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Most patients with autoimmune diseases are thought to have a a normal life expectancy, and thus are treated conservatively. However, these diseases have a diverse clinical course. A small subset of patients have "severe autoimmune diseases," or SADS, which are rapidly progressive and are associated with early mortality. If patients with SADS can be identified before they develop irreversible organ damage, aggressive intervention would be indicated. Consequently, patients with SADS are now being enrolled in experimental protocols of immune ablation and hematopoietic stem-cell rescue (ie, bone marrow transplantation [BMT]) at several US institutions. For various reasons, including the high cost of BMT, it will probably be years before the benefits, if any, of this procedure are known. [ONCOLOGY 11(7):1001-1017, 1997]

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the initial, rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). DPD has an important role in regulating the availability of 5-FU for anabolism. It is now clear that DPD also

The use of hepatic intra-arterial (HIA) chemotherapy is based on the pharmacologic principle that the regional administration of certain drugs can lead to higher drug concentrations at the site of a tumor. This has been studied most extensively in patients with liver-only colorectal metastases. Four large randomized studies have failed to demonstrate a survival advantage of regional treatment over systemic chemotherapy, although two meta-analyses confirmed an improvement in response rate and suggest a trend toward improvement in survival. Two randomized studies have shown improved survival in patients treated with HIA chemotherapy, as compared with those given supportive care, and quality of life also appears to be superior in HIA chemotherapy recipients. The treatment employed in all of the randomized studies was hindered by substantial hepatobiliary toxicity and many surgical complications. Improved surgical techniques and newer chemotherapy combinations appear to have improved phase II results with HIA therapy, leading to a randomized trial now being conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB). The role of HIA chemotherapy in adjuvant settings and in other diseases has not been as well-studied, and such uses remain appropriate only for very selected patients. Ultimately, the regional advantage gained by the HIA route may prove to be most advantageous for the delivery of newer biologic agents. [ONCOLOGY 11(7):947-957, 1997]

Data from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Groupand Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group indicate that increased survival

WASHINGTON--Laboratory studies from Rockefeller University, presented at Digestive Disease Week, suggest that caffeine may have a synergistic effect with NSAIDs in preventing the growth of cancer cells.

The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the availability of nonopioid analgesics for the management of chronic pain. The change has been especially great in the area of adjuvant analgesics, the diverse group of drugs that have other primary

SEATTLE--The two studies most often cited as proof that psychological support can improve survival in cancer patients came under challenge at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Patients with cancer have a significant risk for infection due to their treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery," stated Debra Wujcik, RN, MSN, AOCN, clinical director at Vanderbilt Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, at the 1996

PHILADELPHIA--Personal devotion to keeping abreast of the complexity of HIV therapy identifies the "specialist," whether trained in infectious disease or as a generalist, John J. Bartlett, MD, said at the American College of Physicians annual meeting.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla--Writing guidelines for cancer screening that include genetic testing--the next major guidelines initiative for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)--will be complex because "every cancer, every gene linked to a cancer, and every patient situation is going to present different kinds of problems," Henry Greely, JD, said at the NCCN's second annual conference.

SAN DIEGO--Research involving telomerase, the protein thought to be responsible for cancer cell immortality, is experiencing explosive growth, and nowhere was that more evident than at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Although it is clear that diet plays a role in the etiology of many cancers, making dietary recommendations to reduce risk is highly complicated, if, indeed, it is possible at all, according to an international cancer prevention expert. With 30% to 50%

Agouron Pharmaceuticals reported that the profound anti-HIV effects of its protease inhibitor nelfinavir mesylate (Viracept), when taken in combination with other anti-HIV drugs, continue to be observed after 10 months of treatment. Nelfinavir was

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center have found evidence that mamographic breast density, a measure of the relative proportions of fat, connective tissue, and glandular epithelial tissue in the breast that is a strong, independent

SAN DIEGO--The bcl-2 gene, present in follicular-type B cell lymph-oma, serves as a critical checkpoint in the apoptosis pathway, and may be involved in the development of ultraviolet-induced skin cancers, in combination with the tumor-suppressor gene p53, according to two reports presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.

Several years ago, during Dr. Gardner's tenure as President of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), the SSO's Executive Council agreed to the development of practice guidelines for early referral of potential cancer patients. This move

ROCHESTER, NY--The WHO International Network for Cancer Education (INCE) has joined with its first partner, the American Association for Cancer Education (AACE), to put together an international traveling exhibit of educational materials and resources for cancer education, to be shown at many of the smaller cancer congresses around the world, Charles D. Sherman, Jr., MD, told Oncology News International.

NEW YORK--Pain is highly prevalent in patients with HIV disease. Yet clinicians are often afraid to prescribe opioids when the patient is a former substance abuser, William Breitbart, MD, said at a conference on chemical dependency and pain management.

WASHINGTON--Cancer advocacy groups, institutions, publishers, and professional organizations are rapidly making the World Wide Web a major source of cancer and other health-related information.

NEW YORK--About 60% of the US population dies in the hospital, and many have questioned whether hospitals are the best place to care for the dying. However, the hospital setting offers many advantages, Myra Glajchen, DSW, said during a teleconference sponsored by Cancer Care Inc.

Mycobacterial cell wall therapy may be an alternative to BCG in the treatment of carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the bladder, Dr. Alvaro Morales, of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, reported at the AUA meeting.

ROCKVILLE, Md--Last year, the National Cancer Institute established the Office of Cancer Survivorship, and NCI director Richard D. Klausner, MD, named Anna T. Meadows, MD, to head its efforts to explore issues of the physical, psychological, and economic well being of cancer patients.

NEW YORK--A hospice is not a place but, rather, a point of view, Paul Brenner, MDiv, said during a teleconference sponsored by Cancer Care Inc. "Hospice care can take place in different settings: home, hospital, or hospice," he said. It is hospice's fundamental assumption--that the end of life is a normal and valued part of human development--that sets it apart from other health care services.

SAN DIEGO--Genetically engineered bacteria have the potential to deliver anticancer genes directly to a tumor site, according to four presentations of preclinical data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.

CHICAGO--Despite an overall trend toward breast conservation, many breast cancer authorities believe that ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) too often is treated by mastectomy, and that axillary dissection and irradiation frequently are performed unnecessarily.

WASHINGTON--The American Cancer Society (ACS) has initiated a new, long-term advocacy program aimed at enhancing its influence on federal and state government actions that affect efforts to eliminate cancer.

SAN DIEGO--So little is known about cell cycling that a new study on a possible mechanism for why cells fail to exit the cell cycle was termed the "most exciting presentation" of the American Association for Cancer Research's 88th annual meeting. Stephen H. Friend, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, made the comment at a press briefing held at the meeting.

KANSAS CITY, Mo--Hoechst Marion Roussel is offering research grants totaling nearly $500,000 to fund health economics and outcomes studies through its 1997 ACCORD (A Company-wide Commitment to Outcomes Research and Development) program.

ASCO--As the country awaits a Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of state laws forbidding physician-assisted suicide, two physicians presented both sides of the debate at an ASCO session on end-of-life issues.

Studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in New Orleans show positive results for the treatment of early-stage prostate cancer using brachytherapy or "seeding." The studies, conducted by Nelson