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Top Advances in Cancer Treatment for 2005 Chosen by
Oncologists
Eleven study areas identified as major advances in
care
Dec. 2, 2005 A report released today by the
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) highlights the most
significant clinical cancer research of the past year and names the 11
study areas of "major advances" in patient care, and highlights 45 other
notable advances across 10 cancer types and in three cross-cutting
areas: prevention, access to high-quality cancer care, and cancer
survivorship.
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"Clinical Cancer Advances 2005: Major Research
Advances in Treatment, Prevention, and Screening" is ASCO's first such
annual report.
"This report demonstrates the important progress
being made in all areas of clinical cancer research," said Sandra J.
Horning, MD, ASCO President and Professor of Medicine at Stanford
University School of Medicine. "The message is one of hope -- the
advances identified by this report underscore the essential role of
cancer research in finding solutions for a disease that strikes 1.4
million people in the United States each year."
Many of the top advances can be grouped according
to three major themes (also see each study summary below):
● "Adjuvant" therapy for common cancers:
A number of studies provided new ways to increase
survival using "adjuvant therapy" for people with early-stage breast,
lung, and colon cancers. Adjuvant therapy involves the use of
chemotherapy following surgery to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence
and increase cure rates.
● Targeted therapies:
Several studies demonstrated the effectiveness of
newer, more targeted therapies in a wide range of cancers, including
cancers of the breast, colon, lung, kidney, and head and neck, and
lymphoma, with important survival benefits in lung and colon cancer.
● Survivorship:
In the emerging field of cancer survivorship, a
landmark study was the first to document the extent and severity of the
long-term health problems faced by a large proportion of childhood
cancer survivors. The Institute of Medicine also issued major new
recommendations for addressing the long-term needs of adult cancer
survivors.
Other major advances included vaccines for HPV, the
virus closely associated with cervical cancer, and new treatments for
stomach cancer, myelodysplastic syndromes, and an aggressive form of
brain cancer, among others. Some 45 additional studies were identified
as "notable research."
Report Findings
Following is a summary of the report's top 11
advances, which are changing the way cancer is treated in the United
States. (Note: The advances in the report are not ranked and their order
is not significant.)
1. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) reduces
recurrence of HER-2-positive early-stage breast cancer by half. Two
large clinical trials showed for the first time that adding trastuzumab
to standard chemotherapy reduced the risk of recurrence by half and the
risk of death by one-third for women whose early-stage breast cancers
contained excessive amounts of the HER-2 protein, compared with standard
chemotherapy alone. Women whose breast cancer expresses the HER-2
protein make up 25 percent to 30 percent of breast cancer patients, and
their cancers are particularly difficult to treat.
2. Chemotherapy after surgery increases
lung cancer survival. A large study resolved the debate over the benefit
of adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer,
showing that adjuvant chemotherapy reduced risk of recurrence by 40
percent, and resulted in significantly higher five-year survival rates
compared with surgery alone.
3. Chemotherapy after surgery reduces risk
of colorectal cancer recurrence. Two large studies conclusively
demonstrated the value of adjuvant chemotherapy that includes the drug
oxaliplatin for patients with early-stage colon cancer, showing that the
regimen reduced risk of recurrence by 21 percent to 24 percent.
4. Bevacizumab (Avastin) improves lung
cancer survival. A large trial demonstrated that bevacizumab - an
angiogenesis inhibitor that starves tumors of the blood supply they need
to grow - in combination with chemotherapy can significantly extend
survival in patients with advanced lung cancer. It is the first study to
show that adding a targeted agent to chemotherapy increases survival for
patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
5. Bevacizumab (Avastin) improves
colorectal cancer survival. A large study of patients with advanced
colorectal cancer found that combining bevacizumab with chemotherapy
containing the drug oxaliplatin significantly improved overall survival.
6. Vaccines are effective in preventing
HPV infection. Three studies showed that two different HPV vaccines were
effective at preventing 90 percent to 100 percent of infections with
human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus linked to cervical cancer.
7. A new treatment for myelodysplastic
syndrome (MDS) reduces genetic abnormalities and the need for blood
transfusions. The drug lenalidomide (RevLimid) reduced the need for
blood transfusions in patients with MDS, a disorder of blood-forming
cells that can lead to leukemia. Three-quarters of those who responded
had fewer marrow cells with a specific genetic abnormality, and more
than half had no evidence of the abnormality at all.
8. Chemotherapy improves survival for
patients with stomach cancer. A large study provided the first evidence
that chemotherapy given before surgery to shrink the tumor can increase
survival for patients with stomach cancer.
9. The first effective drug for a highly
resistant form of brain tumor called glioblastoma. Two studies showed
for the first time that chemotherapy, using the drug temozolomide, can
help some patients with glioblastoma live longer.
10. New data released on the increase of
melanoma and other skin cancers among young people. In an important
epidemiologic finding, several studies showed a significant increase in
skin cancer rates - including both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers
- among children and young adults in the United States.
11. Many childhood cancer survivors have
significant health problems as adults. A major study gave the first
estimate of the frequency and severity of long-term health problems
among adult survivors of childhood cancer.
"Survival rates are increasing, and there is much
good news on the front lines of cancer research," said Dr. Herbst.
"However, cancer still claims the lives of far too
many people. Further research is needed into those cancer stages and
types that have remained resistant to nearly all treatment approaches.
And while newer, more targeted therapies hold great promise, we need
much more study to determine those patients most likely to benefit, and
to determine side effects over the long term."
"The advances in this report are made possible by
the dedicated pursuit of clinical research and participation in clinical
trials," added Dr. Mayer. "While clinical cancer research is rarely a
story of dramatic breakthroughs, it is one of steady progress, with each
new research finding bringing us one step closer to reducing the burden
of this disease in the United States and around the world."
About The Report
The report was developed by a 21-person editorial
board of leading oncologists. Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Chair of ASCO's
Cancer Communications Committee and Chief of Thoracic Oncology at M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center, and Robert J. Mayer, MD, Past Chair ASCO's
Cancer Communications Committee and Director of the Center for
Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, served as
Co-Executive Editors of the report.
The staff also included 13 specialty editors for
each of the disease- and issue-specific sections. Editors of the report
reviewed studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and
early results of research presented at major scientific meetings over a
one-year period (November 2004 - October 2005). Only studies that
significantly altered the way a cancer is understood or had an important
impact on patient care were included in the report.
About ASCO: The American Society of Clinical
Oncology is the world's leading professional organization representing
physicians of all oncology subspecialties who care for people with
cancer. ASCO's more than 23,000 members from the United States and
abroad set the standard for patient care worldwide and lead the fight
for more effective cancer treatments, increased funding for clinical and
translational research, and, ultimately, cures for the many different
types of cancer that strike an estimated 10 million people worldwide
each year. ASCO publishes the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), the
preeminent, peer-reviewed, medical journal on clinical cancer research,
and produces People Living With Cancer (http://www.PLWC.org), an
award-winning website providing oncologist-vetted cancer information to
help patients and families make informed health care decisions.
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