Tata Memorial study using low-cost drug shows remarkable results in aggressive form of breast cancer

The drug used for the study is a common one covered under various government health schemes. “Effectively, thus, many patients who may need it can include it in their treatment at no extra cost,” said Dr Badwe. “Even without insurance, the cost of this drug is only ₹1,000 per month

Mumbai: Making use of carboplatin, a commonly available low-cost drug, doctors at the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) were able to increase the survival rate of patients suffering from one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. The drug was found to be especially beneficial for women below the age of 50, with the tumour being completely dissolved in 61 percent of the patients.

“One lakh women in India are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, of whom at least one-third get TNBC. The prevalence of this type of breast cancer is about 45 percent in women younger than 50,” said TMC director Dr Rajendra Badwe, who is also the principal investigator of the study. (StockPic)

The results of this study were presented by Dr Sudeep Gupta, professor of medical oncology at TMC, at the ongoing San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The study was conducted by the Breast Cancer Working Group of TMC on 720 women who were in Stage Two and Three of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) between 2010 and 2020. Some of the participants in the trial were given carboplatin injections along with chemotherapy in a treatment regimen that lasted for almost six months.

“One lakh women in India are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, of whom at least one-third get TNBC. The prevalence of this type of breast cancer is about 45 percent in women younger than 50,” said TMC director Dr Rajendra Badwe, who is also the principal investigator of the study.

The drug used for the study is a common one covered under various government health schemes. “Effectively, thus, many patients who may need it can include it in their treatment at no extra cost,” said Dr Badwe. “Even without insurance, the cost of this drug is only ₹1,000 per month. All hospitals under the TMC banner across the country will be including this regimen in the treatment of TNBC.”

Carboplatin is routinely used in the treatment of various forms of cancer. Talking about why the team felt this drug could help breast cancer patients, Dr Badwe said, “Carboplatin, which is also called platinum, is known to have deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-damaging effects, which prevent cancer cells from growing. We started on the hypothesis that this would help in the treatment of TNBC, as the DNA mechanism is already deficient in this form of the disease.”

There were four major findings in the study. Besides an improved cure rate resulting in no relapse for a period of five years, overall survival too improved. In women below 50 years of age, the tumour was completely wiped out in 61 percent of patients.

Largely, the patients tolerated the drug well without a very high rate of toxicity. “There were some side effects like nausea. However, they were minimal, non-life-threatening and easy to manage. Considering all the benefits of the drug, side effects are not a major concern,” said Dr Seema Gulia, professor of medical oncology at the hospital and one of the investigators of the study.