| Hycamtin Approved for Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer
MONDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Hycamtin (topotecan) capsules have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC), maker GlaxoSmithKline said Monday. About 15 percent of lung cancer patients have SCLC, a fast-growing cancer that most often affects current or past smokers. Approved for people who have completely or partially responded to chemotherapy, the drug will be available in 2008, Glaxo said in a statement. Hycamtin, among a class of medicines called topoisomerase I inhibitors, may increase users' risk of neutropenia, a drop in white blood cell count that boosts a person's risk of infection. Other potential side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and hair loss (alopecia).
Caudill still recovering
When Madison County Superintendent Mike Caudill announced last August that he would be taking a leave of absence to have a second bone marrow transplant, it was estimated he would be back to work in three to six months.More than a year later, he still is on a long, difficult road to recovery with no target date set for his return."I'm feeling very good and getting stronger every day," Caudill said. "My cancer is in remission. We are now dealing with complications with my kidneys."He was diagnosed May 13, 1998, with non-Hodgekin's lymphoma while assistant superintendent for the district.After about a year of chemotherapy treatment, Caudill had a bone marrow transplant in September 1999 at the Markey Cancer Center in Lexington.He went into remission Jan. 3, 2000, and was able to come back to work after about a three-month leave of absence.Caudill was told by doctors that one of the possible side effects from the chemotherapy treatments could be an effect on his chromosomes.A test last summer found that two pre-leukemic chromosomes were damaged and a second transplant would be required in order to help prevent contracting leukemia.After five days of chemotherapy, Caudill had his second bone marrow transplant last November, followed by random days of chemotherapy and anti-rejection drugs.In late February, he finished about three weeks of inpatient rehabilitation at Cardinal Hill in Lexington.Since then, Caudill has been in and out of the Markey Cancer Center and been trying to regain his strength at his Berea home."The recovery process is a lot longer (this time,)" he said.
Study: Nanodiamonds deliver chemo drugs
EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 15 A U.S. study suggests nanodiamonds are effective at delivering chemotherapy drugs to cells without the side effects seen with current drug delivery agents.
The Northwestern University study is said to be the first to demonstrate the use of nanodiamonds -- a new class of nanomaterials -- in biomedicine. In addition to delivering cancer drugs, researchers said the model could be used for other applications, such as fighting tuberculosis or viral infections.
Materials currently used for drug delivery can cause inflammation, a serious complication that can predispose a patient to cancer, block the activity of cancer drugs and promote tumor growth.
"There are a lot of materials that can deliver drugs well but we need to look at what happens after drug delivery," said Northwestern Assistant Professor Dean Ho, who led the study.
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