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Genitourinary Cancers

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BETHESDA, Md-In a pilot study, 10 of 19 patients with advanced renal cell cancer had a response to nonmye-loablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, reported Richard Childs, MD, of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

ATLANTA-High-intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) delivered through a rectal probe was highly successful at burning away localized prostate cancer, Christian Chaussy, MD, reported at the American Urological Association 2000 Annual Meeting.

PHILADELPHIA-Evidence for the role of diet in the etiology of prostate cancer is mounting and with it, the possibility that nutritional factors can help prevent the disease, Demetrius Albanes, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society of Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy. Dr. Albanes is a senior investigator with the Cancer Prevention Studies Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

NEW ORLEANS-In a phase II study, weekly docetaxel (Taxotere) significantly reduced bone pain and PSA levels in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and these results led to enhanced quality of life. Lead investigator Tomasz Beer, MD, of Oregon Health Sciences University, reported the results at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

SAN FRANCISCO-A new study supports the hypothesis that calcium consumption is associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer. June M. Chan, ScD, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, presented the results at the 91st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

NEW YORK-A small trial of trastuzumab (Herceptin) alone and with paclitaxel (Taxol) found that the combination was active against prostate cancer, but trastuzumab alone was not. The results were presented at the ASCO meeting by Michael J. Morris, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

TORONTO, Canada-A multicenter phase III trial involving more than 250 prostate cancer patients confirmed earlier trials demonstrating that abarelix, a GnRH antagonist, achieved more rapid reduction of testosterone to castrate levels than leuprolide acetate (Lupron) and bicalutamide (Casodex), but did not produce a testosterone surge and clinical flare.

ASCO-Cytoreductive nephrectomy prior to interferon-alfa-2b (Intron A) therapy increased survival by 50% in patients with previously untreated metastatic renal cell cancer, compared with interferon alone, Robert Flanigan, MD, reported at the plenary session of the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in New Orleans.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla-Slight changes in the administration of salvage therapy after radical prostatectomy are among several revisions to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Practice Guidelines for Prostate Cancer. The revised guidelines recommend radiotherapy for men with positive margins whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels fail to fall to 0 ng/mL after surgery.

CLEVELAND-A program at Travis Air Force Base in California is educating men about the purpose of prostate cancer screening by mailing brochures to the women who use medical services on the base. “This is a novel approach to going after the top men’s cancer,” said Maj. (Dr.) Darryl C. Hunter, medical director of the General Huyser Regional Cancer Center at Travis Air Force Base. He spoke at the 33rd annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Education.