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Increase in risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in men treated with GnRH agonists

GnRH ( Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ) agonists, a class of drugs primarily used to treat men with prostate cancer, have been associated with a small increased risk for diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke, and sudden death. At this time, FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ) has not made any ...
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Inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma: Lapatinib shows minimal effect

Use of Lapatinib ( Tykerb ) to delay tumor growth and improve the survival of patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer, only benefited certain subgroups of patients. While results of this study were largely negative, patients that exhibited toxicity from the drug in the for...
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Sorafenib improves progression free survival in patients with breast cancer

In the advanced breast cancer, one study has found that if Sorafenib ( Nexavar ) is combined with the chemotherapy drug, Capecitabine ( Xeloda ), it makes a significant difference to the time women live without their disease worsening. Results showed that patients who received Sorafenib plus Capec...
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Metastatic colon cancer: better surgical interventions, new chemotherapeutic and biological agents increase 5-year survival from 8 to 30 percent

Novel chemotherapy and biological agents for metastatic colorectal cancer, combined with surgical advances in liver resection, have resulted in a dramatic increase in survival for patients with advanced disease. Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, it is the first study in the last 20 y...
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Increased risk of recurrence for patients with early stage, HER2-positive breast cancer

Early-stage breast cancer patients with HER2 positive tumors one centimeter or smaller are at significant risk of recurrence of their disease, compared to those with early-stage disease who do not express the aggressive protein. Trastuzumab, also known as Herceptin, was approved for use in 1998 f...
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ODAC recommends against approving Tarceva for first-line maintenance use in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

OSI Pharmaceuticals and Genentech announced that FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee ( ODAC ) voted 12 to one recommending against approval of Tarceva ( Erlotinib ) for first-line maintenance use in people with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer ( N...
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Cancer: new biomarkers can predict response to treatments

Genetic variations ensure that no two people are exactly alike, nor are their cancers. Researchers now have the tools and the knowledge to predict how individuals will respond to cancer therapy, enabling more precise and effective treatment. At the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association ...
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Additional trials have shown increased mortality and/or tumor progression with Epogen / Procrit and Aranesp

On November 8, 2007, the Aranesp ( Darbepoetin alpha ) and Epogen / Procrit ( Epoetin alpha ) labeling were revised to describe the results of 6 studies showing increased mortality and more rapid tumor progression in patients with cancer receiving ESAs ( erythropoiesis-stimulating agents ). Amge...
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Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents: FDA has strengthened boxed warnings and has approved other safety labeling changes

The FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ) has approved revised boxed warnings and other safety-related product labeling changes for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents ( ESAs ), which treat certain types of anemia. These new statements address the risks that the drugs Aranesp ( Darbepoetin alpha ), Epo...
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Advanced breast cancer: FDA has approved Ixempra

The FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ) has approved Ixempra ( Ixabepilone ), a new anti-cancer treatment, for use in patients with metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer who have not responded to certain other cancer drugs. Ixempra was approved for use in combination with another cancer d...
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