March 2014 | Oncology Live®

Hitting the Target: How Druker's Persistence Helped Launch a New Mode of Attack

April 10, 2014

Take a prognosis of three years, multiply it by 10, and what do you get? A staggering improvement in the survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and a crucial steppingstone on the road to the targeted treatment of cancer.

I-SPY 2 Designer Describes Program's Many Innovations

April 08, 2014

Donald A. Berry, PhD, is a leader in the development of innovative statistical methodology for the improvement of clinical trial design and analysis, especially the Bayesian methods used in the I-SPY program.

Targeted Therapies Usher in a New Era in CLL: Wierda Discusses Key Facets of Emerging Agents

April 04, 2014

The approval of the first small-molecule, targeted therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) launches a new era that promises to transform management of the disease, yet significant challenges in translating research advances into improvements in long-term outcomes remain

Institute Develops Fresh Bench-to-Bedside Model Through Community Ties

April 03, 2014

In more than 40 years as a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center-and the first center in the network devoted purely to basic research-The Wistar Institute has built a reputation for furthering the sort of scientific research that will improve clinical cancer medicine.

The Retreatment Question: Research Suggests Benefits to Continuing Molecularly Targeted Therapy Beyond Progression

April 02, 2014

The readministration of a cytotoxic antineoplastic agent is a well-established management paradigm in a number of malignancies, yet it is generally believed such a strategy may not prove beneficial if the patient experiences disease progression while receiving the therapy.

A Look at I-SPY 2: Novel Trial Design May Expand the Scope of Oncology Drug Development

April 02, 2014

Amid a growing recognition of the need to improve the process of developing oncology drugs, the novel I-SPY 2 clinical trial in breast cancer has demonstrated the potential to deliver new, effective treatment options more rapidly to patients who would most benefit while dramatically reducing the time and costs currently required to evaluate experimental therapies.

Breast Cancer Expert Offers Views on Promising Strategies

April 01, 2014

Now that targeted therapies are available for the treatment of various subtypes of breast cancer, and many novel agents are under investigation, it is important for the oncology community to follow the latest advancements to give patients the best available options.

Younger Patients With ALL Could Bypass a Transplant

March 31, 2014

The role of allogeneic transplant in the treatment of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is evolving as a result of new studies providing evidence of the efficacy of an improved chemotherapy regimen

Nab-Paclitaxel Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer Deemed Patient Friendly

March 28, 2014

A recently approved indication for nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) in metastatic pancreatic cancer is thought to have similar efficacy to a standard first-line treatment for the disease, but offers several advantages in the eyes of community oncologists and their patients

Tackling Patient Recruitment Challenges in Clinical Trials

March 26, 2014

Patients fear being a "guinea pig" or receiving a placebo, healthcare providers do not have time to keep up with all of the clinical trial information or talk with patients in depth, conducting clinical trials is very expensive for healthcare systems, and funding continues to decline for research.

Obinutuzumab Gains Role in CLL Guidelines

March 25, 2014

Amid advances in targeted therapies for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), researchers also have been making strides in the realm of chemoimmunotherapy regimens for the disease.

G-202 Represents Novel Approach for Attacking Advanced HCC

March 24, 2014

Prodrug chemotherapy is an exciting approach by which higher concentrations of cytotoxic or biologically active agents can be achieved at a tumor site while avoiding the systemic toxicity of a non-cell-specific toxin.