BASEL, Switzerland, Oct. 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Seventy percent of
European patients battling lung cancer had never regarded the disease as a
threat prior to learning of their condition, according to results from a new
pan-European public and patient survey announced on the eve of Lung Cancer
Awareness Month. This ignorance about lung cancer is also indicative of a
chronic lack of awareness about the disease. For example, forty percent of
the general public surveyed wrongly assume that breast cancer is the most
common cancer when in fact, lung cancer is. Furthermore, not only is it the
most common form of cancer, it is the single biggest cancer killer in Europe,
claiming approximately 342,000 lives each year -- that is, 937 deaths every
day.[1]
Importance of early diagnosis
Early diagnosis is crucial to improving outcomes for lung cancer
patients. It is therefore worrying that close to half of lung cancer patients
polled admitted their diagnosis was discovered by chance during a visit to
the physician for another reason. Localized cancers (i.e., cancer that has
not spread to any surrounding tissue) detected at an early stage may be
successfully treated using surgery and radiation -- up to 70 percent of
patients survive for at least five years after diagnosis if treated at this
stage, with a proportion of these patients being cured.[2]
"Lung cancer is often forgotten or simply misunderstood," explains Dr.
Jesme Fox, Medical Director of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and
secretary of the Global Lung Cancer Coalition. "If there is one thing that
people need to know about lung cancer, it's that early diagnosis saves lives.
In particular, high risk groups, such as smokers, need to take action if they
think something is wrong. Don't ignore symptoms -- see a doctor quickly."
As symptoms often present late, the majority of lung cancer cases are
diagnosed at an advanced stage when the cancer has already spread to other
parts of the body.[2] Fewer than five percent of advanced lung cancer
patients are still alive five years after diagnosis, and most die within six
months.[2] Of the lung cancer patients surveyed, 86 percent were being
treated with chemotherapy, with 83 percent enduring debilitating side effects
and a compromised quality of life from their treatment. However, recent
treatment advances are fuelling hope amongst patients for a better quality of
life. The vast majority of lung cancer patients surveyed expressed a desire
for treatment that would improve their general well-being, aid their ability
to continue living normal lives and enable them to spend time with their
families.
Recent advances in lung cancer treatment
"Treatment options for lung cancer patients have come a long way in the
last ten years," says Professor Giuseppe Giaccone, Professor of Oncology and
Head of the Department of Medical Oncology at Vrije Universiteit Medical
Center, Amsterdam. "A diagnosis of lung cancer does not have to mean the end
of optimism. There are nowadays many more treatment options available."
Although this may be the case, only 14 percent of European lung cancer
patients are benefiting from newer treatments, despite the common belief that
patients should receive the best option in care.
Recent advances in the treatment of lung cancer have widened therapeutic
options. Two of the newest treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
patients are Tarceva(R) and Avastin(R). NSCLC is the most common form of lung
cancer, accounting for approximately 80 percent of all cases.[2] Tarceva, an
oral treatment for NSCLC patients who have failed at least one prior
chemotherapy regimen, works differently than conventional chemotherapy by
specifically targeting tumor cells. It avoids the typical side-effects of
chemotherapy. Avastin, an innovative treatment that works by starving the
tumor of the blood supply that is critical to its growth and spread, has
recently filed for approval in the EU and was approved in combination with
chemotherapy (carboplatin plus paclitaxel) in the US for the treatment of
previously untreated patients with advanced NSCLC[i] in October this year.
About the survey
The survey consisted of two arms: one involving the general public and
another involving lung cancer patients only. The survey was conducted online
amongst 1,250 members of the general public and 150 lung cancer patients in
France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK. Respondents from the general public
were an even spread of genders and ages (all respondents were at least 30
years old) and were screened to ensure they were not suffering from and had
never suffered previously from lung cancer. All patients surveyed were
currently receiving treatment for their condition.
Notes to Editors
Survey highlights
Low Awareness (results of general public survey)
-- Given the severity of lung cancer, it is surprising to see that 70% of
Europeans are not concerned about developing lung cancer
-- 39% of respondents know of someone who currently suffers or has
recently suffered from lung cancer
-- Over a quarter of respondents (26%) have a family member who has ever
suffered from lung cancer
-- 81% of respondents do not know the treatment that their family member
received for their lung cancer
-- 40 % of Europeans believe breast cancer to be the most prevalent form
of cancer, yet in truth lung cancer is Europe's number one cancer
killer as well as the most common form of cancer
Low Awareness (results of patient survey)
-- 50 % of lung cancer patients live with symptoms for up to a month
before seeking professional advice. Symptoms include:
-- Shortness of breath and / or wheezing[3]
-- Chronic cough[3] and / or repeated bouts of bronchitis[4]
-- Hoarseness of voice[3]
-- Coughing up blood[5]
-- Weight loss and loss of appetite with no known reason[3]
-- Chest pain[3]
Current Treatment
-- A majority of the general public are unaware of the severity of a lung
cancer diagnosis, with only 42% of respondents agreeing that lung
cancer is the most deadly form of cancer. In fact, most patients are no
longer alive within 12 months of diagnosis due to symptoms which often
do not present themselves until the advanced stages of the disease[2].
-- 83 % of lung cancer patients experienced adverse side effects with
current treatments
-- Approximately 40 % of those surveyed had reservations about receiving
chemotherapy because of the side effects associated with it
-- 61 % of the general public believe that patients should receive the
best available treatment
-- Patients with lung cancer are looking for a lung cancer treatment that
extend their lives, improves their general well-being and ability to
perform daily tasks
About Tarceva
Tarceva is a novel therapy for patients with locally advanced or
metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one
prior chemotherapy regimen. It is an oral tablet taken once a day and has the
potential to treat many types of solid tumors. Tarceva has been approved in
the European Union since September 2005 and in the US since November 2004.
Tarceva works differently to chemotherapy by specifically targeting tumor
cells and inhibiting their formation and growth. It is a small molecule that
targets the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway. The
epidermal growth factor, also known as HER1, is a key component of this
signaling pathway, which plays a key role in the formation and growth of
numerous cancers. Tarceva blocks tumor cell growth by inhibiting the activity
of a specific enzyme, tyrosine kinase, which is part of the EGFR inside the
cell. This prevents continued cell growth. Tarceva is the only EGFR-inhibitor
to have demonstrated a survival benefit in lung cancer. Currently most people
with lung cancer are treated with chemotherapy which can be very debilitating
due to its toxic nature. Tarceva works differently to chemotherapy by
specifically targeting tumor cells, so avoiding the typical side-effects of
chemotherapy.
About Avastin
Avastin(R) (bevacizumab) is the first monoclonal antibody in a first-line
setting to be shown to prolong the life of patients with advanced NSCLC.
Avastin targets angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels within and
around a tumor, starving the tumor of the blood supply that is critical to
its growth and spread throughout the body.
Avastin was approved in the EU in January 2005 and in the US in February
2004 for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal
cancer in combination with intravenous 5-FU-based chemotherapy. It received
another approval in the US in June 2006 as a second-line treatment for
patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with intravenous 5-
FU-based chemotherapy. Avastin received approval in the United States for the
treatment of previously untreated, non-squamous NSCLC in October 2006, and a
dossier for the approval of Avastin in metastatic NSCLC with histology other
than predominant squamous cell was submitted to the European authorities in
August this year.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading
research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and
diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early
detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group
contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and
quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier
of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology.
In 2005 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 27.3 billion Swiss
francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss
francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D
agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority
ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the
Roche Group is available on the Internet ( http://www.roche.com ).
Additional information
-- Lung Cancer: http://www.roche.com/med_mbackgrlungcancer.pdf
-- Roche in Oncology: http://www.roche.com/mboncology-e.pdf
-- Roche Health Kiosk, Cancer: http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs
-- Avastin: http://www.avastin-info.com
-- Tarceva: http://www.tarceva.net
References:
[i] Unresectable locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non-squamous,
non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
1. Boyle P and Ferlay J. Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe, 2004.
Annal Oncol:16;481-488, 2005
2. Wilking N and Jonsson B. A Pan-European comparison regarding patient
access to cancer drugs. Karolinska Institute in collaboration with
Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005
3. Stewart BW and Kleihues P. World Cancer Report. IARC Press, Lyon,
pp.183-87, 2003
4. Al-Wadei HA, Takahasi T, Schuller HM. PKA-dependent growth stimulation
of cells derived from human pulmonary adenocarcinoma and small airway
epithelium by dexamethasone. European Journal of Cancer 41(17):
2745-53. Nov, 2005
5. Hamilton W, Peters TJ, Round A, Sharp D. What are the clinical
features of lung cancer before the diagnosis is made? A population
based case-control study. Thorax, 2005
