Cancer: shock breakthrough

[vow66]

Patients with inoperable prostate disease recover after single dose of drug

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cancer-shock-breakthrough-1710727.html

Two patients with inoperable prostate cancer have made dramatic recoveries after receiving one dose of an experimental drug that is creating excitement among cancer specialists.

The results were so startling that researchers decided to release details of the two cases before the drug trial – in which the patients took part – was complete. Doctors said their progress had exceeded all expectations. The men were treated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in the US, one of the top medical centres in the world.

Dr Eugene Kwon, the urologist who was in charge of their treatment, compared the results to the first pilot breaking the sound barrier.

"This is one of the Holy Grails of prostate cancer research. We have been looking for this for years," he said.

[nc4bo]

1. Wow!

Ipilimumab: How it works

*Ipilimumab is one of a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, which stimulate the body's own immune system to fight disease. The experimental treatment is being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medarex, a US biotech company. The drug is being trialled on malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, Hodgkin's disease, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Studies are most advanced in melanoma, where it has been shown to prolong survival in patients with advanced forms of the disease. In the Mayo Clinic study of prostate cancer, researchers say that standard hormone treatment ignited the immune response, and adding ipilimumab was like "pouring gasoline on the pilot light".

Not as good results with the skin cancer trial.

Found this on Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipilimumab:

On December 10, 2007, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medarex released the results of three studies on ipilimumab. One of the three studies failed to meet its primary goal of shrinking tumors in at least 10.0% of the study's 155 patients. The three studies tested 487 patients with advanced skin cancer. Side effects are often considered acceptable risks for cancer drugs given the severity of the disease, and ipilimumab is no exception. The medication caused rashes, diarrhea and hepatitis in a number of the patients being tested. Despite the weaker-than-anticipated results, the companies are still planning to meet with regulatory agencies to discuss moving ahead with the medication. They hope to submit a filing to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval in the first half of 2008. Since patients suffering from extremely serious diseases like melanoma have so few treatment options, the companies believe that even the marginal success rate will be appealing to some.

Still, it's an option for some when there was none, even a glimmer of hope no matter how small is always better than nothing at all.

[pleah]

2. K&R

[Joanne98]

3. MEDX $7.36 dollars a share.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MEDX

[earth mom]

4. OMG, this is great news! But it's also very sad for me because my favorite musician Dan Fogelberg

died of prostate cancer 2.5 years ago. :cry:

His wife, Jean, has been very active in supporting prostate cancer research and has set up several different fund raising efforts:

http://www.danfogelberg.com/news.html

http://www.zazzle.com/danfanprovisions


There is also a new album, Love in Time, to be released on Dans Birthday Aug 13, 2009

[crimsonblue]

7. dan fogelberg is dead?

:( that just ruined my evening.

[medeak]

5. drug stimulates the immune system!

my mom was cured of cancer (terminal) 15 yrs ago by immunologist who stimulated her immune system with pancreatic enzymes...this is huge! FINALLY SOMETHING BESIDES THE CHEMO AND RADIATION THINKING!

[mudplanet]

6. What a minute!

These guys are a non-profit organization. They can't make any significant discoveries. The only way real progress is ever achieved is through the profit motive.

[medeak]

8. LOL..so true n/t

[Fire1]

9. The biggest hurdle will be the FDA. Don't look for this drug

any time soon.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

10. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours"

:kick:

[LeftishBrit]

11. I really hope this is found to be the case for patients in general - if so GREAT news

Immunology is likely to be one of the big avenues of progress in cancer research.

[MicaelS]

12. Wonderful news for us older men

Facing prostate problems. Have a co-worker that just went under the knife. Chemo is next for him.