Julie Grabow, an oncologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, recently prescribed an exciting new therapy for a 60-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer — Afinitor made by Novartis. There was a catch, though. Novartis is charging $10,000 per month for the drug
Next month, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center offers its annual “Science for Life” series in which the center’s top researchers will explain the latest science in a fun and informal atmosphere.
Teens and young adults with cancer talk about their experiences with the disease – from treatments and hair loss, to dealing with school, friends and family.
How doctors die (Hint: Not like the rest of us). Can vaccines end cancer? Newt Gingrich’s health-care heresies. Should your doctor take money from drug companies? — This week’s top stories.
So far this year, shortages of 200 drugs — treatments for conditions ranging from cancer to high blood pressure — have been reported. How many patients have been affected? Try 550,000 cancer patients alone for the year that ended June 30.
The European Union has prohibited the use of X-ray body scanners in European airports, parting ways with the U.S., which has deployed hundreds of the scanners as a way to screen airline passengers for explosives hidden under clothing.
The Transportation Security Administration will conduct a new study of X-ray body scanners after in response to concerns about the technology’s safety.
Findings from the first large clinical trial of its kind indicate that taking high doses of aspirin daily for at least 2 years substantially reduces the risk of colorectal cancer among people at increased risk of the disease.
When researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center examined bankruptcy rates in Washington state and compared them with a registry of 232,000 cancer patients, they found that five years after diagnosis cancer patients were four times more likely to declare bankruptcy than the general population.
Cancer often takes a heavy toll not only on people’s bodies but on their finances as well. And just as some types of cancer are more deadly than others, some types cause more financial pain,
Mammography done yearly or every two years to detect new or recurrent tumors after surgery appears to prolong the lives of breast cancer survivors, according to a large new evidence review.
Matthew Zachary, a brain cancer survivor, founded the I’m Too Young For This Foundation to help young adults with cancer and survivors of childhood cancers.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
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