Last week, the first vaccine to extend the lives of lung cancer patients was approved in Cuba.  Though other similar vaccines are being tested around the world, the drug CimaVax EGF is the first to receive official endorsement; it is expected that CimaVax will be approved next in Peru, where it could be publicly accessible by the end of the year.

Unlike chemotherapy, CimaVax causes very few side effects.  It uses a modified protein that attacks only the cancer cells, causing minimal adverse reaction in patients.  Development for the vaccine began in 1992.

The cost of the treatment has not yet been determined.  Cuban officials, however, have stated that they will welcome foreigners who seek vaccine administration.  "It's possible to provide this vaccine to any patient, because it's available in Cuba, it's approved by the Cuban drug agency so we can market the vaccine in Cuba and we can receive patients from outside," said director of clinical investigations at Havana's molecular immunology center.

Americans, however, will have difficulty accessing CimaVax.  The trade embargo enacted in 1962 restricts travel to Cuba and will serious impede Americans' ability to try this new therapy.  In the US, CimaVax is in clinical trials and is not slated to finish for another two to three years.

Other cancer vaccines under development elsewhere include one made by Antigenics Inc against melanoma, and another made by Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc and licensed by drug giant Pfizer Inc that attacks deadly brain tumors.  For the full story, click here.

The FDA is cracking down on companies who are selling fraudulent cancer "cures."  Official warning letters have been sent to 23 domestic and 2 foreign companies who are marketing a variety of products on the internet, claiming they cure cancer.  These products have not been tested, may be unsafe, and are in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Deceptive and fraudulent cancer "cures" have always been on the market, but the internet has created a medium for sales to explode.  The FDA is fighting to combat these products, which include tablets, teas, tonics, black salves, and creams.  Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission sent out warning letters to 112 websites who were falsely promoting cancer "treatments."

The FDA is urging patients who have used these "cures" to contact health care providers immediately.  The products may cause adverse health effects, as they contain untested ingredients such as bloodroot, shark cartilage, coral calcium, cesium, ellagic acid, Cat's Claw, an herbal tea called Essiac, and mushroom varieties such as Agaricus Blazeii, Shitake, Maitake, and Reishi.

These products are marketed under slogans such as "80% more effective than the world's number one cancer drug," "Causes cancer cells to commit suicide!" and "Shrinks malignant tumors."

Visit the FDA warning site for more details.