15 April 2022
Sebastian McCormick writes today in the publication ‘Chemical Engineer’says a lung cancer drug could boost survival rates in other types of cancer, scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered.
The scientists at the University discovered the impact of the new drug after a trial of 150 patients
The drug, a targeted cancer growth inhibitor called nintedanib, when mixed with chemotherapy could improve the survival rate for bladder cancer patients. The trial of 150 patients from 15 different hospitals around the UK was led by the University of Sheffield’s Dr. Syed A. Hussain.
Nintedanib blocks the proteins in your body from sending the signals to the cancer cells which cause them to grow.
Tests were originally being run to see if the drug would help decrease the amount of detectable cancer after treatment. It was discovered the drug did not help with this but instead helped boost the survival rate.
NEOBLADE, the name given by the scientists to the trial, showed that 96% of patients on the drug survived compared to 81% of patients in the placebo group in the first year of the disease. The numbers were lower for those in the second year but still showed an improvement compared to those without the drug, at 89% to 69%.
For those in the fifth year, the survival rate was 60% with the drug and 49% without.
Dr. Hussain said: “This was a small trial but the findings are promising and need further investigation in a larger randomized trial. In the UK, over 10,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year and almost 5,500 people die from the disease each year.”
He went on to say they were “eager” to explore the impact of the drug when integrated in standard chemotherapy routines.
In terms of side effects, Dr Hussain said: “The study also showed that the treatment - which patients can take at home in tablet form - was well tolerated. This is extremely positive as it does not appear to add significant side effects to those already experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy."
One of the co-authors of the study, Dr. James Catto, a professor in urological surgery at the University, said: “These findings are very exciting. They show that combining drugs with different mechanisms of action is possible, is acceptable to our patients, and improves long-term outcomes. survival
“This study is the start of a more personalized approach to treating this common cancer
Source – Chemical Engineer UK.
Comment
I hope this latest information on the new drug on trial at the (UK’s) University of Sheffield – and one claimed to improve survival rates for certain types of cancer – will be noted by the MHMS and oncologists at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) and the drug possibly acquired to be prescribed to current cancer patients at the NRH.
The UK continues to lead the way in cancer treatment w.comith new drugs and forms of treatment to extend the lives of cancer sufferers and it would be my wish that the British High Commission in Honiara monitor the developments in the field of cancer research, developments in new cancer drugs and availability of such drugs and regularly appraise the MHMS of such information for the benefit of local oncologists in treating the many sufferers of cancer, of all types in the Solomon Islands.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
