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Acupuncture is an important component of traditional Chinese medicine. The practice originated more than 2,000 years ago. It involves stimulation of one or more predetermined points on the body with sterile, filiform, disposable needles, sometimes with added heat (moxibustion), pressure (acupressure) or electricity to enhance therapeutic effect. The needles are much thinner than the hypodermic needles used for injections.

WASHINGTON, DC-The developing world faces “a tsunami of cancer” without massive tobacco control efforts and programs to stanch infection-related tumors, according to the American Cancer Society’s vice president for epidemiology and surveillance research.

Today’s shrinking drug reimbursements are forcing community oncologists to adopt more creative business models to shore up their bottom line, such as hiring full-time pharmacists.

STOCKHOLM-Advances in surgical resection have removed the label of “death sentence” associated with colorectal metastases to the liver and lung. But that means oncologists must take on the task of refining strategies to increase resectability. At ESMO 2008, Alfredo Falcone, MD, of the University of Pisa and Instituto Toscano Tumori in Italy, discussed his approach for creating the ideal conditions for resectability.

CHICAGO-Oncology patients have a fourfold risk above the general population of developing pulmonary embolism. If the patient is receiving chemotherapy, the risk is even greater.

New soft ware facilitates better collaboration between oncologists and radiologists on imaging reports, according to UK-based researchers, most notably by connecting physicians who are geographically separated.

Given that in the 21st century many believe 70 years of age is the new 60 and 80 years of age is the new 70, any article on ovarian cancer in the elderly depends on one’s definition of elderly. To put this in a 21st century perspective, in a thoughtful article on aging in The New Yorker (“The Way We Age Now,” April 30, 2007), Atul Gawande points out, “for most of our hundred-thousand-year existence-all but the past couple of hundred years-the average life span of human beings has been 30 years or less (research suggests that subjects of the Roman Empire had an average life expectancy of 28 years).

Maitake beta- glucan extract obtained from the fruiting bodies of maitake mushroom, or Grifola frondosa, is widely used in Asia as a cancer treatment, typically adjunctively. Research to determine the mechanisms that underlie maitake’s anticancer effects is ongoing, as detailed at http://www.mskcc.org/AboutHerbs.

SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Coriolus versicolor, Trametes versicolor, Polyporus versicolor, Polystictus versicolor

The modest, utilitarian office of Elaine S. Jaffe, MD, is dominated by a large microscope, stacks of pathology slides, and a view of the sprawling, 350-acre campus of the National Institutes of Health.

It’s no secret that enrollment into cancer care clinical trials has reached a level that could be described as anemic. Conventional wisdom puts adult enrollment at 3% to 5%, even though two-thirds of cancer patients say they are receptive to participating.

One of Europe’s leading cancer centers is fighting to recover £7.5 million ($13 million) from a failed Icelandic bank. The money, much of which was generated from charity fundraising, was earmarked for two new radiation therapy centers.

The UK National Health Service is negotiating with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to reduce the cost of new drugs.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama’s health plan bested the plan put forth by Republican Sen. John McCain in an online survey posted at www.CancerNetwork.com (see “Which healthcare reform approach do you favor?,” October 2008, page 5).

Conducting colonoscopies for people in their mid 50s can save money, according to research presented at the 2008 American College of Gastroenterology meeting in Orlando, Fla. The savings averages $2 for every dollar spent, the study found.

Philips Healthcare will continue its relationship with the University Medical Center (UMC) in Utrecht, the Netherlands to develop new imaging products for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of cancer. The partners will focus on image-guided oncology interventions to direct translational research into clinical applications.

The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and US Oncology have entered into a collaboration to increase patient access to national cancer clinical trials.

The U.S. District Court in Boston upheld a prior jury decision (October 2) declaring Roche infringed on Amgen’s erythropoietin patents. The court also said Amgen is entitled to a permanent injunction prohibiting Roche from selling its pegylated-erythropoietin (peg-EPO) product Mircera in the U.S.

STOCKHOLM-Clinical trials have not clearly determined if advanced colorectal cancer patients should receive their first line of chemotherapy in combination or in sequence. In a debate at ESMO 2008, Cornelis J.A. Punt, MD, PhD, from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and Aimery de Gramont, MD, of Hospital Saint-Antoine in Paris, discussed the pearls and pitfalls of each approach.

Dr. Von Roenn, from the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University in Chicago, commented that “this is a well-conceived and well-implemented trial.”

A documentary on his best friend’s battle with cancer garnered Jann Gassman Best of the Fest award at the Reel Lives: Cancer Chronicles Film Festival, the first international documentary film festival on cancer.

ProCure Treatment Centers of Bloomington, Ind., is launching a network of proton therapy training centers across the US. ProCure provides comprehensive services in developing proton therapy centers, ranging from design and construction to daily operation. Th ere are currently five operational ProCure proton therapy centers in the country, including one in Bloomington (below).

MUNICH-Final results from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) trial were released at the 2008 European Society of Cardiology Congress, and the lead researcher urged oncologists to continue treatment for their patients who are also on cholesterol-lowering drugs.

BOSTON-Accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy drastically shortens treatment duration without aff ecting mortality and ipsilateral recurrence rates, according to three- and four-year follow-up data presented at ASTRO 2008.

Endocrine therapy plays a critical role in the management of early-stage hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, providing a nearly 50% reduction in the risk of distant and local recurrence.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Canada- Previous studies have shown that 20% to 40% of survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia will have some form of neuropsychological impairment. “However, we do not fully understand why some children are so strongly affected by therapy, and would like to develop a model to determine which children are most at risk for these negative late effects,” said Kala Y. Kamdar, MD, of the department of pediatric hematology/oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Canada- Retinoblastoma is a rare form of pediatric cancer, affecting approximately 300 new patients in the United States each year. The two variants of this cancer, hereditary and nonhereditary, have excellent survival rates, but there is a tremendous risk of secondary malignant cancers in those with the hereditary form, especially if they are treated with radiotherapy.

Here are some simple things that can be done to keep the billing related to skilled nursing facilities in order. Here’s a scenario that most likely plays out in oncology practices on a routine basis: A Medicare beneficiary arrives at a community offi ce for treatment. She has a blood draw followed by a 2-hour chemotherapy infusion. Th e oncology practice’s offi ce submits a reimbursement claim through Medicare Part B. Two weeks later a notice from Medicare arrives-claim denied!

About 80% of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and 89% of those who undergo radiation therapy, experience fatigue during their treatment. But about 30% of cancer patients continue to feel fatigued for years aft er treatment. A phase III study demonstrated that the eugeroic agent modafinil (Provigil) reduces severe fatigue and sleepiness among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.