Oncology NEWS International Vol 9 No 11

November 01, 2000

NEW YORK-To help support spouses of prostate cancer patients, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, a prostate cancer survivor, and his wife Ali are helping to launch “Two Against One: Couples Battling Prostate Cancer.” This multimedia program helps spouses become more informed about prostate cancer and empowers them to advocate for improved outcomes for their husbands.

November 01, 2000

CHICAGO-Despite comprehensive efforts to prevent lung and oral cancers as well as other diseases related to tobacco use around the world, experts in tobacco control do not expect to see a drop in the number of deaths due to smoking in the next 15 years.

November 01, 2000

NEW YORK-Response and overall survival were significantly improved with use of irinotecan (Camptosar), fluorouracil, and leucovorin, compared with fluorouracil/leucovorin alone, in a randomized study involving 683 patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer.

November 01, 2000

NEW YORK-Many biologic therapeutic manufacturers face “critical choke-points” in the future as they attempt to satisfy market demand, according to William R. Rohn, chief operating officer of IDEC Pharmaceuticals, the San Diego-based company that produces the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan) in the United States.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-Only five states have allocated the minimum amount of their tobacco settlement funds recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for comprehensive tobacco prevention programs, according to report released at a Senate hearing.

November 01, 2000

BETHESDA, Md-Members of the National Cancer Institute’s intramural program, NCI’s corps of in-house investigators, have been challenged to reinvent the program into one of the nation’s great cancer research centers.

November 01, 2000

OSAKA, Japan-Patients with stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer randomized to a regimen of cisplatin (Platinol) and irinotecan (Camptosar) survived significantly longer than those receiving a cisplatin/vindesine combination in a phase III trial conducted in Japan.

November 01, 2000

BOSTON-Despite the pessimism of many experts, patients can benefit from surgery for locoregional recurrence of colorectal cancer, according to a 12-year retrospective study presented by Julio Garcia-Aguilar, MD, PhD, at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) annual meeting.

November 01, 2000

BETHESDA, Md-Purchasers of the US Postal Service’s breast cancer awareness stamp have funded $6.7 million in 2-year grants to support novel and innovative research into the disease. The National Cancer Institute has given grants to 31 researchers, and a 32nd grant awaits final approval.

November 01, 2000

NEW YORK-The current hype surrounding the mind-body connection has prompted people diagnosed with cancer to ask themselves if their personality, their emotions, or the stress in their lives somehow led to their cancer. This, in turn, has produced the negative phenomenon of blaming the victim.

November 01, 2000

OSAKA, Japan-An overall response rate of 66% was achieved with a combination of irinotecan (Camptosar) and etoposide (VePesid) in patients with advanced small-cell lung cancer in a phase II study performed by the West Japan Thoracic Oncology Group. A final report on the study, conducted from 1995-98, was presented by Shinzoh Kudoh, MD, of Osaka City University School of Medicine.

November 01, 2000

NEW ORLEANS-Rituximab (Rituxan) is more effective in indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) than in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), according to a study evaluating factors affecting toxicity, response, and time to progression presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

November 01, 2000

PHILADELPHIA-To date, epidemiologic studies looking for a link between adult diet and cancer risk have proved disappointing. But research focusing on in utero nutrition and preschool and adolescent diet may be more fruitful, suggests Karin Michels, ScD, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.

November 01, 2000

BARCELONA, Spain-In a phase I study, 70% of small-cell lung cancer patients with extensive disease had objective responses when given carbo-platin (Paraplatin) and epirubicin (Ellence) in combination.

November 01, 2000

SANTANDER, Spain-High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with stem cell transplantation offers a “striking improvement” over conventional chemotherapy for infants with acute leukemia, said Fernando Marco, MD, a hematologist at Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain.

November 01, 2000

CHICAGO-Until findings from two recent clinical studies were released, there was no clear indication about the effectiveness of tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or prophylactic mastectomy for reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer in high-risk women.

November 01, 2000

ROCHESTER, Minnesota-In a blinded pilot study, conducted at the Mayo Clinic, a new DNA-based colorectal cancer fecal screening tool detected 91% of colorectal cancers and 82% of adenomas 1 cm in size or larger, with a specificity of 93%.

November 01, 2000

LONDON-A prospective survey of cancer patients admitted to a hospice shows that breakthrough pain is “frequent, short lasting, often unpredictable, and not necessarily related to chronic pain, making treatment difficult,” said Giovambattista Zeppetella, BSc, MRCGP, of the Palliative Medicine Service, St. Joseph’s Hospice, London.

November 01, 2000

PHILADELPHIA-Over the last 20 years, nutritional assessments in oncology have evolved from just assessing a patient’s nutritional status to using the information to improve outcome. The latest assessment tool is the scored Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) developed by Faith Ottery, MD, PhD, president of the Society for Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy.

November 01, 2000

NAGASAKI, Japan-The combination of irinotecan (Camptosar) 40 mg/m² and cisplatin (Platinol) 60 mg/m² with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy should be tested for its potential role in treating patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).The recommendation was made at the conclusion of a phase I trial that evaluated the combination of irinotecan and cisplatin in three dose schedules in patients with histologically or cytologically proven limited-stage SCLC who had not undergone prior therapy for their disease.

November 01, 2000

CLEVELAND-Marconi Medical Systems has received 510k clearance from the FDA to market its new ACQSIM CT scanner that addresses the special needs of oncology CT simulation and planning.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-Density variations in breast images may be due to a number of different variables, such as age and body weight, Norman F. Boyd, MD, DSc, said at the 10th Annual Conference of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-At a congressional briefing titled “The Crisis at Academic Health Centers,” Samuel O. Thier, MD, described the situation succinctly. “We are going through tough times,” said the president and chief executive officer of Partners Health Care Systems, Inc., which resulted from the merger of Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals.

November 01, 2000

NEW ORLEANS-Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning is a powerful predictor of survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), reported Michael MacManus, MD, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, East Melbourne, Australia.

November 01, 2000

BETHESDA, Md-The National Cancer Institute has given four awards totaling $932,000 to four existing NCI contractors to develop research to understand, and pilot programs to breach, the “Digital Divide” that prevents many members of minorities from accessing cancer information on the Internet.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) shows evidence of inhibiting mammary carcinogenesis and angiogenesis in both animal and in vitro models, said Margot M. Ip, PhD, professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-Two decades after the first case of AIDS was recognized in the United States, “the nation does not have a comprehensive, effective, and efficient strategy for preventing the spread of HIV,” the Institute of Medicine (IOM) said in a new report.

November 01, 2000

BETHESDA, Md-In a pilot study, 10 of 19 patients with advanced renal cell cancer had a response to nonmye-loablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, reported Richard Childs, MD, of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

November 01, 2000

PHILADELPHIA-Better standards of production are needed for herb-based medicines, says a scientist who helped develop a method of harvesting paclitaxel (Taxol) from yew tree needles.

November 01, 2000

SEWICKLEY, Pennsylvania-The FDA has granted NOMOS Corporation clearance to market the Peregrine Monte-Carlo-based radiation dose calculation system, licensed from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where it was developed. Peregrine is a computer-based system for quick calculation, in three dimensions, of radiation doses for use with complex intensity-modulated radiotherapy treatment plans. Monte Carlo is a mathematical technique that simulates the trillions of radiation particles that enter the body during treatment. It selects a random sample of these particles and tracks them through a computer model of the radiation-delivery device and the patient’s CT scans to create a detailed map of the dose distribution (see image). NOMOS will initially incorporate Peregrine into its CORVUS inverse treatment planning system, and will then develop a stand-alone version to work with other treatment planning systems.

November 01, 2000

DIJON, France-In patients with a history of colorectal adenomas, use of a soluble fiber supplement (ispaghula husk) appears to have an adverse effect on recurrence, said Jean Faivre, MD, of the European Cancer Prevention Organi-sation (ECP) Study Group. The study also showed that calcium supplementation produced a modest but not significant reduction in the risk of adenoma recurrence.

November 01, 2000

HAMBURG, Germany-“The overall results of the treatment of advanced non–small-cell lung cancer are unsatisfactory,” Ulrich Gatzemeier, MD, said in an overview of recent German trials he presented at the 9th World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Gatzemeier is head of the Department of Thoracic Oncology with Hospital Grosshansdorf, Hamburg, Germany.

November 01, 2000

BOSTON-A hybrid approach mixing laparoscopic and open procedures in surgery for rectal cancer may allow patients a faster recovery, Richard L. Whelan, MD, said at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons annual meeting. The approach uses laparoscopic methods for splenic flexure takedown in the area near the diaphragm at the start of the operation and switches to open surgery for removal of the cancer from the rectum.

November 01, 2000

TOKYO, Japan-New phase III trial data suggest that irinotecan is one of the most active agents available to treat extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer, outperforming the standard etoposide (VePesid)/cisplatin (Platinol) treatment, while causing less myelosuppression.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-A federal judge has narrowed the government’s lawsuit against the tobacco industry but has allowed the Justice Department to proceed with its case using a federal racketeering statute.

November 01, 2000

HERAKLION, Greece-A multicenter phase III study comparing the triple combination of paclitaxel (Taxol), cisplatin (Platinol), and etoposide (VePesid) to the double combination of cisplatin and etoposide as front-line treatment for small-cell lung cancer was stopped because of eight toxic deaths. Less than a third of the planned number of patients had been accrued.

November 01, 2000

TORONTO-Preliminary clinical trial results show that treatment with caspofungin acetate (Cancidas, investigational) produced a favorable response in 41% of patients with life-threatening invasive aspergillosis who were not responding to or were intolerant of other antifungal therapy.

November 01, 2000

The image shows the radiation therapy treatment plan for a seven-field conformal boost to the prostate, using Peregrine, a 3D Monte-Carlo-based dose calculation system. Monte Carlo simulates the trillions of radiation particles that enter the body during treatment and develops a detailed computerized map of the radiation dose the patient will receive. The technology, developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and licensed to NOMOS Corporation, has received FDA clearance for marketing. Image courtesy of NOMOS and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California.

November 01, 2000

MADISON, Wisconsin-Although topotecan (Hycamtin) has clear activity in small-cell lung cancer, the optimal combinations, schedule, and route of administration for use of this topoisomerase-I inhibitor as first-line therapy are yet to be determined, according to Joan H. Schiller, MD, of the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, Wisconsin.

November 01, 2000

Caspofungin (Cancidas) is being developed by Merck as an intravenous medicine for systemic fungal infections, such as those caused by Aspergillus and Candida, Merck said in a press release. These infections, once considered unusual, have risen in number over the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

November 01, 2000

TOKYO, Japan-“I remain convinced that irinotecan is one of the most active agents for the treatment of lung cancer, both non–small-cell and small-cell,” stated David H. Johnson, MD, professor of medicine and director of medical oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville. Dr. Johnson was leadoff speaker at a seminar titled ‘‘Current Status of Irinotecan in Lung Cancer’’ held in conjunction with the 9th World Conference on Lung Cancer. The meeting was supported by an educational grant from Pharmacia Oncology, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Aventis Pharma S.A.

November 01, 2000

WILMINGTON, Delaware-The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign (NBCAM) has launched a new tool to help the public navigate the Internet to obtain the most credible and accurate information about breast cancer. The “Hot Topics” search engine offers “one-stop shopping” for women seeking information about breast cancer, Bette Iacino, national coordinator of NBCAM, said in an interview with ONI.

November 01, 2000

ROCHESTER, Minnesota-The combination of irinotecan (Camptosar)and docetaxel (Taxotere) is a promising treatment for recurrent non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the dosing schedule tested in phase I and II trials needs to be modified to reduce the potential for myelosuppression and diarrhea, cautioned Alex Adjei, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

November 01, 2000

NASHVILLE, Tennessee-Conceding that treatment of advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has made only limited progress in the past decade, members of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) have vowed to pursue newer chemotherapeutic agents aggressively. ECOG’s focus has changed, according to David H. Johnson, MD, director of hematology and oncology with the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville. Investigators now see the promise in new biological agents with novel mechanisms of action that might be integrated into current chemotherapeutic regimens.

November 01, 2000

AMSTERDAM, 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.

November 01, 2000

ROCKVILLE, Md-Cell Therapeutics, Inc.’s Trisenox (arsenic trioxide) injection has won marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration only 3 years after its pivotal phase II trial began.

November 01, 2000

ATLANTA-High-intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) delivered through a rectal probe was highly successful at burning away localized prostate cancer, Christian Chaussy, MD, reported at the American Urological Association 2000 Annual Meeting.

November 01, 2000

CHIBA, 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.

November 01, 2000

MONTPELLIER, 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.

November 01, 2000

BETHESDA-The National Cancer Institute will rename and restructure its Office of Special Populations Research as part of its increased efforts to reduce disparities in the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer among various US subpopulations.

November 01, 2000

PHILADELPHIA-Evidence for the role of diet in the etiology of prostate cancer is mounting and with it, the possibility that nutritional factors can help prevent the disease, Demetrius Albanes, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society of Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy. Dr. Albanes is a senior investigator with the Cancer Prevention Studies Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

November 01, 2000

BETHESDA, Md-The President’s Cancer Panel is conducting a series of seven regional meetings to explore the question, “Why don’t all Americans get the best available cancer care?” The panel is seeking to identify specific barriers to care and ways to overcome them.

November 01, 2000

BOSTON-Preoperative CT scans may be a cost-effective way to improve management of colon cancer patients through earlier identification of those who have liver metastases, Richard S. Swanson, MD, said at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) annual meeting.

November 01, 2000

TOKYO, 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).

November 01, 2000

OSAKA, 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.

November 01, 2000

BOSTON-Surgeons at the University of Texas–Southwestern Medical Center (UT-SW), Dallas, have documented a rising incidence of colorectal cancer among people aged 40 to 49. They presented the results of the retrospective study at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) annual meeting.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-Two effective advocates for biomedical research who are retiring from Congress were honored by two advocacy groups for their support of increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

November 01, 2000

Technological ad-vances in cancer prevention and therapy have dramatically reduced cancer mortality, yet literacy continues to be a formidable obstacle to the treatment and prevention of cancer. Patients with low literacy skills who are unable to read and comprehend medical information vital to their health cannot take advantage of these innovative early detection programs and treatments.

November 01, 2000

CHARLESTON, 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.

November 01, 2000

NEW 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.

November 01, 2000

WASHINGTON-New diagnostic tests and effective second-line chemotherapeutic agents may transform ovarian cancer from a certain killer into a chronic disease capable of being managed with medications that are easy to administer, provide good quality of life, and reliably quash recurrences of disease, said Patricia Goldman and Agustin Garcia, MD.

November 01, 2000

ALBANY, NY-A team of leading oncologists and hematologists has begun a study designed to help physicians more accurately predict and manage neutropenia. The Awareness of Neutropenia in Chemotherapy (ANC) Study Group was formed to develop more accurate prediction models for neutropenia.