This essay provides a summary of the article published in the New York Times on January 28, 2014. The article dwells on a prostate cancer drug known as Xtandi. It was written by Andrew Pollack to explore a new approach concerning drug use to treat cancer. A recent study reveals that this drug has the potential to prolong the life of prostate cancer victims by inhibiting tumor progression. Since its approval in 2012, the drug has been used only in cases where prostate cancer victims have already undergone chemotherapy. However, the study proposes that the drug could be used in cases of advanced prostate cancer before chemotherapy. Therefore, the article serves to inform the medical fraternity and the public about the drug’s new potential.
It is public knowledge that prostate cancer is a disease that affects men, especially older males, as only men have a prostate gland (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 164). Presumably, anything concerning prostate cancer affects only men. However, contrary to this perception, the article about Xtandi is of relevance to other groups of people too. To begin with, the article directly affects prostate cancer victims who, for one reason or another, may have delayed in seeking medication.
It notes that Xtandi can prolong the lives of victims of advanced cases of prostate cancer. This new development is good news for the numerous men who only realized that they have prostate cancer when the disease is already in its advanced stages. Although the drug has its side effects – it affects the nervous system and may cause backache and symptoms of nerves compression in the lower back, it may cause problems with sleeping, high blood pressure and spinal cord compression. Further, many cancer victims prefer taking pills to other forms of cancer treatment. As a result, this article brings hope into the lives of prostate cancer patients by introducing a new way of managing this disease.
The second group that is affected by this article is the pharmaceutical community. Medivation and Astellas Pharma, the developers of Xtandi, hope to enjoy a wider market than before since the new development is likely to increase the use of the drug. Consequently, competitors such as Zytiga, which is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, shall face stiffer competition from Xtandi. The result of the competition is a possible reduction in the market share of Zytiga because the new potential of Xtandi was revealed.
The third group that is affected by this article is the medical fraternity. If Xtandi is approved as a pre-therapy drug, there will be more pre-therapy drugs at the disposal of medical practitioners. This development will give the practitioners some level of flexibility in the prescription of drugs since they will have another addition to the list of pre-therapy prostate cancer drugs.
This article is intriguing because it illuminates a new development concerning a relatively new drug. Xtandi was approved in 2012, and since that time the research has been going on to establish its full potential. Thus, the article is quite informative for anyone who reads it. It also breaks down the supposedly complex topic of pharmaceuticals into a simple form that can be understood by most readers.
This article was chosen because it addresses an issue that is becoming more prevalent. Cancer is a disease that costs America huge sums of money in terms of medical care. Further, it is among the leading causes of mortality in the USA. Therefore, the fact that the article presents a possible solution to one of the numerous types of cancer makes it a good choice.
Works Cited
Marshall Cavendish Corporation. Diseases and Disorders. 1 vol. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2007. Print.
Pollack, Andrew. Drug Shows Promise in Advanced Prostate Cancer When Used Before Chemotherapy. New York Times. 2014. Web.