Tuesday , October 15 2024

InterCommunity Cancer Centers and Institute Offers Xofigo For Advanced Prostate Cancer

FDA-Approved Drug May Extend Lives of Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures, 2013, approximately 238,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 29,700 will die from the disease, often from cancer that has spread to the bones. Researchers say many patients who have castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone tumors are often not candidates for chemotherapy because they are not physically able to tolerate it.
In its continued efforts to provide the most advanced treatments for local cancer patients, InterCommunity Cancer Centers and Institute (ICCC/ICCI) is excited to announce that it is now offering Xofigo, a new FDA-approved targeted radiation treatment for advanced prostate cancer that is hormone-therapy resistant.
Developed by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Xofigo (pronounced zo-feeg-oh), is an intravenous injection of radium 223. Because of its radioactive properties, it is effective in the treatment of prostate cancer that has become resistant to medical or surgical treatments, clinically referred to as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Xofigo mimics calcium and binds to parts of the bone that are healing. Because the radiation is targeted to the bone tumors, damage to other tissue, including bone marrow, is minimized. Xofigo was recently approved by the FDA in May 2013 for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer that has spread to the bones, but no other organs. The drug is given intravenously once a month for six months. The most common adverse reactions are nausea, diarrhea, and lower frequency of vomiting and swelling of the limbs.
“This is the first treatment in many years that has been shown to increase survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer, and has fewer major side effects than traditional chemotherapy medications,” says Dr. Alison Calkins, radiation oncologist at ICCC/ICCI.
In the clinical trial that led to FDA approval, Xofigo was compared to a placebo infusion in patients with prostate cancer with bone pain secondary to metastatic disease and whose cancers were progressing despite depletion of serum testosterone (castrate resistant prostate cancer). The clinical trial showed that Xofigo had significant activity in reducing bone pain and showed that patients who received Xofigo had prolonged survival compared to patients who received the placebo.
“With more and more options available for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, the prognosis of patients is much better than it was just a few years ago,” adds Dr. Calkins.
THE EXPERIENCE OF INTERCOMMUNITY CANCER CENTERS
ICCC has 25 years of cancer-fighting experience having treated over 10,000 patients. They are dedicated to empowering patients to have the confidence they need to change their lives. Radiation Oncologists Drs. Hal Jacobson, Herman Flink, Maureen Holasek and Alison Calkins bring exceptional expertise in treating breast, lung, prostate, gynecologic, skin and other cancers.
As part of a larger, nation-wide oncology group of physicians and specialists under Vantage Oncology, the oncologists at ICCC have access to aggregated clinical information and best practices from the treatment of more than 1,000 patients per day, enabling them to develop highly-effective and peer-collaborated treatments. This gives many of the centers that work with Vantage, including ICCC, the  ability to offer university-quality treatment services in smaller and more rural areas. It gives local communities exceptional services closer to home and in a non-hospital setting. To learn more, please visit www.ICCCVantage.com.
ABOUT VANTAGE ONCOLOGY
Vantage Oncology offers a complete development, implementation and management solution for radiation oncology practices. It provides ownership opportunities that empower physicians to maintain control of their practice while leveraging the strength of the company’s network and clinical resources. A multi-disciplinary team is committed to continuously raising the standards of cancer care. For more information, please visit www.VantageOncology.com.
For more information about Xofigo, please visit www.ICCCVantage.com.

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