© 2004 by Oxford University Press
© 2004 Oxford University Press
NEWS |
In Brief
Circulating Tumor Cell Levels May Predict Breast Cancer Prognosis
Patients with metastatic breast cancer who had five or more circulating tumor cells in a sample of their blood had shorter progression-free and overall survival times than patients with fewer circulating tumor cells, according to a new study.
In the August 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues report results of a test that measured circulating tumor cells in 177 patients with metastatic breast cancer before the patients were about to start a new line of treatment and about a month after starting the treatment.
About half of the women had five or more circulating tumor cells in their blood samples before starting treatment. These women had shorter progression-free survival times (2.7 months versus 7 months) and overall survival times (10.1 months versus more than 18 months) compared with women with fewer than five tumor cells. One month after starting treatment, 30% of the women had five or more circulating tumor cells in their blood samples. Again, these women had shorter progression-free survival times (2.1 months versus 7 months) and overall survival times (8.2 months versus more than 18 months) than women with fewer tumor cells.
The presence of the circulating tumor cells predicted a patient's prognosis more accurately than either the site of metastatic disease or the tumor's estrogen receptor status, the authors noted.
See also News, Vol. 96, No. 14, p. 1055, "Trial Results Boost Circulating Tumor Cell Field."
Surveillance Colonoscopies Performed Too Often, Study Says
Surveillance colonoscopies, which are used to monitor patients after they have had a precancerous or cancerous polyp removed, are being performed more often than guidelines recommend, according to a new study.
In the August 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, Pauline Mysliwiec, M.D., of the University of California at Davis School of Medicine, and colleagues report the results from a survey of more than 650 gastroenterologists and general surgeons who were asked how often they would recommend surveillance colonoscopy or other procedures for patients who had had a colorectal abnormality but were otherwise healthy.
When presented with a hypothetical patient with a hyperplastic polyp, 24% of the gastroenterologists and 54% of the general surgeons responded that they would recommend surveillance colonoscopy, alone or with other procedures, at a frequency of at least every 5 years (current guidelines do not recommend surveillance for these patients). For a patient with an adenoma, more than half of those surveyed responded that they would recommend the test be performed at least every 3 years.
There are long wait times for colonoscopies in several parts of the United States. Overuse of the procedure could tax the health system and result in delayed diagnoses for people at high risk of colon cancer, the researchers warn. In addition, there are risks associated with a colonoscopy, including reaction to sedation and perforations of the colon wall.
FDA, Genentech Warn of Heart Problems With Bevacizumab
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Genentech have issued a warning on the drug bevacizumab (Avastin)—approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer—based on evidence that the drug is associated with a doubled risk of serious heart problems, including stroke, heart attacks, and angina, and also an increased risk of fatal heart problems. Patients with a history of heart problems and those over the age of 65 are particularly at risk, according to the alert.
Text of the FDA and Genentech drug alert and a letter to healthcare providers are available online at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2004/safety04.htm#avastin.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. D. Floyd, D. T. Nguyen, R. L. Lobins, Q. Bashir, D. C. Doll, and M. C. Perry Cardiotoxicity of Cancer Therapy J. Clin. Oncol., October 20, 2005; 23(30): 7685 - 7696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||