Press Release Details

NEWSPAPER ATTACKS CHEMOTHERAPY BENEFITS

Abstract

An article printed in Western Australia yesterday quoted a cancer support association stating that chemotherapy was not as effective as people believed it to be. The association cited one controversial study to back this claim which stated that chemotherapy only improved survival rates by 2%.

Complete Article

12 Jul 2006

The article has prompted outrage amongst the medical community, particularly those who have specialised in cancer treatment. The virtualcancercentre.com website has also received numerous complaints about this article, both from patients and from members of the editorial advisory board.

The article has been rightly criticised as including diseases known not to respond to treatment in the overall figures. The examples used in the paper were of diseases treated with old-fashioned treatment. Hodgkin's lymphoma can be cured in well over 80% of cases by chemotherapy. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can be cured or put into long-term remission in well over 70% of cases.

Newer chemotherapy agents and "magic bullet" novel molecules like panitumumab and cetuximab are believed to be ground-breaking drugs that by using molecules with modern chemotherapy will be used to cure very many patients.

Health professionals are concerned this article may discourage or delay patients from seeking chemotherapy treatment that can increase survival, prevent cancer returning and improve quality of life. Delay in seeking treatment can lead to very detrimental results for the patient.

Chemotherapy has played a major role in cancer treatment for half a century. Decades of clinical testing and research have proved chemotherapy to be an effective cancer treatment. Whether chemotherapy is the only treatment or is used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy will depend on the patient's particular circumstances and will be investigated fully with the patient's oncologist.

The survival rates will depend on a multitude of factors including type of cancer and disease progression. The patient should discuss survival rates and quality of life factors for their specific condition with their oncologist.

Patients will be advised of chemotherapy side-effects by their treating oncologist and the patient will work with their primary health care team to ensure they receive the best treatment and support for their particular circumstances.

Patients who feel anxious about their chemotherapy treatment should discuss their concerns with their oncologist. Under no circumstances should they stop medication without talking to their specialist as it can have a very negative result on their treatment. Patients can also become more informed about what chemotherapy is, why and how it's used and what to expect on www.virtualcancercentre.com.

If you have any comments regarding this article or similar, then please email us to let us know your opinion on info@virtualmedicalcentre.com.

DR ANDREW DEAN