Trastuzumab Plus Lapatinib Lands Strong One-Two Punch
ISSUE: JANUARY, 2010
The combination therapy of trastuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech) and lapatinib (Tykerb, GlaxoSmithKline) improves overall survival by 20 weeks compared with lapatinib alone in women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have progressed on therapy with trastuzumab. Survival was roughly 60 weeks in the combination arm and 40 weeks in the lapatinib-only arm.
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Promising Homeopathy For Mucositis Fails Trial
Alternative Medicine Trials Fraught With Challenges
ISSUE: JANUARY, 2010
Despite a previously published pilot study that had positive outcomes, an alternative medicine for mucositis called traumeel was shown to be ineffective in children in a multicenter, double-blind trial conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group. The study was a rare effort to subject alternative medicines, which are now widely used by cancer patients, to the same rigorous, evidence-based examination used for conventional treatments.
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For Indolent Lymphomas\MCL: Bendamustine-R Is Potential New Standard
ISSUE: JANUARY, 2010
A large, Phase III multicenter study has revealed that the combination of bendamustine (Treanda, Cephalon) and rituximab (Rituxan, Biogen Idec/Genentech) is better tolerated and more effective than the current standard of CHOP-R (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, vincristine and prednisone plus rituximab) for the treatment of indolent lymphomas and mantle cell lymphoma.
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Hospitals May Be Letting Crucial Drug Pricing Tool Rust
ISSUE: JANUARY, 2010
Results from a national survey indicate that many hospitals are not properly managing a drug pricing tool, which may lead to inadequate reimbursement.
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