Still, I wonder what the problem with KLH is because it's relatively non-toxic, as with other things going on in Europe: Synergo, EMDA and Hexvix, 3 more relatively non-toxic tx and dx alternatives. We also use more radiation and brachytherapy for blc than the USA does, with good results.
While in the US, chemos are given rather indiscriminately much of the time, Germany offers many alternative tx's that are covered by insurance, but I don't know much about alternatives in Germany aside from KLH for blc.
One thing the FDA is quite generous with granting approval with is chemo drugs, while chemo-sensitivity testing assays have never been in mainstream use. I had my breast tumor tested in '99 for chemo-sensitivity/, sent it to England as the tests were not available in the Netherlands (maybe that's changed)
blcwebcafe.org/ccdrt
I noticed that a chemo has just been FDA approved for intravesical Ta/T1 blc, after it had been taken off the market due to impurities. The question was how it ever got approved in the first place given the bad response rates, below 20%. Valstar, it's a form of doxorubicin. Indicated for use with CIS after BCG fails, as a bladder sparing protocol.
Doxorubicin/Adriamycin has been the first line chemo for breast cancer for many years. Recently it was learned that only 8% of women will ever respond to it, yet it has been the most popular treatment for 15 yrs or so? Boy, I'm glad I refused it when my chemosensitivity assay said I was not responsive to it! My sister's breast cancer did not respond to doxorubicin in huge, high dose chemo trials (which BTW were never popular in Europe).
I have a high regard for the EORTC's guidelines and innovations as well as for the NCI's. I only wish chemo-sensitivity testing would become more popular, everywhere.
Take care,
Wendy
For those who want a reference about that breast cancer stat:
"Only 8% of breast cancer patients have the genetic makeup [over-expressed Toppol-2] that make them responsive to the drug [adriamycin/doxorubicin-a very toxic chemo]."(Dr. Dennis Slamon, chief of oncology at UCLA, at a ASCO closed meeting, June 2007, Chicago)