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Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca In this supplement to Oncology NEWS International, guest editor Aman U. Buzdar, MD, highlights key data presented at the December 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. In his in-depth commentary, Dr. Buzdar contextualizes these practice-changing study results and explains how the evolution of endocrine therapies has helped to change the natural history of early breast cancer and to prolong survival in metastatic disease.

Infusion Reactions Associated With Monoclonal Antibodies in Patients With Solid Tumors This supplement and associated publication costs were funded by Amgen

Essentials for Tailoring Multiple Myeloma TherapySupported by an educational grant from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Historically, multiple myeloma, the second most common hematologic malignancy in the US, has been  difficult to manage. Hematologists/oncologists are more likely to encounter patients with myeloma, as an analysis of population-based cancer registries in nine countries indicates that the burden (number of incident cases) of this disease has increased. The three articles in this supplement discuss tailoring initial treatment for newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are eligible for transplantation; emerging induction therapies and newer regimens for newly diagnosed patients who will not undergo transplant; and tailoring treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma, including clinical data on NCCN-recommended therapies.To view general information, please click here.

Historically, multiple myeloma, the second most common hematologic malignancy in the US, has been difficult to manage. Hematologists/oncologists are more likely to encounter patients with myeloma, as an analysis of population-based cancer registries in nine countries indicates that the burden (number of incident cases) of this disease has increased. The three articles in this supplement discuss tailoring initial treatment for newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are eligible for transplantation; emerging induction therapies and newer regimens for newly diagnosed patients who will not undergo transplant; and tailoring treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma, including clinical data on NCCN-recommended therapies.

Essentials for Tailoring Multiple Myeloma TherapySupported by an educational grant from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.The three articles in this supplement discuss tailoring initial treatment for newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are eligible for transplantation; emerging induction therapies and newer regimens for newly diagnosed patients who will not undergo transplant; and tailoring treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma, including clinical data on NCCN-recommended therapies.To view general information, please click here.

Lycopene is a carotenoid found in tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelons, and papaya. It is also synthesized by plants and microorganisms, but cannot be synthesized by the human body and can only be obtained via diet. Lycopene as a dietary supplement is a potent antioxidant used to help prevent cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. It is classified as a nonprovitamin A carotenoid because it cannot be converted to vitamin A.

Pretreated patients with metastatic gastric cancer experienced a boost in overall survival after treatment with everolimus (Afinitor), according to the results of a phase II trial presented at the 2010 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

A collaborative project to sequence the neuroblastoma cancer genome could revolutionize diagnosis and treatment.

Integrating Genetics and Genomics Into Oncology Nursing March 1, 2010 By Dale Halsey Lea, MPH, RN, CGC, FAAN Health Educator, National Human Genome Research Institute

ABOUT THE ACTIVITY This activity is based on articles and reports in ONCOLOGY Nurse Edition. It is developed from an identifi ed educational need for information about practical management issues in medical, surgical, and radiation oncology. This activity has been developed and approved under the direction of CME LLC.

Malignant pleural effusion complicates the care of approximately 150,000 people in the United States each year. The pleural effusion is usually caused by a disturbance of the normal Starling forces regulating reabsorption of fluid in the pleural space, secondary to obstruction of mediastinal lymph nodes draining the parietal pleura.

A $450,000 grant from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has been awarded to Heather Christofk, PhD. Read more about the latest awards and appointments in the cancer care community.

Although many cancer patients cope well with their disease, psychiatric disorders occur in almost 50% of patients in the setting of malignancy. Untreated psychological and neuropsychiatric disorders can compromise quality of life as well as treatment compliance. Three behavioral syndromes that are often encountered in clinical practice will be discussed here: depression, anxiety, and delirium.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder resulting from the neoplastic transformation of the primitive hematopoietic stem cell. The disease is monoclonal in origin, affecting myeloid, monocytic, erythroid, megakaryocytic, B-cell, and, sometimes, T-cell lineages. Bone marrow stromal cells are not involved.

Multiple myeloma is a disseminated malignancy of monoclonal plasma cells that accounts for 15% of all hematologic cancers. In 2009, an estimated 20,580 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States, and 10,580 Americans will die of this disease. Incidence rates for myeloma (5.3 in men and 3.5 in women) and mortality rates (3.7 in men and 2.5 in women) per 100,000 population have remained stable for the past decade.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of hematologic malignancies of the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells. These disorders are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, including abnormalities in proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The overall clinical phenotype is peripheral cytopenias in the setting of a normocellular or hypercellular bone marrow and an increased risk for transformation to acute leukemia.

Malignancies have been detected in approximately 40% of all patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) sometime during the course of their illness. These cancers have been both a primary cause of death in some patients and also a source of considerable morbidity. In the current era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are surviving longer than ever. HAART appears to have substantially reduced the incidence of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and may enhance the efficacy of treatment for those patients who do develop these tumors. Unfortunately, HAART has not shown a similar effect on the development of other types of neoplasms, and caring for patients who develop malignancies in the setting of HIV remains a challenge. Furthermore, HAART is not available universally, with many patients in resource-poor developing countries not having access to antiretroviral drugs.

Carcinoma of an unknown primary site is a common clinical syndrome, accounting for approximately 3% of all oncologic diagnoses. Patients in this group are heterogeneous, having a wide variety of clinical presentations and pathologic findings. A patient should be considered to have carcinoma of an unknown primary site when a tumor is detected at one or more metastatic sites, and routine evaluation (see below) fails to define a primary tumor site.

Intracranial neoplasms can arise from any of the structures or cell types present in the cranial vault, including the brain, meninges, pituitary gland, skull, and even residual embryonic tissue. The overall annual incidence of primary brain tumors in the United States is 14 cases per 100,000 population.

News that President Obama received a clean bill of health from a virtual colonoscopy several days ago rubbed influential gastroenterologists the wrong way.

Worldwide, hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common malignancy and the third most common cause of cancer mortality. Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma suffer from cirrhosis primarily caused by alcoholism or chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV); decades may pass between infection with viral hepatitis and development of this cancer. The approximately equal annual incidence and mortality of 1 million reported around the world stands as evidence of its lethality.

Despite the existence of excellent screening and preventive strategies, colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains a major public health problem in Western countries. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that in 2009, 146,970 people will be diagnosed with CRC, and 49,920 will die of the disease. CRC is the third most common type of cancer in both sexes (after prostate and lung cancers in men and lung and breast cancers in women) and the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States.

Gastric cancer is more common than esophageal cancer in Western countries but is less fatal. More than 21,130 new cases of gastric cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in the year 2009, with 10,620 deaths expected. Worldwide, gastric cancer represents approximately 930,000 new cases and accounts for more than 700,000 deaths. The incidence and mortality of gastric cancer have been declining in most developed countries, including the United States; the age-adjusted risk (world estimate) fell 5% from 1985 to 1990.

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In the year 2009, an estimated 42,470 new cases are expected to be diagnosed, and 35,240 deaths are expected to occur.

Bone sarcomas are extremely rare neoplasms, which precludes determination of their true incidence. In 2009, approximately 2,570 new cases of cancer of the bones and joints will be diagnosed in the United States, and some 1,470 patients will succumb to the disease. Population-based tumor registries seldom separate bone sarcomas into various histologic types.

Internationally renowned breast cancer scientist, V. Craig Jordan, OBE, PhD, DSc posed an important question: Where do we go from here in endocrine therapy. In an interview with ONCOLOGY, Dr. Jordan highlighted some of the fundamental clinical issues that he explored during his presentation, “Challenges to Improve Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy.”