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Showing 25751 - 25800Impact of Basic Science Advances on Cancer Management Highlighted at AACR Conference
New research in basic science labs coupled with advanced information technology is leading to a more sophisticated understanding of the causes of cancer, how it progresses, and potential methods of treatment, said Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, Nobel Laureate and Chairperson of the Second Annual...
Investigators Unlocking the Mysteries of Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute have documented the molecular activity through which the Merkel cell polyomavirus contributes to 80% of cases of Merkel cell carcinoma—a finding that holds promise for future therapies. The researchers are now working on testing more than ...
American Society of Hematology Recognizes Christoph Klein, MD, PhD, with William Dameshek Prize
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will honor Christoph Klein, MD, PhD, of Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, with the 2011 William Dameshek Prize, at the upcoming Annual Meeting in San Diego. Dr. Klein is being recognized by ASH for his many...
Biosimilars in Cancer Treatment: What Should the Oncology Community Expect?
Alternative versions of biologic agents, ie, “biosimilars,” will presumably be getting the green light by the FDA, giving oncologists more choices for treatments that come at lower costs to patients and society. The FDA plans to issue its guidance on biosimilars by the end of this year, paving the...
Test for AML Prognosis Cleared by FDA
Abbott announced today it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for a new in vitro diagnostic test to aid in determining the prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Abbott’s Vysis EGR1 FISH Probe Kit, the third Abbott fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay approved or...
VGX-100 Investigational New Drug Application Approved
The Australian biotechnology company Circadian Technologies announced that its subsidiary, Vegenics Pty Ltd, has received approval for its investigational new drug (IND) application from the FDA to initiate clinical trials of VGX-100. The first phase I trial will study VGX-100 in patients with a...
FDA Approves Molecular Test to Detect HPV
Gen-Probe recently announced that the FDA has approved its APTIMA HPV assay, an amplified nucleic acid test that detects high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) that are associated with cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. The test has been approved to run on Gen-Probe’s fully...
Tamoxifen vs Surgery Study Shows Older Patients with Breast Cancer Can Achieve a ‘Personal Cure’
A truly final review—when all the patients in the trial have died and the cause of death is known for each—of a randomized trial comparing tamoxifen to surgery in patients over the age of 70 with operable breast cancer found no differences in the survival rates or deaths attributable to breast...
Expert Point of View: Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Effectively Controls High-risk Prostate Cancer
The take-home message of the study findings from the Fox Chase trial reported at the 53rd ASTRO Annual Meeting plenary session supports the use of hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy as a more convenient and cost-effective alternative than conventional IMRT, according to formal...
Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Effectively Controls High-risk Prostate Cancer
The use of hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) appears to be a reasonable option for men with intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer,1 reported Alan Pollack, MD, Chairman of Radiation Oncology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami and lead...
Help Your Patients Understand Lung Cancer
Did you know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month? For an introduction to lung cancer, direct your patients to the fact sheet ASCO Answers: Lung Cancer at www.cancer.net/factsheets. For more detailed information, your patients can read the Cancer.Net Guide to Lung Cancer at...
ASCO in Action Online: Your Source for Policy News and Information
The recently enhanced ASCO in Action site ascoaction.asco.org is a one-stop source for the latest policy news related to quality cancer care and research. Whether it is information about legislation that affects cancer patients or oncology practices, easy links to ASCO’s recent policy positions,...
ASCO Journal Apps Now Available for iPad and iPhone
Users of the market-leading mobile devices have been able to access optimized versions of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) and Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) websites since the spring of 2011. Now, iPad and iPhone users can download free JCO and JOP apps from the iTunes store. Smooth and...
Oncology’s Only Benchmark Report, National Practice Benchmark, Is Now a Yearly JOP Supplement
Would it surprise you to learn that 40% of your peers in oncology who responded to a survey last year have a certified electronic medical record system in place? Or that 86% of them are in physician-owned practices? Or that the average number of full-time equivalent hematology/oncology physicians...
Global Trials: Do Benefits Outweigh Pitfalls?
Global clinical trials have many advantages and are essential in many disease settings, but there are also challenges that confront global industry-sponsored research, said Sandra Horning, MD, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Clinical Development in Hematology/Oncology for Genentech (Table...
Sunitinib and Everolimus: New Indications in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
With In the Clinic, The ASCO Post 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. Sunitinib Indication—The oral kinase inhibitor...
NCCN Guidelines® for Lung Cancer Screening Now Available
The new NCCN Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening primarily refer to non–small cell lung cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, and recommend helical low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for select patients at high risk for the disease. In addition to outlining the appropriate use of ...
Predictive Biomarker for Bevacizumab: Are We Getting Closer?
The need to identify a biomarker to guide treatment with bevacizumab (Avastin) is abundantly clear, and studies presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress suggest this goal may be in sight. “Finding predictive biomarkers is a challenge, but there are candidates,” said Eric Van ...
Despite Challenges, Combined-modality Therapy Warranted for Locally Recurrent Colorectal Cancer
Encouraging outcomes have been achieved with a combined-modality treatment approach for patients with locally recurrent colorectal cancer in both curative and palliative settings, although room for improvement remains. During a session presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology...
Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy May Extend Survival for Patients with Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma
Several American and European clinical trials have yielded mixed results on the survival advantage of preoperative chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced esophagogastric junction adenonocarcinoma. However, a distinguished panel at the 2011 ASTRO Annual Meeting did agree that surgery...
Expert Point of View: Fewer Rectal Side Effects with IMRT than with 3D-CRT for Prostate Cancer
Although the early toxicity findings of RTOG 0126 seem to favor IMRT over 3D-CRT, formal discussant of this trial, Juanita Crook, MD, FRCPC, of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, put the study’s findings in perspective. “Whether or not this is a significant...
Fewer Rectal Side Effects with IMRT than with 3D-CRT for Prostate Cancer
The use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is associated with fewer acute and late toxic effects than is three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) in men with localized prostate cancer, according to preliminary analysis of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0126...
NCCN Meeting Addresses Issues in Hematologic Malignancies
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 6th Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies, held recently in New York, included reviews of the management of hematologic diseases as well as discussions of outstanding issues in the field. The following is a synopsis of some of the important...
Expert Point of View: Novel HDAC Inhibitor May Restore Estrogen Sensitivity in Breast Cancer
Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD, of Baylor Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, who moderated the symposium where the results were presented, called the use of entinostat in advanced estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer “very, very promising.” She added, “I agree that it’s time for a phase III trial of...
Novel HDAC Inhibitor May Restore Estrogen Sensitivity in Breast Cancer
The addition of the investigational histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor entinostat significantly delayed breast cancer progression and showed a trend for a survival benefit in the phase II ENCORE 301 study. The study was conducted in women with advanced estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer...
SIDEBAR: White House Issues Executive Order on Drug Shortage
On October 31, President Barack Obama issued an executive order instructing the FDA to broaden reporting of potential drug shortages, expedite reviews of applications to begin or modify production of these drugs, and provide more information to the Justice Department about possible cases of...
Chemotherapy Drug Shortages: A Preventable Human Disaster
The issue of chemotherapy drug shortages continues with no end in sight. Many heartfelt human interest stories have been told on television, in newspapers, and even to Congress, but the bottom line is that little, if any, action has been taken. Uniquely American Problem News of the generic...
Important Lessons for Oncology from the Front Lines of the AIDS Pandemic
On June 5, 1981, the CDC issued a warning about a rare type of pneumonia discovered among a small group of young gay men in Los Angeles, later determined to be AIDS-related, ushering in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Early on, AIDS-related malignancies brought the oncology community into this formidable...
Expert Point of View: Aflibercept Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
David Kerr, MD, of the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, who is also President of the European Society of Medical Oncology, formally discussed the study, which he called “well designed and well conducted.” He applauded the investigators for performing a preplanned subgroup analysis with a...
Aflibercept Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The novel fusion protein aflibercept added to standard chemotherapy led to an overall survival benefit in a global phase III trial of second-line metastatic colorectal cancer, reported at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress in Stockholm.1 “Adding aflibercept to FOLFIRI [leucovorin,...
Neural Stem Cell Transplantation May Improve Cognitive Function in Brain Cancer
The potentially devastating long-term consequences on cognitive function in patients with brain cancer following cranial irradiation led Charles L. Limoli, PhD, Professor of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, to study neural stem cell transplantation and how the procedure may...
SIDEBAR: Key Dates in the Medicare Physician Reimbursement Saga
October 21, 2009: SB 1776 (“the Doc Fix”) is introduced in the Senate [but fails to pass] November 19, 2009: House of Representatives passes HR 3961 (the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act) [but Senate fails to pass] December 19, 2009: Congress passes Department of Defense appropriations bill...
Medicare Reimbursement to Physicians: Déjà Vu All Over Again
In February 2011, The ASCO Post published an opinion piece (“Congress and the ‘Doctor Fix’: Looking Back, Looking Ahead”) about the ping-pong of legislative continuing resolutions to avert a 21.3% cut in physician reimbursement. These continuing resolutions were necessary because the Affordable...
My Cancer Is Incurable, but My Future Is Limitless
Cancer has nearly always been part of my life. When I was 6 years old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The doctors told my parents that unless I was treated immediately, I wouldn’t live longer than a month. Over the next 3 years, I underwent intensive courses of chemotherapy and...
SIDEBAR: Expect Questions from Your Patients
Patients concerned about an increased risk of cancer among recipients of organ transplantation need to know that “in the great majority of cases, patients don’t get cancer,” according to Eric Engels, MD, MPH, lead author of the Transplant Cancer Match Study report and Senior Investigator, Division...
Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Have Increased Risk for Broad Range of Malignancies
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. The Transplant Cancer Match Study, a ...
Evidence of Improved Survival for Lobectomy vs Limited Resection in Early-stage Lung Cancer
“Evidence is statistically inconclusive but suggestive that lobectomy, compared with limited resection, is associated with increased long-term survival for early-stage lung cancer,” according to a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study analyzed data from 679...
Significant Neurologic and Executive Function Impairment among Breast Cancer Survivors
Women who survive breast cancer show significant neurologic impairment, with outcomes appearing to be significantly poorer for those treated with chemotherapy, according to a report in the Archives of Neurology. Investigators at Stanford University School of Medicine in California conducted an...
Significantly Longer Survival with Axitinib Compared to Sorafenib in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
A phase III study comparing the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors axitinib and sorafenib (Nexavar) as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma found that axitinib produced significantly longer progression-free survival. Published in The...
The Art and Grace of Just Letting Go
Like a breeze rippling across a lake, the end of your career is approaching and you cannot escape its path. You can see it coming, and before you know it the inexorable movement will rush past you. You have two choices: Build a sail so that you can capture the energy and move with it, or remain...
Expert Point of View: Researchers Find Remarkable Heterogeneity in Sarcomas
Historically, studying sarcoma has been problematic for several reasons. Sarcomas represent only about 1% of all adult cancers, and there are many subtypes, so getting a group of patients with one type of sarcoma together for a clinical trial in a single institution can be challenging. In the past, ...
Researchers Find Remarkable Heterogeneity in Sarcomas
Does one size fit all for the treatment of sarcoma? The answer is a resounding “no,” according to Jean-Yves Blay, MD, Department of Medicine, Université Claude Bernard, and Unité INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research Unit), Lyon, France. Researchers have been able to classify...
SIDEBAR: Patient Advocates Form Huge Presence at EMCC 2011
Patient advocate and two-time breast cancer survivor Kathi Apostolidis from Greece spoke at a session on patients’ and physicians’ use of social media. “Social media is not a fad. It has real value,” she said. She uses social media to connect with oncologists and policymakers across the globe, and...
Twitter Dominates Social Media Buzz at Stockholm Meeting
There was a time when clinical trial results were disseminated mainly through peer-reviewed journals that appeared in your mailbox. Computers and prompt reporting from medical conferences changed that, and same-day postings on medical websites brought “breaking news” a step closer. But the...
Reflections from The ASCO Post
The editors gratefully acknowledge all contributors to The ASCO Post and thank the columnists who contributed to Volume 2, January–December 2011: Al B. Benson III, MD, FACP Richard Boxer, MD, FACS Carlton G. Brown, RN, PhD, AOCN Barrie R. Cassileth, PhD E. David Crawford, MD Emil J. Freireich, MD, ...
Need for Data Capture Crucial, Now and After ‘Meaningful Use’
It’s never enough. Whether it is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), other payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, or specialty companies, one can never provide enough data. When will it all end? The problem, or the opportunity for many, is that it won’t end. The need for discrete ...
Oncologists Need Hands-on Approach in Developing Next Generation of EHRs
The electronic health record system offered by vendors is more like a filing cabinet, not the sophisticated, interactive database needed by busy oncologists, according to Kevin S. Hughes, MD, FACS, Co-Director, Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, who...
Improving Quality and Safety with Health Information Technology
A well-documented flaw in paper-based health care is the propensity for medical errors. According to Blackford Middleton, MD, MPH, MSc, implementing clinical decision support software can decrease medical error, improve outcomes, and lower the costs of care. Presenting a session titled “Improving...
American Society of Hematology Elects New Officers
The American Society of Hematology announced the election of three new members to its Executive Committee, the governing body of the organization, for terms to begin in January 2012. Linda J. Burns, MD, will serve a 1-year term as Vice President, followed by successive terms as President-Elect and...
