'Sea sponge' drug could boost breast cancer survival

A drug derived from sea sponges extends the life of women with an especially aggressive form of breast cancer by almost five months, research has shown.

Two major trials involving more than 1,800 women with cancer which had spread beyond the breast found that overall, eribulin boosted survival by two and a half months, The Telegraph reported.

The most significant improvement was seen in women with the advanced triple negative breast cancer, who have limited treatment options. One in five women with breast cancer suffers this type of disease.

These women gained almost five more months.

It also added more than two months to the lives of women with HER2 negative breast cancer.

The drug eribulin was originally developed from a sea sponge called Halichondria okadai but is now made in laboratories.

It was rejected for routine NHS use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2012 but individual cases have been funded under the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Researchers from the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals trust said the improvement for women with metastatic triple negative breast cancer was “substantial” and said the drug should be offered to more women, and at an earlier stage.

The findings are being presented at the National Cancer Research Institute cancer conference today in Liverpool.

Martin Ledwick, head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said: "These results are encouraging and may offer valuable extra time to patients whose cancers have stopped responding to conventional treatments and have few options left.

"Advanced breast cancer can be very difficult to treat so these results take us a small, important step in the right direction.

"Although eribulin isn't a cure, it's an extra treatment option for patients with advanced breast cancer, which can be priceless to them and their families."

Mia Rosenblatt, head of policy and campaigns at Breast Cancer Campaign, said she hoped Nice would think again, having rejected the drug in 2012, and would act to ensure women with breast cancer could secure “precious extra time with their families and loved ones.”

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