United News of Bangladesh

A major clinical trial has revealed that a new immunotherapy drug could significantly extend the lives of people with advanced head and neck cancer by helping prevent the disease from returning. This marks the first major treatment breakthrough for this form of cancer in two decades, according to researchers. One patient, 45-year-old Laura Marston from Derbyshire, said she is “amazed to still be alive” after being diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer six years ago and given a bleak prognosis. She received the immunotherapy treatment both before and after surgery—a method researchers believe teaches the immune system to recognize and attack any returning cancer cells. Head and neck cancers are notoriously difficult to treat, with little progress made in treatment options over the past 20 years. Typically, over half of those diagnosed at an advanced stage die within five years. Laura was told she had only a 30% chance of surviving that long when diagnosed in 2019, following the discovery of a persistent ulcer on her tongue. She underwent extensive surgery to remove her tongue and lymph nodes, and had to relearn how to speak and eat. Laura took part in a global clinical trial led in the UK by the Institute of Cancer Research, where more than 350 patients were treated with the drug pembrolizumab before and after surgery. Prof Kevin Harrington, who led the UK arm of the study, explained that administering the drug pre-surgery helps the immune system recognize the tumor, while continued post-surgery treatment strengthens the body’s defenses. Compared to patients receiving standard treatment, those given pembrolizumab were cancer-free for twice as long on average—about five years instead of 2.5. After three years, the risk of the cancer spreading elsewhere in the body dropped by 10%. Now fully employed and in good health, Laura says the treatment gave her back her life. “I wasn’t expected to get this far,” she told the BBC. “This incredible immunotherapy changed everything for me.” The researchers believe the success lies in priming the immune system before surgery. Prof Harrington said the approach could be transformative: “It dramatically reduces the risk of the cancer spreading, which is often fatal.” Roughly 12,800 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year. Although some patients benefited more than others, the results were positive across the board. Harrington said it is time the treatment be made available on the NHS. The findings were unveiled at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. The trial—known as Keynote—was conducted in 192 hospitals across 24 countries and led by Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, with funding from pharmaceutical company MSD. Source BBC