On Thursday, the FDA revoked its 2008 recommendation that Avastin (bevacizumab) be used to treat breast cancer.
Avastin had been approved as an injectable drug in 2008 by the Food and Drug Administration. It was thought that, when combined with chemotherapy, Avastin would hamper the breast cancer from metastasizing to other areas of the body.
However, recent studies suggest that Avastin has no effect on the spread of cancer in the body.
These studies, combined with the fact that Avastin can cause life-threatening side effects (high blood pressure, bleeding, hemorrhaging, heart attack, and/or cardiac arrest) led the FDA to stop recommending the drug for breast cancer patients.
Nevertheless, there is opposition from many fronts. Numerous breast cancer patients attribute their well-being to the drug. And of course, the manufacturer, Genentech, will file an appeal and proceed through all that bureaucracy.
It's times like these when we're especially glad to be feeding our breast cancer clients. Even when vital drugs may be called into question, Moveable Feast services will never falter. In 2010, we did not have to turn away a single client asking for help.
No comments:
Post a Comment