Image copyright Science Photo Library Two new drugs intended for patients with kidney cancer at a later stage, may radically change their treatment , says the European Oncology Congress (ECC).
Both drugs increase survival rates, according to a study published in the journal New England Journal of Medicine.
One of the drug activates the immune system, and the second suppresses signals that cause the uncontrolled cell division in cancer.
Kidney cancer – the eighth most common type of cancer in the UK. The mortality rate among the diseased kidney cancer rises sharply in the later stages of the disease.
After the metastases spread to other parts of the body, nine out of ten patients die within five years.
In one of the clinical test to learn new immunotherapeutic medicine nivolumab.
Nivolumab developed as a monoclonal antibody that reduces proliferation and activation of T-cells. In other words, the drug prevents the cancer cells turn off the immune system.
These drugs have demonstrated their effectiveness in the treatment of cancer of the skin and lungs.
In a clinical study, which was attended by 821 people , when using the drug nivolumab average life expectancy of patients has increased from 19.6 months to 25 months.
This allows doctors to expand their aresnal available in the treatment of kidney cancer
“This is a significant achievement in the use of immunotherapy against cancer, and an extremely significant achievement in regard to kidney cancer,” – said in an interview with BBC BBC Dr. James Larkin hospital Royal Marsden Hospital.
“We already know two or three years that these drugs are effective against many types of cancer, but there are important randomized controlled trial,” – said the expert.
In another clinical trial examined the effectiveness of the drug cabozantinib, which suppresses the signals that cause the uncontrolled cell division in cancer.
The average survival time of patients has doubled from 3.8 to 7.4 months.
“Kidney cancer at a later stage it was difficult to treat, until now has been particularly difficult to find drugs that would be effective after treatment of the first stage ended without results, “- says Dr. Alan Worsley from issledovatelstkoy organization Cancer Research UK.
” The two drugs that have passed these clinical trials, seems to be more effective than everolimus [immunosuppressive and anti-cancer agent - Ed.], and they have fewer side effects, “- he said.
” Cabozantinib, as a means of directed or targeted therapy, and nivolumab, which means immunotherapy fight cancer in different ways, allowing physicians to expand their aresnal available in the treatment of kidney cancer, “- said Alan Worsley.
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