Posted by James
High-Risk Cytogenetic Abnormalities Respond to Alemtuzumab in Patients with B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Presenter: Anna Dmoszynska, MD, Professor, Department of Hematology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
A cytogenetic profile of the patients participating in a large-scale clinical trial comparing alemtuzumab (Campath, Berlex/ Genzyme) with chlorambucil (Leukeran, GlaxoSmithKline) in previously untreated patients with progressive B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) demonstrated statistically superior overall response rates and complete response rates to alemtuzumab in patients with certain poor prognostic cyto-genetic abnormalities compared with patients treated with chlorambucil. This drug looks promising as a novel, more effective therapeutic option for patients with poor-risk B-CLL.
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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
We found that African-American women possess the same histological types of breast cancer, in similar locations in the breast, and have the same left/right breast distribution as Caucasian Americans. However, as with previous research in this area, our results found that African-American race is a predictor of advanced breast cancer stage at diagnosis. In addition, similar to Lannin et al., controlling for Medicaid insurance did not explain all of the racial variation in breast cancer stage. However, different from previous studies, we found no difference between the races for AJCC stage-4 breast cancer.
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Posted by James
Five-thousand, seven-hundred-fifty-one patients (5,119 Caucasians, 632 African Americans) were eligible to be included in the study. There was no significant difference for menopausal status, topography, morphology and laterality of their breast cancers. African Americans were significantly younger, with a younger onset of menopause, less family history of breast cancer, fewer positive estrogen and progesterone receptors, more cigarette smokers, more Medicaid insured and more single and divorced individuals compared to Caucasians Americans (Table 1, p O.05). Multivariate analysis found no difference between the races for stage 0, stage 2 and stage 4 (Table 2). African Americans had significantly less stage-1 breast cancer (RR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.96), less combined stage 0 and 1 (RR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63-0.89) and more combined stage-3 (RR 1.50 95% CI: 1.11-2.01).
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Posted by James
We conducted a retrospective cohort study. Inclusion required a diagnosis of breast cancer, and it reported to the TriHealth tumor registry from 1991-2003. There are three TriHealth hospitals in Cincinnati, OH. This is the largest tumor registry in this geographical area. This region is approximately 89% Caucasian and 11% African-American. TriHealth dedicates a full-time nurse whose exclusive responsibility is the oversight of the tumor registry data. This nurse collects data from the patient, their chart and the treating physician. Patients are followed over time for the purposes of prognosis. For each patient, we collected data on race; AJCC stage at diagnosis; and 12 potential confounding variables, including topography, morphology, laterality, age, menopausal age, smoking status, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, marital status, menopausal status, family history of breast cancer in a first-degree relative and insurance status. Due to small number of patients in some stages, AJCC breast cancer stages 0 and 1 were analyzed as separate and combined stages, and stages 2A and 2B, and stages ЗА, 3B and 3C were collapsed in the analysis into stages 2 and 3, respectively. Use of the AJCC stage for research purposes has been utilized by previous authors. Races other than Caucasian and African-American were excluded due to small numbers (N=60).
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