Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals said yesterday that regulators had approved
their lung cancer drug Tarceva to treat pancreatic cancer.
They said the Food and Drug Administration approved Tarceva to be used with
gemcitabine chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer
in patients who had not received chemotherapy.
The Swiss drug maker Roche Holding, which holds a majority stake in Genentech
and international marketing rights to Tarceva, has applied to European regulators
for the additional pancreatic cancer approval, OSI said.
Among the most spread cancers, colon cancer usually occurs in men and women
over the age of 50. The main causes of colon cancer are related to the
patients diet: very low in fiber and high in fat and calories. By keeping
a healthy life style and good eating habits, you can prevent developing cancer
of the colon even before this becomes a problem. You might also want to try
and check your family history for cases of colon cancer and adopt a healthier
diet in order to make sure you will avoid this problem in the future.
Colon cancer treatments are varied and you can choose from a series of
traditional and alternative methods of dealing with this condition. Surgery
is often the number one choice the surgeon removes the tumors on the
colon, even if the cancer cells are spread beyond the colon itself. This
ensures less problems in the future of the patients life, reducing
chances of bowel problems or internal bleeding. Colon cancer surgery is usually
categorized in four main areas: rectum resection, radio frequency ablation,
colostomy and colon resection. The surgeon will determine which method is
best suited for each individual patient. Detecting cancer at a very early
stage is important, as the problem can be corrected in a decisive and final
manner. By using a polypectomy, the surgeon will remove suspicious polyps
in order to minimize chances of the disease. Local excision may also be used
in early stages, in order to remove the cancer cells. After surgery, your
hospital should provide you with ongoing support in order to ensure a fast
and efficient recovery.
Intra arterial chemotherapy is another treatment worth consideration. This
treatment targets tumors by delivering a powerful dose of chemotherapy. Primary
systemic chemotherapy is often used before a surgical procedure in order
to destroy a large majority of cancer cells. Systemic therapy is usually
used with metastatic cancer, while the third method, adjuvant chemotherapy,
targets any cancer cells that might have been left over after surgery. All
three chemotherapy procedures are delivered through the hepatic artery and
are an option if the cancer has spread to the liver.
Another choice comes from chemoembolization treatment. In addition to being
delivered intra arterially, this type of treatment blocks the blood flow
to the areas affected by cancer. It traps the chemotherapy drugs in the area
of the tumor, thus ensuring that they work efficiently and on target.
George Anderson is very interested in colon cancer and the variety of
colon cancer treatments available.
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