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Erivedge Approved to Treat Basal Cell Carinoma

Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, January 30 – Erivedge (vismodegib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat the most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, the agency said Monday. The drug was approved for people for whom surgery or radiation aren't options, and for people with basal cell that has spread to other parts of the body, according to an FDA news release. Basal cell usually is a slow-growing, painless type of cancer that begins in the top layer of skin, often on areas most exposed to the sun. Erivedge was evaluated in clinical studies involving 96 people with basal cell carcinoma. The most common side effects included muscle spasms, hair loss, weight loss, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, distorted taste, loss of appetite and constipation. The drug was approved with an FDA's label warning that pregnant women who take Erivedge could have babies at greater risk of ... Read more

Related support groups: Basal Cell Carcinoma

FDA Approves Erivedge for Basal Cell Carcinoma

Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com

  SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Today, Erivedge (vismodegib) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). Erivedge, reviewed under the agency's priority review program, is the first FDA-approved drug for metastatic basal cell carcinoma. Erivedge was reviewed under the FDA's priority review program that provides for an expedited six-month review of drugs that may offer major advances in treatment. The drug is being approved ahead of the March 8, 2012, prescription user fee goal date. Basal cell carcinoma is generally a slow growing and painless form of ... Read more

Related support groups: Basal Cell Carcinoma

Chronic Bowel Disease Drugs Linked to Skin Cancer Risk

Posted 23 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 – Some patients with inflammatory bowel disease may be at increased risk for skin cancer due to their use of immunosuppressant drugs to treat the intestinal disorder, according to the results of two new studies. The studies, published in the November issue of the journal Gastroenterology, noted that immunosuppressants are commonly used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Currently, there are no specific recommendations for skin cancer screening in IBD patients. In one study, French researchers led by Dr. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, of University Hospital of Nancy, found that both past and present use of a widely used class of immunosuppressants called thiopurines significantly increased the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in irritable bowel disease patients. "The increased risk of skin cancer that we found in our study was observed in all patients, ... Read more

Related support groups: Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease -- Maintenance, Crohn's Disease -- Acute, Ulcerative Colitis -- Active, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Ulcerative Colitis -- Maintenance, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Squamous Cell Carcinoma

More Evidence Links Tanning Beds to Higher Skin Cancer Risk

Posted 24 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 24 – Roughly 10 percent of Americans continue to use indoor tanning beds, but new research suggests that doing so increases their risk for three common skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. In conducting the study, researchers tracked the tanning bed use of more than 73,000 nurses – first during high school and college, and then when the women were between 25 and 35 years of age. The study found that tanning beds increased skin cancer risk over time, with a "dose-response effect." That means the more visits to the tanning salon, the higher the woman's risk for skin cancer. Compared with women who didn't use tanning beds, the risk for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma jumped 15 percent for every four visits to an indoor tanning bed each year. The risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, also ... Read more

Related support groups: Skin Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cancer Patients Should Ask Doctors to Use Simple Terms

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – Cancer patients are often faced with many difficult-to-understand treatment choices that can have serious side effects and even mean the difference between life and death. That's why it's crucial that patients insist doctors use plain language in explaining the options, advised Angela Fagerlin, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a researcher at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. "People are making life and death decisions that may affect their survival and they need to know what they're getting themselves into. Cancer treatments and tests can be serious. Patients need to know what kind of side effects they might experience as a result of the treatment they undergo," Fagerlin said in a university news release. She and her colleagues outlined a number of tips to help patients get the information they need ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Methotrexate, Provera, Breast Cancer, Lupron, Accutane, Depo-Provera, Prostate Cancer, Tamoxifen, Femara, Arimidex, Lupron Depot, Claravis, Medroxyprogesterone, Gleevec

Too Few Teens Know the Dangers of Tanning Beds: Poll

Posted 10 May 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 10 – Many tanning salons in the United States don't warn teens and young women about the skin cancer risks posed by tanning beds, according to a new survey. The American Academy of Dermatology's online poll included more than 3,800 white females aged 14 to 22 from across the country who were asked about their tanning knowledge, attitudes and behavior. The survey found that 43 percent of indoor tanners said they had never been warned about the dangers of tanning beds by tanning salon employees, and 30 percent said they hadn't noticed any warning labels on tanning beds. And the survey revealed some potentially deadly misperceptions about tanning beds. Younger tanning bed users (aged 14 to 17) were twice as likely as older users (aged 18 to 22) to incorrectly believe that tanning beds are safer than the sun (39 percent versus 15 percent), and more than three times as likely ... Read more

Related support groups: Skin Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma - Metastatic

Fewer Cancer Patients May Be Depressed Than Thought

Posted 20 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 20 – The rate of depression among cancer patients may be lower than previously believed, a new study indicates. An international team of researchers analyzed 94 studies involving more than 14,000 patients and found that about one-sixth of cancer patients suffer depression and about one-third have a more widely defined mood disorder. Only modest rates of depression and anxiety occurred in cancer patients in the first five years after diagnosis, which suggests that depression is not inevitable in these patients, the researchers said. Only when it was combined with other mood disorders was depression common, occurring in 30 percent of hospitalized cancer patients. The study is published online Jan. 19 in The Lancet Oncology. Rates of depression and anxiety were not significantly different between patients receiving palliative care (care designed to ease pain and increase ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant

1 in 5 Cancer Survivors Suffers Chronic Pain, Study Finds

Posted 20 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 19 – More than 40 percent of cancer survivors experience pain, and the risk is highest among black and female patients, finds a new study. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System surveyed nearly 200 U.S. cancer survivors and found that 43 percent had experienced pain since their diagnosis, and 20 percent suffered chronic cancer-related pain at least two years later. Among white patients, the most significant source of pain was cancer surgery (53.8 percent), and among black patients the greatest source of pain was cancer treatment (46.2 percent), according to the report. In addition, the study found that compared to men, women had more pain, more pain flare-ups, more disability due to pain and were more depressed because of pain. The authors also noted that black patients were more likely to report greater severity of pain and more pain-related ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant

Thorough Exams a Must for Those at High Risk of Skin Cancer

Posted 18 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Jan. 17 – Patients at high risk for melanoma benefit from a follow-up program that can detect the deadly skin cancer at an early stage, new research finds, while a second study notes that embarrassment prevents some people from having a doctor examine their skin for suspicious lesions. Both studies appear in the journal Archives of Dermatology. People at high risk for melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, include those with fair skin, blond or red hair, blue eyes, freckles and/or a family history of the disease, as well as those who have been exposed to artificial UV-A radiation or who have suffered severe sunburns, especially during childhood. "Patients who are at high risk, who fit this profile, should be routinely screened [for skin cancer] annually along with other surveillance measures for colon cancer, mammograms, etc.," advised one dermatologist, Dr. Michele ... Read more

Related support groups: Skin Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Celebrex Shows Potential in Preventing Some Skin Cancers: Study

Posted 30 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 29 – The prescription painkiller Celebrex might help prevent non-melanoma skin cancers, a small study suggests. But one expert was quick to note that the drug, which is most commonly used to counter the pain of arthritis, has been linked in some studies to an increase in the risk for cardiovascular problems. So it isn't yet clear that Celebrex (celecoxib) is an ideal choice to prevent cancers that could be treated by other means. "We have a lot of different treatments for non-melanoma skin cancers," noted Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "I would want more information regarding the mechanism of action of Celebrex, because of the other risks," she said. The report, funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and Pfizer, the maker of Celebrex, is published in the Nov. 29 online edition and the Dec. 15 print issue of the Journal of the ... Read more

Related support groups: Celebrex, Skin Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Demand for Radiation Therapy Predicted to Exceed Supply

Posted 21 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Oct. 21 – Over the next decade, the growth in demand for radiation therapy in the United States will be 10 times greater than the increase in new radiation oncologists, a difference that could affect cancer patients' access to treatment, according to a new study. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of patients requiring radiation therapy will increase 22 percent but the number of full-time radiation oncologists entering the workforce will increase just 2 percent, said researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and colleagues. They based their predictions on projections that this year 3,943 radiation oncologists will treat an estimated 470,000 patients in the United States. The large increase in demand for radiation therapy will be partly due to growing numbers of older adults and minorities, groups in which certain types of cancers are more ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant

Lower Income, Education Can Hamper Skin Cancer Care

Posted 19 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Oct. 19 – Skin cancer patients who are poor, uninsured and/or less well-educated appear to be less able to correctly identify the kind of malignancy they have, new U.S. research suggests. The finding could place such individuals at a higher risk for skin cancer recurrence, if their confusion prevents them from taking precautionary steps. "This study shows that a surprisingly large number of skin cancer patients are unaware of whether they were diagnosed with melanoma or nonmelanoma cancer," study author Elliot J. Coups, a behavioral scientist at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said in an institute news release. "It is of concern that individuals with a lower level of education or income are more likely to lack knowledge of their skin cancer diagnosis type as they have a worse prognosis when diagnosed with melanoma," Coups added. Coups reports on his work in a research ... Read more

Related support groups: Skin Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma - Metastatic

Vigilance Against Skin Cancer May Lead to Lack of Vitamin D

Posted 18 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 18 – People with a genetic predisposition to basal cell carcinoma – the most common form of skin cancer – may trade one health risk for another, a new study suggests. Because people with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) tend to develop multiple basal cell skin cancers in early adulthood and so take more precautions against sun exposure, they may also run a higher risk of being deficient in vitamin D, report researchers in the October issue of Archives of Dermatology. "We found that patients with skin cancer who practice very good photoprotection [sun protection] have lower vitamin D levels," said Dr. Jean Tang, lead author of the study. "This makes sense because they're avoiding sunlight and sun is required to synthesize vitamin D." But having healthy levels of the nutrient may be necessary to protect against cancer, broken bones, heart disease and even some autoimmune ... Read more

Related support groups: Celebrex, Vitamin D Deficiency, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Vitamin D Insufficiency, Celecoxib

Cancer Patients' Secondary Symptoms Need Attention: Study

Posted 11 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 11 – Many cancer patients with pain or depression also experience physical symptoms, such as fatigue, dry mouth and nausea, that can cause disability, a new study shows. Doctors need to recognize and treat these symptoms in order to improve quality of life for cancer patients, said Dr. Kurt Kroenke, of the Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indiana University, and Regenstrief Institute Inc. in Indianapolis, and colleagues. They analyzed data from 405 cancer patients who had either pain or depression and found that all the patients had at least one of 22 physical symptoms examined in the study. More than half of patients reported 15 of the 22 symptoms. The most common symptoms were fatigue (97.5 percent), difficulty sleeping (about 79 percent), pain in limbs or joints (78 percent), back pain (nearly 75 percent) and memory problems (72 percent). The patients also reported ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Skin Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant

Redheads at Higher Risk for Common Skin Cancer's Return

Posted 17 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Aug. 16 – People with red hair are at higher risk for a recurrence of basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, researchers report. Other people at increased risk include those who were diagnosed with the cancer at a younger age, more-affluent people, and people with a cancerous lesion on their upper extremities, according to the new study. Researchers in the Netherlands analyzed data from almost 11,000 Dutch adults aged 55 and older. They found that 524 (4.8 percent) had basal cell carcinomas. Of those patients, 361 had single lesions and 163 had multiple lesions. People who developed their first lesion after age 75 were much less likely to develop multiple lesions than those who did so earlier in life, the study authors reported in the August issue of the Archives of Dermatology. However, people with red hair and those with a first lesion located on their ... Read more

Related support groups: Basal Cell Carcinoma

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