Hope For Cervical Cancer Patients: Avastin Drug 'Cuts Off Tumour Blood Supply'
Hope For Cervical Cancer Patients: Avastin Drug 'Cuts Off Tumour Blood Supply'
PA/The Huffington Post UK
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A drug that cuts the blood supply to tumours can significantly extend the lives of women with advanced cervical cancer, a study has shown.
Compared with those on chemotherapy alone, patients taking Avastin typically lived nearly four months longer.
The percentage of patients responding to therapy also increased by a third from 36% to almost half with the addition of Avastin.
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The targeted drug, generically known as bevacizumab, is a laboratory-made antibody that directly combats the generation of tumour-nourishing blood vessels.
It is already approved in the European Union for advanced stages of bowel, ovarian, breast, lung and kidney cancers.
The latest results from the Phase III GOG240 trial, funded by the US National Cancer Institute, are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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10 Cervical Cancer Facts
Check Your Body (01 of10)
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You know your body best. If you notice any unusual changes like abnormal bleeding from your vagina, pain in your pelvis or lower back, or pain during sexual intercourse, don't ignore it. Make some time to talk to your doctor. (credit:Shutterstock)
Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices (02 of10)
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Eat a balanced diet and try not to smoke. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke have both been linked to cervical cancer. If you smoke, reducing your risk of cervical cancer is yet another reason to quit. (credit:Shutterstock)
When Should You Have A Pap Test? (03 of10)
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You should have a Pap test within three years of becoming sexually active, or by the age of 21. If you are currently not sexually active or have not been sexually active in years, experts suggest still getting the test. (credit:Shutterstock)
Pap Tests Should Happen 1-3 Years (04 of10)
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You should have a Pap test performed every one to three years depending on previous results. If you have trouble remembering, there are a number of calender apps you can sign up for. (credit:Shutterstock)
Take The Test At The Right Time (05 of10)
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Doctors recommend you have the Pap test in the middle part of your menstrual cycle — that means between 10 to 20 days after the first day of your period. (credit:Shutterstock)
Don't Do It Before The Test (06 of10)
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Don’t have sexual intercourse 24 hours before the test, as this can affect your results. (credit:Shutterstock)
What About Hysterectomies?(07 of10)
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If you've had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus), you may still need a Pap test. Talk to your doctor for more information. (credit:Shutterstock)
Practice Safe Sex...All The Time (08 of10)
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The biggest risk factor for developing cervical cancer is an infection of the cervix with human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus. HPV infections are quite common and most go away on their own, but some don’t. These are the infections that can lead to cancer if they aren't caught by Pap tests and treated early. (credit:Shutterstock)
Get The Vaccine (09 of10)
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Get vaccinated against HPV. The HPV vaccine can help reduce the risk of cervical cancer, as well as vulvar, vaginal and anal cancer. (credit:Shutterstock)
Know Your Medical History (10 of10)
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Know your medical history as well as your family history, especially if anyone in your family has had cancer. However, cancer can affect anyone at any stage of life, so give yourself the best chance for survival by getting it diagnosed early. (credit:Shutterstock)
A total of 452 women with advanced cervical cancer that was not responding to standard treatment took part in the study in the US and Spain.
Women given chemotherapy alone typically lived 13.3 months while those on Avastin survived for 17 months.
Dr Mary McCormack, consultant clinical oncologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "There is a desperate need for more treatment options for advanced cervical cancer, so it is very encouraging to see that Avastin given with chemotherapy extends survival by four months without compromising patients'quality of life."
Robert Music, chief executive of the charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "For women who receive a late stage diagnosis of cervical cancer the prognosis can often be poor. Any advances that can help improve outcomes and overall survival rates in women with advanced cervical cancer are welcome."
Each year around 3,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 1,000 die from the disease.
The disease is the most common cancer in the UK affecting women aged 35 and under.