June 21, 2006, 9:10 PM CT

FDA Approves Avastin For Second Line Treatment Of Colon Cancer

On June 20, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for a labeling extension for bevacizumab (Avastin®, Genentech), administered in combination with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, for the second-line therapy of metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum. This recommendation is based on the demonstration of a statistically significant improvement in overall survival (OS) in patients receiving Avastin® plus FOLFOX4 (5-flourouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) when compared to those receiving FOLFOX4 alone.

The trial (E3200) supporting this approval was an open label, randomized, 3-arm, active-controlled, multi-center clinical trial evaluating AVASTIN® alone (n=244), AVASTIN® plus FOLFOX4 (n=293), and FOLFOX4 alone (n=292). Following a planned interim analysis, the AVASTIN® monotherapy arm was closed to accrual based on evidence of decreased survival in patients treated with AVASTIN® alone compared with FOLFOX4 alone. Patients entered on the trial had progressive or recurrent disease following previous 5-FU and irinotecan-based treatment. Patients (99%) received irinotecan with or without 5-FU as initial treatment for metastatic disease; those who received adjuvant irinotecan-based chemotherapy were mandatory to have recurred within 6 months of completing treatment.........

Posted by: Sue      Permalink         Source

June 21, 2006, 7:01 AM CT

New Gene Mutation Linked To Breast Cancer

Most of us are familiar with the breast cancer associated genes 1 and 2 commonly called as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Mutations in these genes significantly increase risk of developing breast cancer in women who carry them. BRCA2 mutations are also associated with increased risk of breast cancer in men.

Now researchers have discovered another breast cancer gene, which may be involved with breast cancer development. Mutation in this gene greatly increases the risk of breast cancer in women of European heritage. These genes may work in combination with the well-known BRCA genes and may increase the risk of breast cancer development as much as 80 percent.

These new research findings come from Iceland's Decode Genetics, and researchers say that the study suggests that women with certain mutations in two of the genes have an almost certain risk of developing breast cancer.

The newly discovered gene is called BARD1. "The BARD1 variant works together with the BRCA2 mutation in Iceland and increases the likelihood of breast cancer from 45% in those who have only the BRCA2 mutation up towards 100% in those who also have the BARD1 variant," Decode chief executive Kari Stefansson said in a statement.

The research team has found that women who harbor BARD1 mutation tend to develop breast cancer on both breasts. The Decode team identified 1,090 women in Iceland who had breast cancer, and compared them to 703 Icelandic women who did not have breast cancer. A mutant variant of BARD1 gene was found in 5.4% of breast cancer patients and 3.1% of women who did not have breast cancer. This represents an 80% increase in risk of developing breast cancer.........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink         Source

June 21, 2006, 0:05 AM CT

A Warm Blanket Makes PET Scans More Accurate

Placing a warm blanket on patients undergoing PET/Computerized axial tomography scans to detect cancer makes the test more accurate, new Saint Louis University research finds.

In up to 9 percent of patients, doctors have difficulty interpreting scans because of the presence of brown adipose tissue, also known as brown fat, which may lead to a cancer misdiagnosis.

"This is a significant finding," says Medhat Osman, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of nuclear medicine and PET director at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "It is a solution that not only is effective but low-cost and extremely easy for any PET facility to implement."

Osman says brown fat serves an important physiological role - it keeps the body warm in cold temperatures. But accumulations of the tracer that is used to identify malignancies during PET/Computerized axial tomography scans that appear in brown fat can mimic cancer - or even mask the appearance of cancer in areas such as the lymph nodes.

New research presented by Osman, co-author Scott Huston and other Saint Louis University Hospital researchers at the 2006 Society of Nuclear Medicine in San Diego this month suggests that covering patients with a heated blanket before the scan can reduce the brown fat uptake by 62 percent.........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 8:45 PM CT

Predicting Recurrence Of Prostate Cancer

new prognostic test can help determine whether a prostate cancer patient will go on to have a recurrence of the disease, even if surrounding lymph nodes initially appear negative for cancer, as per a research studyby University of Southern California researchers.

The test, developed at USC, "appears to be a very powerful test and better than anything else we know of for predicting recurrence," says Richard Cote, professor of pathology and urology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Current trials are also using the test to find hidden metastases in lymph nodes and bone marrow for breast and lung cancers.

The study, "Detection of Occult Lymph Node Metastases in Patients with Local Advanced (pT3) Node-Negative Prostate Cancer" appears this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, as per the Prostate Cancer Foundation. One in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, making men 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than women are to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Thanks to greater awareness, as well as increased and improved screening, we see men increasingly diagnosed with prostate cancer in its early stages," Cote says. "Most of these patients will do very well and will not require therapy beyond surgery or radiation treatment to cure their disease."........

Posted by: Mark      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 6:47 PM CT

Strategies For Melanoma Treatment

Melanoma drug development has and will continue to have a strong focus on target therapy such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, dendritic cells, and gene therapy. In recent years, immunologic strategies including tumor vaccine and adjuvant therapy with interferon-alfa have been attempted to improve survival of patients with more advanced malignant melanoma. Another emerging strategy in anticancer therapy is the targeting of chemotherapy resistance by overcoming the antiapoptosis mechanisms of cancer cells.

An example of this approach is the novel antisense oligonucleotide Genasense that targets the antiapoptotic gene bcl-2. Recently, Genta initiated a European regulatory submission for Genasense plus chemotherapy for patients with advanced melanoma by sending a letter of intent to EMEA for Marketing Authorization Application. This in-depth analysis, 200+ pages and almost 100 figures, tables and boxes, deals with the current therapy strategies employed and opportunities for increased pharmaceutical intervention, in the context of the present competitive landscape for malignant melanoma.........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 6:39 PM CT

Oncology Drug Pipeline Update 2006

Protein kinase inhibitors such as Gleevec, Iressa and Tarceva have allowed the biotechnology industry to deliver on the promise of targeted cancer drugs. However, these three successful drugs are just the top of an emerging line of therapy. Given the fact that they all target tyrosine kinases and that kinase mutations can cause patients to become resistant to these drugs, there is plenty of room for more competition.

Today, there are more than 100 companies developing more than 180 protein kinase inhibitory drugs in more than 300 clinical trials targeting around 40 different cancer indications. The number of protein kinase targets has increased to over 50 different molecular targets in just a few years.

For a complete index of this report visit the source link cited below........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 6:25 PM CT

Erbitux will not be available in Canada

Erbitux will not be marketed in Canada because of disagreements between the pharmaceutical distributor and the Canadian agency responsible for setting drug prices. Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada has decided not to launch Erbitux- in Canada because it cannot agree on a price with the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board.

Use of Erbitux to treat colorectal cancer was approved by Health Canada in September of 2005.

The province of Ontario has approved payment for therapy with Erbitux- in the United States for some patients, as per the June 19, 2006 Globe and Mail.

The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada has spoken out on the lack of access to drugs to treat colorectal cancer in Canada. Drugs, such as Avastin, Erbitux, and Eloxatin have been approved by Health Canada but are not uniformly available across the nation because each province can choose whether or not to pay for the therapys. In some provinces, patients can have the drugs administered if they pay the cost of the medicines themselves.

Thank you Judi........

Posted by: Sue      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 6:20 PM CT

Illuminate Hope

When the sun goes down, thousands of luminaria light the way at American Cancer Society Relay For Life events across the country — remembering,honoring, and celebrating those touched by cancer. At first glance a luminaria appears to be nothing more than a simple paper bag with a glowing candle inside. But a closer look reveals that these bags represent real people and their cancer experience. They are personalized with names, stories, messages, and memories.

The American Cancer Society has created an amazing site, www.cancer.org/lighthope, that brings this moving luminaria ceremony online. I encourage you to visit and create a free luminaria in honor,support, or memory of someone touched by cancer. It only takes a minute. We want to create thousands of luminaria on the site and spread a message of hope around the world. Together, we will light the way to a cancer-free future!

After visiting Illuminate Hope, continue to light a path of hope by supporting the American Cancer Society's lifesaving research and programs. You can purchase a luminaria for display at an actual Relay For Life event in your area. Visit Relay For Life Online to find an event near you and find out how you can get involved in this great community event.

Light a path of hope today.........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink         Source

June 19, 2006, 9:23 PM CT

Suggest your News Item To Medicineworld

As you are aware we are the leading publishers of health news on the web. We publish news items in various forms including numerous blogs and news items. We invite you to participate in our new collection.

We are looking for quality news items that would be interesting to our readers. Now you may suggest the news item from your site to be included at Medicineworld.org. Inclusion of news item at our site get instantaneous attention since the item is illustrated from various blog posts. Addition of pictures to the item adds additional attraction to your news item. Inclusion in the Medicineworld.org site brings quality links and visitors to your site.

If you have an interesting news item related to health, share it with Medicineworld.org and we share it with the world.

Suggest your News Item To Medicineworld........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink

June 14, 2006, 6:55 AM CT

A Pink Phone To Benefit Breast Cancer Foundation

Now Sanyo and Qwest are jointly offering a pink phone to promote the cause of breast cancer. Ten percent of the sales from this phone would go to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for raising awareness about breast cancer. At the present time only one model (Sanyo 3100) is available, but the company says more models would be available soon. This phone is tagged as a "pink phone with a heart" and has all new and nice features like a sleek design, dual LCD displays, a built-in camera, walkie-talkie-style communication, wireless download capabilities and an external speaker.

The phone has a friendly flip open design and has a VGA camera with digital zoom and a 65K-color internal display. The phone is compatible with digital and current services like Sprint PCS Vision, Sprint PCS Picture Mail and Ready Link. This phone costs $49.99 with two-year contract and weighs 3.5 ounces. Features of the phone include parental or business call-restriction settings.

"A key to our success at the Komen Foundation is that we collaborate with a variety of organizations to provide creative ways for people to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer," said Cindy Schneible, vice president of cause-related marketing and sponsorship at the Komen Foundation. "We are proud to have the opportunity to partner with Qwest and SANYO to allow wireless phone users to make a bold statement about breast cancer awareness and a valuable contribution to breast cancer research and community outreach programs."........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink         Source