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Welcome to edition #1 of the SWOG Update.
For all members and friends of the Southwest Oncology Group, the SWOG Update will keep you informed of what's happening with the Group. News to report? Send it to communications@swog.org.
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Why we do what we do
Our mission is straightforward: to make progress in the prevention and cure of cancer through clinical research. Our research objectives define how we work to accomplish our mission.
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You, your colleagues, and your cooperative group in the media ...
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Study Updates
S0500: Counting CTCs to evaluate the effectiveness of first-line chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment
Researchers have shown that women with metastatic breast cancer who have elevated levels of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) after starting therapy are likely on a treatment that is not working. Such women have an extremely short time to progression, a median time of just 1.5 months, and they are at very high risk of early death compared to women with low numbers of CTCs.
These data suggest that the chemotherapy these women are on is not controlling their cancer and that they would be better served by switching to an alternate therapy immediately rather than waiting for signs of clinical progression before making the switch.
In this phase III study, breast cancer patients who at their first follow-up visit have elevated levels of CTCs will be randomized either to continue their current chemotherapy or to make an early switch to an alternate, potentially more effective therapy.
The study is essentially testing how effective a barometer CTC level is in measuring the efficacy of treatment in a clinical setting, and whether that measurement can be used to extend lives.
"We believe that identifying elevated circulating tumor cells will help us detect which patients are on ineffective therapy," says Jeffrey Smerage, M.D., of the University of Michigan, who is heading the study.
"The point of this trial is to determine if switching to a different, potentially beneficial chemotherapy regimen immediately, rather than waiting for clinical evidence of progression, will be better for them. Chemotherapies have many side effects that can significantly affect the patient’s quality of life. In addition, these side effects are generally cumulative and make the patient’s body less tolerant of future treatments. It is hoped that by switching early these patients will suffer fewer side effects from ineffective chemotherapies and spend more time on effective therapies."
For this work, Dr. Smerage was selected as a SWOG Young Investigator in 2004.
S0500 is actively accruing and has reached about half of its total accrual goal thus far. The trial is currently active at 176 SWOG institutions.
Women with histologically confirmed breast cancer and clinical evidence of Stage IV disease who have not had any prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease may be eligible. Please review the detailed eligibility criteria.
Eligible patients can find the nearest participating institution online or by contacting the Southwest Oncology Group at (210) 614-8808 or at protocols@swog.org.
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