‘Unprecedented’, ‘Remarkable’: Cancer Study Leaves Every Patient Cancer-Free
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‘Unprecedented’, ‘Remarkable’: Cancer Study Leaves Every Patient Cancer-Free
Results from a small cancer trial that left every
patient in remission is being praised as
"unprecedented" and "remarkable."
A paper published on Sunday at The New England
Journal of Medicine outlined a study of 18 rectal
cancer patients who were given dostarlimab every
three weeks for six months and ended up cancer-
free, including the first patient who is now two years
out from the trial.
"I believe this is the first time this has happened in
the history of cancer," said Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. said,
an author of the paper, The New York Times
reported.
Dr. Andrea Cercek, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center and another author of the
paper, described "a lot of happy tears" at the end of
the trial.
While noting the study needs replication, Dr. Kimmie
Ng, a colorectal cancer expert from the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute and an associate professor at
Harvard University, called the trial results
"remarkable" and "unprecedented."
"We initiated a prospective phase 2 study in which
single-agent dostarlimab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal
antibody, was administered every 3 weeks for 6
months in patients with mismatch repair-deficient
stage Il or Ill rectal adenocarcinoma," the study said.
"This treatment was to be followed by standard
chemoradiotherapy and surgery."
Those who took the drug, which "unmasks cancer
cells, allowing the immune system to identify and
destroy them," according to the Times, did not have
to move on to further cancer treatments.
All the patients "had a clinical complete response,
with no evidence of tumor on magnetic resonance
imaging," the paper explained. "At the time of this
report, no patients had received chemoradiotherapy
or undergone surgery, and no cases of progression
or recurrence had been reported during follow-up
(range, 6 to 25 months). No adverse events of grade
3 or higher have been reported."
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's
Hanna K. Sanoff, MD, MPH, advised caution but said
the findings were "very encouraging," according
to Science Daily.
"These initial findings of the remarkable benefit with
the use of dostarlimab are very encouraging but also
need to be viewed with caution until the results can
be replicated in a larger and more diverse
population," Sanoff said.
"The responses in these first 12 of a planned-for 30
patients in the trial were remarkable and exceed
what we would expect with the standard
chemotherapy plus radiation," she continued.
"Although quality of life measures have not been
reported yet, it's encouraging that some of the most
difficult symptoms, such as pain and bleeding, all
resolved with the use of dostarlimab."
This post has been updated to note that Dr. Kimmie Ng
is a colorectal cancer expert from the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute, as well as an associate professor at
Harvard University
Let's hope n pray results are correct.
Still early but hopeful results. Just hope similar treatments will also have an effect on other forms of cancer.
Little late for those who've already lost loved ones...
Promising, but we all know it will only be buried. I've often said that they have/had a cure for Cancer in their pockets, but the business of Cancer treatment is far too big to let go.
It seems that way. I keep telling myself I hope it’s not true.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinga