Drug 'shrinks lung cancer tumour'

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

Scientists have identified a drug which may offer hope to patients with a particularly lethal form of lung cancer.

The drug eliminated small cell lung cancer tumours in 50% of mice, and blocked the cells' ability to resist standard chemotherapy treatment.

The Imperial College London team now hope to test it in patients with an inoperable form of the disease. Their study appears in the journal Cancer Research.

Lung cancer is a major killer, and the small cell version of the disease, which makes up 20% of total cases, has a particularly poor prognosis. Only around 3% of patients survive for five years. The cancer spreads quickly, so surgery is not often an option.

A growth hormone called FGF-2 appears to speed division of the cancer cells, and to trigger a survival mechanism which makes them resistant to chemotherapy. PD173074 blocks FGF-2 from attaching to tumour cells. The researchers say it could potentially be taken as a pill, rather than fed into the body via a drip.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8350220.stm

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Deadliest lung cancer breakthrough

Source: Telegraph

A new pill that could cure one of the most lethal forms of cancer is being developed by scientists.

By Richard Alleyne
Published: 7:00AM GMT 11 Nov 2009

=snip=

In more than 50 per cent of the trials, the treatment, which appears to have no side affects, killed all traces of the disease.

"We are very excited about it," said Professor Michael Seckl, the molecular oncologist who led the study at Imperial College London.

"If you get diagnosed with this cancer your chances of surviving are very small. Over the last 30 years we have made very little progress in its treatment.

"This is why this is so exciting. It is pretty unusual to see a drug that makes these tumours completely disappear."

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6537883/Deadliest-lung-cancer-breakthrough.html

[tomm2thumbs]

1. having just helped someone through this, it is nothing short of spectacular news if true

(crossing everything, fingers included) -thanks for posting

[Turborama]

2. Sorry to hear about your friend/relative

I gave up smoking and started a healthy diet a month ago due to feeling unusual pains in my chest. I haven't had a check up because I'm too scared but the pains have gone away. Next step is starting a gym routine, which I'm doing later today.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. thanks

she's 100% - caught entirely by accident, removed part of the lung and was considered 'cure' because it was an isolated spot.

And congrats on the shift - healthy is as healthy does. Drink lots of water and get up from the chair a lot - chest pains are nothing to be sneezed at and I can't say whether you have the means, but I would make great effort to find a way to check it out please. :) (this is your conscience talking with a healthy mix of a consternation-look for effect)

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. My Dad and two of my good friends died with small cell...

lung cancer. I hope this new cure works too.

[Ghost Dog]

4. Public-funded university research, notice: Not drug-company pipeline. n/t

[EC]

16. Yes and in England

where they have single-payer...doesn't seem to stop R & D as the repuges insist...

[Ghost Dog]

17. Yeah. Here's one for my dead dad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxEX__YXmDs&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[WriteDown]

19. How so?

They did not invent the drug. They are just exploring its unintended effects.

[TZ]

25. lol

You realize that most academic institutions contract out a lot of their testing to pharma companies right? Because they have the facilities to mass produce drugs that academics don't have.
In fact most pharma companies have contracts with govt/academic universities.
Drug research is NOT private vs. public. Its a combination of both and it works pretty well actually.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. +1

[Rebubula]

7. Too Late...

...for my father (died May 1st 1991 - small cell lung cancer) - but hopefully, this will save other people and their families the pain of terminal cancer.

RIP Pop....I still miss you every day.

[Postman]

8. Why aren't these type of breakthroughs being discovered in America?

What do we get here? Hard-on pills and hair fertilizer.....this country is fucked up...

[WriteDown]

18. Yeah....

There are NO cures ever discovered here. :eyes:

[kimmerspixelated]

21. Exactly, because Big Pharma acts like the mafia

Got an underground "Cure", fagitabout-it!

Plus, you are under arrest!

Why did Ron. Reagan go to Germany for cancer treatment? Even a president can't be cured with alternative therapies in his own country with those bastards forever running the "health" industry of this country!

[Turborama]

22. More recently, Farrah Fawcett also went to Germany for treatment. n/t

[kimmerspixelated]

33. Without knowing if it is the same treatment,

you haven't earned a point.

[WriteDown]

24. Type in "US team finds cure" in google and begone. nt.

[TZ]

30. So the fact that my company is running clinical trials

on monoclonal antibodies designed to DESTROY TUMORS means nothing. Sure sounds like they are working on a cure to me.
But then anybody who listens to you and your YEAST CAUSES CANCER rants isn't interested in scientific fact.
Oh and the companies that produce Gardasil to PREVENT FUCKING CANCER? I guess thats evil too. You are a fear monger who has no interest in learning anything. Willful ignorance..not just for fundies anymore!

[live love laugh]

20. I agree totally. It's tragic that America is no longer represents hope. nt

[TZ]

27. Yes. So sad that america is not working on anything

So Jesus, you know all the scientific research going on everywhere in this country? Imagine that.

[WriteDown]

28. A simple question....

Who created PD173074?

[TZ]

26. They are. Please read about cancer immunogenetics.

TONS of work here in the US. There are many cancer vaccines and monoclonal antibodies that show promise in killing tumors in trials right now. I know because I'M WORKING ON THEM.
Aye carumba.

[CreekDog]

36. the posts you are responding to are as ignorant as the teabaggers on their worst day

:hi:

[SharonAnn]

32. Actually, there are cures like this being developed here. Started with U.S. tax dollars in

the basic research, then taken over by drug companies for development into a product.

My husband just went through a drug trial like this, there's one recently developed for Melanoma which will probably be on the market soon.

[Vidar]

9. Great news, but don't let the drug companies anywhere near it with their

patent lawyers.

[Turborama]

13. Strangely, you can buy it online...

I just did a search for PD173074 and found a site that sells it: http://www.tocris.com/dispprod.php?ItemId=190969

[robcon]

29. I hope the drug companies get in line to buy the patent rights.

That's what saves lives.

[TZ]

31. And my company is testing something similar.

Aww. Trying to cure cancer. How dare they!

[Th1onein]

10. This is the drug called Pravastatin sodium

It's already on the market as a cholesterol lowering drug.

[Turborama]

11. Are you sure?

The only recent news related to a cholesterol lowering drug I've found is in relation to Parkinson's disease...

Widely Used Cholesterol-lowering Drug May Prevent Progression Of Parkinson's Disease: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211647.htm

Have you got any links? I can't find any articles that refer to PD173074 as Pravastatin sodium.

[Th1onein]

15. Here you go:

The trial is called "Lungstar."

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerandresearch/ourcurrentresearch/researchbygrantee/prof-michael-seckl

And this is the description of Lungstar:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/cancertrials/trials/lungstar/index.htm

What they normally do is take the patented drug, change a molecule or two so that they can get a patent on it, and develop/market it.

[Turborama]

35. Thanks for the info, I didn't know that's how they turn it into a 'product'

I missed your reply, apologies for not getting back to you sooner.

[Turborama]

12. Oops!

Double post.

[daleo]

23. It would be nice if it worked

Though most of these haven't panned out over my lifetime.

[mstinamotorcity]

34. Hooray!!!!!!

score one for liberal science. Hope this leads to the cure they are looking for.Now lets hope it doesn't cost one million dollars a pill. Healthcare Reform Now with a public option and mental health benefits.The mental health benefits are for Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin.:P :P :P :P :P