Lung Cancer

WASHINGTON-The seven largest US cigar companies will place health warnings on their products and advertisements as the result of an agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission. The warnings read: “Cigar smoking can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, even if you do not inhale.” “Cigar smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease.” “Tobacco use increases the risk of infertility, stillbirth, and low birth weight.” “Cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.” “Tobacco smoke increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease, even in nonsmokers.”

NAPLES, Italy-In elderly non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, gemcitabine (Gemzar) combined with vinorelbine (Navelbine) was associated with significantly better survival in comparison to treatment with vinorelbine alone, Giuseppe Frasci, MD, reported at the 36th ASCO Annual Meeting.

EAST MELBOURNE, Australia-Positron emission tomography (PET) response to radical chemoradiotherapy or radical radiotherapy can be used to separate non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients into groups with widely differing survival probabilities, Michael P. MacManus, MD, reported at the 36th ASCO Annual Meeting.

NEW ORLEANS-A study of biologic markers in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has identified several that appear to predict disease recurrence. They also offer some insight into the mechanisms by which NSCLC tumors spread.

NEW ORLEANS-Topotecan (Hycamtin) after standard therapy with etoposide/cisplatin (Platinol) improved progression-free survival but failed to improve overall survival in extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) when compared to observation, according to a randomized phase III trial presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

NEW ORLEANS-The addition of paclitaxel (Taxol) to a regimen of etoposide and carboplatin (Paraplatin) led to a modest improvement in response rate and a trend toward improved survival in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), investigators from Response Oncology Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, reported at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

OSAKA, Japan-Docetaxel (Taxotere) plus irinotecan (Camptosar) seems to have activity comparable to docetaxel plus cisplatin (Platinol) in advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the results of a randomized phase II study reported at ASCO.

At the meeting in July 1999, symposium faculty also led sessions that answered questions from the participants. New applications for the management of non–small-cell lung (NSCLC) cancer provide the focus for these discussions, which

At the meeting in July 1999, symposium faculty also led sessions that answered questions from the participants. New applications for the management of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) provide the focus for these discussions, which followed

Irinotecan has appeared to have significant activity against previously treated and untreated small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The major toxicities of irinotecan are neutropenia and diarrhea, although there is interpatient

A number of randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses now support the conclusion that combined modality regimens that include cisplatin (Platinol)-based chemotherapy improve survival in stage III non–small-cell lung

This multicenter study enrolled 73 patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study design was based on the hypothesis that the non-overlapping toxicities of a 3-drug

New cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in an estimated 164,100 Americans in 2000, and approximately 25% or 41,000 of those cases will be small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Despite initial sensitivity to chemotherapy, only 10%

Over the last decade, a group of new agents with differing mechanisms of action have shown great promise in early clinical studies in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These include the taxanes docetaxel (Taxotere) and

DAVIS, Calif-“Unprecedented” survival times for patients with stage IIIB non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have resulted from adding taxane sequencing to combined-modality therapy with radiotherapy plus cisplatin (Platinol) and etoposide. These results from the Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG) 9504 trial were presented at the ASCO meeting by David R. Gandara, MD, of the University of California Cancer Center, Davis.

BOSTON-A regimen of concurrent radiation and weekly administration of paclitaxel (Taxol)/carboplatin (Paraplatin), the most commonly used treatment for nonresectable non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), was evaluated in a national cooperative group trial and shown to be effective.

AMSTERDAM-The use of positron-emission tomography (PET) scans to stage patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could prevent as many as one in five unnecessary thoracotomies, according to research presented at the ASCO meeting.

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee-An experimental protocol that adds an anti-VEGF agent to carboplatin (Paraplatin)/paclitaxel (Taxol) chemotherapy may improve outcomes more than chemotherapy alone in patients with previously untreated advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Smoking-once a socially accepted behavior-is the leading preventable cause of death and disability in the United States. During the first decades of the 20th century, lung cancer was rare; however, as cigarette smoking became increasingly popular,

CHAPEL HILL, NC-In the treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel (Taxol) and carboplatin (Paraplatin) given before and during radiation therapy may double survival time over that seen with radiation alone.

HELSINKI, Finland-A large phase III international study has shown a survival advantage for neoadjuvant chemotherapy with single-agent docetaxel (Taxotere) in selected patients with stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The analysis of the study, presented at the ASCO meeting, was, however, met with criticism from investigators outside the study.

Madison, Wis-The largest randomized clinical trial ever conducted in advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has shown that combination chemotherapy regimens extend survival in advanced disease.

HOUSTON-Improved survival with a very favorable toxicity profile resulted from using weekly single-agent paclitaxel (Taxol) 80 mg/m² in patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed first-line therapy with paclitaxel/carboplatin (Paraplatin).

In October 1999, 40 leading experts from Europe, the United States, and the Far East met in St. Julians, Malta, to discuss recent progress in the management of lung cancer. Emphasis was placed on novel treatment strategies for non–small-cell

Gemcitabine (Gemzar) is a novel deoxycitidine drug that has demonstrated promising single-agent activity in non–small-cell lung cancer and has been proven to be a potent radiosensitizer. Although the exact mechanism of the