April 18th 2024
The FDA has approved alectinib for the adjuvant treatment of patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer with tumors that are least 4 cm or node positive, as detected by an FDA-approved test.
Breaking Down Biomarkers in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case-Based Discussion for the Oncology Nurse
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Go To PER in Chicago
May 31, 2024 - June 2, 2024
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The Top 10 Oncogenic Drivers in NSCLC for 2023: What You Need to Know on Tumor Testing, Targets, and Treatment Strategies to Move the Field Forward
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Expanding the Armamentarium of Actionable Mutations in NSCLC: Uncovering the Potential of CEACAM5 as a Therapeutic Target
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Pathology Implications for CEACAM5 as a Therapeutic Target in Advanced NSCLC
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Medical Crossfire®: What Are Effective Strategies for Onco-Nurses to Improve Outcomes in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer?
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Virtual Show Me the Data™: How HER2, HER3, and TROP2 Targeted Strategies Will Impact Evolving Paradigms in NSCLC
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42nd Annual CFS®: Innovative Cancer Therapy for Tomorrow®
November 13-15, 2024
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Community Practice Connections™: 5th Annual Precision Medicine Symposium – An Illustrated Tumor Board
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How CEACAM5 Expression Can Be Measured and Leveraged in NSCLC Care: Current Developments & Future Therapeutic Opportunities
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Medical Crossfire®: Where Are We in the World of ADCs? From HER2 to CEACAM5, TROP2, HER3, CDH6, B7H3, c-MET and Beyond!
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Community Oncology Connections™: Overcoming Barriers to Testing, Trial Access, and Equitable Care in Cancer
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22nd Annual Winter Lung Cancer Conference®
January 31, 2025 - February 2, 2025
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Dialogues With the Surgeon on Integration of Systemic Therapies in Perioperative Settings for NSCLC: Looking at EGFR, ALK, IO, and Beyond…
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New Investigations Question Need for Cisplatin in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
November 1st 2000AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands-Cisplatin (Platinol), the cornerstone of chemotherapy for advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), continues to come under increased scrutiny, noted Pieter E. Postmus, MD, FCCP. Investigators are searching for chemotherapeutic strategies that are as effective as platinum-based therapy, but are better tolerated and more cost-effective, he explained. Dr. Postmus is with the Department of Pulmonology, Vrije Universiteit, University Hospital, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Irinotecan or Vindesine with Cisplatin Yields Similar Responses and Survival
November 1st 2000CHIBA, Japan-Combining either irinotecan (Camptosar) or vindesine with cis-platin (Platinol) produced similar objective responses and survival rates in patients with stage IIIB or IV non–small-cell lung cancer, according to final results of a randomized trial.
Four-Drug Regimen Enhances Responses and Increases Survival
November 1st 2000MONTPELLIER, France-A four-drug regimen produced better outcomes in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer than the commonly used combination of etoposide (VePesid) and cisplatin (Platinol), a French multicenter study showed.
Irinotecan/Cisplatin With Split-Course Thoracic Irradiation Set to Proceed to Phase II Study
November 1st 2000TOKYO, JAPAN-The administration of irinotecan (Camptosar) 60 mg/m² and cisplatin (Platinol) 80 mg/m² with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy has been identified as the recommended dose for evaluation in a phase II study in patients with locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Irinotecan/Cisplatin Superior to Etoposide/Cisplatin in Small-Cell Lung Cancer
November 1st 2000OSAKA, Japan-A randomized phase III trial in small-cell lung cancer patients with extensive disease was stopped after interim analyses uncovered a clear survival benefit for a regimen combining irinotecan (Camptosar) and cisplatin (Platinol) over an etoposide (VePesid) and cisplatin combination.
Ongoing Phase I Trial of Sequential Administration of Docetaxel, Gemcitabine, and Irinotecan
November 1st 2000CHARLESTON, South Carolina-A phase II trial involving the sequential administration of docetaxel (Taxotere), gemcitabine (Gemzar), and irinotecan (Camptosar) in patients with non–small-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is being planned. Announcement of the new trial comes in the wake of results of a phase I trial among patients with solid tumors that was reported at the 9th World Conference on Lung Cancer by Caio Max S. Rocha Lima, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Irinotecan Plus a Taxane May Surpass Current Treatments for NSCLC
November 1st 2000NEW HAVEN, Connecticut-The combination of irinotecan (Camptosar) and a taxane is well tolerated in dose-finding studies and deserves further evaluation in non–small-cell lung cancer, according to Randy S. Rich, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine.
Second-Line Paclitaxel Effective in Advanced NSCLC
October 1st 2000TOKYO-Weekly paclitaxel (Tax-ol) and carboplatin (Paraplatin) is an effective and well-tolerated second-line therapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed first-line therapy with the same agents, Mark A. Socinski, MD, said at the 9th World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Socinski is director of the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Limited Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Potentially Curable Disease
October 1st 2000Patients with limited-stage small-cell carcinoma of the lung are treated with combined-modality therapy with the intent to cure. Standard therapy consists of platinum-based combination chemotherapy, thoracic irradiation, and
Commentary (Hansen)-Limited Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Potentially Curable Disease
October 1st 2000Patients with limited-stage small-cell carcinoma of the lung are treated with combined-modality therapy with the intent to cure. Standard therapy consists of platinum-based combination chemotherapy, thoracic irradiation, and
Commentary (Greco)-Limited Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Potentially Curable Disease
October 1st 2000Patients with limited-stage small-cell carcinoma of the lung are treated with combined-modality therapy with the intent to cure. Standard therapy consists of platinum-based combination chemotherapy, thoracic irradiation, and
NCI Tests Feasibility of Large Study of Lung Cancer Screening
October 1st 2000BETHESDA, Md-The National Cancer Institute has launched a randomized, 3,000-person study to determine the feasibility of doing a larger scale trial to test whether spiral CT screening improves lung cancer survival. Six centers began recruiting volunteers in early September and hope to enroll 500 subjects each by the end of October.
Irinotecan and Radiotherapy Active in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
September 1st 2000NASHVILLE, Tennessee-Irinotecan (Camptosar) combined with radiation therapy is active in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is most effective when the chemotherapy and radiation therapy are given concurrently, Hak Choy, MD, reported at a clinical investigators’ workshop sponsored by the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Pharmacia Oncology. Dr. Choy is Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Vanderbilt Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Irinotecan/Cisplatin Produces Better Survival Than Etoposide/Cisplatin in Extensive SCLC
September 1st 2000OSAKA, Japan-Irinotecan/cisplatin combination therapy improved survival compared to etoposide/cisplatin in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), Masahiro Fukuoka, MD, reported at an investigators’ workshop sponsored by the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Pharmacia Oncology. Two-year survival in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG)-9511 study was 19% with irinotecan/cisplatin vs 9% with etoposide/cisplatin, according to Dr. Fukuoka, who is professor of the 4th Department of Internal Medicine at Kinki University School of Medicine in Osaka, Japan.
Spiral CT Screens Raise Scientific, Economic Issues
September 1st 2000WASHINGTON-The use of spiral CT scanning to screen for early lung cancers poses scientific, economic, and policy issues that the oncology community, advocacy groups, insurers, and government health agencies need to address quickly, an expert panel said at a day-long conference on reducing lung cancer mortality. The conference was sponsored by the Cancer Research Foundation of America and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, Liverpool, England.
Adding Paclitaxel May Improve Survival in Limited-Disease SCLC
September 1st 2000NEW ORLEANS-The addition of paclitaxel (Taxol) to etoposide plus cisplatin (Platinol), with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy, may improve survival in patients with limited-disease small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to preliminary results from the RTOG 96-09 Intergroup trial. David S. Ettinger, MD, of Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, presented the study at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Spiral CT Lung Ca Screening Specific, Sensitive, Cost-Effective
September 1st 2000WASHINGTON-When used to diagnose early lung cancer, low-dose spiral CT scanning has a high specificity-as well as high sensitivity-and it is cost-effective, according to as-yet-unpublished data from the New York City-based Early Lung Cancer Action Program (ELCAP). Moreover, the technique can diagnose emphysema at an earlier stage than existing tests, which has helped smokers in the study to stop.
First-Line Carboplatin/Paclitaxel Well Tolerated in Extensive SCLC
September 1st 2000NEW ORLEANS-First-line treatment with carboplatin (Paraplatin) and paclitaxel (Taxol) given every 4 weeks is well tolerated in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a multicenter phase II trial conducted in Italy and reported at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Irinotecan Improves Survival in Patients with Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
September 1st 2000PHILADELPHIA-Irinotecan (Camptosar) produces response rates in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comparable to those of some well-established combination regimens and is being tested as a radiosensitizer in combination with cis-platin and radiotherapy in locally advanced NSCLC. These and other developments using topoisomerase I inhibitors in NSCLC were reviewed by Corey Langer, MD, at a clinical investigators’ workshop sponsored by the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Pharmacia Oncology. Dr. Langer is Medical Director, Thoracic Oncology, at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Topoisomerase-I Inhibitors With Nonplatinum Combinations Active in NSCLC
September 1st 2000NEW HAVEN, Conn-Topoisomerase I inhibitors in combinations not based on platinum have shown significant activity in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), John R. Murren, MD, reported. These combinations include such drugs as taxanes, gemcitabine (Gemzar), and vinorelbine (Navelbine). Dr. Murren, Associate Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, reviewed research on these regimens at a clinical investigators’ workshop sponsored by the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Pharmacia Oncology.
Camptosar Plus Cisplatin Increase Survival in Small-Cell Lung Cancer Study
September 1st 2000Irinotecan (Camptosar) in combination with cisplatin (Platinol) increased survival, compared with the current standard treatment for patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer, according to data from a phase III study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Commentary on Abstracts #986 and #1015
August 31st 2000Currently there are a number of available agents that are moderately active in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These include cisplatin (Platinol), gemcitabine (Gemzar), vinorelbine (Navelbine), paclitaxel (Taxol), docetaxel (Taxotere), and irinotecan (Camptosar). How best to combine them, maximizing survival while minimizing toxicity, is the subject of intense investigation.
Commentary on Abstracts #2 and #1968
August 31st 2000A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Br Med J 311:899-909, 1995) has shown that the use of cisplatin (Platinol)-based combination chemotherapy in patients with good performance status leads to a modest improvement in median survival and an absolute increase in 1-year survival proportion of 10%. There are several different platinum-based regimens approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in advanced non–small-cell lung cancer. Whether any one regimen is superior is unclear. A recent randomized controlled trial found no difference in median survival and quality of life between carboplatin (Paraplatin)/paclitaxel (Taxol)-the most commonly used regimen in the United States-and cisplatin/vinorelbine (Navelbine)-a regimen more popular in Europe and Canada (Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 18: 461a [abstract 1777], 1999). The newer agents gemcitabine (Gemzar) and docetaxel (Taxotere) are among the most active single agents in non–small-cell lung cancer, and use of either in combination with cisplatin has shown promise.
Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Single-Agent Therapy
August 2nd 2000One hundred centers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America participated in a non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) study with broad inclusion criteria (first and second line) to establish the toxicity and efficacy profile of docetaxel (Taxotere) at 100 mg/m² in worldwide clinical practice.
Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Single-Agent Therapy
August 2nd 2000Docetaxel (Taxotere) is an active single agent in the treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer. Weekly administration of docetaxel minimizes myelosuppression and is generally well tolerated. To further evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of this novel schedule, we performed a phase II trial in patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer who were either elderly (age > 65 years) or poor candidates for combination chemotherapy due to coexistent illness or poor performance status.