Thousands of cancer patients could be spared chemotherapy every year following significant advances in personalised medicine, experts have said.
The "future of cancer treatment" is likely to involve tumour testing which can determine whether gruelling treatments would offer any benefits.
It would be a significant move away from the "one size fits all approach" often used for treating cancer, and academics believe it will boost survival rates and prolong patients' lifespans without the disease progressing.
An upcoming trial at University College London will see 4,500 women who have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer receive personalised medicine.
Consultant Dr Robert Stein believes the number of patients in this group who receive chemotherapy will be two-thirds lower than usual, saving the NHS millions of pounds.
Instead, targeted drugs designed to bring the cancer under control can be selected - and an earlier study of 13,000 patients saw a significant boost in the number of cases where tumours shrank.
Those who received targeted treatments in that trial saw their tumours reduce in size by an average of 30.6%, as opposed to 4.9% in patients who received conventional care.
Professor Roy Herbst, chief of medical oncology at the Yale Cancer Centre in the US, said: "(Precision medicine) is about finding the right key for the lock, finding out what it is that is driving the tumour, what makes it tick."
Until now, treatments have often been determined by where the cancer has come from, but the practice would also see a move away from this approach.
Personalised medicine is undergoing a phase of rapid development in the cancer community, and is already having an impact for patients with prostate, ovarian, lung, bowel and breast cancers.
However, more research will likely be needed before such treatments are used widely on the NHS.
Follow The Forefront on:
> facebook Nigerian audience
> The Forefront on Twitter
>BBM Channel: C002CB006 {WELCOME TO THE FOREFRONT}
>{Instagram: the_forefront_nigeria }
> The Forefront on Twitter
>BBM Channel: C002CB006 {WELCOME TO THE FOREFRONT}
>{Instagram: the_forefront_nigeria }
> twitter
> Instagram: osagiejoshua
| Share this post with others on social media with options below. |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Disclaimer!!! Opinions expressed in comments do not represent THE FOREFRONT MEDIA NG's views. All participants are entitled to their opinions. Thank you!!!
Advertise on the Forefront: For advert placement in the blog or advert posts like news updates, reach +2348124620827 [WhatsApp].
Copyright 2023 The Forefront Media Ng. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from The Forefront Media Ng