Drug 'turbocharges' immune system to fight cancer spread

A DRUG that turbocharges the immune system could double the cancer-free survival time of patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancers — giving them more precious years with loved ones.

- By Hanna Geissler Health Editor

More than half of head and neck cancer patients see their disease return after initial treatment, with recurrence rates varying according to type and stage.

But a major trial found those taking the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab alongside surgery and radiotherapy stayed cancer-free for an average of five years compared with two-and-a-half years for patients who had standard treatment alone.

Some 12,000 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer each year in the UK.

Pembrolizumab boosts the immune system’s ability to recognise and destroy cancer cells. It is already approved to treat head and neck cancers that have returned or spread around the body, as well as some other cancers.

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