Cancer, Cancer Treatment

The combination of estrogen plus progestin, which women stopped taking in droves following the news that it may increase their risk of breast cancer, may decrease their risk of colorectal cancer, according to a report published in the January issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Compared to women who had never taken these hormones, the use of estrogen plus progestin was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer,” said Jill R. Johnson, M.P.H., a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that updated preliminary data from the first stage of its Phase II trial evaluating bavituximab in combination with docetaxel showed that 10 of 14 (71%) evaluable breast cancer patients achieved an objective tumor response according to RECIST criteria.

The company also reported that patient screening has begun in the second stage of this trial, which will enroll 31 patients.

“Early data from the first stage of this bavituximab Phase II cancer study had already exceeded our expectations, so the positive updated results reported today are especially encouraging as we proceed with patient enrollment in the second stage of the trial,” said Steven W. King, president and CEO of Peregrine. “We look forward to reporting more results from this study and a second ongoing Phase II breast cancer trial as we continue to learn more about bavituximab’s potential in this important, hard-to-treat disease.”