Advances

(Advances gives a glimpse of the many significant research projects at the university. Tell us about your discoveries by e-mailing: wisweek@news.wisc.edu.) Advances gives a glimpse of the many significant research projects at the university. Tell us about your discoveries. E-mail: wisweek@news.wisc.edu.

UW researchers to test chemo combo effectiveness
Researchers at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center are recruiting patients with newly diagnosed, stage III ovarian cancer for a clinical trial combining standard chemotherapy with an experimental drug called IM862.

The trial is part of a national, multi-center effort to test the safety and effectiveness of the drug, which is administered in the form of nose drops. Researchers believe that IM862 may stimulate the body’s immune system, inhibiting the development of blood vessels that facilitate the growth and spread of tumors.

Early trials, conducted among more than 400 patients nationwide, may show anti-tumor activity.

Ellen Hartenbach, a UWCCC clinical oncologist and the study’s principal investigator, says IM862 could prevent cancer from relapsing. “The exciting thing about this protocol is that it combines standard chemotherapy with a novel drug that hopefully stimulates the immune system,” she says. “The new drug is relatively nontoxic, and women on the protocol at UW have tolerated it well.”

CancerConnect hotline: 262-5223.

Conference to address sustainability practices
Amid growing concern for the economy and environment, a conference has been organized to examine ways to conserve natural resources, and support rural communities and economies. “Working Landscapes in the Midwest: Creating Sustainable Futures for Agriculture, Forestry, and Communities” will be Nov. 8-9 at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan.

The UW–Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems is one of the organizations sponsoring the event, which is motivated in part by the rapid expansion of urban areas into traditionally rural areas. Keynote speakers include Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. Fee: $150. To register: (612) 870-3436, wlinfo@iatp.org.

To download a registration form, see: http://www.workinglandscapes.org.

Cancer prevention study seeks more participants
Postmenopausal woman with an increased risk for developing breast cancer may consider joining a study designed to help overcome a disease that directly affects more than 180,000 American women for the first time each year.

Since July 1999, more than 250 women in Wisconsin have enrolled in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene. STAR investigators hope to enroll 22,000 women by 2004. James Stewart, medical oncologist and lead investigator for STAR at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center, says the study seeks to find a drug that reduces breast cancer risk with a minimum of side effects.

More information: 262-5223.

New screening predicts risk of heart disease
UW Hospital and Clinics now offers a Vascular Health Screening Program to help physicians identify patients with hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks, stroke and impaired blood flow to the legs — before it can be detected with blood or stress tests.

Says James Stein, associate director of preventive cardiology: “Knowing about your risk may be unsettling, but it also can be very motivating, since there are many ways to improve your risk factors.”

The screening program involves two non-invasive tests and counseling. UW Hospital and Clinics is the only clinical testing site in the Midwest. Patients must be referred by their physician. More information: 263-9014.