August 23, 2002 

In This Issue:
The West Nile Virus and Cancer Patients, Cautions About Some Web-based Medical Advise,
St. John's Wort - Another Reason To Be Careful, Anemia Resource, Help with Health Insurance and more...

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Third Parties Helpful During Doctor-Patient Visit

Report Cites 'Dangerous' Cancer Advice on Web

St. John's Wort Weakens Cancer Drug's Effect

Study Confirms: No Advantage to Radical Mastectomy

Locally Persistent Prostate Cancer Can Result in a Late Wave of Metastases

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WEST NILE VIRUS AND THE CANCER PATIENT

The last holiday weekend of the Summer is just around the corner and many of us will want to spend time outside at picnics or by the pool. At the same time, many may be frightened back into the house by news reports about the West Nile virus. Cancerpage's Director of Community, Chris Thomas, has researched the question of what special precautions, if any, cancer patients should take in response to the spread of the West Nile virus. To read his report on cancerpage.com, click here.

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WEAKENING ANEMIA'S GRIP

Anemia is often a debilitating problem for cancer patients, caused by the cancer itself or as a result of the treatments used to fight the disease. The National Anemia Action Council (with a grant from the Amgen Corporation, maker of several anti-anemia drugs) recently launched an informational website touching on many aspects of anemia, what causes it, how it impacts effectiveness of cancer treatments and what can be done to manage it. While the site is designed for medical professionals, it has a lot of information patients and their loved ones will find useful. When you get to the homepage, type cancer into the search tool for cancer specific information. 
Website address: http://www.anemia.org/index.jsp


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HELP WITH HEALTH INSURANCE

Getting and keeping health insurance can be a major issue, especially for cancer survivors. Now there's an online resource that may help you understand your state and federally protected rights in the sometimes baffling world of health insurance. The Consumers Guide For Getting and Keeping Health Insurance is produced by the Institute for Health Care Research and Policy at Georgetown University. The healthinsuranceinfo.net homepage allows you to download a PDF file or view state reports online. The PDF download will require Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download) on your computer. While some of the online pages did have link problems, this is an excellent resource to help you understand your rights and protections. 
Website address: http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net

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CELEBRITY STAR POWER AND DRUG COMPANIES

Major media organizations are looking twice at some celebrity interview offers. Some now plan to tell their viewers or readers when a celebrity being interviewed is on the payroll of a pharmaceutical company to promote its products. Earlier this year, for instance, TV's West Wing star Rob Lowe was making the rounds to discuss chemo side effects. While he was telling the story of his father's successful fight against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Lowe's tour was financed by Amgen, maker of Neulasta. Neulasta is used to manage neutropenia, a drop in the body's supply of infection fighting white blood cells. Neutropenia makes patients more susceptible to life-threatening infections. The New York Times today reports on the issue with "CNN to Reveal When Guests Promote Drugs for Companies." To read the story, click here. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/23/business/media/23DRUG.html
(The NY Times requires guests to register. While the registration is free, if you prefer, use our login - user name: cancerpage, password: visitor.)
Amgen website built to compliment the Lowe tour: http://www.bymyside.com/index.jsp