June 2010, Vol 1, No 2

Researchers from the University of California and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) have begun working on a prototype “cyberinfrastructure” that would allow cancer researchers to collect and interpret data from multiple sources to compare the effectiveness of preventive measures, drugs, treatments, and interventions during the course of clinical trials.

A new study suggests that removing financial incentives for screening for cervical cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension and diabetes control reduces performance, including screening rates. The study was published online in May in the British Medical Journal (2010;340:c1898).

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is Congress’ latest attempt to reform our healthcare system, creates 3 new entities that will test new payment methodologies or compare current treatments in an attempt to determine better value for our healthcare dollar.

Geneva—Giving lung cancer patients radiotherapy more frequently and over a shorter period of time provides an overall survival benefit, according to the results of a meta-analysis presented at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference.

Geneva—Combining high-dose pemetrexed (Alimta, Eli Lilly) with concurrent radiation for lung cancer is feasible, according to results of a phase 1 study presented at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference. Administering pemetrexed at high doses with radiation may increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Washington, DC—A first look at new cancer therapies was the focus of the 6th annual New Drugs on the Horizon symposium held as a special session at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.

Washington, DC—Three million dollars to toss a life ring? That’s what the pharmaceutical industry would charge, the director of Medical Ethics at Harvard’s School of Medicine suggested at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), held April 17-21 in Washington, DC.

Brussels—A retrospective study of patients with metastatic breast cancer shows that the number of circulating tumor cells in the patient’s bloodstream prognosticates the length of their survival, information that can be used to adjust treatment at the end of life.