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October 13, 2008 3:38:52 PM CDT

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Popular Cancer Drug Is Iffy and Expensive

Posted Jul 6, 08 10:48 AM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Avastin is one of the most widely prescribed cancer drugs in the world, but it might not work, the New York Times reports. The drug, made by Genentech, brings in about $2.3 billion a year in the US alone, but recent trials have shown that though the drug shrinks tumors in sufferers of colon, breast, and lung cancer, it offers little extension of life.

Further complicating the issue, Avastin is routinely prescribed for cancers for which it's not recommended. But some doctors can’t shake that humanitarian impulse, as Avastin patients have reported a positive quality-of-life change, Medicare dollars be damned. “I can’t say, ‘Let’s not use Avastin; it’s a very expensive drug and I am worried about the cost to society,’" said one physician.

Source New York Times

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The Genentech Inc. headquarters are seen in South San Francisco, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Exterior view of Genentech Inc.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Loaded boxes are seen in the stockroom of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche.   (AP Photo/Keystone, Martin Ruetschi)
Medicine used in the treatment of advanced lung cancer.   (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)
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cancer  • breast cancer  • prescription drugs  • lung cancer  • colon cancer  • cancer treatment  • clinical trials  • Avastin


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