Patients who have one of the most virulent forms of lung cancer are set to benefit from a new drug which has been described as "the most important to have emerged in the past 10 years" for that form of the disease. The drug topotecan has been shown to be effective in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the most aggressive of all lung cancers, which accounts for about 25 per cent of cases.
Lung-cancer specialists meeting in UCD are to be briefed today on the latest field trials for the drug, which is derived from an oriental deciduous tree.
An Irish oncologist, Dr Des Carney, said the drug had the potential to help significantly in fighting SCLC. "It's 10 years since we have had a very active agent to use against this form of cancer."
Further trials would be necessary, however, to establish how it could be integrated with other drug treatments already in place and to determine its overall efficiency.
The conference also heard details of the latest research on a new anti-cancer agent, gemcitabine, which has been shown to be effective in treating non-small cell lung cancer.
