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Arizona ADAP Cuts Number Of Medications Covered Under Program
The Arizona AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) has reduced the number of medications it will cover - antiretrovirals and drugs that treat opportunistic infections will not be affected, the Arizona Daily Star reports. The program relies heavily on federal funding. Judy Norton, chief of the state"s Office of HIV, STD and Hepatitis C Services, said the state received $2.3 million less than what it requested from the federal government, requiring the program to make cuts. According to the Daily Star, federal ADAP funds are "drying up as drug costs rise and as more" people living with HIV/AIDS are enrolling in the program. The Arizona ADAP has been serving about 1,100 patients statewide, although the number has gone up in recent months, Laura Oxley, Arizona Department of Health Services spokesperson, said. A letter explaining the changes to the program was sent to clients and providers earlier this week (Innes, Arizona Daily Star, 6/11).

Too Early To Say If Screening Cuts Colon Cancer Deaths, Say Researchers
With more than 500,000 deaths each year, colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of deaths from cancer worldwide. Yet, despite a lack of evidence from randomised trials, many countries have launched large-scale colonoscopy screening programmes for the general population.
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Metatastic Breast Cancer - New Dosing Schedule Suggests Potential Amplified Clinical Activity Of Novel KSP Inhibitor
Cytokinetics, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CYTK) announced that a
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Caucasians Are At Higher Risk Of Developing Ewing's Sarcoma Than Other Races

The largest analysis of its kind has found that Caucasians are much more likely than people in other racial/ethnic groups to develop a rare bone and soft tissue cancer called Ewing"s sarcoma. In addition, among Caucasians with this cancer, men are more likely to die than women. Published in the August 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that examining the gender and racial differences related to Ewing"s sarcoma could provide a better understanding of the disease and could lead to improved treatments for patients. Ewing"s sarcoma has historically been a difficult cancer to treat, but evolving strategies with various chemotherapy drugs, surgery, and radiation have improved survival. Limited studies have identified risk factors for the disease, although it is clear that there are racial differences in incidence. Patients of various races also differ in how they are affected by the disease and how they respond to treatment. However, no reports from population-based cancer registries have verified these observations and no studies have addressed the potential impact of race on patients" health after they are diagnosed. To get a better sense of racial differences in a large population of patients with Ewing"s sarcoma, researchers led by Dr. Sean Scully of the University of Miami analyzed patient information from the National Cancer Institute"s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, the largest for cancer statistics in the United States. They identified individuals diagnosed with Ewing"s sarcoma from 1973 to 2005 and analyzed various patient- and cancer-related characteristics. The investigators found that Caucasians had the highest incidence of Ewing"s sarcoma (155 cases per 100,000), followed by Asians/Pacific Islanders (82 cases per 100,000) and African Americans (17 cases per 100,000). Those rates indicate that Caucasians are nine times as likely to be diagnosed with the disease than African -Americans. In addition, the incidence of Ewing"s sarcoma has increased significantly over the past three decades in Caucasians. While the analysis identified large differences in incidence rates among races, survival rates were similar. Finally, among Caucasians - but not among other races - women had a much higher likelihood of survival than their male counterparts. The reasons for these racial and gender differences are not clear. However, "the current study constitutes a significant step towards identification of independent demographic and clinical factors associated with improved survival and clarifies some of the associated controversies in incidence patterns that could impact on the treatment of Ewing"s sarcoma," the authors wrote. Additional studies are needed to uncover the causes for racial disparities in incidence and for gender differences in survival. Notes> Article: "Ewing"s sarcoma demonstrates racial disparities in incidence and gender related difference in outcome: An analysis of 1631 cases from the SEER database (1973-2005)." Muhammad Umar Jawad, Michael C. Cheung, Elijah S. Min, Michaela M. Schneiderbauer, Leonidas G. Koniaris, and Sean P. Scully. Published Online: June 22 2009 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24388); Print Issue Date: August 01, 2009. The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Free abstracts of these articles will be available via the CANCER News Room upon online publication. Claire Greenwell American Cancer Society


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