Re: New Cream Treatment for Skin Cancer

From: Tom (mastint001_at_spam.hawaii.rr.com)
Date: 01/20/05 

Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 21:58:43 GMT

I've been using Aldara for the past 12 months for Actinic Keritosis (pre
cancerous) and it work fine.
It was originally used for genitle herpes, but was found to have this use
too. I found it easy to use
except on some spots that were in the hair. A little bothersome applying at
night and scrubbing off in the
morning, but it worked great, even caused a couple of spots that wern't
visible to the eye to scale over
and disappear. Good stuff. My doc says not as much touble as what she
prescribed before which was
a cancer chemotherapy in salve form.
Tom
<ironjustice@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1106253636.175524.116550@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/06/c0426.html
>
> Health Canada Approves New Cream Treatment for Skin Cancer
> ALDARA is the first new treatment approved in Canada
> for basal cell carcinoma in 30 years
>
> Pro Golfer David Barr urges Canadians
> to take action against skin cancer
>
> TORONTO, Jan. 6 /CNW/ - Health Canada has approved ALDARA(TM)
> (imiquimod)
> Cream, 5%, a topical prescription medication for the treatment of
> superficial
> basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) - a form of non-melanoma skin cancer.
> ALDARA is
> the first new treatment for this type of cancer to be approved in
> Canada in
> close to 30 years and is the first in a new class of medications called
> immune
> response modifiers. The medication works by triggering the body's
> immune
> system to find and kill mutated cells on the outer layer of the skin.
> "Standard skin cancer treatment options include scraping, burning,
> radiation, or surgically removing cancer lesions from the skin, which
> can be
> uncomfortable and sometimes disfiguring," says Dr. Goldstein,
> consultant
> dermatologist at the University Health Network, Toronto Western
> Hospital. "But
> with the availability of ALDARA for sBCC, Canadians have another
> effective
> option, which is associated with little or no discomfort, and may not
> cause
> the long-term scarring that can be seen with more invasive treatments.
> This
> therapy can replace surgical options for superficial BCCs, with good
> cure
> rates and an acceptable side effect profile."
> Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers affecting approximately
> 82,000 Canadians(1). Over the last 15 years its incidence has increased
> by
> two-thirds (67 per cent)(2). Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 80 per
> cent of
> all skin cancers(3).
> "When I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), I was shocked -
> skin cancer was never something I was concerned about," says Canadian
> Hall of
> Fame and Senior PGA Championship golfer, David Barr. "Now I know the
> importance of examining my skin regularly and seeing my doctor if I
> notice
> anything unusual. For many of us the damage from years of sun exposure
> is
> already done, so early detection is crucial. If caught early, BCC is
> highly
> treatable."
> ALDARA is a cream that is applied at home by the patient and unlike
> most
> approved therapies, is non-invasive, which means it does not involve
> surgery.
> In clinical trials involving 364 patients with primary sBCCs, 82 per
> cent of
> patients treated with ALDARA achieved complete disease clearance
> confirmed by
> biopsy, compared with only three per cent in the placebo group(4).
> "Finding effective and patient-friendly options is important in
> advancing
> the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer," comments Dr. Jason Rivers,
> dermatologist and active staff member at the British Columbia Cancer
> Agency,
> and professor of dermatology at the University of British Columbia in
> Vancouver. "Not only is ALDARA effective, but it's exciting because it
> works
> with the body's own immune system to fight cancer from within, rather
> than
> treating it invasively from the outside."
> ALDARA is applied five times per week, for six weeks, to sBCC lesions
> with a maximum diameter of two centimetres, confirmed by biopsy,
> located on
> the trunk of the body, neck, or extremities (excluding hands and feet).
> In
> clinical trials, the most frequent reactions reported by ALDARA
> patients were
> local skin reactions, including erythema (redness), and scabbing at the
> application site. Although 97 per cent of patients reported erythema,
> only
> three per cent reported pain and only one per cent of patients
> discontinued
> treatment due to local skin or application-site reactions. Scarring was
> not
> reported as a result of ALDARA treatment at the 12 week post-treatment
> evaluation.
> ALDARA was first approved by Health Canada in 1999 for the treatment of
> external genital and perianal warts, caused by the human papillomavirus
> (HPV).
> In June 2004, Health Canada approved ALDARA for the treatment of
> actinic
> keratosis, a precancerous skin condition that can lead to squamous cell
> carcinoma, another form of non-melanoma skin cancer.
>
> Basal Cell Carcinoma
> Basal cell carcinoma affects approximately 65,000 Canadians(5).
> Superficial BCC is a type of BCC that typically occurs on the torso and
> may
> appear on the face. It appears as well-defined, red, scaly patches that
> can
> resemble eczema or psoriasis. Like other skin cancers, sBCC is caused
> by over
> exposure to the sun's damaging rays.
> Basal cell carcinoma lesions generally grow slowly and have up to a
> 95 per cent treatment success rate if caught early(6). If left
> untreated,
> BCC tumours can continue to grow, eventually invading and causing
> damage to
> surrounding tissues.
>
> 3M Canada
> 3M Canada is the marketer of ALDARA. 3M Pharmaceuticals, a division of
> 3M Canada Company, develops, manufactures and sells prescription drug
> products
> related to dermatology, sexual health, and respiratory conditions. 3M
> Canada
> Company employs over 1,800 people across Canada and has annual sales
> exceeding
> $1billion (CDN). Additional information is available at www.3m.ca
> Worldwide, 3M Company is a $16 billion (US) diversified technology
> company with leading positions in industrial, consumer, office, health
> care,
> safety and electronics, telecommunications and other markets.
>
> 3M and ALDARA are trademarks of 3M. Used under license in Canada.
>
> NOTE TO TELEVISION STATIONS:
> B-roll will be available on January 6, 2005 from 11:00 - 11:30 EST and
> 14:00 -14:30 EST at the following coordinates:
> Anik E2F C Band, Transponder 5 Baker, audio subcarriers 6.2/6.8. Down
> link frequency 3900 vertical polarity
>
>
> References:
> -----------------------------------
> (1) National Cancer Institute of Canada: Canadian Cancer Statistics
> 2004.
> (2) Ibid.
> (3) Alam M, Datner D. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. New Eng J Med.
> 2001; 334 (13): 975-983
> (4) Geisse et.al. Imiquimod 5% cream for the treatment of superficial
> basal cell carcinoma: Results from two phase III, randomized,
> vehicle-controlled studies. J. Amer. Acad. Dermatol. May 2004:
> 722-733.
> (5) National Cancer Institute of Canada: Canadian Cancer Statistics
> 2004.
> (6) American Accreditation HealthCare Commission for Medline Plus
> Medical
> Encyclopedia: Basal cell carcinoma. Available at
> http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000824.htm
> (Accessed October 19, 2004).
>
>
>
> For further information: Environics Communications: Jennifer Casey,
> (416) 969-2724, jcasey@environicspr.com; Sacha Tynan, (416) 969-2716,
> stynan@environicspr.com
>
> Who loves ya.
> Tom
>
> Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
> Man Is A Herbivore!
> http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore
> DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
> http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking
>

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