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Volume 4, Number 2 (February 2007) | |||||
Letter from the Editor |
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What practitioners—and their patients—want to know Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA Three articles in this month’s issue focus on breast cancer: an elegant new technology that detects circulating tumor cells in advanced breast cancer; a recap of data on the new HER1/HER2 oral inhibitor lapatinib in metastatic disease, along with the perspectives of three community practitioners; and the use of a newly approved drug pregabalin (Lyrica) to treat hot flashes in breast cancer patients on chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. We also detail brachytherapy in prostate cancer and anemia management, discuss hospice care, and more.
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Community Translations |
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Dual HER1/HER2 inhibitor lapatinib in advanced/metastatic breast cancer Many patients with HER2-positive breast cancer progress while on trastuzumab (Herceptin), developing new lesions, including brain metastases. Recent studies have shown that treatment of these patients with lapatinib (Tykerb) and capecitabine (Xeloda) more than doubled the duration of progression-free survival compared with capecitabine therapy alone. Lapatinib is currently being tested with other combinations of drugs and in different clinical settings. Approval of lapatinib by the US Food and Drug Administration is expected soon. | ||||
FROM THE COMMUNITY ONCOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE Blue Ridge Cancer Care, Roanoke, VA | |||||
FROM THE NURSE'S PERSPECTIVE Blue Ridge Cancer Care, Roanoke, VA | |||||
FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR'S PERSPECTIVE US Oncology, Inc., Norfolk, VA
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Controversies in Patient Care |
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Circulating tumor cells in the management of metastatic breast cancer patients Fairfax Northern Virginia Hematology/Oncology, Fairfax, VA Although there have been many treatment advances in metastatic breast cancer over the past 10 years, diagnostic tools for selecting the appropriate pharmacologic agent have not kept pace with them. Recent studies have identified both the prognostic and predictive utility of determining the number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with metastatic breast cancer. In this article, the author shares his positive experience with CTCs in predicting therapeutic success or failure in this patient population and offers a treatment algorithm to guide the use and interpretation of CTC levels over the course of treatment.
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Original Contribution |
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Brachytherapy for prostate cancer Florida Center for Prostate Care, Jacksonville, FL Radioactive prostate seed implantation (brachytherapy) can be effectively used as monotherapy for early-stage prostate cancer. The technique is also efficacious in the salvage treatment of locally recurrent prostate cancer previously treated with external radiation. In properly selected patients, up to 70% of men are rendered disease free following treatment. Long-term side effects are minimal.
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Managing Side Effects |
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Iron or vitamin B12 deficiency in anemic cancer patients prior to erythropoiesis-stimulating agent therapy Joan Karnell Cancer Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, and Watson Laboratories, Inc., Morristown, NJ Common in patients with cancer, anemia is caused by factors including inflammatory cytokines, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are an effective anemia treatment in these patients, but approximately 35% of patients do not achieve an adequate hematologic response. Supplemental parenteral iron therapy has improved the response to ESAs in some patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia. The authors describe results of a trial they initiated to determine whether oral or intravenous iron would make a difference in hematologic response to epoetin alfa compared with no iron in iron-replete patients with cancer and anemia undergoing chemotherapy.
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Having Your Say |
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67 |
It’s time to rethink the rationale of the Medicare Hospice Benefit Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc., Jacksonville The head of one of the largest hospices in the country takes issue with the outdated notion that, for cancer patients, entering hospice must mean giving up on treatment–and hope.
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Letters to the Editor |
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Clinical research and clinical experience: a discussion A follow-up to an article on managing the side effects of targeted therapy for renal cell carcinoma.
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Brief Communications |
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Palliation of vasomotor instability (“hot flashes”) using pregabalin Wilshire Oncology Medical Group, Inc., West Covina, CA Pregabalin (Lyrica), approved for neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, and seizures, is effective for hot flashes too.
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Washington Update |
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Your political action guide to Congress Community Oncology Alliance, Washington, DC The basics about Washington power brokers and the movers who can shake things up.
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Meetings Highlights |
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FROM THE 48TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY | |||||
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CML patients with imatinib-resistant mutations responsive to dasatinib and nilotinib
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Long-term responses seen with rituximab in patients with ITP
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Rituximab plus CHOP improves outcomes in elderly with follicular lymphoma
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Iron chelation therapy improves survival in MDS
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MDS patients with pretransplant neutropenia at risk for infections, higher mortality
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© 2007 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. |
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