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04 June 2015 09:32
Scientists have hailed the potential of the new drug
A new drug could help patients with a devastating form of lung cancer to live longer, it has been suggested.
Nivolumab, an immuno-therapy drug that unshackles the immune system so it can attack cancerous cells, has been shown to double the life expectancy of genetically targeted patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
One expert has described the results of the major international trial as a "paradigm shift" in the battle against lung cancer.
Lung cancer is one of the UK's most serious forms of the disease.
Advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer accounts for around 85% of all cases of the lung disease, which is diagnosed in 43,463 new patients and is responsible for 35,371 deaths each year in the UK.
Overseas travel
Like other cancers, treatment depends on how far it has spread and how good your general health is.
But whether you are a cancer survivor or are undergoing treatment, cancer travel insurance means you can still enjoy jetting off to sunnier climes around the world with family and friends.
Policies can include cover for replacing lost medication and access to 24/7 emergency assistance.
Longer life expectancy
The new research, led by Dr Luis Paz-Ares, from the Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio in Spain, compared the effectiveness of nivolumab and the standard chemotherapy drug docetaxel in 582 patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
Nivolumab reduced the risk of dying by 27% compared with docetaxel and increased typical survival time from 9.4 to 12.2 months.
In patients whose cancers produced higher levels of a tumour protein called PD-L1, survival time more than doubled from eight to 19.4 months.
Dr David Chao, consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London, described the findings as a paradigm shift in the treatment of lung cancer.
19 March 2019
Lower your blood pressure with these fresh, healthy foods you can add to your diet.
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02 March 2019
A Flybe flight was forced to abort take-off due to the cabin filling with "smoke" while it was accelerating along the runway at Exeter Airport.
01 March 2019
Holidaymakers will soon be able to take advantage of the first direct flight from London to Scotland's Western Isles after Loganair announced three new routes.
28 February 2019
Over one in five women in the UK wrongly think a smear test can detect ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
27 February 2019
One in 10 UK adults over the age of 40 is living with Type 2 diabetes, new analysis suggests - but the real figure could be much higher.
26 February 2019
British Airways has revealed the second of its series of retro liveries being recreated as part of the airline's 100th birthday celebrations.
23 February 2019
The price of a prescription in England is set to rise again, the Government has announced, in a move some campaigners have called disappointing.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
15 February 2019
British Airways celebrated Valentine's Day with a special flight where all members of the cabin crew were couples who work for the airline.