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by Tom Swartz
In this issue's column:
Hearing Loss From Chemotherapy Underestimated By 14, Peter Johnson had survived brain cancer and a relapse of the disease in his shoulder. But it was treatment for the last tumor that would create his life's greatest challenges. Johnson, now 33, has suffered since 1986 from the effects of ototoxicity, a condition in which platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, such as carboplatin and the more common cisplatin, damage the tiny hair cells in the inner ear that vibrate in response to sound waves. This leads to progressive, irreversible hearing loss and reduced quality of life for patients. Despite surgery and intense radiation therapy to remove the brain tumor, Johnson says the hearing loss resulting from the chemotherapy for the shoulder tumor has been the most disabling. "The hearing loss is difficult," said Johnson. "What I don't think the general public understands is that surviving cancer isn't the same as a broken leg. Once the leg is healed, you're pretty much back to normal. Once you survive cancer, the after-effects are numerous and you just keep discovering them."
A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that ototoxicity's frequency and severity, as well as its long-term effects on development, have long been underreported by the medical community. The research found that a well-known classification system doctors use for reporting toxicities in patients, the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, or CTCAE, doesn't consider high-frequency hearing loss, allowing the magnitude of ototoxicity in children treated with platinum agents to be miscalculated. The purpose of the study is "to make people aware that this is more common than people think and we need to follow this issue," said Kristy Gilmer Knight, M.S., a pediatric audiologist at Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) Doernbecher Children's Hospital and the study's lead author. Knight said a major problem for doctors trying to diagnose hearing loss from ototoxicity is that it's not that obvious. "The way it manifests itself is not that children lose all their hearing," she said. "The way it manifests itself is tricky. The typical presentation is high-frequency hearing loss, and so it may not look like they're having a problem, especially when communicating one-on-one in a quiet room. And kids won't complain about not understanding what was said when they're really little."
OHSU researchers tested the hearing of 67 patients, ages 8 months to 23 years, who received platinum-based chemotherapy. Data was analyzed to determine the length of time to hearing loss using criteria from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or ASHA, and the effects of treatment and patient characteristics on the incidence and severity of ototoxicity. According to the study, hearing loss was found in 61 percent of patients, with average onset beginning 135 days after chemotherapy. This included 55 percent of children treated with cisplatin; 38 percent of children treated with cisplatin's less-toxic derivative, carboplatin; and 84 percent of children treated with both agents. Children treated for osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma, the form of brain cancer Johnson had, experienced greater incidence and severity of hearing loss.
But researchers say many of these children are falling through the cracks. The study found that while the ASHA criteria and CTCAE grading scale were similar in how they defined hearing loss progression, results from clinical trials often focus only on CTCAE grade 3 toxicity, which represents hearing loss requiring therapeutic intervention, and grade 4, which requires a cochlear implant and additional speech and language development services. The study said agreement between the CTCAE and ASHA criteria was "inadequate."
"By tradition, many published clinical trials report only grade 3 and 4 CTCAE toxicities," the study explained. "In the case of hearing loss, this would leave grades 1 and 2 ototoxicity unreported, thereby underestimating the magnitude of ototoxicity in children treated with platinum agents. We believe that CTCAE grade 1 and 2 hearing losses are significant in children and should therefore be considered and reported." The study found that 36 percent of patients who were examined would not have been reported as having ototoxicity if only CTCAE grades 3 and 4 were considered.
Scientists want to boost awareness of ototoxicity because it may soon be preventable. Nancy Doolittle, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology, OHSU School of Medicine, and a researcher in the Blood Brain Barrier Program, which studies methods for breaching the brain's natural defense system to deliver chemotherapy compounds to tumors, has shown that sodium thiosulfate (STS) decreased hearing loss in patients with malignant brain tumors who were treated with carboplatin chemotherapy, which is given with the blood-brain barrier disruption technique. When STS was given four hours after carboplatin, ototoxicity decreased from 84 percent of patients to 29 percent.
The OHSU study team is developing protocols for a clinical trial of a second potential chemo-protectant called N-acetylcysteine, or NAC. The drug, typically used to treat people with Tylenol poisoning, prevented platinum-induced ototoxicity in rats in a study published in mid-2004. NAC may prevent hearing loss by binding to cisplatin's platinum molecules, inactivating them. And as a free radical scavenger, it hunts down highly reactive atom clusters believed to cause similar hearing loss caused by noise trauma. The main aim is to determine a safely tolerated dose of NAC in humans. Once the safe dose is determined, Phase 2 efficacy testing begins to see if NAC, combined with STS, will protect hearing.
"One of the strategies for improving survival is increasing doses of chemotherapy," Doolittle said. "Because larger doses may cause more toxicity, we have to be able to address the toxicity. Maintaining quality of life by maintaining hearing is really important."
While the damage has been done to his own hearing, Johnson hopes drugs, such as STS and NAC, can help prevent the hearing loss in other cancer survivors. He also hopes to use his law degree and his experience as a law librarian and paralegal to advocate for others who've experienced hearing loss, which required Johnson to learn lip reading, relish television shows and movies with closed captioning, dread telephone calls and, ultimately, get a cochlear implant for his right ear.
Lifestyles Blamed for 17 per cent rise in Childhood Cancer Cases A new study suggests cancer is rising rapidly among children across Europe and the increase shows no sign of slowing. The rate of the increase - up 17 per cent over 20 years - is too large to be accounted for by improvements in detection and is worrying specialists. Different cancers have different causes and one factor cannot be responsible for all. But modern lifestyles and changes in the environment are likely to be behind the rise. The study examined 77,111 cases of cancer in children diagnosed between 1978 and 1997 in 15 European countries. More than 23,000 cases were from Britain. The results showed that the number of cases of cancer in children aged 0 to 14 rose by 1.1 per cent a year on average. There were increases in most childhood cancers including brain tumors, testicular cancer, leukemia, kidney cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. There was no increase in bone cancer, liver cancer or retinoblastoma. The trend towards later parenthood, heavier birth weights and the reduction in infant mortality are thought to be factors behind the rise. Vulnerable babies with a genetic predisposition to cancer who would have died a couple of decades ago are now surviving to develop the disease. The incidence of childhood cancer in Britain increased from 114.5 cases per million in 1978 to 134 in 1997, a rise of 17.5 per cent. But the researchers found that in each successive five-year period, the rate was higher than in the previous five years. In Europe, the rate rose from 120 cases per million in 1978 to 140 in 1997. The findings are published in the European Journal of Cancer. The study's authors, from France, Germany and Italy, said: "The increased incidence can only partly be explained by changes in diagnostic methods and by registration artifacts. The magnitude of these increases suggest that other factors, e.g., changes in lifestyle and in exposure to a variety of agents, have contributed to the increase in childhood cancer." A study by the same authors published two years ago in The Lancet was criticized by specialists who said the increase could be accounted for by improvements in recording cases. For the new study, they narrowed the search to focus on the best statistics. Eva Steliarova-Foucher, a senior epidemiologist at the International Agency for Cancer Research in Lyon, France, and an author of the study, said: "The rise may be partly due to better detection but not wholly. Other studies have shown older mothers have an increased incidence of leukemia and certain other cancers in their children. "Children are being born heavier and higher birth weight has been linked with cancers such as leukemia, Wilm's tumor [kidney cancer] and neuroblastoma." Jamie Page, of the Cancer Prevention and Education Trust, said suspicion had fallen on environmental toxins as potential causes of childhood cancer, including pesticides, and phthalates in plastics. "Cancer is not entirely a disease of aging," he said. "It is misleading when the medical establishment tell us that. We need to put chemicals on the agenda." Bruce Morland, pediatric oncologist at Birmingham Children's hospital and a scientist with Cancer Research UK, said: "There is a lot of interest in a possible environmental link but the sad thing is that we have been unable to pinpoint any one factor." Geoff Thaxter, director of services at CLIC Sargent, the children's cancer charity, said: "This statistical analysis does suggest an increase in children's cancer and although part of this can be explained by improved registration, that is clearly not the full picture." As part of the findings, the researchers found that soft tissue sarcoma incidence in the UK was up from 7.0 to 10.6 per million, a 51.4 per cent rise.
Time, for Ann Ward, arrives as thousands of tiny beads hot with the radioactive element yttrium-90. The Y-90-treated microspheres are delivered through her hepatic artery directly into her liver, where they will wage a life-and-death battle against the malignant tumor that is trying to kill her. If the treatment wins, she will have more time and a higher quality of life. She has been diagnosed with stage-4 cancer that spread to her liver. Repeated tests have failed to pinpoint the original tumor, but there's no question the one in her liver is life- threatening. The image-guided, minimally invasive outpatient procedure is a form of selective internal radiation therapy reserved for inoperable cancers in the liver -- either primary liver cancers or metastatic cancer that has moved into the liver. Although the Y-90 therapy is FDA approved, use for this purpose is considered "off label," though growing in popularity.
Another patient, Kent Sorensen, was diagnosed two years ago, at age 49, with a rare and lethal soft-tissue sarcoma. Called hemangiopericytoma, the blood- vessel-involved cancer started in his abdomen and was very aggressive. Last February, doctors found it had spread to his liver. He tried chemotherapy several times, but got little result. He was referred to the Y-90 therapy and he received the first good news he had in a while: His cancer was now confined to the liver.
The treatment is often used for colorectal cancer that spreads into the liver, which with the best of all chemotherapies prolongs life about two years. Y-90 therapy's a precise process. The first step is called a coil embolization. The oncologist goes in through the groin and places coils in blood vessels in the liver that tie into other organs so that none of the radioactive beads (each about a third the diameter of a hair) will wander where they don't belong. A tiny amount of radiation is also injected into the hepatic artery to see if any of it goes into the lungs, since some tumors feed into the lungs. If that doesn't happen, treatment proceeds about three weeks later. Half the liver is treated with the Y-90 SIRspheres, as the beads are called by the company that makes them, SirTex. They do half the liver at a time because if the dose is miscalculated somehow, tissue could die. Anyone can live with half a liver, which regenerates. Liver tumors get most of their blood from the hepatic artery, while healthy liver tissue receives it from the portal vein. So going through the hepatic artery targets the tumor and its blood supply, rather than healthy tissue. The radioactive microspheres lodge against the tumor and begin to kill it. Three weeks after that, it's back to treat the other half of the liver. Most of the time, they can repeat the treatment of the liver halves again if more is needed. It depends on the patient's size and total safe radiation dose. With chemotherapy, there are always tumor cells that are resistant. They can't withstand radiation. Occasionally, the tumor shrinks enough to be surgically removed, according to SirTex. Usually it is destroyed.
Y-90 therapy is not a cure. It's life-lengthening and palliative, which means it improves symptoms and quality of life. But since it can kill tumors, some patients never require further treatment. That's where Sorensen hopes he is; he’s been told there is little evidence of residual cancer, although no one is saying he's cancer-free yet. There are no side effects to this type of intervention if it's properly administered, which is why it's beginning to replace chemotherapy embolization, where chemotherapy is targeted directly into a tumor.
As for effects on the patient, they go home after the 45-minute procedure feeling about the same. Ward says only she was tired for a few days. For three days, patients stay about three feet away from others to avoid any chance of exposing them to radiation. Within three weeks, patients typically feel better than before the treatment. "Compared to chemo, it was nothing," says Sorensen, a real estate developer who was back to work a day later and water skiing after five days. Ward says she decided after her second round of chemotherapy that she wasn't interested in pursuing a chemical cure. She had gotten only limited benefit and felt awful. Y-90 therapy, she says, "provides a quality of life I can live with. And it has given me more time with my family. You couldn't have a better gift."
Chemotherapy Numbing Side Effects Studied Numbness and burning in the hands and feet is a side effect of chemotherapy called neuropathy. Learning how to prevent or lessen it is a key goal for many cancer researchers. It also is a hope of the many patients who suffer from it. Some patients receiving chemotherapy may experience temporary numbness, tingling, prickling sensations (paresthesia), sensitivity to touch or muscle weakness. Others may suffer more extreme symptoms, including burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. Sensory neuropathy commonly affects patients’ perceptions of where their bodies are and how they coordinate movements. “With neuropathy, your brain can lose track of where your feet are. It’s not a question of getting more exercise, or paying closer attention,” says Patrick Dougherty, Ph.D., associate professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. "Like static on a telephone line, peripheral neuropathy distorts and sometimes interrupts messages between the brain and the rest of the body.” Unfortunately, the only current treatment for neuropathy is to lower the medication dosage or discontinue treatment altogether. “That’s tough for a patient to be forced to choose between enduring the pain and refusing treatment,” Dougherty says. Dougherty and his team are looking at the role proteins called cytokines play in chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. “We want to see if we can detect which patients will develop this, what the neuro-function is and design an intervention to protect that group,” he explains. Dougherty’s research alternates between the laboratory and the clinic. First, his team tests the nerve function of chemotherapy patients to identify which nerve is causing the pain. Then, the researchers give mice the same chemotherapy as the patient. When the animal develops hypersensitivity that matches what is seen in the patient, the team looks at the physiology of sensory neurons, scans the spinal cord and the brain, and performs chemical, serum and molecular studies. Dougherty and his team have identified the major chemotherapy culprits, including taxanes, platinum, vincristine and thalidomide. “The exciting new part about this research is that it turns out all these drugs funnel down into the same common final path,” he says. “As we get a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms, we’ll be able to jump in and block that path.” Until Dougherty and his colleagues reach that milestone, patients suffering from neuropathy are advised to avoid toxins that raise the risk of peripheral nerve damage such as smoking, excess alcohol, and insecticides. Dougherty also encourages neuropathy sufferers to exercise, eat antioxidant-rich vegetables, and monitor and keep consistent blood sugar levels. Patients also can try complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, magnet therapy, massage, and meditation. “What works for one person may not work for another, but if it’s not invasive and not going to hurt you, give it a try,” Dougherty says. The other good news is that for many patients, once they have finished their courses of chemotherapy, their nerves return to normal.
Noninvasive Magnetic Resonance Thermography of Soft Tissue Sarcomas During Regional Hyperthermia
Currently underway is a
multi-center randomized clinical trial comparing high-risk soft tissue
sarcoma patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and regional
hyperthermia therapy as compared to chemotherapy alone. This study is being
conducted under the direction of the European Organization for Research and
Treatment of Cancer (EORTC 62961) and the European Society of Hyperthermic
Oncology (ESHO RHT-95 trial). This study is nearing its anxiously awaited
conclusion (click
here for details of the trial). In a recent issue of the
journal Cancer (vol. 107, Issue 6, pp. 1373-1382), the above linked article
reports on an evaluation of noninvasive
magnetic resonance (MR) thermography for the monitoring of regional
hyperthermia (RHT) in patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the lower
extremities and pelvis. The specific system evaluated was the
BSD-2000/3D/MR manufactured by BSD
Medical. Noninvasive MR monitoring during RHT
was performed in 9 patients who had high-risk soft tissue sarcomas of the
lower extremities or pelvis during neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus RHT. The
study found as follows. Thirty of 72 MR-thermography data sets (>40% of heat
sessions) were evaluable. A significant correlation was observed between
pathohistologic response (defined as a necrosis rate
When looking for new weapons in the war on cancer, scientists should turn to their medicine cabinets for an age-old remedy--aspirin. According to scientists at the University of Newcastle (UK), aspirin has cancer-fighting effects that extend beyond already understood Cox inhibitors. This finding, which appears in the October 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal (The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology), provides important clues to how aspirin works in cancer and in inflammation: aspirin reduces the formation of blood vessels that fuel developing tumors. Without new blood vessels (formed through a process called angiogenesis) tumors cannot grow. With this information, researchers can pursue new lines of investigation that could ultimately yield an entirely new type of cancer-fighting drug. In the study, the researchers show that aspirin acts on the signaling molecule NFkappaB, which is known to trigger the formation of new blood vessels, an important part of tumor development. Additionally, Newcastle researchers found a dose-dependent relationship between blood vessel formation and the amount of aspirin used in the study. This new finding confirms and extends earlier evidence suggesting that NFkappaB is a target of aspirin action in inflammation; now researchers can work out exactly how signals interrupted by aspirin can control not only inflammation, but the biology of tumor growth as well. "Aspirin has always been touted as a 'wonder drug,'" said Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, "and this study shows that we are still learning about the many actions of this amazing drug."
FDA Issues Final Manufacturing Quality Systems Guidance for Pharmaceutical Industry On September 29, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final guidance on quality systems, a set of formalized practices and procedures to ensure quality of human and veterinary drugs and human biological drug products during manufacturing. This guidance enhances FDA’s current requirements for ensuring manufacturing quality known as the current Good Manufacturing Practices regulation. “This guidance incorporates modern quality principles into FDA’s approach to manufacturing, encouraging industry adoption of new technological advances and integrated quality systems,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Operations. Following the guidance contained in the document “Quality Systems Approaches to Pharmaceutical Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) Regulations” should help manufacturers maintain consistent high quality and improve efficiency. The document demonstrates to industry the benefits of incorporating modern quality principles which should foster technical advancements into their manufacturing processes to better ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs for people and animals. The aim also is to help produce drugs more efficiently, which should help lower costs and prevent shortages of critical medicines due to manufacturing failures that can result in production stoppages and recalls. The document contributes to the goals of the agency’s Critical Path initiative which seeks to modernize the development of new drugs. This will help take a drug from laboratory development to mass production in a way that can better assure its initial success and continued quality production. The Quality Systems Guidance is intended to provide manufacturers of pharmaceuticals with the ability to make technological improvements more readily, with appropriate regulatory oversight. FDA will continue to monitor manufacturing plants through its inspection program and will continue to advance the training of its investigators in the latest technologies.
Chemo has long-term impact on brain function Chemotherapy causes changes in the brain's metabolism and blood flow that can last as long as 10 years, a discovery that may explain the mental fog and confusion that affect many cancer survivors, researchers claim in a recent study. The researchers, from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that women who had undergone chemotherapy five to 10 years earlier had lower metabolism in a key region of the frontal cortex. Women treated with chemotherapy also showed a spike in blood flow to the frontal cortex and cerebellum while performing memory tests, indicating a rapid jump in activity level. "The same area of the frontal lobe that showed lower resting metabolism displayed a substantial leap in activity when the patients were performing the memory exercise," said Daniel Silverman, the UCLA associate professor who led the study. "In effect, these women's brains were working harder than the control subjects to recall the same information," he said in a statement. Experts estimate at least 25 percent of chemotherapy patients are affected by symptoms of confusion, so-called “chemo brain,” and a recent study by the University of Minnesota reported an 82 percent rate. "People with 'chemo brain' often can't focus, remember things or multitask the way they did before chemotherapy," Silverman said. "Our study demonstrates for the first time that patients suffering from these cognitive symptoms have specific alterations in brain metabolism." The study, published in the online edition of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, tested 21 women who had surgery to remove breast tumors, 16 of whom had received chemotherapy and five who had not. The researchers used positron emission tomography scans to compare the brain function of the women. They also compared the scans with those of 13 women who had not had breast cancer or chemotherapy. Researchers used the scans to examine the women's resting brain metabolism as well as the blood flow to their brains as they did a short-term memory exercise. Silverman said the findings suggested PET scans could be used to monitor the effects of chemotherapy on brain metabolism. Since the scans already are used to monitor patients for tumor response to therapy, the additional tests would be easy to add, he said.
NCI’s State Cancer Legislative Database (SCLD) The National Cancer Institute maintains a database called the State Cancer Legislative Database (SCLD) Program of state cancer-related legislation. The SCLD serves as an important resource for research and analysis of cancer-related health policy. The NCI has monitored cancer-related state legislation and maintained the SCLD Program since 1989. The purpose of the SCLD is for:
The SCLD maintains information about state laws and resolutions addressing selected areas of the following cancer-related topics:
The SCLD also maintains limited information about state laws addressing general cancer issues. The database is fully searchable using a variety of filters. The database also contains data tables, fact sheets and archived newsletters.
Two Interesting ASCO Presentations You can view the video and/or the slides of the presentation of the paper, Surgical Management of Soft Tissue Tumors: Avoiding the Pitfalls, by Fritz C. Eilber, MD, and Frederick R. Eilber, MD and the video and/or slides of the companion presentation, Pitfalls in the Management of Soft Tissue Tumors: Imaging the Postoperative Patient, by Leanne Seeger, MD by clicking on the links. Both the these papers were presented at the most recent ASCO meeting.
Upcoming Events and Fund Raisers
NCI’s Listens and Learns is Seeking Public Feedback The National Cancer Institute’s Listens and Learns is a pilot program designed to improve communication and collaboration between the NCI, the cancer advocacy community, and the public. The program is currently seeking public feedback on two NCI programs. From October 1st until November 30th, Listens and Learns is seeking feedback from the advocacy community and the public on NCI's State Cancer Legislative Database (SCLD) Program. The SCLD serves as a resource for research and analysis of cancer-related health policy (see the companion article on SCLD, above). Also, from October 1st until October 31st, Listens and Learns is welcoming comments for the 42nd meeting of the Director's Consumer Liaison Group. The Director’s Consumer Liaison Group is a Federal Advisory Committee of 16 consumer advocates that advises and makes recommendations to the Director of the NCI from the perspective and viewpoint of cancer consumer advocates. To participate in NCI Listens and Learns, simply register as a new user and then begin posting comments. Listens and Learns is NOT intended to answer specific questions about cancer. Following the request for comments phase, NCI will review all comments and then create and post a summary of the cancer advocacy organization comments. Following the posting of the summary of comments, anyone may comment on the summary. NCI will then review all comments and the summary and will then publish an official response. This will conclude the dialogue process. These are important opportunities for the sarcoma advocacy community to add its input to the NCI. Please take the time to review the above programs and make your comments.
Biological Therapy of Cancer Meeting On October 26-29, 2006, the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc) will hold its 21st Annual Meeting. The iSBTc’s 21st Annual Meeting is a 3-day program focused on the prevailing issues in immunology and biological therapy of cancer. The conference features scientific abstract submission, keynote addresses, plenary and concurrent sessions, and poster presentations and discussion sessions all based on the most cutting edge research conducted in the field. In addition, the Annual Meeting includes a special Member/Supporter Reception on Friday evening as well as Saturday evening's Presidential Reception where the winner of the iSBTc Presidential Award is announced. The conference also showcases participating exhibitor products relevant to scientific research. The 21st Annual Meeting will also feature the presentation of the second annual Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Lectureship Award. This annual award honors the memory of iSBTc founding member, Past President and Administrative Officer, Richard V. Smalley, and is sponsored solely by the iSBTc. This award is intended to serve as recognition of excellence in the field of therapeutic research with biological agents and will be awarded for only the second time. The meeting is taking place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Century City, Los Angeles, California. For Program Sessions/Topics click here. For Registration Information click here.
The Spirit of Survival WEST 2006 The Spirit of Survival WEST 2006 is sponsored by the Sarcoma Alliance whose mission is, “to extend and improve the lives of sarcoma patients through accurate diagnosis, improved access to care, guidance, education and support". It takes place on Sunday, October 20, 2006 at 8 AM in Stevens Creek Park, Via Maria Picnic Grounds, 11401 Stevens Canyon Road, in Cupertino, California. The 5K course begins at the Via Maria Picnic Area. Follow the paved road down to the main road and take a left. After about 250 yards take your first left on a trail that parallels the road. Follow this trail to the reservoir and keep bearing right so the reservoir remains immediately on your right. At the end of the tail the course loops back following the same route back to the picnic area. There are two short hills on the route; the 10K repeats the loop.
The Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) is an international group comprised of physicians and scientists with a primary interest in the tumors of connective tissues. The goal of the society is to advance the care of patients with connective tissue tumors and to increase knowledge of all aspects of the biology of these tumors, including basic and clinical research. On November 2-4, 2006, CTOS will hold its 12th annual meeting in Venice, Italy. Lecture sessions will include topics such as: Molecular Genetics of Sarcomas and Treatment Implications, Pathological and Molecular Diagnosis of Sarcomas, Initial Management and Surgery, Cytotoxic Chemotherapy, and Surgery in Sarcomas. A Patient Advocacy session will occur on the morning of Saturday November 4th. Click here for the full program. [Editor's Note: The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative will be making a presentation about ESUN and its research funding program and Team Sarcoma Initiative in the "Patient Advocacy Groups" session of this conference.]
Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics On November 7-10, 2006, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will hold their 18th symposium on “Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics” in Prague, Czech Republic. The conference has become a unique and internationally recognized forum for the exchange of information on advances in early drug development in the treatment of cancer. The program will cover the entire spectrum of early drug development. Special attention will be given to the preclinical/clinical interphase discussing preclinical and Phase I trials. The conference has been designed to ensure maximum interaction and discussion between scientists, clinicians and those involved in drug development. Due to the popularity of the conference, the attendance has been limited. Late registration is available until October 16th. Click here for the advance program.
Colloquium on Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy On November 9-10, 2006, the Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Cancer Vaccine Consortium will hold its 8th Annual Colloquium on Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy. The Colloquium will provide a stage for information exchange for all major stakeholders in the field of cancer immunotherapy in order to identify critical issues and develop solutions to enhance the clinical investigation of immunotherapy combinations as one part of the growing field of immunotherapy in oncology. The Colloquium will bring together leaders from the scientific community, regulatory agencies, academic institutions and biopharmaceutical companies to address immunotherapy challenges and jointly develop practical solutions. The Colloquium will have sessions on: (1) Cutting edge scientific thinking on immunotherapy in oncology & combination approaches; (2) Regulatory perspectives; (3) Business development, intellectual property and technology transfer aspects for combining agents owned by different entities; as well as (4) Facilitated Breakout Sessions with active discussions among experts to develop positions on critical issues. The Colloquium is taking place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington D.C. For Colloquium Preliminary Program Click Here
Meet The Sarcoma Experts On Saturday, November 18, 2006 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) at 9:00 a.m., "Meet the Sarcoma Experts" Forum will be held. This event will be held at the MGH Cancer Center, Burr Conference Rooms 5 & 6. The meetings will be moderated by Jill Nelson, APRN, BC and Anne Fiore, APRN, BC. Speakers include Thomas Delaney, M.D., David Harmon, M.D., Andrew Rosenberg, M.D., Dempsey Springfield, M.D., and Sam Yoon, M.D. Among the topics are: What is sarcoma?, What causes sarcoma?, Treatments for sarcoma, and What is in the pipeline for sarcoma treatment? If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by November 15, 2006 to Jill Nelson, APRN, BC at 617-726-6349.
V3N5 ESUN Copyright © 2006 Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. |
90%)
and standardized thermal parameters, such as thermal dose cumulative
equivalent minutes at 43°C to 90% of the target volume (T90) (P
= .050), mean T90 (P = .048), or T50 (P
= .050). The correlation of 13 conventional temperature measurements
performed in selected patients and sessions invasively in the tumor or
noninvasively in rectum and bladder revealed an excellent correlation with
MR temperatures (R2 = .96). The authors of the study thus
conclude that noninvasive MR thermography of soft tissue sarcoma is feasible
and suitable for validating the quality of heating during RHT.
