Research in America has found that a breakthrough drug can help boost survival rates in lung cancer patients when combined with platinum-based drugs.

The promotion of Avastin could help to boost the use of platinum-based drugs since their performance can be enhanced when used with the new product.

Avastin can be used in addition to the standard chemotherapy programme of carboplatin and paclitaxel when treating patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Typically this type of cancer is incurable, but platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin or carboplatin are now frequently used to try and treat NSCLC.

Avastin works by specifically targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor which establishes the blood vessels that then support the cancerous tissues.

Figures showed that when combining Avastin with paclitaxel or carboplatin 26 per cent of participants showed partial responses rates. In addition overall survival was 6.4 months in the Avastin treatment group.

The new product was highlighted by researchers at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinic Oncology.