Mesothelioma Attorneys
New drug gives hope to mesothelioma patients
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Doctors say the first drug proven to treat patients with mesothelioma is now available in Australia. While it is not a cure it can offer patients some relief of pain and symptoms. Up until now there has been little doctors could do for most patients diagnosed with mesothelioma, the cancer which affects some people exposed to asbestos. The new drug is called pemetrexed and has been tested in clinical trials in Australia. Doctors at the Sydney Cancer Centre say it can prolong a patient’s life by an average of three months. Cancer specialist Michael Boyer says the new drug works by blocking three enzymes which control cancer cells spreading. It is given through a six week course of chemotherapy and doctors say its effective in about 50 per cent of patients. Each treatment costs around $25,000, though in New South Wales it is free for those patients who were exposed to asbestos through their workplace. Source : abc.net.au |
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