New Cancer Drug Has Promise; Little Side Effect

[StlSluggers]

Pretty amazing, if this is true.

Unlike regular cells, which can control their oxygen levels relatively easily, cancer cells have trouble balancing the levels.

With the new drug STA-4783, doctors may be able to overload the cancer cells with oxygen-containing chemicals to the point where the cells cannot cope and simply die off...

...

Because STA-4783 targets only cancer cells, Williams said the drug does not come with too many side effects. Less than 5 percent of patients suffered serious side effects, which were similar to those seen in regular chemotherapy treatments, such as a temporary lowering of white blood cells, back pain and fatigue.

[brewcrew4you]

"The study followed 81 patients with serious skin cancer: 28 received the standard chemotherapy drug paclitaxel and lived an average of 1.8 months before their cancer worsened, while 53 got paclitaxel plus the new drug and lived an average of 3.7 months before the disease worsened.

Patients on the experimental combination survived an average of one year after being diagnosed while those getting only the standard treatment survived an average of 7.8 months."

Not exactly a miracle cure...

[Art Vandelay]

Pretty amazing, if this is true.

I agree.

[StlSluggers]

Pretty amazing, if this is true.

I agree.

Here you go: One freshly-crapped kitten for your hat.

[knapplc]

"The study followed 81 patients with serious skin cancer: 28 received the standard chemotherapy drug paclitaxel and lived an average of 1.8 months before their cancer worsened, while 53 got paclitaxel plus the new drug and lived an average of 3.7 months before the disease worsened.

Patients on the experimental combination survived an average of one year after being diagnosed while those getting only the standard treatment survived an average of 7.8 months."

Not exactly a miracle cure...

You have to remember that they typically don't give experimental drugs to non-terminal cancer patients. Most of these studies you'll read about show that the people who get these drugs live only a few months more than the control group. They do not approach non-terminal cancer patients for experimental therapies.

As a husband of a cancer survivor (three years and counting ) I have some knowledge of this kind of stuff. I'm also greatly interested in any advances they make.

Basically I told my wife that she needed to give me five years, and by then they'd have another Magic Bullet. This could very well be a step in the right direction.