Cancer Treatment Today

Both Afinitor (everolimus) and octreotide are FDA approved for neuroendocrine cancer. The phase III RADIANT-2 trial conducted in 429 patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) previously established that the addition of everolimus to long-acting octreotide led to a clinically meaningful 5.1-month delay in disease progression compared with octreotide alone. However, this value just missed the prespecified boundary for statistical significance

Sprycel (dasatinib) is an attractive drug for use in melanoma because it affects mutations that re sometimes expressed in melanoma cells, A recent phase II study (Kluger et al) found that it had minimal activity in melanoma, except in patients with the C-KIT mutations. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled, 36 of whom were evaluable for activity and toxicity. Five, 4, and 3 patients had acral-lentiginous, ocular, or mucosal primaries, respectively.

FERRIPROX® (deferiprone) is an iron chelator indicated for the treatment of patients with transfusional iron overload due to thalassemia syndromes when current chelation therapy is inadequate. The approval in second line is reasonable both because the studies for approval were done in second line and because Ferroprox may be inferior to Exjade in first line (Cemak et al). This is not an innocuous drug; the most serious side effect seen in about

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is over-expressed in a significant proportion of esophageal and gastric carcinomas and there has been significant interest in targeting it. Unfortunately, it has not yet shown much progress. A phase II study by Chan et al showed minimal clinical activity of cetuximab.  A recent phase III trial, EXPAND (Erbitux in Combination With Xeloda and Cisplatin in Advanced Esophagogastric Cancer), involved 904 patients

Risedronic acid(Atelvia)  is a bisphosphonate used to strengthen bone, treat or prevent osteoporosis, and treat Paget's disease of bone. It is recommended that risedronate be taken with the body upright, and followed by a glass of water. Moreover, it is recommended that no food or drink other than water be taken for 2 hours before and 30 minutes after taking risedronate. Risedronate has a faster esophageal transit time and a different chemical chain

Aplastic anemia in younger patients is generally immune mediated and is treated with immunosupression. When there is no sibling donor, cyclosporine(CSA) is recommended, usually in combination with other drugs but it can also be used alone(1). First-line treatment approaches include immunosuppressive treatment using the combination of antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine A for patients without a sibling donor and HLA identical sibling transplant

The advantage is in the concentrated dose that Megace ES offers in contrast to Megace. Megace ES (megestrol acetate) oral suspension is indicated for the treatment of anorexia, cachexia, or an unexplained, significant weight loss in patients with a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The recommended adult initial dosage of Megace ES (megestrol acetate) oral suspension is 625 mg/day (5 mL/day or one teaspoon daily). The equicaletn

The principal effects of octreotide include inhibition of growth hormone (GH), glucagon, and insulin. However, there are other effects that have been attemtped to be exploited to therapeutic ends, including to help heal pancreatic and gastreointeistinal fistulas.  Among themare reduction of splanchnic blood flow, and inhibition of release of several gastrointestinal hormones, including serotonin, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, secretin,

Ondansetron (Zofran) had been FDA approved for two decades and highly effective for nausea and vomiting. It is indicated for: Prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, including cisplatin ≥ 50 mg/m2. Prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy. Prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with radiotherapy in patients receiving

Zelboraf is anti BRAF kinase inhibitor. ZELBORAF™ is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAFV600E mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test. More than 30 mutations of the BRAF gene associated with human cancers have been identified. The most common one is BRAFE, a substitution of  valine (V)  glutamate (E) at codon 600, and it is referred to as  BRAF600E. Other mutations which have been found