Seems to lessen side effects from radiation therapy and makes cancer more susceptible to radiation is the drug amifostine. That is way Brazilian researchers found in their study of 1,451 patients who either had radiation therapy plus amifostine or radiation therapy alone. Patients in the amifostine-treated group had fewer radiation-related side effects like bladder inflammation, mouth dryness, lung inflammation, difficulty swallowing, problems with the esophagus and inflammation of the mucous membranes, they said. The researchers noted that the drug did not protect the tumor from the radiation therapy, so radiation worked better in these patients. A radiation oncologist at Nucleo Brasileiro de Oncologia Baseada em Evidencias in Sao Paolo - Andre Deeke Sasse – said that their research shows that adding amifostine to radiation therapy helps reduce side effects while at the same time making the radiation treatments more effective at killing the cancer cells. Also he said that they recommend that patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer ask their doctor about adding amifostine to their treatment.

<< Sao Paulo News Archive