Trials have revealed that a new immunotherapy drug may spare some bowel cancer patients from undergoing surgery. When given alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy, durvalumab can destroy cancers in the lower bowel, thereby eliminating the need for surgical intervention. Currently, nearly half of patients with this type of bowel cancer—rectal cancer—will undergo surgery. This can leave patients at risk for infections, skin irritation, and other embarrassing issues. However, durvalumab has been found to be highly effective for some patients, making surgery unnecessary.
The trial, which involved 42 patients across five hospitals in the UK, has not yet published a full set of results, but experts state that the early outcomes are promising. One beneficiary of the treatment, 75-year-old Paul Kosick, was diagnosed with rectal cancer. He participated in the trial, known as PRIME-RT, and received radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and durvalumab in monthly doses for 12 weeks. The doctors aimed to shrink the tumor prior to surgery, making it easier to remove, but scans revealed no signs of cancer.
Professor Mark Saunders, a consultant clinical oncologist at Christie's Hospital in Manchester, who is overseeing the trial, stated: "We have a significant number of patients who no longer require surgery, which is very promising." A US study involving 14 patients last year found that the drug eliminated rectal tumors in all patients with a specific type of cancer. The drug is already in use for certain types of lung cancer and has proven effective in endometrial and stomach cancers.
Speaking about his treatment, Paul said: "I’ve been healthy all my life, so getting the diagnosis was a real shock. Obviously, I’m delighted that the cancer seems to have completely disappeared and I don't have to undergo surgery. I haven’t had any serious side effects, so the trial has been really good."
