“Holiday” Treatment, A Big Step Forward In Fighting Cancer

“Holiday” Treatment, A Big Step Forward In Fighting Cancer

The Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, the University of California together with The University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland have published a study on the online version of “Nature” magazine suggesting that tumors, specifically melanoma tumors reduce in size when given a break from their treatment, a “holiday”.

The study shows through experiments carried out on mice that alternating the doses that make up the cancer treatment could extend survival and life span of cancer patients, particularly those in later stages.

The researchers found that cancer cells that develop resistance to the anti-cancer drug vemurafenib also become addicted to the drug.

This leads to the cells using the drug to produce faster growing, more resistant tumors.To counteract this response the team experimented with the patterns and dosage in which the drug was administered to patients who had melanoma tumors.

Changes have shown that by alternating the dosage and pattern of the treatment researchers managed to prolonge the life expectancy of the cancer ridden mice while mice that had continuous treatment died sooner.

With Melanoma being one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and the deadliest type of skin cancer, killing no less than 9000 Americans in 2012, the research conducted in this experiment could not only extend the lives of patients but may provide the beginnings for research that could offer even late stage skin cancer sufferers a full recovery.

Posted by George Daniels on Thursday January 10 2013, 8:11 PM EST. Ref: MedicalNewsToday. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0