Breast cancer tumours killed in 11 days with ‘staggering’ new therapy

A team of researchers at Manchester University, UK, have claimed that a new breast cancer therapy has shown great promise following trials in the UK.

Experts hailed the findings as “astonishing” and said it is the first time a drug for the disease has ever shown such a response.

“For solid tumours to disappear in 11 days is unheard of. These are mind-boggling results” ~ Lead researcher Professor Nigel Bundred

The UK study involved women suffering from one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer – HER2 positive – who were given a combination of two targeted drugs.

Almost nine in 10 women showed some response to the treatment – meaning the number of cancer cells began to fall. In one in four cases, the powerful cocktail saw tumours shrink significantly, and in some cases totally vanish.

Researchers said those taking part in the trial were left astounded at the “mind-blowing” effect of combining two drugs – Herceptin, the current standard treatment for such cases, with a second drug called Tyverb.

They said the breakthrough could radically change future treatment of breast cancer, as treatment with high-cost drugs for less than a fortnight was “dirt cheap”.

Copyrights – The Telegraph UK.

So here is how the medication works

The study divided women into three groups:

1. Some received no treatment before their operation – as is normally the case.

2. Others were given the drug Herceptin, which is usually given for a year after surgery.

3. A third group were given Herceptin, combined with a newer drug called Tyverb.

The study, funded by Cancer Research UK, found that among 66 women given the combination therapy, 87 per cent had some kind of immediate biological response.

This was shown by a drop in proteins which indicate cells are growing and dividing, or a rise in cell death of at least 30 per cent. But the findings were yet more remarkable among 28 per cent of women in the group.

In total, 11 per cent of those given the drug combination saw tumours entirely vanish, in less than a fortnight. A further 17 per cent had tumours shrunk to less than 5mm – a growth so small it is classed as “minimal residual disease”.

Scientists said they did not know what mechanism had caused the drug cocktail to be so effective.

But they speculated that the treatment had blocked cancer cells from multiplying, killing them off and sparking an immune response in the body.

This medication is, however, expensive and is currently not widely available and has been has been rejected by NHS rationing bodies for not being cost-effective, at £27,000 a year.

Could this be the beginning of the end for cancers?

News source ~ The Telegraph, UK