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Editor: C. Calvin Warriner
Profession: Cigarette & Tobacco Attorney

Category: Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States. It is estimated that 87% of lung cancer deaths result from smoking, and that hundreds of thousands of Americans are living with lung cancer caused by smoking today. In a new lung cancer drug trial, researchers have discovered that pemetrexed (Altima) and either cisplatin (Platinol) or carboplatin (Paraplatin) offer safe, effective treatment for patients with newly diagnosed extensive small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

The October 20, 2006, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology reports the details of this multicenter, randomized phase II trial.

A news release on CancerConsultants.com details the study:

Standard treatment for patients with extensive SCLC include VePesid® (etoposide) plus Platinol, VePesid plus Paraplatin or Camptosar® (irinotecan) plus Platinol. However, due to poor long-term outcomes in this disease with current therapies different chemotherapy combinations continue to be evaluated. Alimta is a folate acid antagonist approved by the FDA for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Researchers from several medical institutions in the United States recently conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the addition of Alimta to Platinol or Paraplatin for the treatment of 78 patients with extensive-stage SCLC. Patients were randomly allocated to receive Alimta with either Platinol or Paraplatin.

If you've been diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of smoking, and would like to discuss litigation with an attorney, contact a tobacco litigation specialist using the form at right.