Health Discoveries in Mesothelioma
Drug found to add survival time for mesothelioma patients
October 28, 2010
A drug approved for use in some European countries has shown improvement in survival time for pleural mesothelioma patients when combined with the drug cisplatin, according to StarGlobalTribune.com.
Raltitrexed (Tomudex), part of a group of cancer-fighting drugs called antineoplastics, has prevented cancer cell growth in several forms of cancer. It is approved for use in Portugal, the Czech Republic and Hungary, and additional licensing is expected in other European nations by the end of this year.
With no cure for mesothelioma, and its diagnosis difficult to make until the disease generally reaches a late stage, the life expectancy usually ranges from four to 18 months. The study showed the median survival rate of its participants increased by 2.8 months when they took raltitrexed.
"New treatment options such as a combination of cisplatin and raltitrexed, which improve patient outcomes as compared to cisplatin alone are a welcome addition to our therapeutic portfolio," said J.P. van Meerbeeck, a professor at Ghent University in Belgium.
The Cancer Institute within the North Shore-LIJ Health System has a multidisciplinary team of medical specialists who treat mesothelioma, both locally and systemically, with radiation, surgery and chemotherapy.
Raltitrexed (Tomudex), part of a group of cancer-fighting drugs called antineoplastics, has prevented cancer cell growth in several forms of cancer. It is approved for use in Portugal, the Czech Republic and Hungary, and additional licensing is expected in other European nations by the end of this year.
With no cure for mesothelioma, and its diagnosis difficult to make until the disease generally reaches a late stage, the life expectancy usually ranges from four to 18 months. The study showed the median survival rate of its participants increased by 2.8 months when they took raltitrexed.
"New treatment options such as a combination of cisplatin and raltitrexed, which improve patient outcomes as compared to cisplatin alone are a welcome addition to our therapeutic portfolio," said J.P. van Meerbeeck, a professor at Ghent University in Belgium.
The Cancer Institute within the North Shore-LIJ Health System has a multidisciplinary team of medical specialists who treat mesothelioma, both locally and systemically, with radiation, surgery and chemotherapy.