Topping tonight's "Health Headlines", some advanced lung cancer patients already treated with chemotherapy may actually be able to skip the bad side effects by taking a pill instead.
In the U.S., Iressa is approved for use in patients who failed chemo and it tends to work better in patients who have never smoked, asians, women and those with other particular genetic profiles.
An international study showed patients on Iressa, an expensive, newer treatment, survived about as long as those on another course of chemo. Few treatments for lung cancer exist and most patients die within a few years of diagnosis. The problem with Iressa, it is very costly, thousands of dollars each month.
