Friday, February 26, 2010

Snowy Days Means Time to Catch Up on Ovarian Cancer News

For the past two days we have had yet another snowstorm in the northeast. I've been doing lots of chores around the house including shoveling the white stuff, projects for the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation and catching up on news regarding ovarian cancer.

  • Genentech sent out a press release regarding its Phase III trial with the drug Avastin. GOG 0218 has shown women who received maintenance Avastin after receiving chemo (carbo and taxol) and avastin had an increase in progression free survival time. The study will be presented at the next ASCO meeting in June.
  • News from Australia: An article in The Age ( Radical Ovarian Cancer Treatment Offers Hope ) reports that a study by researchers from the Royal Women's Hospital and Monash University shows promising results for "immune modulation" which works on a theory that the immune system has a 10 to 14-day cycle, during which it emits ''inhibitor cells'' that stop the body from fighting cancer so they deliver drugs at the opportune time during that cycle.
  • There has been lots of talk about low dose aspirin and the reduction in a the recurrence of breast cancer in relationship to COX inhibitors and inflammation. I found this article from MD Andersen, Aspirin : Can Such A Commonly Used Drug Have An Impact On Cancer , that made mention of other epidemiological studies with cancer of the ovary. I will most certainly be asking my gyn-onc about this when I see her next week.
  • This last bit of news relates to Johanna's Law ,a three year national ovarian cancer awareness campaign, which was passed in 2007. Well the three years are up and it is time to ask your representative to vote to reauthorize the Law. Click here to reach the OCNA site which will allow you to send an e-mail to your state's representative.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! I have been blessed with the time indoors to catch up on lots of things.

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