Oncology

Manny Hamelburg, 68, a retired businessman, had fought prostate cancer for years. First, he tried radiation, then a drug with side effects that nearly killed him, and finally Lupron, a drug that blocks production of testosterone, the hormone that can fuel prostate cancer. The cancer disappeared. But life was miserable. Without normal levels of testosterone, Hamelburg says, he had no energy, and "zero libido for seven years. I was like a eunuch. I was chemically castrated. Sex was just hugs."

When people ask about my father's death, I always respond the same way: "Except for the fact that he died, everything was perfect. " Perhaps because I am an oncology nurse, they expect a different answer. But after a six-year battle with colon cancer, he died on his own terms — perfect for a less-than-perfect situation. He was home on hospice. He was comfortable. His wife of 53 years, his six children and several grandchildren surrounded his bed. We are stoic folks, but as Dad drew his last breath, one sister, perhaps tapping into our Irish heritage, started a keening wail.

Nearly three years ago, Larry Bailin pulled a groin muscle while lifting weights. "When the swelling went down," he says, "that's when I knew I had a problem." Bailin felt a lump on his left testicle, and although he was concerned enough to see a urologist, he wasn't alarmed until an ultrasound test showed that the lump was most likely cancerous. Told that he would need an oncologist, Bailin and his wife, Adrian, interviewed four--with mixed results.

Joshua Lilienstein lined up for treatment this summer at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center's general oncology clinic. A medical student who'd been battling cancer for four years, Lilienstein had little choice. In June 2009, he lost his insurance after maxing out on the lifetime benefit. At 30, Lilienstein found himself playing two roles: a patient negotiating the county's options for the uninsured and a medical student working the halls of the same hospital to finish a demanding 12-week surgery rotation.

The mortal game cancer specialists have played for decades goes like this: blast the tumor, not the patient. A group of doctors at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank are about to begin a new round in that confounding task, armed with a $250,000 device called a multi-leaf collimator.

Joshua Lilienstein lined up for treatment this summer at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center's general oncology clinic. A medical student who'd been battling cancer for four years, Lilienstein had little choice. In June 2009, he lost his insurance after maxing out on the lifetime benefit. At 30, Lilienstein found himself playing two roles: a patient negotiating the county's options for the uninsured and a medical student working the halls of the same hospital to finish a demanding 12-week surgery rotation.

The Soviet Academy of Medical Sciences reelected Nikolai Blokhin as its president Saturday, the official news agency Tass reported. Blokhin, 72, is known for his work in oncology, the study of tumors, and heads the Soviet Union's oncological center.

An updated analysis of data from studies of anemia drugs used with cancer treatments showed that they increased risk of death and blood clots, an industry newsletter reported Friday. The findings showed that use of the drugs, which include Amgen Inc.'s Aranesp and Epogen as well as Johnson & Johnson's Procrit, increased risk of death 11% and risk of blood clot 59% when compared with oncology patients who did not use the drugs, according to the Cancer Letter.

Joseph A. Sinkule has been appointed director of research and development for Techniclone International Corp. in Tustin. Previously, Sinkule was assistant director of clinical affairs for Immunex R&D Corp. of Seattle. Before entering industry, he was assistant professor of radiation oncology and co-director of the Immunoconjugate Laboratory at the University of Michigan Medical Center. In addition, William Borner has been named director of quality assurance and regulatory affairs for Techniclone.

Most doctors don't give enough painkillers to ease the suffering of cancer victims, and nearly two-thirds admit they do a poor job of even learning if their patients hurt, according to a study released last week. The major reason doctors don't treat pain aggressively enough is their fear that they will not be able to deal with side effects of the medicines, the study found.

Dr. Anita Figueredo, the first female surgeon in San Diego and a well-known philanthropist who was close friends with Mother Teresa for four decades, died Feb. 19 at her home in La Jolla. She was 93 and had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage two weeks earlier. One of the first women to practice surgical oncology, Figueredo established the Friends of the Poor charity to feed, clothe and provide medical care for people in Baja California. The charity operates on three continents. Figueredo was born in 1916 in Costa Rica where her father, Roberto Figueredo, was a noted soccer player who abandoned the family.

Weekday mornings, Mona Rosenberg joins about a dozen technicians and fellow oncologists in a circle in the back room of her clinic to prepare for the day's cancer patients. They open the patients' files and fire off questions and suggestions about treatment. It's the kind of meeting that could happen in any clinic but with an important difference: The patients at Rosenberg's Veterinary Cancer Group have four legs.

ImClone Systems Inc., the cancer drug maker controlled by billionaire Carl Icahn, said Wednesday that a pharmaceutical company had proposed acquiring it in a deal that was not subject to financing or further due diligence. The prospective buyer requested its name not be divulged yet, ImClone said. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Eli Lilly & Co. was in talks with ImClone. Lilly, based in Indianapolis, is facing generic competition to its $1.

The first scientific tests of some popular alternative medicine products hint that American ginseng might lessen cancer fatigue and that flaxseed might slow the growth of prostate tumors. But a big study indicated that shark cartilage was worthless against lung cancer, and doctors said people should not take it. The research was reported Saturday at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference.

An updated analysis of data from studies of anemia drugs used with cancer treatments showed that they increased risk of death and blood clots, an industry newsletter reported Friday. The findings showed that use of the drugs, which include Amgen Inc.'s Aranesp and Epogen as well as Johnson & Johnson's Procrit, increased risk of death 11% and risk of blood clot 59% when compared with oncology patients who did not use the drugs, according to the Cancer Letter.

Biotechnology firm Genzyme Corp. said Thursday that it was buying Ilex Oncology Inc. for $1 billion in stock to bolster its business of providing drugs to treat cancer. Genzyme, based in Cambridge, Mass., said it would pay $26 a share to stockholders of San Antonio-based Ilex. Ilex produces Campath, used to treat leukemia, and two drugs in the late stages of seeking regulatory approval. The deal, announced after the close of trading, would represent a 22% premium over Ilex's closing price.

Western Medical Center-Santa Ana will open its 24-room cancer ward today, permitting patients who might otherwise have to travel to Los Angeles for some treatments to stay closer to home. Hospital officials unveiled the 14,000-square-foot wing on July 1, as well as a state-of-the-art diagnostic device called a "flow cytometer." The $80,000 machine speedily analyzes blood samples with a laser, helping physicians diagnose and treat various kinds of cancer.

As the field of cancer care explodes with unparalleled opportunities, top scientists at UCLA's prestigious Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are leaving for lucrative jobs at other institutions. The departures are occurring as significant advances in cancer research are making the leap from the laboratory into the clinic, where experts say that patient care is about to be revolutionized.

A drug shown to delay progression of advanced breast cancer for several months is likely to replace the current preferred treatment for American women. The Food and Drug Administration last week approved the expanded use of Femara, which allows doctors to prescribe it first for their patients with late-stage breast cancer. The current standard therapy is tamoxifen.

The number of complementary and alternative medical treatments for cancer has become so great that the American Cancer Society is helping consumers sort them out. "This is becoming a billion-dollar business," said David S. Rosenthal, medical director of Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Center, who wrote a foreword to the ACS' new "Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Methods."