Researchers say they’ve discovered a “fantastic potential” in atomic medicine to fight off and treat cancer, an executive with a French nuclear facility said.
“We are interested in tumors against which the current therapeutic arsenal is very limited — like ovarian, gastric and pancreatic cancers — where the needs are huge and patients are waiting,” said Patrick Bourdet, head of the nuclear Areva Med, in an Agence France-Presse report.
The facility, Areva Med, is based in Maryland. Its latest discovery, in brief, is that a rare radioactive isotope may in fact be capable of destroying select cancer cells. It comes from a rare metal, thorium, AFP reported.
The way it works is that the isotope is chemically attached to an antibody that targets the cancer cells, even in metastasized form, AFP said.
“The trials are advancing in a satisfactory way,” Mr. Bourdet said, estimating the company would have a drug ready for the approval process in 2016, in the AFP report. “It’s truly an extremely targeted anti-cancer therapy … [and] there are no side effects.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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