New fast-tracked treatment for advanced cancer is 'major step forward'
Just 15% of patients currently live for five years once diagnosed
Women with an advanced form of womb cancer have been given fresh hope
(Image: Jeff Moore/PA Wire)
Women with an advanced form of womb cancer have been given fresh hope after a new treatment was given the green light for widespread NHS use. Just 15% of women live for five years if they have been diagnosed with advanced (stage four) endometrial cancer – a cancer which usually starts in the lining of the womb.
The treatment, pembrolizumab, can slow down cancer growth and improve survival odds, health officials said. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) estimates that around 2,100 women will benefit from the treatment each year.
It said that its approval of the treatment for the NHS in England marks a 'major step forward' in treatment for women with this type of cancer. The treatment, also known as Keytruda and made by Merck Sharp and Dohme, is an immunotherapy drug and is delivered in a drip alongside chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and paclitaxel and can be given for up to two years.
Nice said that clinical trials show the combination of treatments reduced the risk of death by 26% compared to chemotherapy alone. The treatments can also slow down cancer progression, it added.
'For people with advanced endometrial cancer, this innovative combination offers a powerful new treatment option,' said Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice. 'It marks a major step forward, and we're pleased to recommend it as part of our commitment to getting the best care to people, fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer.'
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Around 9,700 women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer each year, Nice said, making it the most common gynaecological cancer in the UK.
Helen Hyndman, lead nurse at the charity Eve Appeal's information service Ask Eve, said: 'Primary advanced or recurrent womb (endometrial) cancer has a huge impact on the quality of life for those diagnosed. It is great news that this new treatment has been approved. It will offer hope, a better quality of life and improve outcomes for those affected.'
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England's national clinical director for cancer, said: 'Getting this treatment to many more NHS patients as quickly as possible will help thousands of women live longer, allowing them to spend more time with loved ones and give them a better quality of life. Thanks to the NHS's Cancer Drugs Fund, it is now being fast-tracked into routine use, with treatment available to more patients from today.'
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