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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).

NEW ORLEANS-Pediatric cancer survivors face an increased risk of second malignancies later in life, especially breast cancer, according to a large database of some 14,000 persons diagnosed with cancer before age 21 and alive 5 years or longer.

Outline of Oncology Therapeutics is a well-written, concise, and up-to-date book providing detailed descriptions of a variety of medications and issues important to the overall care and treatment of patients with cancer. Oncology practice today

The field of surgical oncology isgrowing rapidly. As it assumes

NEW YORK-A topical sustained-release fluorouracil product for actinic keratosis that is applied once a day is now available from Dermik Laboratories (Beryn, Penn). The concentration of active ingredient in the new product, Carac, is 0.5%, or one tenth that in most fluorouracil creams. In clinical trials, use of the preparation cleared more than 70% of actinic keratoses within 1 week.

Rep. Pryce is also cochair of the House Cancer Working Group. In March, she introduced the Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act (H.R. 967), which would require health insurers to pay for the routine costs incurred by patients in

CHICAGO-A vaccinia-based vaccine against a modified simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen has proven efficacious in animal models, said Michael Imperiale, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor. He described the vaccine at a conference on the role of SV40 in malignant mesothelioma, sponsored by the University of Chicago.