Lung cancer pill shows ‘earth-shattering’ results in 5-year study: ‘An optimistic time’
Fox News
Many lung cancer patients now have access to a potentially life-saving new medication called Tagrisso. A surgeon from Hackensack Meridian and a patient share their experiences with the drug.
Among those patients, Tagrisso was shown to reduce the five-year risk of recurrent cancer by up to 73% and the risk of death by up to 51%, according to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine over the summer. "We used to think of lung cancer as just a smoker's illness. Now, we know that over 30% of individuals who develop lung cancer have never smoked." "I absolutely believe that this medication is going to make sure the lung cancer will not return. I am planning on living for many more years." "We are now in an era where in a vast majority of cases, we can either turn it into a chronic disease or aim for a complete cure." Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
"In the world of oncology, that is earth-shattering," Dr. Faiz Y. Bhora, chief of thoracic surgery and central region chair of surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, told Fox News Digital.