The HCPLive conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.
Long-term Overall Survival Data Positive for Bexxar in Treatment-Naïve Follicular Lymphoma
December 8th 2009Bexxar (tositumomab and iodine I 131) pairs the targeting ability of a monoclonal antibody and the therapeutic potential of radiation to form a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody regimen able to bind to the target antigen 20 found on normal and cancerous B cells. According to a poster presented by Mark S. Kaminski, MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, at the 51st ASH Annual Meeting, 83% of patients with treatment-naïve follicular lymphoma who received Bexxar experienced overall survival of 10 years.
Online Case Database Gathers Clinical and Psychosocial Information for Multiple Myeloma Patients
December 7th 2009There has been a paucity of information on the initial clinical treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and the psychosocial variables that affect their care in community-based practices. To address this issue, Neil Love, MD, Research to Practice, Miami, Florida, and colleagues developed a Web-based tool to rapidly gather reliable, multidimensional information on patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
Conventional CHOEP-R Beats Intensified CHOEP-R in Younger Patients with Aggressive B-Cell NHL
December 7th 2009Treatment with 8 cycles of CHOEP-R (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisone, etoposide, rituximab)-14 achieved excellent interim results in young, high-risk patients with previously untreated aggressive B-cell lymphoma, while the comparator arm of intensified CHOEP-R-21 followed by autologous stem cell transplant (“MegaCHOEP-R) was inferior and had greater toxicity.
Melphalan Safer than Thalidomide in Bortezomib-Regimen for Elderly Multiple Myeloma Patients
December 7th 2009In a plenary session at the 51st ASH Annual Meeting, data from a randomized trial in elderly patients with multiple myeloma (MM) showed combining bortezomib (Velcade) and prednisone with the alkylating agent melphalan (VMP) is safer than adding thalidomide (VTP), an immunomodulatory drug, and just as effective. Maria-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, attending physician in hematology at Hospital Universitario de Salamanca in Spain, presented the results from the two-stage phase III trial conducted by the Spanish Myeloma Group.
JAK2 Inhibitor Improves Quality of Life for Patients with Myelofibrosis
December 6th 2009A phase I/II study presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans, Louisiana, found that INCB018424, an experimental JAK2 inhibitor, demonstrated activity in patients with myelofibrosis. INCB018424 shrank enlarged spleens, helped patients gain weight, reduced pain, and increased patients’ capacity to exercise, all of which significantly improved their quality of life.
Bendamustine Plus Rituximab Bests Current Standard of Care for Indolent Lymphoma
December 6th 2009Bendamustine (Treanda) plus rituximab (Rituxan; B/R) was superior to CHOP plus rituximab (CHOP-R) as first-line therapy of indolent lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma in a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of the German Study Group on Indolent Lymphoma (StiL). At an oral presentation at the 51st ASH Annual Meeting, experts agreed that this study may be practice-changing.
Lenalidomide Demonstrates Effectiveness in Aggressive B-Cell NHL
December 6th 2009Lenalidomide (Revlimid) has promising anti-tumor activity in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with a predictable toxicity profile. Results of an international phase II study suggest that lenalidomide should be studied in combination with other regimens in the treatment of the various subtypes of aggressive NHL, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), transformed lymphoma, follicular grade III lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), according to Thomas E. Witzig, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, who presented results of this study at the 51st ASH Annual Meeting.
Three Studies Find Romiplostim Safe and Effective in Patients with MDS
December 6th 2009Romiplostim is a peptibody protein that increases platelet production by binding to and activating the thrombopoietin receptor. Patients with MDS frequently develop clinically significant thrombocytopenia (CST) or other bleeding problems for which transfusion has long been the only available treatment. Three studies presented at ASH suggest that romiplostim might be a safe, effective method for increasing platelet counts in MDS patients and that further trials are warranted.
Potential Breakthrough Treatment for CML Patients Who Harbor Imatinib-Resistant T315I Mutation
December 5th 2009Omacetaxine (Omapro) achieved durable hematologic and cytogenetic responses in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who failed treatment with imatinib (Gleevec). All patients in this phase II/III study had developed the T3151 mutation, which confers resistance to imatinib and to the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) nilotinib (Tasigna) and dasatinib (Sprycel).
Revised AHA/ACC PCI and STEMI Guidelines Released
November 18th 2009Wednesday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009, the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines announced the release of the long-awaited update to the guidelines for management of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and the management of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.
Atrial Fibrillation - Abstract Poster Session
November 18th 2009Nearly a dozen posters were presented during this final-day poster session, featuring results of studies looking at such topics as postmenopausal hormone therapy, pericardial fat, birth weight in women, chronic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, pulmonary toxicity associated with amiodarone, and risk stratification schemes. The results of these studies are highlighted.
Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: Emerging Technologies
This abstract poster session featured the topics of left atrial scar remodeling, closure of gap lesions, incidence of complete circumferential scar of the pulmonary vein antra, contact force mapping and ultrasound, antral isolation of pulmonary veins, radiofrequency ablation versus visutally guided laser balloon ablation, regional differences in left atrial wall thickness, and more. Highlights of these research posters are offered below.
What Can Ischemia and Ventricular Tachycardia Tell Us about Cardiovascular Risk?
November 17th 2009Study results from the MERLIN-TIMI 36 Trial looking at the risk of ischemia and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) alone or combined in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) were presented during an abstract oral session at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009.
Coronary Micro-vessel Spasm and Angina-like Chest Pain
November 17th 2009A study presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009 looked at the relationship between coronary micro-vessel spasm, epicardial coronary artery spastic angina, and non-obstructive coronary artery disease.
Atrial Fibrillation: Bench to Bedside
This session focused on the current state of practice for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation; the pathophysiology of AF, including genetics, atrial structure, and neurologic input; and clinical and epidemiological insights into imaging AF substrate.
Echocardiography in Clinical Syndromes: Atrial Fibrillation
This abstract oral session, featuring presenters who were given 15 minutes to review their research, provided attendees with information on the E/e’ ratio as a prognostic predictor in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the association between atrial and ventricular ECG findings and cardiac circulating biomarkers, stiffness of the left atrium, left atrial function as a predictor of first AF in older adults, and the mechanism of improvement of cardiac function in patients with AF. The studies are reviewed here.
Atrial Fibrillation: Mechanisms and Implications for Ablation
This abstract session featured presenters for studies that focused on the importance of atrial surface area and refractory period in sustaining atrial fibrillation (AF), mechanisms of CFAE formation in the posterior left atrium during induced AF, the left atrial ganlionated plexus, and complex fractionated atrial electrogramm versus liner ablation for persistent AF.
The results of a study that looked at the competing effects on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) of hypokalemia and treatment with hydrochlorothiazides (HCTZ) in hypertensive patients were presented Monday, November 15 at the American Heart Association Scientitifc Sessions 2009.
Treatment of Arrhythmias: Pharmacologic
This all-day abstract poster session featured researchers presenting results of studies focused on such topics as atrial fibrillation following pulmonary transplantation, use of Digoxin in atrial fibrillation, supplementation of Omega 3 PUFA plus antioxidante vitamins to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation, and the impact of hypothyroidism on atrial fibrillation treatment strategy outcomes. The results are highlighted here.
Although treatment with low-dose aspirin is standard care for secondary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events, some studies have shown that up to half of all patients stop taking aspirin. Other studies have shown that discontinuation of aspirin in these patients is linked to an increased risk of MI and other ischemic events.