Study Group: Oncologists Using Da Vinci Robotic System(?)

Cetiximab and other anti-EGFR antibodies are effective late-line therapies for colorectal cancer, squamous cell cancers of the head and neck, and non-small cell lung cancer. Response rates are low (10-20%), but these response rates have been shown to be durable and do result in improved survival, particularly...

The identification of reliable biomarkers predicting EGFR- targeted therapy outcomes presents a major challenge in the treatment of colorectal cancer ( CRC). Determination of EGFR levels, currently used, are a poor predictor of response to cetuximab therapy.EGFR protein expression, gene amplification...

Oncophage is an autologous (or derived directly from a patient's own tumor cells) vaccine that may promote the generation of an effective anti-tumor immune response when re-injected into patients. Trials in melanoma and renal cell cancer failed to meet their primary endpoints and approval has not been...

The Data Safety Monitoring Board halted the Phase III randomized open label trial comparing the Pfizer anti-CTLA4 antibody, tremelimumab, to "standard" (and generally ineffective) chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma. The Board has reported that there is no statistical difference between the primary...

This drug, which has just entered Phase I testing, is very interesting because it combines IL-12, which has shown both activity and significant toxicity, with a targeting antibody. Hopefully, this targeting antibody will minimize the toxicity of IL-12 on or in normal tissues.