LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The just released November issue of British Journal of Cancer reports a study involving programmed cell death using the drug Topotecan (now used to treat ovarian and small cell lung cancers) as a promising treatment for patients with recurrent breast cancer.
The study, “Ex Vivo Analysis of Topotecan: Advancing the Application of Laboratory-Based Clinical Therapeutics,” is based on research led by Robert Nagourney, M.D., medical director of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center’s Todd Cancer Institute. Renowned as a medical oncologist and researcher, he’s known for his pioneering work in individualized cancer therapies using tumor cells to determine which drug or drug combination induces cell death. Dr. Nagourney’s research includes 697 individual human-tumor biopsy specimens that were tested against Topotecan in combination with a wide variety of other chemotherapy drugs, including Capecitabine, which is used as a single agent to treat breast and colon cancer.
“The interaction between Topotecan and Capecitabine to kill breast cancer cells was unexpected,” explains Dr. Nagourney. “Based on the results, it appears this previously untested combination may offer physicians a new option for treating patients with advanced or recurrent breast cancer.”
To test the clinical effectiveness of the Topotecan and Capecitabine combination, investigators at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center’s Todd Cancer Institute (first in Self Magazine’s list of “America’s Top 10 Breast Centers”) launched a formal Phase II Trial of these drugs in recurrent breast cancer.
The Todd Cancer Institute-honored by the Mercury Award as Los Angeles’ Best Cancer Program-seeks participants to test these drugs as part of the Phase II Trial. To qualify, patients should not have previously received Capecitabine. To learn about the research trial, call Long Beach Memorial Medical Center’s Todd Cancer Institute at 562/933-0900.
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
CONTACT: Long Beach Memorial Public Relations, +1-562-933-2853,+1-949-689-4313
