Avastin - the new "death panel" scare story.

[TheBigotBasher]

The London based Daily Telegraph has really become the the online resource for American Tea Party people of late. Once the house paper for the British Conservative Party, they have decided that they need to move further to the right to attract a greater online audience. So now the paper once known as the Torygraph, stands firmly opposed to the Conservative / Lib Dem Coalition Government in the UK and is fully on board with the American Tea Party (non) Patriots.

So there is no surprse to see it running a scare story against what it is calling ObamaCare.

The American Food and Drug Administration has rescinded its endorsement for the drug for those suffering from breast cancer.

It was rescinded for very good reasons. Diana Zuckerman,
President of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund of the National Research Center for Women & Families describes why:-

Research shows that breast cancer patients taking Avastin don't live as long and they have more serious side effects than patients taking placebo. That is why Avastin should not be used for breast cancer, even if it were free. Its cost is not the main point, and politicians need to understand that just because a drug is expensive doesn't mean it improves health.

The manufacturer is correct that Avastin can delay the progression of breast cancer. So why aren't Avastin patients living longer? Data indicate that it's because women taking Avastin are more likely to die from side effects such as stroke and heart disease. If a breast cancer patient takes Avastin, it will not improve her chances of living longer, but her quality of life is more likely to be harmed because of the debilitating conditions linked to the drug.

Avastin may help some breast cancer patients, but it appears that nobody can predict which ones it will help and which ones it will hurt. The research indicates that it harms more breast cancer patients than it helps, which is why its approval for breast cancer should be rescinded

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/21/AR2010082102445.html

Of course, facts rarely get in the way of a good story and so The Baggergraph describes the decision to rescind FDA approval as the start of death panels. The Baggergraph article even has a Republican Rent-A-Quote Senator to add weight to their untrue story.

This of course means that stupid people will adopt the Baggergraph story as fact. Even though the truth is that Avastin causes more health problems for those suffering with breast cancer than it than it solves.

This of course is typical of modern day Republican dirty tricks. Take the most vulnerable and scare them. In fact terrify them. Made all the worse because cancer is something truly dreadful for those suffering from it and for those who know someone suffering from it.

[jaxx]

1. I've noticed some UK publications are hot after USA news....

and in a negative way. Lots of articles from those and they are not quality information givers.

[TheBigotBasher]

3. The Telegraph used to be the bible of the Conservative Party

in the UK. Now that the Conservatives have formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats the Telegraph hate that. So they have moved further to the right and much more so on-line. THis is why they should be called the Baggergraph.

The Daily Mail is ultra right wing anyway.

The Express is ultra right wing but only concerned with Diana conspiracy stories.

The Guardian is somewhat mixed having largely backed the Liberal Democrats during the election they are now having a crisis of conscience.

The Independent is left of centre and not aligned to any party.

The rest are rubbish tabloids. he Mirror used to be a good left of centre paper but it is now the unapolagetic organ of the Labour Party and the New Labour (read Neo Con) project.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. The repukes are framing the debate, defining the issues. YET AGAIN!!!!

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Swiss owned Roche owns the patent. So, of course Europe's Big Business MSM will

call it the best thing since sliced bread.

It is always all about money.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. From 2007 Roche promises to cut Avastin prices in Europe.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL1834800720070418

Typically, European pharm companies cut costs in their home turf by making more money here in th US. See my old journal about how the MSM in Europe objected to Health Care Reform here because their drug companies would not longer be able to subisidize European prices (I kid you not!)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6390271

Even the not so conservative media in Europe cry foul when we try to cut our own prescription drug costs. Be sure to check out the Guardian piece about how it would be irresponsible for the US to stop overspending for drugs (that often do not work or even kill)