Clipping Board » Disease & Prevention ─ Understanding diseases, prevention is better than cure.
Update Date: 2010/10/01 (Central News Agency Reporter Chen Qingfang, Taipei, October 1st Report)
Liver disease expert and academician of Academia Sinica, Chen Pei-zhe, pointed out today that using liver cancer targeted drugs alone may only extend a patient's life by 2 to 3 months. Although targeted drugs have brought hope to liver cancer treatment, there is still a need to establish treatment guidelines and build consensus based on sufficient medical evidence.
Today, the Asia-Pacific Liver Cancer Symposium was held in Seoul, South Korea. Attendees included Chen Pei-zhe, professor at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and academician of Academia Sinica, as well as Zhao Yi, director of the Medical Affairs Division at the Cancer Center of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, among others.
Chen Pei-zhe shared the above views in an overseas phone interview with a Central News Agency reporter. A large-scale clinical study in 2008 showed that using liver cancer targeted drugs alone could extend life by 2 to 3 months, while subsequent similar studies reported life extension effects of 6.5 months and 10.7 months. Chen Pei-zhe stated that whether extending life by 2 to 3 months is cost-effective should be evaluated by individual patients based on their financial circumstances.
In recent years, diverse combinations of different targeted drugs and other therapies have emerged, with pharmaceutical companies and domestic hospitals competing to claim efficacy in liver cancer treatment. However, the commonality is that these treatments are self-paid, costing patients hundreds of thousands of dollars per month. Chen Pei-zhe believes that related reports lack control groups, patient follow-up periods are short, and medical evidence is insufficient.
Recent large-scale multinational studies will conduct clinical trials grouping patients based on whether targeted drugs are used post-surgery, whether embolization therapy is combined with targeted drugs, and whether more than one targeted drug is used. Taipei Veterans General Hospital has enrolled 300 patients, with clinical results from 196 showing that combining targeted drugs with embolization therapy is effective for intermediate-stage liver cancer patients. However, the Department of Health has so far only approved one targeted drug for liver cancer treatment, and it has not yet been included in the National Health Insurance coverage.
Nevertheless, the advent of new drugs has made liver cancer a treatable disease. Following the first liver cancer targeted drug, Chen Pei-zhe is leading clinical trials for 3 to 4 new targeted drugs, with promising prospects for medical benefits. Once clinical trial results are available, the most appropriate customized therapies can be developed for Taiwanese liver cancer patients.
Over the past year, the Asia-Pacific and American hepatology communities have successively updated liver cancer treatment guidelines. Chen Pei-zhe noted that the new guidelines include targeted drugs and diagnostic criteria for small liver cancers under 1 cm. Taiwan is currently discussing adjustments to international guidelines to establish local standards, which could serve as a reference for the National Health Insurance to expand coverage for liver cancer drugs and reduce patient burdens.
Although advanced health check-ups have led to more people detecting early-stage liver cancer, Chen Pei-zhe emphasized that the best way to prevent liver cancer is for newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine and for middle-aged and elderly individuals to get tested for hepatitis B carrier status. Vaccination is like securing a lead in the first inning of a baseball game, while testing for hepatitis B is like gaining an advantage in the third or fourth inning. Treating liver cancer only after it is discovered is like struggling to extend the game in the ninth inning while trailing. 991001
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 101001/ 5/ 2e4xo. html
Limited Lifespan Extension with Liver Cancer Targeted Drugs
Liver disease expert and academician of Academia Sinica, Chen Pei-zhe, pointed out today that using liver cancer targeted drugs alone may only extend a patient's life by 2 to 3 months. Although targeted drugs have brought hope to liver cancer treatment, there is still a need to establish treatment guidelines and build consensus based on sufficient medical evidence.
Today, the Asia-Pacific Liver Cancer Symposium was held in Seoul, South Korea. Attendees included Chen Pei-zhe, professor at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and academician of Academia Sinica, as well as Zhao Yi, director of the Medical Affairs Division at the Cancer Center of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, among others.
Chen Pei-zhe shared the above views in an overseas phone interview with a Central News Agency reporter. A large-scale clinical study in 2008 showed that using liver cancer targeted drugs alone could extend life by 2 to 3 months, while subsequent similar studies reported life extension effects of 6.5 months and 10.7 months. Chen Pei-zhe stated that whether extending life by 2 to 3 months is cost-effective should be evaluated by individual patients based on their financial circumstances.
In recent years, diverse combinations of different targeted drugs and other therapies have emerged, with pharmaceutical companies and domestic hospitals competing to claim efficacy in liver cancer treatment. However, the commonality is that these treatments are self-paid, costing patients hundreds of thousands of dollars per month. Chen Pei-zhe believes that related reports lack control groups, patient follow-up periods are short, and medical evidence is insufficient.
Recent large-scale multinational studies will conduct clinical trials grouping patients based on whether targeted drugs are used post-surgery, whether embolization therapy is combined with targeted drugs, and whether more than one targeted drug is used. Taipei Veterans General Hospital has enrolled 300 patients, with clinical results from 196 showing that combining targeted drugs with embolization therapy is effective for intermediate-stage liver cancer patients. However, the Department of Health has so far only approved one targeted drug for liver cancer treatment, and it has not yet been included in the National Health Insurance coverage.
Nevertheless, the advent of new drugs has made liver cancer a treatable disease. Following the first liver cancer targeted drug, Chen Pei-zhe is leading clinical trials for 3 to 4 new targeted drugs, with promising prospects for medical benefits. Once clinical trial results are available, the most appropriate customized therapies can be developed for Taiwanese liver cancer patients.
Over the past year, the Asia-Pacific and American hepatology communities have successively updated liver cancer treatment guidelines. Chen Pei-zhe noted that the new guidelines include targeted drugs and diagnostic criteria for small liver cancers under 1 cm. Taiwan is currently discussing adjustments to international guidelines to establish local standards, which could serve as a reference for the National Health Insurance to expand coverage for liver cancer drugs and reduce patient burdens.
Although advanced health check-ups have led to more people detecting early-stage liver cancer, Chen Pei-zhe emphasized that the best way to prevent liver cancer is for newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine and for middle-aged and elderly individuals to get tested for hepatitis B carrier status. Vaccination is like securing a lead in the first inning of a baseball game, while testing for hepatitis B is like gaining an advantage in the third or fourth inning. Treating liver cancer only after it is discovered is like struggling to extend the game in the ninth inning while trailing. 991001
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 101001/ 5/ 2e4xo. html