Radiation drug directly targets tumours in study,gives new hope

According to Prof Jame Abraham,Medical Director at Mary Babb Randolph Cancer centre,West Virginia university,US,drug radium 223 chloride reduced mortality by 30 per cent.

Contacted via email,Dr Durado Brooks,Director,Prostate and Colorectal Cancer,American Cancer Society,told The Indian Express: “The results look promising and we are looking forward to seeing the details of the study once these have gone through an appropriate peer review process.”

Since it is a targeted therapy,this treatment has few side-effects and is less damaging to surrounding tissue. Potentially it can be the new standard for treatment of prostate cancer,Abraham said over the phone.

In 90% of patients with advanced prostate cancer,the tumour spreads to the bone. The study looked at patients with these secondary cancers,as radium 223 chloride acts like calcium,helping bones.

Of the patients involved in the study,half were given radium 223 chloride in addition to traditional chemotherapy drugs,The rest received chemotherapy and a placebo. The mortality rate was 30 per cent lower in the group that was given radium 223.

These patients survived 14 months on an average,compared to 11 months in the placebo group.

According to an official release issued by the National Health Service,UK,results will be presented at the European Council Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress,but these have not yet been reviewed by other scientists.

Dr Chris Parker has been quoted as saying the study is a milestone for patients of cancer.

Prostate cancer in India

* 20,000 new cases of prostate cancer every year in the country

* Incidence rising by 4.7 per cent in Chennai,3.1 per cent in Delhi,2.1 per cent in Bangalore and 0.8 per cent in Mumbai annually

* It is the second leading site of cancer in cities like Thiruvananthapuram,Pune and Kolkata.