ASCO

The American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting starts today in Chicago. Thousands of research papers will be delivered and you can see a rundown of daily events at ASCO's web site, here.

Stand Up 2 Cancer

In case you missed it earlier this week, the news anchors for the three major TV networks, Katie Couric of CBS, Charlie Gibson of ABC, and Brian Williams of NBC, toured the network morning shows together to kick off the Stand Up To Cancer campaign. The push will culminate in a simultaneous hour-long fundraising broadcast by the three networks on September 5th.   Find out more about the campaign at the StandUp2Cancer.org web site. It is an amazing web site. It hosts magazine articles, video interviews  - including a funny presentation by writer-producer Larry David - and testimonials from patients. It's easy to get lost -  in a good way - in the information there.

Cancer Drug Approval Questioned

Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley has asked for an investigation into the FDA's decision to accelerated approval of the anti-cancer drug Avastin in women with breast cancer that has spread. Grassley is questioning the measurements of effectiveness Avastin was required to meet.  Instead of looking just at survival, researchers also looked at tumor shrinkage and time to tumor's progression as positive measures.  Allowing for interim measurement points has moved many new cancer drugs onto market in record time.  In an opinion piece Thursday in the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Mark Thornton, formerly a medical officer in the FDA's Office of  Oncology Products, warns that the Grassley investigation will be bad news for the drug companies and patients who depend on development of new cancer drugs.  The FDA Avastin decision went against the recommendation of  the agency's  Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

At the same time, Grassley has asked FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, if the FDA needs new authority to force drug companies to reveal all clinical trial information during the drug approval process. Grassley has raised concern about the quick and widespread adoption of the use of anti-anemia drugs in cancer patients only to find out later that these drugs can increase mortality.

The FDA has sent out an alert to consumers  "not to buy Xiadafil VIP Tablets sold in bottles of 8 tablets (Lot #6K029) or blister cards of 2 tablets (Lot# 6K029-SEI)."  The product is sold as a sexual enhancement supplement but it contains an ingredient similar to  the active ingredient used in Viagra.   According to the FDA, it  "may dangerously affect a person's blood pressure and can cause other life-threatening side effects." Read more here.