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?"
Dendreon Sets Provenge Price at $93,000 – Only 2,000 Patients Will Get it in First Year
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"
FDA Approves PROVENGE ® for the Treatment of Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer
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"
U.S. cancer trials near state of crisis, report
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"
Phase 3 Trial Underway for MDV 3100 for Advanced Prostate Cancer
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"
Provenge Trial Ongoing & Recruiting At Eight US Centers
An open-label study of Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) is ongoing at 8 centers across the USA. This is a Phase 2 Study enrolling men with Metastatic Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC).
The aim of this study is to measure the immune responses to treatment with sipuleucel-T (Provenge). All participants will receive the drug. ...continue reading "Provenge Trial Ongoing & Recruiting At Eight US Centers"
A Mural for a Cancer Patient Tells a Story of Broken Healthcare
Regina Holliday has painted a mural on the side of a gas station in Washington DC to tell the story of a day in her husband Fred's struggle with broken healthcare. At ge 39, Fred was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer.
...continue reading "A Mural for a Cancer Patient Tells a Story of Broken Healthcare"