Israeli Colorectal Cancer Expert Unveils Promising Research Dramatically Extending Patients' Life Expectancy
Prof. Dan Aderka, head of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Service at Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer in Israel, and a chief specialist in the field of digestive system oncology, has produced groundbreaking research that could potentially extend the life expectancy of patients with colorectal cancer. Sheba Medical Center, Israel's national hospital, is the largest and most comprehensive hospital in the Middle East, and a global research powerhouse.
RAMAT GAN, Israel, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A leading cancer expert at Israel's national hospital has generated cutting-edge research that could potentially extend the life expectancy of colorectal cancer patients worldwide.
Prof. Dan Aderka, the head of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Service at Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer in Israel, and a chief specialist in the field of digestive system oncology, conducted his pioneering research in the Institute of Oncology in collaboration with international associates.
First published in the UK's prestigious The Lancet Oncology Journal, Prof. Aderka's findings resolve a decade-long debate by providing conclusive data concerning which combinations of biological medicine and chemotherapy have the most successful outcome of extending the life expectancy of colorectal patients.
"Our hope is that this new discovery will mark the dawn of a new era for colorectal cancer patients and extended life expectancies," said Prof. Aderka. "Essentially, the conclusion of our findings calls into question and unhinges the sequence of the two primary biological medications previously used in treatments for years – Avastin and Erbitux. Now we know that if the appropriate drugs are administered in a specific order, patients' life expectancy is increased dramatically. This discovery is life-changing."
Prof. Aderka studied colorectal cancer patients with different types of incurable tumors, classifying them into four groups. In one of the groups, the combination of Avastin with chemotherapy extended life expectancy with a 21-month average, and the combination of Erbitox with chemotherapy increased life expectancy with a 40-month average.
Yet, another focus group within Prof. Aderka's study that suffered from a different type of colorectal cancer tumor yielded dissimilar results. In this group, Avastin extended life expectancy with a 22-month average, and Erbitox alone only increased life expectancy by an average of 11 months.
"We thought that one treatment across the board would work for all colorectal cancer patients, and because of this, for years we did not know how to use the drugs to their full potential," said Prof. Aderka. "This research shows that chemotherapy and biological drugs are not a one-size-fits all treatment."
About Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer
Born together with Israel in 1948, Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer is the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East. Sheba is the only medical center in Israel that combines an acute care hospital and a rehabilitation hospital on one campus, and it is at the forefront of medical treatments, patient care, research and education. As a university teaching hospital affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, it welcomes people from all over the world indiscriminately. In 2019, Newsweek magazine named Sheba one of the top ten hospitals in the world. To learn more, visit: eng.sheba.co.il.
SOURCE Sheba Medical Center
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