Health Highlights: Dec. 27, 2007

Avastin (bevacizumab), a drug that inhibits the growth of blood vessels that supply tumors, slows the progression of metastatic breast cancer and prolongs survival, researchers wrote in the Dec. 27 issue of theNew England Journal of Medicine.

Their study of 722 women with recurrent breast cancer found that women who took Avastin combined with standard chemotherapy had progression-free survival of 11.3 months, compared to 6 months on standard chemotherapy alone.

"This therapy is a one-two punch! You hit the tumor with the chemo and sabotage new blood vessel growth by restricting its oxygen supply with Avastin," Dr. Melody Cobleigh, a study co-author and director of the Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center at Rush University, said in a statement.

Avastin not only slowed the growth of tumors, it also doubled the remission rate -- the shrinkage of tumors by 50 percent or more, the statement said.

About 178,000 women will be diagnosed in the United States this year with breast cancer, and an estimated 40,000 will die from the disease, the American Cancer Society says.

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New Drug Treats Blood Loss From Surgery

Voluven was approved Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent and treat significant loss of blood from surgery.

The intravenous solution, containing a synthetic starch that does not dissolve in water, expands the volume of blood plasma. This helps draw the blood into the small vessels called capillaries, preventing the potentially fatal cases of shock that can result from a massive loss of blood, the agency said in a statement.

In clinical testing, Voluven proved as safe and effective as other so-called "blood volume expanders" such as Hespan.

Voluven (6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 in 0.9% sodium chloride injection) is produced by the German firm Fresenius Kabi.

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