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Rich66 · 02-07-2009, 03:36 PM

WVU Helping to Develop Cancer Cream
Posted Friday, February 6, 2009 ; 10:47 PM
Updated Friday, February 6, 2009 ; 11:46 PM

Watch Story VideoOintment relieves painful side effects of cancer treatment
Story by Susan Sullivan
Email | Bio | Other Stories by Susan Sullivan

MORGANTOWN -- Patients who suffer from certain cancers can take the drug Xeloda. Unfortunately, this treatment comes with a fifty percent chance that they'll experience pain, swelling, redness, and cracked skin on their hands and feet.
A West Virginia University doctor is working to remedy that problem and lessen the pain for those cancer patients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Dr. William Petros, at the WVU Cancer Center, the go-ahead to test an ointment developed to prevent hand-foot syndrome, a painful reaction to one of the most widely used cancer treatments in the world.
"Starts out as a redness, tingling, advances to pain, sometimes can start blistering and cause real problems and limit their functions," explained Petros.
Petros says that research has been going on for about a year, and his lab's job, which began in January, is to find out how much of the Vaseline-based ointment to administer. Subjects test the ointment at home. They receive two tubes, one for their right hand and one for the left. Patients don't know which one is the placebo and which is the real thing. They use the ointment, while taking Xeloda, for two weeks, then come in for a hand and foot assessment and blood test.
This will help researchers determine a proper dosage.
"Optimistically, we would like to see that this drug prevents the hand-foot syndrome from occurring in our patients so they would have less pain and we'd be able to give them full dose of the anti-cancer drug," he said.
Petros says he is delighted to provide this service to cancer patients.
"It's a very exciting area of research," he said, "And we really hope to make an impact on patient care that way." Although Petros says the results of this clinical trial won't be known for several months, he is excited at the prospect of bringing relief to cancer patients. Related Links:
WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center
http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/mbrcc/

Copyright 2009 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

02-07-2009, 03:36 PM	#9
Rich66 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South East Wisconsin Posts: 3,431	WVU Helping to Develop Cancer Cream Posted Friday, February 6, 2009 ; 10:47 PM Updated Friday, February 6, 2009 ; 11:46 PM Watch Story VideoOintment relieves painful side effects of cancer treatment Story by Susan Sullivan Email \| Bio \| Other Stories by Susan Sullivan MORGANTOWN -- Patients who suffer from certain cancers can take the drug Xeloda. Unfortunately, this treatment comes with a fifty percent chance that they'll experience pain, swelling, redness, and cracked skin on their hands and feet. A West Virginia University doctor is working to remedy that problem and lessen the pain for those cancer patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Dr. William Petros, at the WVU Cancer Center, the go-ahead to test an ointment developed to prevent hand-foot syndrome, a painful reaction to one of the most widely used cancer treatments in the world. "Starts out as a redness, tingling, advances to pain, sometimes can start blistering and cause real problems and limit their functions," explained Petros. Petros says that research has been going on for about a year, and his lab's job, which began in January, is to find out how much of the Vaseline-based ointment to administer. Subjects test the ointment at home. They receive two tubes, one for their right hand and one for the left. Patients don't know which one is the placebo and which is the real thing. They use the ointment, while taking Xeloda, for two weeks, then come in for a hand and foot assessment and blood test. This will help researchers determine a proper dosage. "Optimistically, we would like to see that this drug prevents the hand-foot syndrome from occurring in our patients so they would have less pain and we'd be able to give them full dose of the anti-cancer drug," he said. Petros says he is delighted to provide this service to cancer patients. "It's a very exciting area of research," he said, "And we really hope to make an impact on patient care that way." Although Petros says the results of this clinical trial won't be known for several months, he is excited at the prospect of bringing relief to cancer patients. Related Links: WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/mbrcc/ Copyright 2009 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.