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Highlights from ASCO 2002 Thousands of cancer specialists from around the world are gathering at the 38th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Fla., from May 18-21, 2002. Scientists there discuss the latest advances in cancer care and treatment.
Included here are links to material summarizing some of the important clinical trial results announced at the 2002 ASCO meeting.
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New Drug Regimen Shows Clear Benefit for Treating Advanced Colorectal Cancer
(Posted: 05/18/2002) - Initial results from a large, randomized clinical trial for patients with advanced colorectal cancer show that those who received a regimen containing the investigational drug oxaliplatin lived months longer than those who received a standard therapy.
Tamoxifen and Chemotherapy: Timing Matters
(Posted: 06/18/2002) - A combination of chemotherapy and the hormone therapy tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) is more effective than tamoxifen alone in preventing the recurrence of breast cancer in some women after surgery, according to recent Phase III clinical trial results presented on May 19, 2002. In addition, the trial results indicate that the combined treatment works better when tamoxifen is administered after chemotherapy has finished, rather than at the same time.
Gleevec Confirmed as More Effective Than Conventional Therapy for CML
(Updated: 03/13/2003) - Gleevec delayed progression of disease for longer, produced milder side effects, and resulted in a significantly better response than conventional therapy in patients with previously untreated chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), according to a report in the March 13, 2003, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Preliminary findings from the study had been presented at a scientific meeting in May 2002.
Largest-Yet Mesothelioma Study Shows Survival Benefit with New Drug
(Posted: 05/20/2002) - Researchers with the largest phase III trial to date for mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lung, reported results showing that patients on a new chemotherapy drug regimen live longer and have less pain than those on an older drug. The findings were announced at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando, Fla., on May 20, 2002.
Alternate Drug Less Toxic, Less Effective Than Standard Treatment for ALL
(Posted: 05/20/2002) - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. Now two new studies suggest that, given at the same dose, the standard E. coli form of the drug asparaginase -- a mainstay for more than 30 years in the treatment of ALL -- appears to be more effective, though more toxic, than another form known as Erwinia asparaginase.
Report from Large NCI Study Suggests PSA Testing Could Be Done at Longer Intervals for Men Who Choose to Test
(Posted: 05/20/2002) - Many men who choose to get a prostate specific antigen test may not need to repeat the test as frequently as previously thought, according to data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian trial.
Some Survival Benefit from Multidrug Treatment for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
(Posted: 05/20/2002) - A comparison of two approaches to the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) found that patients who received a two-drug combination therapy had a median survival that was two months longer than patients who received the single agent paclitaxel (brand name Taxol®), researchers reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Orlando, Fla., on May 20, 2002.
Tamoxifen Poses Slightly Greater Risk of Uterine Sarcoma
(Posted: 05/20/2002, Updated: 04/10/2003) - It's been known that tamoxifen - a commonly prescribed treatment and prevention drug for breast cancer - increases the risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). Now researchers with a large breast cancer study project and representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report that tamoxifen also slightly raises the risk of uterine sarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscles or other supporting tissue of the uterus.
Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Shows Promise for Ovarian Cancer
(Posted: 05/21/2002) - An unresolved question in ovarian cancer therapy is whether injection of post-operative chemotherapy into the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen) is superior to standard intravenous administration. A new study presented Tuesday, May 21, 2002, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting offers additional evidence that intensive intraperitoneal (IP) therapy slows down the disease compared with standard IV therapy. However, IP therapy is also more toxic.
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