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Most Patients Unaware of Breakthrough Drug That Could Reduce Cancer To a Chronic Disease |
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Written by Wire Services
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Monday, 27 March 2006 |
Nine out of ten patients battling cancer in Europe have never heard of a major breakthrough in cancer treatment, known as anti-angiogenesis, according to a new survey released today. Yet, 70% of cancer specialists who took part in the survey believe that patients and their carers should know more about anti-angiogenic treatment as it marks the dawn of a new era in cancer treatment. In fact, half of the cancer specialists surveyed even believed that the use of anti-angiogenic therapy could lead to cancer becoming a treatable illness people can live with, not the death sentence it so often is.
Anti-angiogenic therapy is a novel new therapy that works by starving the tumour of its blood supply to stop its growth. The first anti-angiogenic therapy, Avastin (bevacizumab), was launched a year ago for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, and is the only anti-angiogenic agent that has consistently demonstrated survival benefit in the three most common tumour types: colorectal cancer, breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Professor Nick Thatcher, Professor of Oncology, University of Manchester, Christie Hospital, UK, said: "We are entering a new era in the treatment of cancer with the advent of innovative new cancer therapies and it's important that patients and their medical advisors understand the potential of these new treatments to extend life."
The survey also revealed that patient awareness of new cancer treatments is low: 40% admitted to feeling completely uninformed about advances in technology which might help them overcome their disease. This knowledge gap is concerning to both patient groups and physicians, who feel it is important that cancer patients are up-to-date on the latest technologies that may help them in their fight against the disease.
Highligts of the survey show:
-Two out of five cancer patients were not even sure what treatment they were currently receiving;
-A third of patients said they would not actively seek additional treatment information following diagnosis.
-Only 11% of patients felt confident that their treatment would enable them to overcome their disease when they were first diagnosed; yet 100% of patients with advanced cancer being treated with anti-angiogenic therapy are optimistic about its potential benefits;
-A large proportion of physicians surveyed believed that the widespread use of anti-angiogenesis therapy would result in cancer becoming a chronic condition - with which the patient could live.
In Europe, Avastin is approved for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum in combination with other specific chemotherapy regimens. Avastin received fast-track approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and was launched in the US in February 2004. Health Canada approved the drug in 2005. |
