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I agree with you that the word is overused. Avastin is most certainly not a breakthrough, I don't know any oncologist that considers it as such.

I think the word is justified in this context however because the rationale behind immunotherapy is very sound, and it seems able to cure a non-negligible proportion of patients with otherwise incurable disease.

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If you google "Avastin breakthrough" (remember, we lay people have far more time with Dr. google), its still touted as this miracle drug, and is even being pushed as a treatment for non colon cancers of which there is little evidence it does anything... And remember, there are oncologists / doctors who lend their name to the company PRs... Its so sad to think someone would spend $20k on a useless drug, when $20k towards supportive treatments would go such a long, long way for quality of life :( I know there are genuine big steps forward. The cancer that killed Terry Fox for example is so treatable now. And there are good and effective drugs out there, and some that are bullshit. But from the perspective out here, its difficult, sometimes very difficult to tell the real breakthroughs from marketing hype.

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