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Cancer Care has published the fourth edition of its handbook-A Helping Hand: The Resource Guide for People With Cancer. The 148-page booklet contains listings and descriptions of organizations that offer a wide variety of services, support, and information for people with cancer. In general, the booklet shows cancer patients what types of help are available to them and where they can find it, both nationally and regionally. Listings include cancer centers, commercial services that offer products of particular interest to people with cancer (such as wigs and prostheses), state pharmaceutical assistance programs, pharmaceutical manufacturers’ indigent drug programs, and useful tips on what to ask when contacting such services.

LUGANO, Switzerland-The chemotherapy/immunotherapy regimen FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab) has produced the highest complete response (CR) rate seen thus far in first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Now that President Bush has appointed Julie Gerberding to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), groups like the Trust for America’s Health are urging her to make cancer tracking a priority.

ORLANDO-Irinotecan, also known as CPT-11 (Camptosar), administered every 3 weeks to patients with fluorouracil (5-FU)-refractory colorectal cancer produced response rates and toxicity profiles similar to irinotecan given weekly in a phase

BOSTON-A single dose of a new long-acting 5-HT3 receptor antagonist called palonosetron matched the effectiveness of a single dose of dolasetron (Anzemet) against acute emesis and was more effective against delayed emesis in a phase III clinical trial conducted in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.

WASHINGTON-President Bush has signed legislation that reauthorizes the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), first enacted in 1992 to speed up the FDA’s processing of new drug applications. PDUFA III is the second 5-year

SAN FRANCISCO-In vitro studies suggest that a new anticancer agent, SCH66336, can slow cell proliferation in drug-resistant forms of Philadelphia (Ph)-positive leukemia, according to a presentation by Japanese researchers at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (abstract 4235). When used in combination with antileukemic agents, SCH66336 induced apoptosis in leukemia cells resistant to imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).

ORLANDO-Allowing advanced cancer patients to start palliative care without giving up aggressive treatment substantially increased end-of-life hospice enrollment in one study and reduced cost of care in another. Both studies were presented at the

LONDON, UK-The combination of gemcitabine (Gemzar)/carboplatin (Paraplatin) was found to be better tolerated and associated with longer survival than MIP (mitomycin [Mutamycin], ifosfamide [Ifex], and cisplatin [Platinol]) in patients with

LOS ANGELES-The Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) has changed its logo for the first time in its 49-year history. The new logo is designed to create a bright, fresh look for SNM, Alan Maurer, MD, said at the Society’s 49th Annual Meeting. Dr. Maurer, director of nuclear medicine, Temple University, is the immediate past president of the SNM.

SAN FRANCISCO-A novel experimental compound, AP23573, can induce potent tumor shrinkage by inhibiting nutrient uptake in cancer cells and starving them, according to a presentation at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the American

BETHESDA, Maryland-Leaner times are in the offing for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), starting in the fall of 2003.

VANCOUVER, Canada-Ad-vectus Life Sciences Inc. has begun preclinical testing of its patented nanoparticle-based technology (Nanocure) at the University of North Carolina Brain Tumor Center. This series of studies will test the Nanocure

Rubinstein and colleagues provide an excellent review of mathematical models for estimating breast cancer risk, including the risk of carrying inherited mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2. Since we and others reviewed early models to predict the likelihood of inherited susceptibility to breast cancer,[1] newer quantitative tools, most notably by Parmigiani and colleagues,[2] have been developed. These models have been made available on CD-ROM, over the Internet, and in other electronic versions that are accessible to most clinicians and researchers. These quantitative resources constitute useful and important aids in genetic counseling.

In their paper, Schwartz and colleagues review the risk factors for depression and suicide in patients with cancer and argue convincingly that screening for depression can be simply and quickly performed. They also delineate the efficacy and potential adverse effects of psychotherapeutic or psychopharmacologic treatments for these patients. Buttressing the identification and treatment of depression in the cancer patient are vital, ongoing scientific developments that flow from an increased understanding of interactions among the brain, endocrine system, and immune system. This rapidly evolving body of neurobiological knowledge has catalyzed fundamental changes in how we conceptualize depression in cancer patients and has important ramifications regarding the treatment and prevention of depressive syndromes in this setting.

Depression is a common but treatable condition among cancer patients. Screening for depression can be done simply and effectively, and a variety of practical treatment strategies are available. Numerous factors should be

Because irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) is a topoisomerase I inhibitor with a broad spectrum of antitumor clinical activity, we investigated its activity in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs). Irinotecan at 300 mg/m² IV was administered every 21 days with intensive loperamide management of diarrhea.

Women at increased risk of breast cancer have important opportunities for early detection and prevention. There are, however, serious drawbacks to the available interventions. The magnitude of breast cancer risk is a crucial factor in the optimization of medical benefit when considering the efficacy of risk-reduction methods, the adverse effects of intervention, and economic and quality-of-life outcomes. Breast cancer risk assessment has become increasingly quantitative and is amenable to computerization. The assembly of risk factor information into practical, quantitative models for clinical and scientific use is relatively advanced for breast cancer, and represents a paradigm for broader risk management in medicine. Using a case-based approach, we will summarize the major breast cancer risk assessment models, compare and contrast their utility, and illustrate the role of genetic testing in risk management. Important considerations relevant to clinical oncology practice include the role of risk assessment in cancer prevention, the logistics of implementing risk assessment, the ramifications of conveying risk information with limited genetic counseling, and the mechanisms for genetics referral. Medical professionals can embrace new preventive medicine techniques more effectively by utilizing quantitative methods to assess their patients’ risks. [ONCOLOGY 16:1082-1099, 2002]

The hepatic metabolism and biliary secretion of irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) and metabolites is complex and involves cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, carboxylesterases, glucuronosyltransferase, and the ATP-dependent export pumps MRP-2 and MXR. Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAEDs) such as phenytoin and carbamazepine are known to induce several of the metabolic pathways relevant to ininotecan’s elimination. The North American Brain Tumor Consortium phase I study is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose and pharmacokinetics of irinotecan given every 3 weeks to patients who are receiving EIAEDs.

Irinotecan and mitomycin (Mutamycin) possess significant single-agent activity against several tumor types, and mitomycin activates topoisomerase I, the cellular target of irinotecan. We conducted a phase I dose-escalation study of irinotecan and mitomycin in 37 evaluable patients with solid tumors. Antitumor responses included 2 complete responses, 5 partial responses, 10 minor responses, and a CA 19-9 tumor marker response.

ORLANDO-Capecitabine (Xeloda) might one day replace infusional fluorouracil (5-FU) as a radiosensitizing platform in the chemoradiation of advanced gastrointestinal malignancies, according to Tyvin A. Rich, MD, professor of radiation oncology, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville. The oral fluoropyrimidine simplifies chemoradiation, is well tolerated, and is highly appealing to patients and physicians alike, he said.

HOUSTON-The COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex) appears to improve tumor response to capecitabine (Xeloda) and may help relieve hand-foot syndrome, according to results of a retrospective study by researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Lead investigator Edward H. Lin, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, said that the group is planning a prospective trial of the combination.

MANHASSET, New York-Early results from a phase I trial at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York, found irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) with capecitabine (Xeloda) to be well tolerated by patients with inoperable or metastatic solid tumors who had failed standard therapy or had no therapy options, according to an abstract published at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting (abstract 2127).

BARCELONA, Spain-A large European, multicenter phase II trial of XELOX-capecitabine (Xeloda) and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin, investigational in the United States)-as first-line therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer produced an objective response in 55% of patients.

ORLANDO-Evolving targeted therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer hold promise for greater therapeutic efficacy and improved quality of life for patients, according to Edward H. Lin, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Speaking at an industry-sponsored symposium held in conjunction with the ASCO meeting, Dr. Lin discussed the general concepts of targeted therapy and reviewed several treatments under investigation.

BETHESDA, Maryland-Wyeth Vaccines, a unit of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, has won a 5-year, $22.8 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The contract was awarded by NIAID’s HIV Vaccine Design and Development Teams (HVDDT) program, a public-private effort that seeks to accelerate the development of HIV vaccines.

ATLANTA-A novel breast imaging technology that uses radiowaves in the microwave frequency range to detect and locate lesions shows promise in preliminary case reports and will be entering clinical trials, said Allan Malmed, MD, medical director, Northwest Community Hospital Interdisciplinary Breast Center, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Dr. Malmed and his colleagues presented the findings at a poster session of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society (abstract 159).

SAN FRANCISCO-The drug anethole dithiolethione (ADT)-normally used for dry mouth and marketed as Sialor or Sulfarlem-reduced the risk of new or worsening dysplastic lesions in the lungs of current and former smokers by 22%, compared with placebo, according to a study presented at a late-breaking research session of the 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (abstract LB-119).

LOS ANGELES-The North American Brain Tumor Consortium (NABTC) reported that R115777 (Zarnesta) shows modest activity against recurrent glioblastoma multiforme and might be effective as a therapy for certain subtypes of these

SEATTLE-A response to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) independently predicts the outcome of AIDS-related lymphoma, underscoring the importance of giving HIV-positive patients this therapy whenever possible, Christian