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Showing 20701 - 20750Using Imatinib for Adjuvant Treatment after Resection of Kit (CD117)-positive Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
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 In January 2012, imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) was granted ...
Changing the Course of Human Health through Bold Pursuits in Science
The synergy between industry, academic research, and regulatory bodies will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the future of a robust cancer drug pipeline. To gain insight on oncologic development trends, The ASCO Post recently spoke with Jean Pierre Bizzari, MD, Head of Global...
SMAC Mimetics Induce Proinflammatory Cancer Cell Death and Adaptive Antitumor Immune Response
SMAC/DIABLO (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase/direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding protein with low pI) is a proapoptotic mitochondrial protein that is released in response to various apoptotic stimuli. Molecular mimetics of SMAC are being investigated for use in cancer treatment,...
Bone Morphogenesis Protein 4 Pathway as Treatment Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Bone morphogenesis protein 4 (BMP4), which belongs to the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family, is a multifunctional cytokine that is known to be involved in human carcinogenesis. The cytokine exerts its effects through pathways dependent on and independent of SMAD proteins, which are the...
Targeting Human Endogenous Retrovirus K Envelope Protein Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth
The human genome contains a large variety of endogenous retroviral sequences (approximately 8% of the genome). Although most of these are highly defective, the human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) family shows conservation of apparently intact retroviral genes and is transcriptionally active ...
PEDF Has Cytotoxic Effect on Breast Cancer Cells and Neuron-protective Effect
The cytokine pigment epithelium–derived factor (PEDF) is downregulated in brain metastases of breast cancer by approximately 14-fold compared with primary breast tumors, suggesting that promoting its expression might inhibit metastatic spread. Normal breast epithelial cells express high levels of...
Constructing a Top Five List in Oncology
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has joined the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation and eight other medical specialty societies to take a collective stand in improving patient care and addressing rising health-care costs. As part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely®...
JCO Presents New Training Seminar for Authors
Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) recently launched a training seminar for potential authors, entitled, “Publishing Your Research: A Seminar From the Editors of JCO.” The first seminar was held in January prior to the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco. Daniel G. Haller, MD,...
Clinical Findings and Consequences of Distributing Counterfeit Drugs for Hematology and Oncology
As introduced in our report on page 1 of this issue, counterfeit pharmaceuticals are an increasingly important safety concern, and three of the most prominent drug-counterfeiting episodes in recent years have involved hematology/oncology products. Counterfeit Erythropoietin Helen B., a 61-year-old...
Expert Point of View: ColoPrint Gene Assay Can Guide Treatment Decisions in Stage II Colon Cancer
Axel Grothey, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, told The ASCO Post that he finds the data “intriguing” and that the study exemplifies the value of developing molecular signatures for use in colon cancer. “It identifies patients with an excellent prognosis, who perhaps should not be...
ColoPrint Gene Assay Can Guide Treatment Decisions in Stage II Colon Cancer
ColoPrint, an 18-gene expression profile assay for patients with early-stage colon cancer, accurately stratifies patients by recurrence risk and identifies a subset who can be adequately treated by surgery alone, investigators reported at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.1 According to...
Novel Agents and Genomic Sequencing Show Promise in Improving Multiple Myeloma Management
For over 30 years, Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, Kraft Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, has focused his translational research on B-cell ...
NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines: Important Updates for 2012
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology have become the most widely used guidelines in oncology practice. The Guidelines cover 97% of all patients with cancer and are continually updated by expert panels. The 2012 Guidelines include some completely...
Defining Meaningful Benefit: The Debate Continues in Bevacizumab’s Wake
The events surrounding the labeling of bevacizumab (Avastin) have been well covered since last November when the FDA withdrew the drug’s accelerated approval as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer. However, the controversy initiated a debate over the value of endpoints in clinical trials in...
Expert Point of View: Novel Multikinase Inhibitor Improves Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The results of the CORRECT trial created some degree of “buzz” at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, with experts predicting that regorafenib will become FDA-approved and have strong clinical utility. While numerically, the benefit appeared small, “There is a real difference with this...
Novel Multikinase Inhibitor Improves Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor regorafenib, given as a single agent to patients with treatment-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, significantly improved overall survival and delayed disease progression in an international phase III trial presented at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers...
I Refuse to Let Cancer Win
My battle with cancer started with a simple sore throat in June 2005. Despite two rounds of an antibiotic to clear up the problem, within 2 months my throat hurt so much I couldn’t swallow, and a mysterious lump had suddenly appeared on my tongue. By the end of August, I was diagnosed with stage...
Partial Nephrectomy Can Optimize Survival in Patients with Early-stage Disease
Following recent clinical trial data from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment (EORTC) showing a survival benefit for patients with small kidney cancers treated with radical vs partial nephrectomy, an analysis using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) and...
Integrated Genetic Profiling Can Identify Predictors of Outcome and Improve Risk Stratification in AML Patients
A mutational analysis of 18 genes in 398 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found at least one somatic alteration in 97.3% of the patients and identified genetic predictors of outcome that improved risk stratification among patients with AML, independent of age, white-cell count, induction...
Younger Patients Treated with Systemic Carboplatin at Higher Risk of Ototoxicity
Patients younger than 6 months at the start of systemic carboplatin treatment for retinoblastoma have a significant risk of developing hearing loss, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. A review of audiologic test results of 60 patients with retinoblastoma who received...
Women Treated with Breast-conserving Surgery More Likely to Have Diagnostic and Invasive Procedures over Time
Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with breast-conserving surgery “continue to have diagnostic and invasive breast procedures in the conserved breast over an extended period,” according to a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “The estimated 10-year...
Concepts about Effects of Menopausal Hormone Therapy on Breast Cancer Continue to Change
In 2002, it was thought that menopausal hormone therapy using estrogen alone increases breast cancer risk, although not as quickly as combined estrogen plus progestin. Current thinking about estrogen alone is that it reduces breast cancer risk. This is just one example of changing concepts about...
Two Cycles of Chemotherapy plus Involved-field Radiation Improves Tumor Control in Early Unfavorable Disease
Final analysis of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) HD14 trial concluded that intensified chemotherapy with two cycles of escalated BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine [Matulane], and prednisone) followed by two cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin,...
SIDEBAR: Drug Development in the Era of Personalized Medicine
Advances in understanding cancer on a molecular level and the identification of subgroups of cancer patients with rare diseases are expected to have an effect on drug development and supply. “The vision of what cancer care will be like in the future is this very precise personalized care, where...
Update on Oncology Drug Shortage: Better for Now, But Permanent Solutions Must Address Underlying Issues
Over the past few years, drug shortages in the United States have been on the rise, involving hundreds of agents, many of which are lifesaving medications for patients with cancer. In recent months, the FDA has taken steps to alleviate some of the most critical oncology drug shortages. “We should...
Scott M. Lippman, MD, Named New Director of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Scott M. Lippman, MD, has been named Director of Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, effective May 1, 2012. Dr. Lippman was previously Chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston. “As the new...
Oncology Professionals and Leaders to be Honored at ASCO Annual Meeting
ASCO is recognizing researchers, patient advocates, and leaders of the global oncology community through its Special Awards Program at this year’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. Recipients of ASCO’s special awards collectively represent significant strides in cancer treatment and leadership in the...
Novel Initiative to Address Oncology Drug Crisis
Much has been written about the oncology drug shortage crisis in the United States. In the spirit of being part of the solution to that problem, a group of oncologists has formed the Citizen’s Oncology Foundation (COF). The goal of the start-up not-for-profit association is two-pronged: to find...
Brachytherapy Associated with Increased Complications Compared to Whole-breast Irradiation following Lumpectomy for Breast Cancer
Among older women with invasive breast cancer and treated with lumpectomy, brachytherapy compared with whole-breast irradiation was associated with a decreased likelihood of long-term breast preservation and an increased likelihood of complications, but no difference in overall survival, according...
Oral Rivaroxaban Is Noninferior to Standard Anticoagulant Therapy in Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Thromboembolic disease is common in patients with cancer and increases risk of mortality. Recent studies showed that the oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban (Xarelto) was as effective and safe as standard anticoagulant therapy in treating deep-vein thrombosis, with superior efficacy of rivaroxaban ...
Canadian Registry Study of Adjuvant Therapy for NSCLC Shows Increased Use in Elderly Patients and Improved Survival
Cisplatin-based adjuvant therapy is recommended for patients with resected stage II–IIIA non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There have been no trials of adjuvant therapy in elderly patients with NSCLC, who constitute a large part of the NSCLC population. A number of analyses indicate that older...
Geriatric Oncologists: A Small but Passionate Group
Although age is the major risk factor for developing cancer, geriatric oncology is still a relatively new discipline within the oncology community. To gain insight into this evolving component of cancer care, The ASCO Post recently spoke with a leader in the field, Stuart M. Lichtman, MD, FACP,...
SIDEBAR: Social Media: A Generational Thing?
Overheard Monday morning conversations about concerns expressed by patients and family members over the weekend triggered the idea for the article about the challenges of using social media to communicate with patients in the oncology setting, according to the article’s lead author, Lori Wiener,...
Before Accepting a ‘Friend’ Request on Social Media, Carefully Consider the Potential Pitfalls and Perils
To friend or not to friend? That is the question many social networkers ponder daily. Oncologists and other health professionals considering “friend” requests from patients would be wise to first consider the potential pitfalls and perils of accepting such requests, according to an article written...
Expert Point of View: Chemoradiation with Fluorouracil and Mitomycin Reduces Recurrence of Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer
In an editorial accompanying the recently reported UK phase III Bladder Cancer 2001 (BC2001) trial, Shipley and Zietman, from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, point out that this trial shows that “the addition of a very tolerable regimen of chemotherapy to radiotherapy...
Chemoradiation with Fluorouracil and Mitomycin Reduces Recurrence of Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer
Radiotherapy is an alternative to surgery in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, particularly in less-fit patients. However, it is associated with high rates of incomplete response or recurrence, with salvage surgery often being required. Although synchronous chemoradiotherapy has improved local...
New Research Shows Promise in Cachexia, a Persistent Clinical Challenge
In the late 1980s, researchers led by Alfred L. Goldberg, PhD, first isolated the large protein complexes now called 26S proteasomes, which are the sites where most cellular proteins are degraded back to amino acids. Protein degradation by the proteasome pathway is critical in regulating many...
Expert Point of View: More New Data Support Use of Daily Aspirin to Prevent Cancers
Is it time to recommend aspirin for cancer prevention? “It’s the question we are asking,” said Andrew T. Chan, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who wrote a commentary accompanying three new studies in The Lancet and Lancet Oncology. The studies, by Peter M. Rothwell,...
More New Data Support Use of Daily Aspirin to Prevent Cancers
Three new studies have added data to the growing evidence that low-dose, daily aspirin helps prevent colorectal cancer and other malignancies and may be useful in preventing metastases as well.1-3 Coming on the heels of other recent studies, the results appear to strengthen the case for using...
FDA Strengthens Monitoring of Postapproval Drug Safety
A strengthened and modernized postmarket drug safety program has resulted in a substantial improvement in the FDA’s oversight of drugs once they reach the American public, according to a new report released by the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). The report, Advances in...
JAMA Highlights New Comparative Effectiveness Studies
A recent press briefing moderated by Phil B. Fontanarosa, MD, MBA, Executive Editor, JAMA, presented new findings on comparative effectiveness research, and two of the studies discussed focused on cancer. Dr. Fontanarosa started by defining comparative effectiveness research, which gained...
Important Information Regarding Abstract Distribution for the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting
ASCO has implemented a new abstract distribution model for its 2012 Annual Meeting to ensure simultaneous electronic and print release of important scientific information to attendees and the public. Plenary, Late-Breaking, and Clinical Review Abstracts (or Newly Released Abstracts, as they will be ...
Cancer.Net, ASCO’s Patient Education Website: Celebrating 10 Years of Trusted Cancer Education
“For 10 years, Cancer.Net has reflected the voice of the physician and given people with cancer and their loved ones the tools they need to actively participate in their cancer care. ASCO has used all the technological advances of the past decade to make information more accessible, interactive,...
ASCO Past President Highlights QOPI® Efforts to Improve Care in Michigan
ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) can be used to assess the quality of care in a statewide consortium of oncology practices and ultimately can lead to better care for patients with cancer, said ASCO Past President Douglas W. Blayney, MD, at a recent briefing on cancer care value...
ASCO Launches First Annual Quality Care Symposium November 30
So much health services research is underway in oncology that, rather than relegating it to just a portion of the Annual Meeting, ASCO has decided to launch a meeting devoted entirely to the emerging discipline. The first annual Quality Care Symposium will take place November 30 through December 1...
Conquer Cancer Foundation Board Member Tom Roberts Cites Need to Grow Research Capacity as Opportunity for Discovery Accelerates
Thomas G. Roberts, MD, dedicates a shelf in his home to memories of patients—photographs, notes, expressions of gratitude, traces of lives linked with his through cancer treatment. He looks at it every day, he says, and the memories inform his mission. “In oncology, you become part of people’s...
Vandetanib: New Drug for Unresectable Medullary Thyroid 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 The oral kinase inhibitor vandetanib (Caprelsa) was...
Analysis Suggests CT Screening Could Save Lives at Relatively Low Cost
Results of an actuarial analysis suggest that offering lung cancer screening with low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) as a commercial insurance benefit to individuals who are 50 to 64 years old and have a smoking history of 30 pack-years or more could save lives at relatively low cost....
Expert Point of View: Biomarker Analysis of the TORCH Study: First-line Erlotinib Only in Patients with EGFR-positive Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Tetsuya Mitsudomi, MD, PhD, of Aichi Cancer Center Hospital in Nagoya, Japan, discussed the study presented by Tsao and colleagues1 and said that many previous trials have already shown that EGFR mutation is the most reliable predictive marker for treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors....
Biomarker Analysis of the TORCH Study: First-line Erlotinib Only in Patients with EGFR-positive Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) should receive treatment with erlotinib (Tarceva) before receiving standard chemotherapy only if their tumor is known to harbor EGFR mutations, researchers reported at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.1 The...
