Update-2

Oncology Research and Treatment News
Colon Cancer: Issue 2
Communications Corner: Bringing Oncologists and
Surgeons Together
Axel Grothey, MD
Mayo Foundation Scholar
Rochester, MN
patient, and then, with his consent, will period; if a patient is not resectable at clear criteria to identify those patients that point, that status is highly unlikely Establish a Dialog
duced at any cancer center or hospital.
Table of Contents
Bevacizumab Plus
Routine Use
Careful Monitoring
Making Sense of the
FOLFOX Improves
of Adjuvant
and Aggressive
Studies: Biologics May
Survival In Advanced
Chemotherapy in
Treatment Key to
Offer Added Treatment
Colorectal Cancer, Say
Stage II Disease Not
Managing Diarrhea
Options
E3200 Researchers
Recommended
in Colon Cancer
UpDate is published through an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer Inc.
Oncology Research and Treatment News
Communications Corner: Bringing Oncologists and Surgeons Together
c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
tumor size, a prior Dukes’ stage C or a to be aggressive in their treatment.
offers a large population of patients the achievable. In this way, the expertise of readily apparent. Opinions will differ.
Bevacizumab Plus FOLFOX Improves Survival In
Advanced Colorectal Cancer, Say E3200 Researchers
The combination of bevacizumab line combination with FOLFOX.
according to final results of a key phase III trial (E3200) presented in January at at the recommendation of the trial’s data a gastrointestinal cancer symposium.
that overall survival seemed likely to be Oncology Research and Treatment News
bowel perforation in the trial (1%).
Routine Use of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II
Disease Not Recommended, Although High-Risk
Patients Might Benefit: Panel
Should patients with stage II colon this subset of patients stems from the not enough events in the stage II
therapy? Unlike in stage III disease, for included in the pivotal trials to know if reach statistical significance. Addition- they received benefit from treatment.
of the pivotal trials has failed to show a stage II patients has been weak. In large experts was convened to develop evi-dence-based guidelines for clinical About the Research Advocacy Network
The patient advocacy movement has changed the face of research. Patient advo- cates have provided invaluable input into medical research. The mission of the Research Advocacy Network (RAN) is to develop a network of advocates and researchers who can influence medical research from concept to patient care through education, support, and collaborations. One of the most important aspects of the research process is moving research results into clinical practice. RAN works to accomplish this goal in several ways: Fact Sheets were created to explain the results of clinical research to patients making treatment decisions; Network News, an e-newsletter, is published monthly and covers a variety of topics, including describing research results and tools for advocates; and this newsletter and its companion for patients and advocates, Options.
Oncology Research and Treatment News
Routine Use of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II Disease Not
Recommended, Although High-Risk Patients Might Benefit
c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 3
disease-free survival in stage II patients point is that the risk-benefit ratio must depending on the trial, this gain did not be considered: high risk stage II patients translate into a statistically significant difference in overall survival. For these patients, the risks of treatments (signif- • For stage II patients at high risk, with Oncology Research and Treatment News
a patient does not have residual disease.
tic features, including T4 lesions (those Editorial Advisory Board
Michael O'Connell, MD (Chair)
Allegheny Cancer Center
Al B. Benson, III, MD
candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.
individual’s specific medical situation.
Pamela K. McAllister, PhD
Routine Use Unnecessary
Kate Murphy
similar benefit in stage II disease “seems Haller said. In addition, large phase III Mitchell C. Posner, MD, FACS
trials do not show a significant treatment by stage interaction. Patients and oncol- Nancy Roach
indirect evidence — the results of stage III trials — are justified in considering Co-founders
Research Advocacy Network
Haller. As a result, there has been little is small, perhaps about 5%, they added.
Judy Perotti
Mary Lou Smith
patients to demonstrate “a small margin Elda Railey
Oncology Research and Treatment News
Careful Monitoring and Aggressive Treatment Key to
Managing Diarrhea in Colon Cancer: Expert Panel
With an incidence ranging from Among the most important new • The assessment of symptoms should
• Mortality associated with IFL.
severe or life-threatening diarrhea.
loss of fluids, electrolytes, and the ensu- • The optimal dose of octreotide.
• The role of prophylactic anti-
diarrheal therapy in patients
receiving irinotecan. To date, the
• Diarrhea induced by radiation
therapy. There do not appear to be
Oncology Research and Treatment News
Making Sense of the Studies: Biologics May Offer
Added Treatment Options
The recent approval of 2 biological placebo group,a 34% reduction in the cizumab to include FOLFOX and
p<.001). In addition, the median dura- Cetuximab a Potential First-
Line Therapy?
(HR: .54, p<.001). Furthermore, IFL a median response duration of 5-FU bolus 400 mg/m2 d1, followed p=.001).An important adverse response METASTATIC CANCER
The Role of Bevacizumab
hypertension, but this side effect targets the epidermal growth factor culature and reduce interstitial pressure were published in 2004 (N Engl J Med ADJUVANT
CHEMOTHERAPY
An Oral Substitute
kilogram of body weight every used in the clinical trial, discussions median duration of survival was bevacizumab, the investigators, and the metastatic colorectal cancer patients.
Oncology Research and Treatment News
orin (78.2% vs 72.9%, p=.002), a 23% diarrhea the dose limiting toxicities.
years were included in the tr ial Furthermore, the tolerable doses of platin patients evidenced neutropenia.
p=.0528) and a trend to superiority for p=.0706). Moreover, patients receiving 3 years, overall survival (OS) did not.
Current Chemotherapy
(p=.041). These patients also experi- Options for Colorectal
receiving 5-FU/LV (p<.001). Patients Organizations that offer information and resources for colon cancer patients, their families and caregivers:
Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance Oncology Research and T
Colon Cancer: Issue 2
reatment News

Source: http://advocateinstitute.net/publications/pdf/Update_issue02.pdf