In Patients With Drug-Resistant Prostate Cancer, New Drug Extends Survival
A new drug, MDV3100, is improving the survival rate in men with advanced prostate cancer, results of a large, phase III clinical trial show. The drug is designed to block a type of cellular receptor that drives progression of prostate cancer. Based on the strength of the data from the phase III trial, it is anticipated that the biopharmaceutical company Medivation, which licensed MDV3100, will file a new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration later this year. The presentation of the phase III data represents the culmination of a drug discovery project that began in 2004 in the academic research lab of Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Charles L.
Study Suggests Surgical Breast Biopsy Not Overused
Contrary to earlier findings, surgical breast biopsies may not be as overused as previously thought, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Surgical breast biopsies are more invasive than needle biopsies, requiring an incision and the use of general anesthesia. Results from a previous study in 2011 in a surgical journal suggested that surgery is used for 30 percent of breast biopsies, an excessive number. However, in response, the authors of this JACR article thought that the reported results may overstate the percentage of biopsies performed as surgical biopsies.
Lower Quality Of Life In Young Women With Breast Cancer
A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reveals that health-related quality of life (QOL) is lower in younger women with breast cancer. This decrease is linked to weight gain, increased psychological distress, less physical activity and early onset menopause, as well as infertility. In the U.S., breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women under the age of 50, and the most prevalent cancer in women. Although survival rates for younger women with the disease have improved over the last 20 years, their treatments can seriously affect QOL as well as other health outcomes, despite the effectiveness of the treatments.