Myelodysplastic Syndromes

GAITHERSBURG, Md-The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has unanimously recommended the approval of Busulfex Injection (busulfan, Orphan Medical) in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents and/or radiation as a conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation-but only in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).

PARIS--The development of valid, reliable yardsticks for measuring quality of life (QOL) is now making it possible for clinicians to advise patients about what they can realistically expect from a particular treatment, Jimmie Holland, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, said at the Eighth International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment (ICACT).

ASH-Topotecan (Hycamtin) given in combination with cytarabine (ara-C) produced a complete response rate of 63% in 35 patients with previously untreated, poor-prognosis myelodys-plastic syndrome (MDS) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), Miloslav Beran, MD, PhD, said at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting in San Diego.

PHILADELPHIA-The Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is the newest member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), bringing the number of member institutions to 16.

According to a new study published in the October 1, 1996, issue of Blood, Hycamtin (topotecan hydrochloride) offers a promising new treatment option for patients suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Patients treated with topotecan achieved a complete response rate of 28%, while currently used single-agent therapies have traditionally achieved a complete response rate of only 10% to 15% among this high-risk patient group. Topotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor marketed by SmithKline Beecham, is currently indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent, metastatic ovarian cancer.