Low-Cost Anaesthesia Can Up Breast Cancer Recovery Rate: Tata Memorial Study

Study authors say this intervention is both inexpensive and can be easily administered without additional expertise.

A simple, low cost intervention with a local anaesthesia drug (lidocaine) can help increase post-surgery survival rate in breast cancer patients, finds a landmark Indian study conducted by the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.

The study results were presented by the Dr Rajendra Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Centre, at the annual European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Paris, on Monday, 12 September.

The findings of this study, according to the researchers, could be a game changer in breast cancer treatment as it is inexpensive and can be easily administered without additional expertise.

"This is the first study of its kind globally, that has shown a sizable benefit by single intervention prior to surgery. If implemented across the world, it has the capability to save over 100,000 lives annually."

Dr Rajendra Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai to the media