Cancer drug may add years

A drug developed in Shanghai that could allow people with terminal stomach cancer to live for years longer has been approved by the China Food and Drug Administration.

The Apatinib Mesylate tablet, made by the Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co, is the only oral drug for late stomach cancer in the world.

The drug blocks the growth of new blood cells in cancer tissue.

Clinical trials involving 38 hospitals across the country confirmed the drug's efficacy, with the longest survival period recorded being some 44 months, experts said.

There were more than 952,000 cases of stomach cancer recorded worldwide last year — with 47 percent of those in China.

Experts say the incidence is much higher than Western countries due to the high infection rate of Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which is linked to stomach cancer. Traditional eating habits, such as sharing dishes, make it easier for the bacteria to spread.

Preserved foods popular in China have also been linked to the cancer.