PDQ (Physician Data Query)

PDQ (Physician Data Query) is the National Cancer Institute’s source of comprehensive cancer information. It contains peer-reviewed, evidence-based cancer information summaries on treatment, supportive care, screening, prevention, genetics, and complementary and alternative medicine. The summaries are regularly updated by six editorial boards. The following PDQ summaries were recently updated:

Kreimer AR, Struyf F, Del Rosario-Raymundo MR, et al.: Efficacy of fewer than three doses of an HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine: combined analysis of data from the Costa Rica Vaccine and PATRICIA trials. Lancet Oncol 16 (7): 775–86, 2015. PMID 26071347

The PDQ Cervical Cancer Prevention summary was updated to include information about a post hoc combined analysis of two phase III randomized controlled trials of the bivalent HPV vaccine (the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial and the PApilloma TRIal against Cancer In young Adults [PATRICIA] Trial) investigating whether similar vaccine efficacy could be obtainable using a reduced-dose schedule. The results showed that, among women who were not HPV positive at enrollment for the specific virus type being studied, vaccine efficacy against either one-time incident detection of HPV 16/18 or incident infection that persisted at least 6 months was not statistically significantly different for those who received all three, two, or only one of the scheduled HPV vaccine doses (resulting from nonadherence or other factors) for up to 4 years of follow-up. Vaccine efficacy rates for persistent HPV 16/18 infection ranged from 89.1% (95% CI, 86.8%–91.0%) for three doses, to 89.7% (95% CI, 73.3%–99.8%) for two doses, to 96.6% (95% CI, 81.7%–99.8%) for one dose. To date, there are no randomized controlled trials that directly assess this clinical question. To review the summary, please use the following link:

http://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/hp/cervical-prevention-pdq#link /_324_toc

The PDQ Screening and Prevention Editorial Board added a new section to the Cigarette Smoking: Health Risks and How to Quit summary. The new section, Minimum legal age of access to tobacco products, discusses raising the minimum legal age of access (MLA) to tobacco products to 21. Currently, the MLA set by the federal government is 18 years of age, but states and municipalities can raise the MLA to older ages. In 2015, Hawaii became the first state to raise the MLA to 21 years, and many municipalities, including Boston and New York City, have enacted MLA 21-years legislation. An Institute of Medicine report thoroughly evaluated public health implications of raising the MLA. In the absence of direct evidence on this topic, the report was based on a series of assumptions about the impact of raising the MLA on reducing and delaying initiation of smoking. These assumptions were entered into statistical models that forecast the impact of increasing the MLA on smoking prevalence and smoking-caused premature deaths during the 21st century. Even the results of the more conservative Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network estimated that an increase of the MLA to 21 years in 2015 would avert 249,000 smoking-caused premature deaths in a hypothetical U.S. birth cohort by 2100. To review the summary, please use the following link:

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/quit-smoking-hp-pdq#link/_335_toc

The PDQ Cancer Genetics Editorial Board recently completed a comprehensive review of the Familial Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma section of the Genetics of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Neoplasias summary. The Board conducted a review of the published literature and revised the text and updated the citations. To review the summary, please use the following link:

http://www.cancer.gov/types/thyroid/hp/medullary-thyroid-genetics-pdq#section/_850

The PDQ Cancer Genetics Editorial Board recently completed a comprehensive review of the Direct-to-consumer Genetic Tests section of the Cancer Genetics Risk Assessment and Counseling summary. The Board conducted a review of the published literature and revised the text and updated the citations. To review the summary, please use the following link:

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/risk-assessment-pdq#link/_362_toc