In good news for cancer patients at the end of life,  the Food and Drug Administration has approved a concentrated liquid morphine to relieve acute and chronic pain in patients where other opiates are no longer working.

Although concentrated doses of liquid morphine have used to manage pain for opiate-tolerant patients for some time, the oral concentrated dose was not FDA approved.

The FDA has worked with Roxane Laboratories, the only manufacturer of the 20mg/mL formulation, to be sure that adequate supplies are available to patients in need.  Read the rest of this entry »

This week we’re sending you news about SMARxT Disposal of leftover medicine and a new resource from FDA that makes finding information on their website easier.

We’re experimenting with a little different format for the weekly briefs. You’ll find two different blogs — one with research news and another with upcoming events and consumer information. In this way, we hope to include a bit more detail while still keeping the individuals items brief and easy to read.

Watch for Kate Murphy on Twitter this weekend.  She’ll be sending Tweets from the ASCO GI Symposium in Orlando.  Follow C3 news and research updates @FIGHTCRC.   Here’s more information on joining Twitter to follow C3. Read the rest of this entry »

Briefly

Factors related to the patient, year of surgery, and tumor itself and not surgeons or pathologists explain low lymph node counts after colon and rectal surgery.  Lack of colorectal cancer screening leads to emergency surgery and complications and death among the elderly.

Americans without health insurance are more likely to die, even when factors like overall health, smoking, and income are considered, and cancer patients who have support from family and friends at diagnosis are much more likely to look on the entire experience as a chance for positive growth years later.

Finally, FDA has a good video to help people avoid health care frauds.

Happy Holidays.  Enjoy family, friends, and lights. Read the rest of this entry »

In response to a request from the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration will allow emergency use of the investigational antiviral intravenous drug peramivir in some hospitalized patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza infection.  The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is effective for both adults and children from birth to age 17.

There are currently no intravenous (IV) antiviral medicines approved for influenza.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Food and Drug Administration warns health care facilities and people who use medical devices at home to check the power cords for wear and tear, especially if oxygen is being used nearby.

The FDA has more than 120 reports of sparking, charring, and fires from cords used by two device manufacturers, Hospira Inc. and Abbott Nutrition, and is concerned that there may be similar problems with cords on other devices.  Read the rest of this entry »