News / UK and world by Press Association November 30, 2018, 11:31 pm FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Sign up to our Daily newsletter A new immunotherapy can greatly extend the lives of some people with advanced head and neck cancer, with some living for three years or more, a major trial has found. Overall, the drug pembrolizumab had significant benefits, with 37% of patients who received it surviving for a year or more, compared with only 26.5% of those on standard care. The large international clinical trial was led by a team at the Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR) and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. They said the results were “particularly exciting” among the group of people who did respond to pembrolizumab – with a median length of response of 18.4 months, compared with five months for standard care. The study, which is published in the Lancet, involved 97 medical centres in 20 countries. The drug was evaluated in … [Read more...] about Immunotherapy drug offers hope to head and neck cancer patients
Immunotherapy
Cancer research breakthrough: Scientists discover test predicting response to immunotherapy
The report, published in Annals of Oncology and carried out by the Pi and Sunyer Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBAPS) based at Barcelona's Hospital Clínic, says the higher the amount of the protein PD1 found in white blood cells, the better the response is to pharmaceutical drugs designed to combat it. Dr Aleix Prat, article coodinator and head of Medical Oncology at Hospital Clínic, says this is the 'first-ever genomic tumour marker capable of predicting the benefits of immunotherapy, independently of the type of cancer involved'. The next stage will be clinical trials. “Results of our research show that 52% of patients with a high level of PD1 responded to anti-PD1 treatment, independently of the type of cancer they were suffering; however, responses in tumours with a low level of PD1 were just 15%,” Dr Prat explains. Cancer is made up of an accumulation of genetic alterations that lead to tumour cells creating antigens, or proteins that can by identified … [Read more...] about Cancer research breakthrough: Scientists discover test predicting response to immunotherapy
Immunotherapy hope for men with super-deadly prostate cancer
News / UK and world by Press Association September 4, 2018, 9:01 pm FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Sign up to our Daily newsletter Immunotherapy drugs may offer a lifeline to men with the deadliest forms of prostate cancer, research suggests. Scientists have identified a sub-group of men with super-aggressive prostate cancer caused by DNA repair defects. They have the worst record of survival using currently available hormone and chemo therapies. But a new study indicates they are likely to respond well to novel cancer treatments that target the immune system. Scientists studied 127 tumour tissue samples from 124 prostate cancer patients, and genetic information from a further 254. They identified a group of men with so-called “mismatch repair” gene mutations who had especially unstable cancers. Unable to fix single-letter mistakes in the genetic code, their tumours acquire ever-increasing numbers of mutations and swiftly evolve resistance to … [Read more...] about Immunotherapy hope for men with super-deadly prostate cancer
Man, 29, whose rare cancer was mistaken for HAY FEVER desperate to raise £300k for pioneering immunotherapy
PLAGUED with a blocked nose, Aaron Winstanley knew it was more than just a cold. The 29-year-old was told by doctors he was suffering hay fever. They prescribed him steroids, antibiotics and antihistamines in the hope it would ease his symptoms. But, just months later, Aaron went blind in one eye. Tests revealed he was actually suffering a rare form of cancer, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in August 2016. After rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the 29-year-old is now trying to raise £300,000 for treatment, not available on the NHS. He said he's just desperate for more time with his wife Saraya, after the cancer, which started in his cheek, spread throughout his body. He told Hull Live: "I just want more time with my incredible wife Saraya. "She is fighting so hard for my life, she inspires me each and every day. "I found it hard to ask for help at first but your ego soon disappears when it is life or death and you realise how many people care and want to help you." So far, … [Read more...] about Man, 29, whose rare cancer was mistaken for HAY FEVER desperate to raise £300k for pioneering immunotherapy
The coming immunotherapy revolution is our greatest hope yet for defeating cancer
Robert H Vonderheide Follow 2 July 2018 • 6:00am New cancer treatments that harness the patient's immune system mark the "end of the beginning" of the fight against cancer. There are times when we can recognise, as Winston Churchill said after a key Allied victory, that what has just been witnessed “is perhaps the end of the beginning.” His words are certainly an apt framing for one of the most exciting horizons in medical science. The story of immunotherapy drugs has radically altered how we treat some of the most common and deadly cancers – and our work applying those approaches to tackle even more of them. An “Immuno Revolution” of cancer therapy is upon us, surging ahead now that the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days … [Read more...] about The coming immunotherapy revolution is our greatest hope yet for defeating cancer