All Good News

Smart bomb is early success in fighting breast cancer

June 4, 2012

A new drug doctors are calling "smart bomb" has had early success in the on-going battle to fight breast cancer. Although it is still in early testing, the drug has successfully targeted and attacked only toxic cells leaving all healthy cells alone.

This test extended the time by several months that the breast cancer did not get any worse in almost 1,000 women infected with the disease.

After two years, 65% of women who received the "smart bomb" were still alive versus 45% where the women did not use the drug. Although the results are great, it fell just short for researchers to officially declare the drug a success. With a little more time, doctors believe they will have their results.

One of the reasons this drug proves to be such a success is that so many women taking it are still alive, so the survival rate can not be determined. I guess falling short is a good thing in this particular case!

The treatment builds on Herceptin, combining it with chemotherapy and another chemical that keeps the two linked until they find a cancer cell where the poision can enter and destroy it.

Another great thing about this treatment is that the patients do not have to lose their hair, take nausea medicines, or have transfusions during the process.

Doctor's are hoping that in less than one year, the new drug will be available.