FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the anti-cancer drug Cyramza (ramucirumab) has been expanded to include aggressive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the agency said Friday.

NSCLC, the most common form of lung cancer, will be diagnosed in an estimated 224,000 Americans this year, and about 159,000 Americans will die from it, the FDA said, citing U.S. National Cancer Institute projections.

Cyramza is designed to block the blood supply that feeds tumors. It’s intended for people whose tumors have grown during or after treatment with other drugs.

Cyramza was first approved in April to treat advanced cancers of the stomach or gastrointestinal tract, and approval was widened in November to include advanced gastric cancers.

Clinical side effects have included a drop in germ-fighting white blood cells, inflammation of the mouth’s lining, severe bleeding, blood clots, raised blood pressure and impaired wound healing.

Cyramza is marketed by Eli Lilly, based in Indianapolis.

— Scott Roberts

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