By Amina Abdul Salam A press conference was held in Cairo recently to announce the availability of a new advanced breast cancer treatment here. It gave the results of the latest clinical trials for the drug Ribociclib. Dr Hamdy Abdel Azim, Professor of Oncology at Kasr El-Aini, said, "The treatment of advanced breast cancer has made giant leaps in recent years, including the discovery of cyclin-dependent kinase, CDK inhibitors. They are used to treat cancers by preventing over proliferation of cancer cells. It has been established that these drugs, given in combination with traditional hormone therapy, achieve an unprecedented increase in improving symptom control and survival rates of up to two years with no disease activity. These results represent a major breakthrough in the treatment of hormone-receptor positive breast cancer patients who account for 70 per cent of all breast cancer cases. "The two separate studies, MONALEESA-2 and MONALEESA-7, were identically designed, incorporating the same treatment protocols but the average age of patients in the MONALEESA-2 study was 70 years, while the average age of patients in the MONALEESA-7 study was from 20 to 59 years (pre-menopause). The findings therefore demonstrated that the treatment was effective, regardless of the patient's age. Dr Amr Abdul Aziz, Professor of Oncology at Alexandria University, said, "The MONALEESA study which focused on treatment using ribociclib for women with advanced breast cancer showed significant improvement for participants. Eight weeks into the study a significant and sustained reduction in pain levels associated with the disease was evident, allowing patients to benefit from a longer recovery period before their conditions deteriorated, as opposed to patients who have undergone standalone hormone therapy." "Despite these breakthroughs, cancer remains a challenge for healthcare providers and scientists, with a significant number of patients suffering from primary tumours that are resistant to hormone therapy, while others develop a tolerance to treatment over time. "There are about 115,000 new cancer cases diagnosed every year," Dr. Hisham Al-Ghazali, Professor of Oncology at Ain Shams University said, "Unfortunately, this number will increase to about 350,000 new cases annually by 2050, with 34 per cent of the cases – or almost 40,000 –involving breast cancer. This is equivalent to four cases per hour. This rise must be counteracted with comprehensive treatment plans and early check-ups, until recovery rates increase to more than 98 per cent, especially in the early stages of the disease." "There are five types of breast cancer, each with its own treatment protocol, and improved recovery rates accompany more advanced treatment. Breast cancer is triggered according to the level of hormone receptors (such as estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors), with 75 per cent of tumours being hormone-receptor positive and hormone therapy is used to extend patient survival time frames, whether in the early or advanced stages of the disease." Dr Sherif Amin, General Manager of Novartis Oncology, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia&Morocco, said, "Our dedication to scientific research with the goal of providing cancer patients with more effective treatments clearly reflects the company's vision and commitment to patients and healthcare providers. The launch and registration of this drug in Egypt in record time is a major achievement.
