The results of a recent clinical trial were so obvious that the National Cancer Insitute took the rare step of alerting physicians before the results of the trial were published in medical journals. Surgery and in some cases radiation, but not chemotherapy, is the current standard. The clinical trials involved hundreds of patients at dozens of cancer research centers. Of all the chemotherapy drugs tested, cisplatin appeared to be the most effective . Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapy drug having some side effects including anemia, nausea, loss of appetite and sometimes kidney toxicity.
Cervical cancer ranks as the second-most common cancer in women worldwide.
Still, nearly 13,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year. A new hormone-blocking drug for the treatment of pancreatic cancer is now being tested in Phase III clinical trials. Gastrimmune works by blocking the hormone gastrin, that fuels pancreatic cancer. Aside from providing a potential weapon against pancreatic cancer, a type of cancer for which few treatment options exist, Gastrimmune has potential against other cancers that may be fueled by gastrin, such as colorectal, stomach, gall bladder, esophageal, and liver cancers. A new treatment for advanced cancers of the colon and rectum could mean significant benefits for patients both in terms of survival and quality of life.