Below are links to podcasts (audio broadcasts) of the Cancer Decisions newsletter, written and read by Ralph W. Moss, PhD. You may need a QuickTime audio plug-in to hear these. If you do not have QuickTime, you may download a plug-in for free by clicking on the link below. The plug-in is available for both Mac and PC's. A few of these are relatively large files, so please be patient as they load. Enjoy.
 Click
here to get the QuickTime Plug-in.
Does Resveratrol Enhance the Effects of Radiation Therapy?: Cancer patients are frequently told by their oncologists not to take antioxidants while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Supposedly, antioxidants counteract the beneficial free radicals that are generated by conventional treatment, thereby interfering with its effectiveness. A small number of scientists have argued the opposite, suggesting that antioxidants do not generally interfere with cancer treatment but, rather, enhance its effectiveness while sparing normal cells from damage. It is one of the great dividing lines between conventional and CAM-oriented practitioners. Now some research from the University of Rochester has contradicted the idea that antioxidants interfere and added credibility to the idea that they enhance treatment effectiveness.
Harnessing the Abscopal Effect : One of the most fascinating phenomena in cancer therapy is the so-called "abscopal effect." It is sometimes observed as a beneficial side effect of radiation therapy: when doctors irradiate one tumor site they occasionally also get an unexpected 'dividend' in the shrinkage or disappearance of tumors at non-irradiated sites.
A Bad Decision on Avastin : On Friday, Feb. 22, 2008, top administrators of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Avastin for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Avastin, which has already been approved for colon and lung cancer, is controversial because it has never been shown to extend overall survival (OS) in breast cancer patients.
Article Exaggerates Failure of War on Cancer : The lack of progress in the war on cancer is serious enough without having to resort to exaggeration. Yet, to judge by his comments in a recent article, Mr. Brian Peskin, BSEE, evidently feels that exaggeration is justified ("Statins and Increased Cancer: The Hidden Story and a New Solution," Townsend Letter, Feb/March 2008).
Again Avastin : Two months ago, the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) ruled 5-4 that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should not approve the drug Avastin (bevacizumab) as a treatment for advanced breast cancer. Since December, however, executives of the California-based biotech firm Genentech (which manufactures Avastin), and its major stockholder, Roche, have been working and lobbying hard to overcome this FDA hurdle. This week they finally revealed their strategy and, unless there is an upsurge of objections from medical consumers, they may well get approval of the drug by FDA's February 23rd decision-making deadline.
Read It and Weep : Onions (Allium cepa L.) are a healthful food. Epidemiological (i.e., population-based) studies have repeatedly shown that people who eat diets rich in fruits and vegetables, and particularly in garlic and onions, have lower rates of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer....But are these sweet onions as healthful as the tear-inducing varieties?
New Study Clarifies Role of Antioxidants During Radiation Treatment : An important paper on the interaction of antioxidants and radiation therapy was recently published in the International Journal of Cancer. Interestingly, despite the significance of its findings, this study has received virtually zero attention from the scientific community or the media.
Zetia Fails Clinical Trial...Why Was It Ever Approved?: This month, scientists announced the result of the long-awaited ENHANCE study of the anti-cholesterol drug Zetia (ezetimibe). This drug alone, or in combination with the popular statin drug, Zocor (simvastatin) conveyed no medical benefit to patients. In fact, the company-sponsored study found that the pace at which artery-clogging plaque formed within blood vessels actually doubled in patients taking the two-drug combination.
Are Anthracyclines On Their Way Out?: Dr. Dennis Slamon, MD, PhD, one of North America's leading cancer researchers, has delivered a major blow against the anthracyclines, a group of chemotherapy drugs that are widely used in the treatment of cancer.
Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer in Older Patients - Ineffective and Costly: In another blow to the use of chemotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer, researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research have found that chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in people 65 and older has a minimal impact on survival.
Dr. Von Eschenbach - Do Not Override Your Own Advisors!: Last week, the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 5-4 to recommend against approving the drug Avastin for first-line use in advanced breast cancer. In clinical trials to date, Avastin has not been shown to extend overall survival or to improve quality of life for women with metastatic breast cancer.
However, the FDA is not bound to heed the advice of ODAC, and Avastin’s manufacturer, Genentech, will be lobbying hard to persuade FDA to grant approval in spite of the ruling.
Ixempra - A New Drug for Advanced Breast Cancer: In October 2007, the FDA approved Ixempra (ixabepilone) for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
"The approval of Ixempra means that we now have an important new option for patients with metastatic breast cancer who have rapidly progressed through currently approved chemotherapies," said Linda Vahdat, M.D., of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
But how "important" is this new option really likely to be for patients with metastatic breast cancer?
Twisting the Record on Vitamin D: A team of researchers led by National Cancer Institute (NCI) epidemiologist Dr. Michal Freedman has published an article suggesting that vitamin D is highly successful in reducing deaths from cancers of the colon and rectum. However, the reaction of the media to the study revealed in a stark way their deeply ingrained prejudice against nutritional solutions to cancer.
Does Tykerb Really Work? - Part II: Last week we began an article on the new drug Tykerb (lapatinib), which has been approved for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. We conclude the article this week.
Does Tykerb Really Work? - Part I:Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Tykerb (lapatinib) to treat advanced breast cancer. What can breast cancer patients realistically expect from this drug?
Taxol Does Not Help Prevent Recurrence of Most Common Breast Cancers - Part Two:Last week we began a two-part newsletter on a newly-released study concluding that the chemotherapy drug Taxol, which is commonly used in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, brings no benefit to the majority of women for whom it is currently prescribed. This week, we conclude the discussion with references.
Taxol Does Not Help Prevent Recurrence of Most Common Breast Cancers - Part One : In a major setback for the advocates of adjuvant chemotherapy, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that the widely used drug Taxol (paclitaxel) does not benefit women with the most common form of breast cancer.
Do Statins Increase Cancer Risk? - Part Two : Last week we began a discussion of whether or not the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins are associated with an increased risk of cancer. We presented some research suggesting that statins do not cause cancer, and may even exert a mild protective effect against the occurrence of certain cancers. However, this week we present some important new data concerning possible cancer risks associated with aggressive reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.
Do Statins Increase Cancer Risk?: Few drugs are more widely known and prescribed than the statins, which are designed to lower elevated blood cholesterol. But does the use of statins increase, decrease or leave unaffected one's risk of cancer? The evidence here is maddeningly contradictory.
Calcium Supplements Combat Bone Metastases in Mice: Could a glass of vitamin-fortified milk per day block the spread of cancer to the bones? According to researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia, this may be the case, at least in animals.
Muscadine Grapes Inhibit Prostate Cancer Cells: A team of researchers from the National Cancer Institute, led by Dr. Jeffrey E. Green, have demonstrated that an extract of muscadine grapes can significantly inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cell cultures, while leaving normal prostate cells unaffected.
The Height of Absurdity: The next time you read a news story about how cancer is decreasingly a problem in the US, think again. California officials have revealed that the US Veterans Administration (VA), which treats many American veterans, has been deliberately withholding cancer incidence data from state cancer registries across the country. This has resulted in up to 70,000 newly diagnosed cancer cases - about 5 percent of the national total - going unrecorded in the past few years.
New Doubts on Safety of 'Targeted' Drugs - Part II: This week we conclude our two-part discussion concerning the safety of the class of drugs known as antiogenesis inhibitors.
New Doubts on Safety of 'Targeted' Drugs - Part I: New doubts have been raised about the safety and efficacy of drugs known as angiogenesis inhibitors. These drugs are designed to block the development of new blood vessels within and around tumors. Without an effective and independent blood supply a tumor cannot grow bigger than the tip of a pencil.
The War on Cancer is Being Oversold: Dr. Moss was recently asked to provide the Point of View commentary for the magazine Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, a leading monthly publication in the field. He wrote about the way in which the media have oversold the very limited progress that has been made in the fight against cancer over the past thirty years.
A Trophoblast from the Past - Part II:This week Dr. Moss concludes his discussion of the unique properties and cancer-like behavior of embryonic trophoblast tissue.
A Trophoblast from the Past - Part I:I have spent my summer reading and thinking about the unlikely topic of trophoblasts. Trophoblastic cells form the layer of embryonic tissue that attaches the embryo or fetus to the wall of the mother's uterus. Trophoblasts provide protective armor by completely surrounding the embryo, while also carrying nutrients from the mother's blood to that of the developing fetus.
Unmasking the Tumor:There is a common idea that cancer arises simply because of the weakness of the patient's immune system. Supposedly, our white blood cells patrol the highways and byways of the body, looking for cellular miscreants, just as they hunt for viruses and bacteria. According to this popular view, if a patient were to simply enhance his or her immunity, the tumor would disappear.
Suicide by Sunlight? - Part II:This week we conclude our discussion of the American Cancer Society's ad campaign which emphasizes the alleged dangers of sunlight and skin cancer.
Suicide by Sunlight? - Part I :This summer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has become embroiled in a scandal over its advertising practices. Based upon input from various focus groups, the ACS decided to place ads in 15 national magazines strongly implying that skin cancer is a fatal disease but that these deaths can be prevented by mass screening.
Cancer Stem Cells : In June, scientists at the Ross Eye Institute in Buffalo, New York, discovered that samples of tissue from the rare childhood cancer called retinoblastoma exhibit various markers and behaviors more characteristic of cells from an embryo. For example, these cells form tiny 'microspheres,' just as typical stem cells do.
New Test May Help Patients Avoid Unnecessary Chemo: Current research indicates that the most commonly used breast cancer chemotherapy regimen almost certainly provides no benefit whatever to 92 percent of patients. A test is now being developed to identify the 8 percent of women who have the greatest chance of benefiting from chemotherapy.
Patient Activism Influences Cancer Research Funding: Dr. Moss was recently asked by the magazine New Scientist to review an intriguing new book on the history and influence of patient advocacy groups. The book, titled Cancer Activism, is written by two US social scientists, and examines the history, structure and influence of grassroots survivors' and patients' organizations.
Cancer Activism: A New Force in the War on Cancer :The magazine New Scientist recently asked Dr. Moss to review an interesting book: "Cancer Activism: Gender, Media and Public Policy"  by Karen Kedrowski and Marilyn Stine Sarow.
Cancer Doctors Paid for Prescribing Dubious Drugs - Part II: Drugs such as Aranesp, Procrit and Epogen are widely used in the treatment of cancer-related anemia. However, there is growing evidence that these drugs may actually shorten, rather than lengthen, survival. Meanwhile, drug company kickbacks to doctors who prescribe these drugs total hundreds of millions of dollars per year and are considered an important source of income for oncologists.
Cancer Doctors Paid for Prescribing Dubious Drugs: Two of the world’s largest drug companies, Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, have been paying hundreds of millions of dollars in incentive bonuses to doctors - including medical oncologists - who prescribe the anti-anemia drugs Procrit, Aranesp and Epogen.
Cancer on the Rise Worldwide: While the US recently celebrated the fact that there were approximately 3,000 fewer cancer deaths in 2004 than there were the previous year, the world as a whole is facing a staggering 50 percent increase in cancer incidence and deaths by the year 2020.
Setback for Gardasil Proponents: Back in February, Texas Gov. Rick Perry bypassed the state legislature and signed an executive order requiring all Texas schoolgirls entering sixth grade to be vaccinated with Gardasil. This is the newly-approved vaccine against the sexually transmitted viruses that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. This past week, however, the Texas House of Representatives overturned Perry's executive order, thereby preventing mandatory Gardasil vaccination from going into effect.
Tracking New Developments: Update: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month issued a safety warning letter to healthcare professionals concerning the targeted drug Avastin (bevacizumab). Also, Dr. Moss discusses the new developments and changes to our web site that will be occurring over the next few months. This week he directs your attention to our growing archives.
Big Blow to Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer - Part II: This week Ralph Moss concludes a two-part discussion of a study that was published last month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showing that radiation given to women following breast cancer surgery increases their risk of heart disease.
Big Blow to Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer - Part I: Radiation is widely used as a follow-up treatment after surgery for breast cancer. But a study published in the March 7th Journal of the National Cancer Institute has shown that this kind of radiation treatment also increases the risk of heart disease.
Op-ed in New York Times: For the first time, Dr. Moss recently had an op-ed piece published in the New York Times. He was asked to write this article as a part of an entire page devoted to cancer.
Studies Question Accuracy of Many Colonoscopies- Part II: Dr. Moss concludes a two-part discussion of some of the inaccuracies that can reduce the effectiveness of colonoscopy as a screening method for colorectal cancer.
Studies Question Accuracy of Many Colonoscopies: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has found what it judges to be "fair to good evidence" that several screening methods, including colonoscopy, are effective in reducing mortality from colon and rectal cancer. However, new concerns have emerged over the accuracy of many colonoscopy examinations.
Breaking the Camel's Back - Part 2: Conclusion of Ralph Moss's discussion regarding an outrageous ad campaign released by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which targets young women.
Breaking the Camel's Back - Part 1: Ralph Moss discusses an outrageous ad campaign by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Ralph Moss discusses his new topic report on Gardasil.
Introducing a new feature of our Web site, an archive of Ralph Moss's TV and other video appearances.
Vectibix, a new drug approved by the FDA for treating colon and rectal cancer.
Ralph Moss's newsletter on alleged benefit of mammography for women in their forties.
At a companion Web page we provide links to various speeches, lectures, radio programs, and other audio presentations that Ralph Moss has given since 1978.
Click
here to access the audio lecture/radio archives.
Click
here for our podcasts on iTunes.
 If you do not have iTunes, click here for our feed.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
The news and other items in this newsletter are intended for
informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter is intended
to be a substitute for professional medical advice.
|
