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SAN DIEGO--Hospitals are facing tremendous pressures from the insurance industry to standardize treatments by adopting clinical practice guidelines, panel members said at a conference sponsored by the Society for Ambulatory Care Professionals and Health Technology Assessment of the American Hospital Association.

TUSTIN, Ca--AMDL, Inc. has filed a 510(k) Premarket Notification with the FDA for PyloriProbe, its diagnostic test for the detection of Heli-cobacter pylori. This bacterium is associated with chronic gastritis and gastric and duodenal ulcers, and has been classified by WHO as a class I carcinogen that increases the risk of developing stomach cancer. Pylori-Probe is a direct enzyme immunoassay (EIA) that detects the presence of H pylori antibodies in serum samples.

RICHMOND, Ca--Onyx Pharmaceuticals has announced an extension and expansion of its research alliance with Eli Lilly focusing on BRCA1, the gene linked to increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Lilly has exclusive rights to the BRCA1 gene by license from Myriad Genetics, Inc.

SAN DIEGO--If a cancer patient dies because of a medical error, such as an incorrect dosage, it is only human nature to blame the tragedy on one incompetent person. But finger pointing is not a useful approach, says George Demetri, MD, since generally the problem has multiple causes, and a system overhaul may be in order.

Drs. Eulau and Corn comprehensively review the emerging use of combined androgen suppression and local therapies in locally advanced carcinoma of the prostate. These strategies have been developed since the recognition of the inadequacy of

More American men are living longer. An estimated 13,850,000 were over age 65 as of July 1, 1996 [1]. This total represents a 1.01% increase over that in 1995, a 10.3% increase over the 1990 total and more than a 34% increase over the

Locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate (American Urological Association stages B2, C; American Joint Committee on Cancer stages T2c, T3) has been difficult to control by either external-beam irradiation or

BETHESDA, Md--A surprising finding of a smoking cessation study using behavioral therapy is that highly depressed men, but not highly depressed women, must also have nicotine replacement therapy to keep from relapsing, Paul M. Cinciripini, PhD, said at a symposium on tobacco addiction sponsored by ASCO and the NCI.

ASCO--Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center have launched what is believed to be the first willingness-to-pay study done in a real-life setting. Thomas J. Smith, MD, reported on potential problems created by the innovative study design at a scientific session of the ASCO annual meeting in Philadelphia.

SAN FRANCISCO--Average-risk individuals over age 50 can be effectively screened for colorectal cancer by use of annual fecal occult blood testing and sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, John H. Bond, MD, said at a press conference during Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

Every day thousands of babies are born in hospitals across America. These births offer opportunities to cure patients of leukemia and other life-threatening diseases. The opportunities lie in the routinely disposed placentas and umbilical cords.

SAN DIEGO--Use of two- and three-dimensional helical computed tomographic colography (CTC) appears to be a feasible technique for the detection of colorectal polyps, Mayo Clinic researcher Amy K. Hara, MD, said at the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting.

(Name of company), in order to encourage the best business practices in the industry, and to assist sellers of life insurance in assessing viatical options, agrees to abide by the following standards and practices:

BETHESDA, Md--The volume of calls from cancer patients to the FDA's Cancer Liaison Program has increased steadily since the program was established at the end of 1993, Patty Delaney of the FDA said at a meeting of the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC)

COLLEGEVILLE, Penn--Intra-immune Therapies, Inc., a new company formed by Dr. Wayne Marasco, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has joined the Rhône-Poulenc Rorer Gencell network to help accelerate the development of its innovate intrabody, or intracellular antibody, technology.

The full effects of the breast-implant controversy are far-reaching, and will probably not be entirely felt for years. They certainly extend beyond the question of whether breast implants are safe, important though that question is. The narrow

WASHINGTON--In an unusual budgetary maneuver, NCI director Richard Klausner, MD, has asked Congress to give the Institute an added $269.5 million in fiscal year 1998 to fund "extraordinary opportunities for new investments" in the battle against cancer.

ATLANTA--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a report stating that teenage smoking has increased from 27.5% of all high school students in 1991 to 34.8% in 1995. And smoking among African-American boys has doubled, from 14.1% in 1991 to 27.8% in 1995.

ASCO--The preliminary results of an Intergroup study of patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer show a highly significant improvement in survival with the use of chemoradia-tion, compared with radiation alone, Muhyi Al-Sarraf, MD, said at the ASCO plenary session.

BRANCHBURG, NJ--Roche Diagnostic Systems Inc.'s Amplicor H.I.V.-1 monitor test for use in determining viral load in individuals infected with HIV has received FDA approval for marketing. The test uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to measure HIV genetic material in the blood.

BETHESDA, Md--The National Cancer Institute has orchestrated an agreement between the Ministers of Health of Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. The five ministers recently gathered in Geneva to sign the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC) agreement.

GAITHERSBURG, Md--By a unanimous vote, the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) recommended accelerated approval of Pharmacia & Upjohn's Camptosar (irinotecan hydrochloride injection), and the FDA responded by giving its ok to the drug 28 hours later.

Oncology News International would like to correct two errors that appeared in Dr. Peter Kennedy's article on space sharing (May 1996, page 12), as part of the Oncology & Managed Care series edited by Dr. Cary Presant.

ST. DAVIDS, Penn--Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories' Zosyn (pipera-cillin/tazobactam) is now indicated for use in treating moderate to severe nosocomial pneumonia caused by piperacillin-resistant beta-lactamase-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus. In a multicenter study of 300 patients with nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of clinical cure or improvement for Zosyn plus tobramycin was 74%, compared with 50% for cef-tazidime plus tobramycin, the company said.

GAITHERSBURG, Md--An FDA advisory panel has recommended approval of Guilford Pharmaceutical's Gliadel Wafer (polifeprosan 20 with carmustine) for use as an adjunct to surgery to prolong survival in recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

PITTSBURGH--The University of Pittsburgh, through the researchof investigators Saïd Sebti, PhD, and Andrew Hamilton, PhD,has entered into a research agreement with Abbott Laboratoriesto develop novel cancer drugs that block the activity of the rasoncogene.

Bethesda , Md--NIH director Harold Varmus has announced plants to disband the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC). The committee was formed in 1975 as a panel of 24 scientists, ethicists, and others at NIH dedicated to holding those in the field of biogenetics accountable to the public.

I will briefly comment on two points discussed by Pierce and Lichter in their thorough review: (1) the recently published Oxford overview analysis of locoregional therapies [1], and (2) which patients may benefit from postmastectomy radiotherapy.

This article provides a nice overview of HIV-associated wasting. The paper makes a number of strong points. In particular, it focuses on anorexia and decreased oral intake as key to wasting. In this vein, both the discussion by Von Roenn and Knopf and Tables 1 and 2 offer a very valuable review of the multiple reasons why HIV-infected patients may eat less. Given the many medications that we often need to use in these patients, the text discussion about the ways in which medications can result in decreased oral intake, reinforced by Table 2, is particularly useful.

The financial burden of a long-term illness such as cancer can be devastating, with as much as 66% of the costs of cancer being nonmedical[1]. These financial concerns are leading some Americans to buy insurance policies that, upon diagnosis of cancer, assist them in paying for their care.