ONCOLOGY Vol 12 No 2

The tobacco industry has developed an elaborate strategy to craft, lobby, and campaign for proposed pro-tobacco laws that masquerade as tobacco control measures, says a University of California San Francisco health policy researcher.

A US multicenter study led by Dr. William J. Ellis of the University of Washington has found that the new, quantitative BTA TRAK Assay improves the detection of recurrent bladder cancer over cytology, the standard microscopic method. These results were reported in the December 1997 issue of Urology.

Scientists from Geron Corporation (Menlo Park, California) and the University Medical Center at Dallas recently reported their successful extension of the life-span of normal human cells using the enzyme telomerase. In a paper published in the January 16, 1998, issue of Science, the researchers explained that introduction of an active telomerase gene into normal mortal cells resulted in the lengthening of telomeres and a marked increase in the life-span of the cells, making the cells potentially immortal.

Scientists at the City of Hope Cancer Center have uncovered evidence that abnormal DNA structures may be responsible for one of the earliest detectable chemical changes associated with the development of cancer.

Clinical practice guidelines for gynecologic oncology were developed under the direction of the Medical Practice and Ethics Committee of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) in concert with national trends in medical care in the United States. The members of this committee are listed in Table 1, along with other individuals who contributed to the development of the guidelines. The guidelines, which were distributed in booklet form to the SGO membership in 1996, are being reprinted in this and successive issues of oncology for distribution to the oncology community at large.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has issued a “National Blueprint for Action,” describing a multifaceted set of proposals aimed at overcoming the disproportionate incidence of prostate cancer in African-American men.

Breast cancer patients age 65 years and older who were enrolled in one of two large western not-for-profit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) experienced long-term survival equal to or better than counterparts living in the same geographic areas who received breast cancer care under the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) system. The HMO members were also more likely than the FFS patients to receive breast-conserving surgery and to have adjuvant radiation therapy recommended for early-stage breast cancer. The study by Arnold L. Potosky, phD, National Cancer Institute, and colleagues was reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

A revised version of the Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education is now available from the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). The revised manual outlines a radiation therapy course and an associated clinical practicum.

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) announces the publication of Psychosocial Dimensions of Oncology Nursing Care. The module, which will be available in early 1998, addresses the psychosocial aspects that affect the patient with cancer and provides practical interventions.

One of the national health objectives for the year 2000 is to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults to no more than 15% (objective 3.4). To assess progress toward meeting this objective, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) analyzed self-reported information about cigarette smoking among US adults from the Year 2000 Objectives Supplement of the 1995 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). This report summarizes the findings of this analysis, which indicate that, in 1995, 24.7% (47.0 million) of adults were current smokers.

In response to the difficult and complex issues affecting cancer survivors, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has created a new training program, The Cancer Journey: Issues for Survivors. It is designed for health professionals in training roles to educate their peers about the many issues survivors face.

Rhone-Poulenc Rorer recently announced the start of a phase III clinical trial of its prolifeprosan with carmustine implant (Gliadel Wafer), in conjunction with surgery and radiation, in patients newly diagnosed with malignant glioma. The purpose of this study is to confirm the results of an earlier, small phase III trial showing that the carmustine wafer offers a significant survival advantage over placebo when used with initial surgery for malignant glioma.

Contrary to what most physicians believe, the most common forms of thyroid cancer are no more serious in pregnant women than they are in other women, new research shows.

Research shows that chemotherapy for inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) improves survival. The economic implications of this treatment choice may be substantial. This paper reviews studies examining the cost-

Malignancies arising in the fallopian tube are extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of gynecologic malignancies. This rarity makes it unlikely that any single institution will have managed enough patients in a uniform manner to be able to critically evaluate different treatment plans. Most institutions agree that diagnosis, staging, and treatment are analogous to ovarian cancer. Often, the matter of whether an advanced adnexal malignancy is of ovarian or tubal origin cannot be determined until the final pathologic diagnosis is made.

Smoking kills more than 430,000 people each year in the United States and is currently estimated to be responsible for 30.5% of all cancer-related deaths in our society. The majority of these deaths could be prevented,

Dr. Connors has written an excellent review of the management of five unusual sites of lymphomatous involvement. Several basic principles are illustrated in his discussion of rare entities:

Smoking kills more than 430,000 people each year in the United States and is currently estimated to be responsible for 30.5% of all cancer-related deaths in our society. The majority of these deaths could be prevented,

Malignant diseases of the vulva account for an estimated 3% to 5% of gynecologic neoplasia. The pathologic variants are many (Table 1). Squamous cell cancers account for 85% to 90% of these neoplasms. Melanoma, Bartholin gland cancer, Paget’s disease, and the various sarcomas are the other principal neoplasms. The preinvasive forms of the squamous cancer tend to occur in younger women and may be associated with in situ lesions of the cervix, vagina, perineum, and anus.

Since the first cases of AIDS-associated Kaposi’s sarcoma (AIDS/KS) were described in the medical literature in 1981,[1] various local and systemic therapies have been used in efforts to control this most common HIV-associated neoplasm. Many reviews have been published about the treatment of AIDS/KS, but almost all of them have been written by authors representing a single medical specialty, whether it be medical oncology, dermatology, or radiation oncology.

Dr. Connors provides an excellent overview of several sites of extranodal lymphoma, which represent an unusual presentation of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He outlines an organized, phased approach to diagnosis, staging, and treatment, emphasizing interdisciplinary management. In this review, we will add some perspectives from the Stanford experience.

The article by Dr. Connors is an excellent overview of lymphomas involving five sites: the eye, central nervous system (CNS), sinuses, testes, and stomach. The author emphasizes that these lymphomas present unique management challenges even to the experienced oncologist. The tumors are difficult to diagnose, resistant to treatment, or, in the case of gastric lymphoma, occasionally associated with a causative organism that warrants antibiotic treatment.

Research shows that chemotherapy for inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) improves survival. The economic implications of this treatment choice may be substantial. This paper reviews studies examining the cost-

Smoking kills more than 430,000 people each year in the United States and is currently estimated to be responsible for 30.5% of all cancer-related deaths in our society. The majority of these deaths could be prevented,

The staging and treatment of the common presentations of malignant lymphoma are readily familiar to experienced medical oncologists and hematologists. However, because of their rarity and variable and unusual

A large number of oncogenes have been identified as aberrant in gliomas, but only the erbB oncogene (gene encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]) is amplified in an appreciable number. The loss or

A large number of oncogenes have been identified as aberrant in gliomas, but only the erbB oncogene (gene encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]) is amplified in an appreciable number. The loss or

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is an AIDS-defining neoplasm characterized by the development of lesions that histologically consist of proliferating spindle cells, vascular channels, and inflammatory cells.[1] The typical early presentation consists of painless pink, red, or purple macules or nodules on the skin surface or in the oral cavity. Although the presence of a few skin lesions is not life-threatening, even limited cutaneous KS can have an enormous psychosocial impact, particularly when the lesions occur on exposed areas.

Uterine sarcomas arise from the uterine muscle (leiomyosarcoma) or endometrial glands and stroma (endometrial stromal sarcoma and carcinosarcoma). They account for about 3% of all uterine malignancies and less than 1% of all gynecologic malignancies. Uterine sarcomas have differing etiologies, clinical courses, and pathologic features, which give rise to variable treatment regimens and clinical outcomes. The leiomyosarcomas and (malignant) mixed mullerian tumors (M/MMT or carcinosarcomas) have a higher rate of occurrence in black than in white females. Carcinosarcomas are unusual before the age of 40 and have rising incidence with advancing age, while leiomyosarcomas have peak incidence between ages 35 and 55 for blacks and ages 40 and 50 for whites. The development of sarcomas also appears to be increased by previous pelvic radiation, especially the carcinosarcomas and adenosarcomas.

Research shows that chemotherapy for inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) improves survival. The economic implications of this treatment choice may be substantial. This paper reviews studies examining the cost-