| The recent announcement by Elizabeth
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| | strengthen bone, are not very effective
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| Edwards, the wife of Democratic
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| | at controlling pain. External beam
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| presidential candidate John Edwards, that
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| | radiation, while effective, can only
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| her breast cancer has recurred and spread
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| | target a few painful lesions at a time.
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| to her bones, is not something that any
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| | Another class of drugs used to treat
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| cancer survivor or caregiver ever wants
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| | cancer-related bone pain is
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| to hear. Fortunately, Ms. Edwards and
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| | radiopharmaceuticals.
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| thousands of women fighting recurrent
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| | Radiopharmaceuticals are drugs that
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| breast cancer now have a greater range of
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| | combine a radionuclide (radiation) with a
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| options to battle the disease and its
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| | pharmaceutical. Studies have shown that
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| many negative effects, especially pain.
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| | most patients with a positive bone scan
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| Pain affects most people with cancer as
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| | who are suffering from pain can
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| the disease progresses. One of the most
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| | experience relief lasting for months
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| common causes of pain in advanced cancer
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| | following a single injection with a
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| is bone metastases (cancer that has
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| | radiopharmaceutical.
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| spread to the bone). Bone metastases
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| | In the past, radiopharmaceuticals for
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| occur in an estimated 65-75 percent of
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| | bone pain have been underutilized due to
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| patients with breast or prostate cancer
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| | concerns over myelosuppression (a drop in
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| and in 70-95 percent of patients with
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| | a patient's white blood cell, red blood
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| multiple myeloma (cancer that begins in
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| | cell and/or platelet counts), and the
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| the blood). As cancer progresses, bone
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| | belief that repeat doses of these
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| pain caused by metastases often increases
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| | treatments cannot be given.
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| in intensity.
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| | According to new research, however, one
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| Fortunately, there are a number of
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| | of these agents, called Quadramet(r)
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| treatment options available for bone
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| | (samarium SM 153 lexidronam injection),
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| pain. Potential treatments include opioid
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| | may be more useful than previously
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| analgesics, which are prescription
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| | thought.
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| narcotic pain medicines; a class of drugs
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| | "Quadramet can provide very long-lasting
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| called bisphosphonates, used to help
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| | pain relief for people with cancer
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| strengthen bone and slow the progression
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| | suffering from bone pain," said Dr.
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| of bone metastases; and external beam
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| | Oliver Sartor, M.D. from Dana-Farber
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| radiation, where physicians target a beam
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| | Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School,
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| of radiation directly at painful bone
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| | Boston, Massachusetts. "We've also found
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| lesions.
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| | that multiple doses of Quadramet can be
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| All these options can be effective but
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| | given over time, and pain relief with
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| have downsides, too. For example,
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| | each treatment seems to be similar to
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| increasing doses of opioid analgesics is
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| | what patients experience after their
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| usually necessary to control increasing
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| | first dose," he added.
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| pain. As doses increase, so do side
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| | With cancer patients now living longer
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| effects like excessive sleepiness, nausea
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| | than ever before, this is good news for
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| and breathing difficulties.
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| | those suffering from bone pain, and their
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| Bisphosphonates, while helping to
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| | doctors.
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