Breakthrough research

A breakthrough in research into a type of cancer which is one of the hardest forms of the disease to treat has been made by scientists in Scotland.

After a decade of work, a test has been developed for a class of drugs that can extend and improve the quality of life for some oesophageal cancer patients.

Research led by Professor Russell Petty, of Dundee University School of Medicine, has helped reveal which patients will – and will not – benefit from the drug gefitinib, meaning clinicians can focus on best treatment plans for individuals.

Prof Petty said: “After starting the trial, we quickly observed very dramatic responses in some patients with improvement of their symptoms and, while not curative, the responses were durable, lasting many months, up to two years in some cases.

“These responses to gefitinib were transformative to patients in this situation, moving them from being severely ill, with rapidly deteriorating health and within a few months of the end of their life, to a much improved condition where we had control of their cancer’s growth and symptoms and they could return to ‘normal life’ with their families.”

A trial was launched in 2007 involving 450 patients in 50 hospitals across the UK looking at their responses to gefitinib.

Researchers saw dramatic improvements in some patients who lived well beyond their initial prognosis.