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Cancer medicine - Gefitinib for skin cancer?

Does anyone know if Gefitinib or ZD1839 is effective for treating skin cancer?

My father was recently diagnose with undifferentiated perineural squamous cell carcinoma - it is a rare form of the more common squamous cell carcinoma and given a short time to live.

We are trying ever possible angle.

Any info on this drug or any cancer drug and centers who specialize in this form of cancer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Gefitinib (Iressa) is in clinical trials to determine how effective it might be against recurrent squamous cell carcinoma. From my reading it appears they are trying this drug as a treatment to prolong life rather than as a curative agent. Here is the web page for this trial at MD Anderson.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00...
Iressa was initially used as a treatment for squamous cell lung cancer and there was hope that the drug would also help people with recurrent squamous cell skin cancer. The results so far are very preliminary. The side effect profile appears to be tolerable.
Remember not to get too caught up in statistics. If your father happens to be a responder then the drug works for him. Do not let the reported low response rates (when used for head and neck internal squamous cell cancers) discourage you too much.
http://www.astrazeneca.ca/en/news/releas...

For more info you should try and contact the Dr conducting the studies at MD Anderson. He might answer an email or call from you even if the clinical trials were closed. Since this is the last month of the clinical trials the final results should be apparent by now.

http://www2.mdanderson.org/app/clinical/...

all the best to you both

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