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NEW ORLEANS-An educational intervention for both patients and health care professionals led to significant improvements in pain control at the RUSH Cancer Institute of RUSH-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago. David Frame, PharmD, reported the results at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

CRETEIL, France-In a study of patients with high-risk aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), those receiving high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) after induction therapy lived longer than those receiving sequential chemotherapy, said Corinne Haioun, MD, of Hospital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.

PALO ALTO, Calif–Varian Medical Systems, Inc. has been given the go-ahead to begin marketing the new CT Option for its RPM (Real-time Position Management) Respiratory Gating System. The FDA determined that it is a class 1 device exempt from premarket notification requirements.

SAN DIEGO-A new type of colorectal cancer screening test appears to be as sensitive as fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) with higher specificity, according to a Canadian study. Norman E. Marcon, MD, of the Centre for Therapeutic Endoscopy and Endoscopic Oncology, Toronto, reported results of a study comparing the new test, ColorectAlert, with FOBT at an American Gastroenterological Association research forum held during the Digestive Disease Week conference

BETHESDA, Md-The United States can be proud of its scientific progress against cancer, but the nation has failed to adequately address the equally important issue of access to and delivery of quality cancer care, according to the President’s Cancer Panel (PCP).

NEW ORLEANS-A 3-week radiation schedule after lumpectomy is as effective as the standard 5-week schedule in terms of local control, overall survival, and cosmetic outcomes, Canadian researchers reported in a plenary presentation at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

SAN DIEGO-Based on preliminary test results, researchers at Kaiser Permanente Northern California and the University of California, San Francisco, believe that immunochemical fecal occult blood testing (IFOBT) would be a reasonable addition to a managed care plan’s flexible sigmoidoscopy colorectal cancer screening program, depending on patient preference, the practice setting, and cost constraints.

The initial reaction to President Clinton’s June directive on Medicare payment for patient care costs in clinical trials was extremely positive. Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Connie Mack (R-FL), who have long and unsuccessfully pushed a

SAN DIEGO-Wheat bran fiber does not appear to reduce the recurrence of colorectal adenomas, Richard E. Sampliner, MD, said at the American Gastroenterological Association annual meeting, held during the Digestive Disease Week conference. Dr. Sampliner is professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson.

WILMINGTON, Del-AstraZen-eca announced in a news release that the FDA has approved Nolvadex (tamoxifen) to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) following breast surgery and radiation. Nolvadex is the first medication to be approved for DCIS, which accounts for nearly 20% of all newly diagnosed breast cancers, the company said.

ARLINGTON, Va-The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the National Institutes of Health, has undertaken the task of making a science out of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

ROCHESTER, Minnesota-Despite their age, people over 70 who have colon cancer can benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy, Daniel Sargent, PhD, assistant professor of biostatistics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, reported at the 36th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

MENLO PARK, Calif–Pro •Duct Health, Inc. has launched the Pro •Duct Breast Aspirator and Catheter for use in ductal lavage.

NEW ORLEANS-Results of three phase II trials suggest that ET-743 (ecteinascidin), a novel marine compound (see box at right), may have a role to play in treating certain soft-tissue sarcomas, George D. Demetri, MD, said at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

NEW ORLEANS-Smokers can reduce smoking-related complications of breast reconstruction by quitting smoking several weeks before surgery. For heavy smokers, delaying reconstruction may result in fewer complications, according to a study presented at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (now known as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

ARLINGTON, VA-To move into mainstream oncology, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) must find convincing ways to prove efficacy in the treatment of cancer, said Jeffrey White, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM). This means moving beyond anecdotal evidence supporting CAM cancer therapies and finding appropriate standards for judging their effectiveness.

BETHESDA, Md-The addition of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to standard anti-retroviral therapy significantly improved CD4 cell response in HIV-infected patients, reported Richard T. Davey Jr, MD, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Sen. Mack has been cochair of the Senate Cancer Coalition, so he was also quite happy that the Senate approved a National Institutes of Health budget for fiscal year 2001 (starting October 1) that would be a $2.7 billion increase over the

NEW YORK-Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College are investigating retinoic acid in the hope of extending its use in cancer chemoprevention as well as chemotherapy. Various vitamin A derivatives have already been shown to be useful in reversing premalignant changes such as leukoplakia and in treating pro-myelocytic leukemia.

ARLINGTON, Va-One measure of the influence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on the world of conventional medicine may be the acceptance by major cancer centers of programs designed to integrate these therapies into their services.

Chemotherapy 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

Chemotherapy 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

Chemotherapy 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

Three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning refers to the use of software and hardware tools to design and implement more accurate and conformal radiation therapy. This is a major advance in oncology that should lead

Nucleoside analogs have marked efficacy in indolent lymphoid malignancies, but the tradeoff is the challenge of preventing and treating infections in these patients, according to Susan O’Brien, MD, of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. At

Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal malignancy is an important topic because of its potential advantages and its oncologic controversies. Drs. Wexner and Hwang have prepared a comprehensive review of the current status of laparoscopic colorectal surgery for malignancy. The relative merits of the new procedure are discussed from a number of perspectives, including the technical aspects of laparoscopic bowel resection, oncologic concerns, and experimental and theoretical effects on tumor growth and host immunity.

Three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning refers to the use of software and hardware tools to design and implement more accurate and conformal radiation therapy. This is a major advance in oncology that should lead

Over the past decade, extensive research and promotion efforts have led to increased awareness and utilization of cancer prevention and screening methods. Many minority groups, however, have not benefited equally from these advances, and continue to have elevated cancer incidence or mortality rates compared with whites.

The increase in serious gram-positive infections has increased the need for treatment of gram-positive infections in patients with hematologic malignancies. Common gram-positive pathogens exhibit a variety of resistance

Bloodstream infections cause significant morbidity and mortality for patients with hematologic malignancy. Antimicrobial drugs are the most reliable currently available treatment for infection, but several issues must be