Merck Introduces Erbitux to Korea
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Head and neck cancers are one of the most common types of cancer here. According to multinational drug maker Merck, 3,000 people are newly diagnosed with the deadly disease every year here, putting it seventh on the most common cancers list in 2008.
According to Wikipedia, the disease refers to a group of biologically similar cancers originating from the upper respiratory-digestive tract including the lips, mouth, nasal cavities, paranasal sinuses, pharynx and larynx. It often spreads to lymph nodes in the neck, which could be the first manifestation of the disease at the time of diagnosis, the online encyclopedia said.
Though it takes considerably large portion of cancers here, for a very long time surgery seemed to be the only way to deal with the deadly disease.
However, thanks to rapid improvements, there are now various treatment for doctors and patients to consider before defining the disease to be ``too late'' or ``too difficult.'' Nowadays, its is considered highly curable if detected early enough, usually with some form of surger
Mar 29, 2009