A medical expert has called for some oral cancer drugs to have their pharmaceutical labels changed to reflect how they interact with food.
Mark J Ratain, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, said in an article for the Journal of Clinical Oncology that most cancer drugs stipulate that they should be taken on an empty stomach, MedScape.com reports.
However, he points out that many have better bioavailability when taken with food, such as prostate cancer drug abiraterone acetate, which is ten times more effective when consumed half an hour before breakfast.
Dr Ratain said the issue is as much about safety as anything, because patients who take the drugs too short a time after eating could accidentally overdose.
He called for better information about this on pharma labels.
In October, the European Union ruled that printed labels and other official channels will continue to be the only places where drugmakers can supply information to the public.
Denny Bros Ltd, 9 December 2011
