Study Gives Terminal Patients Option: $18,000 or More Treatment
July 1st 1996ASCO--Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center have launched what is believed to be the first willingness-to-pay study done in a real-life setting. Thomas J. Smith, MD, reported on potential problems created by the innovative study design at a scientific session of the ASCO annual meeting in Philadelphia.
Proven: Colorectal Screening Cuts Deaths 50%
July 1st 1996SAN FRANCISCO--Average-risk individuals over age 50 can be effectively screened for colorectal cancer by use of annual fecal occult blood testing and sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, John H. Bond, MD, said at a press conference during Digestive Disease Week (DDW).
State of the Art in Umbilical Cord Transplantation
July 1st 1996Every day thousands of babies are born in hospitals across America. These births offer opportunities to cure patients of leukemia and other life-threatening diseases. The opportunities lie in the routinely disposed placentas and umbilical cords.
Virtual Colonoscopy Technique Feasible in Detecting Polyps
July 1st 1996SAN DIEGO--Use of two- and three-dimensional helical computed tomographic colography (CTC) appears to be a feasible technique for the detection of colorectal polyps, Mayo Clinic researcher Amy K. Hara, MD, said at the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting.
FDA Liaison Program Answers Patients' Questions About Trials
July 1st 1996BETHESDA, Md--The volume of calls from cancer patients to the FDA's Cancer Liaison Program has increased steadily since the program was established at the end of 1993, Patty Delaney of the FDA said at a meeting of the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC)
New Company Joins With RPR To Develop Intrabody Technology
July 1st 1996COLLEGEVILLE, Penn--Intra-immune Therapies, Inc., a new company formed by Dr. Wayne Marasco, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has joined the Rhône-Poulenc Rorer Gencell network to help accelerate the development of its innovate intrabody, or intracellular antibody, technology.
Long-Term Consequences of the Breast Implant Debate
July 1st 1996The full effects of the breast-implant controversy are far-reaching, and will probably not be entirely felt for years. They certainly extend beyond the question of whether breast implants are safe, important though that question is. The narrow
Klausner Requests Funds for Five Important 'Investment Opportunities' in Cancer Research
July 1st 1996WASHINGTON--In an unusual budgetary maneuver, NCI director Richard Klausner, MD, has asked Congress to give the Institute an added $269.5 million in fiscal year 1998 to fund "extraordinary opportunities for new investments" in the battle against cancer.
CDC Says Teen Smoking Still Rising
July 1st 1996ATLANTA--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a report stating that teenage smoking has increased from 27.5% of all high school students in 1991 to 34.8% in 1995. And smoking among African-American boys has doubled, from 14.1% in 1991 to 27.8% in 1995.
Chemoradiation Boosts Survival in Patients With Nasopharynx Cancer
July 1st 1996ASCO--The preliminary results of an Intergroup study of patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer show a highly significant improvement in survival with the use of chemoradia-tion, compared with radiation alone, Muhyi Al-Sarraf, MD, said at the ASCO plenary session.
PCR-Based HIV Test Monitors Viral Load
July 1st 1996BRANCHBURG, NJ--Roche Diagnostic Systems Inc.'s Amplicor H.I.V.-1 monitor test for use in determining viral load in individuals infected with HIV has received FDA approval for marketing. The test uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to measure HIV genetic material in the blood.
NCI Acts as Catalyst for New Middle East Cancer Consortium
July 1st 1996BETHESDA, Md--The National Cancer Institute has orchestrated an agreement between the Ministers of Health of Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. The five ministers recently gathered in Geneva to sign the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC) agreement.
FDA Approves Camptosar for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
July 1st 1996GAITHERSBURG, Md--By a unanimous vote, the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) recommended accelerated approval of Pharmacia & Upjohn's Camptosar (irinotecan hydrochloride injection), and the FDA responded by giving its ok to the drug 28 hours later.
Zosyn Is Cleared for Treatment Of Nosocomial Pneumonia
July 1st 1996ST. DAVIDS, Penn--Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories' Zosyn (pipera-cillin/tazobactam) is now indicated for use in treating moderate to severe nosocomial pneumonia caused by piperacillin-resistant beta-lactamase-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus. In a multicenter study of 300 patients with nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of clinical cure or improvement for Zosyn plus tobramycin was 74%, compared with 50% for cef-tazidime plus tobramycin, the company said.
University of Pittsburgh, Abbott Labs to Develop Ras Inhibitors
July 1st 1996PITTSBURGH--The University of Pittsburgh, through the researchof investigators Saïd Sebti, PhD, and Andrew Hamilton, PhD,has entered into a research agreement with Abbott Laboratoriesto develop novel cancer drugs that block the activity of the rasoncogene.
Defining the Role of Post-Mastectomy Radiotherapy: The New Evidence
July 1st 1996I will briefly comment on two points discussed by Pierce and Lichter in their thorough review: (1) the recently published Oxford overview analysis of locoregional therapies [1], and (2) which patients may benefit from postmastectomy radiotherapy.
Anorexia/Cachexia in Patients with HIV: Lessons for the Oncologist
July 1st 1996This article provides a nice overview of HIV-associated wasting. The paper makes a number of strong points. In particular, it focuses on anorexia and decreased oral intake as key to wasting. In this vein, both the discussion by Von Roenn and Knopf and Tables 1 and 2 offer a very valuable review of the multiple reasons why HIV-infected patients may eat less. Given the many medications that we often need to use in these patients, the text discussion about the ways in which medications can result in decreased oral intake, reinforced by Table 2, is particularly useful.
Insurance Policies for Cancer: Made in Japan
July 1st 1996The financial burden of a long-term illness such as cancer can be devastating, with as much as 66% of the costs of cancer being nonmedical[1]. These financial concerns are leading some Americans to buy insurance policies that, upon diagnosis of cancer, assist them in paying for their care.
Anorexia/Cachexia in Patients with HIV: Lessons for the Oncologist
July 1st 1996Von Roenn and Knopf provide a balanced review of the pathophysiology and treatment options for anorexia and cachexia associated with HIV and cancer. This is an important topic that cuts across subspecialty lines and typically frustrates clinicians. Fortunately, more has probably been learned about HIV-associated cachexia during the past decade than about cancer-associated cachexia during the previous three decades and a number of treatment options have emerged. The reader may therefore benefit from a summary of the practical implications of recent research on HIV-associated wasting. Several clinical guidelines can be recommended:
Combinations of Hormones and Local Therapies in Locally Advanced Prostate Carcinoma
July 1st 1996Eulau and Corn provide an excellent review of the current status of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy combined with radiation therapy or surgery in the management of locally advanced prostatic cancer. They comprehensively describe the
Anorexia/Cachexia in Patients with HIV: Lessons for the Oncologist
July 1st 1996Early intervention and attention to nutritional status are essential in patients with cachexia. Identification of reversible causes of decreased energy intake and/or weight loss is the first step in treatment. When such factors
Patent Granted for MoAbs Used in Neoprobe's RIGScan Products
July 1st 1996DUBLIN, Ohio--Neoprobe Corporation has announced that a patent granted to Jeffrey Schlom, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute, and David Colcher, PhD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, covers claims to composition of matter for a large group of second-generation monoclonal antibodies that target the tumor-associated antigen TAG-72.
System Using Interactive Video Brings Oncology Services to Rural Kansans
July 1st 1996ASCO--After more than a year of operating a teleoncology service, University of Kansas researchers have seen no discrepancies between consultations conducted via interactive video and subsequent on-site assessments. The University turned to teleoncology to better serve patients in sparsely settled areas of the state, Gary C. Doolittle, MD, co-director of the telemedicine service, said in his ASCO presentation in Philadelphia.