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The world’s population is aging. Older age is associated with an increase in the incidence of cancer, especially cancer of the breast, lung, prostate, and colon. The management of older patients with cancer is biased by the

People over the age of 65 are a fast-growing segment of the US population, and with the incidence of cancer increasing with age, the challenges of treating older cancer patients are also on the rise. Drs. Lichtman and Skirvin present a comprehensive review of the antineoplastic agents used in elderly cancer patients. They highlight the important factors of chemotherapy pharmacology in elderly cancer patients, with emphasis on the impact of physiologic changes-especially renal clearance-in dosing and toxicity. In addition, descriptions of significant toxicities are provided. The following additional issues should be considered.

CHICAGO-Low literacy remains a formidable stumbling block preventing many Americans from receiving optimal cancer treatment and preventive measures.

Among the serious complications associated with bone marrow transplantation are invasive fungal infections caused by organisms such as Candida and Aspergillus species and end-organ disease caused by

Among the serious complications associated with bone marrow transplantation are invasive fungal infections caused by organisms such as Candida and Aspergillus species and end-organ disease caused by

Drs. Lichtman and Skirvin have written an excellent review on the pharmacology of antineoplastic agents in older cancer patients. However, as in any text (often due to space limitations), one can find shortcomings, some of which will be covered in this commentary.

Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) is a novel antineoplastic platinum derivative that may exert its cytotoxic effects by blocking DNA replication/transcription, thus resulting in cell death in proliferating cells, as well as apoptosis.

The Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) of the National Cancer Institute(NCI) currently sponsors more than 160 Investigational New Drug applications

A significant number of patients with colorectal cancer will present with hepatic metastases as their only site of metastatic disease. Surgical resection in patients with a limited number of metastases will lead to long-term

Tobacco use, particularly smoking, remains the number 1 cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. This report of the Surgeon General on smoking and health is the first to offer a composite review of the various methods used to

Second-line therapy is a relatively newconcept for gastrointestinal oncologists. Although retreatment with fluorouracil

Among the serious complications associated with bone marrow transplantation are invasive fungal infections caused by organisms such as Candida and Aspergillus species and end-organ disease caused by

Chemotherapy for advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction carcinomas remains suboptimal. Both irinotecan (Camptosar) and cisplatin (Platinol) are active against this group of malignancies. This article focuses

The new platinum compound oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) appears tohave activity, either alone or in combination, as both first- and second-line

The fastest growing segment of the US population is the group over the age of 65 years. In the next 30 years, this group will comprise over 20% of the population. Because 60% of all cancers occur in this age group, there will be an expected rise in the total cancer burden.

CHICAGO-Despite comprehensive efforts to prevent lung and oral cancers as well as other diseases related to tobacco use around the world, experts in tobacco control do not expect to see a drop in the number of deaths due to smoking in the next 15 years.

Therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients is challenging. Liver dysfunction, portal hypertension, third spacing, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia limit the choice of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the abundant vascularity of hepatocellular carcinoma presents an attractive target for antiangiogenic therapy, potentially tolerable even in cirrhotics.

NEW YORK-Response and overall survival were significantly improved with use of irinotecan (Camptosar), fluorouracil, and leucovorin, compared with fluorouracil/leucovorin alone, in a randomized study involving 683 patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer.

NEW YORK-Many biologic therapeutic manufacturers face “critical choke-points” in the future as they attempt to satisfy market demand, according to William R. Rohn, chief operating officer of IDEC Pharmaceuticals, the San Diego-based company that produces the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan) in the United States.

WASHINGTON-Only five states have allocated the minimum amount of their tobacco settlement funds recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for comprehensive tobacco prevention programs, according to report released at a Senate hearing.

BETHESDA, Md-Members of the National Cancer Institute’s intramural program, NCI’s corps of in-house investigators, have been challenged to reinvent the program into one of the nation’s great cancer research centers.

NEW YORK-The current hype surrounding the mind-body connection has prompted people diagnosed with cancer to ask themselves if their personality, their emotions, or the stress in their lives somehow led to their cancer. This, in turn, has produced the negative phenomenon of blaming the victim.

A comprehensive textbook on clinical oncology should have broad appeal to readers from various disciplines, including educators, clinicians, and scientists working with cancer patients. Students of the medical disciplines must also have a reference textbook to guide them in their educational exploration, whether they are in the field of medicine itself or in complementary areas. We look to comprehensive textbooks not only to provide us with the latest updates in different disease entities, but also to guide us by choosing the most relevant areas of study and investigation. The editors who compiled this textbook have met these challenges, while maintaining a readability that is suitable for various levels of expertise and comprehension

SANTANDER, Spain-High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with stem cell transplantation offers a “striking improvement” over conventional chemotherapy for infants with acute leukemia, said Fernando Marco, MD, a hematologist at Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain.

ROCHESTER, Minnesota-In a blinded pilot study, conducted at the Mayo Clinic, a new DNA-based colorectal cancer fecal screening tool detected 91% of colorectal cancers and 82% of adenomas 1 cm in size or larger, with a specificity of 93%.

Thalidomide (Thalomid) has been demonstrated to be an antiangiogenic agent with some activity in glioblastoma multiforme. This ongoing study currently has 37 enrolled patients. Patients were started on a dose of 100 mg/d of thalidomide. This was increased by 100 mg/d, weekly, to a maximum dose of 500 mg/d, if tolerated. The mean age was 52 years (range: 27–69 years). The male/female ratio was 19/18. The mean dose tolerated was 300 mg, with a range of 200 to 500 mg/d.

PHILADELPHIA-Over the last 20 years, nutritional assessments in oncology have evolved from just assessing a patient’s nutritional status to using the information to improve outcome. The latest assessment tool is the scored Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) developed by Faith Ottery, MD, PhD, president of the Society for Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy.

CLEVELAND-Marconi Medical Systems has received 510k clearance from the FDA to market its new ACQSIM CT scanner that addresses the special needs of oncology CT simulation and planning.

WASHINGTON-Density variations in breast images may be due to a number of different variables, such as age and body weight, Norman F. Boyd, MD, DSc, said at the 10th Annual Conference of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

WASHINGTON-At a congressional briefing titled “The Crisis at Academic Health Centers,” Samuel O. Thier, MD, described the situation succinctly. “We are going through tough times,” said the president and chief executive officer of Partners Health Care Systems, Inc., which resulted from the merger of Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals.