the European Institute of Oncology
Published by:
Interactive
ecancer blog
The World Cancer Conference, 27-31 August 2008, Geneva
04/09/2008
Posted by Jonathan Birch, ecancermedicalscience
UICC’s 2008 meeting may prove an instigator for great success in the global struggle against cancer. Where many cancer conferences cover mainly the latest science, legislation, and progress in their country or economic block, the UICC congress had a greater emphasis on implementing scientific progress in worldwide political fields; incorporating global policy. Representatives from the World Health Organisation ( WHO ), met researchers, doctors, nurses, policy makers and media from ar...
From the bedside to the bench, and back?
01/09/2008
Posted by Silvia Camporesi, IFOM-IEO campus
Pharmacogenomics, the rescue of failed drugs and phase 0 trials: Pharmacogenomics, or PGx, has been defined as “the individualisation of drug therapy through medication selection or dose adjustment based upon direct (e.g. genotyping) or indirect (e.g. phenotyping) assessment of a person’s genetic constitution for drug response”. [1] This broad definition takes pharmacogenomics to be a synonym for pharmacogenetics, and includes tests operating at protein, metabolite, or other ...
VIBevents Clinical Trials Oncology Conference 2008
23/07/2008
Posted by VIB events, VIBevents
How can we improve clinical trials in oncology? With cancer clinical studies in oncology being more complex than for other therapeutic areas and the continuing differentiation into various cancer subtypes causes logistical but also research and development challenges. With 3,000 people dying of cancer every day within the EU, more anti-cancer drugs are being tested than ever before. The oncology market is currently valued at $34 billion/year and is expected to top $55 billi...
Drugs News
30/05/2008
Posted by Jonathan Birch, ecancermedicalscience
Pharmatimes has reported on new cancer drugs this month: European regulators have recommended conditional approval of GlaxoSmithKline’s new breast cancer drug Tyverb (lapatinib). The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a revised positive opinion after being asked by regulators to look at the drug again after clinical data suggested it could raise liver enzyme levels. Meanwhile GSK has won approval in Sweden for its 5 alpha-reductas...
Do Dogs Cause Cancer?- Risk Perception and the Media
19/05/2008
Posted by Ian Lewis, Tenovus
Whilst out for dinner with my parents recently, my mother leaned over the table and slipped me an article that she had cut out of that week’s Sunday paper. The headline read, “Contraceptive coil increases risk of ovarian cancer by 76%”. She then revealed to me that she had used the coil for contraception through the 1980’s (as she had obviously already achieved perfection with her two existing sons) and was concerned that this action had massively increased her risk of cancer. Once I got over t...
European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) Spring Convention March 2008
15/05/2008
Posted by ecancer editor, ecancer
New ways of working: Innovation in cancer nursing practice Change is happening rapidly in cancer care. But with so many changes bombarding the daily practice of the cancer nurse it is often difficult to reframe a situation and move toward keeping pace with change by implementing new trends that really make a difference in patient care. The fresh crisp early spring weather which greeted participants to the 6 th EONS Spring Convention held in Geneva in late March provided ju...
IPOS 10th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology
06/05/2008
Posted by ecancer editor, ecancer
The 10th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology will take place in Madrid 9 - 13 June 2008 organized by IPOS’s Board of Directors 2008 Congress Committee members and the Spanish Psycho-Oncology Society (SEPO). Many years have passed since the first world Congress of psycho-oncology took place in Beaune France in 1992. Valuable advances have been made in both clinical and research areas of the field since then contributing to the growth of IPOS as well as the development of new national psycho-o...
Making patient-centred healthcare a reality for patients worldwide
01/04/2008
Posted by ecancer editor, ecancer
'Patients should be seen as a catalyst for change and a compass, giving direction to our efforts to reduce unsafe care' said Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England and Chair of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety. London, United Kingdom, 26 February 2008 - The 3rd Global Patients Congress of the International Alliance of Patients‘ Organisations (IAPO) highlighted the progress being made worldwide to address the role of the patient as an essential partner in the de...
New drugs this month
11/03/2008
Posted by Jonathan Birch, ecancermedicalscience
Pharmatimes has reported several new products coming to market this month: In the UK Alimta (pemetrexed) developed by Eli Lilly has been cleared for sale by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). It will be used to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma a type of aggressive lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure in cases where the patient cannot be operated on. In Europe the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given Roche perm...
Oncology Summit Europe: 30-31 January 2008
18/02/2008
Posted by Jonathan Birch, ecancermedicalscience
Oncology Summit Europe 30-31 Jan A wet and windy London greeted pharma representatives from across Europe, along with key opinion leaders, physicians and media. On the agenda: Successful marketing in the upcoming oncology drugs explosion and chemotherapy in the next decade. A good range of speakers was introduced by conference chairman Sean McGrath, MD of Succinct Healthcare Communications. He started by outlining topics set to become issues in the next few years, such as a much great...
Pharmas aren't the enemy
09/01/2008
Posted by Gordon McVie, ecancer
While pharmas can often be seen to put profit before patients it must be remembered that many of the advanced life changing drugs which we take for granted nowadays would not exist without the huge capital reserves offered by large multinationals. Without their cutting-edge research in many cases we wouldn't have breakthroughs in cancer or heart disease which allow us to live longer happier lives. Problems may arise however when pharmas try to pass the financial risk of unsuccessful dru...
ESMO Cancer Patient Advocacy Forum (26-27 Nov. Brussels)
10/12/2007
Posted by Linda Cairns, ecancer
This meeting brought together international cancer patient associations to encourage exchange of best practices facilitate network building amongst the groups and to provide a foundation for the development and implementation of effective advocacy strategies. The meeting opened with a session which discussed patients needs immediately followed by one on how policy makers take decisions at different levels. “In order to bring about change in the battle against cancer we need...
Transatlantic Fallout
05/11/2007
Posted by Gordon McVie, ecancer
Two European Court rulings caught the eye recently. Each has dragged on so long that most observers have assumed that the European cases were lost to the might of the super power of America! But not so. First Bill Gates and Microsoft have had to yield in their defence of the charge of unfair “monopoly” in the wars of the Internet. Remarkable decision in the eyes of the disbeliever in EU clout. Less importantly for the man on the autobahn or the woman on the boulevard but crucial for the researc...
Shock news: being unhealthy raises the risk of dying
31/10/2007
Posted by Jonathan Birch, ecancermedicalscience
Scientists have also discovered that eating healthy food and exercising more increases your likelihood of living. The latest research from the Institute of the Blindingly Obvious (IBO) has found that obesity and a diet of high fat foods increases your risk of cancer. Bacon amongst others came under fire from the report which the media have jumped on with great enthusiasm. “Obesity worse for cancer than smoking” cried the Daily Mail patently misrepresenting the report which...
European Cancer Conference and NCRI
03/10/2007
Posted by claudia mcvie, tenovus
As Chief Executive of Tenovus I give you two observations of the ECCO congress this year. Given that charities pay for half of all cancer research in Europe and a fair bit of cancer care where are all their Chief Execs? Looking at the delegate list there are very few. If the sector is going to be responsible for innovation and a certain amount of risk taking perhaps the organisers of ECCO should consider that market in 2009. Second observation: patients still go to patients’ workshops nurs...
PRISM and the American Association of Publishers - The last gasp of the anti-open access lobby?
20/09/2007
Posted by Gordon McVie, ecancer
PRISM: Fighting Against Open Access Open Access (OA), made possible by the advent of the internet , is immediate, free and unrestricted online access to scholarly material; primarily peer-reviewed research articles in journals. This can be read, downloaded, copied, distributed, and used (with attribution) in any way. Promoted by groups such as Public Library of Science (PLOS) and the Max Planck Institute, the debate over its benefits has also recently been taken up b...
Please email info@ecancermedicalscience.com if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the forums or blogs.
