Oncology News and Research

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Oncology, meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''-logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

Statins appear to lessen chance of developing breast cancer

According to a new study women who are taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, such as Lipitor or Mevacor, appear to have much less chance of developing breast cancer.

16 May 2005

New study demonstrates high rates of tumor death in patients receiving regimen

A new pilot study suggests that treating soft-tissue sarcoma with a new regimen of intense chemotherapy and a short course of radiation before surgery may be beneficial. About 41 percent of study participants were found to have complete tumor death at the time of surgery.

16 May 2005

Bevacizumab (Avastin) combined with low-dose chemotherapy slows ovarian cancer

A targeted cancer drug given with low-dose chemotherapy shrank ovarian tumors and slowed progression of ovarian cancer in patients with recurrent disease, according to research findings presented by Agustin Garcia, M.D., principal investigator of the study and Director of Breast Cancer Research at the Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

16 May 2005

Colon cancer patients who took aspirin regularly fared better after surgery

Colon cancer patients who took aspirin regularly fared better after surgery, reducing their risk of disease recurrence and death by half compared to non-users, researchers will report at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

16 May 2005

Study shows the longest reported survival rate for patients with locally advanced lung cancer

Five-year data from a study evaluating the use of docetaxel (Taxotere) administered after cisplatin/etoposide chemotherapy plus radiation therapy demonstrate the best long-term survival rates reported in patients with locally advanced (Stage IIIB) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

16 May 2005

Genetic biomarker that may improve quality of life during treatment for colorectal cancer

A Mayo Clinic-led study has revealed a genetic biomarker that can predict which patients are most likely to experience unwanted side effects from one of the most commonly used and highly effective chemotherapy regimens designed to treat colorectal cancer.

16 May 2005

Vaccine candidate to treat nicotine addiction shows promise

Cytos Biotechnology AG has announced that its vaccine candidate CYT002-NicQb to treat nicotine addiction has achieved proof of efficacy.

16 May 2005

Taxotere shows significant survival benefit in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer

Final results from the largest international study in the treatment of advanced stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, demonstrated that patients who received a Taxotere (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate-based chemotherapy regimen (Taxotere, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) had significantly improved overall survival rates compared to patients who received a standard treatment (cisplatin and 5- fluorouracil).

16 May 2005

Zometa reduces bone loss in patients receiving breast cancer treatment

Data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, demonstrate that Zometa (zoledronic acid), an intravenous bisphosphonate, was shown to inhibit bone loss in postmenopausal women treated with Femara (letrozole) in the adjuvant breast cancer setting (directly following surgery to prevent cancer recurrence).

16 May 2005

Cancer can be found earlier in high-risk men if more aggressive screening criteria used

Men at high risk of developing prostate cancer should undergo aggressive screening for the disease. That is the recommendation following a Fox Chase Cancer Center study of 520 men at high-risk of developing prostate cancer in which 25 percent were diagnosed with the disease despite having a low PSA. The findings were presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 41st Annual Meeting.

15 May 2005

Breast cancer hormone drug might help prevent prostate cancer

A hormonal drug used to fight breast cancer might help prevent abnormal prostate growths from turning into cancers.

15 May 2005

Bevacizumab plus chemo extends survival beyond one year for large group of advanced lung cancer patients

Patients with a particular type of advanced lung cancer may have a new option based on data presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology showing that combining a drug that cuts off the cancer's blood supply with standard chemotherapy can shrink tumors and extend life.

15 May 2005

New anticancer drug SU11248 shows continued response for patients with late-stage kidney cancer

Recent studies of a new anticancer drug show continued response for patients with late-stage kidney cancer. Robert Motzer, MD, attending physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), reported a response rate of 40 percent in patients with metastatic (advanced) renal cell (kidney) cancer who received SU11248 in second-line therapy.

15 May 2005

Research findings help predict risk of blood clots in women receiving tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer

New research findings may help physicians determine which women have an increased risk of blood clots when taking tamoxifen for the management of breast cancer, a team led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators will report at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting.

15 May 2005

Black cohosh does not reduce hot flashes in women

Mayo Clinic researchers, working with North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) investigators, will present new study findings about treatments to reduce hot flashes in women. The research will be outlined during the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 13-17 in Orlando, Fla.

15 May 2005

Doctors and patients think differently about clinical trials

A survey of patients and physicians regarding clinical trials shows that doctors don't recognize the importance of side effects as a barrier for their patients in deciding about whether to undergo experimental therapy.

15 May 2005

Counting number of endothelial cells in blood may predict cancer treatment's effectiveness

Counting the amount of a type of normal cell circulating in the blood of people with cancer could predict whether a tumor progresses or responds to therapy, a new study led by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center has found. The finding could give doctors an early indication of whether a treatment will be successful, sparing patients months of an ineffective therapy.

15 May 2005

Herceptin could be used safely for bladder cancer

A targeted drug shown to improve the outcome of certain breast cancer patients may be of use in the treatment of advanced cases of bladder cancer, according to new research led by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

15 May 2005

Prostate cancer drug, Omnitarg by Genentech falls short

Research into an experimental prostate cancer drug being developed by Genentech Inc. will probably be abandoned after scientists found that the drug failed to prove effective in a mid-stage trial.

15 May 2005

Cytogen Corporation and Dowpharma collaborate to create a targeted oncology product designed to treat prostate and other cancers

Under the agreement, Dowpharma's proprietary MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant technology will be used to radiolabel Cytogen's prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody with a therapeutic radionuclide. PSMA is a protein highly expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells and the neovasculature of many solid tumors.

10 May 2005

Oncology News and Research

Further Reading

Statins appear to lessen chance of developing breast cancer

New study demonstrates high rates of tumor death in patients receiving regimen

Bevacizumab (Avastin) combined with low-dose chemotherapy slows ovarian cancer

Colon cancer patients who took aspirin regularly fared better after surgery

Study shows the longest reported survival rate for patients with locally advanced lung cancer

Genetic biomarker that may improve quality of life during treatment for colorectal cancer

Vaccine candidate to treat nicotine addiction shows promise

Taxotere shows significant survival benefit in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer

Zometa reduces bone loss in patients receiving breast cancer treatment

Cancer can be found earlier in high-risk men if more aggressive screening criteria used

Breast cancer hormone drug might help prevent prostate cancer

Bevacizumab plus chemo extends survival beyond one year for large group of advanced lung cancer patients

New anticancer drug SU11248 shows continued response for patients with late-stage kidney cancer

Research findings help predict risk of blood clots in women receiving tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer

Black cohosh does not reduce hot flashes in women

Doctors and patients think differently about clinical trials

Counting number of endothelial cells in blood may predict cancer treatment's effectiveness

Herceptin could be used safely for bladder cancer

Prostate cancer drug, Omnitarg by Genentech falls short

Cytogen Corporation and Dowpharma collaborate to create a targeted oncology product designed to treat prostate and other cancers

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