A new drug has been approved in Scotland for the treatment of breast cancers in the early stages. The drug named Arimidex seems to be beneficial specifically in treating breast cancer in women, who have crossed menopause. Arimidex is an aromatase inhibitor that works by inhibiting the oestrogen production in the adrenal gland.
Scotland became the first part of the UK this week to approve Arimidex for post-menopausal women with early breast cancer.
The drug, which has been hailed as the new gold standard therapy after surgery, is expected to benefit around 4,000 women. England and Wales also intend to introduce this drug into the market by the end of this year. Keeping in mind the efficacy that has been noted so far, this drug is also due for consideration for the approval by National Institute of Clinical Excellence.
The medical journal Lancet has reported that this drug has helped in halving the risk of the illness relapsing in patients. Lancet Oncology reports that recipients of this drug have shown remarkable improvement after two to three years following surgery, as compared to the standard drug of choice, Tamoxifen. Their chances of succumbing to death on account of the cancer were reduced by 29%.The study reported in Lancet also shows that chances of relapse were minimized by 45% after introduction of this drug. The long term chance of occurrence of any other cancer in the lifetime of the patient also showed a considerable decline of 39% in the studies.
The author of the study, Professor Walter Jonat, of the University of Kiel in Germany, said: “By changing treatment, their chances of beating the disease and living longer cancer free can be greatly improved, giving them more confidence for the future.”
