Insidermedicine in 60 - December 6, 2007

From New York - A US federal advisory committee has voted that Avastin should not be approved as a treatment for breast cancer. It was found that the drug's ability to slow the progress of breast cancer did not outweigh its toxic side effects. Avastin is approved as a treatment for lung and colon cancer and is widely used off-label as a treatment for macular degeneration.

From Boston - Results of a new survey show that while most doctors think incompetent colleagues should be reported, less than half actually do so. The survey of over 1500 doctors found that 46% had firsthand knowledge of medical mistakes but didn't report them, while 45% were aware of bad behaviour by other doctors that they didn't report. The survey also found that 10% of doctors admitted to violating patient confidentiality.

And finally, from Chalk River - The shutdown of an aging nuclear reactor in Ontario has lead to a global shortage of radioactive materials used in medical tests and treatments. The reactor was shut down because an emergency power supply was not connected, violating national safety regulations. The shutdown of the reactor, which produces two-thirds of the world's medical radioisotopes, has already cost distributor MDS Nordion $4 million in lost sales.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Yi Ning Strube.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• avastin
• lucentis
• genentech
• injection
• medical
• errors
• mistake
• hospital
• surgery
• diagnosis
• nuclear
• reactor
• NRU
• isotope
• scan

[441rider]

Also chalk river is on the list for two of the first admitted reactor accidents in nuclear history, so bad Jimmy Carter had to come with US navy to help contain it. A fact the place has a bad track record. Who really cares about saftey? only the bean counters.

[441rider]

Money, money wonder what the profit margin is on the medical isotopes? Canada has sold reactors all over the world I would hope that our broken ones are not opened for a product demand only no matter how essential, saftey first.

[margot980]

This is about two newer non power, radiosotope dedicated reactors, Maple 1 and 2, which the Canadian Nuclear Security Commission has been preventing since 2002 for genuine safety reasons. Roses so far to the CNSC.

This is not a world crisis, there are other sources for other countries.

[margot980]

Chalk River, the real problem was partially stated, $4 million losses to MDS Nordion. Also all that idle imaging, scanning equipment all over Canada, where these radioisotopes are ridiculously overused. It would seem simple to fix the backup power for cooling water for the 50 year old NRU reactor AECL wants to replace with Maple 1 and 2.