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Researcher Herpes Virus can help cure skin cancer
Skin cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers. Every year, many people die of the disease, which is often triggered by too much exposure to the sun. Many sufferers make the mistake of lying in the sun for hours in the summer and usually use no or too little sunscreen. Now scientists have developed a new drug that could help treat skin cancer. The results of their research, the physicians now published in the journal "Journal of Clinical Oncology".
There is new hope for skin cancer patients. A team of British physicians has now succeeded in producing a new drug for skin cancer. The drug called "T VEC" is the bioengineered version of the cold sore virus. This fights malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. In the UK alone, about 13,500 people suffer from this type of cancer each year. About 2,200 deaths annually are attributed to this condition.
Herpes virus is said to cure skin cancer. Picture: nobeastsofierce - fotolia T VEC marks the beginning of a new era in cancer treatment
Melanoma can occur anywhere on the body, but we find it most commonly on the back, legs, arms and face. In some cases, they spread to other organs, often with fatal consequences. The disease often begins with the appearance of new liver spots, or existing liver spots begin to change. The new drug "T VEC" would work in two ways, by attacking the tumors themselves and supporting the body's immune system, said scientist Professor Kevin Harrington, an expert on biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research. This type of treatment is called immunotherapy. The British experts regard this type of therapy as the "new era" in cancer treatment.
New drug probably next year in the market
The new drug has now been approved by the European Medicines Agency "Watchdog" for use in the UK. At the present time it is used only in patients in a medical study, said the doctors. The manufacturer Amgen made so far no information on the official price of the remedy. Within the next year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will decide whether the new drug can be routinely used publicly. The drug agency "Watchdog" would reject many cancer therapies, especially those that are very expensive and prolong the patient's life by only a few months, explained the doctors. However, the researchers are optimistic and hope that "T VEC" will soon be routinely available on the market.
New drug is the first viral immunotherapy with license in Europe
The use of "T VEC" is an important first step towards improved treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma, the physicians explained in their study. This cancer is largely considered untreatable for the majority of patients. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has now started evaluating the new "T VEC" treatment, hoping that there will be no delays in bringing it to market, said the researchers. The drug is the first viral immunotherapy to have been licensed in Europe and is not only effective, but also has relatively mild side effects compared to other types of market immunotherapy, said Professor Kevin Harrington of the Institute for Cancer Research in London. Currently, most cancers are still treated by the use of invasive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. All of these methods are at an increased risk of harming cancer patients. The new therapy would not damage human tissue or healthy cells, the researchers added to the study.