June 2013, Vol 4, No 5

A secondary analysis of a large study on intermittent versus continuous androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) has confirmed the importance of aiming for very low testosterone levels in men after they are diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to new data presented at the 2013 Canadian Urological Association annual meeting.

An examination of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database from 1998 to 2008 revealed that a significant number of patients with cancer receive drugs that are neither indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the specific condition nor endorsed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) compendia—and 18% of the spending on cancer drugs is for off-label drug use.

>A new study supported by the National Institutes of Health Pharmacogenomics Research Network represents a step forward toward personalized medicine in breast cancer prevention among women who are at high risk for the disease.

The FDA denied the approval of a New Drug Application for tivozanib, which was submitted by its manu­facturer (Aveo Pharmaceuticals/Astellas), for the treatment of renal-cell carcinoma.

The FDA approved lenalidomide capsules (Revlimid; Celgene Cor­poration) for the treatment of patients with mantle-cell lymphoma whose disease has relapsed or progressed after 2 previous therapies, one of which included bortezomib (Velcade). Lenalidomide is already approved for multiple myeloma (as is bortezomib).

From the beginning, decisions about cancer treatment can be overwhelming. To help patients get back to the life and the people they love, Meridian Cancer Care offers every medical advantage. Medical collaboration is critical in the treatment of cancer. At Meridian Health, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other specialists work together to provide the best treatment plan for patients with cancer.

Evidence-based drug sequencing should form the basis of treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), according to a new guideline from the American Urolo­gical Association (AUA) released at the 2013 AUA annual meeting.

A study comparing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) labeling claims in Europe and in the United States showed that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is more proactive in considering patient-generated feedback in their drug labeling decisions—this despite the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s 2009 guidance that emphasized the importance of gathering and disseminating such data.