jor public health problem, which worldwide is the fourth leading cause of disability. 1 Alcohol dependence is present in approximately 4% of the US adult population, 2 is common among primary care patients, 3,4 and may contribute to more than 100 000 preventable deaths per year. 5 Addiction counseling, behavioral treatments, and self-help groups (eg, Alcoholics Anonymous) are the primary interventions used to treat alcohol dependence in the United States. Although these treatments are often effective, a substantial number of patients fail to complete them or relapse. 6 Similar to diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, alcohol dependence is increasingly recognized as a chronic disease in which genetic vulnerability and social and environmental factors are involved in the etiology and course of the disease. 7 As with other chronic diseases, long-term comprehensive man-

Skeletal metastasis is a rare event in primary colorectal carcinomas. Among these cases there is an emerging trend of a different clinical-biological behavior pattern between patients who develop solitary skeletal metastases vs. patients with skeletal and other organ metastases.

Single-agent ridaforolimus in patients with advanced and pretreated sarcomas led to PFS results that compare favorably with historical metrics. A phase III trial based on these data will further define ridaforolimus activity in sarcomas.

Background. Hospitalization and intravenous (IV) broad‐spectrum antibiotics are the standard of care for all febrile neutropenic patients with cancer. Recent work suggests that a low‐risk population exists who might benefit from an alternate approach. Methods. A prospective randomized clinical trial was performed comparing oral ciprofloxacin 750 mg plus clindamycin 600 mg every 8 hours with IV aztreonam 2 g plus clindamycin 600 mg every 8 hours for the empiric outpatient treatment of febrile episodes in low‐risk neutropenic patients with cancer. Results. The oral regimen cured 35 of 40 episodes (88% response rate), whereas the IV regimen cured 41 of 43 episodes (95% response rate, P = 0.19). Although the cost of the oral regimen was significantly less than that of the IV regimen (P < 0.0001), it was associated with significant renal toxicity (P < 0.05), which led to early termination of the study. Overall, combining its safety and efficacy, the IV regimen was superior (P = 0.03). Conclusions. This prospective study suggested that outpatient antibiotic therapy for febrile episodes in low‐risk neutropenic patients with cancer is safe and effective. Better oral regimens are needed.