Symptoms May Do Little to Improve Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer (02/05/2010)
Use of symptoms to trigger medical evaluation for ovarian cancer may not greatly increase early detection of ovarian cancer, and would result in a diagnosis of ovarian cancer in only 1 out of 100 women with symptoms. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Lapatinib Approved for Initial Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer (02/02/2010)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its approval of Tykerb® (lapatinib) to include initial treatment of metastatic, postmenopausal breast cancer that is both HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive. In this setting, Tykerb is approved for use in combination with the aromatase inhibitor drug Femara® (letrozole).

Don’t Forget About Your Heart Health (02/01/2010)
For better or worse, thoughts of cancer breeze into many women’s minds almost as easily as thoughts of Matthew McConaughey or breaking through the glass ceiling at work. Cancer just seems to have what it takes to grab headlines and capture the attention of movie stars and the general public alike. Heart disease, on the other hand, often has trouble just getting a mention in the news, and it sorely lags in the race for the greatest number of fundraising galas.

February Is American Heart Month (02/01/2010)
Learn about everyday steps to maintain a healthy heart.

Arzerra, Fludara, and Cytoxan Promising for Previously Untreated CLL (02/01/2010)
The combination of Arzerra™ (ofatumumab), Fludara® (fludarabine), and Cytoxan® (cyclophosphamide) shows promising effectiveness in the initial treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These results were presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Soy Foods May Benefit Breast Cancer Patients (01/29/2010)
According to a study conducted in China, breast cancer patients with the highest soy consumption had a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence and a lower risk of death than patients with the lowest soy consumption. An editorial that accompanied the study, however, offered some words of caution about these findings. The study and editorial were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Tasigna May Be More Effective than Gleevec for Initial Treatment of CML (01/28/2010)
In the initial treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), Tasigna® (nilotinib) appears to produce higher response rates than Gleevec® (imatinib) 400 mg/day. These results were presented at the 2009 meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

Exercise and Green Tea May Help Breast Cancer Survivors Beat the Blues (01/28/2010)
Exercising and drinking green tea may help prevent depression among breast cancer survivors, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Vectibix Improves Outcome of Previously Treated Colorectal Cancer (01/27/2010)
Among patients with previously treated, metastatic colorectal cancer, the addition of the targeted therapy Vectibix® (panitumumab) to chemotherapy delayed cancer progression. This benefit was only observed in patients whose tumors did not contain a mutation in the KRAS gene. These results were presented at the 2010 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Votrient Improves Progression-free Survival in Advanced Kidney Cancer (01/27/2010)
Compared with a placebo, treatment with the oral, targeted drug Votrient® (pazopanib) delays progression of advanced kidney cancer. The results of this Phase III clinical trial were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

First-line Vectibix Delays Progression of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (01/26/2010)
Among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer that does not have a mutation in the KRAS gene, initial treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and Vectibix® (panitumumab) delays cancer progression by 1.6 months compared with chemotherapy alone. These results were presented at the 2010 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Sutent Delays Progression of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (01/25/2010)
Among patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (a cancer that develops in the hormone-producing area of the pancreas), treatment with the targeted therapy Sutent® (sunitinib) more than doubled progression-free survival compared with placebo. These results were presented at the 2010 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Oncotype DX® Predicts Recurrence Risk in Stage II Colon Cancer (01/21/2010)
Among patients with Stage II colon cancer, use of the newly available Oncotype DX® colon cancer test provides information about the risk of cancer recurrence and may help guide treatment decisions. These results were presented at the 2010 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Search for Early Markers of Ovarian Cancer Continues (01/21/2010)
Levels of three potential biological markers of ovarian cancer—CA125, human epididymis protein 4, and mesothelin—begin to rise three years before the clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer, but only become substantially elevated less than a year before diagnosis. Detection of cancer at this stage may not be early enough to improve outcomes. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Review Confirms Effectiveness of Avastin® plus Chemotherapy in Advanced Colorectal Cancer (01/19/2010)
Among patients with advanced colorectal cancer, the addition of Avastin® (bevacizumab) to chemotherapy improves overall and progression-free survival but also increases side effects. These results were published in the Annals of Oncology.

Zactima™ Active Against Hereditary Medullary Thyroid Cancer (01/14/2010)
Results of a Phase II clinical trial indicate that Zactima™ (vandetanib) has significant activity for the treatment of patients with advanced, hereditary medullary thyroid cancer. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Oncotype DX® Predicts Local and Regional Breast Cancer Recurrence (01/13/2010)

Oncotype DX® Influences Breast Cancer Treatment Decisions (01/12/2010)
Among women with early breast cancer, use of the OncotypeDX® test changed oncologist treatment recommendations in approximately 32% of cases. Use of the test also increased oncologist confidence in the treatment recommendation and decreased patient anxiety. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Addition of Velcade® and Revlimid® to Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Produces Promising Results in Older Patients with Multiple Myeloma (01/07/2010)
In a Phase II clinical trial, treatment of older multiple myeloma patients with Velcade® (bortezomib) induction therapy, reduced-intensity tandem autologous stem cell transplantation, and Revlimid® (lenalidomide) consolidation-maintenance therapy produced promising response rates. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Treanda® and Rituxan® Effective Initial Therapy for CLL (01/05/2010)
According to the results of a Phase II clinical trial, the combination of Treanda® (bendamustine) and Rituxan® (rituximab) is effective and safe for the initial treatment of patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These results were presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.