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Showing 26751 - 26800The Practice of More than One Art
The positive healing effects of music can be traced as far back as ancient Greece and the belief that Apollo was God of medicine and music. In his book De Anima, Aristotle wrote that flute music could purify the soul. By the end of the 19th century, researchers were showing a correlation between...
American Society of Hematology Launches ASH Foundation
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has announced the creation of the ASH Foundation dedicated to curing blood diseases. The new foundation will complement and build on the work of the Society by harnessing the generosity of donors to expand the reach of successful ASH programs and develop new ...
Expert Point of View: Robert Jones, MD
“The data speak for themselves,” stated Robert Jones, MD, of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Center, Glasgow, UK, during discussion of the MAINSAIL trial at the 2012 ESMO Congress. The study raises some important questions, he continued: What are the implications for designing future trials?...
Lenalidomide Trial Negative in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) failed to improve survival and increased toxicity when added to docetaxel and prednisone in men with chemotherapy-naive, progressive, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the phase III MAINSAIL trial reported at the 2012 ESMO Congress in Vienna. This study...
Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, Named New Editor-in-Chief of AACR Journal Molecular Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently announced that Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, Professor and Hilary Koprowski Chair in the Departments of Cancer Biology, Urology, and Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and Deputy Director for Basic Science of the...
Expert Point of View: George Demetri, MD
Invited discussant of the abstract, George Demetri, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, noted that metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas present with variable clinical behaviors but are nearly always incurable with any approach. “Therefore, our intent is to palliate...
No Survival Advantage for Combination Chemotherapy in Advanced Soft-tissue Sarcoma
The addition of aggressively dosed ifosfamide to doxorubicin in the treatment of advanced soft-tissue sarcomas significantly delayed disease progression but did not improve survival in the randomized phase III EORTC 62012 trial conducted by the Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group of the European...
Top 10 Most Viewed Articles on ASCOPost.com for 2012
Novel Multikinase Inhibitor Improves Survival in Metastatic Colorectal CancerBy Caroline HelwickThe 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...
Prevention and Treatment of Multikinase Inhibitor–induced Hand-Foot Syndrome
Multikinase inhibitors (sorafenib [Nexavar], sunitinib [Sutent], pazopanib [Votrient], axitinib [Inlyta], regorafenib [Stivarga]) block various proteins including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR). They have been approved by...
Expert Point of View: Nicoletta Colombo, MD
Formal discussant of the AURELIA presentation, Nicoletta Colombo, MD, University of Milan Bicocca, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, said, “This is the only positive trial in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer.” Dr. Colombo was impressed with the activity of...
Combination Bevacizumab/Chemotherapy Improves Outcomes in Platinum-resistant Ovarian Cancer
The addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to chemotherapy improved progression-free survival and response rates in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer, according to an exploratory analysis of the phase III AURELIA trial. The combination of paclitaxel with bevacizumab achieved very ...
Expert Point of View: Jeffrey Bradley, MD
Commenting on both radiotherapy studies and the use of proton-beam therapy in general, Jeffrey Bradley, MD, of Washington University in St Louis, agreed with both presenters that a randomized prospective trial is needed to justify the use of proton-beam therapy in prostate cancer. Washington...
Early Quality of Life Better with Proton-beam Therapy, but Late Effects Similar to Other Treatment Modalities for Prostate Cancer
Differing patterns of patient-reported quality of life for three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, and proton-beam therapy were reported in a nonrandomized comparison of three modern cohorts of patients with prostate cancer. The study was presented at...
Expert Point of View: Colleen Lawton, MD
“These were two nice presentations evaluating the ability of SBRT to control disease as well as toxicity. This is cutting-edge research. It is very exciting that we could treat prostate cancer patients with radiation inside of 2 to 2.5 weeks, and it is clearly cost-saving. We need longer follow-up...
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Produces Impressive Results in Organ-confined Prostate Cancer
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivered via the CyberKnife can achieve excellent outcomes with minimal toxicity in patients with prostate cancer. Importantly, this technique delivers therapeutic doses of radiation in four to five fractions, which reduces the number of clinic visits...
Expert Point of View: Thomas Pisansky, MD
Commenting on this paper, Thomas Pisansky, MD, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, reminded listeners that about 50% of patients treated with external-beam radiation therapy and about 33% of those treated with brachytherapy already have erectile dysfunction prior to treatment. After radiation...
Sildenafil Improves Overall Sexual Function in Men with Prostate Cancer Treated with Radiation
For the first time, a randomized controlled trial reported improved sexual function with 6 months of prophylactic sildenafil citrate before, during, and after radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer.1 The paper was presented at the Plenary Session during the 54th Annual Meeting of the...
Expert Point of View: Jason A. Efstathiou, MD, DPhil
Although these two trials reported at the ASTRO Annual Meeting are seemingly different, they both establish the value of radiation-based therapy in prostate cancer, demonstrating overall survival benefit and favorable toxicity profiles in high-risk, locally advanced, and castrate-resistant...
Androgen-deprivation Therapy plus Radiation Proven as Standard of Care for High-risk Prostate Cancer
A combined-modality approach of androgen-deprivation therapy plus radiation therapy achieves a substantial survival benefit over androgen-deprivation therapy alone in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer according to final analysis of an intergroup randomized phase III study conducted by...
SIDEBAR: How Other Countries Are Controlling Oncology Costs
The refrain is familiar: The United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized country, but the investment does not correspond to superior care. A recent study by The Commonwealth Fund, a health-care policy research foundation, shows just how stark the contrast is. Instructive ...
The Ethics of Rationing Cancer Care
Should cost be a consideration when deciding on treatment for patients with cancer, and if so, what kind of ethical dilemma does that pose for oncologists? With U.S. spending on oncology drugs expected to climb more than 20% annually over the next decade—reaching $173 billion by 2020, according to...
ASCO Calls on Congress to Avoid Looming ‘Fiscal Cliff’
As Congress reconvenes for its lame duck session, ASCO calls on lawmakers to prevent devastating budget cuts to cancer care, research, and the drug review process citing the negative impact to millions of individuals who have cancer. The mandated cuts, known as “sequestration” under the Budget...
ASCO Underscores Importance of Quality and Value in Cancer Care at IOM Workshop
ASCO leadership recently participated in the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) National Cancer Policy Forum workshop titled “Delivering Affordable Care in the 21st Century.” The workshop focused on examining the rising costs related to cancer care and potential ways to curb these costs while improving...
The Latest News on Quality Cancer Care: What It Means for Patients
Direct your patients to www.cancer.net/qualitysymposium to learn about the research highlighted at the 2012 Quality Care Symposium in the special online newsletter Cancer Advances: News for Patients from the 2012 Quality Care Symposium. Also, your patients can listen to a podcast of highlights from ...
Research of Three Conquer Cancer Foundation Grantees Featured among Top Cancer Advances of the Year
Every year, the Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology funds research grants that provide critical start-up funding for young physician-scientists, with the goal of enabling them to develop successful careers in cancer research so that they can bring new treatments...
Clinical Cancer Advances 2012: ASCO’s Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer
Clinical research is continuously delivering new treatments that lengthen and improve the lives of patients with cancer. The abundance of advances reported in the past year illustrates our steady progress in cancer treatment and care. Clinical Cancer Advances 2012: ASCO’s Annual Report on Progress...
Shaping the Future of Oncology: Envisioning Cancer Care in 2030
Over the course of the last year, the ASCO Board of Directors worked to identify “drivers of change” that will have the greatest impact on the oncology field over the next two decades. “We are on the verge of a new age of cancer care, in which emerging scientific, technical, and economic trends are ...
Finding Lynch Syndrome among Patients with Colorectal Cancer: Routine Tumor Testing Looks Best
Oncologists generally agree that screening patients with colorectal cancer for Lynch syndrome is a good thing. Patients who turn out to have the hereditary syndrome can inform their first-degree relatives, who in turn can undergo genetic testing. Those who have the characteristic mutations can take ...
Genetic Variation in Vitamin D Pathway Is Tied to Colorectal Cancer Risk among African Americans
African Americans’ risk of colorectal cancer varies according to whether they have certain genetic variants that affect vitamin D metabolism, according to a study presented at the Fifth American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held...
Expert Point of View: Paul Harari, MD
Formal discussant of this trial, Paul Harari, MD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, commended the N09C6 investigators for conducting a randomized controlled phase III trial on symptom relief. “Most phase III trials are conducted to evaluate a new cancer...
Oral Rinse Doxepin Relieves Painful Mucositis in Head and Neck Cancer
Doxepin oral rinse significantly improved oral mucositis in patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer according to results of a phase III trial presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Boston. However, the improvement was...
Significant Reduction in Cancer Risk Seen with Daily Multivitamin Use in Middle-aged and Older Men
Large-scale trials over the past several years have shown a general lack of effect of single vitamins or small numbers of vitamins given at high doses in preventing cancer. However, as recently reported in JAMA by Gaziano and colleagues, the Physicians’ Health Study II has found a modest but...
2012 In Review: Oncology Drugs/Indications Newly Approved by FDA
At press time, the FDA had granted approval for the following new agents and indications for cancer treatment in 2012. Cabozantinib (Cometriq) for the treatment of progressive metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. Cabozantinib is a small molecule that inhibits the activity of multiple tyrosine...
Revised Everolimus Dosing and New Safety/Efficacy Data for Approval in Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma
On August 29, 2012, everolimus in a tablet for oral suspension form (Afinitor Disperz) was given accelerated approval for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with tuberous sclerosis complex who have subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) that requires therapeutic intervention but...
SIDEBAR: REPORT ADVERSE EVENTS
Health-care professionals should report all serious adverse events suspected to be associated with the use of any medicine or device to FDA’s MedWatch Reporting System by completing a form online at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm, by faxing (1-800-FDA-0178), by mailing the postage-paid...
Liposomal Vincristine for Adult Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
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 August 2012, vinCRIStine sulfate LIPOSOME injection...
IMA901 Granted Orphan Drug Designation by FDA
immatics biotechnologies GmbH announced that the cancer vaccine IMA901 has been granted orphan drug designation from the FDA for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in HLA-A*02 positive patients. The FDA grants orphan drug designation to novel drugs aimed at treating rare diseases or...
Supplemental New Drug Application Submitted for Erlotinib as a First-line Therapy in Genetically Distinct NSCLC
Astellas Pharma US, Inc, announced it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the FDA seeking approval for erlotinib (Tarceva) tablets for first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have epidermal growth...
Surefire Medical Receives FDA Clearance for Angiographic Catheters
Surefire Medical, Inc, announced that the company has received 510(k) FDA clearance to market its line of Surefire Angiographic Catheters. Surefire Medical will launch these products in the United States later this year. Surefire’s Angiographic Catheter line is designed to provide interventional...
FDA Grants Fast Track Designation to Etirinotecan Pegol for the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Nektar Therapeutics announced that the FDA has designated etirinotecan pegol (NKTR-102) as a Fast Track development program for the treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer progressing after treatment with an anthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine (ATC)....
Molecular Breast Imaging an Option for Early Detection in High-risk Women
Molecular breast imaging, also known as breast-specific gamma imaging, was a key topic of discussion at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting, held recently in Chicago. Molecular breast imaging can detect breast cancer missed by mammography, according to clinical data...
Effects of LKB1 Mutation and mTOR Inhibition on IGFR1 Pathway in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
LKB1 is a serine/threonine kinase that has been found to be mutated in approximately 20% to 30% of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). LKB1 acts as a tumor suppressor by activating AMPK, and loss of LKB1 by point mutation or deletion suppresses AMPK, leading to increased mTOR...
How Sequestration May Affect Cancer Research
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) began his political career in 1974 as a state representative in Ohio. He served as Ohio’s Secretary of State between 1983 and 1991, went on to serve in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 2006, and was elected to the Senate in 2006. A supporter of biomedical and cancer...
Fox Chase Researchers Find Most Medicare Patients Wait Weeks before Breast Cancer Surgery
Although patients may feel anxious waiting weeks from the time of their first doctor visit to evaluate their breast until they have breast cancer surgery, new findings from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia show that these waits are typical in the United States. Results were published...
Plenary Session Included Findings on Partial- vs Whole-breast Techniques and Patient Beliefs about Radiotherapy
When the dates were picked for the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), no one could have anticipated that the meeting would coincide with Hurricane Sandy’s devastation of parts of the northeast. As the storm approached on Monday and Boston shut down its...
Richard R. Barakat, MD, Elected 2014 President of Two Gynecologic Oncology Medical Societies
Richard R. Barakat, MD, was recently named President-elect of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) and the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS). He will serve as President of both societies beginning in 2014. Dr. Barakat is Vice Chair, Clinical Activities, Department of Surgery;...
Surgical Resection for Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: Who, When, How?
Many patients with colorectal liver metastases can undergo surgical resection with curative intent. Who are these patients and how are they best managed? In an interview with The ASCO Post, Steven A. Curley, MD, Professor of Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,...
What Combinations Should Be Tested?
If the therapy combinations tested in the BeST trial don’t deserve to move on to phase III trials, what other combinations do show enough promise against renal cell carcinoma to merit being tested in phase III trials? “None at the present time,” maintained Bernard Escudier, MD, of the Institut...
Combination Therapy Not Better than Single-agent Bevacizumab for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in BeST Trial
None of three combination therapies tested among patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in the BeST trial came close to achieving the primary objective of a 67% improvement in median progression-free survival compared to single-agent bevacizumab (Avastin), Keith T. Flaherty, MD, reported at...
Medical and Behavioral Variables Have More Impact on Physical Functioning Than Finasteride Treatment
Taking finasteride over a 7-year period as part of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) “did not affect any of the three primary health-related quality-of-life domains—physical function, mental health, or vitality—either positively or negatively,” according to a study published in the...
