WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22 — A new study suggests that people with advanced colon cancer who have a particular gene mutation won’t benefit from the medication cetuximab (Erbitux).
While the drug can add months to the lives of people without a mutation in a gene called K-ras, those who have the mutation won’t see any benefit from this additional therapy, reports the study, which is published in the Oct. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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January 13th, 2009 | Posted in Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, News | Tags: cancer, Certain, Colon, Drug, Gene, Help, Mutation, Those, with, Wont
Debbie and Larry Ward of Jefferson, Md., each get $75 from Debbie’s company when they go for their annual physicals. Arlington County police officer Darrin Cassedy received a two-night hotel stay in Florida and an MP3 player from his employer for losing weight and exercising. Sandy Colaccino of Silver Spring has access to free primary and urgent care at her job, a resource that she believes saved her from serious illness.
“A lot of people are shocked,” says Debbie Ward, 51, that her employer, Herndon-based construction materials company Lafarge North America, hands out gift cards when employees or family members get physicals and cancer screenings or fill in detailed questionnaires about their health. The Wards have earned more than $400 in health-related rewards and will receive enough financial incentives in the coming year to make up for the $14-a-month premium hike they’ll face from their Aetna PPO. “I’m very happy with my benefits,” Ward says.
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January 12th, 2009 | Posted in News | Tags: firms, offer, Payouts, Those, work