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SAN FRANCISCO-A trial to compare comprehensive medical management (CMM) to CMM plus intrathecal morphine delivery via an implantable, programmable drug delivery system (IDDS) showed that the pump improved pain control by more than 15% and reduced medication side effects by nearly 50%. "The pump not only improved pain control and quality of life in patients with otherwise intractable cancer-related pain," Thomas J. Smith, MD, one of the study chairmen, told ONI, "but reduced costs associated with medication and side effects so much that by the third month of treatment, intrathecal morphine delivery should become cost-effective compared to the high doses of oral morphine typically used in these patients."

SAN FRANCISCO-An inexpensive over-the-counter veterinary preparation known as Bag Balm can curtail palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (hand-foot syndrome) and so eliminate the need to reduce chemotherapy dosages. Nadine Tchen, MD, reported that 8 of 12 patients treated with Bag Balm after developing hand-foot syndrome either had improvement or stabilization of symptoms, and were able to continue chemotherapy without changes in dose or schedule, following treatment with Bag Balm. Dr. Tchen is a clinical fellow in the Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

SAN FRANCISCO-A new surgical method for reversing facial paralysis in brain tumor patients (see photo) will be reported at the Ninth International Facial Nerve Symposium taking place July 29 to August 1.

BETHESDA, Md-The overall incidence of cancer in the United States dropped an average of 1.1% per year, and the mortality rate also declined an average of 1.1% per year during the period 1992 to 1998, according to an annual report on the status of cancer prepared by four cancer organizations.

In his comprehensive review, Dr. Rajkumar provides a summary of the current status of thalidomide (Thalomid) therapy in cancer. As discussed in the article, it was the teratogenic effects, particularly phocomelia, that prompted researchers to

Dr. Rajkumar has written an excellent overview of the current status of thalidomide (Thalomid) in the treatment of cancer. There is a constant demand for novel therapeutic strategies as alternative or complementary options to the existing armamentarium of chemotherapeutic agents for various malignant disorders.

CHICAGO-The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines health care access as "timely use of affordable, continuous, quality health services which are sensitive to individual needs in order to achieve the best possible health outcomes," Jeanne Mandelblatt, MD, MPH, PhD, said at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University’s annual Health Policy Symposium.

Pancreatic cancer is a disease seen predominantly in elderly patients. Compared to younger patients, older patients are more likely to present with early-stage disease and, therefore, may be candidates for aggressive local

Pancreatic cancer is a disease seen predominantly in elderly patients. Compared to younger patients, older patients are more likely to present with early-stage disease and, therefore, may be candidates for aggressive local

Recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) is a full-lengthglycosylated molecule that has been under evaluation in the setting of

Tumor angiogenesis is a critical factor in the growth and metastasis of most malignant neoplasms. Thalidomide (Thalomid), banned from clinical use in the 1960s because of severe teratogenicity, has been shown to possess

Angiogenesis is essential for the growth of both primary andmetastatic tumors. This process, more complex than was previously thought,

Irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) is a topoisomerase I inhibitor with a broad spectrum of antitumor clinical activity. Various schedules and doses have been studied, and major complications were delayed diarrhea and

Pancreatic cancer is a disease seen predominantly in elderly patients. Compared to younger patients, older patients are more likely to present with early-stage disease and, therefore, may be candidates for aggressive local

NEW YORK-One out of every three people being treated for cancer (and more than three quarters of those with advanced disease) has significant pain, but patients often lack the information to effectively manage their pain and get relief. Now, a new resource booklet is available from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to enable cancer patients to collaborate more effectively with their physicians to make informed decisions about available pain treatment options.

While many people continue to worry about Medicare’s coverage of currently available oral chemotherapy drugs, Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) is waving a warning flag about future drugs. Her Access to Cancer Therapies Act (H.R. 1624)

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center report that very low doses of a potent new bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid (Zometa), reduces the complications arising from multiple myeloma and breast cancer that have metastasized to the bone. The

SAN FRANCISCO-When the HIV virus is acquired through breast-feeding or sexual activity, its first contact is with the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal, anorectal, or genitourinary tracts. It then appears to use a raft mechanism and transcytosis to pass through the epithelial cells to enter and infect the submucosal target cells, French researchers said at the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology.

SANTA CLARA, Calif-Intel Corporation has announced an innovative medical research program that enlists the help of millions of personal computer users to speed up the drug discovery process. The program harnesses the "idle time" computational power of individual home computers to create a "virtual supercomputer."

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is backing legislation (H.R. 1097) that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products. The legislation explicitly states that nicotine should be

CHICAGO-An analysis of a six-generation extended pedigree of 526 people from two small Turkish villages showed that mesothelioma is genetically transmitted, and that building materials containing erionite may be a cofactor.

WASHINGTON-President Bush has allowed the patient privacy rule written by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the waning days of the Clinton Administration to become effective. However, he directed the department to review the regulation and recommend modifications to address some concerns raised in comments from the public.

NEW ORLEANS-A test that detects epithelial cancer cells in circulating blood, and gives detailed information about their characteristics, was described in the late-breaking session of the 92nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

WASHINGTON-Imiquimod (Aldara), an immune response modifier used to treat genital warts, provided effective therapy for both actinic keratosis and primary superficial basal cell carcinoma in pilot studies presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

WILMINGTON, Del-AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals has announced the launch of two new websites designed to make nutritional product information and nutritional news more readily available to US health care professionals.

WASHINGTON-Palpable and nonpalpable breast cancers differ in a variety of inherent characteristics, reported Kristin Skinner, MD, of the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles. She presented her study results at the 54th Annual Cancer Symposium of the Society of Surgical Oncology.

MONTVILLE, NJ-The FDA has approved Campath (alemtuzumab) humanized monoclonal antibody for the treatment of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have been treated with alkylating agents and have failed fludarabine (Fludara) therapy. Campath was developed by M&I Partners, a 50-50 joint venture of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and ILEX Oncology, Inc. The agent will be marketed and distributed in the United States by Berlex Laboratories, Inc.

Most patients do not want to use investigational treatments even though entry into cancer clinical trials is frequently associated with a higher survival rate. This is just one of the reasons why patients do not participate in trials, according to researchers at

WASHINGTON-The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $845.7 million in grants to assist poor and uninsured HIV-infected persons in obtaining primary care, support, services, and anti-AIDS drugs. About two thirds of the money, $571.3 million, will pay for the purchase of medications through state-run AIDS Drug Assistance Programs.

WASHINGTON-Four members of Congress received the 2001 Paul E. Tsongas Memorial Award for their contributions to forwarding cancer research and awareness of the disease. This year’s honorees were Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass), Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Rep. C. W. Bill Young (R-Fla), and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif).