Articles
A warning has been issued by the FDA regarding a counterfeit version of Avastin 400 mg/16 mL, which may have been purchased and utilized by medical practices in the United States. Chemical analyses of the imitation vials have confirmed the product lacks the active ingredient of Avastin, bevacizumab, which may have resulted in patients not receiving needed therapy.
Packages or vials may be counterfeit if:
A newly patented computerized system effectively chooses the right patient for the right clinical trial. The program quickly matches a registered patient’s molecular profile to a disease-targeting drug’s molecular design. According to the Moffit Cancer Center, the system will accelerate clinical trials and help reduce the time required for critical new drugs to reach the market.
Targeted drugs, such as gefitinib, might be more effective against non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) when combined with agents that block certain microRNAs, according to new research published in Nature Medicine.
Since 1999, the out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs have declined for many Americans. However, prescription costs continue to be a challenge for lower income families and those individuals with public insurance, according to a recent RAND Corporation study published in the February edition of the journal Health Affairs.
For the first time, the effect of exemestane on women’s bone health has been studied, and researchers found that, on 3 major outcome measures, age-related bone loss in postmenopausal women taking exemestane for 2 years worsened.
“The study is important because of the potential for wide-spread use of this medication by women at increased risk of developing breast cancer,” said Dr Lianne Tile, Medical Director of the Osteoporosis Clinic and Staff General Internist at University Health Network, and one of the authors of the study.
The use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), an injectable, clot-preventing drug for patients with advanced cancer, increased steadily between 2000 and 2007, according to a new study published in The Oncologist. However, use of LMWH is low compared with another anticoagulant, warfarin, despite previous research demonstrating LMWH as the preferred treatment for patients with cancer suffering blood clots.
Dr Hansen provided a comprehensive review of the challenges patients face when diagnosed with cancer. She illustrated that while improved survival is a welcome benefit to many of today’s cancer patients, psychological, social, and emotional struggles exist. Several considerations come to mind, such as where does one obtain information regarding care? Does the patient- provider relationship affect treatment, and what is the role of the oncology nurse (ON) in the care of cancer patients?
The article by Dr Hansen provides a great overview of the challenges facing patients from initial diagnosis of cancer through survivorship. Patients typically are diagnosed with cancer suddenly in the midst of living their lives. The various stressors in life that exist prior to diagnosis can be further exacerbated after diagnosis. As oncology providers, in addition to having knowledge of the options to treat a patient’s cancer, we need to make sure we understand the patient as a whole— both the patient and the person.
The diagnosis of cancer is arguably one of the most emotionally exhausting and potentially psychologically debilitating medical conditions we may experience during our lifetime. However, the impact of this diagnosis is not limited to the patient and frequently resonates among family members, friends, and caregivers as well. When the impact of cancer on the human condition is combined with the knowledge that healthcare practitioners are frequently unable to detect psychological distress in this patient population, the effects can be profound.1
Cancer is an illness associated with substantial physical, emotional, social, and financial ramifications for affected individuals and their families. In a significant number of cases, the diagnosis of cancer is either preceded by a period of gradual, nonspecific symptoms or discovered by routine screening, and individuals are then thrust into a whirlwind of diagnostic testing, invasive procedures, and complicated treatments with very little warning or opportunity to assimilate their circumstances.