It can now be taken by mouth and does not require an infusion in the hospital
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has approved a chemotherapy treatment for lung cancer, called Hycamtin, which is now available in capsules for swallowing and is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Heikemetin, intended for the treatment of patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer (Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer), can now be taken by mouth and no longer requires infusion and hospitalization, providing a new treatment option that will significantly ease both the patient and the doctor.
The drug inhibits an enzyme, which is essential for the replication of the genetic material in the cancer cell and for cell division. The connection between the enzyme and the drug creates damage to the genetic material in the cancer cells and leads to its destruction.
About lung cancer in Israel
Lung cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in Israel and the third most common in the western world in general and is considered the number one cause of death among all cancers. According to the data of the Cancer Society, about 1,500 women and men are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in Israel. About 20% of all lung cancer cases are diagnosed as small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
The risk of lung cancer increases as a result of environmental factors, which are the main cause of the disease, including substances that reach the lungs in the respiratory tract such as nicotine as a result of smoking, soot, smoke and air pollution. And in the meantime, it was learned that the International No Smoking Day was celebrated in Israel and worldwide on May 31, to increase awareness of the harms of smoking and to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
