By Christin Melton

Articles

CMS Declines to Cover NaF-18 PET Outside of Trials

May 17th 2010

To help address delays in nuclear imaging procedures caused by an isotope shortage that resulted when two Canadian reactors went offline in 2009, the Academy of Molecular Imaging and other professional societies urged CMS to grant coverage for the use of NaF-18 PET in diagnosing bone metastases in patients with cancer.

Cystoscopy Alone Most Cost-Effective for Monitoring Bladder Cancer Recurrence

May 17th 2010

A study presented at the ASCO 2010 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium found that adding urine testing to cystoscopy to monitor patients for bladder cancer recurrence greatly increases costs without a corresponding clinical benefit.

FDA, Legislators, Professional Groups, and Manufacturers to Address Medical Radiation Risks

May 17th 2010

In February 2010, the FDA announced it would be developing and implementing stringent measures to regulate patient exposure to radiation associated with imaging studies, in particular from computed tomography (CT) scanning.

Gardasil Protects Against Reoccurrence of HPV-related Disease After Surgery

May 17th 2010

New evidence presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists suggests that Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, also reduces the likelihood of recurrence after surgery by 40%.

Cetuximab Plus Chemotherapy Does Not Improve PFS in Advanced NSCLC

May 17th 2010

Results of a phase III multicenter, open-label study demonstrated that first-line treatment with a combination of cetuximab and a taxane/carboplatin (TC)significantly approved the overall response rate (ORR)and led to slight improvement in overall survival (OS). The study did not meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by an independent radiologic review committee (IRCC).

Healthcare Reform: How It Will Impact Your Bottom Line

May 14th 2010

The enactment of federal healthcare reform following a protracted, confrontational debate has left Americans bewildered and wondering, "What happens now?" Since you may soon be inundated with patient's questions, and might have a few of your own, OBTN cuts through the rhetoric, dissects the legislation, and tells you everything you need to know about the historic law and how it may affect your practice.

Overview of NCCN Colon & Rectal Guideline Updates

May 14th 2010

At the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) annual meeting, Paul F. Engstrom, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, reviewed the recent changes to NCCN guidelines for colon and rectal cancer, released as v.2.2010.

Phase II Data for Eliglustat Tartrate Demonstrates Efficacy in Gaucher Disease

May 13th 2010

Elena Lukina, MD, and colleagues have published 1-year results of a phase II trial of eliglustat tartrate in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease (GD1) in the peer-review journal Blood. Eliglustat tartrate is from a novel class of drugs known as glucosylceramide synthase inhibitors.

Sirolimus After Liver Transplant Improves Survival

May 13th 2010

In the April issue of Hepatology, researchers from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, reported that administering sirolimus (Rapamune)after liver transplantation in patients with nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) significantly increased survival rates.

Type 1 Gaucher Disease Growing Awareness of a Rare Disorder

May 13th 2010

We interview hematologist Neal Weinreb, MD, director of the University Research Foundation for Lysosomal Storage Diseases and a researcher involved in studying Gaucher disease for more than 3 decades. Dr Weinreb talks about the risks of cancer in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease and why hematologists and oncologists need to know about this rare inherited disorder.

Renowned Prostate Cancer Experts Translate Research into Practice at the IPCC

May 13th 2010

Three presentations at the recent Third Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress in New York are reviewed. Urologist Leonard Gomella, MD, addresses truths and myths about prostate cancer prevention;Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, discusses the timely topic of immunotherapy; and E. David Crawford, MD, talks about screening controversies.

Ifosfamide Enhances Efficacy of Cisplatin-Etoposide Chemotherapy

May 12th 2010

In data presented at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference, a team of investigators said adding ifosfamide to a combination regimen of cisplatin plus etoposide demonstrated strong activity and tolerability in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Biomarkers Predict Risk of Recurrence After Lumpectomy for DCIS

May 12th 2010

Being able to predict which women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are likely to develop subsequent invasive breast cancer could prevent a lot of unnecessary treatment, said researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

International Survey Asks Oncologists What They Value in a Pharmaceutical Company

May 12th 2010

Kantar Health Research recently conducted an Internet survey of approximately 250 oncologists from the United States, France, Germany, Italy,Spain, and the United Kingdom. Using a proprietary scoring system Kantar Health calls the TRI*M Index, the research firm assessed relationships between physicians and pharmaceutical company representatives.

ASCO/CAP Issue New Guidelines for IHC Hormone Testing in Breast Cancer

May 12th 2010

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) jointly released guidelines designed to improve the accuracy and usefulness of immunohistochemical (IHC) testing for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) status in breast cancer tumors after convening a panel of international experts to study the issue.