Alternative chemotherapy in curing cancer

New tests have shown that the drug Erlotinib is as effective as chemotherapy, and is better tolerated in difficult cases in patients who develop rapidly after first-line treatment.

Cancer patients are treated with more chemotherapy with hope - Photo: Montreal Gazette

According to Top News , research by Romanian experts only includes people with advanced disease after undergoing first-line chemotherapy.

' These patients are extremely badly anticipated about the disease process and have very few treatment options. An effective alternative to chemotherapy is therefore important, because the side effects associated with chemotherapy can cause more physical degeneration in patients who are already very weak , 'Tudor expert Ciuleanu of Ion Chiricuta Cancer Institute in Cluj-Napoca said.

The study was conducted on 424 patients with advanced lung cancer rapidly after first-line treatment. Of these, 203 were treated with Erlotinib and 221 were treated with chemotherapy with docetaxel or pemetrexed. The results showed that there was no difference in survival rates between the two groups as well as no significant differences in the duration of the disease did not progress.

' Clinical trials are important because it confirms Erlotinib is as effective as chemotherapy with better tolerability, even for the group of patients who are predicted to develop bad disease ,' Ciuleanu said.

' The study also found that patients could benefit from erlotinib regardless of whether they had EGRF mutations. So Erlotinib gives the doctor an effective alternative to chemotherapy after the disease progresses without causing side effects caused by chemotherapy , 'Ciuleanu added.