Use of Clarithromycin Prophylaxis Reduces MAC Infection, Mortality in Advanced AIDS Patients
November 1st 1995SAN FRANCISCO-Clarithromy-cin (Biaxin), a newer generation macro-lide, has been shown to have a definite favorable effect on survival when given prophylactically to patients with advanced AIDS, Mark Pierce, MD, reported at the 35th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Low-Dose Acyclovir Recommended for HSV Prophylaxis in Leukemic Patients
November 1st 1995SAN FRANCISCO-Low-dose intravenous acyclovir (Zovirax) provides effective prophylaxis against Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection or reactivation in leukemic patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy, Carole Miller, MD, said at the 35th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).
Study Shows Outpatient Chemotherapy Less Expensive Than Home Health Care Delivery
November 1st 1995MARINA DEL REY, Calif-A detailed financial analysis of the costs associated with chemotherapy delivery showed home health care costs to be, on average, 2.5 times higher than those incurred in an outpatient clinic setting, said Patrick A. Grusenmeyer, MPA, financial administrator for the Ochsner Cancer Institute, New Orleans.
Extended Triple Antiretroviral Therapy Maintains Superiority
November 1st 1995SAN FRANCISCO-Two separate clinical trials have demonstrated that triple combination antiretroviral therapy maintains its superiority over double therapy in the extended treatment of HIV infection, although neither study included clinical morbidity as an endpoint.
Amphotericin B Lipid Complex Effective, Less Toxic
November 1st 1995SAN FRANCISCO-Amphotericin B lipid complex may be the treatment of choice for patients with hematogenous or invasive candidiasis, Elias J. Anaissie, MD, said at the 35th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).
Careful Appraisal Is Needed to Determine The True Value of an Oncology Practice
November 1st 1995MARINA DEL REY, Calif-Every physician needs to know the value of his or her practice, especially in this era of change-when mergers, affiliations, partner buy-ins or buy-outs, and outright sales of practices are common, Kim R. Johnson, RN, said at the annual conference of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).
Market Research Provides Critical Information to Cancer Centers
November 1st 1995MARINA DEL REY, Calif-In today's health care environment, the providers of cancer care must determine not only how to market their services but also whom to market them to, Patti A. Jamieson, MSSW, MBA, said at the annual Conference of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).
Panel Recommends Taxotere Be Approved for Advanced Breast Ca
November 1st 1995SILVER SPRING, Md-The FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has voted 6 to 0 with one abstention to recommend that Rhône-Poulenc Rorer's Taxotere (docetaxel) be approved for the treatment of patients with anthracycline-resistant locally advanced or metastatic breast carcinoma.
Winner of ACCC Research Award Defines Qualities That Make a 'Good Researcher'
November 1st 1995MARINA DEL REY, Calif-Representatives of the American Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), an organization of almost 500 cancer institutions, presented the group's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Research to Rodger J. Winn, MD, at their annual economics conference.
Needle Exchange Programs Lower HIV Risk: Panel
October 1st 1995WASHINGTON-Programs designed to encourage drug addicts not to share needles can help reduce the spread of HIV, a National Academy of Sciences panel said in its report to Congress. The report may pave the way for a change in government policy to allow the use of federal funds to support such programs.
Institute of the Future Urges US to Increase Spending on Basic R&D
October 1st 1995WASHINGTON-US spending on research and development has fallen over the last 20 years from 3% to 2.6% of the Gross Domestic Product, and the United States now ranks behind Japan and Germany in R&D spending, according to a study released by the Institute for the Future, a California-based think tank sponsored by 23 research-oriented pharmaceutical companies.
Spiral CT Offers Better Detection of Disease, More Accurate Staging
October 1st 1995BALTIMORE-The advent of spiral CT offers advantages over regular CT scans, Elliot K. Fishman, MD, said at a conference sponsored by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he is professor of radiology and oncology.
New Colon Ca Agent Is Available in France
October 1st 1995PARIS-Rhône-Poulenc Rorer Inc.'s Campto (irinotecan/CPT-11), the first new therapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer since the introduction of fluorouracil nearly 40 years ago, is now available in France. France is the first country outside Japan to approve this agent for marketing.
New Dual Antibiotic Effective Against Changing Hospital Flora
October 1st 1995MONTREAL-The newest beta-lactam plus beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, piperacillin/tazobactam (Zosyn), when combined with amikacin, is highly effective for empiric treatment of patients with febrile granulocyto-penia, Jean A. Klastersky, MD, said at the 19th International Congress of Chemotherapy. He was speaking at a symposium sponsored by Lederle/Wyeth-Ayerst International, manufacturer of Zosyn.
Network Readies Its Practice Guidelines
October 1st 1995Last January, 13 of the nation's foremost cancer centers formed the Na-tional Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance that spans the nation geographically, with the goal of providing high-quality cost-effective medical services to cancer patients across the country.
Color Doppler, MRI Hold Promise for Improved Detection of
October 1st 1995SEATTLE-Improvements in standard imaging techniques may lead toenhanced prostate cancer detection and local staging accuracyin the near future, Gary Sudakoff, MD, said at the Pacific NorthwestCancer Foundation Meeting on Transperi-neal Brachytherapy forEarly Stage Prostate Cancer. Such methods may include combiningcolor Doppler imaging with endorectal ultrasound (see image )and using new types of coils with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),said Dr. Sudakoff, of the University of Chicago.
'An HMO Wants to See a Proposal, Where Do I Start?'
October 1st 1995It is by now axiomatic that information is vitally important in a managed care environment. Whether you are preparing for participation with managed care plans, beginning to evaluate the results of ongoing participation, considering expansion of existing managed care arrangements, or assessing capitation, you will need a plan.
Ca Pain Patients Appear to Prefer 12-hr Sustained-Release Morphine
October 1st 1995MONTREAL-In a small Canadian study of patients with cancer-related pain, nearly 75% said that 12-hour dosing with sustained-release morphine sulfate tablets (MS Contin) offers advantages over 8-hour dosing, and nearly all (94.5%) preferred 12-hour to 4-hour dosing, report Gérard G. Mignault, MD, and colleagues from the Hôtel-Dieu de Mon-tréal and Purdue Frederick, Pickering, Ontario, manufacturer of MS Contin.