AstraZeneca Lung Cancer Pill Halves Risk of Death After Surgery

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Facts

• According to clinical trial data presented Sunday at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, AstraZeneca's lung cancer drug cut the risk of dying from a specific form of the disease by 51%.¹
• The late-stage study of the once-daily drug called Osimertinib, marketed under the name Tagrisso, showed that an estimated 88% of 'non-small cell lung cancer' patients treated with the pill after surgery were alive at five years compared to 78% on placebo.²
• The trial involved 682 patients who were either given the placebo or Tagrisso to see if cancer progress could be slowed.³
• The decade-long global study observed consistent survival benefits across all subgroups — including patients with stage one, stage two, and stage three lung cancer — irrespective of whether they received chemotherapy.⁴
• All participants had a mutation of their 'EGFR [epidermal growth factor receptor] gene,' which is more common in women than men and accounts for about 25% of all lung cancer cases.⁵
• Researchers say Osimertinib could 'change clinical practice' and become the 'standard of care' as not every person diagnosed with lung cancer is tested for the genetic mutation.⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Reuters, ³Times, ⁴Guardian and ⁵Inews.Co.Uk.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Cancer Network. These promising results could be the first step toward AstraZeneca's revolutionizing treatment for adults with this specific type of lung cancer. If the drug could help prevent lung cancer's progression to the brain, liver, and bones, it would undoubtedly be a game changer for millions of patients worldwide.
• Narrative B, as provided by Healthline. The medical community must wait for more data before getting too excited about this development. There are still significant side effects associated with Osimertinib, and even if it receives FDA approval, doctors will find it difficult to prescribe it if lung cancer patients are not screened for the specific genetic mutation. There's still a long way to go until it's time to celebrate victory against this deadly disease.

Predictions