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Showing 15851 - 15900CancerConnect Offers Online Alternative Networking for Patients
Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are rapidly growing, giving patients with cancer a place to connect with others. But an alternative networking website claims to be a more comprehensive, responsible, “commercial-free” alternative. Over 10,000 patients with cancer have registered at ...
JAK2 and MPL Mutation Screening: What Are the Indications and How to Interpret the Results
The World Health Organization system organizes myeloid malignancies into five major categories, which are subsequently further subclassified using a combination of bone marrow morphology and cytogenetic/molecular information (Table 1).1 JAK2 and MPL mutations are not disease-specific and occur...
Partial Breast Irradiation with Brachytherapy in Early Breast Cancer: Retrospective Analysis Looks at Trends and Guidelines
Accelerated partial breast irradiation using brachytherapy (APBIb) as an alternative to whole-breast irradiation (WBI) after breast-conserving surgery has been rapidly adopted in the United States, but the majority of patients receiving APBIb may not be considered suitable for it. A retrospective...
Surgical Oncology: Advances and Challenges in Breast Cancer Surgery
Mortality rates for breast cancer have declined steadily in the United States since 1990, resulting in an improvement in survival. Multiple factors have contributed to this positive trend, one of which is the combination of earlier detection and more sophisticated surgical techniques. The ASCO Post ...
FDA Approves Imatinib for Expanded Use in GIST
The FDA has granted imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) regular approval for use in adult patients following surgical removal of CD117-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The new approval also highlights an increase in overall patient survival when the drug is taken for 36 months rather than...
Abiraterone: New Drug in the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. Indication Abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) (an oral agent that...
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy Yields Complete Remission in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Targeted therapies have markedly improved outcomes in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, with median overall survival of greater than 2 years having been observed with sunitinib (Sutent) treatment. Objective responses, consisting mostly of partial responses, are observed in approximately...
Cancer Survivors at Greater Risk for Cutaneous Melanoma
Patients with a previously diagnosed cancer have an increased risk of developing cutaneous melanoma, with the highest risk among patients who have had a prior diagnosis of melanoma, according to a report published in the Archives of Dermatology.1 Key Findings Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and...
ASCO Membership Categories Offer a Place for Everyone
If your work touches those who have cancer, you have a place within ASCO. That’s the message that the organization, during its 48 years, has gotten across in many ways, not the least of which is its membership categories, which have expanded right along with the field of cancer care. “ASCO is...
Epigenetic Therapy Shows Positive Results in Late-stage Lung Cancer
A small phase I/II clinical study from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that epigenetic therapy with a combination of azacitidine (Vidaza) and entinostat (an investigational agent) produced responses in some patients with refractory advanced non–small cell lung cancer. The study results, ...
Lung Cancer Advocates Seek to Raise Awareness (and Research Funding)
Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for both men and women—nearly 157,000 deaths from lung cancer occurred in 2011, according to the American Cancer Society—survey results from the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) show that 60% of Americans are...
I Never Expected to Get Lung Cancer
When intermittent chest pains sent me to the emergency room nearly a decade ago, I worried that I was having some kind of cardiac event. The ER doctor wanted to make sure that I didn’t have a pulmonary embolism, so in addition to ordering a complete cardiac workup, she also ordered a chest x-ray to ...
Is Gemtuzumab a Therapeutic Option in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Previous studies of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) had variable results in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Before trials reported at the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting, two major studies had compared chemotherapy with or without gemtuzumab in patients with AML, said Martin Tallman, MD, Chief of the...
Is Gemtuzumab a Therapeutic Option in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
A study presented at the Plenary Session of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) breathes new life into an older drug for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that is no longer available in the United States.1 Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) appears to be a promising...
New Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody Studied in B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
The new anti-CD20 monocolonal antibody obinutuzumab is being studied in the treatment of patients with relapsed CD20-positive indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. GAUSS is the first clinical trial to compare obinutuzumab head-to-head against rituximab (Rituxan) induction therapy. “In this first...
Study Questions Use of Partial Breast Brachytherapy in Older Women
Partial breast brachytherapy is less effective and more toxic than whole-breast irradiation when used after lumpectomy, suggests an analysis of Medicare claims data. In the 2000–2007 study of more than 130,000 older women with breast cancer—the largest of its kind to date—the rate of mastectomy in...
AVEREL Trial Shows Benefit of Bevacizumab in HER2-positive Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer
In findings likely to intensify the debate about the role of bevacizumab (Avastin) in advanced breast cancer, the AVEREL trial concludes that adding this antiangiogenic antibody to standard therapy prolongs progression-free survival by about 3 months in women with HER2-positive locally recurrent...
FDA Approves Vismodegib for Basal Cell Carcinoma
The FDA has approved vismodegib (Erivedge) to treat adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and for patients with metastatic...
Axitinib Receives FDA Approval in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
The FDA has approved the kinase inhibitor axitinib (Inlyta) for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma after failure of one prior systemic therapy. The approval is based on an international, randomized, open-label trial that enrolled 723 patients: 361 were assigned to receive axitinib at 5 ...
Cost of Care: A Multidisciplinary Responsibility
I read the interview with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (The ASCO Post, December 15, 2011) with much interest, as the health-care policy problems that America is currently experiencing have plagued other countries for some time. Despite proactive measures and attempts to amend those situations elsewhere,...
Drug Shortages Hit Oncology Hard: Experts Weigh in on Challenges and Solutions
Periodic drug shortages are an unavoidable reality in our complicated pharmaceutical supply chain; however, over the past several years, drug shortages have expanded to crisis levels, putting vulnerable patients at risk. In 2010, there were 178 drug shortages reported to the FDA, 132 of which were...
Expert Point of View: Maintenance Rituximab vs Retreatment Rituximab in Patients with Low–Tumor-Burden Follicular Lymphoma
The findings of RESORT1 have tremendous implications, both clinically and economically, commented Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, Chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, in an interview. “The maintenance arm received rituximab [Rituxan] every 3 months...
Maintenance Rituximab vs Retreatment Rituximab in Patients with Low–Tumor-Burden Follicular Lymphoma
For patients with low–tumor-burden follicular lymphoma treated upfront with rituximab (Rituxan), retreating upon disease progression was as effective as extended dosing, or maintenance therapy, in a randomized phase III study that compared the approaches.1 Given the excellent outcomes, lack of a...
New Immunomodulatory Drug Produces Impressive Phase II Results in Multiple Myeloma
Data on pomalidomide, the novel oral immunomodulatory drug for multiple myeloma, was a major highlight of the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting, according to Kenneth D. Anderson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, who called the drug “very, very exciting.” Paul Richardson, MD, also of Dana-Farber...
Expert Point of View: Next-generation Proteasome Inhibitors Will Improve Outcomes in Bortezomib-refractory Myeloma Patients
Myeloma experts agree that the new proteosome inhibitors are particularly welcome because they are at least as effective as bortezomib (Velcade) but produce much less neuropathy. Dramatic Results “The activity of MLN 9708 is very encouraging,” said Paul G. Richardson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer...
Next-generation Proteasome Inhibitors Will Improve Outcomes in Bortezomib-refractory Myeloma Patients
The next-generation proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib is expected to gain FDA approval in the near future, offering a treatment option that may be as effective as and less neurotoxic than bortezomib (Velcade). Studies presented at the ASH Annual Meeting upheld benefits of the drug observed in...
Expert Point of View: Monoclonal Antibody Promising in Multiple Myeloma
With a wealth of new agents of various classes in the pipeline, “myeloma is going to become a chronic illness, with sustained complete responses achieved in a significant fraction of patients,” according to Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, ...
Monoclonal Antibody Promising in Multiple Myeloma
Elotuzumab, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting human CS1, a cell-surface glycoprotein expressed on 95% of myeloma cells, elicited responses in 82% of relapsed/refractory myeloma patients in a phase II study reported at the ASH Annual Meeting.1 Objective response rates exceeded 90% in...
Novel Agent Efficacious in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
A novel inhibitor of B-cell receptor signaling produced high rates of remission and was well tolerated in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were refractory to at least two previous treatments, reported Susan O’Brien, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,...
Three Novel Agents Show Promise in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Susan O’Brien, MD, Professor in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, has a special interest in novel developments in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). At the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting, she discussed her picks of top newsmakers in ...
Ponatinib Continues to Impress in Patients with Leukemia
Initial results from the PACE (Ponatinib Ph+ ALL and CML Evaluation) trial added to accumulating evidence that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor ponatinib should soon be considered for front-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). “Robust responses were observed in all patient cohorts,” said...
Expert Point of View: BELA Trial Reborn: Bosutinib Produces Improved Results in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Given the results of the BELA trial, with the problems of treatment side-effect management realized and seemingly resolved, Elias Jabbour, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, assumes bosutinib will be approved in chronic myeloid...
BELA Trial Reborn: Bosutinib Produces Improved Results in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
The initial reports of the BELA trial (Bosutinib Efficacy and safety in chronic myeloid LeukemiA), presented at ASH 2010, were deflating. At 12-month follow-up, bosutinib failed to meet BELA’s primary endpoint. Things have since turned around, however, and results from the 24-month analysis...
Expert Point of View: Post-CHOP Radioimmunotherapy Comparable to Rituximab Given along with CHOP in Previously Untreated Follicular Lymphoma
SWOG S0016, which compared treatment with CHOP-R (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, plus rituximab [Rituxan]) and CHOP-RIT (CHOP plus tositumomab/iodine-131 tositumomab [Bexxar]) in patients with follicular lymphoma, was one of the most important studies at the 2011 ASH...
Expert Point of View: Everolimus plus Exemestane Significantly Prolongs Remission in BOLERO-2
Signaling of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is required for estrogen-induced breast tumor cell proliferation, and hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway is observed in endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells. Clinically, this makes for a rational one-two punch in endocrine-resistant breast...
Expert Point of View #2: Can Molecular Profiling Identify ER-positive Patients Destined for Relapse?
Understanding the different relapse patterns within estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer is important for guiding treatment decisions, said Laura Esserman, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center. Women who fall into the two separate categories may have different ...
Expert Point of View: Can Molecular Profiling Identify ER-positive Patients Destined for Relapse?
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) trials have demonstrated that recurrence patterns are different for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive vs ER-negative breast cancer. While ER-negative disease carries a high risk for early recurrence—peaking around year 1.5 from diagnosis—risk steadily...
Can Molecular Profiling Identify ER-positive Patients Destined for Relapse?
Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer often recurs years after the initial diagnosis, and understanding the patterns of timing regarding relapse could identify patients needing more aggressive treatment. At the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, several investigative teams reported...
Expert Point of View: Benefits of Some Bisphosphonates Confirmed in Breast Cancer Outcomes, but Questions Remain
James Ingle, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, formally discussed the ABCSG-12 and ZO-FAST bisphosphonate studies presented at the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, noting, “There is a lot of interest in the effect of bisphosphonates on the tumor microenvironment and the impact ...
Benefits of Some Bisphosphonates Confirmed in Breast Cancer Outcomes, but Questions Remain
The story of bisphosphonates, and their disease-modifying potential in breast cancer, is still evolving. While some studies presented at the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium failed to show gains, others found benefits. The theme that is emerging is that bisphosphonates may be most...
Bevacizumab Progression-free Survival Benefit Upheld in AVEREL Trial
Bevacizumamb (Avastin) added to trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel as first-line therapy for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer moderately improved progression-free survival in the phase III AVEREL trial, presented at the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium by Luca Gianni, MD, of the San ...
Expert Point of View: Dual HER2 Blockade Substantially Delays Disease Progression
The availability of effective therapies for HER2-positive tumors has made breast cancer a better managed disease, but outcomes could be further enhanced through the targeting of other players in this pathway, emerging data suggest. C. Kent Osborne, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston,...
Pertuzumab Gets Priority Review for Metastatic Breast Cancer
The FDA has accepted Roche’s Biologics License Application for pertuzumab (Omnitarg) and granted Priority Review. The proposed indication is pertuzumab in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel chemotherapy for people with HER2-positive metastatic or locally recurrent, unresectable ...
Facing the Future without Fear of Breast Cancer Recurrence
A year ago, I was living my dream. Married to a wonderful man, Danny, and with two young children to raise, Karl, 7, and Marcus, 4, I had given up a career in accounting to be a stay-at-home mom. At age 34, I was enjoying life, helping my children with their homework and going to their soccer and...
Nearly Identical Survival for Laparoscopy vs Laparatomy in Patients with Stage I/IIA Disease
Building on previously reported results that laparoscopic surgical management of uterine cancer is superior for short-term safety and length-of-stay endpoints, the Gynecologic Oncology Group reported small and lower than anticipated potential for increase risk of cancer recurrence with laparoscopy...
Addition of Bevacizumab to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Increases Pathologic Complete Response Rate in HER2-negative Disease
Two studies reported in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that the addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly increased the pathologic complete response rate in women with HER2-negative breast cancer. In one study, from the German Breast Group, the benefit...
Significant Differences in Genetic Characteristics of Primary Colorectal Cancer and Hepatic Metastases
Vermaat and colleagues from the University Medical Center Utrecht, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands, and Hoffman-La-Roche Inc./Genentech, Nutley, New Jersey, recently showed that there was significant genetic variation between individual primary colorectal cancer tumors and their...
A Patient with Cancer Saw a Need and Left a Living Legacy
It is well documented that the rigors of delivering cancer care can unintentionally supersede valuable doctor-patient communication. Before he died in 1995, Kenneth B. Schwartz, a patient with cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital, recognized this phenomenon and founded the Kenneth B. Schwartz...
SIDEBAR: Expect Questions from Your Patients
The possibility of reexcision after breast-conservation surgery should be discussed with patients before the initial surgery, advised Laurence E. McCahill, MD, lead investigator of the JAMA study on reexcision following breast-conservation surgery, which showed wide variability in reexcision...
Reexcision Rates Following Breast-conservation Surgery Vary Widely
In the News focuses on media reports that your patients may have questions about at their next visit. This continuing column will provide summaries of articles in the popular press that may prompt such questions, as well as comments from colleagues in the field. Reexcision rates for women with...
