Oncology NEWS International Vol 19 No 2

February 23, 2010

Induction therapy with higher daily doses of daunorubicin improved complete response and boosted overall survival in younger patients with acute myelogenous leukemia, according to results of the phase III ECOG E1900 trial.

February 23, 2010

The RIBBON-2 trial met its primary endpoint of prolonged progression-free survival.

February 22, 2010

The FDA granted accelerated approval for the use of lapatinib (Tykerb) with letrozole (Femara) as a first-line, oral treatment for women with metastatic disease.

February 22, 2010

The seminal IPASS study by Tony Mok, MD, and colleagues demonstrated moderate efficacy for gefitinib (Iressa) in advanced non–small–cell lung cancer patients, most notably in patients with predictive factors, including adenocarcinoma histology, no history of smoking, and Asian ethnicity.

February 22, 2010

Using renal mass biopsy to guide treatment decisions for small tumors is cost-effective relative to direct surgery, and can spare many patients unnecessary surgical procedures, according to Massachusetts General Hospital researchers.

February 22, 2010

A second round of gefitinib (Iressa) slowed disease advancement in non-small-cell lung cancer patients who failed to respond to first-line treatment, according to a study presented at the 2010 Joint Conference on Molecular Origins in Lung Cancer.

February 22, 2010

Higher doses of the estrogen-receptor antagonist fulvestrant (Faslodex) may increase treatment benefit without increasing toxicity, according to results from the international, randomized, double-blind phase III CONFIRM trial.

February 22, 2010

Also, French surgical oncologists discuss their experience with treament of heterogenous Merkel cell carcinoma.

February 22, 2010

Fulvestrant-anastrozole combination did not demonstrate advantage despite a better dose loading schedule and compelling preclinical data.

February 22, 2010

The U.S. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group has greenlighted the routine use of SBRT, but physicians overseas call for more scientific evidence to support its widespread use.

February 22, 2010

Modeling study calculates that the adoption of proton therapy is possible if it is based on clinical evidence and not market forces.

February 19, 2010

Less than 1% of women took tamoxifen in the years 2000 and 2005 as a preventive measure, according to results of a recent survey.

February 18, 2010

The imaging technique has the potential to measure the extent and depth of skin lesions.

February 18, 2010

Experts from health systems, government, and the insurance industry offer insights into how quality is defined and measured in medicine today.

February 18, 2010

The RANK ligand inhibitor was better tolerated and more convenient for patients with skeletal metastasis.

February 12, 2010

ASCO and RSNA elect new presidents while the Children's Oncology Group selects a new leader. Read more about the latest awards and appointments in oncology and cancer care.