New chemotherapy delivery method

A new method for delivering chemotherapy being developed in Britain might result in cancer patients not experiencing hair loss and vomiting.

Researchers at the University of Bath, England, are using tiny fibers and beads soaked in the chemotherapy drug, which are then implanted into the cancerous area in the patient's body.

The fibres are bio-degradable and compatible with body tissue, which means they would not be rejected by the patient's body. They gradually turn from solid to liquid, releasing a regular flow of the chemotherapy chemical into the cancer site and a much lower dose to the rest of the body.

This is a more localized way of killing cancer cells than the current method of injecting the chemical into a cancer sufferer's vein so that it is carried around the body.

The drug's delivery vehicle, known as Fibrasorb, could also cut the numbers of patients who die from the effects of chemotherapy because they need such high doses to tackle their cancer.