Abstract: Despite the recent advances in its management using cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy. One possible treatment strategy that may improve patient outcome is the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that selectively target tumor cells expressing tumor-associated antigens, and thus offer potential benefits such as avoiding the cytotoxic side effects in normal tissue caused by traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Based on the promising results of preclinical studies, various mAb are currently being evaluated in patients with ovarian cancer. Some of them have already demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes in phase I/II studies. However, in contrast to its use for hematological malignancies and certain solid malignancies such as breast and colorectal cancer, mAb-based therapy has not been convincingly proven to be clinically effective in patients with ovarian cancer. As the preclinical results of mAb's therapeutic effects on ovarian cancer have been encouraging, further investigations are needed to establish a more effective, specific, and less toxic treatment strategy for this malignancy. ... Read more

Abstract: Prostate cancer continues to represent a major health problem, and yet there is no effective treatment available for advanced metastatic disease. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of more effective treatment modalities that could improve the outcome. Because prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a transmembrane protein, is expressed by virtually all prostate cancers, and its expression is further increased in poorly differentiated, metastatic, and hormone-refractory carcinomas, it is a very attractive target. Molecules targeting PSMA can be labelled with radionuclides to become both diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents. The use of PSMA binding agents, labelled with diagnostic and therapeutic radio-isotopes, opens up the potential for a new era of personalized management of metastatic prostate cancer. ... Read more

Abstract: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. About 50% of the patients present locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. First line therapy usually consists of a combination of cisplatin or carboplatin with a third-generation agent (paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, or vinorelbine) that results in less than 5% 5-year survival (Goldstraw et al., 2007). Recently a different approach based on histological subtype has been introduced in the first line treatment of NSCLC: in the non-squamous histotypes, cisplatin plus pemetrexed, compared to the cisplatin plus gemcitabine combination, showed a better outcome, leading to its introduction in the first line treatment setting. In recent years advances in the second and third line treatments have led to a prognostic improvement. Two cytotoxic agents, docetaxel and pemetrexed, are approved as NSCLC second line treatment, and a new class of drugs against specific molecular targets -- tyrosine Kinase inhibitors (TKI) -- has emerged as an alternative to conventional treatment. Many trials are ongoing to assess the activity of new drugs, alone or in combination with other agents, or new combinations of third-generation chemotherapeutic agents. ... Read more

Abstract: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy mainly affecting elderly people and is still considered an incurable disease. Despite recent advances in CLL treatment, relapse rates are high and often accompanied by the development of resistance towards conventional chemotherapy. Thus, new agents are needed for the treatment of these patients. In recent years, our understanding of the biological mechanisms driving CLL pathogenesis has considerably improved, and novel treatment strategies are arising. This review summarizes recent insights in CLL biology and describes several new agents and treatment strategies that are currently explored in pre-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials. ... Read more

Abstract: A recent Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group phase III clinical trial in patients with ovarian cancer receiving the conventional paclitaxel-carboplatin combination once every 3 weeks or "dose-dense" paclitaxel once a week with carboplatin once every 3 weeks has reported a large progression free survival advantage for the dose-dense therapy. Recent advances in the molecular understanding of ovarian cancer point to molecular differences between paclitaxel and carboplatin sensitivity which link to the status of BRCA genes -- so called familial and sporadic "BRCAness." It may be that the change in the way we use paclitaxel allows us to more effectively target the heterogeneity of such intrinsic sensitivity/resistance to these agents in the adjuvant therapy of ovarian cancer, leading to significant improvement in the management of the disease. ... Read more

Abstract: Cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease which changes over time, and in the face of therapeutic intervention. Single tissue biomarkers, while partially successful in helping us understand which patients will respond to therapy, cannot hope to capture this amazing complexity. Systems pathology, which combines measurements made on tissues with new mathematical modelling approaches, permits the testing of new agents and biomarkers in silico through computational analysis. These approaches help us to refine pathological measurements and improve decision making about therapies for clinical trial planning and ultimately personalized therapy. ... Read more

Other Names: Tositumomab and ¹³¹I-Tositumomab.

Makers: Corixa of Seattle, WA and GlaxoSmithKline of Philadelphia, PA.

Disease Treated: Non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma (NHL). There are currently about 300,000 cases of NHL in the United States, with more than 56,000 new cases predicted to have been diagnosed in 2002. The National Institute of Cancer estimates that approximately 140,000 people have low-grade NHL or transformed low-grade NHL, an aggressive, difficult-to-treat, and particularly deadly form of the disease for which BEXXAR is indicated. The American Cancer Society estimates that 24,400 people would die of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the United States in 2002.

Chemical/Biological Nature: Unlabeled and ¹³¹I-labeled murine ... Read more

Zevalin is the nuclear-armed version of Rituxan. Specifically, Zevalin is the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody drug Rituxan (”guiding missile”) labeled with the radioactive isotope Yttrium-90 (nuclear “warhead”).

Zevalin is indicated for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including patients with Rituxan-refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

When Zevalin binds to cancer cells and normal mature B cells that express the biomarker protein CD20, it brings radiation to these cells in a harm’s way. Zevalin kills its target cells via both cold (means by which Rituxan does its job) and hot (pin-point radiation) approaches.

Zevalin is given to a patient by intravenous infusion. Isotope Yttrium-90 emits beta ... Read more