Cancer

After a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer, Patrick Swayze is pushing ahead to start a new TV series.

Drug developer Novartis said on Monday it may offer a novel treatment strategy for patients with breast cancer through its compound RAD001 which enhances the efficacy of treatments or overcomes resistance to some of them.

GTx Inc. said on Friday its prostate cancer treatment will continue the late stage of its clinical trial as it did not bear the results that were expected. Shares of the company slumped.

Genentech Inc., the developer and maker of pharmaceutical products, said Thursday it expects final results from a clinical trial of a cancer drug Avastin in patients with colon cancer to be done by 2009, a year earlier than it previously forecasted.

Women beware: your shiny lip gloss and lip balm may boost your risk of getting skin cancer.

Pfizer Inc. will pay Avant Immunotherapeutics's Celldex Therapeutics Inc. unit to acquire the exclusive global license of a brain cancer vaccine treatment which is currently in Phase 2 development, the companies announced late Wednesday.

The Biotechnology Company Antigenics Inc, said on Tuesday that its treatment for kidney cancer was approved in Russia, making it the first cancer vaccine in the world to be in use.

Whoopi Goldberg expressed concern and support for her friend Patrick Swayze after hearing of his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, while his publicist said his career is not slowing down.

Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment, but contrary to published reports, his publicist and doctor said Wednesday he is not expected to die from the disease within weeks.

Menopausal women who took estrogen and progesterone faced a small increased risk for cancer for more than two years after they stopped taking the pills, researchers said on Tuesday.

U.S. study revealed that taking daily supplements of vitamin E during a long-term period can increase cancer risk by 28 percent.

Genentech's Avastin cancer drug should be rejected for the use in the United States, advisers said on Wednesday.

Dendreon Corp. (Nasdaq: DNDN) said its breast cancer vaccine Neuvenge appeared to be safe, according to results of an initial study.

An experimental cancer drug from Britain's Antisoma Plc and Swiss-based Novartis AG has failed in a mid-stage clinical trial for ovarian cancer, lopping 15 percent off Antisoma's market value.

The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that Dendreon's (Nasdaq: DNDN) prostate cancer treatment was safe and effective, sending shares skyrocketing on Friday trading.

Shares of Nuvelo, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUVO) skyrocketed on Tuesday following news that drug maker's cancer drug was granted 'fast-track' status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Merck & Co Inc's Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, has been approved for sale in the European Union

German drugmaker Schering has entered into a deal with AstraZeneca to jointly develop a new breast cancer drug