Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: prostate cancer + free cancer + cancer  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

CTV.ca Groups offer free prostate cancer screens Greenville News, SC - The American Cancer Society, Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, UsToo Prostate Cancer Education and Support group, and the Greenville ... Some Say No To Prostate Cancer Screenings WCTV Task force calls on doctors to stop prostate screening at age 75 SmartBrief MDs urged to quit prostate screens in elderly men MiamiHerald.com Greenville News all 623 news articles » Forum offers free cancer screenings Greenville News, SC - In 2002 at a health forum, he had a prostate cancer screen that came back positive. In retrospect, Payne should have known he was at risk. ... Surgical side effects cut with robotics CNN - In this case, the surgeon is removing a man's prostate gland. Robotic surgery is a growing trend in treating prostate cancer. ... Breast cancer: What you need to know Food Consumer, IL - High levels of IGF-1 have been linked to elevated risk of prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer, according to a study published in the December ... Diatos Launches Two International Multi-center Phase II Clinical ... PharmaLive.com (press release), PA - Two international trials will evaluate the safety and efficacy of DTS-201 as a second line therapy for patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer and ... New York Daily News Vinny Leonardo recovered from cancer, ready to coach bowling at ... New York Daily News, NY - BY MATT GAGNE Molloy bowling and handball coach Vinny Leonardo has made a swift return from prostate cancer and also leads a Little League team (below). ... Cancer survivors share words of encouragement Wayne Independent, PA - Peg?s parents are both cancer survivors. Her father, Jack Klages of Rileyville, had colon cancer and later prostate and bladder cancer; while her mom, ... Health Discovery signs agreement with Patent Profit International Trading Markets (press release), CA - ... and prognostic areas such as prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, leukemia and other healthcare arenas. ...OTC:HDVY - OTC:CMTX Illumina, Avantome, CombiMatrix, Defense Advanced Research ... bioArray News (subscription), NY - The firm is working on tests for prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Morbus Parkinson, and Alzheimer?s ...ILMN - CBMX Veridex acquires assets of Immunicon Pharmaceutical Business Review - ... metastatic colorectal and metastatic prostate cancer. As part of the agreement, Veridex also received all technologies related to Repeat-Free Poseidon ...OTC:IMMCQ

Prostate cancer drug cleared for free use

Men with late stage prostate cancer today won the right to free treatment with the first drug proven to extend their lives.

Taxotere, which was originally developed to treat breast cancer, typically increases the survival of men no longer responding to hormone treatment by 18.9 months.

Despite having some side effects, it also reduces pain and weight loss, and generally improves quality of life.

The medicines watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) today recommended that Taxotere should be available to all eligible men in England and Wales on the NHS.

Thousands of men with prostate cancer that has spread could now qualify for the drug.

Primary Care Trusts have 90 days in which to comply with the guidance. But although the decision was welcomed by doctors and charities, there are fears that in some parts of the country patients will still be denied the treatment.

A single course of the drug costs around £7,000, to which must be added the cost of extra staff to administer it.

Few options exist for men who become resistant to hormone treatments that stop testosterone fuelling prostate cancer.

Hormone therapies typically work for up to three years. With no further treatment, a patient might expect to live for about another year.

Taxotere, the brand name for docetaxel, fights cancer by blocking the mechanism that allows tumour cells to divide.

A trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2004 provided clear evidence that the drug lengthened the lives of late-stage prostate cancer patients.

Another anti-cancer drug, mitoxantrone, is sometimes given to this group of patients despite not being licensed for prostate cancer in the UK. But although it improves quality of life, a question mark remains over whether mitoxantrone actually increases survival.

In practice both Taxotere and mitoxantrone are given in conjunction with a steroid, prednisolone. Chris Hiley, Head of Policy and Research at the Prostate Cancer Charity, said of the Nice decision: "This is a major step forward in prostate cancer treatment. Until now there has not been a treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer which could extend their lives and reduce their pain.

"We hope this chemotherapy drug will be made immediately available via the NHS to all men with prostate cancer across the UK who could benefit from it, and that no man is denied it on cost grounds. This is vital to improving prostate cancer survival, quality of life and treatment choice.

"It will also be important to find out, as further research into docetaxel is completed, how useful this drug might be in earlier stages of aggressive prostate cancer in younger men."

Prostate cancer is the most common men's cancer in Britain. More than 30,000 men are diagnosed with the disease each year, and around 10,000 die from it.

Although 90% of cases are men over the age of 60, doctors are treating increasing numbers of younger middle-aged patients.

Campaigners have long complained that treatments for prostate cancer have lagged behind those for breast cancer.

John Anderson, chief executive officer of another charity, Prostate Research Campaign UK, said: "Nice guidance supporting the use of Taxotere based regimens for women with late stage breast cancer has been available since 2001.

'It's about time'

"It's about time that men are also able to get to the front of the queue to gain equal access to a treatment that could benefit them. Now that guidance has arrived there is no excuse for men who could benefit not to get access as quickly as possible."

Professor Nick James, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, agreed that the move was a "significant leap forward". But he did not expect to see every eligible patient immediately given access to Taxotere.

"We know that some trusts are giving virtually none of these patients chemotherapy, and in addition to the actual cost of the treatment you've got to have enough doctors, nurses and pharmacists," he said.

"I think what will happen is that the drug will become available but to highly selected patients. PCTs can keep to the letter of the law but not the spirit - you can comply with Nice guidance by giving only one patient treatment.

"I suspect this recommendation will be implemented as slowly as possible."

He underlined the marked difference in approach to rolling out new treatments for prostate and breast cancer patients.

Taxotere was licensed for treating prostate cancer two years ago, yet the Nice guidance was only delivered today.

In contrast it took less than six months for guidance to be issued on the controversial new breast cancer drug Herceptin.

Herceptin costs around £20,000 per patient per year, and is only suitable for about 20% of women with breast cancer.

"To a large extent the whole business is politics and lobby driven," said Prof James.

David Cottrell, 65, a retired plant operator from Shaftesbury, Dorset, fought a long personal battle to be treated with Taxotere.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000. Doctors recommended treatment with Taxotere in November 2005, but it was refused by the local Primary Care Trust.

After six months of writing letters to the Prime Minister, the Health Secretary, his local MP, the Press, and all his neighbouring PCTs, Mr Cottrell was finally given the drug in April. He married his long-term partner a month later.

He said: "I cannot fault the NHS doctors and nurses who have treated me for prostate cancer, but my cancer keeps returning and has spread to my bones, and that's why I needed docetaxel.

"However, I had to start a campaign to get this drug which no man should have to go through. I am very pleased that Nice has made this decision to give all men like me the chance for a longer life. Docetaxel has made a big difference to my life, and although it makes me nauseous, the pain is so much better.

"I have no idea how long I am going to live, but every extra moment I have with my wife and our four children is a bonus."

Two million warned over blood pressure tablets

Two million Britons are to be taken off blood pressure drugs after studies showed they increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks and diabetes.

From today, beta blockers will no longer routinely be prescribed for high blood pressure.

The dramatic change in guidance follows evidence that the drugs taken daily by millions of Britons are only half as effective at stopping strokes than a host of newer pills.

Beta blockers such as atenolol also raise the risk of stroke and of developing diabetes, compared with other blood pressure tablets.

New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence make the newer drugs the first choice treatment for the six million Britons treated for high blood pressure.

From today, a new generation of drugs including ACE inhibitors, diuretics and calcium channel blockers will become the standard medication for high blood pressure.

Few new patients will be given beta blockers and doctors expect almost all of the two million currently taking the drugs for high blood pressure to be switched.

Doctors have stressed that the switch-over will be gradual - and there is no need for patients to contact their GP before their next scheduled check-up.

Beta blockers, which have been a fixture of the treatment of high blood pressure for more than three decades, will remain the treatment of choice for other conditions such as angina.

Experts say new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will ensure patients get the best treatment possible - and so save thousands of lives a year.

Professor Graham McGregor, of the Blood Pressure Association, said:'This is great news for patients with high blood pressure.

'We know that the drugs now being prescribed have fewer side-effects and are more effective. Patients are more likely to take them.

'We will be saving thousands of patients dying from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure and prevent patients from suffering strokes, heart attacks and heart failure.'

It is estimated that more than 60,000 lives are lost a year through the use of drugs that do not control blood pressure properly.

Studies have shown that beta blockers are only half as effective at stopping strokes as other blood pressure treatments.

Last year, a study of 20,000 patients showed that treatment with beta blockers cut the risk of stroke by 20 per cent, compared to no treatment at all.

In contrast, the newer treatments prevent 40 per cent of strokes and 15 per cent more heart attacks.

Diabetes risk

Patients on beta blockers are also up to 30 per cent more likely to develop diabetes.

Beta blockers such as atenolol, bisoprolol and metoprolol also have worse side effects, including fatigue, loss of libido and impotence.

Professor Bryan Williams, who helped draw up the new guidelines, said: 'For the majority of patients, we no longer recommend beta blockers as a first line option for treatment.

'They are less effective at controlling blood pressure, less effective at preventing events (strokes and heart problems) and they are more likely than other treatments to increase the risk of developing diabetes.

'The recommendations have undergone a cost-effectiveness analysis which has reinforced the guidance.

'It is no longer a case of "can we afford to do it", but more, "can we afford not to do it?"

'The decision to recommend that beta blockers should not longer be used as a routine initial treatment for high blood pressure is a bold decision and the correct decision.'

It is estimated the switch will cost the NHS add £58million to the £93million annual bill for beta blockers. However, this will be more than recouped by the £280million saved a year in the treatment of strokes, heart attacks and diabetes.

The change-over will be gradual, with those who are not performing well on beta blockers being among the first to switch.

Doctors may also recommend that those with a higher risk of diabetes - such as obese patients - make the change.

Over time, patients are expected to vote with their feet, leading to almost all of those on beta blockers for high blood pressure coming off the drugs.

Prof McGregor said: 'If you have high blood pressure, if you are told the drug you have is less effective in reducing strokes and 30 per cent more likely to cause diabetes than other drugs and then asked which drug you would rather be on, the answer is blindingly obvious.'

However, beta blockers will continue to be recommended to treat angina and to reduce the risk of further heart attacks in heart attack survivors.

The drugs are also likely to be the most suitable treatment for blood pressure in women who may become pregnant.

Any changes will be made at the patient's next six-monthly check-up and doctors stress that patients should not make any changes themselves.