Oncology

CHICAGO | All women with early breast cancer should be offered regional nodal irradiation (RNI) by their physicians to improve their long-term disease-free survival, according to Canadian-led research presented at the ASCO meeting here.

CHICAGO | Two major ovarian cancer trials demonstrating the benefit of adding bevacizumab to traditional chemotherapy were presented at this year’s ASCO meeting. The first showed the angiogenesis blocker’s ability to extend progression-free survival in recurrent disease. The second suggested initial use of the tumour-starving drug for newly diagnosed cancer may be warranted, particularly in patients with more aggressive disease.

CHICAGO | Truly groundbreaking change in the first-line treatment of metastatic melanoma has arrived for patients relegated to using the same largely ineffective regimens for many years.

CHICAGO | The aromatase inhibitor exemestane reduces the risk of invasive breast cancer by 65% in high-risk postmenopausal women, according to a large phase III, placebo-controlled trial led and coordinated by Canada’s NCIC Clinical Trials Group.

Trial reverses findings of promising pilot study

Drug indicated for reducing the of developing skeletal-related events in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer, prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumours.

CHICAGO | Canadian research shows that men with prostate cancer who are treated with intermittent courses of androgen-suppressing therapy live as long as those who receive continuous therapy.