Cancer Trial Starts
Posted on: Friday, 11 February 2005, 12:00 CST
A national bowel cancer trial was launched yesterday with experts hoping it will lead to better treatment for thousands of victims of the deadly disease.
Launched in Cardiff, the trial is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Cancer Research UK, with an educational grant from the pharmaceutical company, Merck KGaA.
The research seeks to find whether using a new treatment, called cetuximab, as a supplement to normal chemotherapy will increase the number of patients whose tumours shrink.
It is also trying to see if the drug can help control the cancer for longer.
Researchers will also look at whether 12-week courses of chemotherapy with planned breaks, instead of the typical continuous courses, can reduce side effects.
It is hoped that almost 2,500 bowel cancer patients will take part in the trial.
Professor Tim Maughan, director of Wales Cancer Trials, who is heading the project, said, 'Cetuximab targets the cancer and appears to make standard chemotherapy much more effective. We want to find out if it can help patients to live longer and have a better quality of life.'
Bowel cancer kills around 16,000 people in the UK each year.
Source: Western Mail
Related Articles
- Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Presents Data on SPI-1620, a Novel Adjunct to Chemotherapy, at the American Association of Cancer Research Meeting
- Cancer Researchers at Manhattan-Based St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center Discover Genes That Can Determine How Patients Respond to Pre-Leukemia Drug
- Mutual Fund Industry Raises 0ver $350,000 For Cancer Research
- Sumner M. Redstone Commits $105 Million to Fund Cancer and Burn Recovery Research and Patient Care
- AVAX Technologies Presents Results of Phase I-II M-Vax(TM) Trial at Annual Meeting of American Association for Cancer Research
- Bionovo's Publication Tagged As 'Critical Trial' By Leading Journal: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's On Target For A Cure Clay Tournament Raises $280,000 for Cancer Research and Patient Aid
- Valeant Pharmaceuticals Announces Availability of Complimentary ``Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects For Dummies'' Cancer Chemotherapy Resource; Special Edition ``For Dummies''(R) Book Now Available for Cancer Chemotherapy Patients and Caregivers
- Mother's Day Greeting Cards Raise Funds for Cancer Research and Patient Aid
- The University of Cambridge, Cancer Research Technology, Cancer Research UK and Perlegen Sciences Collaborate to Analyze Thousands of DNA Samples From Breast Cancer Patients
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds