'Double whammy' cancer drug hailed

Melanomas can be fatal

A drug which is proving effective in brain cancer patients, might also help treat the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Results of a world-wide trial show that Temozolomide is at least as effective as the current standard treatment for patients with advanced malignant melanoma.

It shows that Temodal could give a double whammy to deadly skin cancer as well as brain cancer and the door is still open as to which other cancers the drug could help treat.

Professor Gordon McVie, director general, Cancer Research Campaign

The Cancer Research Campaign team, whose work is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, say the drug outperforms the existing standard treatment for the disease, called dacarbazine, when it comes to cutting down side-effects and improving quality of life.

Approximately 5,000 people are diagnosed with malignant melanoma every year in the UK and around 1,500 die of it annually.

Temozolomide, trade name Temodal, has already been licensed in the UK for the treatment of brain cancer and, following the results of this trial, a new application has been made in Europe for its use in the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma.

Cancer Research Campaign director general Professor Gordon McVie, said: "This trial shows that Temodal could give a double whammy to deadly skin cancer as well as brain cancer and the door is still open as to which other cancers the drug could help treat."

It can be given to patients in capsule form which they can take at home instead of having to go to hospital for a very lengthy intravenous injection

Dr Mark Middleton, Christie Hospital, Manchester

Lead author Dr Mark Middleton, from the Christie Hospital, Manchester, said: "Temodal wins hands down over dacarbazine (DTIC) because it can be given to patients in capsule form which they can take at home instead of having to go to hospital for a very lengthy intravenous injection.

"It also gives patients with advanced malignant melanoma a much better quality of life in terms of improved powers of perception, reasoning and memory."

Dr Middleton said Temodal also gives patients less fatigue and insomnia, and has less of a damaging impact on their ability to do everyday tasks like climbing the stairs.

A total of 305 patients from 34 centres world-wide took part in the trial.

The improved results from Temodal were noticed after patients were on the drug for 12 weeks or longer.

Dr Middleton said: "Both Temodal and DTIC work by damaging DNA in cancer cells which find this damage hard to repair and so commit suicide.

"But Temodal capsules deliver twice as much cancer-fighting agent to the patient as DTIC, an intravenous treatment, even when DTIC is given in higher doses.

"So this is part of the reason why it's so effective."

Other trials, including one of children with brain cancer, are now being carried out across the UK to see whether the drug could be more effective if given in different doses to treat different cancers.