AMONG PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL CANCER THAT HAS SPREAD TO OTHER AREAS OF THE BODY AND WHO HAVE NOT BEEN HELPED BY STANDARD CHEMOTHERAPY, A NEW DRUG CALLED PANITUMUMAB PRODUCES A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN TIME WITHOUT WORSENING OF DISEASE, ACCORDING TO DATA RELEASED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH AND REPORTED BY REUTERS. 'PANITUMUMAB IS A NEW IMPORTANT TREATMENT OPTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHEMO-RESISTANT COLORECTAL CANCER, AND IT CAN ADD TO THE SURVIVAL OF THESE PATIENTS AND THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE,' RESEARCHER DR. MARC PEETERS FROM UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GHENT IN BELGIUM SAID AT A PRESS BRIEFING. PANITUMUMAB TARGETS A GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR THAT IS A KEY PLAYER IN CANCER CELL GROWTH. IN THE STUDY OF 463 HIGHLY PRE-TREATED PATIENTS WITH CHEMO-RESISTANT COLORECTAL CANCER, THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN PANITUMUMAB PLUS BEST SUPPORTIVE CARE SHOWED A 46 PERCENT DECREASE IN THE RATE OF TUMOR PROGRESSION COMPARED WITH PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED BEST SUPPORTIVE CARE ONLY. --MORE 23 11 LOCAL TIME 20 11 GMT
