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Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh have received a $7.7 million, 5-year award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study how dendritic cells participate in: (1) generating immunity against cancer cells, (2) inducing transplant tolerance,

Leaders of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) discussed the society’s comprehensive position statement calling for the removal of all barriers to high-quality end-of-life care. ASCO’s recommendations include greatly expanded

BETHESDA, Md--As part of his sweeping reorganization and innovative effort at the National Cancer Institute, director Richard D. Klausner, MD, last November named 15 advocates to the Director’s Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG). Its recommendations will go directly to the NCI director, as it becomes a high-powered chartered advisory committee. Dr. Klausner envisioned a threefold purpose for this group of advocates. First, it will provide a forum for advocates to raise and discuss issues of concern regarding the development of NCI programs and research priorities. Second, it will help NCI develop criteria for selecting consumer advocates to serve on a number of NCI program and policy committees, including peer review panels. Third, it will serve as a strong link between NCI and cancer advocacy groups. Oncology News International’s Washington Bureau Chief Patrick Young discussed the DCLG’s role within NCI with Eleanor Nealon, director of NCI’s Office of Liaison Activities, which coordinates the group.

A new, 1-hour television documentary features conversations with some of the nearly 10 million American cancer survivors. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Anne Bancroft and filmed at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester,

LOS ANGELES--Although a number of new angiogenesis inhibitors are under development, researchers reported at an ASCO poster session that an established anticancer agent may also have antiangiogenesis properties.

TRICARE, the health plan for active duty military personnel (formerly known as CHAMPUS), expanded its cancer clinical trials demonstration so that beneficiaries could enter cancer prevention trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute

WASHINGTON--President Clinton has nominated Jane E. Henney, MD, vice president for health sciences, University of New Mexico, as the new FDA Commissioner. She would replace David M. Kessler, MD, who resigned more than a year ago and is now dean of the Yale University School of Medicine.

ROCKVILLE, Md--The FDA has approved a new computer system, the M1000 ImageChecker, made by R2 Technology, Inc., Los Altos, California, to aid radiologists in reviewing mammograms. Studies show that use of the device improved the radiologists’ detection rate from approximately 80 out of 100 cancers to almost 88 out of 100.

WASHINGTON--Did some US senators pay the piper by helping defeat the McCain comprehensive tobacco control bill? That’s clearly the thesis of an analysis released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. It found that senators who consistently voted against provisions to strengthen the bill, and ultimately to kill it, received far more in campaign contributions from the tobacco industry than those who strongly supported the bill.

GENEVA--Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and cervical dysplasia are common problems in HIV-infected patients. Research presented at the 12th World AIDS Conference shows that strong suppression of HIV replication with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) also leads to recovery from these two neoplastic conditions.

GENEVA--AIDS looks likely to become the worst pandemic in history before it becomes a manageable chronic disease, but long-term highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can pound the virus down enough to let the immune system heal itself, at least in part.

Individualizing the dosage of cancer chemotherapy can increase survival rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) without causing excessive toxicity, according to a study published in the February 18, 1998, issue of The New

WASHINGTON--Concerns that pressure from advocates for specific diseases and congressional mandates have skewed research priorities at NIH led Congress to request a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

WASHINGTON--Two federal agencies and a managed care organization are sponsoring a 3-year effort to determine how particular managed care policies affect the quality of care provided patients with chronic diseases, including protocols governing the referral of patients to medical specialists and arrangements for paying physicians.

WASHINGTON--President Clinton has appointed Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan, an epidemiologist, as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, replacing Dr. David Satcher, who left last February to become Surgeon General. Dr. Koplan was with the CDC for most of his career, starting in 1972, until leaving 4 years ago to join Prudential Healthcare as president of its Center for Health Care Research.

TORONTO--Intensive chemotherapy can cure patients with high-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), but many patients fail to enter complete remission or relapse after a complete response.

CHAPEL HILL, NC--Although the health care professional is often to blame when cancer pain management is inadequate, barriers to pain control can also stem from patients’ forgetfulness, stoicism, and fatalism. "A cancer pain management plan cannot be effective if patients fail to report pain and adhere to treatment recommendations," said

Roger Byhardt, MD, professor of radiation oncology and member of the Cancer Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin, has been named principal investigator of a $355,700 grant to help improve the access of veterans and other military personnel

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ontario, Canada--While the collection of sperm from adult males prior to cancer treatment is a routine matter, the same issue has not yet been regularly introduced into adolescent clinics.

Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas are offering the first plausible, molecular explanation of the behavior of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in people with syphilis. The virus is transmitted more

WASHINGTON--Although the role of erythropoietin, or epoetin (Epogen, Procrit), in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia is generally well known and accepted, its potential for prophylactic use to prevent the development of anemia in cancer patients remains at issue.

Athough managed care represents a major change from the way many cancer centers have traditionallydone business, it is

WASHINGTON--Following the demise of the McCain comprehensive tobacco bill in the US Senate, House Republicans offered an outline of new, less extensive antitobacco legislation they plan to draft.

NEW YORK--Using x-ray crystallography, researchers have managed to catch an HIV surface glycoprotein (gp120) in the act of binding to a CD 4T-cell receptor (Figure 1). The images are a collaborative effort led by researchers from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) following induction and consolidation chemotherapy for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a controversial area. Studies have shown that CSFs can decrease the likelihood and/or shorten the duration of therapy-related neutropenic complications when given following induction chemotherapy.[1-7]

Current controversies in the treatment of stage I seminoma center on the relative roles of surveillance, adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), and adjuvant single-agent chemotherapy. Surveillance has been studied in over 800 patients,

Current controversies in the treatment of stage I seminoma center on the relative roles of surveillance, adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), and adjuvant single-agent chemotherapy. Surveillance has been studied in over 800 patients,

Nearly a decade ago, irinotecan (CPT-11 [Camptosar]) began clinical development in Japan. Early clinical trials in that country recognized its anti-tumor activity in a variety of advanced malignancies, including stomach, colon, cervical, and lung

Radiosurgery uses stereotactic targeting methods to precisely deliver highly focused, large doses of radiation to small intracranial tumors and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). This article reviews the most common

Phase I trials of irinotecan (CPT-11 [Camptosar]), conducted at Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas, San Antonio, demonstrated some activity in patients with refractory advanced cancer. Three pivotal phase II studies of