Breast Cancer And New Drug To Slow The Spread
Researchers and scientists recently announced the
discovery of a drug that slows the growth of breast cancer in women
who no longer respond to proven treatments. This is good news for
those women who are in the advance stages of breast cancer and
treatments are no longer working for them.
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The drug was developed for women who have
aggressive tumors that make it impractical to treat with
radiation. The new drug is Tykerb, and it appears to delay
tumor growth, and prevents cancer from spreading to the
brain. Test results show that it is giving an extra eight
and a half months of delayed tumor growth. This is twice
the time given by drugs used currently. The added benefit
of protecting the brain from cancer makes it a great
discovery. Scientists believe the new drug passes through
blood vessels that other drugs with larger molecules can’t
pass through. Brain cancer is often found as the secondary
site of advanced breast cancer. When a brain tumor is
found, doctors look at the breasts to see if that is where
the cancer originated.
Tykerb is being partnered with another
chemotherapy treatment and were so successful in clinical
trials; the maker of the drug stopped the trials.
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They gave the drug to all patients who had
breast cancer and report they expect those taking the
medication will live longer. Testing showed only 14 percent of the
patients had to stop the drug because of side effects.
GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of the drug paid for
the studies and is working to make the drug free to patients
with breast cancer. It will ask for Food and Drug
Administration approval before the end of the year. For some
women with breast cancer, this may be the answer to prayer.
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It appears able to buy them more time by slowing
the progress of the disease.
One patient reports she has been stable since
the drug was added to her existing chemotherapy routine.
She continues to work as a lawyer, wife, mother, and
volunteer. She does experience some side effects from the
chemotherapy. Her hands look much older than the rest of
her body, and they shake too hard to button her buttons at
times. She did report that she hasn’t had any hair loss and
people are not able to tell she is sick and on
chemotherapy.
The impressive results shown by Tykerb give
hopes to thousands of women who are diagnosed with breast
cancer. Important strides are being made every year in
detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. There is new
hope for the recently diagnosed, and renewed hope for those
who are already battling the disease. |
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You can help support research for breast cancer
by taking part in your local Race for the Cure and by giving to
breast cancer research. Show your support by wearing pink
ribbons as a reminder that scientists are still looking for a
cure for breast cancer. You may save a loved one’s life.
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