Patient Care Hematology & Oncology - October 2007 - (Page 6)

I Medicine in the News Continued from page 5 Research Digest Continued from page 1 News from the FDA Evithrom (thrombin, topical [human]), a blood-clotting protein, has been approved to stop oozing and minor bleeding from capillaries and small veins and when control of bleeding by standard surgical techniques is ineffective or impractical. The product is applied to the surface of bleeding tissue and may be used in conjunction with an absorbable gelatin sponge. Evithrom is derived from human plasma from US donors and has undergone steps to reduce the risk for transfusion-transmitted diseases. Privgen (immune globulin intravenous [human], 10% liquid) has been approved for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency. The drug is also indicated for the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Torisel (temsirolimus) has been approved for the treatment of advanced renal cancer. The drug specifically inhibits the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) kinase, a key protein in cells that regulates cell proliferation, cell growth, and cell survival. received 2 consecutive courses of high-dose chemotherapy for 3 days followed by an infusion of autologous peripheral-blood hematopoietic stem cells after each chemotherapy treatment. The other 11 patients received a single course of the treatment. During a median follow-up of 48 months, 63% of the 184 patients were continually disease free. Of these, 90% were disease free for more than 2 years. Moreover, 18 of 40 patients with progressive metastatic disease and tumors that were refractory to platinum remained disease free for a median of 49 months, and 22 of 49 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy as third-line or later treatment remained disease free for a median of 46 months. Three patients developed acute leukemia after therapy. Einhorn LH, Williams SD, Chamness A, et al. High-dose chemotherapy and stem-cell rescue for metastatic germ-cell tumors. N Engl J Med. 2007; 357(4):340-348. Prophylactic therapy reduces joint damage in hemophilia Among young boys with severe hemophilia, prophylactic treatment with factor VIII considerably reduces the risk of joint damage and hemorrhages compared with episodic treatment. Researchers from the Mountain States Regional Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center in Aurora, Colo, randomly assigned 65 boys younger than 30 months with severe hemophilia A to regular prophylactic infusions of recombinant factor VIII or to an enhanced episodic infusion schedule of factor VIII at the time of a joint hemorrhage. Bone or cartilage damage was detected by MRI. When the boys were 6 years old, significantly more boys in the prophylactic group had normal index-joint structure (93% versus 55%). Episodic treatment was associated with a higher risk of joint damage (relative risk, 6.1) and significantly higher mean annual numbers of joint and total hemorrhages. Manco-Johnson MJ, Abshire TC, Shapiro AD, et al. Prophylaxis versus episodic treatment to prevent joint disease in boys with severe hemophilia. N Engl J Med. 2007; 357(6):535-544. WRITTEN BY JUDITH ASCH-GOODKIN AND DEBORAH KAPLAN www.patientcareonline.com Visit our Web site for ® Click-through links to the Internet resources listed in these pages 6 PATIENT CARE HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY www.patientcareonline.com http://www.patientcareonline.com http://www.patientcareonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Patient Care Hematology & Oncology - October 2007

Patient Care - Hematology & Oncology - October 2007 Research Digest Contents Information for Authors Medicine in the News Strategies for Bridge Anticoagulation Therapy How to Integrate the New Cervical Cancer Guidelines into Practice Dermatology Case Challenge Clinical Clips Classified Advertising

Patient Care Hematology & Oncology - October 2007

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