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This category contains 34 posts

ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - August 1st 2006

John Neoptolemos
John Neoptolemos
Wilko Weichert
Wilko Weichert
Christophe Nemos
Christophe Nemos

Pancreatic Cancer: Adjuvant Chemotherapy Improves Outlook for Patients with Resectable Tumors – ESPAC Trial Results

REFERENCE: National Cancer Research Institute Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Group Studies Conference, Royal College of Physicians, London July 6th, 2006
John Neoptolemos, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Encouraging progress regarding adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer was reported at the National Cancer Research Institute Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Conference in London. Peter Goodwin spoke with John Neoptolemos of Liverpool University about improvements in survival reported by the ESPAC trial of adjuvant chemotherapy, growth-factor directed therapies, gemcitabine, and capecitabine (reported at the conference by Naureen Starling of the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey), and news about a new pancreatic cancer vaccine (announced by Gary Middleton from the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford). 

NFkB Transcription Factor: A Key To Controlling Pancreatic Cancer Progression?

REFERENCE: American Association for Cancer Research 97th Annual Meeting 1st-5th April 2006, Washington, DC. Abstract 414
Wilko Weichert, Charité University Hospital, Berlin
Exciting new insights into the mechanism of pancreatic cancer progression were unveiled at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.  Wilko Weichert from the Charité University Hospital in Berlin presented his group’s study looking at the behavior of the gene transcription factor NFkB, which modulates programmed cell death (apoptosis) and consequently the proliferative behavior of the tumor.  He told Peter Goodwin how their recent investigation has given hope that this mechanism may be harnessed for therapy that will complement existing drug treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer.

MUC4 mRNA in Human Blood: Prognosis and Diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

REFERENCE: American Association for Cancer Research 97th Annual Meeting 1st-5th April 2006, Washington, DC. Abstract 415
Christophe Nemos, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
A new blood test for pancreatic cancer was under discussion at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting held in Washington, DC.  In some patients the results of the test proved to signal pancreatic cancer six months before the disease became detectable by other means.  Christophe Némos of the University of Nebraska in Omaha told Peter Goodwin about his group’s use of MUC4 mRNA molecule normally present in tumor tissue, which has now been measured in the blood.  The hope is that very early detection of the disease could improve further the rates of survival made possible by early resection combined with chemotherapy.



ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - July 15th 2006

David Cunningham
David Cunningham
Kenneth MacDonald
Kenneth MacDonald
Mark Pomerantz
Mark Pomerantz
Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia

 

REFERENCE: N Engl J Med 2006;355:11
David Cunningham, Royal Marsden Hospital
The July 6th edition of the New England Journal of Medicine leads with an article from the Royal Marsden Hospital pointing to better survival rates among patients with gastric cancer who received perioperative chemotherapy as compared with those having surgery alone. David Cunningham tells Peter Goodwin how the study (which took 16 years from design to publication) has provided clinicians with another option for extending life in gastric cancer.

 

REFERENCE: Abstract 4570
Kenneth MacDonald, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
At the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Atlanta Kenneth MacDonald from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City explained to Sarah Maxwell how registry data has provided guidance that salvage radiotherapy for prostate-specific antigen relapse after radical prostatectomy may yield benefits in greater numbers of patients.

 

REFERENCE: Abstract 4560
Mark Pomerantz, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
The same prostate cancer session of ASCO also heard from Mark Pomerantz of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston that premarin – the hormonal therapy known for its use in women – may have value for treating men with androgen-dependent prostate cancer.

 

REFERENCE: Abstract 4564
Jorge Garcia, Cleveland Clinic
In high-risk prostate cancer, neoadjuvant therapy with thalidomide plus granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor appears to be a candidate therapy to prepare some patients for radical prostatectomy by manipulating immunological factors  reported Jorge Garcia from the Cleveland Clinic during the ASCO conference in Atlanta.



ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - June 15th 2006

Arlene Forastiere
Arlene Forastiere
Everett Vokes
Everett Vokes
Michael Skinner
Michael Skinner
Mark Chambers
Mark Chambers

Larynx Cancer: Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy: Best for Larynx Preservation

REFERENCE: Abstract 5517
Arlene Forastiere, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore
In patients with larynx cancer, Arlene Forastiere of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore says that the best way to treat the cancer and preserve the larynx is to give radiation and chemotherapy concurrently – and not to use “induction” chemotherapy. Everett Vokes from the University of Chicago adds his comments and recommendations.

ZD6474: New Treatment Avenue in Thyroid Cancer?

REFERENCE: Abstract 5533
Michael Skinner, Duke University Medical Center, Durham
Patients with hereditary metastatic medullary thyroid cancer could have a new treatment on the horizon, in the form of ZD6474, an inhibitor of the RET receptor. Michael Skinner from Duke University Medical Center in Durham had the data at ASCO.

New Remedy for Radiation Induced Oral Mucositis

REFERENCE: Abstract 5523
Mark Chambers, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Patients with oral mucositis induced by radiation for head and neck cancer may soon be able to turn to a new drug called RK-0202. Mark Chambers of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston told ASCO delegates about his new study.

Audio Journal of Oncology - June 7th 2006, from the ASCO Annual Meeting in Atlanta, June 2-6

Robert Ozols
Robert Ozols
Lawrence Wickerham
Lawrence Wickerham
Patricia Ganz
Patricia Ganz
Jorma Paavonen
Jorma Paavonen
Noah Kauff
Noah Kauff

Robert Ozols of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia joins Derek Thorne to talk about the top presentations on cancer prevention.

- Raloxifene is as good as tamoxifen at preventing breast cancer in high-risk women. Lawrence Wickerham of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project in Pittsburgh presented the clinical data from the STAR trial, while Patricia Ganz of UCLA had information on quality of life (Abstracts 5 and 561)
- The human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) doesn’t just protect against cervical cancer – it may protect against vaginal and vulvar cancers as well. That’s according to findings from the FUTURE II study, presented by Jorma Paavonen of the University of Helsinki (Abstract 5011)
- Noah Kauff, of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has data confirming that women with mutations in the genes for BRCA1 and 2 can reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer if they have their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed (Abstract 1003)



ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - June 6th 2006, from the ASCO Annual Meeting in Atlanta, June 2-6

Robert Mayer
Robert Mayer
Thierry Facon
Thierry Facon
 Ibrahim Yakoub-Agha
Ibrahim Yakoub-Agha
Peter Paschka
Peter Paschka

Robert Mayer of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston joins Derek Thorne to discuss the major hematologic malignancy news reported at the 2006 ASCO meeting.

- Older patients with multiple myeloma can benefit from adding thalidomide to their standard therapy of melphalan and prednisone; and the thalidomide regimen is also better than melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Thierry Facon from the University of Lille told ASCO delegates about his group’s findings (Abstract 1)
- A decreased dose of thalidomide may be just as effective in multiple myeloma while having a better side effect profile – but should these results change practice? Ibrahim Yakoub-Agha from the University of Lille had the data at ASCO (Abstract 7520)
- Imatinib is still proving effective at treating chronic myeloid leukemia, even after more than 5 years of follow up. Robert Mayer describes the latest findings from the IRIS study
- In the “core-binding factor” subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, certain mutations in the KIT gene predict for a poor prognosis. This could help tailor therapy for this disease, according to Peter Paschka of Ohio State University



ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - June 5th 2006, from the ASCO Annual Meeting in Atlanta, June 2-6

Dean Bajorin
Dean Bajorin
Robert Motzer
Robert Motzer
Gary Hudes
Gary Hudes
Marshall Posner
Marshall Posner

Some major progress in kidney cancer and head and neck cancer was announced at the ASCO meeting in Atlanta, and the Audio Journal of Oncology has all the details, plus expert comment from Dean Bajorin of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

- Sunitinib is superior to interferon alpha as first line therapy in metastatic kidney cancer. Robert Motzer from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York told the ASCO conference about his team’s ground-breaking phase III trial with this drug
- In high risk advanced renal cell carcinoma, temsirolimus has proved more effective than interferon alpha – that’s according to a study presented by Gary Hudes, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia
- A new three-drug “induction” chemotherapy regimen involving docetaxel has produced a significant benefit in advanced head and neck cancer. Marshall Posner of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute had the data at the ASCO meeting



ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - June 4th 2006, from the ASCO Annual Meeting in Atlanta, June 2-6; in the company of Julie Gralow

Julie Gralow
Julie Gralow
Charles Geyer
Charles Geyer
Judith Bliss
Judith Bliss
Robert Coleman
Robert Coleman

Julie Gralow, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, joins Derek Thorne to talk about the latest news from the ASCO annual meeting in Atlanta.

- In women with advanced HER2/neu positive breast cancer, lapatinib plus capecitabine is better than capecitabine alone and could be recommended for compassionate use. Charles Geyer, from Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, presented the data to the ASCO meeting in a Scientific Special Session
- Postmenopausal women with breast cancer may benefit from a switching strategy, where tamoxifen is replaced by exemestane after two to three years – that’s according to the Intergroup Exemestane Study, presented by Judith Bliss of the Institute of Cancer Research in London (Late Breaking Abstract 527)
- Is the higher bone loss associated with anastrozole a concern? Robert Coleman, of Sheffield University, presented bone mineral density data from the ATAC study, which compared anastrozole and tamoxifen in postmenopausal women (Abstract 511)



Audio Journal of Oncology - June 3rd 2006, from the ASCO Annual Meeting in Atlanta, June 2-6; in the company of George Canellos

George Canellos
George Canellos
Carmela Pepe
Carmela Pepe
John Goldman
John Goldman
Roy Herbst
Roy Herbst
Sandra Horning
Sandra Horning

George Canellos, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, joins Derek Thorne to talk about the first day’s news at the ASCO annual meeting in Atlanta.

- Elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer can benefit from chemotherapy after surgery, and do not experience increased toxicity when compared to younger patients – that’s according to Carmela Pepe of the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto (abstract 7009)
- the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee has concluded that the drug dasatinib should be recommended for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia. Breaking the news at the Atlanta meeting was John Goldman of Imperial College London, and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda
- Roy Herbst from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston tells the Audio Journal about some of the most exciting announcements to be made at the 2006 ASCO conference, including progress in multiple myeloma and targeted therapy in renal cancer
- the outgoing president of ASCO, Sandra Horning, of Stanford University, explains how ASCO has focussed on cancer survivorship over the last year – and how cancer survivors can expect to receive more support in the future.


ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology - June 1st, 2006 - In the company of Gordon McVie

Bevacizumab: New Option for Breast Cancer

Robin Zon
REFERENCE: 5th European Breast Cancer Conference, Nice, 21st – 25th March 2006
Robin Zon, Michiana Hematology Oncology, South Bend, Indiana
Bevacizumab could be a new treatment option in metastatic breast cancer, according to a study reported at the 5th European Breast Cancer conference in Nice. Derek Thorne spoke to Robin Zon of Michiana Hematology Oncology, in South Bend Indiana, about the study findings.

Radiation for Young Patients with Prostate Cancer?

André Konski
REFERENCE: Cancer, 2006, May 8
André Konski, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia
Does age matter when selecting a treatment for patients with early stage prostate cancer? A study reported in the journal Cancer suggests it may not. André Konski told Derek Thorne about a retrospective study carried out at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

Better Combine Chemotherapy with Radiation for Hodgkins’ Disease

Catherine E. Lofton-Day
REFERENCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology 2006; 24:605
Bridget Koontz, Duke University Medical Center, Durham
In early stage Hodgkin’s Disease many doctors are now using combined modality therapy, involving chemotherapy and a lower dose of radiation. Bus is it any safer than radiation alone? A retrospective study from Duke University Medical Center suggests that it is. Derek Thorne got the details from Bridget Koontz.

Audio Journal of Oncology 14.2, March 2006

Reporting from:
American Society of Hematology Meeting, Atlanta, 10-13 December 2005

In this edition:

It is not necessary to use rituximab along with standard CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, predinsone) induction therapy among patients with advanced follicular lymphoma. So said Sandra Horning at a packed lymphoma meeting during the ASH confderence. According to the findings of a new study reported to the ASH conference, however, the use of rituximab mainenance, after the induction therapy, brings strong improvements in clinical outcome.

The original IRIS study showing the runaway superiority of imatinib after one year over standard treatment for cronic myeloid leukemia has now been followed up to maturity. John Goldman told the ASH audience the study results strongly endorses the use of imatinib as the gold standard treatment.

Michael Keating told the Atlanta conference that adding rituximab to standard fluydarabine plus cyclophosphamide therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia has helped patients survive longer.

….
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Audio Journal of Oncology 14.1, February 2006

Reporting from:
- San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2005

In this edition:
The targeted drug trastuzumab may be used in place of anthracyclines for breast adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, according to the findings of Dennis Slamon, who announced the BCIRG 006 study findings to the San Antonio conference. Norman Wolmark commented.

Kathy Miller gave the Breast Cancer conference early data showing that the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent, bevacizumab, has improved survival among patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Dose-dense chemotherapy should be considered mainly in hormone receptor negative breast cancer patients, so said Clifford Hudis, while Martine Piccart warned against over-enthusiasm for cytotoxic chemotherapy among patients who could benefit more from endocrine treatment.

Switching from tamoxifen to anastrozole brought clear benefits according to a meta-analysis presented in San Antonio by Walter Jonat. And ductal carcinoma in situ should be treated with radiation according to Nina Bijker’s report to the conference.

Click here for more.

Audio Journal of Oncology Breast Cancer Special 2005

Reporting from:
- San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 8-11, 2004
- European Society for Medical Oncology Congress, October 29-November 10, 2004, Vienna

In this edition:

Raimund Jakesz discusses the results from a combined Austrian and German study, examining the effects of switching from tamoxifen to an aromatase inhibitor in approximately 3,000 women with breast cancer.

Tony Howell talks about latest results from the ATAC trial, designed to find out whether single-agent tamoxifen or single-agent anastrazole is better at five years. Dr. Howell reports on study results at 68 months of follow-up for more than 9,000 postmenopausal women.

Thomas B. Julian gives the latest findings from the large American NSABP B-32 trial, which compared sentinel node biopsy with conventional axillary dissection.

Robert Mansel reports results from the British ALMANAC study involving 1,031 patients. This longest-running study of sentinel node biopsy comparing the method with standard axillary treatment closed in 2003.

Ivo Olivotto addresses the question of which patients having mastectomy should receive radiation, particularly if a woman has one to three positive nodes. His group analyzed data on approximately 820 women referred between 1989 and 1997, treated with mastectomy.

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