May 3, 2002

In This Issue: 
Risk In New Drugs, Prostate Surgery, Genes To Drugs, Medicare May Cover Oral Cancer Drugs, A Mother's Story, Assistance With Insurance Reimbursement, and "Joe Chemo"

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THE LATEST NEWS
Serious Toxicities in New Drugs Recognized After FDA Approval

Nerve-Sparing Prostatectomy Recommended

Human Genome Sciences Wins OK to Test Cancer Drug

Breath Tests Detecting Ulcers Can Prevent Stomach Cancers
http://cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=4251&Counter=25

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LEGISLATION COULD EXTEND MEDICARE COVERAGE TO ORAL CANCER DRUGS
At this time, Medicare only covers prescription drugs, including cancer injection or infusion treatments, administered in hospitals or doctors' offices. Federal legislation, sponsored by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), would offer coverage to Medicare beneficiaries for oral cancer drugs which may be taken by out-patients, including tamoxifen for breast cancer and Gleevec for some forms of leukemia and gastrointestinal tumors. 
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=10864

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MOTHER INSPIRED BY SON'S CANCER STRUGGLE
See the remarkable story about a child with cancer who inspired others, including his mother. She wrote the story about her 6-year old with neuroblastoma: "He has inspired me to go back to school to become a nurse and to help the hurting, as John always did. Obstacles are no longer barriers in my way, just temporary setbacks until I find some way to overcome them. Each day is a chance to make someone's life a little better and mine a little fuller. Thank you, John, for the lessons I learned." See the full story in the cancerpage section on Stories and Experiences, then write your own story of inspiration and hope. http://cancerpage.com/stories/

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PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ASSIST WITH INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS
The Association of Community Cancer Centers offers a list of pharmaceutical companies that help professionals and patients obtain insurance payments for cancer-related drugs. The "reimbursement hotlines" help doctor's offices with proper coding for public and private insurance plans and may offer alternatives, if any, when payment has been denied. The list includes descriptions of how their services work, hotline numbers, and information about some companies who give free cancer drugs to low-income patients without insurance. 
http://www.accc-cancer.org/publications/hotlines.asp

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THE 'JOE CHEMO' ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN
Joe Chemo, satirizing now retired Joe Camel from tobacco ads, may seem like a joke, but there's nothing funny this anti-smoking campaign. This web site is dedicated to patients with smoking-related cancers and others concerned about smoking, in the hope that it will reduce the number of people who smoke cigarettes and have to suffer through chemotherapy. On the JoeChemo.org site you can send an e-card by clicking on one of the 'postcards' and filling in some information. There are also tips for quitting, links for teens, researchers, educators, and advocates, so anyone can organize their own campaign. http://www.joechemo.org/index.html

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ADVOCATES AND FEDS TO RELEASE SCHOOL GUIDELINES ON SKIN CANCER
The American Cancer Society, National Melanoma Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to release new guidelines for schools later today as part of Melanoma Awareness Month. The guidelines are directed at students in order to help prevent skin cancers, because sunburns even at a young age can increase risk. Melanoma is the fastest growing We will post the report as soon as we receive it. http://cancerpage.com/news/