In a recently conducted trial, it has been revealed that a new cancer treatment injection may show surprising results even in patients for whom treatment hopes had almost ended.
The triple action injection named Immunetimb, which is already available for some patients, works by blocking the growth of certain proteins and enzymes that help cancer tumors escape the immune system. In addition, it stimulates white blood cells so they can more effectively destroy cancer cells.
In the study, this injection was tested on 102 individuals suffering from incurable head and neck cancer. After the use of the injection, tumors shrank in 42 percent of the patients.
The most surprising finding was that in 15 patients, where all other treatments had failed, the tumors completely disappeared.
Head and neck cancers include tumors of the tongue, throat and different parts of the mouth. In the United Kingdom, it is the ninth most common type of cancer, affecting around 13,000 people every year.
Study leader Kevin Harrington said these are extraordinary results in patients whose disease had become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. He added that treatment options for this group are extremely limited, so seeing such a clear benefit is very encouraging.
