If you hold it off-hours, will they come? Results from a feasibility project intended to stimulate interest in the physician-investigator career path among medical oncology trainees.

BACKGROUND: An "endangered species," the physician-scientist faces challenges in oncology. The authors thus implemented a series of voluntary off-hours sessions on academic development for their trainees. METHODS: Numerous workday interruptions among trainees led the authors to conclude that off-hours sessions would be preferable. Thus, this feasibility project was conducted. All 34 trainees were invited to a session and were surveyed thereafter. An attendance rate of >or=34% was to be a "success." RESULTS: Seventy percent of trainees attended, and over 90% said they would do so again. Write-in comments were mostly favorable. CONCLUSIONS: Off-hours sessions to discuss academic career development are feasible among medical oncology trainees.

Long-term follow-up of high-dose mitoxantrone-based induction therapy for patients with newly-diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia. Twelve year results from a single institution.

This report provides long-term results of the treatment of patients with newly-diagnosed AML with a single high dose of mitoxantrone combined with once daily cytarabine. One-hundred and sixty-five patients treated on four studies of high-dose mitoxantrone-based induction therapy are included. Patients with a prior antecedent hematologic disorder were eligible. The median follow-up time is 65.9 months (95% CI: 55.7-86.2 months). The overall complete remission rate was 64%, with responses in 78% of patients less than 60 years of age and 51% of patients 60 years of age or older. The median duration of response is 21.2 months and 8.0 months and overall survival is 15.4 months and 7.6 months, respectively. For a sub-set of patients who would be eligible for most US trials, the complete remission rate was 84% in younger patients and 60% in older patients. The median duration of response was 39.0 and 8.2 months and the median overall survival was 19.4 and 7.6 months, respectively. The efficacy of these regimens compared favorably to results reported with standard '3 + 7' regimens. Use of a once-daily cytarabine regimen resulted in almost no neurotoxicity and allowed for administration of consolidation in the outpatient setting.

Colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases and severe hyperbilirubinemia: A consecutive series that explores the benefits and risks of chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Do colorectal cancer patients with hyperbilirubinemia and liver metastases benefit from chemotherapy? METHODS/RESULTS: This study entailed a review of 3,019 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer. Within this cohort, 20 met the study's a priori selection criteria, which included a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer, no prior therapy, and a total bilirubin of ≥3.0 mg/dL. All 20 patients had liver metastases, and as a whole the group had a median serum bilirubin of 6.4 mg/dL (range 3.1, 28 mg/dL). Six patients received chemotherapy with an oxaliplatin-containing regimen, and four subsequently sustained a drop in their bilirubin. In one instance, a drop from 27.2 to 2.5 mg/dL occurred. These six patients lived a median of 71 days (range 23+, 283 days), but one treatment-related death occurred. In contrast, patients who received only supportive care lived a median of 28 days. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy appears to provide modest benefit to newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients with severe hyperbilirubinemia.