Cancer Treatments, Responses, Survival & Placebo: Defining an Effective Cancer Therapy

 

Cancer Treatments – Responses, Survival & Placebo: Defining an Effective Cancer Therapy

(PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- There are over 2,000 cancer therapies in clinical trials. Some are better than others, but how is that determined? How are the results of these trials weighed and scored? How is one treatment deemed to be superior to another? In this edition of CancerWire we examine how oncologists judge their therapies so that patients can make more informed treatment decisions with their doctor. You will learn:

•    What is an active drug? A treatment or drug that is described as “active” means that in animal models, cell cultures or patients the treatment kills cancer cells, shrinks tumors, or decreases biochemical tumor markers such as CEA or PSA scores. But, temporarily shrinking a tumor may not be the same as extending survival. To read more go to http://www.cancermonthly.com

•    What is a response and how it relates to survival? Similar to the term “active,” a response means that patients had their cancers shrink or disappear. The overwhelming majority of clinical cancer trials use response as an endpoint, but response and survival are not equivalent. Typically, there are four measures of response. To read more go to http://www.cancermonthly.com

•    Who are evaluable patients? How the math is performed is critical to how results are measured. Some studies exclude from their results the patients that died before the treatment protocol was completed. To read more go to http://www.cancermonthly.com

•    What happens when placebo studies are performed? Most studies compare one treatment with another, not a treatment versus no treatment. Placebo controlled studies are infrequently performed because many clinicians consider it unethical to administer a cancer patient a “sugar pill.” This is a valid point, but occasionally a few placebo controlled studies are performed (usually not in the U.S.). Interestingly, a significant percentage of these studies find that the placebo is as effective as or more effective than the treatment. To read more go to http://www.cancermonthly.com


MORE INFORMATION:

•    Read the whole story http://www.cancermonthly.com
•    Cancer Treatment Results http://www.cancermonthly.com
•    To subscribe to CancerWire http://www.cancermonthly.com/cancerwire.asp
•    For more information about important tests before you start chemotherapy http://www.cancermonthly.com/chemotherapy.asp
•    For more information about immune boosting products in cancer http://www.cancermonthly.com/immune.asp
•    For more information about clinics that treat cancer http://www.cancermonthly.com/clinics.asp
•    For more information about financial support for cancer patients http://www.cancermonthly.com/financial.asp
•    For more information about legal options for mesothelioma patients http://www.gpwlaw.com/cm/

Of course, none of this information in CancerWire is a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment and you should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to an existing treatment. No information contained in Cancer Monthly or CancerWire including the information above, should be used to diagnose, treat cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor.

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Press Contact: Michael Horwin
Company Name: CANCER MONTHLY
Email: info@cancermonthly.com
Phone: 919-570-8595
Website: http://www.cancermonthly.com

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Warning: Beware of installing "Secure Service Pack" on your computer

Warning: Beware of installing "Secure Service Pack" on your computer

 

Unless you know and understand what the "Secure Service Pack" actually consists of, we strongly recommend against installing it or anything that may popup and ask for permission from you to install it. Just because you have some trust in the site you are visiting does not mean you need or want what is being offered. If you are concerned about the security of your computer, only install things from the manufacturer's site, or the creator of your computer's operating system.

 

By the time you read this, "Secure Service Pack" may be called something else, so don't be fooled. Our understanding of this item is that it installs software that changes how your browser functions and you may or may not like what it does. You may be able to un-install it once you realize it's there, but do you want to trust something that will not even tell you what it is?

 

"Secure Service Pack" sounds like it's a Microsoft Service Pack that will upgrade your software, but in fact the software is designed to deliver advertisements in the form of web sites that you may be interested in. Part of the "benefit" of this software is to let you just type in keywords and not URLs to find sites. What they don't tell you is that they only sites they show you are paid advertisements and may or may not be what you are looking for, and might not even be a good site if they do have what you are looking for. It's the same old "Keyword browsing" scam that has been around for years. It's pure crap and should be avoided at all costs. Seriously!

 

I have seen at least one page that has a number of browser plug-ins and says " This page contains links to the Windows Authenticode family of plugins for Internet Explorer". If you want to upgrade your Internet Explorer, go to the Microsoft site and make sure you are getting the real deal.

 

Again, if you don't know for sure what you are installing, don't just trust the name of the application that you see, since it could be a trick and your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs WILL NOT PROTECT YOU OR WARN YOU!!

 

(hris

In the fine tradition of Cyclamate, Saccharin, and Nutrasweet (Aspartame), Stevia, and now Splenda

Generation Green Asks California AG to Investigate Splenda Ads

EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Generation Green today sent a letter to California's Attorney General Bill Lockyer, urging an investigation of misleading advertising practices by Johnson & Johnson for its artificial sweetener Splenda.

Specifically, Generation Green says the advertising misleads consumers into believing that Splenda is a natural product, made from sugar. In fact, Johnson & Johnson does not even list sugar as an ingredient in Splenda. In the letter, Generation Green called on the state of California to take such steps that are necessary to halt Johnson & Johnson's misleading Splenda marketing campaign within the state and to require Johnson & Johnson to provide complete and accurate product information to California consumers.

Rochelle Davis, Executive Director, and Robert M. Brandon, Project Director, both of Generation Green, sent the following letter, dated Oct. 10, to California's Attorney General Bill Lockyer:

On behalf of Generation Green and thousands of member families concerned about the health and welfare of our children, I would vigorously echo the recent calls upon your office to begin an investigation into misleading advertising by Johnson & Johnson' s McNeil Nutritionals LLC for the artificial sweetener sucralose, which is sold under the brand-name Splenda.

Generation Green is a non-profit advocacy group comprised of parents and other concerned citizens who favor corporate and governmental policies that will allow children to grow up protected from exposure to toxins. We place great importance on protecting the consumer's right to know about chemical exposure, particularly related to food so that people are able to make informed decisions, especially with respect to their children's health.

The issue of Splenda advertising is of significant importance for California consumers, and indeed, for consumers across the country. Today, Splenda holds over a third of the sweetener market only six years after its approval as a food additive by the FDA in 1998. This remarkable growth is attributed to the perception that Splenda is natural and sugar-based. This perception is the direct result of Johnson & Johnson's intentional efforts to mislead consumers regarding the product. The slogan "made from SUGAR so it tastes like SUGAR," which is pervasive in Splenda print and broadcast advertising, seeks to mislead and confuse consumers into believing that Splenda is a natural product of sugar. It is a misleading claim.

  The facts are these:    * Splenda is a chemically created product in which sugar molecules are     manipulated through chlorination and other processes so as to be     completely unrecognizable as sugar.    * Following chlorination, a further chemical process is applied using     phosgene, a poisonous gas described by the Centers for Disease Control     as a major industrial chemical used to make plastics and pesticides.    * The Splenda label does not and cannot list sugar as an ingredient, as     sugar is not recognizable in the final product.  

The legal requirement of advertising substantiation -- that advertisers and ad agencies have a reasonable basis for advertising claims before they are disseminated -- is especially important when consumer health and safety is at issue, such as in a food additive like Splenda.

Nonetheless, Johnson & Johnson encourages consumer confusion by continually highlighting the word "sugar" in its advertising campaign, seeking to bolster the false association between Splenda and sugar in consumers' minds.

This is a dangerous development, as the product is quite clearly anything but natural.

Even more troubling, many of the Splenda ads focus on images of children; these ads convey the message that Splenda is a better, more natural product for children than other artificial sweeteners. These ads aim to encourage parents to provide or prepare food items for their children with Splenda. In one television commercial aired earlier this year, a child's voice says "Splenda and spice and everything nice. That's what little girls are made of." over video of children playing. This advertisement clearly equates Splenda with sugar (replacing "sugar" with "Splenda" in a common expression) and is intended to encourage the use of the product for children.

Moreover, Splenda's product expansion has focused on creating "low sugar" products like snack foods, breakfast cereals and soda -- indeed, Splenda is now an ingredient in many of the "convenience foods" that parents might give to their children, or that children might select for themselves.

Generation Green has been concerned for some time that this product expansion signals a clear intention by the Johnson & Johnson to target, not only parents, but also children, with its misleading Splenda advertising. That's why earlier this year Generation Green wrote to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission seeking a full investigation into Johnson & Johnson's Splenda advertising campaign.

In the absence of aggressive FTC action on this issue, it is vital that state offices like yours take up this issue on behalf of consumers. If, as there appears, the company has no basis for suggesting that Splenda and sugar are closely linked and equally natural products, we call upon the state of California to take such steps that are necessary to halt Johnson & Johnson's extensive Splenda marketing campaign within the state and to require Johnson & Johnson to provide complete and accurate product information to California consumers.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.

Source: Generation Green

CONTACT: Bob Brandon, Project Director of Generation Green,
+1-202-331-1550
http://www.generationgreen.org/

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For more information:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2004-51%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=artificial+sweetners

 

 

 

St. Jude Medical Discovers Cosmic Radiation Can Affect Memory Chip in Limited Number of Older Generation ICDs

St. Jude Medical Discovers Cosmic Radiation Can Affect Memory Chip in Limited Number of Older Generation ICDs ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2005--St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced today that it has discovered that background levels of atmospheric ionizing cosmic radiation, more commonly known as cosmic rays, can affect a limited number of its older generation implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) products. Although the incidence rate is low, and there have been no serious patient injuries or deaths reported to St. Jude Medical attributable to this anomaly, the Company is taking a conservative approach in advising the medical community and regulatory agencies. Specifically, St. Jude Medical has identified through extensive investigation, including testing at an independent nuclear laboratory, that a particular vendor-supplied static random access memory (SRAM) chip can be affected, at a low frequency rate, by background levels of atmospheric ionizing cosmic radiation. A full copy of the physician communication, which includes a description of the anomaly and its related clinical risks, as well as St. Jude Medical's recommendations to physicians for patient monitoring, can be found at http://www.sjm.com/companyinformation/physicianletter.html. This particular memory chip component was used in the following older generation St. Jude Medical ICDs: -- Photon DR (Model V-230HV) (certain serial numbers) -- Photon Micro VR/DR (Models V-194/V-232) -- Atlas VR/DR (Models V-199/V-240) To date, an incidence of only 0.00167 of the devices at issue (60 out of 36,000) have been found to have been affected by background levels of cosmic radiation. An estimated 26,000 of the device models remain in service. The estimated incidence of an anomaly of this type in the affected device models is 0.00257 over the five year projected life of the device. "St. Jude Medical has taken a conservative, proactive approach in notifying the medical community of this anomaly," said Dr. Mark Carlson, Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a member of an independent panel of physicians that reviewed the issue for St. Jude Medical. Dr. Carlson also recently served as Chairman of a joint Policy Conference on Pacemaker and ICD Performance. Among the information provided in the physician advisory is St. Jude Medical's recommendation that, if it is not already their practice, physicians should perform routine device monitoring every three months for patients with these devices. St. Jude Medical is also offering its remote monitoring product Housecall Plus(TM), where available, at no charge for models compatible with the remote monitoring system. "Because the incidence associated with this anomaly is low, St. Jude Medical's recommendation for monitoring at three-month intervals will be appropriate for the vast majority of patients," said Dr. Bruce Wilkoff, director of cardiac pacing and tachyarrhythmia devices at The Cleveland Clinic and Heart Center and a member of the St. Jude Medical independent Medical Advisory Board. As part of a new ICD product platform introduced in 2002, and prior to St. Jude Medical having any knowledge of this particular anomaly, St. Jude Medical began using a different vendor and a different design of the SRAM memory chip component. Laboratory testing and clinical experience indicate that this newer generation memory chip component does not share the same susceptibility to background cosmic radiation as the earlier generation. Consequently, other St. Jude Medical ICDs and all models of CRT-D devices, including the Atlas DR model V-242 and all Epic, Epic HF, Epic +, Epic + HF, Atlas + and Atlas + HF product families, are NOT affected by this issue. Overall reliability information about the affected ICDs and other St. Jude Medical products can be found in the company's Product Performance Report on the St. Jude Medical web site at www.sjm.com. St. Jude Medical has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of this physician advisory. The FDA may determine this communication action to be a recall. The Company does not expect this physician communication to have any material financial impact. St. Jude Medical is dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers outstanding clinical performance and demonstrated economic value. Any statements made regarding the Company's anticipated future product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, market shares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those described in the Financial Section of the Company's Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (see page 16). Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

Contacts St. Jude Medical, Inc. Laura Merriam, 651-766-3029 (Investor Relations) or Angela Craig, 651-481-7789 (Media Relations)

HHS Announces New E-Prescribing Initiative

HHS Announces New E-Prescribing Initiative

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will air a satellite news feed of b-roll and sound bites on Wednesday, October 5, 2005, at 3:30pm ET, on the following:

KEY FACTS:

New regulations that support adoption of e-prescribing and electronic health records were announced today by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. These proposals will speed the adoption of health information technologies by hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers to improve quality and safety for Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans.

Electronic prescribing enables physicians to transmit prescriptions electronically to pharmacies. Not only is this easier than paper prescriptions, but it also can improve patient safety, increase efficiency and reduce duplicative health care costs. It decreases prescription errors caused by hard-to-read handwriting and automates the process of checking for drug interactions and allergies.

CMS is awarding the first big financial incentive for Health IT -- $6 million to fund e-prescribing pilot programs using the foundation standards and additional clinical standards, as required by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

  ON THIS FEED:   * Key facts about the e-prescribing initiative    * Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, Health and Human Services    * Dr. David J. Brailer, M.D., PhD., National Coordinator for Health     Information Technology    * Deputy Administrator Leslie Norwalk, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid     Services    * B-Roll of the press conference at George Washington University Medical     Center, a patient and doctor in an exam room using the electronic     prescribing and electronic record system, seniors talking to doctors,     various shots of doctors and patients, pharmacy scenes, and doctor's     office scenes.                        Satellite Coordinates and Times                         Wednesday, October 5, 2005                               15:30-16:00 ET                              C-Band Satellite                            IA 5 Transponder 13                     Downlink Frequency: 3860 Vertical                              Audio: 6.2 / 6.8              For Satellite Feed information call 202-690-6076  

For more information on the Medicare Covers America Tour, call the HHS Press Office: 202-690-6343

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

CONTACT: HHS Press Office, +1-202-690-6343

PRNewswire -- Oct. 5

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Web site: http://www.hhs.gov/

AstraZeneca to limit access to cancer drug Iressa

 

AstraZeneca to limit access to cancer drug Iressa
Forbes - USA
NEW YORK (AFX) - AstraZeneca PLC is to limit access to its lung cancer drug Iressa after the US Food and Drug Administration said it agreed with findings last ...

For more on lung cancer
The State - Columbia,SC,USA
About 25 percent of people with advanced lung cancer have no symptoms when their cancer is found. However, possible symptoms of the disease include: ...    

US Label Change For Cancer Drug Iressa (gefitinib)
Medical News Today - UK
... the lack of survival benefit in the Phase III Trial 709 (ISEL) comparing IRESSA to placebo in advanced recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the ...

UM's Science Complex deemed safe
The Missoulian - Missoula,MT,USA
... cause illness," she continued. Asbestos-related illnesses include lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. But because the levels ...

IN OUR VIEW Helpful reforms on asbestos
Provo Daily Herald - Provo,UT,USA
... Among the disorders it causes are asbestosis, a scarring of lung tissue, and mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the lining of the chest and abdomen. ...  

Naturally occurring asbestos stretches fibers' deadly reach
Denver Post - Denver,CO,USA
Federal officials last summer quickly filled in the abandoned mine, which now lies near a new ranchette development, when they discovered asbestos in the ...

Norman: Asbestos bill critics' ads put heat on Grassley vote
DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines,IA,USA
Charles Grassley for voting "the Washington way" rather than the "Iowa way" when it comes to something called the asbestos bailout bill. ...

Asbestos cash goes for decor
Gary Post Tribune - Gary,IN,USA
CROWN POINT -- Few would argue that removing asbestos from county buildings isn't necessary for the health of employees and visitors. ...

Asbestos removal continues at former Edinburg High School
Monitor - McAllen,TX,USA
EDINBURG -- Asbestos removal at the former Edinburg High School should resume Monday after a subcontractor last week made the mistake of sawing through a ...  

CURE Childhood Cancer Cautions Parents on Increased Cancer Risk for Children From Gene-Damaging Chemicals

CURE Childhood Cancer Cautions Parents on Increased Cancer Risk for Children From Gene-Damaging Chemicals

Recent EPA Announcement Says Children May Be More Vulnerable

ATLANTA, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- CURE Childhood Cancer wants to alert parents about the substantially greater risk of cancer to children versus adults from a variety of pollutants, based on a recent EPA environmental guidelines update.

Cancer kills more children than any other disease. Babies and toddlers have a 10 times greater cancer risk than adults when exposed to certain gene- damaging chemicals, according to the EPA. Children ages 2 to 16 might be three times more vulnerable to these chemicals. EPA has updated the way it decides which pollutants pose cancer risks, which is intended to lead to better and more accurate reviews of carcinogens that might be regulated.

"But we don't need to wait for that regulation -- parents should be aware of these types of chemicals now and protect their homes accordingly," says CURE Childhood Cancer board member Jane H. Bick, PhD. For example, Dr. Bick points out that parents should be aware of certain household cleaning products and air fresheners, as well as arsenic-laden wooden decks and wood playsets that aren't sealed regularly.

While scientists have long known that very young children are more vulnerable than adults to gene-harming chemicals, this is the first time the EPA has formally proposed calculating the differences in assessing the danger to young children from some pesticides and chemicals. The so-called "mutagenic chemicals" that cause irrecoverable damage to genes, alter the DNA and make the individual more susceptible to cancer later in life as well as during early childhood.

  Dr. Bick cites two important steps parents can take:     1. Seal the wood at least once a year on outside decks, playsets and       other outdoor wooden structures.  Fence off the area under the deck to       keep children and pets away from arsenic infested soil.  Nearly all       outdoor wooden structures are infused with a pesticide called CCA that       is 22 percent arsenic.  Arsenic causes lung, bladder and skin cancer.       It also may cause leukemia, kidney, nasal passage and prostate cancer,       as well as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.  Childhood       cancer risks may be substantially higher if your child is exposed more       than three hours per week, eats the dirt, mouths the wood or gets       splinters from it, or eats without washing his or her hands after       playing on the wood.     2. Use fragrance-free fabric softeners and dryer static sheets when doing       laundry, and avoid plug-in or other room fresheners.  Chemicals that       make dryer sheets smell good are known poisons.  For example, benzyl       acetate, limonene and chloroform - common ingredients in fabric       softeners and dryer sheets - are linked to cancer.  

"While many childhood cancers can't be prevented, research suggests that some risks can be minimized by avoiding carcinogenic chemicals," Dr. Bick said. "Childhood cancer doesn't discriminate - it strikes rich, poor, whites, African-Americans, Latinos," she added, "so all parents need to take these precautions."

About CURE Childhood Cancer

Georgia's oldest and most comprehensive children's cancer charity, CURE Childhood Cancer is a non-profit organization dedicated to conquering childhood cancer through research, education, and support of pediatric childhood cancer patients and their families. Since 1975, CURE has funded millions of dollars for cancer research, ongoing education on pediatric cancer issues, and countless hours of support for patients and families.

Source: CURE Childhood Cancer

CONTACT: Media, Tina Stevens, tstevens@linksg.com, or Juliann Kaiser,
jkaiser@linksg.com of Link Solutions Group, +1-770-420-8280