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Cancer Drugs Out of Reach for Medicare Patients
Advances in chemotherapy technology have led to the development of newer and better drugs with fewer side effects. Many of these drugs now come in pill form, eliminating the need for office visits and intravenous administration. However, these advances are coming at a steep price for many cancer patients, in that many of them cannot [...]
Canada Blocks UN Asbestos Resolution
Members of the Canadian delegation blocked a UN resolution that would list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous material. The resolution, called the Rotterdam Convention, lists several grades of hazardous materials. The convention rules stated that materials labeled as “Annex III” would compel exporters of toxic chemicals to warn importers of the hazards involved with the [...]
Chemotherapy Drug Shortage Puts Patients At Risk
A report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHSP) shows a growing number of vital chemotherapy drugs are in short supply. Paclitaxel (brand name: Taxol), a drug used extensively in patients with colon, lung, breast and ovarian cancers, has been added to a list of 196 other major drugs considered to be in short [...]
Two-Stage Nanoparticle Improves Chemotherapy Delivery
A clinical study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that the use of a two-stage nanoparticle drug delivery system was 40 times more effective than a system using a single nanoparticle. The “Stage One” nanoparticle seeks out the tumor cells, and then signals the “Stage Two” portion to deliver the chemotherapy drugs. Researchers tested [...]
US Approves Cancer Drugs Faster Than Europe
A study conducted by the Friends of Cancer Research found that most major cancer drugs go through the regulatory process in the US at twice the speed as the equivalent drugs in European nations. The study examined 23 cancer drugs, submitted to regulatory authorities in the US and Europe, over the last seven years. The [...]
Cancer Treatment Costs Skyrocket
The good news for cancer patients is that scientific advancements have made more and better treatments available than at any time in medical history. The bad news is that the climbing costs of these new treatments keep them out of reach of the patients who need them the most, especially the uninsured and the under-insured. [...]
New Cause for Concern Following Joplin Tornado: Asbestos and Mesothelioma Risk
According to numerous reports, more than 130 people have died from a massive tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, last month. A report from the Missouri Department of Public Safety estimates than more than 8000 dwellings and 500 commercial property sites were either damaged or destroyed in the storm. With so much property damage, especially among [...]
Continued Use of Alimta Keeps Cancer Under Control
A new study shows that patients who continually take the lung cancer chemotherapy drug Alimta after their initial treatment kept their disease from worsening. Alimta has already received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its use as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the results of this [...]
New Drug Helps Patients with Lung and Stomach Cancers
Synta Pharmaceuticals, a Massachusetts-based laboratory specializing in chemotherapy treatments, announced that its new drug ganetespib has enabled numerous patients with forms of lung and stomach cancer show improvement. Unlike most chemotherapy drugs, where patients can experience nausea, vomiting and hair loss, patients on the ganetespib treatment also exhibited minimal side effects. The patients in the [...]
Pfizer Seeks US, Japan Approval for Lung Cancer Drug
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer, Inc., announced that it would seek approval for its new lung cancer drug crizotinib from both US and Japanese health authorities. The company submitted an application to have the drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The drug had [...]
