Daily Cancer News

CancerConsultants provides summaries of new treatment strategies as they are discovered and reported by cancer physicians around the world. Our medical staff attends medical meetings worldwide and reviews medical literature daily to ensure appropriate news is provided to cancer patients and their families in a timely manner.

News of the results of recent clinical trials evaluating cancer therapies and supportive care strategies serve to educate patients regarding new treatment strategies for cancer and facilitate discussions with their doctor. Development of new cancer treatments usually begins in patients with recurrent or metastatic cancers. Once the new treatment appears effective, it is applied to earlier stages of the disease or to patients at higher risk of treatment failure.

Latest Cancer News

Women&Cancer to Be Featured on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, June 23 (07/03/2008)
Women&Cancer magazine’s executive editor Charles H. Weaver will appear on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, June 23rd to discuss the magazine’s mission of delivering information and inspiration to women affected by a cancer diagnosis with the show’s fourth-hour co-anchor Hoda Kotb.

Maintenance Rituxan® Is Safe for Follicular Lymphoma (07/03/2008)
Continued treatment for up to two years with Rituxan® (rituximab) is a safe therapeutic approach for the treatment of follicular lymphoma. These results were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Motesanib Diphosphate Provides Anticancer Activity Among Patients with Progressive Thyroid Cancer (07/03/2008)
The investigative agent motesanib diphosphate (AMG 706) produces a regression of cancer among patients with thyroid cancer that is progressing despite standard therapies. These results were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

LYN Kinase Affects Sensitivity to Gleevec® in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (07/01/2008)
A protein structure known as the LYN kinase appears to play an important role in the effectiveness of Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cancer cells. These results were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Blood Test and Symptoms Help Detect Ovarian Cancer (06/30/2008)
Symptoms associated with ovarian cancer combined with a blood test can help detect ovarian cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. These results were recently published in the journal Cancer.

Sprycel® Effective for Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (06/27/2008)
The targeted agent Sprycel® (dasatinib) is an effective treatment for patients newly diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). These results were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Flavopiridol Has Significant Activity in Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (06/26/2008)
Flavopiridol provides pronounced anticancer activity among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that has stopped responding to prior therapies. These results were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago May 30-June 2.

Finasteride May Prevent Prostate Cancer Without Increased Risk of Aggressive Cancers (06/26/2008)
Treatment with finasteride for seven years reduced the incidence of prostate cancer by approximately 25% without increasing the incidence of aggressive prostate cancers. These findings, which included a reanalysis of previously reported results, were published in Cancer Prevention Research.

Tasigna® Effective for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (06/25/2008)
The targeted agent Tasigna® (nilotinib) appears to be an effective treatment for patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). These results were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

More than Half of Oncology Nurses Stop or Delay Chemotherapy Due to Nausea and Vomiting (06/24/2008)
More than half of oncology nurses will completely stop or delay their patients’ chemotherapy regimens due to nausea and vomiting induced by therapy. Such findings underscore an unmet need in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). These results were recently released from a survey conducted at the 2008 annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) meeting.

Oncotype DX® Also Provides Information About Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status (06/24/2008)
Oncotype DX®, a genomic test that predicts likelihood of chemotherapy benefit and risk of recurrence among women with early-stage breast cancer, also provides information about the estrogen and progesterone receptor status of breast cancers. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Bone Marker Associated with Survival in Breast, Prostate, and Lung Cancers (06/23/2008)
The bone marker N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) is associated with skeletal-related events and survival among patients with cancer that has spread to the bone (bone metastases). Improved outcomes may be achieved by reducing these markers through treatment with agents such as Zometa® (zoledronic acid). These results were recently published in the journal Cancer.

Velcade® Approved for Initial Therapy of Multiple Myeloma (06/23/2008)
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Velcade® (bortezomib) as initial therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Velcade is already approved for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received prior therapies, as well as for patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received prior therapies. These results were recently published in a press release by Millennium Pharmaceuticals.

Salvage Radiotherapy Improves Prostate Cancer-specific Survival (06/24/2008)
Radiation therapy following a recurrence of prostate cancer may reduce deaths specifically caused by the disease. These results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Patient’s Own Immune Cells Help Attack Melanoma (06/20/2008)
Results from one patient involved in a clinical trial have demonstrated that a complete regression of advanced melanoma may occur with the use of a patient’s own immune cells.

Statins May Reduce Acute Graft-versus-host Disease (06/18/2008)
Researchers from Ohio State University have reported that statins may reduce the risk of developing acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) among patients who undergo allogeneic stem cell transplants. These results were reported at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, May 30-June 2.

Fareston® Decreases Spinal Fractures in Men with Prostate Cancer (06/10/2008)
Among prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), treatment with Fareston® (toremifene citrate) reduces the risk of new spinal fractures. These results were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Gemzar® Improves Survival with Early Pancreatic Cancer (06/10/2008)
Adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy with Gemzar® (gemcitabine) significantly improves disease-free and overall survival among patients with early pancreatic cancer. These findings were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Mayo Clinic Reports Increasing Use of Mastectomy for Early-stage Breast Cancer (06/09/2008)
The number of mastectomies performed for early-stage breast cancer at the Mayo Clinic increased by 13% over a three-year period. Increasing use of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may explain some of the increased use of mastectomy. These results were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

VePesid®/Platinol® Remains Standard-of-care for Small Cell Lung Cancer (06/07/2008)
For patients diagnosed with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), the standard-of-care remains the chemotherapy combination of VePesid® (etoposide) and Platinol® (cisplatin). A recent study indicates that Camptosar® (irinotecan) plus Platinol does not improve survival in SCLC compared with VePesid/Platinol. These findings were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Nexavar® Improves Survival in Recurrent Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (06/06/2008)
Patients with recurrent non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with Nexavar® (sorafenib) experienced a delay in disease progression and a possible improvement in overall survival. These findings were reported at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Acupuncture Reduces Pain After Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer (06/06/2008)
According to the results of a study presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, acupuncture is more effective than usual care in reducing pain and dysfunction following neck dissection (surgical removal of lymph nodes on side of neck where cancer has migrated) for head and neck cancer.

Tykerb® Effective in Recurrent Inflammatory Breast Cancer (06/06/2008)
Among women with recurrent HER2-positive inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), treatment with Tykerb® (lapatinib) is effective, even among patients whose cancer has progressed following treatment with Herceptin® (trastuzumab). These results were recently reported at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Targeted Therapy with Tykerb® and Herceptin® Improves Survival of Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer (06/06/2008)
Among women with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer who have been previously treated with Herceptin® (trastuzumab), the combination of Tykerb® (lapatinib) and Herceptin improves progression-free survival, and possibly overall survival, compared with Tykerb alone. These findings were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Sites of Recurrence in Breast Cancer May Differ from Primary Cancer (06/06/2008)
Among women with recurrent breast cancer, sites of cancer recurrence may have HER2 of hormone-receptor status that differs from the primary tumor. As such, individual biopsies of sites of cancer recurrence may be required in order to ensure optimal treatment. These findings were recently reported at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Novel Vaccine May Improve Survival in Brain Cancer (06/05/2008)
An investigative vaccine known as CDX-110 may improve survival for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a form of brain cancer. These results were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, Illinois.

Blood Test Shows Promise for Early Detection of Lung Cancer (06/05/2008)
According to the results of a study presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), an experimental blood test may eventually allow for earlier detection of lung cancer in smokers.

Single Dose of Carboplatin as Effective as Radiation Therapy for Testicular Cancer (06/05/2008)
Among men with Stage I seminoma (a type of testicular cancer), post-surgery treatment with a single dose of the chemotherapy drug carboplatin is as effective as two to three weeks of radiation therapy, and also reduces the risk of cancer in the other testicle. These results were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Conventional Chemotherapy Outperforms Xeloda® in Older Breast Cancer Patients (06/04/2008)
Among women aged 65 or older with operable breast cancer, risk of recurrence and risk of death were higher among those treated with Xeloda® (capecitabine) than among those treated with standard chemotherapy. These were the results of the CALGB/CTSU 49907 trial, presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Study Confirms Efficacy of Sutent® for Initial Treatment of Metastatic Kidney Cancer (06/04/2008)
According to updated results from a Phase III clinical trial, initial treatment of metastatic kidney cancer with Sutent® (sunitinib) results in significantly better response rates and progression-free survival than treatment with interferon alfa. These results were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Avastin® Improves Survival in Recurrent Brain Cancer (06/04/2008)
Patients with recurrent glioblastoma (a form of brain cancer) who were treated with Avastin® (bevacizumab) alone experienced a slight survival advantage compared with patients treated with Avastin plus Camptosar® (irinotecan). These results were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Addition of Avastin® to Taxotere® Improves Progression-free Survival in Advanced Breast Cancer (06/04/2008)
Women with advanced HER2-negative breast cancer who were treated with Avastin® (bevacizumab) in addition to Taxotere® (docetaxel) experienced longer progression-free survival than those treated with Taxotere alone. Furthermore, higher doses of Avastin resulted in greater improvements to progression-free survival. These results were recently reported at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Addition of RAD001 to Femara® Improves Response to Breast Cancer Treatment (06/02/2008)
According to the results of a Phase II clinical trial, the addition of the investigational drug RAD001 (everolimus) to Femara® (letrozole) enhanced tumor shrinkage among postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Erbitux® plus Chemotherapy Modestly Improves Survival in Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (06/02/2008)
According to results of a Phase III clinical trial, initial treatment of advanced non–small cell lung cancer with the targeted therapy Erbitux® (cetuximab) plus chemotherapy improves overall survival by roughly five weeks compared with chemotherapy alone. These results were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Zometa® Improves Outcomes in Premenopausal Women with Hormone-positive Breast Cancer (06/02/2008)
Women with early-stage breast cancer who were treated with Zometa® (zoledronic acid) lived longer without experiencing a cancer recurrence than premenopausal women not treated with Zometa. The results of this clinical study were recently presented at the 2008 annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

FDA Approves Non-anthracycline Chemotherapy Regimen plus Herceptin® for Early Breast Cancer (06/02/2008)
Based on the results of a Phase III clinical trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two new Herceptin® (trastuzumab)-containing regimens for the adjuvant treatment of early HER2-positive breast cancer. One of these regimens does not contain an anthracycline, and appears to be less likely than anthracycline-containing regimens to cause heart problems.

Breast Cancer and Environment Research Act Calls for Research into Causes of Breast Cancer (06/02/2008)
If signed into law, the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Act (H.R. 1157) would create programs and funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for increased research into environmental causes of breast cancer. According to a press release from the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), at a Wednesday, May 21, 2008, hearing before the House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, representatives for the NBCC testified in support of H.R. 1157.

Relistor® Improves Opioid-induced Constipation (05/29/2008)
The newly approved agent Relistor® (methylnaltrexone) provides relief for patients with constipation caused by use of opioids. These results were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

June 1st Is National Cancer Survivors Day® (05/28/2008)
Now in its 21^st year, National Cancer Survivors Day® (NCSD) is celebrated annually on the first Sunday in June throughout the United States and Canada, as well as several other countries. This year NCSD will take place on Sunday, June 1^st, to honor cancer survivors and their caregivers and healthcare providers as well as recognize that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.

Oral Health Linked to Cancer Risk (05/27/2008)
Poor oral health can significantly increase the risk of developing several types of cancers. These results were recently reported in the Lancet Oncology.

Updates in the Management of Gynecologic Cancers (05/27/2008)
A Report from the 39^th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists

Results from ChemoFX® Associated with Survival in Ovarian Cancer Patients (05/27/2008)
Results provided by the laboratory test ChemoFX® may improve survival among patients with ovarian cancer. These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and will be presented at the upcoming 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Continued Treatment with Alimta® Delays Progression of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (05/23/2008)
Treatment with the chemotherapy agent Alimta® (pemetrexed) following initial chemotherapy significantly delays disease progression in non–small cell lung cancer. These results were recently reported by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and will be presented at their upcoming annual meeting.

Urologic and Colorectal Cancer Rates Linked in New Study (05/22/2008)
Individuals who have been diagnosed with urologic cancers have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, and vice versa, according to data recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. These results may provide potential changes in screening guidelines.

Ted Kennedy’s Recent Diagnosis of Glioblastoma Raises Awareness of Brain Cancer (05/22/2008)
The recent diagnosis of Ted Kennedy with brain cancer has raised awareness of this disease which affects approximately 20,000 people in the United States each year, but individuals should be encouraged as they fight this illness; the treatment options available today are providing more hope than ever before.

Cediranib Prolongs Survival in Recurrent Glioblastoma (05/22/2008)
The investigative agent cediranib (AZD2171) appears to prolong survival among patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. These results were recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2008 annual meeting.

Vitamin D Affects Outcomes in Breast Cancer (05/21/2008)
Women with early breast cancer who have low blood levels of vitamin D have a worse outcome than those with adequate levels of vitamin D. These results were recently released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

MVP Does Not Provide Benefit in Mesothelioma Patients (05/21/2008)
The chemotherapy agent Navelbine® (vinorelbine) may improve outcomes for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. However, the combination chemotherapy regimen referred to as MVP (mitoxantrone, vinblastine, and cisplatin) does not provide any benefit for patients with this disease. These results were published in The Lancet.

Childhood Cancer Survivors Have Increased Risk of Heart Disease (05/23/2008)
Survivors of childhood cancers have an approximately five- to tenfold increased risk of developing heart complications in early adulthood than the general population. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recently released these results.

Non-invasive Test Effective for Colorectal Cancer Screening (05/30/2008)
A new, non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test from Exact Sciences is now available and supported by the American Cancer Society and other major medical groups. Study results showing the test’s efficacy have been reported in the April 2008 supplement of Gastroenterology.

Women&Cancer Magazine Profiles the National Brain Tumor Foundation (05/21/2008)
An article published in the Spring 2008 issue of Women&Cancer magazine profiles the National Brain Tumor Foundation, which was founded in 1981 by survivors and families who recognized the need to fund research and advocate for a cure for brain tumors.