Nexavar, a drug developed by Bayer Corporation and approved in Europe and the U.S. to treat kidney cancer, allowed the extension of life expectancy of patients with an advanced liver cancer by about 44%, according to a study published Monday in the United States, transmit AFP.

The study, conducted by Joseph Llovet, director of research on liver cancer at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, was presented at the 43rd annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which runs from June 1 to 5 in Chicago. According to Llovet, “… is the first time we provide a systematic treatment effective against liver cancer”, a disease ranked third among cancer deaths in the world after those developed on lung and colon.

Nexavar, administered in tablet form, was recently approved in Europe and the United States to treat advanced kidney cancer, and experts want to know if it is effective in removing other forms of cancer.

The study involved 602 patients with liver cancer which were not previously treated. The researchers assessed the chances of survival and time needed for the tumor to develop. 299 of them took one dose of 400 milligrams of Nexavar twice daily for six months, while 303 of the study participants took a placebo.

In patients treated with Nexavar, the average survival after diagnosis was 10.7 compared to 7.9% in patients treated with placebo. The rate of cancer development was slower in patients treated with Nexavar compared to others, 5.5% versus 2.2%.

There was no difference between the two groups of participants in terms of current side effects such as diarrhea and skin reactions that occur on the hands and feet. Nexavar is a treatment that causes cell death selectively in cancer programandu them to self-destruction, and prevent development of blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Radiologists have identified potential new methods for liver cancer treatments.

Interventional radiologists are creating new ways to treat liver cancer in even the most difficult cases, health insurance patients have been told. Dr Daniel Sze, professor of interventional radiology at Stanford University Medical Center, has welcomed two new studies that have highlighted ways of dealing with tumours that cannot be removed from the body. He said that they examine methods of modifying the blood vessels in the liver to better deliver tumour-killing materials to the target in order to simplify and improve treatment. Among the methods identified in the studies include the use of y-90 radioembolization, in which microspheres are injected into the liver artery to deliver a localised, high dose of radiation to the tumour.

Riad Salem, who wrote a commentary on the procedures in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology Studies, said that this is palliative rather than curative but can extend lives while improving symptoms. In other news, a recent study into genetic factors affecting liver functionality could lead to the development of new treatments for liver cancers. Health insurance customers looking to extend their lifespan can make a number of lifestyle changes in order to increase their chances of living to 90 or 100, an expert has claimed.

Dr Clyde Yancy, a noted cardiologist, has highlighted the fact that seven changes can increase the likelihood that an individual reaches 90 to 90 per cent by reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and other chronic illnesses including cancer. He said: “By following these steps, we can compress life-threatening disease into the final st ages of life and maintain quality of life for the longest possible time.” Life expectancy can be boosted by increasing physical activity levels, following a healthy diet and by quitting smoking. Maintaining a healthy weight and managing diabetes, cholesterol levels and blood pressure are important steps in reducing the likelihood that an individual will experience heart disease or strokes.

Recent research published by Harvard University has found that following a healthy diet can also have a substantial affect on male fertility levels. Diets that contain a large number of fruits and vegetables can help health insurance customers to reduce their risk of experiencing heart disease, an expert has claimed. Linda Main, dietetic advisor at HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity, has highlighted the important role that these foods play in maintaining cardiovascular health. She highlighted the fact that individuals receive additional vitamins, minerals and plant fibres when they adopt a diet of this type. In addition, they will also increase their intake of complex plant nutrients called polyphenols, which include flavonoids.

These are known to have a number of benefits to heart health and research has suggested that foods rich in flavonoids are extremely good for the body. Ms Main said: “These structurally diverse compounds show a range of activities that may help explain the cardiovascular protective properties of consuming diets high in fruit and vegetables.” Recent research published in PloS Medicine suggested that the cardiovascular disease risk presented by chromosome 9p21 SNPs can be modified by increasing the number of raw fruits and vegetables in the diet.