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The first full-scale trials of an experimental drug that attacks a genetic defect in breast cancer cells show significant promise for women with advanced cancer, scientists reported Sunday in Los Angeles. The drug, Herceptin, heightened the benefits of chemotherapy by shrinking tumors and slowing progression of a particular type of breast cancer, one that is responsible for about 30 percent of the 180,000 new cases of the disease in the United States each year, the scientists said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology at the downtown Convention Center. Participants at the meeting greeted the reports with cautious optimism, and leaders said they were now planning to test the drug, which was developed by Genentech of South San Francisco, among patients with less advanced forms of the breast cancer and among the 20 percent of ovarian cancer cases involving the same genetic defect

LOS ANGELES - The first full-scale trials of an experimental drug that attacks a genetic defect in breast cancer cells show significant promise for women with advanced cancer, scientists said Sunday. The drug, Herceptin, heightened the benefits of chemotherapy by shrinking tumors and slowing progression of a particular type of breast cancer, one that is responsible for about 30 percent of the 180,000 new cases of the disease in the United States each year, the scientists said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology

The first full-scale trials of an experimental drug that homes in on a genetic defect in breast cancer cells show significant promise for women with advanced cancer, scientists reported today. The drug, Herceptin, heightened the benefits of chemotherapy by shrinking tumors and slowing progression of a particular type of breast cancer, one that is responsible for about 30 percent of the 180,000 new cases of the disease in the United States each year, the scientists said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology here. Herceptin is a protein known as a monoclonal antibody that was genetically engineered to bind to other specific proteins. The preliminary success with Herceptin and another monoclonal antibody for lymphoma was expected to revive interest in developing such compounds, a research avenue that scientists abandoned a decade ago because of lack of success

The first full-scale trials of an experimental drug that attacks a genetic defect in breast cancer cells show significant promise for women with advanced cancer, scientists reported Sunday. The drug, Herceptin, heightened the benefits of chemotherapy by shrinking tumors and slowing progression of a particular type of breast cancer, one that is responsible for about 30 percent of the 180,000 new cases of the disease in the United States each year, the scientists said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Los Angeles. Participants at the meeting greeted the reports with cautious optimism, and leaders said they are planning to test the drug, which was developed by Genentech of south San Francisco, among patients with less advanced forms of the breast cancer and among the 20 percent of ovarian cancer cases involving the same genetic defect

The breast cancer drug tamoxifen significantly reduces the rates of recurrence and death from the disease among a surprisingly wide range of women but is being prescribed to far too few patients, researchers reported Thursday in the world's largest analysis of any cancer treatment. Contrary to what many doctors had thought, tamoxifen benefits breast cancer patients of all ages, not just those who have gone through menopause, and is effective whether the cancer was confined to the breast or had spread to lymph nodes in the arm pit, the study found. Tamoxifen also is effective whether the cancer was removed surgically in a lumpectomy or mastectomy, treated with radiation or chemotherapy drugs. Tamoxifen also halves the incidence of new cancers in the breast opposite the site of the first cancer

Contrary to what many doctors had thought, tamoxifen benefits breast cancer patients of all ages, not just those who have gone through menopause, and is effective whether the cancer was confined to the breast or had spread to lymph nodes in the arm pit, the study found. Tamoxifen is also effective whether the cancer was removed surgically in a lumpectomy or mastectomy or treated with radiation or chemotherapy drugs. Tamoxifen also halves the incidence of new cancers in the other breast from the site of the first cancer. But too few women with breast cancer are taking tamoxifen, the Oxford team said. More widespread use of tamoxifen would save 20,000 lives a year, particularly among pre-menopausal women. That would double the 20,000 now saved among the one million women who take it for breast cancer worldwide, the authors said. The analysis focused only on tamoxifen use as a treatment among women who had developed breast cancer and did not concern its use to prevent development of breast cancer. A recently reported study found that tamoxifen reduced the incidence of breast cancer by 45 percent among women considered at high risk for the disease compared to those who took a placebo. Two additional studies suggest that a related drug, raloxifene, can also prevent breast cancer without raising the risk of uterine cancer, a side effect of tamoxifen

The anti-breast cancer drug tamoxifen significantly reduces the rates of recurrence and death from the disease among a surprisingly wide range of women but is being prescribed to far too few patients, researchers reported Thursday in the world's largest analysis of any cancer treatment. The statistical analysis shows that for women with the most common, hormone-sensitive type of breast cancer, a five-year course of tamoxifen prevents 1 in 6 from developing a recurrence and 1 in 12 from dying over the next decade. The analysis adds to increasingly positive news about tamoxifen, which last month was shown to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease. The study reported Thursday focuses on treatment of women who already have had breast cancer

We studied 63 randomly selected third-year students who split their 10-week medicine clerkship between ambulatory and inpatient components. Compared with their inpatient experience, during the ambulatory rotation, the 63 students felt more like doctors, more responsible for patients, and more able to know and help their patients. Students reported that ambulatory attending staff appeared happier and less stressed, and did not embarrass them as frequently. Compared with their 619 "inpatient" classmates, these 63 "ambulatory" students scored as well on the medicine examination, and were as likely to receive honors (44% vs 41%), and to choose internal medicine residencies (35% vs 34%). In conclusion, students experienced better relationships with their patients and teachers during the ambulatory rotation, which was academically comparable to the inpatient experience.