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In a multicenter randomized (not blinded) Phase 3 study of erlotinib vs chemotherapy for EGFR-mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), progression-free survival was both significantly greater and toxicity less for patients treated with erlotinib. The findings suggest that erlotinib should be considered first-line therapy for patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.
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ACEI/ARB therapy for AS; safety alert issued for dronedarone; statins and cancer risk; nesiritide and heart failure; and FDA actions.
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In a retrospective analysis of aggressive two-stage hepatic resection of colorectal metastases, survival was 51% at 5 years compared to only 15% for comparable patients treated with chemotherapy alone. The complexity of the surgical approach and the advent of potentially more effective systemic therapies highlight the need for a definitive randomized trial before such an approach is assimilated into community practice.
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The term marginal-zone lymphoma (MZL) refers to three distinct but closely related lymphoprolferative disorders: mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma (extranodal MZL), splenic MZL, and nodal MZL.
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To assess whether screening for prostate cancer reduces prostate-specific mortality, a population-based, randomized, controlled trial for a random sample of men between the ages of 50 to 69 in a single city were screened every third year from 1987 to 1996. There was no significant difference in the rate of death from prostate cancer for the screened group compared to the control group after 20 years of follow-up.
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Older age is an adverse prognostic factor for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the pre-tyrosine kinase era. The authors evaluated the influence of age on outcomes among 559 chronic-phase CML patients treated with imatinib.
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In a retrospective review, delay beyond 60 days in initiating adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for colorectal cancer was associated with poorer overall survival. Although factors such as surgical complications or the existence of comorbidities may explain the delays for some of the cases, other "administrative" factors, such as delays resulting from insurance authorizations or referral setbacks, are to be avoided, if at all possible.
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Two new drugs for treatment of hepatitis C; NSAIDs and myocardial infarction risk; AIM-HIGH clinical trial stopped; and FDA actions.
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Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE) occur more frequently in patients with cancer, and the risk appears to vary by tumor type.
