| Care products may put black women at higher risk to develop breast ... | | Posted Wednesday, November 08, 2006 1:02:42 PM by Blog57 Team | | Use of personal care products that contain estrogen or hormone-like compounds might help explain why young African-American women are at greater risk of developing breast cancer, local scientists say. In an upcoming issue of the journal Medical Hypotheses, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute's center for environmental oncology point out that black women under 40 have a higher breast cancer incidence than white women of similar age, and they are more likely to die of the cancer regardless of age. "We have to ask what else is going on," said senior investigator and center director Devra Davis. "We think that these products could be playing a role." Personal care products like hair straighteners and deodorants may contain estrogens and preservative compounds called parabens that mimic hormones.... | |
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| | | Eisai acquires four oncology products from Ligand | | Posted Wednesday, November 01, 2006 3:01:08 AM by Blog57 Team | | Eisai Inc., the US pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., has announced the completion of Eisai's acquisition of four oncology-related products from Ligand Pharmaceuticals. The companies were advised that the 30-day waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) act was terminated early by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In the agreement, Eisai Co., Ltd. and Eisai Inc. obtained exclusive global rights to Ontak (denileukin diftitox), Targretin (bexarotene) capsules, Targretin (bexarotene) gel 1 per cent and Panretin (alitretinoin) gel 0.1 per cent, a company release stated. In the US, Eisai assumed product distribution responsibilities as of October 25. In addition, certain Ligand personnel are being offered employment by Eisai. Oncology is one of Eisai's long-standing therapeutic areas of focus, supporting the company's human health care mission to satisfy unmet medical needs and increase benefits to patients and their families.... | |
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| | | Seven quality guidelines for breast, colorectal cancer care | | Posted Monday, August 21, 2006 10:58:38 PM by Blog57 Team | | The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network on Tuesday released seven quality guidelines for breast and colorectal cancer care, CQ Today reports. The guidelines are based on clinical impact, feasibility, potential for improvement, reliability, scientific acceptability and usefulness. They include post-operative chemotherapy recommendations for people ages 80 and younger; hormonal therapy recommendations for people with tumors one centimeter or larger; and breast radiation therapy recommendations for women ages 70 or younger (CQ Today, 8/17). According to the guidelines, the recommendations -- three breast cancer-related, two rectal cancer-related, one colon cancer-related and one colorectal cancer-related -- continually will be tested by the organizations and will be updated to reflect the findings of such tests (ASCO/NCCN, "ASCO/NCCN Quality Measures: Breast and Colorectal Cancers," 8/15).... | |
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| | | Chemotherapy Before Surgery May Improve Survival in Stage III ... | | Posted Thursday, July 20, 2006 12:56:16 PM by Blog57 Team | | NEW YORK JUL 19, 2006 (Reuters Health) - Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may delay relapses and prolong survival in patients with stage III malignant melanoma, according to a report in the July 1st Journal of Clinical Oncology. "Stage III melanoma has a poor prognosis with surgery only, and patients are candidates for aggressive systemic therapy," Dr. Rene Gonzales from University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Aurora, told Reuters Health. Dr. Gonzalez and colleagues evaluated relapse-free survival, overall survival, and response rates in 92 patients with stage III melanoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (cisplatin, dacarbazine, vinblastine, interleukin-2, and interferon alfa). Specifically, patients were given two cycles before complete regional lymphadenectomy, and two post-op courses.... | |
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