 |
|
Tablet is better all round for cancer patients
October 09, 2007A drug to treat colon cancer is proving much more convenient than traditional chemotherapy, has fewer side effects - and a study of almost 2,000 patients has shown it is giving them a better chance of surviving the disease.
"Standard chemotherapy can be incredibly disruptive to people's lives," said Prof Professor Chris Twelves of the University of Leeds, who led the research. "Patients visit hospital five days a week for the injections and then have three weeks off before returning to hospital for the next course - and the side effects can be unpleasant."
The oral chemotherapy drug Xeloda (capecitabine) offers fewer side-effects and less time in hospital - and the trial has shown that patients given the drug were at least as likely to be alive and free of their disease as those on standard chemotherapy (the Mayo Clinic regimen).
The research showed that about 71 percent of patients given Xeloda were still alive after five years, compared to 68 percent of patients treated with standard chemotherapy injections.
Prof Twelves's study followed 1,987 patients who had undergone colon cancer surgery. It found that patients treated with Xeloda spent 85 percent less time with their doctor or at the hospital, and experienced fewer side effects. The new results, showing patients' five-year survival rates, confirm the effectiveness of the treatment.
"We now have long-term evidence now that clearly supports Xeloda's superiority over the Mayo Clinic regimen," said Prof Twelves. "There is now no reason why we should ask colon cancer patients to endure the burdens associated with that older treatment."
University of Leeds
The research showed that about 71 percent of patients given Xeloda were still alive after five years, compared to 68 percent of patients treated with standard chemotherapy injections.
Prof Twelves's study followed 1,987 patients who had undergone colon cancer surgery. It found that patients treated with Xeloda spent 85 percent less time with their doctor or at the hospital, and experienced fewer side effects. The new results, showing patients' five-year survival rates, confirm the effectiveness of the treatment.
"We now have long-term evidence now that clearly supports Xeloda's superiority over the Mayo Clinic regimen," said Prof Twelves. "There is now no reason why we should ask colon cancer patients to endure the burdens associated with that older treatment."
University of Leeds
Chemotherapy Current Events and Chemotherapy News RSSIressa proves just as effective as chemotherapy for lung cancer
Gefitinib, also known as Iressa, the once-promising targeted therapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, has proven as effective as chemotherapy as a second-line therapy for the disease with far fewer side effects, according to an international Phase III clinical trial, led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Survival of head and neck cancer patients is greatly affected by coexisting ailments
Current estimates for head and neck cancer survival are largely inaccurate because they widely disregard many of the most common diseases such patients have in addition to their primary cancer, says Jay Piccirillo, M.D., a head and neck specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Study identifies causes of bone loss in breast cancer survivors
Osteoporosis is a growing concern among breast cancer survivors and their doctors, because certain cancer drugs can cause bone loss.
Novel 4-drug combination proves safe for lung cancer treatment
The four drug-combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel, with the targeted therapies bevacizumab (Avastin) and cetuximab (Erbitux), is safe and may improve survival for patients with advanced lung cancer, according to a cooperative group study led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Researchers aim to over-stress already taxed mantle cell lymphoma cells
Cancer cells are already stressed by the fast pace they require to grow and spread and scientists believe a little more stress just may kill them.
Battling bacteria in the blood: Researchers tackle deadly infections
It's a leading cause of death, but no one knows for sure how and why it happens. It's a major source of health care costs, adding days or weeks to the hospital stays and lost work time of millions of people. But no one fully understands how best to fight it.
Cancer drugs my build and not tear down blood vessels
Scientists have thought that one way to foil a tumor from generating blood vessels to feed its growth - a process called angiogenesis - was by creating drugs aimed at stopping a key vessel growth-promoting protein. But now the opposite seems to be true.
Mayo Clinic Researchers Find Predictive Tests and Early Treatment Delay Progression of Blood Cell Cancer
Mayo Clinic researchers say they have moved closer to their goal of providing personalized care for a common blood cell cancer.
UC Davis researchers discover Achilles' heel in pancreatic cancer
UC Davis Cancer Center researchers have discovered a metabolic deficiency in pancreatic cancer cells that can be used to slow the progress of the deadliest of all cancers.
ESF workshop makes major advance in cancer radiotherapy
Radical improvements in outcome for many cancer sufferers are in prospect following one of the most significant advances in radiotherapy since x-rays were first used to treat a tumour in 1904.
More Chemotherapy Current Events and Chemotherapy News Articles
 | The Chemotherapy & Radiation Therapy Survival Guide (Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Survivor's Guide) by Judith McKay, Nancee Hirano |
 | Questioning Chemotherapy by Ralph W. Moss A revealing critique of chemotherapy, this book looks objectively at chemo's successes and... |
 | Physician's Cancer Chemotherapy Drug Manual 2008 (Jones and Bartlett Series in Oncology) by Edward Chu, Vincent T. DeVita Jr. Completely revised and updated for 2008, this practical handbook is an up-to-date guide to all aspects of cancer chemotherapy. The book provides a comprehensive, easy to use catalogue of over 100 drugs-both on- and off-label-commonly used in cancer treatment. A section on Common Chemotherapy Regimens provides a quick reference to management of specific cancers, arranged... |
 | Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Order your copy of the newly revised and updated second edition of your #1 resource for chemotherapy administration! With more than 46,000 copies sold since 2001, you and thousands of your colleagues in oncology nursing have studied and consulted the information found in the first edition. The new second edition is based on current evidence and has been revised and updated to reflect the... |
 | Coping with Chemotherapy: Compassionate Advice and Authoritative Information from a Chemotherapy Survivor by Nancy Bruning This is a handbook for understanding, preparing for, and dealing with chemotherapy. After undergoing chemotherapy herself, Nancy Bruning decided to write an authoritative text to fill the void of information available for patients facing this procedure. In this revised and updated edition, she details every step of the process, providing information even doctors neglect to tell their... |
 | Coping With Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy by Daniel Cukier New advances in treatment offer cancer patients more options than ever before. Coping with Chemotherapy and Radiation is an accessible, accurate guide to the latest developments in radiation therapy and chemotherapy. You will find important information on how chemotherapy and radiation treatments work; what to expect from treatments, how to alleviate common side effects, and... |
 | Chemotherapy Heals Cancer and the World is Flat by Lothar Hirneise In the future there will be two groups of cancer patients. Those who have read this book - and those who are uninformed. For many years Lothar Hirneise has been traveling throughout the world looking for the most successful cancer therapies, and he has been explaining to people that there is much more available than just chemotherapy and irradiation. Recognized internationally as Europe's leading... |
 | Health Journeys: A Meditation To Help You With Chemotherapy (Health Journeys) by Belleruth Naparstek Imagery designed to help listeners see their chemotherapy in a positive light; to help reduce aversive side effects, such as fatigue and nausea; to help the body's immune cells fight cancer; to encourage relaxation and a sense of hope, safety, support and peace. With affirmations. (Running time: 41... |
 | Chemotherapy and Radiation For Dummies by Alan P. Lyss, Humberto Fagundes, Patricia Corrigan An informative, compassionate guide for cancer patients and their loved ones Each year, more than 1 million people get treated for cancer, and most of these will undergo chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. This reassuring, optimistic guide helps people get a handle on treatment options and explains in plain English how chemotherapy and radiation therapy really work. It offers detailed... |
 | Pocket Guide to Chemotherapy Protocols, Fourth Edition (Pocket Guide to Chemotherapy Protocols) by Edward Chu An indispensable quick reference for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers treating cancer patients! The updated Fourth Edition of the best-selling Pocket Guide to Chemotherapy Protocols is spiral bound and arranged alphabetically by cancer type for easy access, and contains combination as well as selected single-agent regimens for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In each... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |