China Medical News

Late-stage lung cancer patients who have built up a tolerance to some drugs may have new hope thanks to a domestically developed medicine, doctors from Shanghai Chest Hospital said on April 19.

Clinical trials showed that by using a small molecular, multi-targeted drug called anlotinib hydrochloride, the lives of lung cancer patients could be prolonged an average of 50% over patients receiving placebos. They survived another 3.3 months on average, said Han Baohui, who led the clinical trials that involved 437 patients at 34 health centers and hospitals nationwide.

Han is director of respiratory medicine at the hospital, which carries out some of the country's most advanced lung cancer diagnoses and treatments. The treatment, which inhibits the growth of tumors and the development of surrounding blood vessels, will be available to the general public this year, he said.

"One headache for doctors around the world is that there is no guide for how to prescribe medicines for late-stage patients who build up tolerance to various medicines after taking them for long periods," Han said, adding that most doctors prescribe based on what's worked for them in the past. The new treatment "may become a standard in our country as a viable prescription for these patients", he said, adding that the cost of taking the medicine is estimated at around 10,000 yuan ($1,600) per month.

According to China's National Cancer Center, 4.29 million new cancer patients are diagnosed in the country annually, with lung cancer ranked first among all cancers in both rate of occurrence and mortality. (Source: China Daily)