All 14 participants of a recent experimental drug trial saw their colorectal cancer disappear, researchers revealed in a new study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The results are astonishing, and while researchers cautioned that they need to be replicated in other trials, this is still leaving patients and health care providers hopeful. "I don't think anyone has seen this before, where every single patient has had the tumor disappear," Andrea Cercek, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and lead author of the study, told The Washington Post.
The patients had all been recently diagnosed with early stage rectal cancer, had mismatch-repair deficiency, and had not yet received any treatment. As part of the trial, they were given nine doses of a drug called intravenous dostarlimab, which is designed to block a specific cancer cell protein. The participants did not report any major complications from the drug, and six months later, their scans, biopsies, and physical exams showed no signs of cancer. "All 14 patients? The odds are exceedingly low and really unheard of in oncology," Cercek told the Post.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The study's sample size was diverse in age, race, and ethnicity, but very small, and the participants will still have to be under observation for several years to make sure the tumors do not return or have metastasized in other parts of their bodies. Researchers are buoyed by the trial results, and want to see this lead to new treatments for other cancers. "I feel a universal feeling of gratitude, but also hope for others," trial participant Sascha Roth told the Post. "Hope for all cancers."
-
Cameron House Resort & Spa: a luxurious lakeside havenThe Week Recommends This stunning five-star resort on the shores of Loch Lomond is perfect for a special Scottish getaway
-
Albania’s AI government minister: a portent of things to come?In The Spotlight A bot called Diella has been tasked with tackling the country's notorious corruption problem
-
Hyatt Regency Lisbon: a tranquil oasis in the historic district of BelémThe Week Recommends With its sprawling spa and prime location overlooking the River Tagus, this luxury hotel is a great place to escape the bustle of the city
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th testspeed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Rabbits with 'horns' sighted across Coloradospeed read These creatures are infected with the 'mostly harmless' Shope papilloma virus
-
Lithium shows promise in Alzheimer's studySpeed Read Potential new treatments could use small amounts of the common metal
-
Scientists discover cause of massive sea star die-offSpeed Read A bacteria related to cholera has been found responsible for the deaths of more than 5 billion sea stars
-
'Thriving' ecosystem found 30,000 feet underseaSpeed Read Researchers discovered communities of creatures living in frigid, pitch-black waters under high pressure
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 yearsSpeed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study findsSpeed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves babyspeed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition
