Over 12,000 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed every year, but those with it may now live longer due to a breakthrough clinical trial.
Common treatment options for head and neck cancer include surgery and chemotherapy, but now immunotherapy can have greater success in managing it.
An international clinical trial saw over 350 patients with head and neck cancer given an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab. This was delivered both before and after surgery to boost the body’s natural defences.
That was several years ago.
Now, as published by The Guardian, results have found that the drug doubled the length of time patients were cancer free. The average increase was between 2.5 to five years. After three years, patients who received pembrolizumab had a 10% lower risk of cancer returning elsewhere in the body.
Head and neck cancer is a category that covers cancerous tissues found in the throat, nose and sinuses, salivary glands, middle ear, and mouth, such as on the tongue, gums and lips. The majority of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer die within five years, making the clinical trial a life-changing development for those affected.
Professor Kevin Harrington led the UK team involved in the international trial. He contextualises the importance of this moment:
“Treatments for patients with newly diagnosed, locally advanced head and neck cancer haven’t changed for two decades. Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial, but until now it hasn’t been successful for those presenting first time with the disease. This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients as it decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body.”
In application, the results showed that pembrolizumab worked best when patients were given it before surgery. This then trained the body to hunt down and kill the cancer should it return.
Laura Marston was one of the 363 patients who received pembrolizumab. Having been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2019, she remarked:
“I am amazed I am still here six years later. This treatment has given me the gift of life.”
>Since you’re here, why not read about a recent breakthrough in lab-grown teeth?
Main image credit: Unsplash
