Cancer Care

Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: KAL; FWB: CA4), a developer of new drugs for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, announced today the addition of Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA to its Phase II clinical trial of Atiprimod to treat low to intermediate grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (advanced carcinoid cancer). The Principal Investigator at this clinical site is Keith Stuart, MD. Other major cancer centers are currently reviewing the trial protocol, and the Company anticipates additional sites will be added to the trial.
(more…)

A little more than a year after realizing a dream of seeing her teenage daughter play in an LPGA event, Kelly Jo Dowd has passed away. She was 42.

Dowd spent her final years battling breast, bone and liver cancer, which spread to her brain in recent months. She died last night at her home in Palm Harbor, Florida, according to a family spokesman.
(more…)

More than thirty years after President Nixon vowed to win the war on cancer, the battle rages on with no victor in sight. But that won’t stop Big Pharma and biotechs alike from trying to entice investors next week with fresh reports on the hunt for a panacea.

The occasion: The annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The confab, which starts June 1, is to the cancer treatment industry what the Detroit Auto Show is to carmakers. Each year the $30 billion industry showcases its next generation of cancer drugs.
(more…)

A group of musicians is holding a festival Sunday to benefit Angel Dean, 25, as she fights a rare cancer and waits for a new liver.

Blues, folk and rock musicians are taking over the Prickly Pear Restaurant and Nightclub from 1 p.m. to midnight, with proceeds going to Dean’s family. It costs $8 to get in.
(more…)

Sixty physicians gathered at the Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) recently for an update on liver diseases, including liver cancer and its rising incidence rates and to hear distinguished guest speaker Dr. Willis Maddrey, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he also serves as vice president for clinical affairs, discuss the growing problem of Hepatitis C and liver cancer. Maddrey expressed optimism about research underway on new technology to evaluate liver fibrosis without liver biopsy, explaining that fibrosis, or scarring, usually precedes cancer and is a critical observation for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
(more…)

“I wanted my clients to hear someone say that what they went through had real value,” said Reilly’s attorney, N. Denise Asher.

The award included $3 million in general damages for Reilly’s wife to compensate for the negative impact on the couple’s marriage. Reilly won another $1.6 million for his own mental pain and suffering and $1.1 million for lost income.
(more…)

Skin reactions to a powerful new class of anti-cancer drugs are frequent, but manageable through a simple and rational treatment approach — usually without the need to reduce the dose or interrupt treatment with potentially life-prolonging chemotherapy, according to an article in the May issue of “The Oncologist.”
(more…)

Seeing patients and trying to prevent future medical problems is a typical day for Dr. Charles Cutler, an internist in Norristown. Little did he know he had a problem of his own; skin cancer on his face.

“I was surprised,” said Dr. Charles Cutler, adding, “I did not appreciate the importance of covering up, using sunscreen, keeping my skin away from the dangerous ultraviolet rays when I was young.”
(more…)

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us are aware of the value of sun protection in the fight against skin cancer, but we often fail to realize the gravity of this potentially deadly disease. Every 65 minutes someone in the U.S. dies of melanoma, an astounding statistic for a disease which is nearly 100 percent curable when caught and treated early.
(more…)