Bone drug may help prevent spread of early lung cancer
February 26th, 2011 - 7:23 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Feb 26 (ANI): Italian researchers have found that a drug, currently used to treat bone metastases in patients with lung cancer, could also be useful to prevent the cancer from spreading in the first place.
Michela Quirino and colleagues from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome have reported important new evidence that zoledronic acid may be able to prevent lung cancer metastases from recruiting the new blood vessels they need to survive.
“Our investigation represents the first clear clinical evidence of the anti-angiogenic effect of zoledronic acid in patients with metastatic lung cancer. It also represents the first biological basis in lung cancer for the clinical investigation of zoledronic acid not only for metastatic lung cancer, but also in early disease,” said Quirino.
Each patient was administered 4 mg of zoledronic acid, and their blood levels of several molecular markers of angiogenesis were measured before and 48 hours after the injection.
“We found a statistically significant reduction of VEGF levels at day 2 after 4 mg ZA intravenous infusion compared with basal values,” said Quirino.
The researchers did not record any significant effect of injecting the drug on the levels of the other two mediators of angiogenesis, PDGF and HGF.
“If further studies should confirm a possible anti-metastatic effect of this drug, possibly relying also on its anti-angiogenic effect, it could be introduced in the early management of the disease, even as an adjuvant therapy,” she said. (ANI)
- Morphine may block tumour growth - Jul 29, 2010
- This drug can reduce breast cancer recurrence - Sep 27, 2011
- Drug counters bone-damaging effects of breast cancer medication - Oct 10, 2011
- Bone drug may help fight breast cancer - Jun 03, 2010
- Fatty acids can fight cancer spread - Apr 11, 2012
- Osteoporosis drug may benefit patients with oral cancer - Dec 14, 2010
- Scientists find new way to 'starve' cancer cells - Apr 05, 2011
- Genetic change helps lung tumors spread to other parts of the body - Apr 07, 2011
- Melanoma spreads to lungs using body's immune system - Oct 08, 2010
- Green tea can help fight prostate cancer - Jun 20, 2009
- Stress, depression linked to shorter survival in cancer patients - Apr 29, 2011
- Protein that thwarts tumor invasion uncovered - Jun 06, 2010
- Targeting protein helps keep melanoma tumour growth in check - Dec 10, 2010
- Possible clues to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer patients found - Mar 31, 2011
- Blood test to tell whether anti-depressants work - Dec 16, 2011
Tags: adjuvant therapy, biological basis, blood levels, bone metastases, catholic university, clinical evidence, clinical investigation, early management, further studies, hgf, intravenous infusion, italian researchers, lung cancer, metastases, molecular markers, new blood, pdgf, quirino, sacred heart, zoledronic acid