Hypertension drug could tame the Cancer

Commonly used blood pressure drugs actually could help to fight the cancer cells because they can open up the blood vessels in the tumor tissue. It was known after a laboratorium test is deemed successful in mice which suffering from pancreatic and breast cancer.

The researchers performed tests on mice with both breast and pancreatic cancer, they found that the drug losartan (brand name Cozaar) boosted the delivery of the chemotherapy drugs by opening up collapsed blood vessels found in solid tumors. (Picture from: http://www.scienceworldreport.com/)

The doctor plans to give Losartan to patients suffering from pancreatic cancer to see if the drug can overcome to this difficult treat disease, reported Nature Communications as quoted by the BBC.

Losartan has been prescribed as
a blood pressure drug for decades. 
(Picture from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/)

Currently only 5 % of pancreatic cancer patients survive for five years. This is because the disease has a tumor.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in the U.S. recruiting volunteer pancreatic cancer patients to test a new combination of drugs, namely chemotherapy plus Losartan.

Losartan believed for decades as a blood pressure medication that is safe for consumption. While it will not cure, the researchers expect this treatment will provide live for months or even years longer for cancer patients.

Dr Emma Smith of Cancer Research UK said, "This interesting study in mice sheds light on why drugs for hypertension might improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, but we don't yet know if they work exactly the same way in people.

"The fact that this drug has been widely used to treat high blood pressure, and is expected to reduce the time needed to test its potential in treating cancer, but these drugs may not be safe for all patients or when combined with other cancer treatments, so we need to wait for an answer from clinical trials are already done." The study results will provide new hope for cancer patients around the world, and could provide better cure certainty. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BBC | FRISTCA | A-63 | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 03102013]
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