"Scientists are hailing the results of a small clinical trial as groundbreaking after a single immunotherapy drug caused every participant's rectal cancer — typically treated with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery — to disappear after six months.
Participants all had stage 2 or 3 rectal adenocarcinoma (meaning the cancer had reached the lymph nodes but hadn't metastasized) with a specific mutation that's particularly sensitive to chemotherapy. They received the monoclonal antibody dostarlimab intravenously every three weeks for six months, a total of nine cycles.
The rectal cancer tumors vanished for all 14 patients who completed treatment — a full clinical remission. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).
Despite the tiny sample size, the results are promising.
“That’s 100% of patients. We never, ever say that about cancer treatments,” NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar said on TODAY Wednesday, calling the findings "unprecedented.""
Participants all had stage 2 or 3 rectal adenocarcinoma (meaning the cancer had reached the lymph nodes but hadn't metastasized) with a specific mutation that's particularly sensitive to chemotherapy. They received the monoclonal antibody dostarlimab intravenously every three weeks for six months, a total of nine cycles.
The rectal cancer tumors vanished for all 14 patients who completed treatment — a full clinical remission. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).
Despite the tiny sample size, the results are promising.
“That’s 100% of patients. We never, ever say that about cancer treatments,” NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar said on TODAY Wednesday, calling the findings "unprecedented.""