Authors


U. Knauf

Latest:

Phase II Study of Rituximab in Combination With Fludarabine in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

This phase II trial investigated the safety and efficacy of a combined-modality treatment with rituximab (Rituxan) and fludarabine (Fludara) in patients with fludarabine- and anthracycline-naive chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL).



U. Rehwald

Latest:

Phase II Study of Rituximab in Combination With Fludarabine in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

This phase II trial investigated the safety and efficacy of a combined-modality treatment with rituximab (Rituxan) and fludarabine (Fludara) in patients with fludarabine- and anthracycline-naive chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL).


U. Rüffer

Latest:

Increased Efficacy Through Moderate Dose Escalation of Chemotherapy: Interim Report From the HD9 Randomized Trial for Advanced Hodgkin’s Disease

This report aims to assess the effect of increased drug dose on the efficacy and toxicity of the BEACOPP regimen with


Uchenna O. Njiaju, MD

Latest:

A 40-Year-Old Woman With a New Triple-Negative Breast Mass, Shown on Biopsy to Be Metaplastic Carcinoma

A 40-year-old woman noted a large mass in her right breast. A diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound confirmed a 3.4-cm mass with associated microcalcifications.



Udo Vanhoefer, MD

Latest:

Oral Fluoropyrimidine-Based Combination Therapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer

Significant emphasis has been placed recently on designing more effective fluorouracil (5-FU)-based combination protocols for gastrointestinal cancer. Promising results were seen with 5-FU/leucovorin in combination with


Ullrich Schwertschlag, MD, PhD

Latest:

Preclinical Pharmacologic Basis for Clinical Use of rhIL-11 as an Effective Platelet-Support Agent

Preclinical studies have shown that rhIL-11, also known as oprelvekin (Neumega), stimulates early and later stages of megakaryocytopoiesis (including proliferation and differentiation of megakaryocyte precursors and maturation of megakaryocytes), to


Ulrich Brinck, MD

Latest:

Detection of Nodal Micrometastases in Head and Neck Cancer by Serial Sectioning and Immunostaining

We investigated the incidence of micrometastases from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck in neck dissection specimens originally staged as pN0. A total of 76 dissection specimens from 60 patients were


Ulrich Canzler, MD

Latest:

UFT/Leucovorin Combined With Paclitaxel for Anthracycline-Pretreated Advanced Breast Cancer

Taxanes are the most active drugs in the treatment of metastatic breast and ovarian cancer. Weekly therapy with paclitaxel produces notable activity, with remarkably low toxicity.


Ulrich Gatzemeier, MD

Latest:

Pemetrexed in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a disease with a poorprognosis, related in part to the aggressiveness of this disease, and inpart due to the lack of drugs that have demonstrated tumor activity.Historically, antifolates such as methotrexate have been the most activedrugs in the treatment of mesothelioma. Newer antifolates haverecently demonstrated higher efficacy than older regimens in the treatmentof this rare disease. One of these agents, pemetrexed (Alimta),has been evaluated both as a single agent and as part of a combinationregimen. Pemetrexed has been studied in three trials in patients withMPM, and two phase I trials included patients with MPM. In a phaseII trial, pemetrexed was studied as a single agent in patients with MPM.Seven of 64 patients achieved partial responses, with a median overallsurvival of 10.7 months. A large, randomized, phase III trial was conductedto compare pemetrexed/cisplatin with cisplatin. The responserate was 41.3% compared with 16.7%, median survival was 12.1 monthscompared with 9.3 months, and 1-year survival was 50.3% vs 38% inthe pemetrexed/cisplatin and cisplatin arms, respectively. The combinationof pemetrexed/cisplatin also demonstrated superiority in qualityof life and pulmonary functioning analysis when compared withcisplatin.



Urs E. Studer, MD

Latest:

Commentary (Markus/Studer)-Testicular Cancer: What’s New in Staging, Prognosis, and Therapy

The management of patients with clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors is still highly controversial. In a recent survey, urologists and oncologists were asked to state their choice of treatment for patients with clinical stage I nonseminomas who were at high risk for recurrence after orchiectomy. Not surprisingly, urologists chose retroperitoneal lymph node dissection over chemotherapy, while oncologists indicated a preference for adjuvant chemotherapy.[1]


Ursa Brown-Glaberman, MD

Latest:

HER2-Targeted Therapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

This review discusses the treatment of primary, nonmetastatic HER2-positive breast cancer in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings-settings in which tremendous progress has been made.


Ursula A. Matulonis, MD

Latest:

Niraparib Shows Favorable Outcomes in Germline BRCA+ Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

An expert from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute discusses findings from the final overall survival analysis of the phase 3 ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial.


Ursula Scholz, MD

Latest:

UFT/Leucovorin Combined With Paclitaxel for Anthracycline-Pretreated Advanced Breast Cancer

Taxanes are the most active drugs in the treatment of metastatic breast and ovarian cancer. Weekly therapy with paclitaxel produces notable activity, with remarkably low toxicity.


Ursula Stier, MD

Latest:

Continuous Low-Dose GM-CSF as Salvage Therapy in Refractory Recurrent Breast or Female Genital Tract Carcinoma

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF,sargramostim [Leukine]) is a powerful cytokine that is able to stimulatethe generation of dendritic cells. Adjuvant treatment with continuous lowdoseGM-CSF has been shown to prolong survival of stage III/IV melanomapatients. Data on continuous low-dose GM-CSF therapy in tumorsother than prostate cancer are still lacking.


Usha Malhotra, MD

Latest:

Targeted Therapy: an Evolving Concept in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) affects approximately 11,000 persons per year in the United States, is increasing in incidence, and is associated with an exceptionally high mortality rate.[1-4] In this issue of ONCOLOGY, Krasna reviews the role of multimodality therapy in the treatment of EAC. Poor outcome in patients with EAC is reflective of both deficiencies in early detection and the inadequacy of available therapies across stages.


Ute Klaassen, MD

Latest:

Paclitaxel and UFT Plus Oral Calcium Folinate in Pretreated Metastatic Breast Cancer

This phase I study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting side effects of combination treatment with paclitaxel (Taxol) and UFT (uracil and tegafur in a 4:1 molar ratio) plus oral


Uwe Reinhold, MD, PhD

Latest:

Continuous Low-Dose GM-CSF as Salvage Therapy in Refractory Recurrent Breast or Female Genital Tract Carcinoma

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF,sargramostim [Leukine]) is a powerful cytokine that is able to stimulatethe generation of dendritic cells. Adjuvant treatment with continuous lowdoseGM-CSF has been shown to prolong survival of stage III/IV melanomapatients. Data on continuous low-dose GM-CSF therapy in tumorsother than prostate cancer are still lacking.


Uzair B. Chaudhary, MD

Latest:

The Evolving Role of Cytoreductive Surgery for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is a devastating disease associatedwith poor survival. Immunotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, butresponse rates are low. The role of cytoreductive surgery in thepresence of metastatic disease is evolving. From both retrospective andrecently published randomized clinical trials, it is now apparent thatamong patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and good performancestatus, cytoreductive surgery followed by immunotherapy improvessurvival. However, this approach is likely to be detrimental inpatients with poor performance status. Clinical trials of novel agentsremain a priority in this disease.


V. Craig Jordan, OBE, PhD, DSc

Latest:

The Search for Antiestrogens

Victor Vogel’s excellent review of the clinical basis for preventing breast cancer in high-risk women demonstrates the significant advances that have been made through the clinical trials mechanism. However, it is the progress in deciphering the link between hormones and the development and growth of breast cancer that is the true success story in this setting.



V. Filipazzi

Latest:

Activity of Rituximab in Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphomas (MALT Type)

This phase II study aimed to evaluate the tolerability and activity of the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (Rituxan) in patients with either untreated or relapsed biopsy-proven extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type, with measurable or evaluable disease.


V. Recasens

Latest:

Relapsed Follicular Lymphoma: Response to a Fludarabine/Mitoxantrone Regimen and the Monoclonal Anti-CD20 Antibody Rituximab

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


V. Shetty

Latest:

Encouraging Improvement in Cytopenias of Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes With Thalidomide

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



V. Trillet-lenoir, MD

Latest:

Docetaxel vs Mitomycin Plus Vinblastine in Anthracycline-Resistant Metastatic Breast Cancer

This nonblinded, multicenter, randomized phase III study compares the median time to progression (primary endpoint), response rate, and quality of life, safety, and survival of


Vaishalee P. Kenkre, MD

Latest:

Nodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma: What Do We Really Know?

Typically, when one authors a commentary piece, a good template to follow is to start with some background material, review the major findings of the paper in question, and then focus on areas of controversy and unanswered questions.


Vaishali Sanchorawala, MD

Latest:

AL Amyloidosis: Who, What, When, Why, and Where

In the current issue of ONCOLOGY, Gertz and Dispenzieri provide a scholarly review of the early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis.