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American Morning

Banned Pharmaceutical Finds New Life as Cancer Treatment

Aired June 19, 2001 - 11:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Former congresswoman and vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro says that she's feeling fine and she doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for her, this as she battles blood cancer. Ferraro has disclosed that she's suffering from multiple myeloma. This disease erodes the bones and can lead to death within five years for half of those with the illness. Right now, Ferraro is taking the drug thalidomide, which has extended her life.

We find out more about thalidomide and why it is being used in the battle against cancer considering its controversial history, CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, the history is horrible, but Ferraro says she's doing well, and she attributes much of her success to thalidomide. Thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s and early '60s to help fight morning sickness. The drug's German manufacturer claimed it was safe for pregnant women, but more than 10,000 children were born with severe side effects -- with severe birth defects.

It was only used on a small-scale as an investigational drug in the United States because the Food and Drug Administration refused to approve it for general marketing. So, the drug became a shining example for the need to have strict drug approval procedures.

But thalidomide made a comeback in the 1990s when doctors found it might be useful in treating not just multiple myeloma, the disease Ferraro has, but also leprosy, AIDS, and other forms of cancer such as prostate and colorectal cancer. The drug is now sold by a company called Celgene under the name Thalomid. It's been approved for leprosy, and can be used in clinical trials for multiple myeloma, AIDS and some other diseases.

For multiple myeloma, it's the first new option in about 35 years for patients who've had a relapse. In clinical trials on thalidomide, between one-quarter and one-third of all patients showed improvement. Now, they're not quite sure why thalidomide works, but researchers do have a theory. Tumors need a blood supply to grow, and thalidomide appears to cut off or at least limit that blood supply.

Now, multiple myeloma is a particularly horrible form of cancer. More than 14,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. There are more than 11,000 deaths each year, and 50 percent of all patients die within five years of diagnosis, and that's if it's diagnosed early. If it's later diagnoses later, the survival rate is only 10 to 25 percent.

Now, it can be hard to catch the disease early on because unlike, for example, breast cancer, there is no good way for a person to check him or herself. Sometimes, the disease is diagnosed really by chance. For example, an x-ray is being done for some other reason and the x- ray picks up the multiple myeloma. Other times, doctors see symptoms and call for a blood test. Symptoms include bone pain, kidney problems and excessive bleeding from minor cuts and bruises.

In addition to thalidomide, multiple myeloma can be treated with chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplantations.

HARRIS: Well, talking about that disease, it seems like there's still a lot doctors don't know about it. Do we know who may be more likely to get this disease?

COHEN: African-Americans seem to get the disease more than white people, and they don't think that there is much of a family history connection there. As you get older, you are more likely to get multiple myeloma, but unfortunately, these aren't things that you can do anything about. It's not as if you can stop smoking or change your diet.

HARRIS: Are there still questions about thalidomide itself? This drug brings back so many ugly memories for people. Do we know -- are they sure, for instance, that this is not going to cause any more birth defect problems for people down the road?

COHEN: Oh, they're sure that if they gave it to the wrong person, it could cause birth defects. So what they do -- and in Ferraro's case, she's old enough that it's not really a concern. But when a woman has multiple myeloma and is taking this drug during her child-bearing years, they warn, they warn and they warn her again she has to promise to use two forms of birth control. Even men who take this drug have to use a condom.

So, they definitely take precautions because those concerns are still very much there.

HARRIS: That's interesting. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

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