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Irinotecan/Gemcitabine Followed by Twice-Weekly Gemcitabine/Radiation in Locally Advanced Pancreatic CancerEarly clinical studies combining irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) and gemcitabine (Gemzar) have yielded encouraging results. Gemcitabine administered via a twice-weekly schedule results in an enhanced radiation-sensitizing effect.
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Regimen Improved Survival in Children With High-Risk Wilms TumorsIn this video, Dr. Dix, discusses the results of two phase III trials that showed that in children with high-risk Wilms tumor, treatment with vincristine and dactinomycin plus the addition of doxorubicin improved outcomes.
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ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Recurrent Hodgkin LymphomaBy combining the most recent medical literature and expert opinion, this revised guideline can aid clinicians in the complex decision-making associated with the management of recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma.
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CTLA-4 Antibodies: New Directions, New CombinationsThis review will summarize the preclinical and clinical development of CTLA-4–blocking antibodies, discuss recent insights into the biology of CTLA-4 blockade, review the use of these antibodies in combination with established and novel therapeutic modalities, and comment on ongoing questions regarding their administration.
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Hodgkin's DiseaseAlthough there have been many advances in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease, diagnosis of the disease still rests on the identification of the Reed-Sternberg cell. This distinctive, though nonspecific, cell was first described by Sternberg in 1898 and further elucidated by Reed in 1902. In most biopsies, the Reed-Sternberg cell accounts for only 1% of the cells present, with the remainder consisting of lymphocytes, granulocytes, histiocytes, plasma cells, and fibroblasts
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Commentary (Berd)-Melanoma Vaccines: What We Know So FarThere have been an astoundingnumber of published reviewson human cancer vaccines, andI take responsibility for my share. Apparentlythe interest of the medicalcommunity in cancer vaccines remainsintense, despite the modest progressthat has been made in our field and thepaucity of convincing, positive clinicalresults. Somehow the idea of treatinga cancer by inducing an antitumorimmune response or strengthening theexisting one is strongly appealing bothto physicians and to patients. Whetherthis enthusiasm is justified by the scienceis a question that should troublethe sleep of all of us who call ourselvestumor immunologists.
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Paclitaxel and UFT Plus Oral Calcium Folinate in Pretreated Metastatic Breast CancerThis phase I study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting side effects of combination treatment with paclitaxel (Taxol) and UFT (uracil and tegafur in a 4:1 molar ratio) plus oral
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Microvessel Density in Needle Biopsies May Help Predict StageA total of 186 randomly selected needle biopsies were evaluated and radical prostatectomy samples were matched with preoperative PSA concentration and patient demographics. Gleason score and optimized microvessel density were determined from the needle biopsy samples; pathologic stage was verified by independent review of the prostatectomy samples. An automated digital image analysis system measured microvessel morphology and calculated the optimized microvessel density in biopsies. Using this system in combination with the Gleason score and serum PSA significantly increases the ability to predict extraprostatic extension of cancer preoperatively. [Oncol News Int 6(Suppl 3):13-14, 1997]
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Novel Combinations With OxaliplatinOxaliplatin (Eloxatin) is a novel antineoplastic platinum derivative that may exert its cytotoxic effects by blocking DNA replication/transcription, thus resulting in cell death in proliferating cells, as well as apoptosis.
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Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Show Me the CER!Hoppe et al present an excellent review of the physics relevant to an understanding of proton therapy-and of the available literature assessing the use of proton beams in the management of prostate cancer.
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ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Localized Nodal Indolent LymphomaThe present guidelines review epidemiology, pathology, presentation, workup, staging, prognostic factors, and treatment options for patients with localized nodal indolent lymphoma, with an emphasis on radiation guidelines, including radiation dose, field design, and radiation techniques.
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Current Issues in the Treatment of Resistant Bloodstream InfectionsBloodstream infections cause significant morbidity and mortality for patients with hematologic malignancy. Antimicrobial drugs are the most reliable currently available treatment for infection, but several issues must be
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Further Considerations in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Lung CancerProbably no other topic in thoracic oncology has resulted in more controversy than that of the management of locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although recent large randomized studies have yielded more reliable and objective data on which to base treatment decisions than were available a decade ago, management of these patients is still influenced by specialty bias and philosophical beliefs.
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AL Amyloidosis: Who, What, When, Why, and WhereIn the current issue of ONCOLOGY, Gertz and Dispenzieri provide a scholarly review of the early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis.
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Commentary (Smith/Sandler)-Testicular Cancer: Maintaining the High Cure RateAs Dr. Raghavan has emphasizedin his excellent overviewof the current therapyfor testis cancer, it is critical that thesuccess of therapy for this diseasenot be compromised by a desire toavoid the complications of therapy.We would wholeheartedly agree withhis assertion that modifications intherapy must be introduced with athoughtful and structured approachto minimize the risk to efficacy.
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Physicians Must Unite Against New Bureaucratic ‘Hassles’ to Practicing MedicineI read with interest the article based on a presentation by Dr. David Hussey concerning physician competency reviews (December 2000). Dr. Hussey, who is president of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
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Glioma-Associated Fatigue and Cognitive DysfunctionIn this interview we discuss fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric problems in patients with glioma and review which patients are more likely to encounter these issues.
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Age Matters... Or Does It?Anemia raises special concerns in older cancer patients. This review addresses the prevalence, causes, and mechanisms of anemia in older individuals, the complications of anemia in this population (including its impact on cancer treatment), and the appropriate management of anemia in the elderly.
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European Experience With Irinotecan Plus Fluorouracil/Folinic Acid or MitomycinTremendous progress has been made in the medical treatment of advanced colorectal cancer during the past 2 to 3 years, due to the availability of several new drugs. Of these new agents, irinotecan (CPT-11 [Camptosar]) seems
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Synchronous Bilateral Breast Cancer With Discordant HistologyA 48-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a palpable right breast mass. Physical examination confirmed a lump on the upper outer quadrant of her right breast. On PET/CT scan there was an incidental finding of increased metabolic activity in the left lateral breast.
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Book Review: Euthanasia is Not the Answer-A Hospice Physician's ViewRecent broad interest in euthanasia and assisted suicide by society at large has prompted this review of euthanasia. This fine,
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Therapeutic Options in Gastric Cancer: Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy vs Postoperative ChemoradiotherapyThe majority of patients who undergo resection for gastric cancer experience relapse and ultimately die of their disease. Therefore, considerable attention has been paid to neoadjuvant and adjuvant strategies to improve surgical outcomes. Two different approaches have been tested in major clinical trials conducted in the past several years: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy was assessed in a US Southwest Oncology Group/Intergroup study (SWOG 9008/INT 0116), and perioperative chemotherapy was studied in a UK Medical Research Council (MRC) randomized trial (the MRC Adjuvant Gastric Infusional Chemotherapy [MAGIC] trial). These trials demonstrated statistically significant survival benefits in patients with resectable gastric cancer. This review will consider these trials and their implications for clinical practice.
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Understanding REALiTEC: Real-World Insights on BCMA BispecificsAn expert explains that real-world data from the REALiTEC study shows teclistamab remains highly effective in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma—even among patients ineligible for clinical trials—demonstrating strong response rates, encouraging survival outcomes, and reinforcing the importance of therapy sequencing and broad access to bispecific antibodies in everyday clinical practice.
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Reporting Only ‘Unanticipated’ AEs of Trial Drugs Would Reduce IRB Workload, But Would Patient Safety Suffer?Enrollment in clinical trials is crucialto continued scientific discovery andimproved patient care.
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Gynecologic Malignancies in Older WomenThe demographics of the US population continue to change dramatically, as the absolute number and proportion of older people relative to the remainder of the population increases. Last year, the number of persons older than 65 years was estimated to be 35 million, representing almost 13% of the overall population; by 2030, the older population is expected to double. Along with the general aging of the population, the percentage of persons older than 85 years is also growing rapidly, as is the ethnic and racial diversity within the older population.
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Combined-Modality Therapy for Head and Neck CancerIn the past, head and neck cancers were felt to be primarily a locoregional control challenge. Distant metastases were not thought to occur frequently. However, the popularity of combined-modality programs emphasizing regional treatment with surgery and radiation in the 1960s enhanced the ability to control the disease at the primary site and within the regional cervical lymphatics. Nevertheless, survival was not improved because treatment failure at distant sites occurred frequently. Apparently, prior treatment programs that did not provide locoregional control masked the ability of this disease to spread to distant sites. Patients died of uncontrolled locoregional disease before they could experience distant metastases.
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What We Can Learn From Our PatientsPatient satisfaction data can give practices insight into their operations and make specific, practice-level adjustments accordingly, and with aggregated data we can gain insights into global practice responsiveness and patient perceptions regarding care.
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Prognostic Indicators in DCISAhead of SABCS we discuss the biology and treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ, as well as research into prognostic indicators that could help guide treatment decisions.
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Cancer Centers Must Promote Culture in Support of Reimbursement for Clinical TrialsAt the ACCC 40th Annual National Meeting, David Evans, RN, MSN, MBA, discussed some of the top reimbursement issues that cancer centers face when it some to clinical trials.
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Management of Anemia in Patients With CancerSince our first "Quality of Life in Current Oncology Practice and Research" symposium was held at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California in February 1989, and published in ONCOLOGY in May 1990, there has been a marked increase in the use of quality of life measures to determine the outcomes of interventions in clinical oncology. Measuring the effects of anemia treatment with quality of life tools is a fine example of the importance of these tools to gauge the impact and clinical significance of interventions. It is, therefore, both timely and relevant that we dedicate our fifth symposium to the management of anemia in patients with cancer.
