Students Report High Level of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke(10/3/2007) According to an international survey of students between the ages of 13 and 15 years, almost half of the nonsmokers reported that they were exposed to secondhand smoke at home and a similar number reported that they were exposed to secondhand smoke outside of the home. These results were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Abnormal DNA in Urine May Detect Bladder Cancer(7/25/2006) Researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have reported that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for tumor DNA in urine samples detected cancer in 69% of specimens from patients with bladder cancers with no control patient having a positive test.
Screening for Bladder Cancer at Age 50 and Older Reduces Mortality(6/2/2006) According to results recently presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA), screening individuals over the age of 50 years for bladder cancer reduces mortality.
BladderChek® Detects Recurrent Bladder Cancer(1/23/2006) Researchers from 23 U.S. medical facilities have confirmed the efficacy of NMP22 BladderChek®, an in-office test, in detecting recurrent bladder cancer.
Long-Term Mitomycin C Improves Bladder Cancer Control(5/17/2007) Researchers from Germany have reported that monthly bladder instillation of mitomycin C (MMC) for 3 years decreases recurrences in patients with superficial bladder cancer. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication on Mach 12, 2007 in European Urology.
Brachytherapy May Substitute for Cystectomy for Some Bladder Cancers(3/10/2005) Researchers from the Netherlands have reported that external beam radiation followed by brachytherapy is an acceptable alternative to cystectomy or combined radiation and chemotherapy for solitary bladder cancers that are 5 cm or less in size.
Approvable Letter Received for Valstar®(8/28/2007) An approvable letter from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been received by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc for Valstar.
Ixabepilone Evaluated in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Bladder Cancer and Prostate Cancer(8/17/2007) There have been three recent clinical trials evaluating ixabepilone, in NSCLC, bladder cancer and prostate cancer. Ixabepilone is an epothilone B analog that binds to microtubules and results in microtubule stabilization and mitotic arrest. There have been several recent publications demonstrating significant activity for single agent ixabepilone in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Chemotherapy Underused in Stage III Bladder Cancer(8/1/2007) Researchers from Cornell University, University of California at San Francisco and the American College of Surgeons have reported that less than 15% of patients with stage III bladder cancer received perioperative chemotherapy in the period from 1998 to 2003. The details of this study appeared in the August, 2007 issue of The Journal of Urology.
Gemzar® and Taxotere® is a Well-Tolerated Regimen for Unresectable Bladder Cancer(11/4/2003) Researchers from UCLA have reported that the combination of
Gemzar® and
Taxotere® is an effective and well-tolerated palliative regimen for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The results of this phase II study appeared in the November 1, 2003 issue of
Cancer.
Avastin® (Bevacizumab) and Taxol® (Paclitaxel) Improves Progression-Free Survival in Metastatic Breast Cancer(1/7/2008) Researchers affiliated with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) reported the final analysis of the E2100 trial in which the addition of Avastin (bevacizumab) to Taxol (paclitaxel) was shown to increase progression-free survival compared to Taxol alone. The details of this study appeared in the December 27, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Improved Outcomes with Higher Volumes for Radical Cystectomy(8/1/2007) Researchers from Vanderbilt have reported that there were differences in outcomes of radical cystectomy performed in academic medical centers based on the number of procedures. The details of this study appeared as an early on-line publication in The Journal of Urology on July 28, 2007.
Herceptin® Combination Chemotherapy Regimen Targets HER-2 Positive Bladder Cancer(7/9/2007) Researchers involved in a multi-center National Cancer Institute trial have documented the feasibility of treating Her-2 positive advanced bladder cancer with a regimen of Herceptin (trastuzumab), Taxol® (paclitaxel), Paraplatin® (carboplatin) and Gemzar® (gemcitabine). The details of this study appeared in the June 1, 2007 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Eloxatin® and Gemzar® a Tolerable Regimen for Advanced or Metastatic Bladder Cancer(8/16/2006) Researchers from France have reported that the combination of Eloxatin (oxaliplatin) and Gemzar (gemcitabine) is an effective and well tolerated regimen for the treatment of advanced or metastatic bladder cancer and should be considered in patients who may not tolerate Platinol® (cisplatin)-based regimens.
Long-Term Mitomycin C Improves Bladder Cancer Control(5/17/2007) Researchers from Germany have reported that monthly bladder instillation of mitomycin C (MMC) for 3 years decreases recurrences in patients with superficial bladder cancer. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication on Mach 12, 2007 in European Urology.
Intravesical Taxotere® Effective in Recurrent Superficial Bladder Cancer(7/24/2006) Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center in New York have reported that intravesical Taxotere® (docetaxel) appears to be an effective treatment option for patients with superficial bladder cancer that has recurred following standard therapies. The details of this phase I-II study appeared in the July 1, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
ImmunoCyt® Test Improves Detection of Bladder Cancer(2/17/2003) A new test, ImmunoCyt, will be marketed this year in the U.S. to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of bladder cancer. This test is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the monitoring of recurrent bladder cancer.
Cellular Immunotherapy May Prevent Recurrences of Superficial Bladder Cancer(11/12/2002) Adjuvant treatment of superficial bladder cancer by the intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is well established. Currently, BCG therapy is the most effective method of prevention of recurrent superficial bladder cancer. The mechanism of BCG activity is poorly understood but the most reasonable hypothesis is that this agent stimulates the body to make lymphokine activated killer cells and interleukin-2. It is known that ex-vivo stimulation of mononuclear cells with BCG produces BCG-activated killer (BAK) cells that are cytotoxic against bladder tumor cells. Thus, NK cells are probably necessary for the activity of BCG. French researchers have explored the efficacy of macrophage activated killer (MAK) cells for the adjuvant treatment of patients with superficial bladder cancer. They reported their findings in the December 2002 issue of
The Journal of Urology.
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