Oncology Times Broadcast News

Oncology Times Broadcast News

Swedish Registry Study Shows Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increased All Cardiovascular Mortality

Mieke 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 News

Aromatase 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.

John Burn talking at ECCO15-ESMO34 in Berlin about his international study showing that aspirin prevented the development of Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer in people genetically at risk for the disease.

Oncology Times Broadcast News

For Early Breast Cancer, Switch to Aromatase Inhibitor after Tamoxifen Extends Survival

Charles Coombes at ECCO15-ESMO34 on the Intergroup Exemestane Study showing a big increase in survival for patients with early breast cancer randomized to have their adjuvant therapy switched to exemestane after 2-3 years of tamoxifen, compared with those who remained on tamoxifen for the entire 5 years of endocrine therapy.

Oncology Times Broadcast News:

Bevacizumab Did Not Improve Disease-Free Survival In Adjuvant Therapy For Early Colon Cancer

For adjuvant treatment of stage II and stage III colorectal cancer the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitor, bevacizumab, gave no benefit in disease-free survival after a median follow up of three years when added to standard oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in the NSABP C-O8 phase III study reported at the 2009 ASCO meeting held in Orlando, Florida .

Lead author Dr Norman Wolmark MD Chair of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, and Chair of the Department of Oncology at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, said in an interview with Peter Goodwin: "These data do not support using bevacizumab in the adjuvant setting."

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:

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Capecitabine Equivalent to 5-FU in Irinotecan/Bevacizumab Combos

Adding 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.

Oncology Times Broadcast News:

Stage IV Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumors: Sunitinib Monotherapy Increased Progression Free Survival

Treatment 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.