"Everyone is testing the drug, so we can't tell how much benefit it provides compared to those without it or with other treatments. Since the drug targets a specific gene fault, only half of all melanoma patients are eligible. According to the European Medicines Agency, the drug has been recommended for approval in Europe, pending final approval by the European Commission. Doctors say that 132 patients in the US and Australia who are taking the drug vemurafenib gained some additional months of life. Elizabeth Woolf, head of the cancer information website at Cancer Research UK Help UK, said: 'This is an interesting, impressive, but relatively small trial of a promising new generation of melanoma drugs, and it's a source of pride for Cancer Research UK to have played a role in its development.' The treatment is a drug for advanced melanoma approved quickly last year in the US, providing hope for patients with advanced melanoma. Using sunbeds and sunlamps may also increase the risk of melanoma.
Before this, there had been no new drugs for the cancer for over a decade. Vemurafenib suits about half of the patients with advanced melanoma by targeting tumors expressing a specific genetic mutation. About 2000 people die each year in the UK and Wales from melanoma. 'These results tell us that this drug has a very significant impact, which changes our treatment of metastatic melanoma.' The study published in the British Medical Journal found that those in the study lived on average 16 months, compared to nine months with conventional treatment. Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) has been recommended for approval in Europe. 'We're somewhere with these targeted drugs, but we still have a series of studies to address resistance issues.'
'Looking at these uncertainties, and now that the drug is aimed at UK cancer patients, it will be interesting to see the price the manufacturer charges, given the already scarce healthcare resources under considerable pressure.'
'We've seen a large number of patients with durable responses to the drug, and the entire group of patients is living longer. But she said there are still questions left unanswered, not just regarding costs. Cancer Research UK says once the drug is approved in Europe, patients will be able to discuss treatment options with their doctors.
Ultimately, melanoma is relatively rare, accounting for 10% of all skin cancer cases. Melanoma is responsible for most deaths due to skin cancer. Malignant melanoma (website www.wji.cc) Dr. Anthony Ribas, professor of Hematology/Oncology and researcher at the Anderson Cancer Center at UCLA, said: 'This study shows that Zelboraf changes the natural history of this disease. This data exceeds my expectations. Melanoma, also known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that is invasive and dangerous. About half of these treatments seem beneficial, so it has the potential to help about a quarter of all advanced melanoma patients overall, melamine. We need these targeted drugs, but we still have a series of studies to conduct to address this issue of resistance,' according to Cancer Research UK.
Kate Law, Director of Clinical and Population Research at Cancer Research UK, stated that the treatment is a new generation of anti-cancer drugs targeting specific patient genetic makeup. A new treatment for advanced skin cancer almost doubles survival time, according to an international study. Drug resistance is the main concern.
The primary cause of melanoma is considered to be excessive exposure to the sun. In the UK, patients will be eligible for the Cancer Drugs Fund, the charity says. She told the BBC: 'This isn't a cure - you're talking about an extra six months of life.' Although it offers hope, she said, it isn't a cure as the cancer eventually becomes resistant to the drug."
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