Saturday, July 17, 2010

Whoops, there it goes again

Avastin which was being used to treat breast cancer, as well as lung and other cancers, is now proven not to work for breast cancer. Helloooo!!! Tap, tap, tap on the microphone! Human beings not enrolled in clinical trials are not guinea pigs. If you enroll in a clinical trial you are agreeing to be a guinea pig for this portion of your treatment. But the general public does not agree to this just by filling a prescription. We are making some sort of assumption that the medication will do what its supposed to (and not have too many nasty side effects). So another little 'whoopsie' in the pharmaceutical world that has bigger effects.

If you were some one who was told take this and it will prevent breast cancer from coming back, you felt nice and warm and fuzzy that they were doing something and this little magic pill would protect you. But then 'whoopsie, sorry it doesn't work, you weren't protected'. Another unwanted jolt on the cancer roller coaster, thankyouverymuch (NOT!).

I am not on Avastin (which is just as well since it didn't work anyway) but I am sure there are millions who are. And I believe the sales from Avastin last year were reported to be in the billions - I'm not sure what portion of the sales were for breast cancer - but someone is getting rich on unsuspecting human guinea pigs.

Now today I am going to take it easy - yes, I promise I will. Yesterday I stupidly attempted to be a normal person and plan a full day - walk, work from home, meet a friend for lunch, a little shopping (and estate sales where I scored a turkey roasting pan for $2), work at the office and then home where I collapsed on the couch and convinced my husband to cook dinner. This morning my right SI joint is extremely painful so I am taking my drugs and taking it easy (which is simple to do when the pain pills put you in a daze). I will take a walk and pick up a prescription and a quick stop at the hardware store on the way home and then be amazingly unproductive for the rest of the day.

1 comment:

linda said...

I'm glad you take care of yourself after over doing.

Someone once told me that there's a reason doctors say they practice medicine.

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