At the International Cancer meeting, Doctors from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Chicago presented surprising results of an immunotherapy drug that helped in eradicating colorectal cancer from all patients in their trial. A similar molecule was showcased at Tata Memorial Hospital as a “low-cost” innovation to prolong the lives of Head and neck cancer patients. 

Dr. Kumar Prabhash, Medical Oncology Department, TMH, stated that the immunotherapy drug called nivolumab was developed to provide the best treatment to the poorest of the patient visiting the Hospital. In a clinical trial, a tenth of the drug was added with regular treatment of 76 patients with metastatic head and neck cancer. Chemotherapy was also included in the regimen to treat their advanced diseases. 

When the results were compared with another group of 75 patients receiving only chemotherapy, the survival rate in the first group was reported as 10.1 months in comparison to 6.7 months in the chemotherapy group.

(Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/low-cost-head-neck-cancer-therapy-that-can-prolong-life/articleshow/92092844.cms )