The 35th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held at the Georgia World Congress Center, was attended by 20,260 cancer clinicians, academics and research and pharmaceutical industry scientists. The meeting program consisted of a varied series of poster and poster discussion sessions, education sessions, oral abstract presentations, plenary sessions, 'meet the professor' sessions, special lectures and integrated symposia. Some of the main 'hot topics' included gene therapy, immunotherapy, biological therapy (including vaccines and antibodies), prostate cancer, signal transduction inhibitors, anti-angiogenesis agents and several novel therapies and approaches.

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PubMed1999

Prostate cancer, biological therapy, signal transduction inhibitors and anti-angiogenesis agents.

New systemic approaches to the treatment of prostate cancer, biological therapy (including vaccines and antibodies), signal transduction inhibitors and anti-angiogenesis agents were the focus of these ASCO sessions.

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PubMed1999

Topoisomerase inhibitors and other new agents.

At ASCO there was an oral presentation session on the pharmacology of topoisomerase inhibitors and other new agents. It was co-chaired by Dr. Herbert M. Pinedo (University Hospital, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Dr. Mark J. Ratain (University of Chicago, IL, USA).

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PubMed1999

Epidermal growth factor receptor targeting.

Dr. Jose Baselga (Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain) chaired and led a discussion of several posters on the marking and detection of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and compounds that target this receptor. The posters consisted of biological studies and phase I trials with EGFR tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitors. The basis of EGFR targeting in cancer therapy depends on the overexpression in malignancy and potential inhibition with antibodies and TK inhibitors. Correlations have been made between receptor function and inhibition of growth.

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PubMed1999

Pediatric studies and hematological malignancies.

This report contains some of the more interesting studies presented from the many poster sessions at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.

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PubMed1997

Two omeprazole-based Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens for the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease in general practice.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is the main acquired factor in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease. METHODS: This multicentre study conducted in 32 general practice centres in the UK and Ireland was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group comparison of triple therapy (n = 98: omeprazole 40 mg once daily and amoxycillin 1 g b.d. for 2 weeks, and metronidazole 400 mg t.d.s. for the first week) and dual therapy (n = 85: omeprazole 40 mg once daily and amoxycillin 1 g b.d. for 2 weeks, with placebo during the first week) for the eradication of H. pylori in patients with symptomatic duodenal ulcer disease. Patients who were successfully treated entered a follow-up phase for 12 months to assess symptomatic relapse and use of health-care resources. RESULTS: Eradication of H. pylori based on a second 13C-urea breath test was successful in 95% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 90-100%) of patients receiving omeprazole triple therapy and 53% (95% CI = 41-65%) of those receiving omeprazole dual therapy (P < 0.0001 between groups, all data available analysis). The all-patients-treated analysis gave eradication rates of 80 and 44% for omeprazole triple therapy and omeprazole dual therapy, respectively. Symptomatic relapse occurred in 16% (18/116) of the H. pylori-negative patients who entered the 12-month follow-up period, and there were significant reductions in the number of consultations, investigations and prescriptions relating to upper gastrointestinal symptoms compared with the 12 months prior to the eradication therapies (all P < 0.0001). The two treatment strategies were comparable in terms of the number of adverse events reported. CONCLUSIONS: Omeprazole triple therapy provides a highly effective treatment for the eradication of H. pylori infection in patients in general practice, with an adverse event profile similar to that seen with omeprazole dual therapy. The successful eradication of H. pylori with these omeprazole regimens results in a significant decrease in the use of health-care resources in the 12 months following treatment.

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