(Press-News.org) (Lebanon, NH, 6/11/13) — Subgroup analyses from a phase III clinical trial comparing a newer chemotherapy agent called eribulin mesylate, with capecitabine, a standard chemotherapy medication in women with previously treated metastatic breast cancer, showed increased benefit among women sharing certain traits. Specifically, these analyses demonstrated a greater potential benefit in certain subsets of patients with metastatic breast cancer. This analysis was presented by Peter A. Kaufman, M.D., during the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting.
The specific patient populations who appeared to benefit from eribulin, in comparison to capecitabine, are as follows:
Patients with more than two organs involved with metastatic breast cancer
Patients who had not received chemotherapy for six months or longer
Patients who had received anthracycline and/or a taxane therapies in the metastatic setting
Previous pre-specified exploratory analysis of overall survival and progression-free survival showed women with triple-negative, ER-negative, HER2-negative also had a greater relative benefit in overall survival with eribulin over capecitabine.
"These exploratory analyses suggest that other patient subgroups may benefit from eribulin and further studies are warranted," said Peter A. Kaufman, MD, associate professor of medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and oncologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon, N.H.
In 2010, the FDA approved eribulin for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer who had previously received an anthracycline and a taxane and at least two cytotoxic chemotherapy treatment regimens for metastatic breast cancer. The FDA granted approval based on data showing a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared with current treatments.
Kaufman and colleagues are still compiling data from the quality-of-life analysis, which according to Kaufman, will help guide their next steps in further studying eribulin in this patient population.
###
Clinical Trial information: NCT00337103
About Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Norris Cotton Cancer Center combines advanced cancer research at Dartmouth College and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College with patient-centered cancer care provided at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock regional locations in Manchester, Nashua, and Keene, NH, and St. Johnsbury, VT, and at 12 partner hospitals throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. It is one of 41 centers nationwide to earn the National Cancer Institute's "Comprehensive Cancer Center" designation. Learn more about Norris Cotton Cancer Center research, programs, and clinical trials online at cancer.dartmouth.edu.
Study finds greater potential benefit in overall survival for eribulin compared with capecitabine
2013-06-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Self-defense training for Kenyan girls reduces rape, Stanford/Packard study finds
2013-06-13
STANFORD, Calif. — Rape is shockingly common in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, where as many as one in four adolescent girls are raped each year. But a short self-defense course can dramatically reduce the girls' vulnerability to sexual assault, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and an organization called No Means No Worldwide.
"Self-defense training taught these young girls to stand up and say 'no' with confidence, and empowered them to escalate their own defense to a higher level, if necessary," ...
Age-related smelling loss significantly worse in African-Americans
2013-06-13
The ability to distinguish between odors declines steadily with age, but a new study shows that African-Americans have a much greater decrease in their sense of smell than Caucasians. This can have serious consequences. Olfactory loss often leads to impaired nutrition. It also may be an early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and can predict death.
The study, published early online in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, found that as they aged, African-Americans and Hispanics had comparable deficits. For Hispanics, ...
Rapid adaptation is purple sea urchins' weapon against ocean acidification
2013-06-13
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– In the race against climate change and ocean acidification, some sea urchins may still have a few tricks up their spiny sleeves, suggesting that adaptation will likely play a large role for the sea creatures as the carbon content of the ocean increases.
"What we want to know is, given that this is a process that happens over time, can marine animals adapt? Could evolution come to the rescue?" said postdoctoral researcher Morgan Kelly, from UC Santa Barbara's Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. She is a co-author of the paper ...
Discovery of new material state counterintuitive to laws of physics
2013-06-13
LEMONT, ILL. --- When you squeeze something, it gets smaller. Unless you're at Argonne National Laboratory.
At that suburban Chicago laboratory, a group of scientists has seemingly defied the laws of physics and found a way to apply pressure to make a material expand instead of compress/contract.
"It's like squeezing a stone and forming a giant sponge," said Karena Chapman, a chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory. "Materials are supposed to become denser and more compact under pressure. We are seeing the exact opposite. The pressure-treated material ...
Stacking up a clearer picture of the Universe
2013-06-13
Researchers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have proven a new technique that will provide a clearer picture of the Universe's history and be used with the next generation of radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
In research published today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, ICRAR PhD Candidate Jacinta Delhaize has studied distant galaxies en masse to determine one of their important properties – how much hydrogen they contain – by 'stacking' their signals.
As astronomers use telescopes to ...
'Self-cleaning' pollution-control technology could do more harm than good, study suggests
2013-06-13
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Research by Indiana University environmental scientists shows that air-pollution-removal technology used in "self-cleaning" paints and building surfaces may actually cause more problems than they solve.
The study finds that titanium dioxide coatings, seen as promising for their role in breaking down airborne pollutants on contact, are likely in real-world conditions to convert abundant ammonia to nitrogen oxide, the key precursor of harmful ozone pollution.
"As air quality standards become more stringent, people are going to be thinking about other ...
Working through the challenges of divorce
2013-06-13
Working through the challenges of divorce
Article provided by Fleischer & Associates Attorneys at Law
Visit us at http://www.fleischerlawoffice.com
Nearly every married couple confronts challenges in their marriage. Some of these challenges can be easily resolved, with the spouses gaining an understanding into the other's wants and needs. But sometimes a relationship faces serious disagreements that cannot be resolved. Problems can grow into stressful, even dangerous situations. At this point, a divorce is often the best option for the couple and the entire ...
Changes in DUI laws could help accident victims
2013-06-13
Changes in DUI laws could help accident victims
Article provided by Law Offices of Lori S. Murray
Visit us at http://www.lorimurraylaw.com
In South Carolina 315 people died in drunk driving accidents in 2011, according to the state's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Across the nation, drunk driving kills and injures thousands of people every year, says the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB recently proposed a number of actions aimed at reducing the toll of drunk driving. The NTSB's rationale for its current recommendations is that no headway ...
ACLU study shows significant racial disparity in marijuana arrests
2013-06-13
ACLU study shows significant racial disparity in marijuana arrests
Article provided by Serino, MacKay & Berube PLLC
Visit us at http://www.smandb.com
Despite more tolerate social attitudes, marijuana is still illegal in New York. Even though many people think of social marijuana use as a relatively common and innocuous activity, the truth is that a conviction for possessing or selling marijuana can have serious long-term consequences.
However, not every marijuana smoker bears this risk equally. According to a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union, ...
How to help avoid toxic child custody battles in Pennsylvania
2013-06-13
How to help avoid toxic child custody battles in Pennsylvania
Article provided by Law Office of Elaine Smith & Adam M Horwitz
Visit us at http://www.smithhorwitz.com
Many potential unpleasant battles may arise in a divorce; what to do with the marital home and dividing possessions may be hotly contested issues, for example. However, when two parents love their children and actively participate in their lives, establishing child custody can escalate to a level far beyond deciding who gets the most of a 401(k).
There are ways to minimize stress and conflict ...