A recent clinical trial has indicated promising results for the treatment of advanced head and neck cancers, potentially improving survival rates for patients. Researchers have found that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, administered both before and after surgery, may enhance the body’s immune response against cancer recurrence. This marks a significant development in a field where treatment options have remained largely unchanged for the past 20 years.
Laura Marston, a 45-year-old patient from Derbyshire, is one of the individuals who participated in the trial. Diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer in 2019, she faced a grim prognosis with only a 30% chance of surviving five years. Following major surgery that involved the removal of her tongue and lymph nodes, Marston underwent pembrolizumab treatment. Six years post-diagnosis, she reports feeling well and has returned to her normal life.
The study, which involved over 350 patients across 192 hospitals in 24 countries, demonstrated that those receiving pembrolizumab were cancer-free for an average of five years, compared to 2.5 years for those receiving standard care. Additionally, after three years, the risk of cancer recurrence was 10% lower in the immunotherapy group.
Professor Kevin Harrington, who led the UK trial, emphasized the potential of immunotherapy to significantly reduce the likelihood of cancer spreading, which poses a substantial treatment challenge. The findings are set to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, and there are calls for the treatment to be made available on the NHS. Each year, approximately 12,800 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in the UK, highlighting the potential impact of this research.