ONCOLOGY Vol 14 No 8

Increasing the dose density of active drugs by delivering maximum tolerated doses sequentially with minimal intervals between cycles could potentially increase response rate and benefit in metastatic breast cancer. We tested this hypothesis by assigning

Docetaxel (Taxotere)/cisplatin (Platinol) and docetaxel/gemcitabine (Gemzar) are active and well-tolerated chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A phase II randomized trial was conducted in order to compare the efficacy and toxicity of these regimens.

Based on results from phase I studies, one of the recommended doses for doxorubicin/docetaxel (Taxotere) is doxorubicin 60 mg/m² plus docetaxel 60 mg/m² every 21 days. However, information on the efficacy and toxicity of this dose level in

Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a semisynthetic taxane that has efficacy in combination regimens with doxorubicin (Adriamycin) in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. This study was instituted to assess the role of this combination in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).

Designated E1594, this trial was designed to compare three platinum-based combination regimens containing third-generation drugs active against non–small-cell lung cancer to a reference regimen of cisplatin (Platinol) 75 mg/m² day 1 plus paclitaxel (Taxol) 175/mg/m²/24 h (arm A). The experimental regimens were as follows: gemcitabine (Gemzar) 1,000 mg/m² days 1, 8, 15 plus cisplatin 100 mg/m² day 1 (arm B); docetaxel (Taxotere) 75 mg/m² day 1 plus cisplatin 75 mg/m² day 1 (arm C); and paclitaxel 225 mg/m²/3 h day 1 plus carboplatin (Paraplatin) at an area under the concentration-time curve of 6 (AUC in mg/mL · min) day 1 (arm D). Arms A, C, and D were repeated every 21 days and arm B every 28 days.

From March 1996 to March 1998, 106 patients with untreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC) were treated with docetaxel (Taxotere) (100 mg/m²) and doxorubicin (75 mg/m²) on an alternating cycle-by-cycle (doxorubicin, docetaxel, doxorubicin, etc) or sequential (four cycles of docetaxel, then four cycles of doxorubicin) basis, every 3 weeks, for a maximum of eight cycles.

Results of the GEPARDO Trial: A Phase IIB Study Comparing the Combination of Dose-Intensified Doxorubicin and Docetaxel With or Without Tamoxifen in Patients With Operable Breast Cancer

We previously reported the efficacy of concurrent cisplatin (Platinol)/etoposide (PE) and radiotherapy in stage IIIB non–small-cell lung cancer in which biopsy confirmation of T4 (noneffusion) or N3 status was required (S9019). In view of the activity of docetaxel (Taxotere) as second-line therapy and potential molecular mechanisms of action favoring taxane sequencing, we designed the present study to maintain a core of concurrent PE/radiotherapy, but to substitute docetaxel consolidation for the two additional cycles of PE.

This book is the 17th volume in the Basic and Clinical Oncology series edited by Bruce D. Cheson, MD. Like other volumes in this series, Expert Consultations in Breast Cancer follows a unique format and seeks to integrate advances in the basic understanding of breast cancer with promising new therapies and changing health- care economics. The integration of these different perspectives provides both a conceptual and pragmatic framework for clinical decision-making.

A landmark research trial by the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center showed that chemotherapy offers survival benefits for advanced, non–small-cell lung cancer patients. The study, presented at the 36th annual meeting of the

The results of a multicenter, phase III metastatic breast cancer study indicates that, in women with previously untreated metastatic breast cancer, sequential chemotherapy induction using doxorubicin and docetaxel (Taxotere) is as effective and

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a novel, shorter administration regimen for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s paclitaxel (Taxol) injection for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. The FDA granted approval for this new

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

Data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology further validated ChromaVision Medical Systems’ automated cellular imaging system (ACIS). The data from a collaborative study conducted by the United States National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Pathology in Basel, Switzerland, and two diagnostic companies, DAKO A/S and Vysis, Inc, documented that results of the ACIS HER2 immunohistochemical test correlate strongly with overall patient survival. Tests that provide information to help predict both the time and likelihood of survival are vital to clinicians in guiding critical treatment decisions.

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

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

This concise review by Drs. Wexner and Hwang examines the issues surrounding the use of laparoscopy in the management of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. The authors believe, and most of us would agree, that in palliative cases, a minimally invasive surgical approach has much to offer the patient in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality and improved quality of life. However, the role of this technology in potentially curative resectional therapy remains controversial.

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 procedures have become standard surgical techniques for several benign abdominal diseases. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, appendectomy, Nissen fundoplication, splenectomy, adrenalectomy, and palliative intestinal bypass procedures are widely accepted as standards of care. It was believed that the success of these laparoscopic procedures would soon transform colorectal surgery for neoplastic diseases. This enthusiasm is evident in many early publications cited in the article by Drs. Wexner and Hwang. The article offers a balanced and thorough review of laparoscopy in the management of colorectal neoplasms and emphasizes the significant controversy surrounding this topic.

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

Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is being utilized increasingly for benign diseases. Recent published series have proven that morbidity and mortality from laparoscopic procedures are superior to those seen after traditional open

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 to

Clinical results demonstrate the potential of an investigational drug, exisulind (Aptosyn), to delay the need for androgen-deprivation therapy in men who have undergone prostatectomy and are at risk of prostate cancer recurrence. Detailed

Intestinal obstruction in the patient with ovarian cancer is a difficult situation for both patient and physician. In women presenting with ovarian cancer, obstruction is almost never complete.

Drs. Randall and Rubin address three subjects important to all patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer: (1) the incidence and annual mortality associated with the disease, (2) the use of intestinal surgery at the time of initial surgery, and (3) the use of surgery for intestinal obstruction in patients with recurrent (or progressive) ovarian cancer. I believe that progress in all three areas has been made, albeit slowly.

In their excellent review of intestinal obstruction in women with advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer, Drs. Randall and Rubin indicate that median survivals and quality of life for these patients have improved substantially. Data from the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO)[1] and the National Cancer Institute’s Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program[2] indicate that the 5-year disease-free survival for advanced-stage disease has risen over the past several decades from approximately 5% to 20%. Therefore, the palliation of intestinal obstruction secondary to metastatic ovarian cancer has become a more urgent issue. The management of recurrent or chronic intestinal obstruction is often complex, and the authors have carefully substantiated issues related to this complication of the malignancy.