GLG News by Oncologists who Treat Hematologic Malignancies (US)

We may be able to analyze EGFR mutations from periperal blood of lung cancer patients. Very frequently enough tissue fromm needle biopsies are not available for analysis. This may replace the need for new biopsies.

This oral Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) inhibitor appears to have activity in radioresistant differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

In a recent JCO article, Laptanib showed clinical efficacy and acceptable safety in a non-randomized trial involving newly diagnosed patients with advanced oe metastatic breast cancer. Larger trials are needed to confirm efficacy and explore if it is more potent than Genentech's Herceptin. For now,...

Avastin's recent FDA approval for m-breast cancer ( m-BCA) was lukewarm at best with no overall survival benefit yet and modest PFS data. European regulatory agencies usually require cost efficacy data and more strict data, which are not readily available for Roche/Genetech. The British market is not...

Patients who wish to receive Avastin for breast and lung Cancer will need to pay for it themselves.

Rising costs for care of seniors in physician offices will be made more painful by the reimbursement cuts. Will it impede care of seniors??

Due to possible tumor growth warnings will be attached to the use of erythropoietin agents.

This paper as well as http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/26/2765 report the efficacy of an oral anticoagulant type drug that appears to be better & safer than parenteral low molecular weight heparin (LMWH).

Safety concerns continue to be voiced re: the effect of erythropoietin products (Epos) on tumor growth.

Only 1 in 5 physicians use electronic patient records. ( and those are either in University Hospitals, large multispecialty clinics or VA hospitals)