ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605160181
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a drug for women with advanced breast cancer and for whom hope for long-term survival has been slim.
The sanction of Taxotere comes 5 1/2 years after studies began, in what is considered a speedy approval propelled by the appeals of dying women who call Taxotere their final hope.
``This represents a major step in the management of women with advanced breast cancer,'' said Dr. Vicente Valero of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Taxotere is derived from the new growth of the European yew tree and is a chemical cousin of the drug Taxol, derived from the bark and needles of the Pacific yew. It appears to work most effectively against advanced breast cancer. Taxol appears to work best against advanced ovarian tumors. The Orlando Sentinel Congress is asked to define marriage
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers from several states urged Congress on Wednesday to enact a law defining marriage to prevent a case in Hawaii from forcing the entire country to accept same-sex marriages.
``No one state should be allowed to inflict its bizarre social experimentation upon unwilling participants,'' said Deborah Whyman, a Republican state representative from Michigan.
The bill would allow states to confer their own legal status on same-sex marriages, said Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., the bill's sponsor. - Associated Press
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