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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

The 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), held December 1-5, 2000, in San Francisco, featured a record number of abstracts focusing on the revolutionary clinical applications of monoclonal antibodies to a wide

NEW YORK-With new tests, it is easy to identify certain gene mutations associated with a predisposition to cancer. But it is more difficult to deal with the social and legal consequences of those tests, a panel of experts said at a briefing organized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and entitled "The Human Genome and its Implications for Cancer." Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH, discussed a case that he faced at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he is chief of the Clinical Genetics Service, Department of Human Genetics.

NEW YORK-Despite considerable progress in the management and treatment of cancer in the overall population, cancer-related mortality among the elderly increased by 20% between 1970 and 1984. Cancer is often undertreated in the elderly, which affects their prognosis, said Roberto Bernabei, MD, of the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome.

Both rituximab (Rituximab) and fludarabine (Fludara) monotherapies have demonstrated good antitumor activity in patients with indolent lymphoma. In vitro data demonstrate synergistic activity against resistant cell lines when rituximab and

CHARLOTTE, NC-Mobile mammography programs that serve poor and working women in hard-to-reach, rural communities are an endangered species, according to Jean Griswold, founder and CEO of Mobile Health Outreach, Inc., one of the oldest surviving programs in the United States.

PEAPACK, NJ- Pharmacia Oncology has announced the 11 recipients of its first $1 million Ellence Research Fund, aimed at promoting research to advance the use of anthracyclines in various cancer settings. The recipients were chosen by a scientific advisory board composed of leading oncologists. The company has created a second $1 million Ellence Research Fund and is currently accepting research proposals.

BOSTON-Hyperfractionated radiation improved local control and survival rates for advanced pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer patients in a randomized Canadian study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).

CHICAGO-With the Internet, specialty radiology departments should be able to provide a virtual link that gives clinicians anywhere in the country or the world the same access to expert image interpretation as their colleagues in major metropolitan areas, said Michael P. Recht, MD, director of the Section of E-Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He spoke at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

BETHESDA, Md-An addendum to the National Toxicology Program’s Ninth Report on Carcinogens moves the dioxin TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) from the "reasonably anticipated" to cause human cancers category to the "known to be a human carcinogen" designation. A legal challenge to the change prevented the new designation from being published in the full report last May.

Rituximab (Rituxan) is a genetically engineered chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to CD20 on pre-B and mature B lymphocytes. While binding of the Fab domain may induce apoptosis, the Fc domain recruits immune