September 9th 2025
THERMAC trial results revealed that the ProSense® cryoablation system showed no complications, and the highest complete ablation rate in breast cancer.
Docetaxel in Combination With Doxorubicin: A Phase I Dose-Finding Study
June 1st 1997This phase I dose-finding study examined the effects of the combination of doxorubicin and docetaxel (Taxotere) in 42 women with metastatic breast cancer. The combination was studied at six different dosing levels. The maximum tolerated doses were defined as doxorubicin, 50 mg/m², and docetaxel, 85 mg/m², with sepsis as the dose-limiting toxicity.
MSU to Study At-Home vs Inpatient Care After Breast Cancer Surgery
June 1st 1997With the proper nursing care, do women recovering from breast cancer surgery do better at home than in the hospital? To answer this question, researchers at Michigan State University's colleges of Nursing and Human Medicine are undertaking
Breast Cancer Guide on CD-ROM Is Available
May 1st 1997DENVER--The AMC Cancer Research Center, through its Center of Excellence in Health Communications, has developed The Personal Guide to Breast Cancer, a multimedia CD-ROM guide to breast cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and resources, designed to be understood by the average layperson.
Summary of the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Cervical Cancer
May 1st 1997Carcinoma of the cervix is one of the most common malignancies in women, accounting for 15,700 new cases and 4,900 deaths in the United States each year. Worldwide, cervical cancer is second only to breast cancer as the most common
New Strategy for Restoring Tamoxifen Sensitivity Under Study
May 1st 1997NASHVILLE, Tenn--Inhibition of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) may enhance the activity of tamoxifen (Nolvadex) in breast cancer and restore tamoxifen sensitivity to resistant cells, according to results of laboratory experiments at the Vanderbilt Cancer Center and Georgetown's Lombardi Cancer Center.
Efficacy of Prophylactic Mastectomy Shown
May 1st 1997SAN DIEGO--In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic have documented that prophylactic mastecto-mies may dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women. The risk reduction was measured as high as 91%, lead investigator Lynn Hartmann, MD, said at the 88th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Mucin Markers May Play Role in Finding Breast Cancer Recurrences
April 1st 1997At a symposium sponsored by Schering-Oncology/Biotech, 16 researchers involved in studies of the investigational antiestrogen agent toremifene (Fareston) discussed its potential role in the treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer and as adjuvant therapy, as well as other breast cancer issues. Previous articles in this series appeared in January 1997 , February 1997 , and March 1997
Some Breast Cancer Patients May Not Need Node Dissection
April 1st 1997BERN, Switzerland--A study of 1,619 breast cancer patients has identified a population subset with a very low incidence of lymph node metastases in whom axillary lymph node dissection might be omitted, Andreas Barth, MD, told Oncology News International.
Lumpectomy Alone Appears to Be Safe In DCIS Patients
April 1st 1997MIAMI BEACH, Fla--Radiation therapy may not be necessary after the removal of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), Gordon F. Schwartz, MD, said at the 14th International Breast Cancer Conference. In his experience, only 3% of DCIS patients who received breast-conserving surgery alone later experienced invasive breast cancer.
Multimodality Treatment Appears Safe for Pregnant Women
April 1st 1997PARIS--The treatment of breast cancer in pregnant women remains controversial, not least because pregnant and lactating women are traditionally excluded from clinical trials. Now a prospective long-term study from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center suggests that multimo-dality treatment does not pose any untoward threat to either mother or child.
Capecitabine Studied In Advanced Colon Cancer
April 1st 1997HOUSTON--A new tumor-selective agent may permit delivery of higher levels of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with lower toxicity, said Richard Pazdur, MD, of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. A phase III trial of capecitabine is ongoing in colorectal cancer, and it is also under study for the treatment of breast cancer.
Role of Transplant in Breast Cancer Still Controversial
April 1st 1997FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla--There still is insufficient evidence about the use of high-dose chemotherapy plus bone marrow or peripheral stem cells to support its inclusion as a path on the updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) practice guidelines on breast cancer, said panel chair Robert W. Carlson, MD, at the NCCN's second annual conference
Viral Sequences Found In Breast Cancer Samples
April 1st 1997PARIS--A newly identified segment of an RNA retrovirus may be implicated in as many as one third of breast tumors, James Holland, MD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY, said at the Seventh International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment (ICACT). The segment of the putative virus, thought to be a human mammary tumor virus (HMTV), was discovered in the laboratory of Dr. Beatriz Pogo at Mount Sinai.
First Data From High-Dose Chemo Trials Due in 3 Years
April 1st 1997FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla--In view of the absence of data from large randomized studies of high-dose chemotherapy in breast cancer, the NCCN breast cancer guidelines' relegation of such therapy to a footnote is appropriate, M. John Kennedy, MD, said in his review of the important issues on this question.
Sequential Dose-Dense Adjuvant Therapy With Doxorubicin, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide
April 1st 1997The recognition of paclitaxel's (Taxol's) activity and non-cross-resistance with doxorubicin (Adriamycin) in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer has motivated study of the agent in the adjuvant setting. However, the ideal
Doxorubicin and Paclitaxel (Sequential Combination) in the Treatment
Based on preclinical data, we designed a phase I/II clinical trial to determine the efficacy and toxicity of doxorubicin followed by paclitaxel in the treatment of advanced breast cancer (either untreated or relapsed after
Paclitaxel as First-Line Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer
When administered as a single agent in pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer, paclitaxel (Taxol) exhibits remarkable antitumor activity. This trial was undertaken to compare paclitaxel with standard
Paclitaxel and Epirubicin as First-Line Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Paclitaxel (Taxol) has aroused considerable interest for its high single-agent activity in breast cancer and novel mechanism of action. Epirubicin (Farmorubicin), the 4'epimer of doxorubicin (Adriamycin), also has high activity in
A Phase II Study of Doxorubicin/Paclitaxel Plus G-CSF for Metastatic Breast Cancer
This phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the percentage of objective responses and the toxicity profile of combination doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and paclitaxel (Taxol) with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as first-line
'To Be or Not to Be,' That's the Question for The National Action Plan on Breast Cancer
April 1st 1997WASHINGTON--The steering committee of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer (NAPBC) finds itself confronting its future--whether it should have one. Should the group set a time to end the innovative program, or should it continue?
Possible Evolutionary Advantage Seen in Breast Cancer Genes
March 1st 1997SEATTLE--"Is it possible that at some point in human evolution, there was some selective advantage of BRCA1 and BRCA2?" Mary-Claire King, PhD, asked during her presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Biologic Efficacy of Liarozole Confirmed in Metastatic Breast Cancer
March 1st 1997Response to liarozole fumarate has been observed in patients with receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, as well as those with receptor-unknown disease, confirming the biologic efficacy of this agent. The first clinical study of the role of liarozole in
Key Issues Noted for Toremifene Adjuvant Studies in Breast Cancer
March 1st 1997PALM SPRINGS, Calif--Data from preclinical studies of the antiestro-gen agent toremifene (Fareston), and their correlation with data from clinical studies, may provide information useful in designing trials comparing toremifene with tamoxifen (Nolvadex) as adjuvant breast cancer therapy, Michael DeGregorio, PharmD, said at the symposium.
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Making Informed Decisions
March 1st 1997The controversies regarding the association between hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) and cancers, the questions about HRT use in women with a high risk of breast cancer, and the increasing number of women with breast cancer and menopausal symptoms make HRT a significant cancer issue.
HER2 Overexpression and Paclitaxel Sensitivity in Breast Cancer: Therapeutic Implications
March 1st 1997Overexpression by the HER2 gene plays a significant role in breast cancer pathogenesis, and the phenomenon is commonly regarded as a predictor of a poor prognosis. HER2 overexpression has been linked to sensitivity and/or resistance to hormone therapy and chemotherapeutic regimens, including CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluoro-uracil) and anthracyclines. Studies of patients with advanced disease demonstrate that, despite the association of HER2 overexpression with poor prognosis, the odds of HER2-positive patients responding clinically to taxanes were greater than three times those of HER2-negative patients. Further studies in preclinical models used combination therapy for breast cancer cells that overexpress HER2, and the use of agents that interfere with HER2 function plus paclitaxel (Taxol) resulted in significant antitumor effects. [ONCOLOGY 11(Suppl):43-48, 1997]
Paclitaxel-Based Combination Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
March 1st 1997Clinical trials to develop paclitaxel (Taxol)-containing combinations started in 1992 with several approaches to combine doxorubicin and paclitaxel. Schedule-dependent toxicity limited doses in the initial trials, although antitumor activity was high. More recently, a well-tolerated, highly effective doxorubicin/paclitaxel regimen was developed with the use of bolus anthracycline administration and a 3-hour infusion of paclitaxel. Combinations of paclitaxel with cisplatin have provided mixed results. Paclitaxel combined with fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid proved effective in patients with extensive prior chemotherapy; the addition of mitoxantrone (Novantrone) to this combination was feasible, well tolerated, and possibly enhanced the efficacy of paclitaxel and 5-FU. Combinations of paclitaxel with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar), vinorelbine (Navelbine), edatrexate, and radiation continue in clinical development. [ONCOLOGY 11(Suppl):29-37, 1997]