at that point her doctor added avastin to her regimen and she quickly improved. >> i think avastin was the key that clicked everything for me. >> reporter: the studies out today show avastin, which works by blocking blood supply to tumors, helps some patients with both early and late stage ovarian cancer. >> it's a significant finding. it's something we've been expecting based on our understanding of the biology of the ovary and its normal function and the changes that occur with cancer. >> reporter: avastin is already approved by the fda to treat colon, lung and kidney cancer. many say the biggest problem is its price, $80,000 to $100,000 a year. it's not clear where avastin will win fda approval for ovarian cancer. >> don't take our drug away. >> reporter: recently in a highly emotional reaction to the fda's decision not to approve avastin for breast cancer. >> there's not evidence to support a traditional approval. >> reporter: many experts say the evidence just didn't prove it worked. even in the latest studies with ovarian cancer the average survival without the cancer progressing

it's not clear where avastin will win fda approval for ovarian cancer. >> don't take our drug away. >> recently in a highly emotional reaction to the fda's decision not to approve avastin for breast cancer. >> there's not evidence to support the approval. >> many experts say the evidence didn't prove it worked. even in the latest studies with ovarian cancer the average survival without the cancer progressing was a few months, but such averages include women like pamela todd with sensational results and others who do not respond at all. many doctors want tests to determine which patients benefit. >> it requires more time, research, and probably brains. >> for now avastin a controversial, sometimes effective, and highly expensive drug. robert boozell, nbc news, new york. >>> when "nightly news" continues for this wednesday, the burning question, where's winter? whether you like cold or snow at all, there's little of either. why is that? >>> a generous woman in a chow line that's anything but ordinary. but to be honest, i find the omega choices overwhelming. which one is right for me? th

. >>> and we do have news tonight about the cancer drug avastin. today, two new studies found avastin does not significantly extend the lives of patients battling ovarian cancer. it also increases serious side effects. the studies say, at best, avastin extends life by four months in advanced cases of the disease. in november, the fda revoked avastin's approval for breast cancer, as well. doctors can still prescribe it, though insurers may not pay and a year's worth of avastin can cost $100,000 a year. >>> we head overseas now to north korea, and the remarkable pictures of the watching wailing residents of the most secretive nation on the planet. the funeral of kim jong-il is under way. his son, a 28-year-old enigma, unknown and untested. and now, at the helm of a nuclear power. one america is catching closely tonight. abc's global affairs anchor christiane amanpour is tracking the clues about what this new young leader will do. >> reporter: foreign delegates were not invited to the funeral, but state television broadcast the highly choreographed di

. >>> new information about the cancer drug avastin. two new studies found avastin doesn't significantly extend the lives of pictures battling ovarian cancer. it also increases serious side effects. the studies say at best avastin extends lives by four months in advanced cases of the disease. in november avastin was revoked for approval for breast cancer as well. >>> it's not a bad idea to get together with a health plan for yourself and family in the new year the new year is a good time to re-assess your lifestyle. it comes with a check list of health care items for yourself. there are several tests you may want to consider for the next time you visit your doctor. >> one of them would include having your lipids looked at. if you never had your cholesterol checked and you're over eighth 18 it's something you should have had done at least once in your life. as you get older, especially as people start to get above 50, above 60 it's something that should be looked at a little more frequently. >> if you have not had your blood pressure che

. >>> it's a drug once thought to help fight against breast cancer but a new report says avastin doesn't work as well as they thought when it comes to ovarian cancer. golf in the winter, not unusual but what about nebraska? the warm temperatures had extra revenue for upper midwest golf courses. you're watching "good morning maryland." a live look at the u.s. capitol. >>> golf courses in nebraska are seeing an unexpected spike in business. that's because temperatures have been mild and there's very little snow. golfers have been spending the time out in the brisk winds but have to bundle up. some golf courses near omaha have been seeing golfers for 100 consecutive days. i've seen the same trend around maryland as well. several goff courses have stragglers out there bundled up but still chases that little white ball. >> how about this, the greens in iamsville, halfway between frederick and mount airy. the greens, a little bit of green, partly cloudy sky. we don't see the golfers now but i'm sure there are a couple out there. in mount airy, a couple of flakes nearby in westminster yesterday

last month, the food and drug administration revoked its approval of avastin for treatment of breaster. >>> colorado has become the third state to ask the federal drug enforcement administration to reclassify marijuana in a way that allows doctors to prescribe it as a medical treatment. last month, the governors of washington and rhode island also asked that the government list marijuana as a scheduled 2 drug like morphine. >>> starting next year, california will become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of some over-the-counter cough syrup to most teenagers. bigad shaban explains. >> reporter: the doctor's office isn't the first place jennifer berry turns to when she has a cold. the 16-year-old almost always relies on over-the-counter cough syrup, but starting january 1st, jennifer will no longer be able to buy a bottle on her own. california lawmakers are banning the sale of most cough medicine to anyone under 18, because teens are getting high on one of the ingredients. in large doses, dextromethorphan or dxm can cause hallucinations, even death. >> the number one drug

two studies find avastin does not improve survival rates for most patients.id keep the disease from getting worse for a few months. but it had a lot of side effects. last month the fda revoked approval for avastin for breast cancer treatment. >>> mothers launched a nurse-in at target stores. it started last month when target employees in texas asked a woman to go in a dressing room to breast-feed her baby instead of being out in the store. yesterday, women gathered at the retailer stores including this one in san jose to nurse their babies in support of that woman in texas. target insists that it has always been a family store and its policy officially does not restrict women where they can breast-feed. >>> it is 4:55 now. his evening began with a dinner in beverly hills but paul diamond ended up getting the heimlich maneuver from a 325- pound football player. >> yikes. >> it happened yesterday at lowery's beef bowl which every year serves prime rib to members of the teams playing in the rose bowl. diamond bit off more than he could chew so a university of or

. >> and a huge setback for the blockbuster drug avastin. the disappointing results to help fight ovarian cancer. >>> a dog is stranded in an icy river. we are going to show you how the rescue goes down from a helmet cam. look at that poor guy. with a machete has barricaded himself in an apartm >>> we're following breaking news in the south bay. a man armed with a machete has barricaded himself in an apartment. this is down in san jose. it's happening at the capital village circle apartments near west capitol expressway and snell avenue. police say they were called to the scene around 2:40 this morning for a noise disturbance. loud music playing. that's when they say the 44- year-old man apparently locked himself in the apartment but was brandishing this machete. some neighbors have been evacuated in the area. no injuries have been reported so far. we are going to bring you live pictures and more information as soon as we get it into the newsroom. >>> federal charges may be filed against several bp employees over last year's oil spill in the

two new studies find avastin does not exceed life expectancy for patients with ovarian cancer.ies found that it does slow the growth of ovarian cancer when combined with chemotherapy. data on survival still being collected but results are probably too disappointing for drug maker genentech to seek fda approval of avastin for aboutovarian cancer. >> teenage drivers and new year's eve. a new study shows new year's eve is one of the worst days of the year for alcohol-related crashes and deaths 14 drivers. ironically the study finds that team believes the new year's eve is the most dangerous time of year to drive yet it is the day when teens most frequently drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. exercise does not prevent pregnancy related diabetes. norwegian researchers followed more than 800 pregnant women. some more assigned to exercise three days a week and the others stayed with the regular prenatal care alone. by the third trimester the percentage of women who developed gestational diabetes was about the same in both groups. the findings are surprising because ex

. >>> there's been a big setback for the cancer drug avastin. the company that makes that drug says probably it won't be approved in the fight for ovarian cancer in the united states. studies show it doesn't improve survival and only keeps the disease from getting worse for a few months. it's the second blow for avastin that recently lost approval for treatment of breast cancer. >>> it may be a new test able to detect lung cancer faster. a new tool analyzes a patient's breath. samples were tested of 229 people. 92 had untreated lung cancer, another 137 were at risk or had growths in their lungs. age and smoking habits also affected the study. lung cacancer was detected about 80% of the time in the test. >>> health officials say one resident in western maryland at a senior citizen apartment complex was diagnosed with legionnaires disease. it was announced yesterday at the grandview apartments. it's usually found in water. it's not contagious and symptoms resemble pneumonia. 139 cases of the disease were reported in maryland this year. >>> a new s

the fda has not approved avastin to treat ovarian cancer in the united states but it has been approvedpublished in the new england journal of medicine. >>> 5:56. just ahead, a boost for boosters and a ban for cuff medicine. a look at new laws taking effect this weekend. >>> we'll continue to bring you the latest on a san jose standoff that has some out in the cold this morning. >> reporter: firefighters are still watching over two homes in the berkeley hills that burned overnight. up next, you will hear from the man who was likely the first to spot the fire. [ female announcer ] help i need a holiday party idea. mmm... pillsbury crescent wrapped brie just unroll, wrap the brie and bake. it's so easy. now this might even impress aunt martha. pillsbury crescent wrapped brie. holiday ideas made easy. here's a better idea... pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits. in just 15 minutes, the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands! dinner ideas made easy.

two studies show the drug avastin can slow down the disease for up to six months in some cases, the fda pulled approval for breast cancer after study showed it was not effective against that form of the disease. >>> there is more evidence that eating fruits, vegetables and fish can keep your brain healthy. researchers found people who ate foods rich in vitamins and omega three fatty acids were less likely to develop brain shrinkage and scored better on memory test, people who had a poor diet didn't do as well on those mental tests. >>> and be sure to check in with wjz eyewitness news today at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00, politics get personal days before the iowa caucuses a huge shake up in the race for the gop presidential nomination, from detergents to household products they ,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> all right. told you these clouds out there are nothing but news, it is warm air, that southerly flow and it is going to define our numbers here. that is how we are going to end 2011 and start 2012. i want you to note tuesday, that 32 and 18, that means business, we are going to tap air for the first time

. >>> the drug avastin when treats women with ovarian cancer can slow tumor growth but not clear if it may improve life expectancy. it hasn't been approved by the fda yet. last month the fda withdrew approval for breast cancer because it didn't extend life and can have serious side effects the drug. >>> we use medical devices, are they safe? are their risks of reusing them? devices clamps and forceps, used over and over. so are endoscopes, letting doctors see inside your body. they get reprocessed through high level cleans. some report being exposed to blood and body fluids and tissue from other people so the fda is working to health care provider to set standards. >>> a new california law set to go into effect next year mandating proper recovery for athlete was head injuries. public high school or younger must bench athletes suspected of having head injuries. the player won't be able to go back until they are cleared by a doctor. it goes into effect january 1st. >>> abc 2news.com working with you right now with a complete concussion resource guide. it's a great place for parents and c

avastin is interesting because it works in a different mode or track.hat it does the cancer needs some growth factors, and with growth factors you can create those vessels. avastin inhibits those factors so it has a different mode than chemotherapy. i spoke to some of my colleagues, one of them is dr. raymond from mt. sinai who was interested and dug into the studies a little deeper, the doze and duration of this was different in europe than over here. there are some flaws in this study. the other thing is for a selected group of patients, high-risk owe kwraeu ovarian cancer, ones who have insites, this medication may work. we need further studies in the future to give this guy a chance. at this point there is no major survival benefit as a result of this. heather: what about the cost? you mentioned that briefly about 50,000 to one hundred thousand dollars a year? >> reporter: yes, so that is the major problem. side effects and the cost is a big problem. in my own field of prostate cancer we had a vaccine, and medicare approved it for $100,000 a year, w

. >> in medical news, more bad news for the makers of the cancer drug avastin.ve survival rates for most ovarian cancer patients and keeps the disease from getting worse for a few months. last month, the drug lost approval for treating breast cancer because it was not as effective as first thought. >> doctors may have come with a way to test for lung cancer. the key is something simple and involuntary, the human breath. and the results are surprisingly accurate. more now from abc's dr. timothy johnson. >> reporter: with every breath we take, the human body emits a metabolic bio-signature, organic compounds present when we exhale. and for physicians at the cleveland clinic and university of illinois, a chance to test that breath for lung cancer. researchers using a breath analyzer tested samples from 229 people. 92 had confirmed lung cancer that was untreated. and the other 137 were either at risk for developing lung cancer or had undefined growths in their lungs. the age, sex, smoking habits and history of pulmonary disease of the participants was incorporated i

new research shows, the blockbuster drug, avastin, did not improve the survival rate of patients.eading. but only for a few months and with more side effects. >>> outraged moms are descending upon target stores across america, with nursing babies in tow. this is support for one mom from texas, who says she was bullied by target employees, for breast-feeding in the store. here's abc's abbie boudreau. >> reporter: you've heard of a sit-in. how about a nurse-in. mothers at hundreds of targets store across the country, their message about breast-feeding in public. >> it's only an issue if you make it an issue. >> reporter: the facebook page, now with almost 7,000 members. after she sat down at ore local target, in houston, texas, to feed her blanket-covered infant, in a remote part of the store. she was asked to go to the fitting room. >> it's not about me. it's about women all over the world. this is having an affect upon on a daily basis. and then, standing up for their rights. >> reporter: she never dreamed the protest would go viral. but thousands of mothers came out with their ba

new studies are finding that blockbuster drug avastin does not improve survival for patients of ovarian cancer but only keeps the disease from getting worse for a few months. in november the drug was order d ed that it could be prescribed but insurers do not have to pay for treatment. >>> jim sack is a disabled former chicago police officer and a vietnam vet. he relies on his service dog, snickers to walk, balance, and call for help in the event of emergency. when he moved to iowa to help his ailing mother-in-law, the city took away his service dog because of a local ban on pit bulls. but now the pit mix has been reunited with sack after a federal judge ordered it. the order is temporary but sack is suing the city to keep snickers with him permanently. you can follow the latest right here on our website today.com. i know a lot of you are interested in that story. it is now 7:15. back to matt, savannah, and stephanie. hopefully this will all work out. it's the right thing. >> good to hear. tamron, thanks very much. hi, stephanie. >> the action continues to be in the west and northwest. r

avastin just taken off the market tried with advanced breast cancer. same thing. promising. people were excited. they fast-tracked it but as we went on we saw some other things. i'm cautiously optimistic about it but you have to take that into account. jenna: this week we heard from a celebrity journalist became more after celebrity herself as well. this is guiliana rancic. has been public with her fight against breast cancer. she recently had a lump peck my. and now doing a double mastectomy to rid her body of the disease. when we're looking for solutions or cures, mastectomy is presented to patients as a way to get rid of the cancer. what do you make of this option for people with breast cancer whether it is situation like giuliana rancic where it didn't work out with the lump ecotmy. >> if it didn't work out you have to take out more breast. it has been shown with radiation with same survival as if you had a mastectomy. more isn't always better. more tumors, invasive tumors through the breast where you do the mastectomy. the thing is, one cell could get out of

brand-new research shows the breakthrough cancer drug avastin really works when it comes to slowing theof ovarian cancer. but unfortunately, it does not increase survival rates as originally intended. >>> talk about skirting the law, watch as this woman stealing a 24-pack of beer by hiding it under her skirt. she walked off, no trouble at all. some speculate she may have used a basket tied to suspenders to support the weight. not much else is known about the tape. it went viral on the internet this week. all right. coming up, we will go live to newt gingrich in a moment. but we lost our satellite signal to sioux city and in the meantime, ali has this. >> alisyn: we have a great story. back in 2004, an explosion from an tank mine cost dale beaty both legs. it severely injured his friend, john, injuring his head and back. both were honored with purple hearts. when the two returned to the states, they created purple heart homes. it's a nonprofit which provides that veterans with homes designed to suit their specific needs. they just recently received $15,000 grant from wal-mart, during the