There has been a groundbreaking study that may help cure cancer patients, the study was praised as “unprecedented” and “remarkable.”
Early trials of a drug to treat rectal cancer resulted in remission in every participant, which is a remarkable achievement.
According to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, all 12 individuals diagnosed with rectal cancer went into remission after taking dostarlimab for six months. After the set period, the results have stunned both patients and doctors. Scans of the participants came back completely clear and there was no identifiable cancer.
Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Tumour Center, one of the authors of a paper published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the findings, said he was unaware of any other study in which a treatment entirely eradicated cancer in every patient.
“I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” Diaz said.
Dr. Alan P. Venook, a colorectal cancer expert at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the research, agreed that this was a first.
He described a complete remission in every single case as “unheard-of.”
These patients had endured arduous treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and, most likely, life-altering surgery that could cause bowel, urinary, and sexual problems. Some people would require colostomy bags.
They went into the trial expecting to have those treatments when it was finished because no one expected their tumors to go away.
But they were surprised to learn that no more therapy was required.
Dr. Andrea Cercek, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a co-author of the article presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting on Sunday.
“There were a lot of happy tears,” said Dr. Andrea.
On average, one out of every five patients had an adverse reaction to checkpoint inhibitors, such as the one the patients took, dostarlimab. The drug costs roughly $11,000 for each dose and was given every three weeks for six months. It removes cancer cells’ disguise, allowing the immune system to recognize and eliminate them.
While the majority of side effects are manageable, up to 3% to 5% of people on checkpoint inhibitors experience more serious issues, including muscle weakness and difficulties swallowing and chewing.
Sources: Dailywire, Independent, CBN
