Breakthrough Treatment for Lung Cancer

BREAKTHROUGH treatment for lung cancer caused by asbestos.

It is hoped that for patients living with asbestos caused lung cancer there is now hope that they will live longer, happier and healthier lives due to a breakthrough treatment using immune boosting therapy.

Trial results for the drug nivolumab suggest that it may give sufferers from asbestos caused lung cancer extra months or even years on their lives. Currently only 7 per cent of sufferers can expect to live over five years with the disease, so any extra time that the drug may buy loved ones and families will be welcomed.

The disease known as Mesothelioma is very hard to treat and Professor Gareth Griffiths, director of clinical trials at the University of Southampton, said, “Mesothelioma is incredibly hard to treat.

“Most patients get chemotherapy, but for the majority this will eventually become ineffective. When the cancer returns there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

“For the first time we have shown there’s an effective next step after chemo.”

Every year in the UK over two and half thousand people are diagnosed with the disease. More men than women are diagnosed as the deadly disease is linked to asbestos exposure. Asbestos was previously used in insulation for roofs and floors but has been banned for many years. Since the early 1990s the number of cases of mesothelioma has increased dramatically. This is because the disease can take many years to develop, possibly even 30 or 40 years.

Prof Griffiths has presented their findings to the World Conference on Lung Cancer, in the hope that the new treatment using nivolumab will be used by the NHS in the future. Prof Griffiths said, “We’ve created very good evidence that this is a good standard of care.

“The hope is it could benefit thousands of patients.”

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