
Extinct insects return to UK: ‘Like bringing them back from the dead'
Eleven New Forest cicadas were released into a habitat at Paultons Park, near the New Forest, where they previously lived until the 1990s.
Conservationists attribute the extinction to changes in land management and are hopeful that a warming climate will now favour their survival.
Charlotte Carne from the Species Recovery Trust said it was 'amazing' to see the insects return to the UK: 'It's like bringing them back from the dead.'
Some of the reintroduced cicadas are already laying eggs in their habitat, but the success of the project will not be known until at least 2029 due to the insect's long nymph stage.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
First new treatment for advanced bladder cancer in decades given green light
A new treatment for advanced bladder cancer which doubles survival time has been given the green light for NHS use. Experts said the approval of the new treatment combination would bring a 'fundamental shift' in care for patients with late-stage disease, saying that until now, the treatment for advanced bladder cancer had not significantly changed since the 1980s. They said there had been real 'unmet need' for patients with advanced disease, with some 29% of people diagnosed with stage 4 cancer – when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body – surviving for a year after diagnosis. It is estimated that 1,250 people a year could benefit from the treatment. The new treatment combination includes enfortumab vedotin, an antibody-drug which is also known as Padcev, made by Astellas and Pfizer – with pembrolizumab, a drug known as a PD-L1 inhibitor, also known as Keytruda, which is made by Merck. Clinical trials suggest that the treatment combination, when tested against platinum-based chemotherapy, led to improved survival for patients. 'Prior to the EV-302 clinical trial, the treatment of advanced bladder cancer treatment hadn't significantly changed since the 1980s,' Professor Thomas Powles, director of Barts Cancer Institute Biomedical Research Centre (QMUL), UK and primary investigator on the trial, said. 'This guidance will fundamentally reshape first-line treatment for eligible patients.' Trial data indicated that patients who took the treatment combination survived for an average of 33.8 months compared to 15.9 months with chemotherapy. Researchers also measured the amount of time people survived without their disease worsening – also known as progression-free survival – and found that people on the combination treatment had just more than a year of progression-free survival compared to half-a-year for those on standard treatment. Three in 10 (30%) patients had a so-called 'complete response' when getting the combination treatment – meaning there was no evidence of cancer remaining. This was compared to 14.5% of those who received chemotherapy. One patient said that taking part in the trial had given him more time with his grandson. Martyn Hewett, 75, from Stratford, east London, received the combination treatment on a trial at Barts Health NHS Trust after surgery to remove his tumours failed. He said: 'I feel very, very lucky, because if I hadn't been on this trial, I imagine I would be dead by now. 'Immediately after the operation that failed, I asked the doctor what the prognosis was, and he said, most people in your position live for a year, and now, three-and-a-half years later here I am. 'I am going to have an extra few years to see my grandson grow up – and maybe even be around to see him get married.' The treatment combination will now be available for NHS patients in England following the approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for patients with 'unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer for people who are eligible for platinum-containing chemotherapy' and is given as an IV infusion in hospitals or clinics. Dr Timir Patel, medical director of Astellas UK, said: 'The guidance from Nice is excellent news for patients. 'Advanced bladder cancer is in an area where there is a real unmet need. 'This combination therapy changes the standard of care for doctors and their patients.' Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: 'This is a highly promising and effective new drug, with clinical trial results highlighting the tremendous difference it could make to the length and quality of people's lives. 'Advanced bladder cancer is a devastating condition which can have a substantial impact on people's daily lives, often leading to them struggling to work, travel or maintain physical activity.' Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England's national clinical director for cancer, said: 'This is one of the most hopeful advances in decades for people with bladder cancer who will now be offered a treatment that can almost double their chances of survival, helping thousands to live longer and giving them more precious moments with their loved ones. 'Bladder cancer is often difficult to treat once it has spread, but this new therapy is the first one in years to really help stop the disease in its tracks, and our rollout to NHS patients will make a huge difference to the lives of those affected and their families.' Jeannie Rigby, chief executive of charity Action Bladder Cancer UK, said: 'This new drug has the potential to increase how long people have before their cancer gets worse and how long they live compared with the current, limited, treatment choices available.' Around 18,000 people in England are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year.


The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
New advanced bladder cancer treatment can ‘double chances of survival'
A new treatment for advanced bladder cancer which doubles survival time has been approved for NHS use. The treatment for advanced bladder cancer had not significantly changed since the 1980s. Now, experts say the approval of the new treatment combination would bring a 'fundamental shift' in care for patients with late-stage disease. They said there had been real 'unmet need' for patients with advanced disease, with some 29 per cent of people diagnosed with stage 4 cancer – when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body – surviving for a year after diagnosis. It is estimated that 1,250 people a year could benefit from the treatment. The new treatment combination includes enfortumab vedotin, an antibody-drug which is also known as Padcev, made by Astellas and Pfizer – with pembrolizumab, a drug known as a PD-L1 inhibitor, also known as Keytruda, which is made by Merck. Clinical trials suggest that the treatment combination, when tested against platinum-based chemotherapy, led to improved survival for patients. 'Prior to the EV-302 clinical trial, the treatment of advanced bladder cancer treatment hadn't significantly changed since the 1980s,' Professor Thomas Powles, director of Barts Cancer Institute Biomedical Research Centre (QMUL), UK and primary investigator on the trial, said. 'This guidance will fundamentally reshape first-line treatment for eligible patients.' Trial data indicated that patients who took the treatment combination survived for an average of 33.8 months compared to 15.9 months with chemotherapy. Researchers also measured the amount of time people survived without their disease worsening – also known as progression-free survival – and found that people on the combination treatment had just more than a year of progression-free survival compared to half-a-year for those on standard treatment. Three in 10 (30 per cent) patients had a so-called 'complete response' when getting the combination treatment – meaning there was no evidence of cancer remaining. This was compared to 14.5 per cent of those who received chemotherapy. One patient said that taking part in the trial had given him more time with his grandson. Martyn Hewett, 75, from Stratford, east London, received the combination treatment on a trial at Barts Health NHS Trust after surgery to remove his tumours failed. He said: 'I feel very, very lucky, because if I hadn't been on this trial, I imagine I would be dead by now. 'Immediately after the operation that failed, I asked the doctor what the prognosis was, and he said, most people in your position live for a year, and now, three-and-a-half years later here I am. 'I am going to have an extra few years to see my grandson grow up – and maybe even be around to see him get married.' The treatment combination will now be available for NHS patients in England following the approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for patients with 'unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer for people who are eligible for platinum-containing chemotherapy' and is given as an IV infusion in hospitals or clinics. Dr Timir Patel, medical director of Astellas UK, said: 'The guidance from Nice is excellent news for patients. 'Advanced bladder cancer is in an area where there is a real unmet need. 'This combination therapy changes the standard of care for doctors and their patients.' Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: 'This is a highly promising and effective new drug, with clinical trial results highlighting the tremendous difference it could make to the length and quality of people's lives. 'Advanced bladder cancer is a devastating condition which can have a substantial impact on people's daily lives, often leading to them struggling to work, travel or maintain physical activity.' Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England's national clinical director for cancer, said: 'This is one of the most hopeful advances in decades for people with bladder cancer who will now be offered a treatment that can almost double their chances of survival, helping thousands to live longer and giving them more precious moments with their loved ones. 'Bladder cancer is often difficult to treat once it has spread, but this new therapy is the first one in years to really help stop the disease in its tracks, and our rollout to NHS patients will make a huge difference to the lives of those affected and their families.' Jeannie Rigby, chief executive of charity Action Bladder Cancer UK, said: 'This new drug has the potential to increase how long people have before their cancer gets worse and how long they live compared with the current, limited, treatment choices available.' Around 18,000 people in England are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year.


The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Hundreds with rare conditions to benefit from new blood matching test
A new personalised ' blood matching' test has been launched for people with rare conditions who require regular blood transfusions. The move will allow donor blood to be matched to these patients more closely, to reduce the risk of severe reactions. It is the first time it has been used for patients with rare inherited anaemias – with around 300 people eligible for testing, according to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The new test uses genetics to generate detailed blood group information. The programme has been backed by the family of toddler Woody Mayers, aged 22 months, who has a rare inherited anaemia called congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia (CDA) type 1. The condition causes the bone marrow to struggle to produce healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It is estimated to affect between one to five out of every million babies. Patients have low haemoglobin levels, meaning Woody relies on blood transfusions every four weeks to stay alive. However, the donor blood must be carefully matched to reduce the risk of patient's developing antibodies against certain blood types, which can cause severe reactions and make transfusions more difficult in the future. The new genotyping testing programme, a partnership between NHSBT and NHS England, uses genetics to identify more of the rarer blood groups. Samples are collected at routine hospital appointments, with patients' DNA tested to find out their blood types. About 300 people with transfusion dependent, rare inherited anaemias, are eligible for the test. All patients with sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia are also eligible, even if they do not rely on blood transfusions. Kate Downes, head of genomics at NHSBT, said: 'The new genotyping test can test blood groups faster and more extensively than standard testing methods.' Professor Dame Sue Hill, chief scientific officer at NHS England, said: 'The power of genomics is transforming medicine, with extended blood group genotyping now being utilised to help patients, especially those requiring regular transfusions. 'This is an exceptional example of an evidence-based innovation, developed from genetic data, being used to drive forward improvements that will make a huge difference across the NHS. 'Blood donations can be lifesaving for patients, and the NHS needs a constant flow of donations to provide people with the best possible care, so I'd encourage anyone who can donate to do so.' Woody's family were alerted to potential health conditions at a 20-week pregnancy scan. He was born prematurely at 34 weeks with haemoglobin levels around a quarter of what they should have been. Woody's mother Polly Mayers, 35, from Robertsbridge in East Sussex, said: 'When he was born, he was very poorly and pale. He didn't cry for a few minutes. He needed ventilation breaths. It was really frightening. 'The first few days were very critical for Woody. He was extremely unwell. Nobody knew the cause for his haemolytic anaemia.' The toddler has now being having regular transfusions fore more than a year, receiving 140mls of red blood cells every four weeks to boost his haemoglobin. Despite this, his family describes him as an energetic little boys who likes trips to the park and riding his bike. His mother added: 'Woody will need the blood to be well-matched so that his transfusions don't become too difficult or risky. 'The test will help him and anyone else with a similar condition. I hope everyone eligible gets it.' Ms Downes said: 'Woody has very rare disorder and he relies on blood transfusions to stay alive but these need to be well matched. 'We want everyone eligible, like Woody, to be tested so they can get better matched blood. We also need more people to donate, so we can supply the matched lifesaving blood to Woody and people like him.' Woody's family are also urging people to donate blood. Mrs Mayers, a community matron, said: 'There's no way to sugar-coat it – if it wasn't for blood donors, Woody would not be alive. 'I'm incredibly grateful to blood donors for ensuring blood is available when he needs it.'