Oncology Business Management

Chemotherapy is widely used in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, but it has never been compared in a randomized trial with active symptom control (ASC) alone.

Like the Vikings of old, scientists are hoping a new "longboat" drug delivery system will compromise the walls of resistant cancer cells and fight them with high-dose chemotherapy released only when they are inside.

An experimental intra-arterial delivery system injects high-dose chemotherapy directly into the ocular tumor and may not only save the eye, but the vision as well.

Cell Genesys has announced that it has completed recruitment of more than 600 patients into VITAL-1, the first of two ongoing Phase III clinical trials of GVAX immunotherapy for prostate cancer.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of 21 leading cancer centers worldwide, develops and publishes clinical practice guidelines to promote the importance of continuous quality improvement. The primary goal of all its initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.

The Academy delivers the latest news on biotech and oncology research, providing a link between the clinical world of cancer care and the university researchers who are pushing farther in pursuit of knowledge and new discoveries. In this issue we highlight presentations from the 43rd annual ASCO meeting as well as research being done at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Physicians' Financial News focuses on newsworthy and/or notable companies in the oncology/biotech sector. In this issue: 1) GlaxoSmithKline 2) Ventana Medical Systems Inc. and Roche Holding AG, and more

Among the articles provided in this issue are topics presented at the 43rd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Among the Clinical Trials reported in this issue are: PHASE III: 1) More Positive News in GPC Biotech's Trial With Satraplatin 2) Sanofi-Aventis Presents Positive Results in Three Oncology Programs 3) Imatinib (Gleevec) After GIST Surgery Achieves Significant Survival Benefit, and more

In this issue we highlight topics presented at the 43rd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology: 1) Focus Groups and Advisory Boards: To What Extent Do They Supplement Oncologists' Income? 2) The High Overhead Cost of Complying With National Guidelines, and more

According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, there are 19,000 new cases of primary brain cancer diagnosed each year. The five-year survival rate is around 30%. Brain cancers can strike all ages, and are the leading cause of cancer deaths in children under the age of 20.

At ASCO's 43rd annual meeting in Chicago, more than 4,000 abstracts were presented, and 25,000 specialists from around the world convened to hear the latest advances in cancer treatment.

This issue of Oncology & Biotech News presents some of the most noteworthy and newsworthy information from the 43rd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

In keeping with our goal of reporting on the practical aspects of oncology, in this issue we highlight the new National Comprehensive Cancer Network%u2019s (NCCN) updated clinical practice guidelines for kidney and cervical cancers.

A collection of cancer statistics and facts

Treatment advances focus on the potential use of Bortezomib and Lenalidomide in the front-line setting to improve patients' response rates.

Identifying head and neck cancer patients who possess the FcyR genotype may help predict whether they will respond to monoclonal antibodies, which work by killing cancer cells bearing epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) on their surface.

Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Bad News for Health Plans: MRIs Gain in Breast Cancer Detection 2) Do Terminally Ill Patients Have a Right to Receive Unproven Drugs? 3) Benefits of HPV Vaccine Still Unclear, but Time Will Tell 4) Updated Kidney Cancer Guidelines Focus on Medication Revisions and more

The Clinical Trials reported include: PHASE III: 1) Is Combination or Sequential Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer More Effective? 2) Cervical Cancer Vaccines Do Not Work Like Investigational Cancer Vaccines, Study Confirms 3) Docetaxel to Improve Clinical and Quality of Life Improvement in the Treatment of Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Cancer, and more

Physicians' Financial News focuses on newsworthy and/or notable companies in the oncology/biotech sector. In this issue:1) Genentech: Continues to Grow Oncology Portfolio2) ImClone: Erbitux News Initially Raise ImClone Shares3) AstraZeneca: Prostate Drug Enters Phase II4) Kiadis Pharma: One Blood Cancer Treatment Clears Phase II Hurdles, Another May Hit Market By 20095) Big Pharma Stocks Show Signs of Life

Clinical trial abstracts from Italy, Canada, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, and China

The first annual 2007 Cancer Symposium, held September 7-8 in San Francisco, provided an opportunity for members of the oncology community to discuss major developments in breast cancer treatment and research.

An oral therapy currently utilized in the treatment of advanced kidney cancer may be on the threshold of obtaining a major new indication.

In 2007, more than 240,000 persons will receive a diagnosis of breast cancer and nearly 41,000 will die from the disease. Although survival rates have shown significant improvement over the past several decades, breast cancer continues to be the second most common cause of cancer death in women.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the US. At the12th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), the world%u2019s top lung cancer specialists convened to present and discuss the latest research in this disease. Key themes included accurate targets, new combinations of drugs to reduce toxicity, and strategies to improve outcomes.