Advancements are being made in the battle against blood cancers, recent studies suggest. A study of patients suffering from multiple myeloma used the drug zoledronic acid to test its long-term survival effects. The drug, already sold as Reclast and Zometa, to strengthen bone health and lower fracture risks had a good outcome in increasing survival rates.
The results showed that these drugs can have a positive effect on survival when used to treat patients whose cancers were newly diagnosed.
The test studied almost two thousand patients with multiple myeloma. Fifty per cent were treated with clodronic acid and non-intensive chemotherapy and the other fifty per cent were provided treatment with zoledronic acid and comparative levels of chemo.
Patients underwent treatment for twelve months and follow up continued for four years. The patients who had been given zoledronic acid had an increased survival rate of sixteen per cent in comparison with the other test subjects.
The chemotherapy had no apparent effect on fatality and survival.Although the results are quite encouraging, doctors warn that zoledronic acid and drugs like it, called bisphosphonates, have extreme side effects. Because of this, they suggest much more studying be done in order to determine treatment times and the dosing options.
Meanwhile, another study has found that a drug called imatinib has a positive effect on patients being treated for an aggressive type of leukemia called (Ph+) ALL. Patients were given the drug in association with chemotherapy.
The first stage of patients were given chemotherapy along with stem cell transplants, resulting in a 25 per cent survival rate. The second group was supplied imatinib after two sessions of chemotherapy, resulting in a 34 per cent survival rate. The final group was given imatinib along with chemotherapy and had a 48 per cent survival rate.
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