From: obrien@scs.unt.edu (Alexander Obrien (CSAG 2765))
Newsgroups: alt.support.cancer
Subject: Now easier to get TAXOL (Forwarded)
Keywords: taxol, cancer, ovarian, nci
Date: 30 Sep 92 18:59:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: School of Community Service, UNT

Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 14:35:30 -0400
From: CancerNet <cancernet@icicb.nci.nih.gov>
To: OBRIEN@scs.unt.edu

Taxol Becomes More Available for Ovarian Cancer (10/92)

The following press release concerning the availability of taxol
was released by the NCI Press Office on September 22, 1992.

More Cancer Patients To Receive Taxol

The experimental anti-cancer drug Taxol will soon become more
widely available to women who have ovarian cancer that has
progressed in spite of standard treatment, the National Cancer
Institute (NCI) announced today.

Oncologists can now apply to the Institute to receive supplies of
Taxol and a protocol, or plan for administering the drug.  This
expanded access reflects increased supplies of Taxol, indications
in ongoing clinical trials of its effectiveness in treating
ovarian cancer, and improved understanding of how to manage the
drug's side effects.

Ovarian cancer is diagnosed in 21,000 women each year in the
United States and claims 13,000 lives.  Although most patients
with the disease initially respond to chemotherapy, the cancer
often recurs within a few years.

The Food and Drug Administration recently classified Taxol as
"Group C" for refractory (unresponsive to conventional therapy)
ovarian cancer.  This designation means that patients with
refractory ovarian cancer who are covered by Medicare will be
reimbursed for costs related to the administration of Taxol. 
Although other health insurers are not required to follow
Medicare's lead, many are likely to do so.  NCI and its Taxol
development partner, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, currently
supply Taxol itself without charge under the Group C program.

In October 1991, NCI established a Treatment Referral Center
program to coordinate distribution of Taxol, through 39 NCI-
designated cancer centers, to women who had advanced ovarian
cancer but were not eligible for existing clinical trials.  To
enroll in the Treatment Referral Center program, patients
originally were required to have ovarian cancer that had
progressed despite treatment with three standard chemotherapy
regimens, at least one of which included a platinum-containing
drug such as cisplatin.  Currently, patients in the program are
                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
required to have undergone only _two_ previous chemotherapy
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
regimens, including one with a platinum-containing drug.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Clinical trials have confirmed that Taxol can shrink tumors by at
least one half in 20 to 30 percent of patients with refractory
ovarian cancer.  The median duration of these responses has been
about four months.  Results from trials also suggest that Taxol
could play a role in treating several other types of cancer,
possibly including advanced breast cancer.

Within the next few weeks, NCI expects to expand its Treatment
Referral Center program to include patients with advanced,
refractory breast cancer.  This step will enable these patients
to receive Taxol through a system based on the NCI-designated
cancer centers.

[UNINTERESTING STUFF DELETED]

Oncologists who are interested in obtaining Taxol for patients
with advanced ovarian cancer can contact NCI's Treatment Referral
Center at 301-496-5725.

For additional information about cancer, write to the Office of
Cancer Communications, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
20892, or call the toll-free telephone number of the Cancer
Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.  Spanish-speaking staff
members are available.
Newsgroups: alt.support.cancer