PLEASE help save the DRUG AVASTIN for Stage 4 Breast Cancer patients- EASY way to HELP!!!!! I have b

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momx4fightinit
momx4fightinit Member Posts: 13
in Colorectal Cancer #1
URGENT ACTION REQUIRED TO SAVE THE AVASTIN WOMEN
SENATOR FROM MS CIRCULATING A LETTER FOR SIGNATURE BY OTHER SENATORS TO SAVE THE AVASTIN WOMEN. WE NEED YOU TO URGE YOUR SENATOR TO SIGN THIS LETTER.
Please urgently contact your two Senators and urge them to sign a letter circulating in the Senate to protect the Avastin women. Please see attached letter. This is one of our last hopes to influence FDA Commissioner Hamburg, who will make the final decision on Avastin probably within the next month.

Attached you will find the letter Senator Wicker is circulating around the Senate. Please contact your Senators, and ask them to contact Wesley Clay on Senator Wicker’s staff to sign the letter. He can be reached at Wesley_Clay@wicker.senate.gov or (202) 224-6253.

Please click on the link below, find your State on the map, click on it and then you will see the contact information for your two Senators.
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm
You can call or you can e-mail. E-mail may be best.

We are also expecting a letter to be circulating in the HOUSE in the next week or so and so if you want to send the same letter to your Representatives while you have the site open, that would help too. I believe their letter will be being circulated my Rep Scott Tipton (CO) if you want to ask your Reps to sign it when it comes around. You can use this sample letter or change it up, what ever is easiest.....

Here is the outline of the text that you can use in an e-mail to your Senators:
A recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel recommended the withdrawal of the cancer drug Avastin. Initially approved by the FDA, Avastin has been vital to many for the treatment of metastatic cancer and has produced significant benefits for some patients on the medication. Please call on Commissioner Hamburg to consider the lives of your constituents who value extended life during their quest to fight breast cancer and allow Avastin to remain an option for treatment.
While drug safety is an important consideration, patients taking Avastin are running out of time and options for treatment. Decisions on patient treatment for this serious disease should be made between patients and their doctors. Until a cure is developed or other successful treatment alternatives are available, patients with metastatic breast cancer should be given the option of taking Avastin.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is expected to make the final in the coming weeks. A letter from your office will ensure your constituents’ concerns are heard.

I posted it in the notes of my fbook and it was easy too so friends can write for you or one of your breast cancer sisters. You just never know if this would be the drug for you. It is for several of us. We are trying to reach congress men/women from EVERY STATE...Thanks and again, I apologize for bothering everyone:-(

christi, wife and mom x 4
Stage 2 Breast Cancer 2006
Stage 4 with Lung Mets June 2008, NED Since October 2008

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  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #2
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    FDA Withdrawal

    "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that the
    agency is recommending removing the breast cancer indication from
    the label for Avastin (bevacizumab) because the drug has not been
    shown to be safe and effective for that use.

    The agency is making this recommendation after reviewing the
    results of four clinical studies of Avastin in women with breast
    cancer and determining that the data indicate that the drug does
    not prolong overall survival in breast cancer patients or provide
    a sufficient benefit in slowing disease progression to outweigh
    the significant risk to patients. These risks include severe high
    blood pressure; bleeding and hemorrhage; the development of
    perforations (or “holes”) in the body, including in the nose,
    stomach, and intestines; and heart attack or heart failure."

    The complete story is here:
    http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm237172.htm

    If anyone can provide an argument against this procedure, it should
    be explained from factual information, not heartfelt innuendo.

    To allow fear to drive one's quest for life, is to drive one's life
    to it's end.

    The FDA is now attempting to stop that from happening.

    Best of health to all,

    John

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