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I am writing in reference to your “Oncology Rounds” section in the September 2000 issue of Oncology News International (page 18). In the first case, entitled “What further therapy for this woman postmastectomy?” I noted that in the answer given by I. Craig Henderson, MD, there was no specific mention of adjuvant radiation therapy.

CALLAHAN, Australia-A new study suggests that the Faces Pain Scale (FPS) is “sensitive and discriminating” for use in evaluating pain in young children, but does not function as a truly linear scale. Children in the study had difficulty discriminating among Faces 3, 4, and 5 and between Faces 5 and 6, said Mark Hunter, PhD, of the Department of Psychology, University of Newcastle.

BETHESDA, Md-Two new research centers funded by the National Institutes of Health will focus on basic and clinical research of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) cancer therapies. The centers, at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania, will each receive nearly $8 million over 5 years.

NEW YORK-About 85% of cancer patients in a national survey said they were unsure or unaware of their possible eligibility to be in clinical trials, and 75% said they would have tried to enroll had they known.

BOSTON-A new electrosurgical tool that seals blood vessels without staples or vascular clips is safe and effective for laparoscopic colon surgery, according to a study reported at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) annual meeting.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC-Trizivir, Glaxo-Wellcome’s new triple-drug anti-HIV combination, has received FDA approval. The agent is given as one tablet twice daily, with no food or water restrictions.

HOUSTON-Supportive care for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation presents a series of challenges, from regimen-related toxicity to chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), said Daniel Couriel, MD, assistant professor of blood and marrow transplantation, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

WASHINGTON-Several health groups have demanded that R.J. Reynolds Co. withdraw its new Eclipse cigarette from test marketing after an analysis showed that the cigarette exposes smokers to greater amounts of carcinogens than two currently available “ultralight” brands. The company has said that Eclipse contains fewer carcinogens than other cigarettes and may reduce the risk of smoking-related cancers.

BOSTON-Patients diagnosed with orbital lymphoma should have a complete staging workup before radiation therapy, according to a Rare Cancer Network presentation at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting.

WASHINGTON-“Without even waiting for the research of tomorrow, we could save tens or hundreds of thousand of lives if we could apply 100% of what we know now about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Gabriel Hortobagyi, MD, chairman of Breast Medical Oncology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. “There is still a persistent gap between what we have learned and its application into clinical practice, simply because the translation of research into clinical practice is very slow.”

BETHESDA, Md-The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched its new antismoking initiative, Research in State and Community Tobacco Control Interventions, by awarding 12 grants totaling $13 million. The money will support the first year of 4-year research projects on local, state, and multistate tobacco prevention and control programs.

The book Progress in Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy, Volume II is the second of a series of three books edited by Drs. Hortobagyi and Khayat, and published by different publishing houses between 1998 and 1999. Volume II is a collection of

PHILADELPHIA-The Society for Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy (NOAT) is an interdisciplinary professional organization that addresses the role of nutrition and metabolism in oncology. Founded in 1994, NOAT is the first organization devoted solely to studying the role of nutrition in cancer (see box).

CHICAGO-The diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) usually is straightforward from a pathologic point of view. However, microinvasion and histologically ambiguous lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) lesions may be difficult to distinguish from DCIS, Stuart Schnitt, MD, said at the Second Annual Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium, sponsored by Northwestern University Medical School.

CHICAGO-Results from two published prospective randomized clinical trials of women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) show that radiotherapy after wide excision reduces local recurrence by 7% to 15%, said Melvin J. Silverstein, MD, who does not believe radiotherapy is suitable for all women with this form of breast disease.

BOSTON-David H. Hussey, MD, president of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), predicts that increased assessment of physician competence will have a profound and positive effect on medical training for new and practicing physicians in all medical specialties.

People over the age of 65 are a fast-growing segment of the US population, and with the incidence of cancer increasing with age, the challenges of treating older cancer patients are also on the rise. Drs. Lichtman and Skirvin present a comprehensive review of the antineoplastic agents used in elderly cancer patients. They highlight the important factors of chemotherapy pharmacology in elderly cancer patients, with emphasis on the impact of physiologic changes-especially renal clearance-in dosing and toxicity. In addition, descriptions of significant toxicities are provided. The following additional issues should be considered.

The world’s population is aging. Older age is associated with an increase in the incidence of cancer, especially cancer of the breast, lung, prostate, and colon. The management of older patients with cancer is biased by the

People over the age of 65 are a fast-growing segment of the US population, and with the incidence of cancer increasing with age, the challenges of treating older cancer patients are also on the rise. Drs. Lichtman and Skirvin present a comprehensive review of the antineoplastic agents used in elderly cancer patients. They highlight the important factors of chemotherapy pharmacology in elderly cancer patients, with emphasis on the impact of physiologic changes-especially renal clearance-in dosing and toxicity. In addition, descriptions of significant toxicities are provided. The following additional issues should be considered.

CHICAGO-Low literacy remains a formidable stumbling block preventing many Americans from receiving optimal cancer treatment and preventive measures.

Among the serious complications associated with bone marrow transplantation are invasive fungal infections caused by organisms such as Candida and Aspergillus species and end-organ disease caused by

Among the serious complications associated with bone marrow transplantation are invasive fungal infections caused by organisms such as Candida and Aspergillus species and end-organ disease caused by

Drs. Lichtman and Skirvin have written an excellent review on the pharmacology of antineoplastic agents in older cancer patients. However, as in any text (often due to space limitations), one can find shortcomings, some of which will be covered in this commentary.

Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) is a novel antineoplastic platinum derivative that may exert its cytotoxic effects by blocking DNA replication/transcription, thus resulting in cell death in proliferating cells, as well as apoptosis.

The Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) of the National Cancer Institute(NCI) currently sponsors more than 160 Investigational New Drug applications

A significant number of patients with colorectal cancer will present with hepatic metastases as their only site of metastatic disease. Surgical resection in patients with a limited number of metastases will lead to long-term

Tobacco use, particularly smoking, remains the number 1 cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. This report of the Surgeon General on smoking and health is the first to offer a composite review of the various methods used to

Second-line therapy is a relatively newconcept for gastrointestinal oncologists. Although retreatment with fluorouracil

Among the serious complications associated with bone marrow transplantation are invasive fungal infections caused by organisms such as Candida and Aspergillus species and end-organ disease caused by

Chemotherapy for advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction carcinomas remains suboptimal. Both irinotecan (Camptosar) and cisplatin (Platinol) are active against this group of malignancies. This article focuses