Scientific Editors: George Canellos (Boston), Pat Price (Manchester), Gianni Bonadonna (Milan), Gordon McVie (Milan)

Sarah Maxwell and Peter Goodwin report from: American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, May 30-June 3, 2008, Chicago

Michael Gnant

In this edition:

1. Zoledronic Acid Reduces Recurrence In Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Michael Gnant, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
ABSTRACT: LBA4

2. Bevacizumab Slows Progression In Advanced Breast Cancer

David Miles, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, London
ABSTRACT: LBA 1011

3. Discussion: Zoledronic Acid; Bevacizumab in Breast Cancer

Eric Winer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
ABSTRACT: LBA 4 & LBA 1011

4. Oral Capecitabine: Not For Older Patients with Early Breast Cancer

Hyman Muss, University of Vermont, Burlington
ABSTRACT: 507

5. Endometrial Cancer: Brachytherapy Is Better

Remi Nout, Leiden University Medical Center
ABSTRACT: LBA 5503

6. Adjuvant Gemcitabine Doubles Survival In Resected Pancreas Cancer

Helmut Oettle, Charité University, Berlin
ABSTRACT: LBA 4504

7. Everolimus Delays Metastatic Kidney Cancer Progression

Robert Motzer, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York
ABSTRACT: LBA 5026

8. Discussion: Gemcitabine For Pancreas Cancer; Brachytherapy for Endometrial Cancer

Nicholas Petrelli, Helen F Graham Cancer Center, Wilmington
ABSTRACTS: LBA 5503; LBA 4504; LBA5026

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Scientific Editors: George Canellos (Boston), Pat Price (Manchester), Gianni Bonadonna (Milan), Gordon McVie (Milan)
Commenting Expert: Michael Untch, HELIOS Klinikum, Berlin

In this edition Peter Goodwin and Sara Freeman report from:
European Breast Cancer Conference, Berlin, April 15-19, 2008;
Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium, November 6-10, 2007, New York;
9th European Congress: Perspectives in Lung Cancer, Turin, March 14-15, 2008;
The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine

Myron Czuczman

In this edition:

1. Lymphoma Immunotherapy: Anti-CD-80 Therapy With Galiximab

Myron Czuczman, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo NY
Chemotherapy Foundation

2. Esophagogastric Cancer: Capecitabine First Line?

George Canellos, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
N Engl J Med 358:1

3. Mammography: As Good For Older Patients

Jacques Fracheboud, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam
EBCC , Berlin

4. Mammography: Three Year Interval Justified

Roger Blamey, Nottingham City Hospital

5. Mammography Assessed

Michael Untch, HELIOS Klinikum, Berlin

6. Colorectal Cancer: Add Chemo To Liver Mets Resection?

George Canellos, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Lancet 371:1007

7. Bevacizumab: New Standard for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?

Christian Manegold, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Manheim and Nick Thatcher, Christie Hospital, Manchester
European Lung Cancer Congress, Turin

8. Smoking And Death in India

George Canellos, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
N Engl J Med 358:1137

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Scientific Editors: George Canellos (Boston), Pat Price (Manchester), Gianni Bonadonna (Milan), Gordon McVie (Milan)
Commenting Expert: Emiel Rutgers, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam

Angel Rodriguez

In this edition:

1. Lapatinib: Targets Breast Cancer Stem Cells?

Angel Rodriguez, Baylor College, Houston

2. No Help Adding Neoadjuvant Capecitabine

Gunter von Minckwitz, German Breast Group, Neu-Isenberg

3. MRI Aids Breast Surgery Planning

David Martinez-Cecilia, University Hospital Reina Sofia, Córdoba

4. Aromatase Inhibitors: No Extra Heart Risk

Alain Monnier, Centre Hospitalier de Belfort, Montbéliard

5. NAB Paclitaxel For Metastatic Breast Cancer?

William Gradishar, Northwestern University, Chicago

Peter Goodwin and Sara Freeman interview conference speakers in Berlin regarding lapatinib’s apparent effect on breast cancer “stem cells”; the lack of additional benefit from adding capecitabine to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy; evidence that MRI improves surgical planning for breast cancer; news that aromatase inhibitors do not add to cardiovascular risk when used in adjuvant therapy instead of tamoxifen; and (from a satellite symposium) an assessment of the role of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel in therapy for metastatic breast cancer.

Scientific Editors: George Canellos, Pat Price, Gordon McVie, Gianni Bonadonna

In this edition:

Bevacizumab and Survival in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Source: N Engl J Med 357:26
George Canellos, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Progresson-free survival, but not overall survival, was extended in patients with metastatic breast cancer who were randomly assigned to receive paclitaxel with bevacizumab as compared with paclitaxel alone.

Risks From Stopping Cancer Trials Early

Source: Annals of Oncology, April 9th, 2008
Giovanni Apolone, Mario Negri Institute, Milan
Stuart Pocock, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
New research highlights the dangers of stopping cancer clinical trials early following interim analysis before originally planned sample sizes have been reached, especially when surrogate end points are used.

Volume 16 Number 6 (March 15th, 2008) reporting from:
4th European Congress on Hematologic Malignancies (February 22-24, 2008, Paris)
American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (December 8-11, 2007 Atlanta)
Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium, November 7-10, 2007, New York

David Maloney

Nonmyeloablative Alogeneic Transplants Ready for Prime-Time in Follicular Lymphoma?

David Maloney, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle
Allogeneic transplantation is now a good option for treating some patient groups with follicular lymphoma. David Maloney explained to Peter Goodwin in Paris how his group has harnessed graft-versus-tumor effect by using nonmyeloablative conditioning without causing unacceptable risks of graft-versus-host disease.

Carolyn Krasner

Trabectedin Activity in Platinum-Sensitive Relapsed Ovarian Cancer

Carolyn Krasner, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Could trabectedin, which has a novel mechanism of action, be a useful agent for patients with relapsed ovarian cancer? Derek Thorne discussed this question in New York with Carolyn Krasner, whose data show the greatest benefit in patients who are sensitive to platinum agents.

Kirk Schultz

Armand Keating

High-Dose Chemotherapy Plus Imatinib Benefits Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Kirk Schultz, British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver
COMMENT: Armand Keating, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto
For children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high-dose chemotherapy combined with imatinib appears to show a survival benefit. Sarah Maxwell spoke with study author Kirk Schultz at the ASH meeting in Atlanta, and Armand Keating provided comment.

John Gribben

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: New Options After Fludarabine Failure

John Gribben, Bartholemews Hospital, London
New treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia were discussed in Paris by John Gribben. He gave Peter Goodwin his assessment of antibody therapies such as rituximab and alemtuzumab and new drugs such as lenalidomide, and combinations including standard fludarabine therapy.

Volume 16 Number 5 (March 1st, 2008) reporting from:
4th European Congress on Hematologic Malignancies (February 22-24, 2008, Paris)
Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (January 25-27, 2008, Orlando)
American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (December 8-11, 2007 Atlanta)

Richard Stone

George Canellos

Dasatinib: Durable Responses in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Richard Stone, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
COMMENT: George Canellos, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Data released at the ASH conference show that dasatinib has given durable responses in patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia for whom imatinib has failed, or who cannot tolerate imatinib. In Atlanta Richard Stone discussed his findings with Derek Thorne, who then asked George Canellos to reflect on them.

Anton Hagenbeek

George Canellos

Ibritumomab Benefits Patients With Follicular Lymphoma

Anton Hagenbeek, University of Utrecht
COMMENT: George Canellos, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
In patients with advanced-stage follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma the radiolabeled antibody ibritumomab tiuxetan prolonged progression-free survival, according to a study reported at the ASH meeting. Sarah Maxwell spoke to the author Anton Hagenbeek. George Canellos put the data into context.

Charles Hsu

Robert Mayer

Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: Sizable Gains In the Treatment of Pancreas Cancer

Charles Hsu, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
COMMENT: Robert Mayer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Patients with resectable pancreas cancer lived longer when treated with adjuvant radiation plus chemotherapy, according to a study reported at the gastrointestinal cancers conference in Orlando. Charles Hsu talked with Peter Goodwin about their findings; Robert Mayer assessed the work.

Pierre Fenaux

Azacitidine New Standard In High Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Pierre Fenaux, Hôpital Avicenne, Paris
Phase III study results presented at ASH found the hypomethylating agent azacitidine was best for patients with high-risk MDS. Pierre Fenaux gave the details to Derek Thorne, who also heard from George Canellos.

Bart Barlogie

Total Therapy Possible Cure For Multiple Myeloma?

Bart Barlogie, University of Arkansas, Little Rock
The total therapy clinical studies of multiple myeloma reported promising findings to the Hematologic Malignancies Congress in Paris. Bart Barlogie talked with Peter Goodwin about the new data from melphalan-induced tandem autologous transplants with additional thalidomide or bortezomib therapy.