Cancer Treatment Information and Resources

Astellas Pharma U.S., Inc, manufacturer of Protopic (tacrolimus), is now facing several lawsuits that the drug may cause cancer. Protopic has been on the market for the last five years as a topical medication for eczema. Since its launch, both Protopic and similar drug Elidel (pimecrolimus) have been prescribed to 7.5 million people, including children. Elidel is manufactered by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Both Protopic and Elidel were marketed as effective and safe drugs for people with moderate eczema. After all, both these drugs are steroid free and have been considered as suitable alternatives to corticosteroids (traditionally the method of treatment for eczema).

Protopic, and similarly Elidel, can control the symptoms of eczema that includes redness, itching and inflammation. They can be used in almost all parts of the body including the neck and facial area. The recommended use of these creams were about twice a day for six weeks or as directed by your physician.

However, since early January 2006, these drugs are made known by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, of possible cancer risks. It directed that manufacturers of Protopic and Elidel to add a warning black box in their product label of possible risks.

There are now reported cases of skin cancer arising from the use of Protopic as an eczema treatment. More people now realize that Protopic and Elidel are classified as immunosuppressant. This simply means that anyone who uses this medication is exposed to a number of diseases, including cancer, because the imune system is relatively weakened.

Traci Reilly of Naperville in the U.S. thinks that the two widely prescribed medications may be responsible for her breast cancer. She first developed a lump in her right breast which was the exact area where she was using the drug.

Reilly had used both Protopic and Elidel. She was prescribed these medications as she was suffering from a condition called vitiligo that caused small patches of discolored skin on her body.

Vitiligo, a type of skin disease, may as well be the first signs of skin cancer. It is characterized with loss of skin pigmentation and may leave a milky white patch on the skin. (If you are using Elidel or Protopic for eczema pain treatment and observe this kind of symptom, stopped the medication and consult your physician immediately. )

There are also reported cases of lymphoma that are allegedly caused by Elidel. Lymphoma is a cancer of the tissues or lymph modes. Elaine Eklund had been using Elidel to treat a rash on her facial area and two weeks later she notice a lump on her neck. She is sure that Elidel is the cause of her lymphoma.

Tom Moore, an author of several books involving the pharmaceutical industry, claims that there should have been warnings from the start. In all these cases, the warning by FDA came too late.

He studied about 1,200 cases of suspected drug injuries pertaining to Protopic and Elidel reported to the FDA through 2005. Moore discovered more than 100 potential cancer cases in children and adults, although he believed that the numbers should be higher as many cases go unreported. Most of the 100 potential cases involve lymphoma or skin cancer, although it cannot be concluded that they are all directly linked to the drugs.

Moore also cited an animal study involving monkeys who were given high doses of Protopic. The monkeys developed cancer after receiving the oral form of the Protopic. Together with other studies, the conclusion was that the higher the dose of Protopic used, the higher the rates of cancer became. These studies, together with more reported cases of drug injuries, prompted the FDA to issue to the need for the black box warning.

Research laboratories are now studying more cases involving the use of Protopic and Elidel. Still, such human studies, as the FDA pointed out, can take ten years or more. At the present moment, it is best that you refrain from using these medications for eczema. Hence, if you wish to continue to use Protopic or Elidel, then be aware of the cancer risks and discuss your options thoroughly with your physician. In any case, you are strongly advised not to use these drugs if you have a weak immune system or for babies or children less than 2 years old.

Smoking is BAD! Is there still a living soul that doesn't know and understand this? There can't be. The media won't let such a thing happen. Just take a gander at all the anti-smoking commercials aired daily. If they don't get the point across, nothing will. As we all know, smoking leads to lung cancer. It's not exclusively for those with poor genetics or smokers over the age of 65. It can apply to anyone who lights up regularly. One measly cigarette will taint your lungs for a full month. Imagine what a pack a day will do to them. We're talking some serious damage here. So, if you're still on the fence about smoking, I think it's time for a few recent articles on lung cancer.

A surprising finding is that if your parents smoked in the house during your childhood and adolescence, your risk of lung cancer is double as an adult even if you yourself don't smoke. Parents, think again lighting up your next cigarette! This year, lung cancer will kill about 163,500 Americans and remains the number one cause of cancer deaths taking more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

More than one billion people worldwide are smokers even though nine out of ten lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking. By the year 2020 it's estimated that as many as ten million people a year will die of smoking related diseases unless radical action is taken to curb the advance of the mega-bucks tobacco industry into Third World countries. About three quarters of those ten million deaths will be in developing nations.

I love to read. Not just novels and the Sunday paper. I mean I really like to read and learn about new things. It's refreshing and I need to know what's happening in the world today. If it's not articles on lung cancer, its break-throughs regarding heart disease or prostate enlargement.

I learned a little bit about how diet affects lung cancer. An apple a day may keep lung cancer away. A Finnish study suggests that apples not only keep doctors away, but provide protection for the lungs as well. This study found that people who ate the most apples were 58 % less likely to develop lung cancer. Other studies suggest that lung cancer risk is lower among smokers and non smokers who ate at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

It's always prudent to add new data to the brain banks. This way you don't wander through life like a naive, uninformed dolt. You prevent things before they occur, and you seek the newest medications upon the detection of a health affliction. With some health issues, it's pretty cut and dry. One would think that common sense would overrule, but apparently it doesn't. If it did, folks wouldn't still be smoking like chimneys. Some individuals just need a scare before they can get on the smoke-free bandwagon. If current articles on lung cancer won't do the trick, maybe respiratory problems will.

Make sure you get tested for lung cancer. In approximately 25% of people with lung cancer, there are no symptoms and the cancer is detected during screening or a routine physical examination. However, in three-quarters of lung cancer patients there are warning symptoms and signs that can alert the patient or their physician.

One of the most amusing things I've ever seen is a person smoking through the hole cut out of their throat. Now that's bright! Obviously some people have a horrible time kicking the habit. However, there is irrefutable evidence linking smoking to serious health afflictions. Any articles on lung cancer, asthma and Bronchitis can inform you of this. We need to work toward a smoke-free environment, because all the rest of us are being assaulted by the second-hand stuff. That's not right! Kick the habit before it kicks you off the primordial coil.

If you have prostate cancer, or are concerned about getting it, or if you're looking out for the health of someone you love, this article can help. In most men, it grows very slowly: most men will never know they have the condition. The most common cancer in American men, except for skin cancer, is prostate cancer.

Detected in its early stages, prostate cancer can be effectively treated and cured. The prostate gland is located directly beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. The main job of the prostate gland is to make seminal fluid, the milky substance that transports sperm.

One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all. There are several symptoms to be aware of. Because prostate cancer symptoms can mimic other diseases or disorders, men who experience any of these symptoms should undergo a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause.

There are other symptoms not mentioned here. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. Having one or more cancer symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer.

A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. Your doctor may use either one or two of the most common tests for prostate cancer detection.

There is a newer test called AMACR that is more sensitive than the PSA test for determining the presence of prostate cancer. A urinalysis may indicate if there is blood in the urine. A chest x-ray may be done to see if there's a spread of cancer.

Recent improvements in surgical procedures have made complications occur less often. Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has spread. What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you're going to begin.

Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues. Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of all available treatment options.

Impotence is a potential complication after the prostatectomy or after radiation therapy. Chemotherapy medications are often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments. Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C.

Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation. Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all. Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor.

In patients whose health makes the risk of surgery unacceptably high, radiation therapy is often the chosen conventional alternative. Some drugs with numerous side effects are being used to treat advanced prostate cancer, blocking the production of testosterone, called chemical castration; it has the same result as surgical removal of the testes.

The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease is found in older men who may have a variety of other complicating diseases or conditions, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly decrease their activities. Once diagnosed you may want to join a support group where members share their experiences and problems. Because its a very slow-growing disease, many men with this disease will die from other causes before they die from prostate cancer.