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Spotlight on bladder cancer
I have mixed feelings about CURE Magazine. I think that sometimes the articles leave a lot out and I REALLY find some of the ads offensive. However, the editorial content is stated to be free of any advertising influence, and it is free to cancer patients.
That said, the issue that arrived in my mailbox today is dedicated to genitourinary cancers. It is about time!!
Here is an interesting article on the latest in treatments for stage 4 bladder cancer:
http://www.curetoday.com/publications/cure/2017/GU-2017/check-please-checkpoint-inhibitors-show-promise-in-bladder-cancerAnd, from their web site another recent summary
http://www.curetoday.com/articles/the-basics-behind-bladder-cancer-treatment-gainsNo where, it should be noted, it the COST of these treatments mentioned!!
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
Forum Moderator1 Reply-
Sara Anne,
I allow articles in CURE the same consideration as any other popular press medical article – little to none. Such articles are taken as a call to find and read the underlying journal articles.
“Check Please” was the second urothelial cancer article CURE ran in a year, the first being in September 2016, titled “Rags to Riches”, both by frequent author Arlene Weintraub.
The underlying report, “Pembrolizumab as Second-Line Therapy for Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma” is at:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1613683#t=articleDiscussionMy biggest dislikes for popular press medical articles is the failure to disclose financial interests of the Author/doctors and the frequent skewed conclusions. In this case, the NEJM report notes support by Merck for TWO of the author/doctors quoted in “Check Please”; the doctors are Dr. Dean Bajorin and Dr. J Bellmunt.
As I read it, “Check Please” seems intended to promote Keytruda over competing products. Favorable outcomes are personalized with photos and praise while serious limitations are softly disposed of in blocks of dense text.
The New England Journal of Medicine article presents a more realistic, if sobering, picture of the potential of Keytruda. Understandably, we all want the outcome of the featured patients in “Check Please”.
We can always hope a new treatment will provide spectacular outcomes, but we should not be (mis)lead to expect that they will.
We agree about the mixed feelings.
Best,
Jack
6/2015 HG Papillary & CIS
3 Years and 30 BCG/BCG+Inf
Tis CIS comes back.
BC clear as of 5/17 !
RCC found in my one & only kidney 10/17
Begin Chemo; Cisplatin and Gemzar
8/18 begin Chemo# 3
Begin year 4 with cis
2/19 Chemo #4
9/19 NED again :)
1/2020 CIS is back
Tried Keytruda, stopped by side effects
Workin on a new plan for 2021Sign In to reply.
