In Vancouver, studies are being put to the test to ascertain whether late-stage lung cancer patients can improve their treatment with regular genetic testing. In a recent research trial, it was discovered that a high proportion of Asian women who had never smoked still contracted lung cancer. It’s believed that a part of their genetic make-up causes tumour growth that also happens to respond to a type of drugs called tyrosine kinas inhibitors, or TKI’s for short. While scientists are keen to state that this treatment won’t eradicate cancer, it can promote a long life.
Studies into the gene which promote cancer found that between 10 and 20 percent of all lung cancer patients carried the mutated epidermal growth factor receptor, which speeds up the growth of tumours. In East Asians, this number rises to 40 percent, being the most common. In Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese women who don’t smoke, the percentage rises to between 60 and 80 percent. Despite this, smoking is still the primary cause of lung cancer.
Before such studies, TKI medication was provided to all cancer patients as a way of preventing the spread of cells, but new research has shown that genetic testing is a far more effective way of treating patients. Lung cancer is a more difficult form of the disease to treat as there are few symptoms in the early stages of the development, so often it has spread to other areas of the body before it is caught. If you’re concerned about your risk of lung cancer, or want to speak to someone about giving up smoking, book an appointment with your GP who can discuss your risk factor and ways to give up. Be sure to maintain a healthy diet and take part in plenty of exercise, in order to give your body plenty of nutrients to develop a stronger immune system.
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