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Oncology/Hematology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in oncology/hematology.

Early Radiation Boosts Prostate Cancer Survival

ORLANDO -- Immediate radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy led to a 50% increase in long-term biochemical progression-free survival for patients with locally advanced prostate cancer, according to a study reported here.

Surgery Boosts Outcomes in Esophageal Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO -- Surgery after chemoradiotherapy increased overall and disease-free survival compared with chemoradiotherapy alone in advanced esophageal cancer treatment, researchers reported here.

Judge OKs $762 Million Deal in Aranesp Case

A federal judge approved a $762 million settlement Wednesday in a case involving Amgen's off-label promotion of darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp), an anemia drug.

Amgen Agrees to Pay $762 Million in Aranesp Case

The biotech drug giant Amgen pled guilty Monday to promoting its blockbuster anemia drug darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) for off-label dosing regimens, agreeing to pay $762 million in fines.

Infection High in Myeloma, with High Mortality

ATLANTA -- More than a fifth of patients with multiple myeloma died of infection within a year of diagnosis, Swedish investigators reported here.

Oral Azacitidine Safe, Effective in Low-Risk MDS

ATLANTA -- Oral azacitidine (Vidaza) given for up to 21 days per 4-week cycle for myelodysplastic syndrome appeared safe and effective in patients with lower-risk disease, a researcher said here.

Metformin Role in Breast Cancer Still Unclear

SAN ANTONIO -- Clinical trials of the diabetes drug metformin in breast cancer yielded a few possible clues to anticancer activity but little else, according to a series of reports.

New Combo Replaces CHOP for Lymphoma

ATLANTA - The combination chemotherapy known as CHOP, used for nonHodgkin's lymphoma, is rapidly being replaced by bendamustine (Treanda), frequently combined with rituximab (Rituxan), researchers reported.

Effexor May Not Mix with Tamoxifen

SAN ANTONIO -- The antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor), often given to breast cancer patients to treat the hot flashes associated with tamoxifen therapy, might reduce the effectiveness of the drug, a researcher said here.

Children OK with Long-Term Exjade

ATLANTA -- Children with thalassemia and treated with the anti-iron overload drug deferasirox (Exjade) appear to tolerate the treatment for at least as long as 3 years while serum iron levels fell, researchers said here.

Statins May Slow Inflammatory Breast Cancer

SAN ANTONIO -- Inflammatory breast cancer grew significantly more slowly in women who had a history of treatment with statin drugs, findings from a large retrospective review showed.

Extended Apixaban Stops VTE Recurrence

ATLANTA -- Apixaban taken for an additional year after standard venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment reduced recurrent events in a placebo-controlled trial, researchers said.

Polycythemia Vera Better with Low Hematocrit

ATLANTA -- Maintaining patients with polycythemia vera at hematocrit levels below 45% reduced thrombotic complications without increasing rates of other serious adverse events.

Melanoma Tx Ups Survival, but Very Pricey

LAS VEGAS -- The oral BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib (Zelboraf) increased survival in patients with metastatic melanoma, but the cost may not justify its use in a state Medicaid program, an analysis suggested.

High-Dose Zofran Pulled From Market

WASHINGTON -- The 32-mg dose of the anti-nausea drug ondansetron (Zofran) has been pulled from the market because of concerns about cardiac problems, the FDA announced Tuesday.

Type of Contrast May Mean More Comfortable CT

CHICAGO -- Patients who underwent abdominal or pelvic CT imaging with a low-osmolar contrast agent reported more discomfort during the exam than patients who received an iso-osmolar agent, researchers said here.

Repeat CT Scans May Up Breast Ca Risk in Young Women

CHICAGO -- A female teenager who undergoes multiple chest or cardiac CT studies may see her 10-year risk for breast cancer double, researchers said here.

'Scatter' Effects of Mammography Pose Little Risk

CHICAGO -- Scatter radiation from screening mammography is minimal, even to the thyroid, and results in negligible risk to the patient, researchers reported here.

Lupus Patients Tend to Skip Pap Tests

WASHINGTON -- Women with systemic lupus erythematosus do not appear undergo timely cervical cancer screening despite being at an increased risk for cervical dysplasia and HPV infection, researchers said here.

Colon Cancer Risk Rises After Endometrial Ca

LAS VEGAS -- A history of endometrial cancer at a younger age quadrupled the likelihood of a subsequent diagnosis of colorectal cancer, a retrospective analysis of administrative data showed.

Study Counters WHI on Risk of Hormones in Menopause

Hormone therapy may actually help the heart in some respects for newly menopausal women, a randomized trial showed, although the impact on hard outcomes like stroke and breast cancer still remains to be seen.

Drug Works in AI-Resistant Breast Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO -- A tamoxifen-like drug slowed progression of advanced breast cancer previously treated with a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, results of a small Japanese trial suggested.

Afinitor Helps Breast Tx in Older Patients

SAN FRANCISCO -- Older patients with advanced breast cancer had significant improvement in progression-free survival when everolimus was added to exemestane, a new analysis of a randomized trial showed.

Young Women Skip Mammo After USPSTF Recs

SAN FRANCISCO -- Rates of screening mammography among women younger than 50 declined within 2 months of a negative recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and have remained below baseline rates, according to a study reported here.

Device May Cut Re-Excision Rate in Breast Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO -- Re-excision after breast-conserving surgery occurred 50% less often with intraoperative margin assessment by a device that distinguishes cancer cells from normal tissue, results of a randomized study showed.

Anemia a Risk with Low-Dose IVIG, Too

Even small doses of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) can cause acute, severe anemia, researchers warned.

Lying Prone for Radiation Best for Breast Tx

Lying face down for radiation therapy lessens the amount of collateral damage to breast cancer patients' heart and lungs, researchers found.

Gallbladder Polyp Size Can Guide Treatment

The follow-up strategy for patients with gallbladder polyps should be based on the size of the lesions, which can influence progression and malignancy potential, British researchers advised.

Adult Lungs Can Sprout New Growth

The lungs may have greater capacity for regeneration in adults than thought, according to a case report of new growth after lung cancer resection.

Smokers Have Higher Squamous Cell Skin Ca Risk

Smokers have a more than 50% increase in risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, and the risk remained elevated, even among those who'd kicked the habit, researchers found.

FDA Rejects Merck Sarcoma Drug

WASHINGTON -- The FDA has rejected the approval application for the sarcoma drug ridaforolimus, according to drug developer Merck.

ASCO: Low-Dose Radiation OK in CNS Lymphoma

CHICAGO -- Whole-brain radiation at about half the standard dose is safe and effective after chemotherapy for patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma, researchers are reporting.

FDA: Revlimid Linked to Second Cancers

Treatment of multiple myeloma with lenalidomide (Revlimid) as maintenance therapy is associated with an increased risk of second primary cancers, the FDA warned.

Smoking Cuts Risk of Benign Brain Tumor

The risk of developing an acoustic neuroma was greatly reduced among male smokers, but not among those who take snuff, researchers reported.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

Extreme Obesity Adds More Risk in Hysterectomy

AUSTIN, Texas -- Increasingly severe obesity drives up complication rates after hysterectomy, and outcomes continually worsen with rising body mass index, according to results from a study reported here.

Clinical Notes: Beware the Seat Heater

番茄社区 debuts a new regular feature, a roundup of clinical news you might otherwise have missed. This week we led with a report that heated car seats can leave passengers with "toasted skin syndrome."

Early VTE Therapy OK After Brain Bleed

HOUSTON --The risk of re-bleeding after intracranial hemorrhage did not increase when patients received early prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE), a retrospective review showed.

Komen Official Quits After Controversy

A vice-president at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has resigned in the wake of the controversy surrounding the organization's decision -- since reversed -- to stop funding Planned Parenthood's breast cancer programs.

Oral Shield Cuts Radiation to Normal Tissue

PHOENIX -- Patients with head and neck cancer had substantial sparing of oral mucosa when they used custom-made dental stents to shield normal tissue from radiation therapy, data from a small clinical series showed.

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