KEYTRUDA® was approved in 2017 to treat metastatic melanoma and advanced lung cancer. it has now been approved for first-line treatment of advanced lung cancer and for first-line and second-line treatment of advanced bladder cancer.The approval of a cancer drug for a wider range of conditions has been hailed as an “offer of renewed hope” for SA patients battling the dreaded disease.
KEYTRUDA®, previously used to treat certain types of skin and lung cancers, has been approved for the treatment of bladder cancer and first-line non-small cell lung carcinoma by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority .“The regulatory approval follows the review of studies and clinical trial data that showed the medicine was safe and effective against additional cancer types. This opens the door to many more cancer patients receiving effective treatment.
“The approved medicine is an immunotherapy treatment that enlists the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, and can reduce the need for major treatments such as chemotherapy,” said global pharmaceutical company MSD.It has now been approved for first-line treatment of advanced lung cancer and second-line treatment of advanced bladder cancer.
First-line treatment is the first treatment given for a disease. It is often part of a standard set of treatments, such as surgery, which may be followed by chemotherapy and radiation. When used by itself, a first-line therapy is the one accepted as the best treatment. If it doesn’t cure the disease or causes severe side-effects, other treatment may be added or used instead.
Second-line treatment is the treatment of a disease or condition after the initial treatment has failed, stopped working or has side-effects that aren't tolerated.
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