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Eisai Inc., the US subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co. Ltd., has completed acquisition of four oncology-related products from Ligand Pharmaceuticals: Ontak (denileukin diftitox), Targretin (bexarotene) capsules, Targretin (bexarotene) gel 1%, and Panretin (alitretinoin gel 0.1%. In other news, the company said it has begun work on a new oncology facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Since 1974, the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has been a leading education and advocacy organization in US oncology. Its membership includes more than 650 cancer programs, 250 physician-group practices, and thousands of nurses, pharmacists, and administrators. Cancer Care & Economics (CC&E) recently spoke with Christian Downs, JD, MHA, executive director of ACCC, about some of today's more challenging cancer care issues.

Early studies of pixantrone, a chemotherapeutic agent in clinical development primarily in lymphoma, suggest that it is active and potentially less cardiotoxic than other anthracenedione agents.

Who will watch over the burgeoning numbers of cancer survivors and provide the surveillance, general medical care, education, and psycho-social support that the upwards of 10 million survivors in America need and demand? Pilot programs and survivorship care guidelines may be shifting some responsibilities away from oncologists

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic versions of Zofran (ondansetron, GlaxoSmithKline). Marketing approval has been granted to Teva Pharmaceuticals USA for ondansetron for injection and to SICOR Pharmaceuticals for ondansetron injection premixed.

Big Tobacco found itself a big loser in the November elections as voters in five states approved six statewide ballot initiatives aimed at reducing the health threats of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Voters in two other states, however, turned down anti-tobacco proposals.

In today's cost-conscious health care environment, the pricing of cancer drugs has come under scrutiny from payers, providers, policy makers, and the public. Large pharmaceutical companies are often cast as the villain in this debate. In order to shed light on this issue, Cancer Care & Economics (CC&E) recently spoke with Joshua J. Ofman, MD, MSHS, vice president of reimbursement and payment policy at Amgen, one of the world's leading biotechnology companies.

Back in September, the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) failed to recommend that the agency grant accelerated approval to Genta's oblimersen (Genasense) plus chemotherapy (fludarabine/cyclophosphamide) for treatment of relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

This comprehensive guidebook is an invaluable reference for patients and health professionals as they navigate the murky waters of cancer treatment and survivorship. While several other books address only specific aspects of living with cancer and its aftermath, Silver's reference covers all aspects of life during and after cancer, touching on issues that range from pain management to responding to children's questions about cancer such as, "Are you going to die?"

Myelosuppression and particularly neutropenia and associated complications, including febrile neutropenia, continue to represent the major dose-limiting toxicity of cancer chemotherapy.

The chemotherapy of most cancers may be beneficial to older individuals as long as patients are selected on the basis of their life expectancy and functional reserve, conditions that may interfere with the tolerance of chemotherapy are corrected, and adequate doses of chemotherapy are administered. Prevention of neutropenia-related infection may both improve the outcome of cancer and reduce the risk of toxic deaths in older patients. The prophylactic use of myelopoietic growth factors is recommended in individuals aged 65 and older when the risk of chemotherapy-induced neutropenic infection is at least 10% or higher. In this article we explore the management of neutropenia and neutropenic infections in older cancer patients, as well as review the causes and the risk of this complication.

It has been more than 15 years since the initial approval of myeloid growth factors to reduce febrile neutropenia in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.[1] As with other novel therapeutics, the approval of filgrastim (Neupogen) did not mark the end of research in this area, but rather the beginning.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the elderly, with the majority of patients diagnosed in their 6th and 7th decade of life. Older patients with AML are less likely to achieve complete remission after induction chemotherapy, and they suffer from higher rates of leukemia relapse compared to younger cohorts. Suboptimal outcomes are the result of adverse biologic characteristics of leukemia in the elderly, as well as the presence of medical comorbidities and patient or physician preferences as to initiating treatment. In addition, there is a distinct lack of randomized, prospective data to guide management decisions for the treatment of AML in the elderly. Patients who are over age 75, with poor performance status, multiple comorbidities, or poor prognostic features, should be considered for a clinical trial or palliative therapy. Elderly patients who are candidates for standard induction chemotherapy and achieve complete remission are unlikely to benefit from intensive postremission therapy and should be referred to a clinical trial when possible. Further prospective trials are needed to identify a tolerable, effective treatment regimen for older patients with AML.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the elderly, with the majority of patients diagnosed in their 6th and 7th decade of life. Older patients with AML are less likely to achieve complete remission after induction chemotherapy, and they suffer from higher rates of leukemia relapse compared to younger cohorts. Suboptimal outcomes are the result of adverse biologic characteristics of leukemia in the elderly, as well as the presence of medical comorbidities and patient or physician preferences as to initiating treatment. In addition, there is a distinct lack of randomized, prospective data to guide management decisions for the treatment of AML in the elderly. Patients who are over age 75, with poor performance status, multiple comorbidities, or poor prognostic features, should be considered for a clinical trial or palliative therapy. Elderly patients who are candidates for standard induction chemotherapy and achieve complete remission are unlikely to benefit from intensive postremission therapy and should be referred to a clinical trial when possible. Further prospective trials are needed to identify a tolerable, effective treatment regimen for older patients with AML.

Rituxan (rituximab, Genentech/Biogen Idec) has been approved for two new indications in patients with CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Our nation's health care systemis facings an economicmeltdown of unprecedentedproportions. Overthe past 20 years, medicalinflation has averaged double the generalinflation rate.

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS) moves toward a payment system linked toquality performance, it is important that the oncologycommunity participates in the ongoing debateover how to define best quality care and how todeliver it.

The new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is meant to be to nursing clinical practice what the PhD is to nursing research, Sharon Krumm, RN, PhD, said at the Oncology Nursing Society 31st Annual Congress (abstract 34).

The frequency and duration of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis may be significantly improved by either prophylactic chlorhexidine or by cryotherapy, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study presented at the 31st Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (abstract 988 O).

BioLucent, Inc. has received 510(k)clearance from the FDA for its SAVIapplicator. The SAVI device offersa multicatheter, single-entry approachto breast brachytherapy.

The FDA has approved Schering-Plough's novel triazole antifungal agent Noxafil (posaconazole) Oral Suspension for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis, including infections refractory to itraconazole and/or fluconazole.

Enrollment in clinical trials is crucialto continued scientific discovery andimproved patient care.

This article summarizes the current management of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. The topics range from the management of early-stage disease to the phase III randomized studies that have established the current standard of care for patients with locally advanced cancer of the cervix. New approaches to combined-modality therapy with the goal of improving outcomes and decreasing complications are also described.

Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung represent a clinical spectrum of tumors ranging from the relatively benign and slow-growing typical carcinoid to the highly aggressive small-cell lung carcinoma. The rarity of carcinoids has made the role of radiation therapy in their management controversial. This review considers the results of published studies to generate treatment recommendations and identify areas for future research. Surgery remains the standard of care for medically operable disease. Histology plays the most important role in determining the role of adjuvant radiation. Resected typical carcinoids likely do not require adjuvant therapy irrespective of nodal status. Resected atypical carcinoids and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas have a significant risk of local failure, for which adjuvant radiation likely improves local control. Definitive radiation is warranted in unresectable disease. Palliative radiation for symptomatic lesions has demonstrated efficacy for all histologies. Collaborative group trials are warranted.

This article summarizes the current management of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. The topics range from the management of early-stage disease to the phase III randomized studies that have established the current standard of care for patients with locally advanced cancer of the cervix. New approaches to combined-modality therapy with the goal of improving outcomes and decreasing complications are also described.

Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung represent a clinical spectrum of tumors ranging from the relatively benign and slow-growing typical carcinoid to the highly aggressive small-cell lung carcinoma. The rarity of carcinoids has made the role of radiation therapy in their management controversial. This review considers the results of published studies to generate treatment recommendations and identify areas for future research. Surgery remains the standard of care for medically operable disease. Histology plays the most important role in determining the role of adjuvant radiation. Resected typical carcinoids likely do not require adjuvant therapy irrespective of nodal status. Resected atypical carcinoids and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas have a significant risk of local failure, for which adjuvant radiation likely improves local control. Definitive radiation is warranted in unresectable disease. Palliative radiation for symptomatic lesions has demonstrated efficacy for all histologies. Collaborative group trials are warranted.

This article summarizes the current management of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. The topics range from the management of early-stage disease to the phase III randomized studies that have established the current standard of care for patients with locally advanced cancer of the cervix. New approaches to combined-modality therapy with the goal of improving outcomes and decreasing complications are also described.

This article summarizes the current management of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. The topics range from the management of early-stage disease to the phase III randomized studies that have established the current standard of care for patients with locally advanced cancer of the cervix. New approaches to combined-modality therapy with the goal of improving outcomes and decreasing complications are also described.

Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung represent a clinical spectrum of tumors ranging from the relatively benign and slow-growing typical carcinoid to the highly aggressive small-cell lung carcinoma. The rarity of carcinoids has made the role of radiation therapy in their management controversial. This review considers the results of published studies to generate treatment recommendations and identify areas for future research. Surgery remains the standard of care for medically operable disease. Histology plays the most important role in determining the role of adjuvant radiation. Resected typical carcinoids likely do not require adjuvant therapy irrespective of nodal status. Resected atypical carcinoids and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas have a significant risk of local failure, for which adjuvant radiation likely improves local control. Definitive radiation is warranted in unresectable disease. Palliative radiation for symptomatic lesions has demonstrated efficacy for all histologies. Collaborative group trials are warranted.

The Starr Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the United States, has launched the multi-institutional Starr Cancer Consortium with a $100 million grant to coordinate the research efforts of five internationally recognized cancer research centers.