New drug found more effective for chronic leukemia patients
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New York: Older adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of slow-growing blood cancer, may have a better alternative to toxic chemotherapy as their first treatment, results of a phase three clinical trial show.
The findings showed that a newer, targeted drug, ibrutinib, is significantly more effective than traditional chemotherapy with chlorambucil in treating older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
The study, which followed 269 patients, revealed a 24-month overall survival rate of 97.8 percent for patients taking ibrutinib versus 85.3 percent for those on chlorambucil.
Minor adverse effects were reported.
"Ibrutinib was superior to chlorambucil in CLL patients with no prior treatment, as measured by progression-free survival, overall survival, and response" said lead researcher Jan Burger from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in the US.
The findings showed that a newer, targeted drug, ibrutinib, is significantly more effective than traditional chemotherapy with chlorambucil in treating older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
The study, which followed 269 patients, revealed a 24-month overall survival rate of 97.8 percent for patients taking ibrutinib versus 85.3 percent for those on chlorambucil.
Minor adverse effects were reported.
"Ibrutinib was superior to chlorambucil in CLL patients with no prior treatment, as measured by progression-free survival, overall survival, and response" said lead researcher Jan Burger from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in the US.
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