re: mayne and sirtex?
Here is the news not yet released by the co but the prnnewswire picked it up early. Second Annual Symposium on Liver Directed Radiotherapy with Microspheres Showcases Latest Research on Microsphere Therapy
Studies Support Expanded Use of Microsphere Therapy for Advanced Liver Cancers
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinical experts from around the world gathered this week to discuss the latest research supporting the use of microspheres -- including Sirtex's SIR-Spheres(R) microspheres -- in patients with various forms of cancer metastasized to the liver. SIR-Spheres microspheres are the only FDA-approved radioactive microspheres for treatment of metastatic liver cancer. More than 65 physicians attended the clinical symposium held April 27-28 at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz. Sirtex provided an educational grant to support the meeting, which was jointly sponsored by Wake Radiology Oncology Services in Cary, N.C., and Medical Education Collaborative based in Golden, Colo. "The response to this year's meeting has been tremendous," says Dr. Andrew Kennedy, radiation oncologist and co-medical director of Wake Radiology Oncology. "The research presented at the meeting represents the largest amount of data to date supporting the safety and effectiveness of microsphere therapy in a variety of metastasized liver cancers, including colorectal and breast. Our goal is to use this data to further increase the study of microsphere therapy and ultimately expand our use of this valuable treatment." Microspheres are radioactive polymer spheres that emit beta radiation. Physicians insert a catheter through the groin into the main artery in the liver that supplies blood to the tumors. Millions of microspheres are then released via the catheter directly to the tumors. The microspheres target liver tumors and spare healthy liver tissue. The quality of life after microsphere therapy also is improved when compared with similar non- radioactive liver treatments. Data presented at the meeting examined the use of SIR-Spheres microspheres for a variety of cancers that have metastasized to the liver, including colorectal, breast, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and carcinoid. Research highlights involving SIR-Spheres include: Colorectal cancer Dr. Kennedy presented the largest U.S. study to date examining the use of SIR-Spheres microspheres in 208 patients with colorectal cancer that had metastasized to the liver. Two-thirds of study recipients responded to the treatment, with an average post-treatment survival rate of 10.5 months. The results showed the survival time of patients treated with SIR-Spheres was nearly double the rate of patients treated with systemic chemotherapy. The study will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Journal of International Radiation Oncology Biology Physics. A team of physicians from around the country collaborated on the study, including Dr. Douglas Coldwell at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Dr. Charles Nutting at Radiology Imaging Associates in Denver and Dr. Ravi Murthy from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Breast Cancer Dr. Douglas Coldwell, an interventional radiologist from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, presented research compiled from seven institutions evaluating SIR-Spheres microspheres as a treatment for patients with breast cancer that metastasized to the liver. Forty-eight women participated in the study. Each received a single dose of treatment of SIR- Spheres microspheres and was monitored every three months with CT and PET scans. All participants experienced a reduction in the number and size of the lesions. Seventy-nine percent were still alive one year after receiving the treatment. Side effects were minimal in this study and included treatment for nausea and pain. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Dr. Bruno Sangro at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, followed 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with SIR-Spheres microspheres and then monitored for 10 months with no further treatment. Tumor response was successfully evaluated in all patients, except three who had diffuse tumors. Of the 17 participants evaluated, 15 experienced a reduction in tumor size. No patients experienced tumor progression at the site of the target lesion. Early in the study, some patients reported treatment-induced liver injury, which suggests that patient selection criteria and the method for activity calculation should be closely monitored. Researchers also recommended that clinical trials be performed to evaluate whether the anti-tumor effect of the treatment results in improved survival rates or quality of life. Carcinoid Cancer This study considered the impact of microsphere therapy on the survival rate of patients with carcinoid liver tumors. Of the 95 patients receiving a cumulative total of 117 SIR-Spheres microsphere treatments, 80 percent experienced a partial response and three percent experienced a complete response. The disease remained stable in 11 percent of the patients and progressed in only 5 percent of the patients. Medical researchers concluded that microsphere therapy for carcinoid tumors is safe, feasible and produces a high response rate in patients. Dr. Kennedy, Dr. David Liu from Providence Hospital in Portland, Ore., and a dozen other U.S. physicians participated in the study. "This symposium has been instrumental in helping us to lay the foundation to offer better treatments to patients with advanced liver cancer," says Dr. Kennedy. "The results of these studies are promising, and I hope that they continue to assist physicians in prolonging the lives of people living with metastatic liver cancer." In addition to the research findings, the symposium also featured keynote speaker Sean Swarner. Mr. Swarner was diagnosed with Advanced Stage IV Hodgkin's Disease at age 13 and was given two weeks to live. Today, nearly two decades later and cancer-free, he has conquered Mt. Everest and is completing the "Adventure Grand Slam," which is the rare feat of summiting the highest mountains on every continent, as well as the North and South poles. Mr. Swarner presented an inspirational speech that reminded all attendees the significance of their work and importance of future research in the field of metastatic liver cancer. "We are proud to support a meeting that merits such a high level of importance and impact in the emerging field of microsphere therapy," says Dr. David Cade, medical director of Sirtex. "This symposium marks the next level in treating metastatic liver cancer, and we are proud to be included in these monumental developments." Abstracts of the studies presented will be available in the May issues of the American Journal of Oncology and of the American Journal of Oncology Review, which is published by TyWin Communications. For more information on Sirtex and SIR-Spheres, please visit http://www.sirtex.com . About Sirtex SIR-Spheres microspheres were developed in the 1980s in Australia and gained FDA approval in March 2002. Sirtex has obtained regulatory approval to market SIR-Spheres microspheres in the United States, European Union, Israel and Australia. The product is marketed in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. For more information, visit http://www.sirtex.com .
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