Study: Cancer drug may endanger heart
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Study: Cancer drug may endanger heart
Our Review Summary
The introduction of Gleevec represented a major advance in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This story reports on a study printed in Nature Medicine describing 10 patients who developed heart failure while taking the drug. The authors of the study suggest that this drug needs to be thoroughly evaluated to quantify the magnitude of the heart risk.
This does not adequately describe the nature of the existing evidence, which is very preliminary. Although the story focuses on the heart risks associated with Gleevec, it does not adequately describe the harms of treatment. What other side effects are there? How common are they? How common is heart damage?
Although the main focus of the story is on new reports of toxicity from Gleevec, the story still allowed some promotional claims to enter into the story. (e.g., “Gleevec is a wonderful drug and patients with these diseases need to be on it. It’s a lifesaving drug for sure” and “Novartis said Force’s work does not change ‘the positive benefit/risk ratio of Glivec for thousands of patients being treated for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.’ “) Yet there are no data given to back up these claims of benefit.
The story also does not mention alternative treatments. The story should have explain why Gleevec is consider to be better and provide some perspective as to whether it still would if indeed heart failure is found to be a significant side effect. The story never mentions the cost of Gleevec, which is very expensive. These new reports on side effects may decrease the cost-effectiveness of the drug. Cost should not have been left out of the story.
Furthermore, the story only quotes the author of the study and a statement from Novartis. The story should have quoted other, independent researchers or clinicians who could have provided additional perspectives.
Criteria
Not Satisfactory
The story never mentions the cost of Gleevec, which is very expensive. These new reports on side effects may decrease the cost-effectiveness of the drug. Cost should not have been left out of the story.
Not Satisfactory
Although the main focus of the story is on new reports of toxicity from Gleevec, the story still allowed some promotional claims to enter into the story. (e.g., “Gleevec is a wonderful drug and patients with these diseases need to be on it. It’s a lifesaving drug for sure” and “Novartis said Force’s work does not change ‘the positive benefit/risk ratio of Glivec for thousands of patients being treated for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.’ “) Yet there are no data given to back up these claims of benefit.
Not Satisfactory
Although the story focuses on the heart risks associated with Gleevec, it does not adequately describe the harms of treatment. What other side effects are there? How common are they? How common is heart damage?
Not Satisfactory
The story does not adequately describe the nature of the existing evidence. It does not provide evidence from prior studies on heart failure.
Satisfactory
The story does not engage in disease mongering.
Not Satisfactory
The story only quotes the author of the study and a statement from Novartis. The story should have quoted other, independent researchers or clinicians who could have provided additional perspectives.
Not Satisfactory
The story does not mention alternative treatments. The story should have explained why Gleevec is considered to be better and provided some perspective as to whether it still would be if indeed heart failure is found to be a significant side effect.
Satisfactory
The availability of the drug is clear in this story.
Satisfactory
The story states that Gleevec is an existing therapy for leukemia.
Not Applicable
There is no way to know if the story relied on a press release as the sole source of information.
Total Score: 3 of 9 Satisfactory
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