Posted on 06/02/2018 3:22:56 PM PDT by libh8er
Michael English, 72, was one of 258 men who took part in the trial.
He was first diagnosed in 2005, but radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone-based therapies did not kill his cancer.
Two years ago, he was given the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab.
He said: "We were astonished when scans showed that the tumour had become undetectable.
"Today I'm effectively cancer-free."
He says he's now planning out the next 20 years of his life, not the next two.
Researcher Prof Johann de Bono told the BBC: "This is the first evidence that a subset of prostate cancer patients do spectacularly well on immunotherapy.
"We have several patients in the Marsden who have had a complete response.
"It is a new arrow in the quiver for men with lethal prostate cancer, it's a big deal for these patients."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
This stuff has been around for two+ years, and they’re still not selling it to the public? Seems a bit odd.
Getting the word out seems to be the biggest problem.
Thanks for posting.
It's in the UK and here's the key quote from the article which I read in whole:
"he said that only between 10% and 15% of patients had any response to the therapy at all."
More guys die from prostrate cancer than women of breast cancer; guess which month prostrate cancer awareness is?
I read it too. And those with advanced tumors react the best. So why not go public with it for those who match the criteria?
This is a godsend for firefighters as this is the most common cancer found in our Brotherhood! I really hope this works!
That would be the thirteenth month of the year.
“... guess which month prostrate cancer awareness is?”
One in eight women get breast cancer. 100% of men get prostate cancer if they live long enough. What month is prostate cancer awareness month, anyways?
It’s September along with child cancer awareness month. Which two months do liberals always proclaim incessantly?
One of the reasons the response is so low is many of these immunotherapy drugs are given as a lateline treatment when the immune cells have been worn out with endless rounds of chemo over the years. Taking the brakes off the immune cells is not going to work if the immune cells are too weak to begin with. This has been proved in many trials. There are exceptions of course like the person in the article. If they moved it to earlier in the course of treatment they would see a much better response than 15 to 20 %.
They have to allow it now under the “Right to Try” law.
There is actually a prostate cancer awareness month ? Sorry didn’t know. I was just joking with the thirteenth month comment.
Errr.....whatchu say?
“However, the therapy will not work for most patients”
Well 10% is better than nothing.
Child cancer and prostate cancer awareness both use the same month of September. I believe the color for prostate cancer ribbon is light blue and the child cancer color is yellow/gold. Here’s a link to all the cancer awareness months. The reason I mention prostate cancer is my grandad has it but in some sort of control remission. http://daysofyear.com/national-prostate-cancer-awareness-month/
Great! And thanks.
“The title of the article is grossly misleading.......
It’s in the UK and here’s the key quote from the article which I read in whole:
“he said that only between 10% and 15% of patients had any response to the therapy at all.”
Agree and unsurprising because every cancer is unique. Tumors will defend their position at the cost of many lives, but when they kill their host, that cancer dies too. Nothing is ever going to be 100% efficacious in every patient.
Could it be men hate the Urologist poking finger up their anus for prostate exam? Women's breast exam is just X-rays.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.