Oncology NEWS International Vol 12 No 10

October 01, 2003

BETHESDA, Maryland—Newly released data show that the nation’s mortality rate for all cancers combined, which declined between 1994 and 1998, remained stable from 1998 through 2000. However, the mortality rate for the four leading malignancies in the United States—lung, female breast, prostate, and colorectal—continued to decline in the late 1990s, according to the "Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2000."

October 01, 2003

WASHINGTON-Common over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and aspirin, taken two or more times per week, may cause a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer, according to a presentation at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR abstract 4893).

October 01, 2003

CHICAGO—Gefitinib (Iressa) produced clinically meaningful improvement in disease-related symptoms in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), David F. Cella, PhD, reported at the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (abstract 2531). Dr. Cella is professor, Northwestern University, and director, Center on Outcomes, Research and Education (CORE), Evanston Northwestern Health-care, Evanston, Illinois. The study was supported by AstraZeneca.

October 01, 2003

VANCOUVER, Canada-A tri-modal regimen integrating surgical resection with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation (CT/RT) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continued to show benefits in an updated analysis of Intergroup Trial 0139 presented at the 10th World Conference on Lung Cancer plenary session (abstract PL-4). Kathy Albain, MD, who gave the initial report at ASCO 2003 (abstract 2497), presented the updated results.

October 01, 2003

CHICAGO-Men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy are more likely to develop distant disease if they present with a tumor that has a high Gleason grade or if they have a prostate specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) less than 12 months, Christopher Amling, MD, said at the 98th Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (abstract 1489).