Posted by James
Speaker: Robert J. Motzer, MD, Attending Physician, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Sunitinib maleate (Sutent, Pfizer), an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets a number of kinase enzymes (including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor [VEGFR]), demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progressionfree survival and objective response rate when compared with interferon-a (Roferon, Roche) as first-line therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (MRCC).
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Posted by James
Speaker: Shaker Dakhil, MD, President, The Cancer Center of Kansas, Wichita, Kansas
Preliminary results from a phase 2 study suggest that the combination of cetuximab (Erbitux, Bristol-Myers Squibb/ ImClone), an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting monoclonal antibody, with FOLFOX 6 (Oxaliplatin [Eloxatin, Sanofi-Aventis]), when added to simplified bimonthly leucovorin (Leucovorin, Roxane) and a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) regimen, was safe and effective as a first-line therapy in EGRF-positive patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
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Posted by James
Exemestane Following Tamoxifen Extends Survival in Women with Breast Cancer
Speaker: Judith Bliss, MD, Professor of Medicine, and Director, Institute for Cancer Research, Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, London, England
(Dr. Bliss spoke for the principal investigator, Raaul C. Coombes, MD, PhD, Professor of Medical Oncology, and Head, Department of Oncology, Imperial College of London, London, England.)
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Posted by James
The Verplancke Study
Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design, Verplancke et al. (2005) compared BoNT-A and placebo in combination with serial casting to prevent worsening of lower-limb spasticity in patients with traumatic brain injury. Thirty-five patients were selected to receive physiotherapy without casting, gastrocnemius and soleus injections of saline with casting, or gastrocnemius and soleus injections of BoNT-A with casting (total dose: 200 units, diluted at 50 units/ml).
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Posted by James
In 2000, Richardson et al. completed a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on the safety and efficacy of BoNT-A in the treatment of upper-limb and lower-limb spasticity secondary to stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, neoplasm, and hypoxia. Enrolled patients (n = 52) were stratified into upper-limb and lower-limb groups and were then randomly selected to receive a single treatment of BoNT-A (total dose: 30-500 units, diluted at 50 units/ml) or saline under EMG guidance. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and at weeks three, six, nine, and 12. The investigators generated aggregate (overall) scores for each variable by summing the scores from each assessment.
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Posted by James
The Snow Study
Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study design, Snow et al. (1990) evaluated the safety and efficacy of BoNT-A in the treatment of lower-limb spasticity secondary to MS. Nine patients received injections of saline or BoNT-A (total dose: 400 units, diluted at 100 units/ml), divided among the leg adductors (adductor brevis, longus, and magnus). Patients were evaluated at two and six weeks after treatment. All patients were then crossed over and given repeated injections of either BoNT-A or saline after three months. The patients were re-evaluated at two and six weeks.
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Posted by James
REVIEW PROCESS
The authors of this article—academic-affiliated neurologists and physiatrists with experience in the use of neurotoxins for spasticity, pain, headache, and other conditions—were recruited by a health care consultant under a grant from Allergan. Most of us met twice in person to review the evidence and to arrive at a consensus. Several telephone conferences and electronic communications aided the development of our Consensus Statement (see page 674).
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