Personal Injury Law

Breast cancer drug may slow lung cancer's march

By Hurley, McKenna & Mertz

A new study has found that the breast cancer drug ?tamoxifen may stall the progression of non-small cell lung cancer in those who take it after breast cancer treatment. (M. Healy, LA Times). Tamoxifen is the ?oldest of a wide array of medications that block the action of the hormone estrogen in the body.? A growing body of research in the recent years has found that many non-small cell lung cancers (the most common form) respond to estrogen.

Preliminary research discovered only a small difference in patients who took tamoxifen, so more research is needed. Perhaps the most proiming result is that ?deaths from lung cancer were distinctly more numerous among the women who had not taken tamoxifen than among those who had -- a difference significant enough for researchers to declare that by shutting off one source of fuel to an incipient lung tumor, tamoxifen may slow progression of the disease.?

As a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer, I am always hopeful when I hear of new possible cancer treatments. As always, however, I hope any new drugs are adequately tested prior to wide spread use.

Full post as published by Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog on February 01, 2011 (boomark / email).