ONCOLOGY Vol 14 No 7

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of docetaxel (Taxotere) on survival, clinical benefits, quality of life, and safety parameters for chemonaive patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), when compared to best supportive care (BSC) (no chemotherapy or systemic anticancer therapy permitted).

The increase in serious gram-positive infections has increased the need for treatment of gram-positive infections in patients with hematologic malignancies. Common gram-positive pathogens exhibit a variety of resistance

Bloodstream infections cause significant morbidity and mortality for patients with hematologic malignancy. Antimicrobial drugs are the most reliable currently available treatment for infection, but several issues must be

Neutropenic patients with cancer are a heterogeneous group of patients who carry a variable risk for infection. When such patients present with fever, appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy is initiated and continued until

Nosocomial bloodstream infections across the United States and in Europe are increasingly attributable to gram-positive species- a trend that represents a reversal of the gram-negative predominance of the previous

Risk prediction in patients with neutropenia and fever in a reliable and timely manner has only become possible in the last decade. Patients have been categorized as high risk or low risk based on certain presenting

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

This phase I/II nonrandomized, open-label study was designed to assess the safety and benefit of sequencing irinotecan (Camptosar, CPT-11) plus paclitaxel (Taxol) immediately after cisplatin (Platinol)/etoposide (VePesid,

In preclinical studies, the topoisomerase I inhibitor irinotecan (Camptosar, CPT-11) has demonstrated activity as a radiosensitizer, probably due to its ability to inhibit potentially lethal radiation damage repair. We conducted a

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

Radioimmunotherapy with iodine I-131 tositumomab (Bexxar) produced tumor shrinkage in 97% of previously untreated patients with advanced-stage, low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a recent study at the University of Michigan

The author of this reference, Dr. John J. Mulvihill, has a long-standing reputation for studying the complexities of human genetic disorders. His experiences, many publications, and collaborations have focused on various topics, including definition of the

New clinical data presented at the 41st meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) expand on previously published results on the use of thalidomide (Thalomid) in treating advanced and refractory multiple myeloma. The studies

Five-year follow-up data presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Atlanta showed that the use of cryoablation as first-line treatment for prostate cancer can be as effective as radiation therapy. The five-center,

Based on the positive results of two independent, corroborative, placebo-controlled phase III clinical studies in head and neck cancer, Matrix Pharmaceuticals, Inc, has announced plans to submit a new drug application for a cisplatin/epinephrine

Ductal lavage, an advanced technique for collecting epithelial cells from the breast milk ducts for cytologic examination, enables the detection of premalignant and malignant cells in women who have had normal mammograms and physical exams.

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,

New data from a pair of studies presented at the 36th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) suggest that capecitabine (Xeloda) doses can be adjusted without compromising efficacy in patients with advanced breast

The House Rules Committee took the somewhat unusual step of blocking a key physician-backed bill from coming to the House floor for a vote. Late at night on May 24, the Committee voted to keep H.R. 1304 from coming to a vote on the House

The article entitled “The Current Surgical Management of Metastatic Spinal Disease,” by Drs. Peter C. Gerszten and William C. Welch, is a timely, comprehensive review of the current state of the art in the diagnosis and surgical management of spinal

A multi-institutional study demonstrated that prostate cancer patients with aggressive tumors benefited from higher-than-standard doses of radiation. In the trial, 79% of 102 patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer confined to the prostate

Donna Shalala, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), assured a key House Republican that Medicare and Medicaid are taking steps to cut their drug reimbursements. The two agencies-part of HHS’s Health Care

The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) for the treatment of patients 60 years of age and older who are in first relapse with CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are not considered

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently launched a new online education resource-ASCO Grand Rounds- for cancer professionals, featuring biweekly CME-accredited lectures on current topics in cancer. The lectures will

The article by Drs. Girardi and Edelson is an extensive review of the history, diagnosis, and current management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). This entity is classified in the Revised European-American Lymphoma/World Health Organization