Dos graduados de Medicina de la Universidad de Navarra, premiados por un estudio sobre tratamiento de cáncer de pulmón
Two medical graduates from the University of Navarra receive awards for a study on lung cancer treatment
Explains the combined technique of radiology and a drug called erlotinib in patients who cannot be operated on or treated with chemotherapy.
Two graduates of the School of Medicine of the University of Navarra, doctors Enrique Martínez López and Maite Martínez Aguillo, have received a award in the XV National congress of the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology.
His study deals with a therapy against lung cancer. Specifically, it addresses a new line of research for the treatment of a subject of lung cancer (non-microtic) in patients who, due to their characteristics, cannot undergo surgery or chemotherapy, both techniques that are commonly used in this type of cancer subject , either combined or separately.
Until now, and for this subject group of patients, the only option was radiotherapy. The research evaluates for the first time the combination of the latter technique with a drug called erlotinib, which is directed against the essential molecules for tumor proliferation, i.e. against the molecular mechanisms of the cancer cells, in order to prevent their proliferation and expansion. It also makes the cells more sensitive to radiation therapy.
It is a more specific drug than chemotherapy and had already been used in isolation, but not in combination with radiotherapy. Scientists show results of good tolerance of this mixed treatment in the 57 patients in whom it has been studied, and the efficacy seems to be better than radiotherapy alone, although the latter aspect is a line of research currently being worked on.
The award-winning work was originally conceived at the Hospital de Navarra. Two centers in Madrid (Hospital Puerta de Hierro and Fundación Jiménez Díaz), one in Barcelona (Hospital Clinic) and another in San Sebastián (Hospital Donostia) are also currently participating.