Research shows an “earth-shattering” lung cancer pill could cut the risk of the disease coming back by more than 70 percent and halve the risk of death within five years of treatment.
Impressive data recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has led cancer specialists to call the drug, called osimertinib, “game-changing.”
The pill has been approved by US medical chiefs for people with a genetic subtype of lung tumor that affects about 60,000 patients.
These tumors are caused by a genetic mutation that causes the release of a protein called EGFR, which helps tumors grow.
Lung cancer was once considered a “smoker’s disease”, but the discovery of a genetic predisposition to the disease has shed light on a new group of patients
But osimertinib, sold under the brand name Tagrisso, disrupts the signals sent by the gene, blocking the release of the protein and destroying the cancer cells.
Dr. Faiz Bhora, chief of thoracic surgery and chief of surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, told Fox News Digital that the drug’s trial results were “earth-shattering.”
“Medical oncologists used to be happy with a survival rate of five to ten percent – and now we’re talking about a survival improvement of more than 50 percent.”
Bhora, who prescribes the drug to his patients, said he has seen “groundbreaking” results in his own practice.
“We now have many targeted therapies that work well in patients with mutations in their tumors,” he said.
Thoracic surgeon Dr. Faiz Bhora says he has seen “groundbreaking” results from the drugs in his patients
According to the American Cancer Society, about 238,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year — and 127,000 people die from the disease.
About 25 percent of these patients have the EGFR mutation.
Dr. Bhora said, “Earlier we thought lung cancer was just a smoking disease. “Now we know that more than 30 percent of people who get lung cancer have never smoked, and many of them are women.”
Those eligible for osimertinib – which can be taken as long as it continues to work – include EGFR patients at any stage of the disease who have previously undergone treatment, such as surgery.
About 95 percent of insurance plans cover Tagrisso, including Commerical, Medicare and Medicaid.
One patient who benefits from this is 67-year-old Kim Mosko of New Jersey.
In February 2023, the mother of two underwent surgery to remove a lung tumor that had grown outside the organ.
About 95 percent of insurance plans cover Tagrisso, including Commerical, Medicare and Medicaid.
She then underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, which ended at the end of June.
In July, her doctors discovered the genetic mutation and recommended that she take Tagrisso.
She needed “no convincing at all” to start treatment, she told Fox, which is covered by her insurance.
Ms Mosko has been taking the pill for three and a half months now and hopes to be able to take it every day for the next three years.
“I don’t need to have hope.” I firmly believe that this drug will ensure that the lung cancer does not come back. “I plan to live many more years,” she said.
She had some “manageable” side effects, including rash, diarrhea and fatigue.
Kim Mosko (67) has been taking the drug since July and says it has left her cancer in the lurch
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the United States, one in six people will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime.
A recent report from the ACS shows that young women are more likely to develop lung cancer than men.
In the 1980s, men were almost twice as likely to develop the disease as women, due to higher smoking rates and higher workplace exposure to substances such as asbestos.
But with cigarette consumption declining and safety regulations loosening, the pattern has reversed, and among young and middle-aged women, the disease is now diagnosed more often in women than in men.
In 1992, there were about 65 new cases of lung cancer per 100,000 people; in 2019 there were only about 42.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
