Sarcoma

SEATTLE--Studies are underway using high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for the treatment of neuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and other solid tumors in children, Julie Park, MD, of Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, said at the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses meeting.

Soft-tissue sarcomas arising in the retroperitoneum represent an uncommon diagnosis, with approximately 600 new cases per year in the United States. Due to this small database, an assessment of the relative merits of different treatment strategies is not available. It is known is that patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas fare worse in terms of local control and disease-free survival than do patients with soft-tissue sarcoma of an extremity. The reasons for this are unclear but may be due, in part, to the large size of these tumors at diagnosis and the difficulty in obtaining adequate surgical margins.

Historically, patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas have had a poor prognosis. Surgical resection continues to be the standard treatment for these tumors. However, their anatomic location and large size at presentation often

VANCOUVER, BC--The discovery in 1994 of a new human herpesvirus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) brought some order to the previously contentious discussion about causes of the disease in patients with HIV. Researchers at the 11th International Conference on AIDS further nailed human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8, also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus or KSHV) as the culprit in many, if not most, cases of KS (see also, page 1).

VANCOUVER, BC--Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus or KSHV, appears to be linked to the development not only of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) but also to a newly identified type of AIDS lymphoma, Alexandra Levine, MD, said at an educational symposium at the 11th International Conference on AIDS.

As many as 40% of individuals infected with HIV will be diagnosed with a malignancy during the course of their illness. Although neoplasms of all organ systems have been reported in infected patients, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS),

VANCOUVER, BC--Discussions of Kaposi's sarcoma at the 11th International Conference on AIDS included reports on a promising topical treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT), a chemotherapy regimen that could save up to $1,000 per course, and the possibility of prevention using antiherpes drugs.

Prior to 1981, Kaposi sarcoma (KS) was considered a rare human cancer occurring primarily among elderly Italian and Jewish men of eastern European ancestry. I wrote a review of KS research and clinical experiences that appeared in CA: A

Major investigative studies have yielded considerable data on various aspects of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), including cellular and molecular events leading to the development of HIV-associated KS, histopathologic features, clinical

Inflammatory cytokines plus the human immunodeficiency virus Tat protein apparently trigger the development of early Kaposi's sarcoma. Activated spindle cells provide a self-perpetuating, autocrine-supported mechanism for further development of hyperplastic lesions. In more advanced stages, a true neoplastic process may develop. [ONCOLOGY 10(Suppl):34-36, 1996]

The unique epidemiology of Kaposi's sarcoma among patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome suggests a multifactorial cause. Although the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) plays a major role in the

In the early 1980s, we first began to see cases of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in patients with the lymphadenopathy now known to be associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). During that period, we

Treatment options for patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) have changed very little over the past decade. Research has been hampered by the absence of an accepted

BOULDER, Colorado--NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has launched DaunoXome, its liposomal dauno-rubicin product, as first-line treatment for advanced HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).

BOULDER, Colorado--NeXstar Pharmaceutical's DaunoXome (dauno-rubicin citrate liposome injection) has received FDA approval for use as primary therapy for advanced HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).

WASHINGTON--In an update of its 1994 report, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), of the National Academy of Sciences, has confirmed its original findings of an association between herbicides used in the Vietnam War and various health problems, namely, soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and chloracne.

Combined treatment involving surgery and radiotherapy is a reasonable alternative to surgery alone in high-risk patients with dermato-fibrosarcoma protruberans (DFSP), Canadian researchers reported at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting.

A study demonstrating the existence of a new transmissible herpesvirus may lead to additional therapeutic approaches for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a cancer that remains one of the major AIDS-associated malignancies. The study findings were reported at The American Society of Hematology's 37th Annual Meeting in Seattle.

Our arsenals for fighting off bacteria are so powerful, and involve so many different defense mechanisms, that we are in more danger from them than the invaders. We live in the midst of explosive devices; we are mined.

Emmanoulides, Miles, and Mitsuyasu have written an excellent review summarizing our current understanding of the pathogenesis of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS/KS). The authors cover what is currently well established and also provide their viewpoint on future developments in AIDS/KS. My commentary will highlight some of the major questions related to this complex disease.

The occurrence of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in patients with HIV infection is more than 7,000 times higher than in the non-HIV infected population. The reason for this association is unclear but may involve decreased immune surveillance as a result of the profound cellular immune deficiency caused by HIV, a sexually transmitted KS-inducing virus, whose KS-transforming capabilities may be enhanced by HIV, or a direct or indirect effect of HIV itself in susceptible individuals.

ROCKVILLE, Md--In a flurry of activity at year's end, the FDA approved two new anti-HIV agents, as well as two liposomal products to combat HIV-related infections and Kaposi's sarcoma.

SEATTLE--DNA from the recently discovered Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been isolated in KS lesions as well as some AIDS-related lymphomas, and the new research suggests that foscarnet (Foscavir) may effectively inhibit the virus. Enrique. A. Mesri, PhD, of the Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, reported the findings at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting.

ROCKVILLE, Md--The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for Roche Laboratories' Roferon-A (interferon alfa-2A recombinant). The agent, previously approved for use in treating hairy cell leukemia and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma, is now also indicated for the treatment of chronic phase, Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).

ROCKVILLE, Md--The FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has unanimously recommended approval of DaunoXome (liposomal daunorubicin) as first-line therapy for the treatment of advanced HIV-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). The usual treatment, a combination of Adriamycin, bleomycin, and vincristine (ABV), is not well tolerated over the long haul, especially when given with antiretroviral agents (ddI, ddC, and AZT).

BOULDER, Colo--NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has recommended approval of DaunoXome, NeXstar's liposomal formulation of daunorubicin, as first-line therapy for Kaposi's sarcoma. ODAC made its recommendation upon review of the company's amended NDA, which included data from NeXstar's phase III study of 227 HIV-positive patients with advanced Kaposi's sarcoma.

WASHINGTON--The FDA's Biological Response Modifiers Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.'s Roferon-A (interferon alfa-2a, recombinant) for the treatment of adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The interferon is currently approved for use in hairy cell leukemia and AIDS related Kaposi's sarcoma.

NEW ORLEANS--A novel therapy, based on antisense RNA technology, targets aberrant fusion products produced by chromosomal translocations and may lead to the loss of tumorigenicity in tumor cells of the Ewing's sarcoma family, a study from Thomas Jefferson University has shown.

LISBON, Portugal--A new regimen that employs escalating doses of etoposide (VePesid) and ifosfamide (Ifex), together with G-CSF (Neupogen), appears to be among the most active combinations tested to date in adult soft-tissue sarcoma, according to a report from the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group

The 20-year search for an infectious agent associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) may be over. Researchers at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York have reported significant evidence directly linking a probable new herpesvirus to