Oncology Times Broadcast News

Oncology Times Broadcast News: Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Capecitabine Equivalent to 5-FU in Irinotecan/Bevacizumab CombosAdding the oral drug capecitabine to a regimen of bevacizumab plus irinotecan was as effective as adding infusions of 5FU/folinic acid for patients who had metastatic colorectal cancer in a phase II study presented to the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona (24-27 June, 2009; Abstract: 0-0013). Michel Ducreux, Head of the Gastrointestinal Service at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, Paris, discussed the new evidence and its clinical implications with Peter Goodwin.

BARCELONA, SPAIN—Adding cetuximab to gemcitabine/oxaliplatin (GEMOX) chemotherapy controlled disease among two thirds of patients with advanced biliary cancer in a trial reported at the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer. Éveline Boucher from the Centre Eugene Marquis, in Rennes, France, presented preliminary findings from a phase II open-label study among 101 patients who had not already received palliative treatment for their advanced biliary cancers, and had WHO performance status 0-1.She discussed her team’s findings with Peter Goodwin.

Oncology Times Broadcast News: Stage IV Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumors: Sunitinib Monotherapy Increased Progression Free SurvivalTreatment of advanced pancreatic islet cell tumors with sunitinib has doubled progression-free survival in patients whose options have been very limited up to now, according to French researchers reporting their phase III randomized study findings at the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona (24-27 June, 2009; ABSTRACT: 0-0013). Eric Raymond from Beaujon University Hospital, Villejuif, France, gave Peter Goodwin his clinical interpretation of the findings.

11th Annual Palm Beach Cancer Symposium (April 3-4, 2009 Hollywood, Florida)—Peter Goodwin interviews John Macdonald, Chief Medical Officer of Aptium Oncology in Los Angeles about his data on the relevance of KRAS tumor status to the choice of molecular therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Whether the gene is wild-type or mutant determines sensitivity of the tumor to anti-epidermal growth factor or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor therapy. Dr Macdonald also discusses the disappointing finding that blocking both of these proliferation pathways does not lead to improved efficacy when two targeted drugs are used in combination.

11th Annual Palm Beach Cancer Symposium (April 3-4, 2009 Hollywood, Florida)—Peter Goodwin interviews Hagop Kantarjian MD from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston about his latest findings on treating CML in patients who have the T315I mutation. He also discusses the feasibility of patients becoming pregnant while having tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment (among those who have achieved stability for at least two years); and talks about the decreased need for allogeneic transplant.

11th Annual Palm Beach Cancer Symposium (April 3-4, 2009 Hollywood, Florida)—Peter Goodwin interviews Marshall Posner MD from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston about the increased prevalence of oropharygeal cancers which are related to HPV infection. These tumors may be less aggressive than cancers testing negative for HPV, and have proved more responsive to the most effective modern therapies which use docetaxel along with cisplatin and fluorouracil for induction prior to standard chemo-radiotherapy. He discusses the need for biological agents and drugs directed against the human papilloma virus which is essential for maintaining malignant phenotype and the urgency of vaccinating 12 to 24 year olds to reduce the pool of infection.

Oncology Times Broadcast News with the Audio Journal of OncologyReporting from: 10th European Congress Perspectives in Lung Cancer, Brussels March 6-7, 2009 and Journal of Clinical OncologyBilateral Prophylactic Mastetomy For DCISTodd Tuttle from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and Abram Recht from Harvard Medical School and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston about the increasing use of prophylactic bilateral mastectomy, already reported in breast cancer and now revealed from the SEER database in ductal carcinoma in situ.

Oncology Times Broadcast News with the Audio Journal of OncologyReporting from: 10th European Congress Perspectives in Lung Cancer, Brussels March 6-7, 2009 and Journal of Clinical OncologyInsulin-Like Growth Factor Inhibition In Lung CancerSilvia Novello, and Giorgio Scagliotti from the University of Turin about harnessing insulin-like growth factor receptor inhibition in a phase II study which has shown clinical activity of figitumomab at least as significant as inhibitors of other growth factors already being used in cancer.

Oncology Times Broadcast NewsSwedish Registry Study Shows Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increased All Cardiovascular MortalityMieke Van Hemelrijck at ECCO15-ESMO34 on findings that cardiovascular mortality from heart failure and arrhythmia in addition to ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction increased among patients treated with endocrine therapy—of whatever type—for their prostate cancer.

Oncology Times Broadcast NewsAromatase Inhibitor Better than Tamoxifen for Initial Adjuvant Therapy for HR- Positive Breast Cancer, But Compliance an Issue!Cornelis van de Velde at ECCO15-ESMO34 on the largest comparison of an aromatase inhibitor with tamoxifen as initial adjuvant therapy for patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer–analysis of results from the TEAM (Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational) study reported at ECCO15-ESMO34.