LONDON, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Two British studies have suggested that adding the drug epirubicin to chemotherapy treatments may help women survive breast cancer.
The studies analyzed the cases of 2,400 patients, about 1,400 of whom were 50 years or younger, who had undergone mastectomy or lumpectomy procedures to remove the tumors, WebMD reported Thursday.
Half of the women received chemotherapy with epirubicin and half received standard chemo treatments. A total 82 percent of the women in the epirubicin group lived at least five years and 76 percent had no relapses. Of the women given standard chemotherapy, 75 percent lived at least five years and 69 percent did not relapse.
The researchers said quality-of-life ratings were lower during treatment for patients in the epirubicin group. However, an accompanying editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine said the side effects were "tolerable."
The studies were partly funded epirubicin manufacturer Pfizer, which is also a sponsor of WebMD.
