Authors

Latest:

Myelodysplastic 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

Latest:

Myelodysplastic 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

Latest:

This video examines long-term findings from a trial that tested ADT alone vs ADT plus chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy for patients with high-risk prostate cancer, including some surprising results and important takeaways.

Latest:

A 55-year-old Hispanic male presents with a family history of gastric cancer in one sibling and prostate cancer in an older brother. CT performed in March 2015 for IMT surveillance showed a heterogeneous prostate with local invasion involving the bladder, seminal vesicles, and perirectal fat.

Latest:

Our objective was to determine the efficacy of a fludarabine (Fludara)/mitoxantrone (Novantrone) regimen combined with the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (Rituxan) to induce clinical and molecular remissions in patients with relapsed

Latest:

Our objective was to determine the efficacy of a fludarabine (Fludara)/mitoxantrone (Novantrone) regimen combined with the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (Rituxan) to induce clinical and molecular remissions in patients with relapsed

Latest:

The role of radiotherapy in combination with chemotherapy in advanced-stage Hodgkin’s disease remains controversial.

Latest:

Single-agent gemcitabine (Gemzar) is the standard of chemotherapyfor advanced pancreatic cancer, with no phase III trials to date havingshown significantly improved survival with gemcitabine-based combinationsvs single-agent treatment. The multitargeted antifolate agentpemetrexed (Alimta) shows synergistic effects in vitro in combinationwith gemcitabine, and activity and good tolerability when used as singleagenttreatment in advanced pancreatic cancer. In a phase II trial inpatients with advanced pancreatic cancer, the combination ofgemcitabine at 1,250 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 plus pemetrexed at 500mg/m2 on day 8 after gemcitabine every 21 days resulted in a mediansurvival of 6.5 months and a 1-year survival rate of 29%. Neutropeniawas the primary toxicity, with grade 4 toxicity in 51% of patients. Thepromising results of this trial prompted the initiation of a phase IIItrial comparing gemcitabine at 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15 every28 days vs the 21-day gemcitabine/pemetrexed regimen given with vitaminsupplementation in patients with pancreatic cancer. The primaryoutcome measure was overall survival, with secondary measures includingresponse rate, progression-free survival, and quality of life.While an increase in response and time to progression was reported forthe gemcitabine/pemetrexed combination, there were no significantdifferences in survival between treatment arms.

Latest:

After 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]

Latest:

Anderson et al highlight the Breast Health Global Initiative for guideline development and discuss how developments in low and middle income countries have parallels in the delivery of health care to underserved populations in industrialized countries. Guidelines for appropriate breast cancer treatment must address early detection, accurate diagnosis, and the delivery of timely and appropriate treatment modalities.

Latest:

Latest:

Here we critically analyze the role of PET/CT in the early assessment of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Latest:

This commentary addresses our perspectives from a regulatory standpoint, as well as some controversies related to the use of neoadjuvant therapy as a platform for drug development.

Latest:

In this article we will discuss the definitions of resectability, describe the current diagnostic tests for pancreatic cancer, and review strategies for maximizing treatment outcomes in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.

Latest:

Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive malignancy of the pleura that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed annually in the

Latest:

Over 130,000 new cases of colon cancer are diagnosed annually. Approximately 20% to 30% of these are attributable to familial risk, and 3% to 5% belong to a hereditary colorectal cancer predisposition syndrome.

Latest:

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most commonly diagnosed, noninvasive type of breast cancer in women. In this interview Dr. Lance Liotta and Professor Virginia Espina, whose laboratory has been one the first to successfully culture living DCIS cells, discuss novel ways to stop breast cancer before it becomes invasive and malignant.

Latest:

Lawrentschuk and Fleshner accurately depict the difficulty in choosing among observation, prophylactic radiation, and adjuvant chemotherapy for clinical stage I testicular seminoma. The physican has competing priorities of avoiding unnecessary treatment while minimizing the overall burden of both therapy and surveillance testing. The patient has to contend with defined risks that exist with any of the three options.

Latest:

This multicenter study enrolled 73 patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study design was based on the hypothesis that the non-overlapping toxicities of a 3-drug

Latest:

A 55-year-old perimenopausal woman presented with a palpable lump in her left breast. Diagnostic mammogram showed a 1.8-cm spiculated mass with scattered microcalcifications within the mass. Comparison with her most recent prior mammogram (about 9 months earlier) showed this to be a new mass.

Latest:

A majority of the more than 190,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the US[1] will receive some form of adjuvant therapy. Many breast cancer treatments cause decreases in circulating estrogen levels, which in turn can have a significant effect on bone mineral density; this condition is known as cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL). In this issue of ONCOLOGY, Reeder and Brufsky review the role of bisphosphonates in the setting of adjuvant breast cancer treatment. Both oral and intravenous bisphosphonates are effective in the prevention and treatment of CTIBL, and emerging data suggest that adjuvant bisphosphonate therapy may also affect breast cancer recurrence and survival. In considering the role of these medicines in early stage breast cancer, however, a number of important questions remain.

Latest:

After a review of the published literature, the panel voted on three variants to establish best practices for the utilization of imaging, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy after primary surgery for early-stage endometrial cancer.

Latest:

The introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a reliabletumor marker for prostate cancer brought significant changes in theend points used for outcome reporting after therapy. With regard to adefinition of failure after radiation, a consensus was reached in 1996that took into account the particular issues of an intact prostate aftertherapy. Over the next several years, the consensus definition issued bythe American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology(ASTRO) was used and studied. Concerns and criticisms were raised.The sensitivity and specificity of this definition vs other proposals hasbeen investigated, and differences in outcome analyzed and compared.Although the ASTRO definition came from analysis of datasets on external-beam radiation and most of the work on this topic has been withthis modality, failure definitions for brachytherapy must be exploredas well. The concept of a universal definition of failure that might beapplied to multiple modalities, including surgery, should also be investigated,at least for comparative study and research purposes.

Latest:

Early presentation of endometrial cancer permits effective managementwith excellent clinical outcome. The addition of hysteroscopy todilatation and curettage (D&C) in the evaluation of postmenopausalbleeding adds little to the detection of malignancy. Imaging studies suchas computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positronemissiontomography may be of use in determining the presence ofextrauterine disease in patients medically unfit for surgical staging.However, these studies are not sufficiently sensitive to replace surgicalstaging and have little role in routine preoperative evaluation. Clinicalstaging alone is clearly inadequate, as 23% of preoperative clinicalstage I/II patients are upstaged with comprehensive surgical staging.Preoperative tumor grade from D&C or office biopsy may be inaccurateand lead to an underestimate of tumor progression if used to determinewhich patients should be surgically staged. Clinical estimationof depth of invasion, with or without frozen section, is inaccurate andmay lead to underestimation of disease status when surgical staging isnot performed. The practice of resecting only clinically suspicious nodesshould be discouraged as it is no substitute for comprehensive surgicalstaging. Comprehensive surgical staging provides proper guidance forpostoperative adjuvant therapy, avoiding needless radiation in 85% ofclinical stage I/II patients. Finally, resection of occult metastasis withsurgical staging may improve survival.

Latest:

The demographics of the US population continue to change dramatically, as the absolute number and proportion of older people relative to the remainder of the population increases. Last year, the number of persons older than 65 years was estimated to be 35 million, representing almost 13% of the overall population; by 2030, the older population is expected to double. Along with the general aging of the population, the percentage of persons older than 85 years is also growing rapidly, as is the ethnic and racial diversity within the older population.

Latest:

Most of the clinical experience with irinotecan (CPT-11 [Camptosar]) has been with either a weekly or an every-3-week schedule. Recent phase I trials have explored new routes and schedules of administration. One approach

Latest:

Normal and hyperplastic prostate glandular epithelium does not express somatostatin receptors. Neuroendocrine prostatic cells contain bioactive secretory products such as chromogranin A, serotonin, and neuron-specific enolase. The stromal smooth muscle cells around glandular epithelium and ganglion cells of the prostatic plexus are positive for somatostatin subtype 2 receptors (sst 2).[1] In prostate cancer, however, there is nonhomogeneous distribution of sst 1. In the peritumoral veins of prostate cancer, sst 2 receptors were found by Reubi et al in 14 of 27 samples.[2]

Latest:

The treatment of inoperable stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a challenge due to high rates of distant metastasis, local recurrence, and toxicity associated with definitive therapy.

Latest:

The brief review by Federici et al in the current issue of this journal is a cogent restatement of an argument that has accompanied the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis almost from its inception.

Latest:

ATLANTA-In a phase I/II randomized trial, a novel leukemia vaccine, PR1 peptide, produced immune responses that correlated with a longer event-free survival.