Illinois CancerCare, P.C. Introduces Xofigo in Treatment of Prostate Cancer
Peoria, IL (PRWEB) July 05, 2013 -- Illinois CancerCare, P.C. announced today the introduction of Xofigo® (radium Ra 223 dichloride) in their treatment of certain men with advanced prostate cancer. The drug, which was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is intended for men whose cancer has spread (metastasized) only to their bones and who have already received treatment to lower testosterone.
"This is a fantastic addition in our treatment of advanced-stage prostate cancer. Xofigo specifically targets cancer cells in the bone, creating fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy medications," states Dr. Knost. The most common side effects seen in the clinical trials for Xofigo were nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and swelling. A course of treatment is also only 6 injections that are 4 weeks apart, reducing the duration of treatment needed. "Additionally, it was found that patients taking Xofigo lived 3.6 months longer than patients on standard treatment in the clinical trial. This medication is not only a safer option, but also has the potential to prolong the lives of men with prostate cancer."
Illinois CancerCare has begun to treat a number of prostate cancer patients with Xofigo.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer remains the leading cancer type among men outside of skin cancer, and about one man in every six will develop the illness during his lifetime. Caught early, it is often curable. About 239,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed among American men each year, and nearly 30,000 men die from the disease annually.
About Illinois CancerCare:
Illinois CancerCare is one of the largest practices in the state of Illinois that treats patients with cancer and blood diseases. It provides state of the art treatments to its patients against these complex diseases by staying at the leading edge of clinical research. Illinois CancerCare is central Illinois’ largest network of cancer care specialists with 90-120 open clinical cancer research trials being conducted at any given time. The group has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet the highest national standards for quality cancer care. Illinois CancerCare’s Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) is one of the nation’s top enrollers in clinical trials, ranking 9th, amongst the academic and non-academic practices across US. Illinois CancerCare has 17 physicians, 16 mid-level providers and more than 230 staff members. Illinois CancerCare serves patients in 13 cities and 12 counties throughout central and western Illinois including Bloomington/Normal, Canton, Carthage, Eureka, Galesburg, Kewanee, Macomb, Monmouth, Ottawa, Pekin, Peoria, Peru and Princeton. For further information please visit http://www.illinoiscancercare.com.
For further information on Xofigo please visit http://www.xofigo-us.com or http://www.algeta.com.
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Jamie Harper, Illinois CancerCare, http://www.illinoiscancercare.com, 309.243.3618, [email protected]
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