New ACS study

Hal61

Probably some of you have seen a news piece on the results of a new experimental treatment carried out witht he support of ACS. Dr. Carl June conducted the treatment of three cancer patients diagnosed with a terminal stage of leukemia. The approach was to have the body produce what he called "chimera" cells from the patient's own system that would identify and attack cancer cells. Not only did the transformed cells attack and destroy the cancer cells, but the new good cells replicated themselves in the short and long term.

ACS spokesman Dr. Otis Brawley says the results are impressive even though the sample is small. It is of course, just what we're all waiting for. Then both Brawley and June both took turns discounting any immediate hope. It will take, according to Dr. Brawley, five to ten years for FDA approval.

It's understandable not to rush to distribution. But these are not pregnant women, and the drug is not Thalidomide. I just wish there was some reasonable approach to this research.

DrMary

Powerful statement
"these are not pregnant women, and the drug is not Thalidomide"

My OB-Gyn guy is smiling down on you from heaven for that statement (he died between delivering #2 and #3, but we found one of his students to take over). He made the point, as you do, that there is a difference between approving a drug for pregnant women to take for morning sickness, and approving a drug/therapy for a serious disease.

Let's face it - some folks with cancer choose to try "alternative medicine" and the FDA does not stop them. There has to be some way to find a middle ground where trials are offered with the caveat that they might be no better than "doing nothing." I bet a lot of the folks who would take a chance on "nothing" would go for it.

jim and i

DrMary said:

Powerful statement
"these are not pregnant women, and the drug is not Thalidomide"

My OB-Gyn guy is smiling down on you from heaven for that statement (he died between delivering #2 and #3, but we found one of his students to take over). He made the point, as you do, that there is a difference between approving a drug for pregnant women to take for morning sickness, and approving a drug/therapy for a serious disease.

Let's face it - some folks with cancer choose to try "alternative medicine" and the FDA does not stop them. There has to be some way to find a middle ground where trials are offered with the caveat that they might be no better than "doing nothing." I bet a lot of the folks who would take a chance on "nothing" would go for it.

I agree
I agree with you Mary. Let those taking the risk decide. Look at all the drugs for weight loss etc that are approved only to be taken off the market.

Debbie

Hondo

DrMary said:

Powerful statement
"these are not pregnant women, and the drug is not Thalidomide"

My OB-Gyn guy is smiling down on you from heaven for that statement (he died between delivering #2 and #3, but we found one of his students to take over). He made the point, as you do, that there is a difference between approving a drug for pregnant women to take for morning sickness, and approving a drug/therapy for a serious disease.

Let's face it - some folks with cancer choose to try "alternative medicine" and the FDA does not stop them. There has to be some way to find a middle ground where trials are offered with the caveat that they might be no better than "doing nothing." I bet a lot of the folks who would take a chance on "nothing" would go for it.

FDA
I too agree on the middle ground a lot of people will die in ten years of Research. At lease if they died with the treatment they would have died trying.

Hondo