Cancer is a scary disease where some cells in our body grow too fast and form lumps, called tumors.
There are many kinds of cancer, one of which is lung cancer.
A drug called alectinib is used to treat some advanced lung cancers. But did you know that when you take this medicine could affect how well it works?
The Big Breakfast Experiment
A group of scientists in a place called Rotterdam, in The Netherlands, decided to investigate this.
They gave the drug alectinib to 20 patients in different ways. Some patients took the drug with only low-fat yogurt for breakfast.
Others took it with a full continental breakfast – think of a plate filled with bread, cheese, eggs, and some fruit. Some took the medicine with lunch.
The Surprising Findings
The scientists found something very interesting. When the patients took the drug with a full breakfast or lunch, the drug worked better.
It had a stronger presence in the patients’ bodies compared to when they took it with just low-fat yogurt.
Why Does It Matter?
You might wonder, why does it matter if the drug is stronger in the body? Well, the stronger the drug, the better it can fight against lung cancer.
This could mean that the patients can stay on treatment for a longer time and have a better chance of living longer.
Lead researcher Daan A.C. Lanser said that this finding is important. He noted that sometimes, patients are advised to take the medicine exactly 12 hours apart.
This might make some patients take the drug with just a small snack. But according to this study, it is more important to take the drug with a bigger, fatty meal.
This could help the drug to be better absorbed by the body and make it work more effectively.
Does A Bigger Meal Cause More Side Effects?
The researchers also checked if taking the drug with a bigger meal caused more side effects. Side effects are unwanted reactions caused by a drug.
But guess what? They didn’t find any difference in side effects between patients who took the drug with a low-fat yogurt, a full breakfast, or lunch. The side effects were low for everyone.
An Expert’s Opinion
Dr. Sandip Patel, a cancer doctor who was not part of the study, agreed with the findings. He said that it’s important to consider what we eat when we take our medicine.
He also highlighted the need to educate patients about how their diet can affect their medication.
So, what’s the takeaway from this study? When it comes to taking medicine, timing is not the only thing that’s important.
What you eat when you take your medicine can also make a difference. So, if you or someone you know is taking alectinib for lung cancer, remember to pair it with a substantial meal to help it work better!
If you care about lung health, please read studies about why Viagra may be useful in treating lung diseases, and scientists find herbal supplements to treat lung cancer.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about gum disease linked to impaired lung function, and results showing COVID-19 is not just a respiratory illness, it can cause strokes too.
The study was published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
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