Latest news with #MaureenSideris
India Today
02-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
A new drug replaces surgery, chemo in cancer treatment, offers hope to patients
When Maureen Sideris was told she had cancer in 2022, a tumour at the junction of her esophagus and stomach, her first fear wasn't death. It was losing her voice."I was afraid that if I got surgery on my esophagus, I wouldn't be able to talk for a while," she recalled. "That would have been awful."But instead of going under the knife or through the punishing cycles of chemotherapy, Maureen was enrolled in a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New Her treatment? Just six months of immunotherapy, no surgery, no radiation, no she is is one of 84 patients whose tumours disappeared entirely after receiving dostarlimab, an immunotherapy drug, in a phase 2 clinical results, shared at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could mark a paradigm shift in how certain cancers are trial, led by gastrointestinal oncologists Dr Andrea Cercek and Dr Luis Diaz Jr. at MSK, enrolled 103 people with early to locally advanced cancers, including rectal, colon, esophageal, liver, urinary, and gynecologic tumours. 84 out of 103 patients had a complete response to the treatment. () advertisementAll had something in common: a genetic signature called MMRd, mismatch repair mutation makes tumours more prone to DNA copying errors, but also more visible to the body's immune system, making them ideal targets for checkpoint inhibitors like dostarlimab, sold under the brand name inhibitors work by taking the brakes off the immune system, allowing it to spot and destroy cancer cells that usually hide in plain most striking results came from the 49 patients with rectal cancer, every single one had a complete response, meaning their tumours disappeared. Among the other 54 patients with cancers in different organs, 35 also experienced total 82 of the 84 patients who went into remission were able to avoid surgery altogether."This study shows that immunotherapy can replace surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy for mismatch repair-deficient solid tumors, which could help patients preserve their organs and avoid the harsh side effects of chemo and radiation," said Dr. years, the standard treatment for many solid tumours, especially those in the digestive and reproductive systems, has been a harsh triad: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The most striking results came from the 49 patients with rectal cancer, every single one had a complete response, meaning their tumours disappeared. () While often effective, these approaches come with heavy side effects: pain, fatigue, infertility, incontinence, loss of sexual function, and long recovery this new trial shows is that for patients with MMRd cancers, there may be another monitor how well the treatment was working, the researchers used an emerging tool called ctDNA testing, short for circulating tumour is a type of liquid biopsy, a blood test that detects tiny fragments of tumour DNA in the a technology called Haystack MRD, developed by Quest Diagnostics, they were able to detect whether a tumour had disappeared in as little as 1.4 could make future cancer monitoring not only faster but also safer and more accessible. Out of 103, 49 had rectal cancer. Every single one of them (100%) had a complete response, meaning their tumour disappeared after remaining 54 patients had other types of cancer (like colon, liver, esophagus, etc.). Of these, 35 saw their cancers disappear - a 65% success 84 out of 103 patients had a complete response to the treatment. Out of those 84 patients who had a complete response, 82 did not need surgery, a big deal, since traditional cancer treatment often involves removing organs or patients with the specific cancer mutation (MMRd) responded incredibly well to immunotherapy alone, with no need for chemo, radiation, or surgery, especially those with rectal important to note that not all cancer patients will benefit from this for those who do have this genetic mutation, the trial offers an entirely new results suggest that in the future, the blood test ctDNA could become an important tool to check how well cancer treatments are working, especially when the tumour is in a part of the body that's hard to reach or cannot be easily seen or tested with a Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz, the goal is now to expand this approach to even more types of cancer. You May Also Like
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
New Study Shows Promise for Cancer Patients Avoiding Surgery
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A promising new study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting shows that immunotherapy could help many cancer patients avoid surgery. Researchers found that 92 percent of patients who received only an immune-based treatment remained cancer-free two years later. Why It Matters The findings suggest that for some cancers, surgery and its difficult recovery may not always be necessary. This could dramatically change standard treatment approaches, offering a less invasive option with fewer long-term side effects for patients. Accuray Radixact machine with patient being positioned and accompanied by therapist on August 26-27 in Geneva, Swiss Confederation. Accuray Radixact machine with patient being positioned and accompanied by therapist on August 26-27 in Geneva, Swiss to Know The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, explored whether immune checkpoint inhibitors could help shrink tumors without the need for surgery. These drugs work by boosting the body's natural ability to detect and destroy cancer cells. Among patients with rectal cancer, a previous study found that all 42 participants who received the therapy remained cancer-free after four years. In this new study, which included patients with other types of cancers, such as colon, esophageal, stomach, and gastroesophageal junction cancers, 92 percent had no signs of disease after two years. Maureen Sideris, 71, was one of the patients who benefited from the new approach, Time reported. Diagnosed with gastroesophageal junction cancer, she initially faced the prospect of major surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Instead, she opted into the experimental immune-based treatment, receiving monthly infusions for nine months. Two years later, her cancer remains undetectable. Dr. Andrea Cercek of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who led the study, noted that even patients with more advanced Stage III cancers responded well. The treatment was effective even when cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes, offering hope for a broader group of patients. Researchers plan to follow patients for a longer period to determine if the benefits translate into higher survival rates. They are also investigating why some patients did not respond in hopes of refining the treatment even further. The checkpoint inhibitor used, dostarlimab, has already been fast-tracked by the FDA for certain cancers with specific genetic mutations. What People Are Saying Dr. Andrea Cercek, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to TIME: "Therapy like this can lead to significant tumor downstaging and improve patients' quality of life." Maureen Sideris, study participant to TIME: "The infusions were the easiest part. I'm so grateful I could avoid surgery." What Happens Next Researchers are continuing trials to determine the long-term effectiveness of this treatment across different cancer types and stages. If results remain strong, immunotherapy could become a standard first-line option for many patients, reshaping cancer care for years to come.
