Digest this! Researchers have discovered a biological mechanism that can allow cancer patients to tolerate lethal doses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy by protecting their gastrointestinal tracts.
Too much chemotherapy and radiation is harmful and kills the patient before it kills the tumour, researchers said.
However, if the patient’s gastrointestinal tract remains healthy and functioning, the patient’s chances of survival increase exponentially, said Jian-Guo Geng, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Recently, Geng’s lab discovered a biological mechanism that preserves the gastrointestinal tracts in mice who were delivered lethal doses of chemotherapy.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, could revolutionise cancer therapy, Geng said.
“It’s our belief that this could eventually cure later-staged metastasised cancer. People will not die from cancer, if our prediction is true,” said Professor Jian-Guo Geng, who emphasised that the findings had not yet been proven in humans.