Positive trial for Abraxane in NSCLC: Follow-up From ASCO

Three months ago, I discussed the press release from Abraxis reporting that the phase III trial of carbo/Abraxane (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel) vs. carbo/taxol (paclitaxel) showed a significant benefit for higher response rate in the Abraxane arm.  Carboplatin was given one day every three weeks, as was taxol, and Abraxane was given every week (no break).  We received [...]

Advanced NSCLC in the Frail/Elderly: Podcast of Discussion with Drs. Hesketh and Kelly

The last of our three cases  reviewing management issues in elderly and frail patients with lung cancer, as covered in a recent webinar discussion I had with experts Paul J. Hesketh from Lahey Clinic and Karen Kelly from Kansas University Medical Center, focuses on treatment of advanced/metastatic NSCLC.  Drs. Hesketh and Kelly are two of [...]

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Promising Lead on Potential Benefit of Nexavar (Sorafenib) for KRAS Mutation Positive NSCLC

It’s only 10 patients, but a brief report in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology that just came out today from a group in Amsterdam has gotten my attention because it suggests that the oral multi-targeted anti-cancer agent Nexavar (sorafenib) may be genuinely effective in patients with advanced NSCLC who have a K-RAS mutation.  Thus far, [...]

Maintenance Therapy in NSCLC Program by Dr. Mark Socinski, now available as Podcast

I’m very pleased to offer the podcast materials for the recent webinar by Dr. Mark Socinski, medical oncologist and leader of the excellent Thoracic Oncology Program at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill.  He’s been a long-time leader of the entire field of lung cancer for many years, and he’s among the best [...]

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Dr. Suresh Ramalingam on Personalizing First Line Therapy for Advanced NSCLC: Podcast Available

I’m very pleased to offer the excellent podcast produced from the recent webinar by Dr. Suresh Ramalingam, a leader in the lung cancer field who heads the Thoracic Oncology Program at Emory University in Atlanta.  He’s also a good friend I’ve known since our fellowship training days, and he was kind and generous enough to [...]

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Molecular Markers from the INTEREST Trial: Chemo and EGFR Inhibitor Therapy Still Remarkably Equivalent

Oncologists often have their own ideas about how effective or ineffective a targeted therapy like an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) (Tarceva (erlotinib) or Iressa (gefitinib)) is compared with standard chemotherapy options.   We’ve seen a lot of new information emerge in the field over the last few years, and we now have evidence that [...]

ZEPHYR Trial of Zactima (Vandetanib) vs. Placebo Negative

    It’s been a while since there was anything to discuss about Zactima (vandetanib), an oral targeted therapy being investigated by AstraZeneca that has the potential to inhibit both the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), key targets of two important pathways in cancer treatment.  They launched a total [...]

What I really do: Molecular testing for NSCLC

I’m fortunate to practice at Moffitt, where Dr. Gerold Bepler and Dr. George Simon pioneered a molecularly directed approach to front-line chemotherapy in NSCLC. Data from the phase II clinical trial demonstrated impressive median survival for a platinum-based doublet: 13.3 months. The schema of the MADeIT clinical trial is shown below and I’m happy to [...]

Dr. George Simon on Individualizing Treatment Recommendations in Advanced NSCLC using Molecular Factors

Dr. George Simon, medical oncologist and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, has been kind enough to sit down for an interview with me earlier this year, which was made into a podcast several months ago.  More recently, he participated in our NSCLC Patient Education, sponsored by OSI [...]

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NCCN Guidelines for NSCLC Now Include Reference to Maintenance Therapy

   Just a few days ago, I described my humbling experience of trying to argue in favor of making a standard of patients with advanced NSCLC who hadn’t progressed after four cycles of chemo-based first line treatment being started on maintenance therapy.   That didn’t work, and it’s clear both from the outcome of the debate, [...]