Thursday, January 20, 2011

Pill slows spread of skin cancer in half of cases

Patient being examind for skin cancer
About 2,000 people in the UK die from skin cancer each year

A new drug for skin cancer can slow the spread of the disease in half of patients, thereby extending their lives, a study says.

A trial of 680 patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London tested a drug that attacks a genetic mutation found in half of all skin cancer cases.

The drug was effective on patients with advanced malignant melanoma.

The study has been welcomed by Cancer Research UK, but not yet published for review by other cancer specialists.

Dr Lesley Walker from Cancer Research UK, said she hoped that the drug would become available to patients quickly:

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