It was discovered that cancerdefine patients who spend time searching the treatment alternatives have a higher probability of getting the latest drugs than those patients who do not.
The study, which was led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, took into account 633 people who had colorectal tumors.
It was found that patients who searched for information from various sources such as internet, newspapers and magazines were more likely to be aware about the specific treatments and therapies. These include bevacizumab, sold as Avastin and cetuximab, which is sold as Erbitux.
However, those patients who sought a second opinion from doctors had a very high probability of being prescribed drugs that are more appropriate.
Erbitux and Avastin were given a stamp of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004. Although they do not cure cancer permanently, they do reduce tumor growth.
But it was found that one in four patients who got these drugs received them “off label” for early cancer. This type of use is prohibited. The researchers noted that off-label drug use is prevalent as far as cancer is concerned.
While novel cancer drugs can prove to be beneficial for patients, they can cause side-effects too. Erbitux can be the cause of a disfiguring rash. On the other hand, Avastin makes a person prone to strokes, heart attacks and dangerous blood clots.
The latest study had some limitations because there are many other factors that can affect a person’s choice of treatment and these were not taken into account. For instance, insurance coverage could be an important consideration in determining which patients received targeted therapies. This is because such treatments can cost thousands of dollars per month.
Another drawback was that the study was based on the memories of patients of how they got to know about various treatments.
Dartmouth Medical School researcher Lisa Schwartz said that people who use a particular drug will most probably remember its name and how they got to know about it.
But during emotionally tough times, like the cancer treatment, the patient might just remember only the information sources that left an indelible mark on him. These sources could be a doctor who gave them a second opinion or anyone else.
The current study has been published online today in Cancer.
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