Cancer
An Audit Of Analgesia Requirements For High-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy
High-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy, as performed at our institution, requires the insertion of multiple transperineal catheters under anaesthesia (hereafter referred to as the 'intraoperative' period), after which the patient is allowed to recover from anaesthesia and the treatment is planned and carried out with afterloading of the radioactive source in several treatment sessions over the course of two days (hereafter the 'postoperative' period). The catheters are kept in position by a template sutured to the perineum. At the time of introduction of this new therapy at our institution, we assumed the catheters themselves, the template and the urinary catheter, along with potential bladder spasm, would cause at least moderate p... More »
Research Conducted At Northwestern University Has Provided New Information About Lung Cancer
According to recent research from the United States, "We present the treatment rationale and study design of the PointBreak study, a phase III study of pemetrexed/carboplatin/bevacizumab induction followed by pemetrexed/bevacizumab maintenance (arm A) compared with paclitaxel/carboplatin/bevacizumab induction followed by bevacizumab maintenance (arm B) in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Treatment consists of up to 4 cycles of induction therapy followed by maintenance therapy until disease progression or treatment discontinuation in approximately 900 patients (450 per treatment arm)." "The efficacy objectives of this study are to compare overall survival (OS), response rates, disease control rates, p... More »
Avastin Plus Commonly Used Chemotherapies Improved Progression-Free Survival In Women With Previously Treated Advanced Breast Cancer
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group, today announced that a Phase III study (RIBBON 2) of Avastin(R) (bevacizumab) in combination with chemotherapy increased the time women with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer whose initial chemotherapy had stopped working lived without the disease worsening (progression-free survival or PFS), compared to chemotherapy alone. The doctors treating the women in the study chose the type of chemotherapy used in combination with Avastin and the chemotherapies were assessed together in the primary endpoint analysis. Adverse events were consistent with those previously reported for Avastin, and no new Avastin safety signals were observe... More »
Cost-Effectiveness Of Cetuximab In Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
From a health-care system perspective, it may be more efficient to use the drug cetuximab only in colorectal cancer patients whose tumors have a wild-type KRAS gene, according to a study published online August 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Earlier, patients whose tumors harbored wild-type KRAS were found to have a higher survival advantage when treated with cetuximab in a randomized trial by the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. In this study, Nicole Mittmann, of the HOPE Research Centre Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, in Toronto, and colleagues used prospectively collected resource utilization and health utility data from that trial to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis to determin... More »
New Study Finds Weight-lifting Eases Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
A structured weight-lifting program may help breast cancer survivors with lymphedema manage their symptoms, according to University of Pennsylvania researchers. More »
Does Aspirin Help Treat Colorectal Cancer?
Taking aspirin regularly may benefit colorectal cancer patients, a new study found. Yet more research is needed, experts say. More »
US Department Of Health And Human Services Grants Orphan Drug Status To Biocancell's Ovarian Cancer Drug
TEL AVIV, Israel -- Tikcro Technologies today announced that the United States ("US") Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") has granted orphan drug status to BioCancell's BC-819 drug, currently in Phase I/IIa clinical trials, for its use in treating ovarian cancer. Tikcro holds 36% of Biocancell (after conversion of notes and exercise of warrants), and 27% on a fully diluted basis. The US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") defines an orphan drug as one that treats a disease affecting less than 200,000 people each year. The main benefit received under orphan drug status is the right to market the drug exclusively for 7 years from the date it is approved. Additional benefits include certain tax benefits and w... More »
PharmaGap Releases Compelling Results For GAP-107B8 From The U.S. National Cancer Institute
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- PharmaGap Inc. ("PharmaGap" or "the Company") is pleased to announce results from the initial testing of its lead cancer drug GAP-107B8 by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI data clearly demonstrates significant inhibition of cancer cell growth at a low drug concentration (10 micronsM) across a wide range of human cancer cell lines that comprise the NCI-60 panel. As currently configured, the NCI-60 panel is comprised of 57 human cancer cell lines derived from 9 different cancers (breast, prostate, renal, ovarian, CNS, colon, lung, melanoma and leukemia). The Company is very pleased to report that in this test, GAP-107B8 demonstrated greater than 50% inhibition in cancer cell growth in 26... More »
Seattle Genetics Completes Enrollment Of Brentuximab Vedotin (SGN-35) Pivotal Trial For Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma
BOTHELL, Wash., -- Seattle Genetics, Inc. today announced that it has completed enrollment of its pivotal clinical trial of brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. Brentuximab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeted to CD30 utilizing the company's proprietary ADC technology. "Strong interest in brentuximab vedotin from investigators and patients has allowed us to rapidly complete our target enrollment of 100 patients in the pivotal trial in six months, emphasizing the substantial unmet medical need in the relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma setting," said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. "The pivotal trial allows for pa... More »
FDA Accepts To File Cell Therapeutics' New Drug Application For Pixantrone
SEATTLE -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted and has filed for review the Company's New Drug Application (NDA) for pixantrone as treatment for relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). A Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date will be established by the FDA regarding the review of the pixantrone NDA by September 4th 2009. "The FDA's acceptance to file our pixantrone NDA represents a significant milestone for CTI and for patients with relapsed and refractory aggressive NHL. We look forward to working with the FDA and their final decision on our request for priority review," noted James Bianco, M.D., Chief Executive Officer... More »