Caution Urged in Prescribing Rituximab

Mainstay of lymphoma treatment has been linked to a swiftly moving and often fatal viral brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis (PML) that attacks the brain's white matter. Rituximab (Brand name Rituxan) is the most important and widely used cancer drug for lymphoma. It is also approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is widely used off-label to treat multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosus and autoimmune anemias.

One of the other two drugs, Raptiva, was taken off the market in April of this year because of the PML risk. The other drug, Tysabri, was removed from the market for 1½ years because of similar concerns. Read more about the study Published in BLOOD here .  

Healthcare Reform - GOP Style

Republicans unveiled their healthcare reform plan this week. Titled "The Patients' Choice Act of 2009", the proposal contains no individual mandate, but offers tax incentives for families and individuals to help pay for coverage. It relies heavily on private means to close the coverage gap that has left millions of Americans with no health coverage and millions more with not enough coverage if faving a catastrophic illness like cancer.  Read the summary posted by Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, one of the bill's sponsors at the link above.

To follow the healthcare reform debate from all angles - the Kaiser Family Foundation keeps a close eye on reform efforts. You can follow developments and the debate here. At this write, the latest GOP proposal has not been added to the side-by-side comparison tool.

 --- Diagnosed a year ago with a brain tumor, Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy's cancer is reportedly in remission and, according to The Hill newsapaper, he'll return to Washignton after the Memorial Day recess to shepard healthcare reform through the Senate.

Ultimate Survivor

Ethan Zohn won the million dollars when he outwitted, outlasted and outsurvived everyone else in 3rd season of the CBS TV show Survivor Africa - but now he faces a new challenge.. what he calls the "Ultimate game of Survivor" - cancer. He was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in April and began chemo last week. Read an update from People magazine, here.  Another story is available here.