Cancer

11/17/09 -- Washington, D.C.--The following is a statement by Congressman Eliot Engel in response to the report released today on the changes to Mammography Guidelines by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

“I am concerned by USPSTF's recommendations that women in their forties should no longer routinely get annual mammograms, and that older women (ages 50-74) should cut back to one scheduled exam every other year.    » read more »

States not doing enough to help smokers quit

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 10, 2009) -- As the debate over health care reform dominates the media and political arena, a new American Lung Association report finds that states aren't doing enough to help smokers quit – and policymakers must fix this in the health care reform process. In its new report, Helping Smokers Quit: State Cessation Coverage 2009, the American Lung Association advocates for a national prevention and wellness strategy that targets reducing tobacco use by helping smokers quit and preventing them from starting. Key among these strategies is the full coverage of clinically proven smoking cessation treatments for all smokers.    » read more »

11/06/09 -- Congressman Fattah released the following statement in observance of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Washington, DC – “Pancreatic cancer is a rare and perplexing disease yet, it is the fourth leading cause of death by cancer in the United States. This year, more than 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease and more than 35,000 will die from it. That number is far too high.

“To find a cure for pancreatic cancer researchers have to know more about this disease. That is why I am lending my full support to H.R. 7045, The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act. The legislation is the first of its kind to call for a significant infusion of funds for research and education concerning this killer cancer.    » read more »

Oct. 19, 2009 -- GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE: GSK] announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Votrient™ (pazopanib) to treat patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a form of kidney cancer. Approximately 57,700 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year, and 13,000 people will die from this disease.    » read more »

16 October 2009, London UK -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CERVARIX® [Human papillomavirus bivalent (types 16 and 18) vaccine, recombinant] for the prevention of cervical pre-cancers and cervical cancer associated with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 for use in girls and young women (aged 10-25).    » read more »

Urges passage of his legislation, the Mammogram and MRI Availability Act, in order to ensure early detention for at-risk women

October 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), author of the Mammogram and MRI Availability Act (H. R. 995), reiterated the importance of early detection for breast cancer.

At an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on breast cancer legislation, Nadler testified on his legislation, which would require insurance plans already covering diagnostic mammography to extend coverage for annual screening mammography to women age 40 and over, and for annual screenings and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for women at high risk of developing breast cancer.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Jim Matheson -- speaking at a hearing before the Health subcommittee Wednesday—told colleagues that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for Utah women. He urged support for several bills designed to improve education, treatment and screen programs for the disease.

“Everyone has been touched by cancer. I hope we will make significant strides in research, education and screening,” said Matheson. “Though the national incidence rate of breast cancer among women is much higher than Utah ’s, Utah ’s mortality rate is the same because a higher percentage of Utah women are diagnosed in the cancer’s later stages. If breast cancer is caught early, survival is much more likely.”    » read more »

Washington, Oct 7 - Congresswoman Kathy Castor, working to eliminate disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, advocated her bill today during a significant hearing on the Subcommittee on Health. The Eliminating Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment Act of 2009 will create incentives and requirements for adequate care for all women, regardless of race, income or health insurance status.    » read more »

WHO grants prequalification to Cervarix®: GSK’s vaccine to help combat cervical cancer in developing nations

9 July 2009, London, UK -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded prequalification to Cervarix®, GlaxoSmithKline’s cervical cancer vaccine. The WHO decision is necessary for UN agencies and the GAVI Alliance to purchase the vaccine in partnership with developing countries and will help speed access to Cervarix globally.

More than 80 percent of the 280,000 cervical cancer deaths a year occur in resource-poor nations.[i] Cervical cancer affects poor women in the least developed countries more often and more aggressively due to a lack of available screening services and the high prevalence of other serious health conditions such as HIV/AIDS. [ii], [iii]    » read more »

IRESSA (Gefitinib) receives marketing authorization for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in Europe

01 July 2009 -- AstraZeneca announced today that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for the oral anti-cancer drug, IRESSA for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with activating mutations of EGFR-TK (epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase) across all lines of therapy. The authorisation is based on a submission package including two pivotal Phase III studies comparing IRESSA with chemotherapy, IPASS and INTEREST.    » read more »

Discovery Could Become a New Drug Target for Metastatic Brain Cancer

LA JOLLA, CA, June 8, 2009—As survival rates among some patients with cancer continue to rise, so does the spread of these cancers to the brain—as much as 40 percent of all diagnosed brain cancers are considered metastatic, having spread from a primary cancer elsewhere in the body.

Now, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a molecular mechanism that plays a pivotal role in controlling cancer growth in the brain. The discovery could provide a basis for potentially effective therapies for the treatment of brain metastasis.

The study was published in an online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of June 8, 2009.    » read more »

SIMSBURY, Conn., Jun 08, 2009 -- The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) today announced it is joining forces with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) to offer a product aimed at helping Americans protect their physical and financial health against cancer.

In an ongoing effort to battle the disease and support cancer survivors, The Hartford has launched the LIVESTRONG Wellness Protection Plan, a guaranteed-issue, multi-benefit product that helps promote early detection of cancer and financial protection in the case of a diagnosis.    » read more »

NORTH GREENBUSH, N.Y. -- 05 June 2009 -- Senior leaders from GE Healthcare and GE Global Research are joining State and local leaders as well as officials from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) today for the grand opening of GE Healthcare’s new, state-of-the-art digital mammography production facility at the Rensselaer Technology Park.

The new 230,000 sq ft facility will add 150 high paying manufacturing jobs in Rensselaer County with an annual payroll of $10 million. Investment in the facility totals over $165 million, including a capital grant of $10 million from New York State. With a focus on “Clean Technologies”, the building has achieved USGBC LEED Gold Certification, making it one of only two semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the US to achieve this status.    » read more »

Tasigna® shows rapid and deep responses in newly diagnosed patients with a form of chronic myeloid leukemia

Basel, June 5, 2009 - New data show that at 12 months newly diagnosed patients taking Tasigna® (nilotinib) to treat a life-threatening form of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) had rapid responses and a deep reduction in the amount of the abnormal protein that causes this disease.

"Tasigna now demonstrates potential to achieve remarkable responses in newly diagnosed patients," said Gianantonio Rosti, MD, Institute of Hematology Seràgnoli, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy, and lead study investigator. "These positive data suggest that, one day, Tasigna may offer patients another front-line treatment option."    » read more »

01 June 2009 -- AstraZeneca and Merck & Co., Inc. today announced a collaboration to research a novel combination anticancer regimen composed of two investigational compounds, MK-2206 from Merck and AZD6244 (ARRY-886*) from AstraZeneca.

Preclinical evidence indicates that combined administration of these compounds could enhance their anticancer properties. This is the first time that two large pharmaceutical companies have established a collaboration to evaluate the potential for combining candidate molecules at such an early stage of development. The collaboration will more quickly advance a potentially promising anticancer treatment. In general, such combinations would only be studied when one or both of the drugs has entered late-stage development or received marketing approval.    » read more »