Friday, 15 June, 2001, 17:23 GMT 18:23 UK

Cancer 'cure' breakthrough

Scientists are optimistic that they have made a very significant breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Laboratory tests of a two-pronged treatment involving a new drug and a sophisticated form of radiation therapy have produced startling results.

The combination therapy completely destroyed cancerous tumours in 85% of mice to whom it was administered.

And more than nine months after the treatment was stopped the animals were still clear of any sign of cancer.

The researchers, from the Royal Free Hospital, University College Medical School and the Gray Laboratory Cancer Research Trust now plan to carry out trials in humans.

Derived from bark

The new drug, Combretastatin (CA4P), is derived from the bark of an African bush willow.

It works by destroying the blood vessels that supply the tumours with vital nutrients.

However, it has no damaging effect on healthy tissue.

The destruction of the tumours is completed by attacking them with radiation carried into the cells by antibodies similar to those used by the body's immune system to destroy infection.

Essentially, the drug attacks the tumour from the inside out, while the radiotherapy attacks from the outside in.

In isolation, each treatment could never completely destroy all the cancer cells.

Long-term effect

But in tandem they are a potent force which the scientists believe can produce a "long-term cure."

The research was led by Professor Richard Begent, head of oncology at the Royal Free Hospital.

He told the BBC that normally even killing off a tumour's blood supply was not enough to destroy it because part of it was still sustained by the body's normal blood supply.

However, the radioactive antibodies used in the new treatment were able to starve the tumour of this supply too.

He said: "This does not necessarily mean that we would be able to cure people, but it does make it worth exploring this further and seeing if it can be of benefit to people with cancer."

Dr Lesley Walker, the Cancer Research Campaign's Director of Cancer Information, said: "This is the latest step in the very encouraging development of this drug for treating cancer.

"This good news confirms what we have been saying all along - that treatments that directly target cancers and spare normal tissue will be the cancer therapies of the future."

Dr Walker said that as well as proving to be an effective treatment, the combination therapy should also greatly reduce side-effects for the patient.

Approximately 200 patients with a variety of different cancers will be recruited to take part in the human trials.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Answers

Gots a link?

A co-worker of mine, well her mother had Phase III or IV cancer, and at this point I think she'd try anything. If you can pass along the link, I'll pass it along to her.

Thanks,

Sheeps

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Sorry, I usually put BBC or ET or whatever. It's BBC--Main site, Cancer Cure Breakthrough and Gray Cancer Institute

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Must be a result of that nasty run-in with the wee beastie.......

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Well, it weren't that there wee, timorous, cowering beastie Robert Burns talked about so sympathetically.

Sheeps, the BBC very often reports on the latest health research on the day it's released, unlike other media that might wait for a suitable space or something.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

OG,

Thanks! I just cut and pasted the information and passed it on to my co-worker. She said that she'd pass it on to her mother (the one with the cancer).

Wonder if they'll let someone be a part of the trials across the pond?

Sheeps

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001