Lung Cancer Patients Likely to Respond to Erlotinib May Be Identified By Blood Test

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/187352.php




This is a picture of the anatomy of the lungs with a tumor that develops into cancer.



http://www.myseek.info/health/what-causes-lung-cancer/images/JAMA_Cancer_Lung_JPP_01.jpg

Pavinato, Vanessa. "Lung Cancer Patients Likely To Respond To Erlotinib May Be Identified By Blood Test." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International Ltd., 03 May 2010. Web. 03 May 2010. .

• Specific cancer protein in lung cancer can be treated better if susceptible to Erlotinib
• Drugs such as Erlotinib slow the growth of tumors, but are more effective against certain tumors.
• Blood samples from the NCIC CTG BR.21 study had shown that erlotinib improved survival compared to two other drugs.
• Technique called FISH is the study of tumor cells directly under a microscope.
• A serum test can predict up to 99% of people who have proteomic status.

Reflection

This article seemed like any normal article at first, but when I read it, the article had a whole new meaning to it. Now it seems as if there may be a possible cure for cancer, if not that, then at least a prevention. I have never heard of erlotinib or anything similar to it, but if it can help prevent cancer, then it must be very important. I wonder if there are more ways to prevent cancer that are more effective than erlotinib. Lung cancer is becoming more deadly everyday, and if it is possible to reduce its death rate, that would be something I would approve of. This article has helped me understand the helpfulness of a potentially useless drug.