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NEW ORLEANS-Results of three phase II trials suggest that ET-743 (ecteinascidin), a novel marine compound (see box at right), may have a role to play in treating certain soft-tissue sarcomas, George D. Demetri, MD, said at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

NEW ORLEANS-Smokers can reduce smoking-related complications of breast reconstruction by quitting smoking several weeks before surgery. For heavy smokers, delaying reconstruction may result in fewer complications, according to a study presented at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (now known as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

ARLINGTON, VA-To move into mainstream oncology, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) must find convincing ways to prove efficacy in the treatment of cancer, said Jeffrey White, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM). This means moving beyond anecdotal evidence supporting CAM cancer therapies and finding appropriate standards for judging their effectiveness.

BETHESDA, Md-The addition of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to standard anti-retroviral therapy significantly improved CD4 cell response in HIV-infected patients, reported Richard T. Davey Jr, MD, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Sen. Mack has been cochair of the Senate Cancer Coalition, so he was also quite happy that the Senate approved a National Institutes of Health budget for fiscal year 2001 (starting October 1) that would be a $2.7 billion increase over the

NEW YORK-Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College are investigating retinoic acid in the hope of extending its use in cancer chemoprevention as well as chemotherapy. Various vitamin A derivatives have already been shown to be useful in reversing premalignant changes such as leukoplakia and in treating pro-myelocytic leukemia.

ARLINGTON, Va-One measure of the influence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on the world of conventional medicine may be the acceptance by major cancer centers of programs designed to integrate these therapies into their services.

Chemotherapy is an integral part of treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Chemotherapy can achieve long-term survival rates of up to 15% to 20%, even in patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. In

Chemotherapy is an integral part of treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Chemotherapy can achieve long-term survival rates of up to 15% to 20%, even in patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. In

Chemotherapy is an integral part of treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Chemotherapy can achieve long-term survival rates of up to 15% to 20%, even in patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. In

Three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning refers to the use of software and hardware tools to design and implement more accurate and conformal radiation therapy. This is a major advance in oncology that should lead

Nucleoside analogs have marked efficacy in indolent lymphoid malignancies, but the tradeoff is the challenge of preventing and treating infections in these patients, according to Susan O’Brien, MD, of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. At

Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal malignancy is an important topic because of its potential advantages and its oncologic controversies. Drs. Wexner and Hwang have prepared a comprehensive review of the current status of laparoscopic colorectal surgery for malignancy. The relative merits of the new procedure are discussed from a number of perspectives, including the technical aspects of laparoscopic bowel resection, oncologic concerns, and experimental and theoretical effects on tumor growth and host immunity.

Three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning refers to the use of software and hardware tools to design and implement more accurate and conformal radiation therapy. This is a major advance in oncology that should lead

Over the past decade, extensive research and promotion efforts have led to increased awareness and utilization of cancer prevention and screening methods. Many minority groups, however, have not benefited equally from these advances, and continue to have elevated cancer incidence or mortality rates compared with whites.

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

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

Three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning refers to the use of software and hardware tools to design and implement more accurate and conformal radiation therapy. This is a major advance in oncology that should lead to

DURBAN, South Africa-Leading experts on HIV/AIDS gathered at the 13th International AIDS Conference, held for the first time in Africa, the continent most severely affected by the pandemic. Experts estimate that 70% of the 34 million people infected with HIV worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa.

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

WASHINGTON-One way to ensure that the right parties receive imaging study results and actually look at them is to make notification nearly fail-safe. A system in use at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Asheville, NC, as well as other VAs, does exactly that, David M. Schuster, MD, staff radiologist at the hospital, said at the 100th annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society.

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

BETHESDA, Md-The National Cancer Institute-sponsored Early Detection Research Network has issued 13 grants totaling $18 million to complete its first year of funding. Last fall, NCI awarded $8 million to set up the network’s initial operations-18 biomarker development laboratories. The new grants will finance the establishment of the program’s other three components: clinical and epidemiologic centers, biomarker validation laboratories, and a data management and coordinating center.

WASHINGTON-Few were aware of the American Legacy Foundation until last February when it televised and then temporarily pulled two antitobacco advertisements, one of which showed body bags being stacked outside the headquarters of Philip Morris.

SAN FRANCISCO-Surviving cancer is a joyous thing in itself. A new awards program will spotlight that joy and share the stories of 12 survivors who are “everyday heroes,” in an effort to help others who are struggling with the disease.

BETHESDA, Md-Patients have a new, reliable source for information about drugs. The National Library of Medicine has added the US Pharmacopeia’s Drug Information, Vol. II, “Advice for the Patient,” to its MEDLINEplus website. The publication provides extensive information about more than 9,000 brand name, generic prescription, and over-the-counter medications, written in nontechnical language. The information is available at http://medlineplus.gov.

SAN DIEGO-In the VA Cooperative Study 380, screening colonoscopy found advanced adenomas in approximately 10% of asymptomatic veterans, and approximately 20% to 40% of those patients had no lesions within reach of a sigmoidoscope, depending on the insertion depth of the scope.