A breakthrough cancer treatment has shown remarkable results, doubling the survival rate of patients with advanced head and neck cancer. The immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab was tested on over 350 patients before and after surgery, and the results are nothing short of astonishing.
Patients who received pembrolizumab had a significant increase in their cancer-free survival time, from 2.5 years to an average of five years. This translates to more than 100 extra days of life without the cancer returning. Moreover, patients given pembrolizumab had a 10% lower risk of their cancer spreading to other parts of the body.
For many patients, this new treatment has been a lifesaver. One patient, Laura Marston from Derbyshire, was diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer six years ago and received only a 30% chance of surviving five years without her cancer returning. However, after receiving pembrolizumab before and after surgery, she is now working full-time and says the treatment has given her “my life back again.”
The researchers behind the study say that giving patients the immunotherapy drug before surgery trains their bodies to hunt down and kill cancer cells if they ever return. This approach has shown positive results across all patients in the trial, making it an exciting prospect for those suffering from this difficult-to-treat cancer.
With over 12,800 new head and neck cancer cases diagnosed in the UK every year, this breakthrough treatment could be a game-changer for many patients. The study’s findings are being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, and experts are calling for pembrolizumab to be made available on the NHS as soon as possible.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce82gderpl9o