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This is the first in a series of reports on presentations from "Ensuring Quality Cancer Care," a symposium held in Chicago and sponsored by the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and the VA Chicago Health Care System. The reports, which put the discussions into a broader context, have been prepared for ONI by researchers at Northwestern University, working under the direction of Dr. Charles L. Bennett.

An underinvestigated area of breast cancer survivorship involves the possible impairment of cognitive function following adjuvant chemohormonal therapy. Numerous reports of disturbing and disruptive changes in short- and

The editors of this impressive new book indicate in their preface that this text was compiled to give "undivided attention" to granulomatous disorders other than sarcoidosis. Toward that end, they have assembled an impressive array of experts from

WASHINGTON-The nation’s health care industry is broken and urgently needs reorganization and reform to fix it, a new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report asserts. As a beginning, the report proposes that Congress appropriate $1 billion over the next 3 to 5 years to begin repairing what it calls a disjointed and inefficient system.

SkyePharma PLC and Chiron Corporation have received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to return cytarabine liposome injection (DepoCyt) to the market. Liposomal cytarabine is the only FDA-approved treatment for

WASHINGTON-Smoking prevalence varies considerably from state to state among both adults and students, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 1999, adult prevalence ranged from 13.9% in

BETHESDA, Md-The National Cancer Institute has opened its arms wider to the advocacy community with a new program called Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities, or CARRA. NCI plans to recruit 150 consumer advocates under the CARRA program who will serve 3-year terms. The advocates are to represent survivors’ concerns, provide their ideas and viewpoints directly to the NCI staff, and serve as links between the advocacy communities and the Institute.

SAN ANTONIO-By inserting a thin, hollow fiberoptic ductoscope through breast ducts in the nipple, physicians can examine the ductal system of the breast and accurately locate ductal lesions (see images).

BETHESDA, Md-Revised guidelines for treating HIV-infected adults provide new recommendations for when physicians should initiate anti-HIV therapy. "The new treatment guidelines provide patients and their doctors with evidence-based recommendations for initiating antiretroviral therapy that take into account both the benefits and potential risks of currently available treatment regimens," said Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Not only has the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) backed off on threats to reduce Medicare and Medicaid payments to oncologists for in-office chemotherapy infusion drugs, but now HCFA is making it clear that oncologists can

SAN FRANCISCO-Studies presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) show that thalidomide (Thalomid) has value as a single agent in treating advanced and refractory myeloma and that thalidomide combined with dexamethasone is useful in treating resistant and newly diagnosed disease.

LONDON-SkyePharma PLC and its marketing partner, Chiron Corporation (Emeryville, California) have received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration to return DepoCyt (cytarabine liposome injection) to the market.

WASHINGTON-President Bush has called on Congress to enact a bipartisan and "strong Patients’ Bill of Rights." In letters to Republican and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill, he outlined the basic principles that he believes such a law should embody.

ROCKVILLE, Md-Research on managing cancer pain lags well behind studies of cancer biology, both in quality and quantity, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). That conclusion emerged from a literature review by researchers at the AHRQ-supported New England Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center.

BOSTON-For the cancer patient who can’t hold a breath or stay still during radiation therapy, a team of medical experts and engineers is working on a tracking solution worthy of James Bond-spy cameras and robotic vision.

BOSTON-In a study of 1,253 breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy, the risk of a second malignancy jumped from 5% at 5 years of follow-up to 16% at 10 years. Barbara L. Fowble, MD, of Fox Chase Cancer Center, reported the results at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).

In their article in this issue, Drs. Jatoi and Loprinzi review much of the data on weight loss and anorexia in cancer patients from the standpoint of the impact of nutrition and various pharmacologic agents on management, and they make some sound recommendations for therapy. The benefit of nutritional interventions in this area are often overhwhelmed by the patient’s complex disease course and, therefore, are difficult to demonstrate.

Drs. Jatoi and Loprinzi provide a comprehensive but succinct overview of the management of cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss. These clinician researchers, who have added much to our understanding of this problem, present a balanced and reasonable approach to the management of these common paraneoplastic syndromes.

The National Cancer Institute’s Dr. Robert Biggar has probably studied the impact of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic on cancer trends at least as thoroughly as anyone in the field. His long-term experience is reflected in this comprehensive and well-written overview, which summarizes the evidence concerning highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Indeed, patients are developing fewer opportunistic infections and living significantly longer than they did before the advent of these potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs. However, the question remains as to what extent this treatment might also change the incidence of cancers?

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has shown great efficacy in reducing human immunodeficiency virus levels, increasing immunity, and prolonging the survival of persons with acquired immunodeficiency

This article is the last in a series focusing on ethical issues in cancer care, prepared by researchers at Northwestern University. The articles highlight selected ethical issues, place the issues in the context of relevant literature, and comment on their significance in oncology practice. These issues are discussed in greater depth in Ethical Issues in Cancer Care (Kluwer, 1999).

Loss of appetite and weight predict a poor prognosis for cancer patients. Although caloric supplementation might benefit subgroups of patients-specifically, perioperative, severely malnourished cancer patients, stem cell and

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida-Modifications in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) 2001 guideline for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) include changes in surgical management of SCLC and carcinoid tumors, as well as treatment modifications involving the timing and dose of chest radiotherapy, use of prophylactic cranial irradiation, and additional drugs available for relapsed patients.

The purpose of the annual investigators’ workshops sponsored by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has been to review the latest data on new agents, with a particular focus on

Efforts to improve the length and quality of life, as well as to expand treatment options, for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have only recently become more successful. With

The camptothecins are a new class of chemotherapeutic radiation sensitizers. Clinical trials with camptothecins alone show higher toxicity than predicted by preclinical models, which has created the challenge of finding new

A phase II study was conducted to assess the response rate and toxicity profile of the combination of irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) and cisplatin (Platinol) administered weekly to patients with untreated advanced

Colorectal cancer is an excellent model for studying cancer prevention by means of secondary (eg, polypectomy to remove a precursor adenoma) and primary

The current recommendation for adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed stage III colon cancer involves 6 months of fluorouracil (5-FU) plus low- or high-dose leucovorin. In clinical trials performed throughout

Irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) a topoisomerase I inhibitor derived from the Chinese shrub Camptotheca acuminata, has broad activity in varied gastrointestinal malignancies, including pancreatic, biliary, esophageal