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BCA E-Alert March 2008
Hello! It's time for another installment of Breast Cancer Action's monthly e-alert--a collection of news, notices, and action alerts for people concerned about the breast cancer epidemic.
To view this email online, paste this link into your browser:
http://e2ma.net/map/view=CampaignPublic/id=12538.970920088/rid=e10b02173dd31a273f2ebc3005f9c003
___________________________________
March 2008 Breast Cancer Action E-Alert
Hello! It's time for another installment of Breast Cancer Action's monthly e-alert--a collection of news, notices, and action alerts for people concerned about the breast cancer epidemic. Welcome to any new e-alert members! If you think you've been added by mistake, please follow the directions at the bottom of the email to unsubscribe.
SPREAD THE WORD--if you like this e-alert, please help us by sharing it with your friends and family. Use the "send to a friend" link at the bottom of this email to pass this message on. We will not collect your friends' addresses, but they easily sign up at http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/GetInformed/AlertList.html
WE PUBLISH A SNAIL MAIL NEWSLETTER TOO--We just can't get enough of you...and hope that you can't get enough of us! If you're not already on our mailing list we'd love to send you our bimonthly print newsletter, the BCA Source, filled with information on treatment, diagnosis, politics, and true prevention updates. Check out the archives and subscribe at http://www.bcaction.org/newsletter
INVEST IN BCA'S WORK--With your investment, we will continue to reach ambitious goals and to effect changes that others consider impossible. Individuals like you fund more than half of BCA's annual budget and 75 percent of every dollar raised goes to our programs. Help us end the breast cancer epidemic. Donate today through Network for
Good at https://www.networkforgood.org/donate/MakeDonation2.aspx?ORGID2=943138992
In this issue...
New at BCA
-BCA's 100th Edition of the Source Now Online
In the News
-FDA Gives Avastin Accelerated Approval for Breast Cancer
-FDA Committee to Take Another Look at ESAs
-Long-term Risks of Hormone Therapy Persist After Treatment
-Reports Identify Weaknesses of Federal Chemicals Policy
Take Action
-Tell the FDA What You Think About Drug Ads
-Contribute to Breast Cancer Research this Tax Season
Save the Date
-BCA Presents Writers' Voices, April 3, San Francisco, CA
FAQ of the Month
-What is green chemistry?
-------
NEW AT BCA
Hot Off the Virtual Presses: BCA's 100th Edition of the Source Now Online
This milestone edition of our bimonthly newsletter features a Stanford professor's impressions of this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, a news clip on the questionable benefits of Taxol for women with the most common form of breast cancer, and a look at breast cancer treatments and why it's easier to add drugs than to take them away. Find it at http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=current-newsletter
------
IN THE NEWS
FDA Gives Avastin Accelerated Approval for Breast Cancer
Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Genentech accelerated approval to market its drug Avastin for treatment of metastatic breast cancer, in spite of the fact that last December, its advisory committee recommended denying the application.
BCA has long opposed marketing Avastin for breast cancer because the data have not shown that it improves overall survival or quality of life.
Furthermore, as BCA Executive Director Barbara Brenner explained in a letter to the FDA following the decision, the approval, which was granted based on the results of the E2100 clinical trial, sets a lower standard for future drug approvals.
To read a LA Times article about this issue, visit http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cancer23feb23,0,6676578.story?track=ntothtml
To read BCA's letter to the FDA regarding the approval, visit http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=fda-letter-february-27-2008
FDA Committee to Take Another Look at ESAs
Next week, a FDA advisory committee will discuss the risks of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents(ESAs) for cancer patients. This follows a decision by the FDA in late 2007 to require boxed warnings on ESAs (Epogen, Procrit, and Arenesp) in the
cancer setting, and a recent meta-analysis that demonstrated that ESAs administered to cancer patients indicated increased risk of blood clots and death.
BCA has submitted comments to the committee, demanding that the drugs be removed from the cancer market. In addition to being concerned about the drugs' side effects, BCA says that since data from clinical trials does not indicate that they improve symptoms of anemia, quality of life, fatigue, or patient well-being in the cancer setting, efficacy is as much at issue as safety.
To read BCA's comments to the FDA advisory committee, visit http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=fda-letter-february-27-2008-2
Long-Term Risks of Hormone Therapy Persist after Treatment
Women who take estrogen and progestin hormones are at an increased risk of breast cancer even three years after ending treatment, according to a study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
In the first follow-up study of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored Women's Health Initiative, researchers found that women who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were at greater risk of being diagnosed with all types of cancer after ending treatment, and that overall risks, including stroke and blood clots, remain high.
The FDA recommends that when hormone therapy is used for menopausal symptoms, it should only be taken at the smallest dose and for the shortest time
possible.
To read the JAMA abstract, visit http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/299/9/1036
To read the NIH press release, visit http://www.nih.gov/news/health/mar2008/nhlbi-04.htm
Reports Identify Weaknesses of Federal Chemicals Policy
Three new reports identify the weaknesses of consumer safety standards and offer solutions for more effective chemical policies. The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production in Massachusetts has issued two of the reports. The first, "Presumption of Safety: Limits of Federal Policies on Toxic Substances in Consumer Products," describes why current chemical and safety product regulations may be failing at protecting the public's health. The follow-up report, "Options for State Chemicals Policy Reform," outlines a range of options to help create more effective chemicals policy at the state level. A third report, "Green Chemistry: Cornerstone to a Sustainable California," produced by the University of California, further underscores the need for chemicals policy reform and identifies opportunities for California to adopt green chemistry practices.
To read the reports, visit the following web sites:
Presumption of Safety: http://sustainableproduction.org/news.cpi.consumerproducts.shtml
Options for State Chemicals Policy Reform: http://sustainableproduction.org/news.cpi.optionsreport.shtml
Green Chemistry: http://www.coeh.ucla.edu/greenchemistry.htm
------
TAKE ACTION
Tell the FDA What You Think About Drug Ads
Tired of seeing drug ads that tell you the "good news" about a drug but gloss over its
shortcomings? The FDA is deciding whether TV drug ads should include a toll-free number and web address where consumers can report side effects or other problems. The easier it is for the public to report side effects, the earlier the FDA will be able to detect drug hazards. Consumers Union and other groups have filed a petition with the FDA in support of adding the toll-free number and web address to TV drug ads. Sign the petition at http://www.prescriptionforchange.org and tell the FDA you want to see some useful information in TV drug ads.
Contribute to Breast Cancer Research this Tax Season
If you live in California, you have the opportunity to have an impact on breast cancer research that will affect women everywhere. The California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is a state-funded program that provides funding for breast cancer research in California. Funding from previous years has led to innovative research on environmental exposures, disparities,psychosocial impacts, tumor biology, and more. To contribute, just select the CA Breast Cancer Research Fund (line 55) on your Income Tax Form 540. If you do not live in California, you can donate to the program directly at https://ssl25.chi.us.securedata.net/cbcrp.org/supportcbcrp.asp
To learn more, visit http://www.cbcrp.org
------
SAVE THE DATE
BCA Presents Writers' Voices, April 3, San Francisco, CA
Breast Cancer Action is thrilled to announce its biggest public fundraiser of 2008!
Writers' Voices for Breast Cancer Action features Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael
Chabon, and internationally-recognized authors Peggy Orenstein and Ayelet Waldman, reading excerpts from their current works and discussing BCA's critical role in the effort to end the breast cancer epidemic.
Double Lambda award-winning novelist Jewelle Gomez is Master of Ceremonies for the evening, which begins at 6 p.m., April 3, 2008, at San Francisco's War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. An intimate post-event reception is sponsored by premier San Francisco restaurant, Jardinire.
For tickets and benefit information, visit http://bcaction.org/writersvoices If you live outside the Bay Area, you may participate by making a donation to Writers' Voices and by forwarding this announcement to your friends. All proceeds from the event support BCA. Donate at https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=943138992
------
FAQ OF THE MONTH
What is green chemistry?
Green chemistry is the practice of creating chemicals and products that are safer for human health and the environment. Green chemistry seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals by designing products that will be safer in their creation, use, and disposal. In green chemistry, sustainability is applied to the entire "lifecyle" of a product. This means that consideration goes into how the product is designed, the process by which it is made, its use, and its eventual reuse, recovery, or disposal.
Some of the principles that guide green chemistry include:
-Designing chemicals so that they are safer for human health and the environment
-Favoring the use of renewable resources over nonrenewable resources when possible
-Designing chemicals that will break down into non-toxic substances after their use
-Using energy-efficient processes
-Maximizing the use of re-used materials in new products
-Recycling or otherwise recovering chemicals and materials used in the manufacturing process and the product itself
Given that many products in use today contain chemicals that are known or suspected of causing cancer and other diseases, adopting green chemistry practices now is a step toward eliminating toxic environmental exposures in the future. Creating incentives to spur the growth of green chemistry in the business sector is one of many approaches to building more effective policies around chemicals.
To learn more about green chemistry, visit the following web sites:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/
CA Department of Toxic Substances Control: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/GreenChemistryInitiative/
University of California, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health: http://coeh.berkeley.edu/greenchemistry/
--YOUR INPUT WANTED: Is there a question you want answered, or an issue that you want BCA's opinion on? Send it to info [at] bcaction.org and we'll try to answer it personally or feature it in a future e-alert.
------
That's it for this edition! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about this e-alert.
Thanks for your continued support of BCA. Until next time,
Pauli Ojea
Community Organizer
Our members are the driving force behind our efforts to end the breast
cancer epidemic. Because Breast Cancer Action does not accept funding from the government or the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, we need your support. You can donate online or call 415-243-9301, or toll-free at 877-2STOPBC. All gifts are deeply appreciated. Donate today through Network for Good at https://www.networkforgood.org/donate/MakeDonation2.aspx?ORGID2=943138992
Breast Cancer Action is funded in part by a grant from the California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as an independent, private foundation, TCWF's mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention programs.
Breast Cancer Action
55 New Montgomery St. #323
San Francisco, CA 94105
Toll-free at 877-2STOPBC (278-6722)
http://www.bcaction.org
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org
___________________________________
http://e2ma.net/map/view=CampaignPublic/id=12538.970920088/rid=e10b02173dd31a273f2ebc3005f9c003
___________________________________
March 2008 Breast Cancer Action E-Alert
Hello! It's time for another installment of Breast Cancer Action's monthly e-alert--a collection of news, notices, and action alerts for people concerned about the breast cancer epidemic. Welcome to any new e-alert members! If you think you've been added by mistake, please follow the directions at the bottom of the email to unsubscribe.
SPREAD THE WORD--if you like this e-alert, please help us by sharing it with your friends and family. Use the "send to a friend" link at the bottom of this email to pass this message on. We will not collect your friends' addresses, but they easily sign up at http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/GetInformed/AlertList.html
WE PUBLISH A SNAIL MAIL NEWSLETTER TOO--We just can't get enough of you...and hope that you can't get enough of us! If you're not already on our mailing list we'd love to send you our bimonthly print newsletter, the BCA Source, filled with information on treatment, diagnosis, politics, and true prevention updates. Check out the archives and subscribe at http://www.bcaction.org/newsletter
INVEST IN BCA'S WORK--With your investment, we will continue to reach ambitious goals and to effect changes that others consider impossible. Individuals like you fund more than half of BCA's annual budget and 75 percent of every dollar raised goes to our programs. Help us end the breast cancer epidemic. Donate today through Network for
Good at https://www.networkforgood.org/donate/MakeDonation2.aspx?ORGID2=943138992
In this issue...
New at BCA
-BCA's 100th Edition of the Source Now Online
In the News
-FDA Gives Avastin Accelerated Approval for Breast Cancer
-FDA Committee to Take Another Look at ESAs
-Long-term Risks of Hormone Therapy Persist After Treatment
-Reports Identify Weaknesses of Federal Chemicals Policy
Take Action
-Tell the FDA What You Think About Drug Ads
-Contribute to Breast Cancer Research this Tax Season
Save the Date
-BCA Presents Writers' Voices, April 3, San Francisco, CA
FAQ of the Month
-What is green chemistry?
-------
NEW AT BCA
Hot Off the Virtual Presses: BCA's 100th Edition of the Source Now Online
This milestone edition of our bimonthly newsletter features a Stanford professor's impressions of this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, a news clip on the questionable benefits of Taxol for women with the most common form of breast cancer, and a look at breast cancer treatments and why it's easier to add drugs than to take them away. Find it at http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=current-newsletter
------
IN THE NEWS
FDA Gives Avastin Accelerated Approval for Breast Cancer
Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Genentech accelerated approval to market its drug Avastin for treatment of metastatic breast cancer, in spite of the fact that last December, its advisory committee recommended denying the application.
BCA has long opposed marketing Avastin for breast cancer because the data have not shown that it improves overall survival or quality of life.
Furthermore, as BCA Executive Director Barbara Brenner explained in a letter to the FDA following the decision, the approval, which was granted based on the results of the E2100 clinical trial, sets a lower standard for future drug approvals.
To read a LA Times article about this issue, visit http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cancer23feb23,0,6676578.story?track=ntothtml
To read BCA's letter to the FDA regarding the approval, visit http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=fda-letter-february-27-2008
FDA Committee to Take Another Look at ESAs
Next week, a FDA advisory committee will discuss the risks of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents(ESAs) for cancer patients. This follows a decision by the FDA in late 2007 to require boxed warnings on ESAs (Epogen, Procrit, and Arenesp) in the
cancer setting, and a recent meta-analysis that demonstrated that ESAs administered to cancer patients indicated increased risk of blood clots and death.
BCA has submitted comments to the committee, demanding that the drugs be removed from the cancer market. In addition to being concerned about the drugs' side effects, BCA says that since data from clinical trials does not indicate that they improve symptoms of anemia, quality of life, fatigue, or patient well-being in the cancer setting, efficacy is as much at issue as safety.
To read BCA's comments to the FDA advisory committee, visit http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=fda-letter-february-27-2008-2
Long-Term Risks of Hormone Therapy Persist after Treatment
Women who take estrogen and progestin hormones are at an increased risk of breast cancer even three years after ending treatment, according to a study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
In the first follow-up study of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored Women's Health Initiative, researchers found that women who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were at greater risk of being diagnosed with all types of cancer after ending treatment, and that overall risks, including stroke and blood clots, remain high.
The FDA recommends that when hormone therapy is used for menopausal symptoms, it should only be taken at the smallest dose and for the shortest time
possible.
To read the JAMA abstract, visit http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/299/9/1036
To read the NIH press release, visit http://www.nih.gov/news/health/mar2008/nhlbi-04.htm
Reports Identify Weaknesses of Federal Chemicals Policy
Three new reports identify the weaknesses of consumer safety standards and offer solutions for more effective chemical policies. The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production in Massachusetts has issued two of the reports. The first, "Presumption of Safety: Limits of Federal Policies on Toxic Substances in Consumer Products," describes why current chemical and safety product regulations may be failing at protecting the public's health. The follow-up report, "Options for State Chemicals Policy Reform," outlines a range of options to help create more effective chemicals policy at the state level. A third report, "Green Chemistry: Cornerstone to a Sustainable California," produced by the University of California, further underscores the need for chemicals policy reform and identifies opportunities for California to adopt green chemistry practices.
To read the reports, visit the following web sites:
Presumption of Safety: http://sustainableproduction.org/news.cpi.consumerproducts.shtml
Options for State Chemicals Policy Reform: http://sustainableproduction.org/news.cpi.optionsreport.shtml
Green Chemistry: http://www.coeh.ucla.edu/greenchemistry.htm
------
TAKE ACTION
Tell the FDA What You Think About Drug Ads
Tired of seeing drug ads that tell you the "good news" about a drug but gloss over its
shortcomings? The FDA is deciding whether TV drug ads should include a toll-free number and web address where consumers can report side effects or other problems. The easier it is for the public to report side effects, the earlier the FDA will be able to detect drug hazards. Consumers Union and other groups have filed a petition with the FDA in support of adding the toll-free number and web address to TV drug ads. Sign the petition at http://www.prescriptionforchange.org and tell the FDA you want to see some useful information in TV drug ads.
Contribute to Breast Cancer Research this Tax Season
If you live in California, you have the opportunity to have an impact on breast cancer research that will affect women everywhere. The California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is a state-funded program that provides funding for breast cancer research in California. Funding from previous years has led to innovative research on environmental exposures, disparities,psychosocial impacts, tumor biology, and more. To contribute, just select the CA Breast Cancer Research Fund (line 55) on your Income Tax Form 540. If you do not live in California, you can donate to the program directly at https://ssl25.chi.us.securedata.net/cbcrp.org/supportcbcrp.asp
To learn more, visit http://www.cbcrp.org
------
SAVE THE DATE
BCA Presents Writers' Voices, April 3, San Francisco, CA
Breast Cancer Action is thrilled to announce its biggest public fundraiser of 2008!
Writers' Voices for Breast Cancer Action features Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael
Chabon, and internationally-recognized authors Peggy Orenstein and Ayelet Waldman, reading excerpts from their current works and discussing BCA's critical role in the effort to end the breast cancer epidemic.
Double Lambda award-winning novelist Jewelle Gomez is Master of Ceremonies for the evening, which begins at 6 p.m., April 3, 2008, at San Francisco's War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. An intimate post-event reception is sponsored by premier San Francisco restaurant, Jardinire.
For tickets and benefit information, visit http://bcaction.org/writersvoices If you live outside the Bay Area, you may participate by making a donation to Writers' Voices and by forwarding this announcement to your friends. All proceeds from the event support BCA. Donate at https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=943138992
------
FAQ OF THE MONTH
What is green chemistry?
Green chemistry is the practice of creating chemicals and products that are safer for human health and the environment. Green chemistry seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals by designing products that will be safer in their creation, use, and disposal. In green chemistry, sustainability is applied to the entire "lifecyle" of a product. This means that consideration goes into how the product is designed, the process by which it is made, its use, and its eventual reuse, recovery, or disposal.
Some of the principles that guide green chemistry include:
-Designing chemicals so that they are safer for human health and the environment
-Favoring the use of renewable resources over nonrenewable resources when possible
-Designing chemicals that will break down into non-toxic substances after their use
-Using energy-efficient processes
-Maximizing the use of re-used materials in new products
-Recycling or otherwise recovering chemicals and materials used in the manufacturing process and the product itself
Given that many products in use today contain chemicals that are known or suspected of causing cancer and other diseases, adopting green chemistry practices now is a step toward eliminating toxic environmental exposures in the future. Creating incentives to spur the growth of green chemistry in the business sector is one of many approaches to building more effective policies around chemicals.
To learn more about green chemistry, visit the following web sites:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/
CA Department of Toxic Substances Control: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/GreenChemistryInitiative/
University of California, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health: http://coeh.berkeley.edu/greenchemistry/
--YOUR INPUT WANTED: Is there a question you want answered, or an issue that you want BCA's opinion on? Send it to info [at] bcaction.org and we'll try to answer it personally or feature it in a future e-alert.
------
That's it for this edition! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about this e-alert.
Thanks for your continued support of BCA. Until next time,
Pauli Ojea
Community Organizer
Our members are the driving force behind our efforts to end the breast
cancer epidemic. Because Breast Cancer Action does not accept funding from the government or the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, we need your support. You can donate online or call 415-243-9301, or toll-free at 877-2STOPBC. All gifts are deeply appreciated. Donate today through Network for Good at https://www.networkforgood.org/donate/MakeDonation2.aspx?ORGID2=943138992
Breast Cancer Action is funded in part by a grant from the California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as an independent, private foundation, TCWF's mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention programs.
Breast Cancer Action
55 New Montgomery St. #323
San Francisco, CA 94105
Toll-free at 877-2STOPBC (278-6722)
http://www.bcaction.org
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org
___________________________________
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