[alexia]

The Guarding has a couple articles about Glivec, a new anti-cancer drug which shows much promise. Note that the headline of one, " 'Magic' pill that may tame the killer cells " is more sweeping than the more detailed information actually contained in the article itself.

I think one of the reasons that so many of us are discouraged by the information we get about our health, our diseases, our diet, etc., is that we get it from popular journalists whose simplifications of what often are complex data mislead us into thinking there is a simple answer. To some extent this is true of the article noted below. Nevertheless, if continued use of this drug bears out its early hope, a couple forms of cancer may be at least amenable to maintainence; perhaps other forms of cancer may also be met with drugs of similar effect.

The drug:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...770201,00.html

The patient in the study:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...770207,00.html

 

[leo r.]

The Guardian,has on occasions,got their facts wrong.Come to think of it,Britain`s newspapers have made some monumental blunders.
I hope they are not wrong this time as this could lead to a lot of anguish and false hope.
I,like millions of other people,would like to see cancer get "the finger"(one of those RUDE one finger gestures).By this i mean an end to a absolutely horrific illness that is of no use anyone.
A very,very good day may be on the horizon, IF someone can pull this off.

A friend of mine is recovering after having cancerous growths removed.There was a young guy in the ward,only 18,who died about a week before my friend went home.This 18year old had been in there nearly a year.
This makes me feel that life is so unfair that he had his life taken away.My friend says he is very lucky to be recovering and will be able to see his daughter and son for many years.Leo.

 

[panini]

Leo R.
Unfortunately we will never see a cure in our lifetimes. The bottom line is not a cure, but monies made on the way. Most reasearch is done by persons who want more to be published then to actually focus on a curative path.I would say that there are only about 10-15 percent of doctors practicing medicine and the rest are practicing business. Don't get me wrong, most doctors don't have a choice with the system we have in place here in the US. Most curetive reasearch is stifled by the drug companies who need to get their investment back to investors. Most reasearchers are six steps ahead of these drugs that are being intoduced, but with all the red tape and bureaucratic crap(fda) the drug companies have to try to recoup for the drug at hand before they will move on. Sorry for the rant but this topic hits home. My wife and I sit on a board for an orphan disease and we are both cancer survivors.
The fact is, you can't really have faith in anything you read for you will always find a pro or con and there is usually an agenda to whatever is written. We went through high dose C.T. &transplant on the findings of a South African researcher who sponsored a clinical trial. He forged and fabricated all the numbers to distort the findings just so he could do the lecture cuircut for 60,000. a pop. I'll stop.

 

[leo r.]

Panini,i hope you and your dear lady are making a full recovery.
As you say,a lack of funding is the key problem.I`m a cynic,have been for years,i get sick of politicians telling us there are insufficient funds.
Is this some form of population control? Are the worlds leaders waiting until cancer starts to affect them and their families?I say,"round objects"to them,it`s the same old excuses every time.On second thoughts,most politicians,British anyway, would ask,"Who is round and what do they object to?"I`m like you and millions of other people,this really makes me angry!!!!
My best wishes to you and your wife,Leo.