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Multi-epitope T-cell Vaccine Shows Promise in Ovarian, Breast CancerTPIV200 stimulates T cells to attack ovarian and triple-negative breast tumor cells that over-express the folate receptor alpha protein.
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Epirubicin, Cisplatin, Oral UFT, and Calcium Folinate in Advanced Gastric CarcinomaUFT (uracil and tegafur in a 4:1 molar ratio) plus calcium folinate treatment has favorable activity and tolerable toxicity in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. High response rates have been reported in patients with
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Encouraging Improvement in Cytopenias of Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes With ThalidomideMyelodysplastic syndrome patients present with variable cytopenias even though their bone marrows are generally hypercellular. Excessive cytokine-induced apoptosis of hematopoietic cells in the marrows has been proposed as a possible
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Ovarian Carcinoma Histotypes: Their Emergence as Important Prognostic and Predictive MarkersThe movement of ovarian carcinoma histotypes from ill-defined and poorly reproducible clusters of cases to distinct disease entities clearly has beneficial implications for patient management.
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Chemotherapy in Advanced Nasopharyngeal CancerChemotherapy is an integral part of treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Chemotherapy can achieve long-term survival rates of up to 15% to 20%, even in patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. In
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Dose-Dense and Sequential Strategies in Adjuvant Breast Cancer TherapySeveral attempts have been made to improve the survival rates of breast cancer patients. The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy was clearly shown, but the absolute difference of 2% to 11% in overall survival, depending on the
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Ibritumomab Tiuxetan Radioimmunotherapy Is Safe and Well Tolerated in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s LymphomaIbritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) consists of an anti-CD20 murine IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibody covalently bound to tiuxetan (MX-DTPA), which stably chelates yttrium-90 for therapy. Ibritumomab tiuxetan therapy involves pretreatment with
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Rituximab Plus CHOP in the Treatment of Elderly Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: An Update of the GELA StudyAt the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, we presented the benefits of rituximab (Rituxan) combined with CHOP (cyclophosphamide [Cytoxan, Neosar], doxorubicin HCl, vincristine [Oncovin], prednisone), known as R-CHOP, in comparison with CHOP alone for the treatment of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL).
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Rituximab as a Single Agent and in Combination With Interferon Alfa-2a as Treatment of Untreated and First-Relapse Follicular or Other Low-Grade Lymphomas: A Randomized Phase II Study (M 39035)Rituximab (Rituxan) is approved for use in patients with relapsed and refractory follicular lymphoma. Considering the immune modulating effect of interferon alfa-2a (IFN [Roferon-A]) and its efficacy as a single agent in follicular lymphoma, a
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Rituximab Plus CHOP in the Treatment of Elderly Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: An Update of the GELA StudyAt the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, we presented the benefits of rituximab (Rituxan) combined with CHOP (cyclophosphamide [Cytoxan, Neosar], doxorubicin HCl, vincristine [Oncovin], prednisone), known as R-CHOP, in comparison with CHOP alone for the treatment of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL).
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Anthracycline and Trastuzumab in Breast Cancer TreatmentThis study was designed to evaluate the cardiac safety of the combined treatment of HER2-positive metastaticbreast cancer patients with trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (EC) incomparison with EC alone in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients. Patients included those withmetastatic breast cancer without any prior anti-HER2 treatment, anthracycline therapy, or any other chemotherapyfor metastatic disease. This was a nonrandomized, prospective, dose-escalating, multicenter, openlabel,phase II study in Germany. A control group of 23 patients received EC 90/600 mg/m2 3-weekly for sixcycles (EC90 alone). A total of 26 HER2-positive patients were treated with trastuzumab, or H (2 mg/kg weeklyafter an initial loading dose of 4 mg/kg), and EC 60/600 mg/m2 3-weekly for six cycles (EC60+H); another 25HER2-positive patients received H and EC 90/600 mg/m2 3-weekly for six cycles. Asymptomatic reductions inleft ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of more than 10% points were detected in 12 patients (48%) treatedwith EC60 + H and in 14 patients (56%) treated with EC90 + H vs 6 patients (26%) in the EC90 alone cohort.LVEF decreases to < 50% occurred in one patient in the EC60+H cohort and in two patients in the EC90+Hcohort during the H monotherapy. No cardiac event occurred in the cohort with EC90 alone. The overallresponse rates for EC60+H and EC90+H were >60%, vs 26% for EC90 alone. The interim results of this studysuggest the cardiac safety of the combination of H with EC may be greater than that of H with AC (doxorubicin[Adriamycin]/cyclophosphamide); however, studies in larger numbers of patients are warranted. The combinationregimen revealed promising efficacy.
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SABCS: Research From This Year's ConferenceCancer Network interviews Kent Osborne, who is the moderator of the year in review session. He has been involved with the meeting since its beginning. The international San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is unique as it facilitates the interaction of both basic and science researchers and clinicians to combine the efforts of laboratory research and clinical research for better treatment and patient care.
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Increased Efficacy Through Moderate Dose Escalation of Chemotherapy: Interim Report From the HD9 Randomized Trial for Advanced Hodgkin’s DiseaseThis report aims to assess the effect of increased drug dose on the efficacy and toxicity of the BEACOPP regimen with
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Multimodal Approach to Anaplastic Thyroid CancerIn this article, we endeavor to clarify the role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of ATC; we note important contributions of the historical literature, and we review more contemporary strategies adopted by several renowned institutions.
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Current Status and Future Potential of Advanced Technologies in Radiation OncologyPart 2. State of the Science by Anatomic SiteOn November 30–December 2, 2006, the Radiation Research Program of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) hosted a workshop entitled “Advanced Technologies in Radiation Oncology: Evaluating the Current Status and Future Potential of Proton and Other Heavy Charged-Particle Radiation Therapy, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy and Stereotactic Radiation Therapy.”
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506U78 in Indolent Leukemias: Pharmacokinetics of Arabinosylguanine Triphosphate Arabinosylguanine Triphosphate During TherapyThe success of purine nucleoside analogs in the treatment and management of indolent leukemias has generated interest in
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Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin: Antitumor Activity in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer or Cancers of Peritoneal OriginAfter pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PEG-LD) (Doxil) was shown to be active in ovarian tumors, several trials were developed at the University of Southern California to determine its safety and efficacy in a variety of gynecologic and peritoneal malignancies. Completed phase I and phase II trials have found PEG-LD to be safe and effective in the treatment of platinum- and paclitaxel-refractory epithelial ovarian carcinoma. A new phase II trial is currently underway in similarly refractory patients with ovarian and other related cancers and various degrees of pretreatment. In addition, the efficacy of PEG-LD is being explored in combination with paclitaxel (Taxol), with cisplatin, and with hyperthermia. [ONCOLOGY 11(Suppl 11):38-44, 1997]
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Efficiency of In Vivo Purging With Rituximab Followed by High-Dose Therapy With Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas: A Single-Institution StudyHigh-dose therapy (HDT) with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is a treatment option for patients with advanced follicular, marginal, and mantle cell lymphoma. In this setting, frequent contamination of peripheral blood stem cell harvests by
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Another Path: Palliative Care From Day-of-DiagnosisDoctors von Gunten, Lutz, and Ferris accurately point out some of the reasons for the tragic underutilization of hospice care and ways oncologists might address this issue.
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Palliative Pelvic Exenteration: Patient Selection and ResultsIn the past, the mere mention that a patient with persistent or recurrent pelvic cancer might benefit from a palliative pelvic exenteration was met with vigorous opposition. This was due, in part, to the fact that the term "palliative pelvic exenteration" was new and not clearly defined. There was also concern that the mortality, morbidity, and overall cost previously associated with pelvic exenterative procedures were out of keeping with the concept of palliation for cancer. However, much experience with pelvic exenterative surgery has been gained during the past 40 years, and the mortality, morbidity, length of stay, and overall cost of the procedure have decreased significantly. This has made the concept of pelvic exenteration for palliation reconcilable in carefully selected patients in the 1990s.
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Rituximab Plus CHOP in the Treatment of Elderly Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: An Update of the GELA StudyAt the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, we presented the benefits of rituximab (Rituxan) combined with CHOP (cyclophosphamide [Cytoxan, Neosar], doxorubicin HCl, vincristine [Oncovin], prednisone), known as R-CHOP, in comparison with CHOP alone for the treatment of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL).
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Management of Pain in Special Populations of Cancer PatientsChildren, the elderly, AIDS patients, and former narcotic drug abusers pose special problems in pain management that may lead to undermedication even more frequently than occurs in the general population of cancer patients with pain. A multidisciplinary panel of six pain experts with clinical experience in caring for these special groups met in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to discuss assessment methods and pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of pain in these patients. A summary of the roundtable discussion follows.
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Rituximab as a Single Agent and in Combination With Interferon Alfa-2a as Treatment of Untreated and First-Relapse Follicular or Other Low-Grade Lymphomas: A Randomized Phase II Study (M 39035)Rituximab (Rituxan) is approved for use in patients with relapsed and refractory follicular lymphoma. Considering the immune modulating effect of interferon alfa-2a (IFN [Roferon-A]) and its efficacy as a single agent in follicular lymphoma, a
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Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma With a Prolonged Response to MitotaneAdrenocortical carcinoma is a rare disease, with an annual incidence rate ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 cases per million individuals.
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Psychosocial Consequences of DNA Analysis for MEN Type 2Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN-2) is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma in combination with pheochromocytomas and, sometimes, parathyroid adenomas. Since 1993, the psychosocial implications of DNA analysis for MEN-2 have been studied in the Netherlands. This article summarizes the first results of that study. Individuals who applied for DNA analysis cited the need to reduce uncertainty as the major reason for wanting the test. An unfavorable test outcome resulted in anxiety and depression but also relief.
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Gemcitabine and Irinotecan in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Biliary Cancer: Preliminary ReportChemotherapy has had limited success in biliary tract cancer. Of thenewer agents, gemcitabine (Gemzar) and irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar)both have single-agent activity in patients with advanced disease.We conducted a phase II trial to study the efficacy and toxicity of thecombination of gemcitabine plus irinotecan in patients with locallyadvanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer. The study has enrolled 14patients with histologically or cytologically documented cancer of thebiliary tract or gallbladder with bidimensionally measurable disease,Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1,decompressed biliary tree, and no prior exposure to chemotherapy.Gemcitabine at 1,000 mg/m2 and irinotecan at 100 mg/m2 were bothadministered on days 1 and 8, every 21 days. In patients who had lessthan grade 3 hematologic and less than grade 2 nonhematologic toxicityfollowing cycle 1, the dose of irinotecan was increased to 115 mg/m2 forsubsequent cycles. A total of 65 cycles of chemotherapy have beenadministered, with an average of 4.5 cycles per patient (range: 1 to 11cycles). The median treatment duration was 3 months (range: 0.75 to 8months). An objective partial response was determined radiographicallyin two patients (14%) while stable disease for periods ranging from 4to 11.5 months was noted in six patients (43%). Toxicity consisted ofgrade 3/4 neutropenia in seven patients (50%) with no episodes offebrile neutropenia, grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in four (28%), grade3 diarrhea in two (14%), and grade 3 nausea in one patient. Thecombination of gemcitabine plus irinotecan appears to possess modestclinical activity, and it is well tolerated in patients with advanced biliarycancer. Patient accrual is ongoing to this study.
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Key Takeaways on Optimizing Multiple Myeloma CareCaitlin Costello, MD, offers concluding remarks and guidance to healthcare providers on optimizing multiple myeloma patient care.
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Future Directions of Monoclonal Antibody Use in Personalized Lung Cancer TherapyWith the new direction in research and clinical trials, treating patients who most benefit from treatment with minimal toxicity will continue to be the mainstay of personalized cancer therapy.
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Palliative Care and Oncology Partnerships in Real PracticeThis article addresses the practical application of palliative care (PC) in the outpatient oncology setting.
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Early Palliative Care: Moving From ‘Why’ to ‘How’Integrating palliative care from the time of diagnosis can support both patients and families through difficult periods and prepare them for the journey ahead. It can improve quality of life while curtailing healthcare spending and increasing satisfaction with oncology care.
