ONCOLOGY Vol 16 No 10

This supplement to ONCOLOGY includes a collection of papers focusing on the clinical development and use of capecitabine (Xeloda), a novel agent with significant activity in patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer. It is now clear that this

The demonstration of the activity of capecitabine (Xeloda) in advanced breast cancer and of the ability of capecitabine/docetaxel (Taxotere) to improve tumor response, time to disease progression, and survival in this

Available data on the use of active chemotherapy agents in advanced breast cancer suggest that sequential single-agent therapy is associated with outcomes similar to those achieved with concurrent combination therapy. Since

A recent phase III trial demonstrated that the combination of capecitabine (Xeloda) and docetaxel (Taxotere) significantly improved objective tumor response rate, time to disease progression, and overall survival compared

Capecitabine (Xeloda) offers a unique mode of action. The drug is currently being combined with other active agents in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. The recent demonstration of improved disease-free and overall

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved anastrozole (Arimidex) for the adjuvant treatment of hormone-receptor-positive early breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The approval is based on research from the Arimidex,

The US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has passed the Eliminate Colorectal Cancer Act (S.710), legislation introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass). The bill, with the companion

One of the national health objectives for 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults to £ 12% (objective 27.la). To assess progress toward this objective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved granisetron (Kytril) for the prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The approval was based on the results of recent clinical trials.

Steven Grunberg, one of the pioneer clinical investigators in the development of modern antiemetics, describes various approaches to the management of this important complication of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Dr. Grunberg describes the use of phenothiazines and antidopaminergic agents as antiemetics, the discovery that steroids could serve as effective adjuvant antiemetic agents, and the development of the serotonin (5-HT3)-receptor antagonists. Thus, we have compazine, metoclopromide, decadron, and a set of 5-HT3 antagonists-ondansetron (Zofran), dolasetron (Anzemet), and granisetron (Kytril)-in our therapeutic armamentarium.

A new partnership between the National Institutes of Health and five major drug companies will provide a total of $6 million to several cancer centers to find ways to increase accrual to early clinical trials. The five pharmaceutical firms involved in the

An advisory group to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed a decision on whether to recommend Medicare coverage for positron-emission tomography (PET) with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the

African-American patients with advanced prostate cancer survived slightly longer than white patients, according to a multi-institutional study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers. The findings, which were reported at the 38th annual

The results of a phase III trial of capecitabine (Xeloda) in combination with docetaxel (Taxotere) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer were published in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (20:2812-2823, 2002). Based on

The results of two clinical trials evaluating fulvestrant (Faslodex) for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy were published in a recent issue of the Journal

United States seems to have a predilection for declaring "war" on its internal problems, be they poverty, drugs, or cancer. In the latter part of the past century particularly, military metaphors became part of the vocabulary used by Americans to

In an international study of the two leading aromatase inhibitors, data demonstrate that 50% more women with advanced breast cancer respond to letrozole (Femara) than to anastrozole (Arimidex); ie, more women treated with letrozole achieved at

Received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include information about Abbott’s PathVysion-a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test-in the product insert for trastuzumab (Herceptin). FISH is used to detect human

With the advent of methods for determining genetic susceptibility to breast cancer, there is a growing focus on prevention as a primary strategy. In this context, more women will receive information about the role of prophylactic mastectomy as a definitive management strategy. Drs. Ghosh and Hartmann have provided a thorough review of the salient issues in prophylactic mastectomy. Their discussion of the procedure and its history set the stage for further discussion of the relative efficacy of prophylactic mastectomy in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women.

Ghosh and Hartmann present an excellent overview on the risk reduction that prophylactic mastectomy offers the high-risk patient. Dr. Hartmann and the Mayo Clinic remain leaders in this field. As cited in their recent series, the risk of developing breast cancer is reduced 89.5% to 100% in high-risk women who choose to undergo prophylactic mastectomy.[1] In the same year, Meijers-Heijboer et al supported these findings, documenting a 100% relative risk reduction.[2] The fact that prophylactic surgery offers a dramatic reduction in the risk of breast cancer to high-risk patients appears unquestionable.

In his article, Dr. Grunberg charts the history of our understanding of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and the discovery and development of drugs for its prevention. He places appropriate emphasis on the serotonin (5-HT3) antagonists-notably, ondansetron, granisetron, and dolasetron-which have revolutionized the field over the past decade.

The emerging era of targeted cancer therapies has focused laboratory scientists and clinicians on the need to define and understand molecular targets of novel drugs. For breast cancer patients and doctors, this trend is not news-efforts have been under way for decades to identify the estrogen and progesterone receptors and define the value of these markers as predictors of response to hormonal therapy.

Quon and Harrison have performed a considerable service to patients with head and neck cancers by reminding the oncology community that a state-of-the-art treatment team must include state-of-the-art brachytherapy

Soft tissue sarcomas in adults are rare malignancies with diverse histologies that have historically been classified together, mostly for convenience. In truth,

The objectives of this study were to assess the safety and efficacy of darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) administered every 2 weeks in anemic patients with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy. This was an open-label, randomized,

Studies on human erythropoietin (EPO) demonstrated that there is a direct relationship between the sialic acid-containing carbohydrate content of the molecule and its serum half-life and in vivo biological activity, but an

The need for accurate detection of HER2 status is becoming more apparent, as therapeutic decisions are influenced by this information in both the adjuvant and advanced-stage setting. Since the US Food and Drug

Nausea and vomiting are the toxicities of chemotherapy most feared by the cancer patient. However, increased understanding of the mechanisms of nausea and vomiting has led to greatly improved control of this toxicity.

Our objective was to assess, using clinical trial simulation, the feasibility of a fixed 200-µg dose of darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) administered every 2 weeks in chemotherapy-induced anemia. A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic

Cancer-related anemia, in addition to having detrimental effects on quality of life and adding the risk and inconvenience of blood transfusions, may also be associated with decreased survival or time to progression. Yet