The addition of new NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM) for Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma was a highlight at the NCCN 14th Annual Conference on Friday, March 13. The new NCCN Guidelines are encompassed within the NCCN Guidelines for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL), which also had several notable updates presented by the chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for NHL, Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Steven M. Horwitz, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, presented the new NCCN Guidelines for Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma pointing out the unique clinical features that distinguish Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphomas from their nodal counterparts and the need for clinical practice guid...

BRONX, NY -- Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified genetic markers that signal poor outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. These findings could one day lead to a genetic test that could help select or predict successful treatment options for patients with this type of cancer. The results were published in the American Journal of Pathology. Head and neck cancer refers to tumors in the mouth, throat or larynx (voice box). Each year, about 40,000 men and women in the U.S. develop head and neck cancer, making it the sixth most common cancer in the U.S. Surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation are the main treatment options but cause serious side effects: surgery may involve removing l...

TEHRAN -- Drinking hot tea at a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius or more can substantially increase the risk of throat cancer, Iranian researchers said on Thursday. The research, published in the British Medical Journal, was carried out in northern Iran, where a large amount of hot tea is consumed every day. Oesophagus cancers kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the commonest type. Previous studies have linked alcohol and tobacco with oesophagus cancers which is more common in men than in women, and now drinking hot beverages may also cause such cancers, according to the research. Golestan province in northern Iran has one of the highest rates of OSCC i...

A multi-center study of prostate cancer patients appearing in today's Journal of Urology recommends that for some men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer, opting not to initially receive treatment can be safe if they are closely monitored. The study addresses an important question for men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and at minimal risk of cancer progression or metastases: when to actively treat versus when to observe and closely monitor. Radiation therapy and surgery are effective treatments but can be associated with serious long-term side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Investigators in the study show that two separate biopsies are needed to determine optimal selection of patients for active surveill...

BETHESDA, Md. -- The American College of Gastroenterology and its more than 10,000 physician members congratulate Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson today for the introduction of "21st Century Cancer ALERT (Access to Life-Saving Early detection, Research and Treatment) Act" and their vow to renew the war on cancer. The bill would help focus the national scientific agenda on tackling deadly rare and ultra-rare cancers, including pancreas and esophagus cancers, while bringing much-needed resources to the major public health challenge of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States although highly preventable through proven screening strategies. "As the physicians o...

ATLANTA, GA and MOBILE, AL -- Urologists convening this week at the Southeast Conference of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Mobile will deliver results from a study of a prostate biopsy targeting method that guides accurate and reproducible prostate biopsies. Additionally, the preliminary data shows that the stereotactic biopsy system, called TargetScan, may be used to guide delivery of targeted, focal prostate cancer therapies. "We now have greater confidence in diagnosing prostate disease and have much more accurate information to advise patients of their treatment options," explains James K. Bennett, M.D., a leading urologist in private practice in Atlanta and co-author of the study. "Our study shows tha...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.-- Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology, today announced that it has reached its enrollment target of 400 patients in the SPEAR (Study of Picoplatin Efficacy After Relapse) trial. This global, pivotal Phase 3 trial is evaluating the efficacy and safety of picoplatin in patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who have failed prior platinum-containing first-line chemotherapy or who have progressed within six months of first-line therapy. Patients have been enrolled at more than 100 clinical trial sites in 16 countries in Europe, South America and Asia. "Completion of patient enrollment in our pivotal Phase 3 SPEAR trial represents an import...