Tarceva Battles Lung Cancer in Some

(HealthDay News) -- New research finds that the targeted cancer drug Tarceva nearly triples the amount of time lung cancer patients survive without a recurrence and has fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy.

The authors of a study appearing in the July 21 online issue of The Lancet Oncology recommend using Tarceva (erlotinib) as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who have the particular gene mutation this drug targets.

Other experts agreed.

"This is a very important study [because] it shows that we can identify patients with a specific genetic marker and direct specific treatment toward them," said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La. Read more...

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