European journal of cancer : official journal for European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) [and] European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
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Clinical trials for children with cancer have been particularly hard hit by the introduction of the EU Clinical Trials Directive in 2004. Largely investigator-led and lacking in commercial sponsorship, they have struggled to find the resources necessary to comply with the complex bureaucracy. ⋯ Insurance costs have increased a 100-fold with no increase in actual risk between consecutive trials from the same study group. Issues raised at the recent conference held to reappraise the operation of the Directive are summarised to emphasise the particular issues for trials in children with cancer.
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Multicenter Study
Complementary and alternative treatment methods in children with cancer: A population-based retrospective survey on the prevalence of use in Germany.
Few studies have been conducted to date on the prevalence of use of complementary and alternative treatment methods (CAMs) in paediatric oncology, and those that have been conducted are often not representative. We therefore decided to study a representative sample of children with cancer in the German population. ⋯ CAMs are administered alongside standard therapy to 35% of children with cancer in Germany, usually by the parents. Prospective studies on the effects and side-effects of the most frequently used methods are urgently needed, and paediatric oncologists should have sufficient knowledge of CAM to enable them to advise parents professionally and competently about these treatments, too.
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Gene expression profiling has been extensively used to predict outcome in breast cancer patients. We have previously reported on biological hypothesis-driven analysis of gene expression profiling data and we wished to extend this approach through the combinations of various gene signatures to improve the prediction of outcome in breast cancer. ⋯ A combination of biological gene expression signatures can be used to identify a powerful and independent predictor for outcome in breast cancer patients.