More than half of patients with advanced forms of disease who took lorlatinib were still alive after five years with no progression

Doctors are hailing “off the chart” trial results that show a new drug stopped lung cancer advancing for longer than any other treatment in medical history.

Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 1.8m deaths every year. Survival rates in those with advanced forms of the disease, where tumours have spread, are particularly poor.

More than half of patients (60%) diagnosed with advanced forms of lung cancer who took lorlatinib were still alive five years later with no progression in their disease, data presented at the world’s largest cancer conference showed. The rate was 8% in patients treated with a standard drug, the trial found.

The results are the longest progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes ever recorded in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the world’s most common form of the disease. They were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) in Chicago on Friday.

  • quinacridone@lemmy.mlEnglish
    551·
    5 months ago

    I don’t normally comment on news posts, but in this instance, FUCK CANCER

    Fuck cancer for stealing my brother from me, and for taking half my bf’s lung

    I seriously hopes this works for everyone out there living with this disease, and for their families, friends, the people who love them…

    …and also for everyone who has died too soon and missed their chance for survival. Their donation of tissue samples and furthering the cancer research that ultimately wouldn’t help them, but will help the poor bastards that are diagnosed today and in the future…It is bitter sweet

    Fuck cancer

    • boydster@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      14·
      5 months ago

      Fuck cancer all the way. Every step further in stopping it is a win. And this seems like it might be a particularly great step.

  • Blizzard@lemmy.zipEnglish
    18·
    5 months ago

    It’s the second major medical breathrough this week. If they both turned out true, that would be incredible.

  • lady_maria@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    5 months ago

    That’s awesome to hear, but I’m sure it’ll be unaffordable for many—if not most—people who need it… at least in the US. :(

    • aname@lemmy.oneEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      I assumed their charts were showing real numbers and their numbers were imaginary.

  • Stardust@kbin.social
    7·
    5 months ago

    Lung cancer killed my pet and I imagine it killed many other people’s pets too. Cancer also killed some of my other pets.

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      224·
      5 months ago

      Smoking can also cause cancer in the larynx, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, cervix, kidney, and blood. It’s by no means a free pass.

    • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
      101·
      5 months ago

      Well that’s a hilarious tinfoil hat theory- that lung-cancer-fighting drugs are financed by Big Tobacco as a way for them to sell more cigarettes.

      And honestly, is there anything more late-stage capitalism than “who cares if this activity causes you cancer; you can just take a pill to make it go away!”

      -The above post was brought to you by Lucky Strikes, the cigarette that causes the most treatable form of cancer!

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    4·
    5 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Doctors are hailing “off the chart” trial results that show a new drug stopped lung cancer advancing for longer than any other treatment in medical history.

    The results are the longest progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes ever recorded in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the world’s most common form of the disease.

    “To our knowledge these results are unprecedented,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Benjamin Solomon, a medical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

    “You don’t need a magnifying glass to see the difference between these two drugs,” said Dr Julie Gralow, Asco’s chief medical officer.

    Dr David Spigel, the chief scientific officer of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in London, a world-leading clinical trials facility specialising in new therapies for cancer patients, welcomed the findings.

    “Showcasing the power of cancer-growth blocker drugs, this study could present us with an effective way of stopping cancer in its tracks and preventing it from spreading to the brain.

    The original article contains 639 words, the summary contains 161 words. Saved 75%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!