Saturday, May 31 Sunday, June 1 Monday, June 2

The results of more than 3,700 cancer research studies were presented at the 39th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Ill., from May 31 - June 3, 2003. Nearly 25,000 cancer specialists from around the world gathered to discuss the latest advances in cancer care, treatment, and prevention.

Included here are links to material summarizing some of the important clinical trial results announced at the 2003 ASCO meeting.

• Saturday, May 31
• Sunday, June 1
• Monday, June 2
• Tuesday, June 3

Back to Top Saturday, May 31
FDA Study Shows Older People Are Underrepresented in Cancer Clinical Trials
(Posted: 05/31/2003, Reviewed: 10/12/2005) - A large study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reinforces earlier findings that, although most patients diagnosed with cancer are aged 65 or older, relatively few older patients with cancer are enrolled in clinical trials of new cancer treatments in the United States.
Sunday, June 1
Bevacizumab (Avastin™) Improves Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
(Posted: 06/01/2003) - Patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colon cancer who received the therapeutic agent bevacizumab (Avastin™) along with the chemotherapy combination known as IFL had substantially longer overall survival times than patients who received IFL but with a placebo instead of bevacizumab. With these results, bevacizumab becomes the first anti-angiogenesis agent to prove effective in a randomized Phase III trial.

Oxaliplatin-Based Regimen Prolongs Survival After Colorectal Cancer Surgery
(Posted: 06/01/2003) - The oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy combination known as FOLFOX significantly improved disease-free survival compared to 5-FU and leucovorin when used as adjuvant therapy (after surgery) in patients with stage II and stage III colorectal cancer.

Cetuximab (Erbitux®) Combo More Effective Than Cetuximab Alone in Colorectal Cancer
(Posted: 06/01/2003) - This large European study offers independent confirmation of earlier findings suggesting that cetuximab is effective against metastatic colorectal cancer and that the cetuximab/irinotecan combination is more effective than cetuximab alone.

Oxaliplatin-Based Combination Treatment Confirmed Effective in Colorectal Cancer That Has Progressed
(Posted: 06/01/2003) - Early results from this trial led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of oxaliplatin as a treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer that had progressed after chemotherapy (second-line therapy). These final results substantiate the earlier data and provide more details.

Donor Immune Cells Attack Metastatic Breast Cancer
(Posted: 06/01/2003) - In an early clinical trial, researchers with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., showed that In patients with metastatic breast cancer, immune cells from a genetically matched donor can attack and shrink tumors. This is the first time researchers have clearly demonstrated this type of immune response, known as a graft-versus-tumor effect, acting against breast cancer.
Monday, June 2
Pemetrexed (Alimta®) Is a Less-Toxic Alternative for Recurrent Lung Cancer
(Posted: 06/12/2003) - The experimental drug pemetrexed (Alimta®) was as effective as the current standard treatment for recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and caused fewer side effects, according to data presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting on June 2, 2003.

MRI vs. Mammography: Which is Better for Screening Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer?
(Posted: 06/10/2003) - Three studies concluded that MRI was a more sensitive screening tool than mammography, ultrasound, or clinical breast exams in women at high risk of breast cancer. However, MRI also resulted in a higher number of “false positives.”

Three-Pronged Approach an Added Treatment Option for Metastatic NSCLC
(Posted: 06/02/2003) - Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to surrounding lymph nodes who were treated with a three-pronged approach using chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery lived longer without progression of their disease than patients treated with just chemotherapy and radiation. However, it remains unclear whether three-pronged treatment extends patients’ overall survival compared to the two-pronged approach.

Surgery Helps Relieve Spinal Cord Compression Caused by Metastatic Cancer
(Posted: 06/02/2003) - Surgery followed by radiation is more effective than radiation alone in treating spinal cord compression caused by metastatic cancer.

Post-Surgery Chemotherapy Boosts Survival for NSCLC Patients
(Posted: 06/02/2003, Updated: 02/10/2004) - A large international study has shown that patients with the most common form of lung cancer -- non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC – may live longer if they are treated with chemotherapy after surgery. These results may justify post-operative chemotherapy for NSCLC patients in otherwise good health.