was used to identify RHB clusters using longitudinal survey data regarding smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity from adult survivors (4184 survivors) and siblings (1598 siblings) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Generalized logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between demographic characteristics, treatment exposures, psychological distress, health conditions, and cluster membership.Results: Three RHB clusters were identified: a low-risk cluster, an insufficiently active cluster, and a high-risk cluster (tobacco and risky alcohol use and insufficient activity). Compared with siblings, survivors were more likely to be in the insufficiently active cluster (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj ], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.06-1.27) and were less likely to be in the high-risk cluster (ORadj , 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69-0.88). Risk factors for membership in the high-risk cluster included psychological distress (ORadj , 2.76; 95% CI, 1.98-3.86), low educational attainment (ORadj , 7.49; 95% CI, 5.15-10.88), income <$20,000 (ORadj , 2.62; 95% CI, 1.93-3.57), being divorced/separated or widowed (ORadj , 1.36; 95% CI, 1.03-1.79), and limb amputation (ORadj , 1.52; 95% CI, 1.03-2.24). Risk factors for the insufficiently active cluster included chronic health conditions, psychological distress, low education or income, being obese or overweight, female sex, nonwhite race/ethnicity, single marital status, cranial radiation, and cisplatin exposure.Conclusions: RHBs co-occur in survivors of childhood cancer and their siblings. Economic and educational disadvantages and psychological distress should be considered in screening and interventions to reduce RHBs. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society. Cancer 2016;122:2747-2756. © 2016 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study regarding children with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and long term of effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Topics discussed include significantly less number of percentage of CML in the pediatric population, introduction of the TKI imatinib by the U.S. in 1988, development of short term TKI toxicity, and improvement in overall survival of patients.

Background: Although reductions in bone mineral density are well documented among children during treatment for cancer and among childhood cancer survivors, little is known about the long-term risk of fracture. The objective of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of and risk factors for fractures among individuals participating in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS).Methods: Analyses included 7414 ≥ 5-year survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 who completed the 2007 CCSS follow-up questionnaire and a comparison group of 2374 siblings. Generalized linear models stratified by sex were used to compare the prevalence of reported fractures between survivors and siblings.Results: The median ages at follow-up among survivors and siblings were 36.2 years (range, 21.2-58.8 years) and 38.1 years (range, 18.4-62.6 years), respectively, with a median 22.7 years of follow-up after cancer diagnosis for survivors. Approximately 35% of survivors and 39% of siblings reported ≥ 1 fracture during their lifetime. The prevalence of fractures was lower among survivors than among siblings, both in males (prevalence ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.94; P < .001) and females (prevalence ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-1.04; P = .22). In multivariable analyses, increasing age at follow-up, white race, methotrexate treatment, and balance difficulties were associated with increased prevalence of fractures among female survivors (P = .015). Among males, only smoking history and white race were associated with an increased prevalence of fracture (P < .001).Conclusions: Findings from this study indicated that the prevalence of fractures among adult survivors did not increase compared with that of siblings. Additional studies of bone health among aging female cancer survivors may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]