Author: jacquie

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NYC. Photo by DAVID ILIFF.
Sept 11 monument in NYC. Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

On December 18, 2015 President Obama signed into law the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, a bill re-authorizing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) for an additional five years.

This will benefit individuals impacted by the events of 9/11 including  men who developed prostate cancer as a result of exposure to the disaster.

Importantly, the re-authorization extends the  deadline for submitting claims. Previously the VCF said it would stop receiving claims on October 3, 2016. This is no longer the case. As of September 2, the deadline has been extended by four years.

The new deadline for filing a claim (and all supporting documents) is December 18, 2020.

Cancers including prostate cancer as a possible result of exposure to 9/11 disaster toxins began to emerge and gained medical attention in 2007-08, years later than rapid onset after-effects of exposure such as  traumatic injury, respiratory diseases, clinical depression, and PTSD.

For men diagnosed with prostate cancer on or after the Registration Start Date of October 22, 2013, the new Registration Deadline for compensation is  two years after Registration Start Date, but no later than December 18, 2020.

Registration start and deadline dates vary according to health condition.  Rules for the array of covered health conditions are complex. Victim's Compensation Fund advises to consider consulting a lawyer qualified and reputable in this field.

...continue reading "9/11 Health Fund Extends Deadline for Prostate Cancer Claims"

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February 7 2011, BUFFALO, NY — The nation’s first FDA-approved cancer treatment vaccine, Provenge (sipuleucel-T), is being offered for the first time in Western New York at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). The vaccine is designed for men with advanced prostate cancer who have limited treatment options and who meet eligibility requirements. ...continue reading "Provenge available for men with advanced prostate cancer at Roswell Park"

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Robot assisted prostate surgery, known medically as the da Vinci prostatectomy, has had a profound influence over treatment during the past decade. Robotic surgical technology was first developed by the military for use in the battlefield. However during the past decade, this technology has been rapidly applied to the general medical setting, notably in the field of prostate cancer. ...continue reading "How does a robotic prostatectomy work?"

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Dendreon is pricing Provenge high and for the first year its availability will be low, according to a report today in Xconomy, a Seattle business website. Provenge, the first immunotherapy to win FDA approval for treatment of men with prostate cancer, will cost $93,000 per patient. Only 2,000 patients will be treated with Provenge in the first year.
...continue reading "Dendreon Sets Provenge Price at $93,000 – Only 2,000 Patients Will Get it in First Year"

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SEATTLE, April 29, 2010 --Dendreon Corporation (Nasdaq: DNDN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved PROVENGE(®) (sipuleucel-T), an autologous cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic, castrate-resistant (hormone-refractory) prostate cancer (CRPC). Provenge is designed to induce an immune response against Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP), an antigen expressed in most prostate cancers, and is the first in a new therapeutic class known as autologous cellular immunotherapies.
...continue reading "FDA Approves PROVENGE ® for the Treatment of Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer"

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The U.S. government’s cancer research network is in severe disarray according to a report by the Institute of Medicine. Waste and inefficiency cause 40% of all late-stage government funded cancer trials to be abandoned before completion, the report found. Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg.com and Liz Jones at FierceBiotech say the report paints a doomladen picture.

"The system used to conduct cancer clinical trials in the U.S. is 'approaching a state of crisis,' with waste and inefficiency creating difficulties for those wanting to undertake these studies," Jones writes. ...continue reading "U.S. cancer trials near state of crisis, report"

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In light of favorable results from the Phase 1-2 trial of MDV 3100 for advanced prostate cancer, a Phase 3 trial is enrolling at sites in the US, Canada, South America, UK, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. Results from the earlier trial are published online by the UK medical journal The Lancet. ...continue reading "Phase 3 Trial Underway for MDV 3100 for Advanced Prostate Cancer"