In results from a widely watched clinical trial, Genentech's Avastin failed to show a significant effect on preventing the occurence of colon cancer, the New York Times reported.

This is the third finding in the past five weeks showing that commonly-believed and oft-practiced cancer treatments and screening processes are actually not beneficial, and in some cases harmful, to cancer patients.

Genentech and its sister company, Roche, did not release any of the specific data from the clinical trial on account that full data will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in late May.

The trial had 2,700 patients who received six months of the standard chemotherapy or six months of the standard chemotherapy plus Avastin. The trial studied how many patients were alive and cancer free after a period of time.

Although Avastin is already a best-selling cancer drug, a successful trial could have paved way for a new use of the drug.

Clinical trials are obviously an important step in understanding the best uses of a drug. However, pharmaceutical companies must ensure that clinical trials are accurate so that the use of a drug is evidence-backed before it becomes a billion dollar drug.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/health/23avastin.html?ref=health

In all the old movies and sitcoms we tend to see someone peddling or selling the miracle drug; that tiny little pill that can make all of your pains and problems go away (or at least ease up a bit since usually those pills were nothing more than alcohol-laden sugar pills) and didn't cost all that much.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, pills and capsules are the newest rage in cancer treatment, expected to account for 25 percent of all cancer medicines in a few years.

While these wonder pills do indeed sound wonderful, considering they could replace expensive and harsh chemotherapy, they come with a tiny glitch: Most insurance companies won't pay for them.

Stated the article: "With oral cancer drugs, “the technology has outstripped the ability of society to integrate it into the mainstream in a smooth fashion,” said Carlton Sedberry, a pharmacy expert at Medical Marketing Economics, a consulting firm."

This is a classic case of technology outrunning the current standards and protocols that hospitals, physicans, patients and payers are used to following. However, with the right research and knowledge of up-to-date practices, new technologies in medicine -- such as the use of 'cancer pills' -- can become standard in practice. An independent review organization like AllMed can help you, whether you're a payer, hospital, physician or patient, know what's the most up-to-date protocol in healthcare.

To read the full article in the New York Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/15pill.html?_r=1&ref=health