Lung cancer patients with failed therapies will have the chance to improve their condition with TARCEVA drug

Persons suffering from lung cancer with previously failed therapies have the chance to improve their condition with TARCEVA drug considered by the specialists as one of the first steps towards a new era in the molecular oncology. The drug kills malignant cells without affecting the healthy ones, well-known specialists in oncology from Moldova and Romania told a press conference, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the director of the National Oncology Institute Dumitru Sofroni, the lung cancer has ranked second for many years among the causes of cancer morbidity. About 700 cases of lung cancer are registered every year in Moldova, the most affected are the men aged 50-59 (36%), and among women – those who are aged 70 (41%). Only 25-30% of them are found at the first stage of the disease. The III and IV stages need surgical, chemical and radiological interventions, which are not always successful. After TARCEVA drug appeared, Sofroni says that the patients in last stages have a chance to get well, because the drug produced by the Switzerland-based company Roche proved a survival rate of 42.5% among the advanced lung cancer cases and improved the condition of the patients by eliminating the symptoms characteristic to the advanced stage of the disease. Because of the drug’s high price, MDL 42 thousand for 30 pills, the Oncology Institute purchased it for only 3-5 patients. Sofroni hopes that Moldova will follow the example of other countries and will cover a half of the necessities of the cancer patients from private resources. Dr Tudor Ciuleanu, professor at the Medicine University in Cluj, said that about 800 persons suffering from lung cancer in Romania, who were not responding to other types of treatment had the lucky chance to participate in the Test Study of TARCEVA, which was conducted in Canada with the participation of 86 centres from 17 countries. A significant part of the patients overcame the crisis and improved their health condition. Ciuleanu says that he used in his practice the TARCEVA drug and considers it revolutionary, in light of the fact that it has reduced toxicity and is easy to use (one pill per day). TARCEVA is at present estimated within an intensive clinical programme by Global Alliance, including OSI Pharmaceutics and Roche, focusing on the primary studies of the lung cancer. Results will be available in 2 years. According to the specialists, 85% of the lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. 30% of all cancer cases are believed to be caused by smoking.