Role of Adjuvant Therapy in Resected Stage II/IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
January 1st 2002The search for effective postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been spurred by a high rate of failure after definitive surgery. Except for patients with resected T1, N0, M0 lesions, failure rates exceed 30%. Widespread application of adjuvant therapy has been reined in by a disappointing lack of effectiveness in this setting.
ODAC Backs Adding HER-2 DNA Test to Herceptin Package Insert
January 1st 2002SILVER SPRING, Maryland-The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has unanimously recommended that the agency amend the labeling of Herceptin (trastuzumab, Genentech) to include a new gene-detection test to identify women with metastatic breast cancer who are likely to benefit from the therapy. The 16-to-0 vote backed adding the PathVysion HER-2 DNA Probe Kit to the labeling. The kit is made by Vysis, Inc., now owned by Abbott Laboratories.
Antifungal Prophylaxis in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients
November 1st 2001Efforts at preventing and treating fungal infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients must take into account the types of infections likely to be encountered during the different risk periods in hosts with different underlying risks. Given the emergence of molds as prevalent pathogens and the long duration of risk in allogeneic HSCT recipients, optimal antifungal prophylaxis would consist of treatment that can be given over a prolonged period and that would provide both anti-Candida and anti-Aspergillus activity. Optimal empiric therapy would consist of a broad-spectrum agent in the absence of more sensitive and specific methods for microbial diagnosis. Fluconazole (Diflucan) is currently the standard prophylactic agent for candidiasis, although mold-active agents and alternative strategies for polyene administration are being investigated. The gold standard for empiric therapy is currently a polyene antifungal, yet an increased appreciation for amphotericin B-resistant yeasts and molds, and less toxic mold-active alternatives, might lead to the use of other compounds in the future. The recent development of multiple alternatives emphasizes our need to establish treatment algorithms that consider both the likely pathogens and potential toxicities. [ONCOLOGY 15(Suppl 9):15-19, 2001]
Gene Therapy Plus Radiotherapy Delays Esophageal Cancer Growth in Mice
November 1st 2001WASHINGTON-Combining gene therapy with radiotherapy may provide a useful approach to combating human esophageal cancers, said Vinay Kumar Gupta, MD, of the University of Chicago Medical School, at the 54th Annual Cancer Symposium of the Society of Surgical Oncology.
Three Platinum-Based Doublets for NSCLC Tested in Italy
October 1st 2001SAN FRANCISCO-Platinum-based chemotherapy with either gemcitabine (Gemzar) or paclitaxel (Taxol) caused fewer terminations of therapy for progressive disease or adverse events than the reference regimen of platinum with vinorelbine (Navelbine) in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Biological Agents Provide Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer
September 1st 2001HOUSTON-‘‘We appear to be approaching a ceiling for benefits of cytotoxic chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). All recent randomized studies have had similar results, and there has been no clear efficacy benefit from nonplatinum combinations or triplets. Certainly for advanced disease and even for early disease, where metastases kill most patients, a paradigm shift is needed, and that shift will probably be to targeted therapy that works against specific biologic pathways," said Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD. Dr. Herbst is assistant professor of medicine and chief of the Section of Thoracic Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Amifostine May Mimic Antitumor Gene Therapy
August 2nd 2001CHICAGO-Amifostine (Ethyol) has a number of effects on transcription factors and may also mimic antitumor gene therapy by upregulating expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), according to David J. Grdina, MBA, PhD, professor of radiation and cellular oncology at the University of Chicago.
NCI Launches Randomized Trial of Shark Cartilage in NSCLC
July 1st 2001BETHESDA, Md-Enrollment has begun in a trial of Neovastat (Aeterna Laboratories), also known as AE-941, to test the Canadian-produced shark cartilage extract in patients with unresectable stages IIIA and IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are undergoing induction chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Hemoglobin Modifier May Enhance RT in Lung Cancer
July 1st 2001SAN FRANCISCO-Used with concurrent radiation therapy after induction chemotherapy, an investigational agent that decreases hemoglobin’s oxygen-binding affinity produced good response rates and favorable projected survival rates in patients with unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Amifostine Reduces Chemoradiation Toxicities, and Improves Response
July 1st 2001SAN FRANCISCO-Amifostine (Ethyol) reduced acute pneumonitis and severe esophagitis while significantly increasing the complete response rate in patients receiving chemoradiation for inoperable stage II or III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) during a randomized phase III study. Hypotension was significantly more frequent among those receiving amifostine, although only one patient discontinued therapy because of a hypotensive episode.
Campath Approved for B-Cell CLL
June 1st 2001MONTVILLE, NJ-The FDA has approved Campath (alemtuzumab) humanized monoclonal antibody for the treatment of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have been treated with alkylating agents and have failed fludarabine (Fludara) therapy. Campath was developed by M&I Partners, a 50-50 joint venture of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and ILEX Oncology, Inc. The agent will be marketed and distributed in the United States by Berlex Laboratories, Inc.
Imiquimod Cream Studied in Skin Cancers
June 1st 2001WASHINGTON-Imiquimod (Aldara), an immune response modifier used to treat genital warts, provided effective therapy for both actinic keratosis and primary superficial basal cell carcinoma in pilot studies presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Hairy Cell Leukemia Responds to New Compound, BL22
May 1st 2001NEW ORLEANS-A protein-based compound called BL22 produced complete remissions in patients with hairy cell leukemia resistant to standard therapy with purine analogs. Results of the phase I trial were reported at the 92nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Tumor Vaccine Boosts Outcome in Stage IIA Melanoma Patients
May 1st 2001VENICE, Italy-Adjuvant therapy with the investigational vaccine Melacine helps prevent relapses in patients with stage IIA melanoma, investigators from the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) 9035 Study Group announced at the Fifth World Conference on Melanoma. Mela-cine, being developed by Corixa (Seattle), consists of a mixture of allogeneic melanoma cell lysates plus an immunologic adjuvant (Detox).
Transplant Registries: Guiding Clinical Decisions and Improving Outcomes
About 50,000 hematopoietic stem cell transplantations are performed yearly, primarily for malignancies. Use of this therapy increased dramatically over the past 30 years due to its proven and potential efficacy in diverse
Low-Dose Gemcitabine-RT Combination Promising in NSCLC
April 1st 2001NEW YORK-Median survival has pushed past 18 months in a trial of concurrent low-dose gemcitabine (Gemzar) and radiation therapy in highly selected patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a report at the Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium XVIII.
Optimizing Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
March 3rd 2001Gemcitabine has demonstrated activity in a broad range of solid tumors with good tolerance. In combined modality therapy, gemcitabine has achieved response rates ranging between 30% and 60% in patients with non-small-cell
Commentary (Frank): Gene Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers
March 1st 2001Lamont et al have presented a very clear and concise review of current gene therapy strategies in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. While the presentation highlighted the most important work to date in this expanding field, it also made reference to some controversies and challenges that we are now facing. With this in mind, I would like to expand on and clarify several points raised by the authors.
Gene Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers
March 1st 2001Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck has not significantly improved over the past 30 years. Locally recurrent or refractory disease is particularly difficult to treat. Repeat surgical resection and/or radiotherapy are often not possible, and long-term results for salvage chemotherapy are poor. Recent advances in gene therapy have been applied to recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Many of these techniques are now in clinical trials and have shown some efficacy. This article discusses the techniques employed in gene therapy and summarizes the ongoing protocols that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. [ONCOLOGY 15(3):303-314, 2001]
Gene Therapy Kills Prostate Cancer Cells by Replication
March 1st 2001BOSTON-Investigators at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are testing a common cold virus as a vector for gene therapy against prostate cancer, Theodore L. DeWeese, MD, reported at the 42nd annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO). The therapy was found to be safe, and the technique showed signs of antitumor activity in a phase I trial.
Commentary (Cohen/Vokes): Gene Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers
March 1st 2001This issue of Oncology features an excellent review of gene therapy for head and neck cancers. Lamont and colleagues have highlighted the principles of genetic intervention, the current state of available therapies, and the results of human trials in an organized and coherent manner.
High-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
Rituximab Can Produce Durable Complete Remissions in Refractory Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
February 1st 2001BALTIMORE-The B-cell directed monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan) can produce durable complete remissions without the need for maintenance therapy in patients with cold agglutinin autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and might also represent a treatment option in warm agglutinin AIHA, according to Edward Lee, MD. Dr. Lee is director of hematology and medical oncology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, and Director of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program.
Topotecan Active as First-Line Combination Therapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
February 1st 2001A new study presented at the Ninth World Congress on Lung Cancer demonstrated that topotecan (Hycamtin) in combination with carboplatin (Paraplatin) is active as a first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Topotecan