Drug doubles survival rate among kidney cancer patients

Anticancer drug Avastin, used for treating lung and colon cancer, has led to the doubling of the survival rate of people affected by kidney cancer, according to a new study released Saturday.

The study, which surveyed 649 patients worldwide, showed that those who received Avastin, also known as bevacizumab, had a median survival rate of 10.2 months compared to 5.4 months for others.

Avastin is marketed in the United States by Genentech, a leading biotechnology company, and by Swiss firm Roche in Europe. The two companies sponsored the survey.
The study was unveiled late Saturday at the 43rd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

"We're in a very exciting time in kidney cancer research, with a number of new targeted therapies becoming available," said Doctor Bernard Escudier, head of the immunotherapy unit at France's Gustave Roussy Institute.