Latest news with #Pembrolizumab
Medscape
7 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Rapid Review: Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers of the genitourinary system, and it presents a unique set of challenges. It is marked by high rates of recurrence, varied clinical presentations, and a need for ongoing surveillance long after initial treatment. Patients often face invasive diagnostic procedures and complex treatment pathways, particularly in the case of non-muscle-invasive vs muscle-invasive disease. Intravesical gene-based therapies represent a newly approved class of treatment for patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are unresponsive to BCG. These therapies work by introducing genetic material directly into bladder cells to stimulate local immune responses or alter tumor biology. Administered via catheter into the bladder, they aim to generate therapeutic effects with minimal systemic exposure, offering an organ-sparing option for patients who might otherwise face radical cystectomy. Instead of delivering preformed proteins or cytotoxic agents, intravesical gene-based treatments enable the bladder to produce therapeutic proteins locally. Although the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab can be used for BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer, tumor necrosis factors are not specifically recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), nor are radiation-based immunotherapies. Antibody drug conjugates are recommended for other aspects of disease. Learn more about the treatment of non-muscle-invasive disease. Although combination PET/CT with fluorodeoxyglucose is used for primary staging of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, detecting recurrence after radical cystectomy, and detecting lymph node metastasis, it has 'no clinical role' in diagnosing upper-tract urothelial cancer. This is due to the physiologic uptake of FDG in the bladder, and NCCN guidelines specifically recommend against its use for visualizing the anatomy of the upper urinary tract. However, the NCCN does recommend FDG PET/CT for certain other circumstances, such as suggesting it for staging in patients with T2 and ≥ cT3 disease, and for those with suspected metastasis with or without cystectomy. Research is ongoing on using non-FDG agents for PET that have less urinary uptake. Learn more about imaging for bladder cancer. ctDNA assay is a novel noninvasive surveillance tool that has been shown to be able to predict recurrence before traditional radiologic monitoring. Specifically, studies consistently show that ctDNA can detect recurrence at least 2.7 months earlier than traditional clinical methods such as cystoscopy and cytology, and up to up to 6 months before radiologic progression. This gives clinicians a bigger window for offering neoadjuvant therapy, which could improve survival outcomes. Further, ctDNA is shown to be more sensitive than traditional methods and is less invasive than cystoscopy. Although the NCCN notes that ctDNA has demonstrated ultrasensitive capabilities for tracking treatment response and progression, it does not have sufficient data to recommend basing treatment practices on ctDNA assays. Learn more about monitoring for bladder cancer. The NCCN suggests TURBT alone as an option for patients with stage II disease who are ineligible for cystectomy. Even without adjuvant therapy, TURBT alone may be curative in cases with small solitary lesions and minimal muscle invasion. However, it should not be used in cases with an associated in situ component, palpable masses, or associated hydronephrosis. Furthermore, if TURBT alone is used as primary treatment, a second re-resection should be performed 4 weeks after the primary procedure, and then it can be managed conservatively if there is no evidence of residual tumor and the patient is not a candidate for definitive management or prefers bladder preservation. Learn more about TURBT for bladder cancer. FGFR-targeted kinase inhibitors are a precision therapy used in a subset of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma whose tumors harbor FGFR genetic alterations. These drugs improve clinical outcomes by directly inhibiting the abnormal FGFR signaling pathways that drive tumor growth in these patients. In a phase 2 trial, erdafitinib showed a 40% objective response rate and extended progression-free and overall survival in this biomarker-defined subgroup. By selectively targeting this oncogenic driver, FGFR inhibitors can induce tumor regression and prolong progression-free survival. In regard to the other answer choices, FGFR inhibitors do not stimulate broad immune responses. Also, these therapies require molecular profiling to identify patients with FGFR alterations and act through selective, not cytotoxic or nonspecific, mechanisms. Learn more about medications for bladder cancer.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Eight held in Delhi for selling fake cancer drugs sourced from abroad
Eight men working as chemists and medical representatives across Delhi were arrested for allegedly running a racket involving counterfeit, unauthorised, or spurious anti-cancer drugs sourced from countries such as Egypt, Turkey, and others in Asia, police said on Thursday. Fake medicines worth crores were also seized. Among the drugs recovered were high-value cancer treatments like Opdivo, Pembrolizumab, Cetuximab, Lenvatinib, and seven other critical injections and capsules. Police said the gang was allegedly led by 41-year-old Naveen Arya — a PhD scholar and law graduate — who had operated a shop in Chandni Chowk's Bhagirath Palace for over four years. Arya and his wife are absconding, while his associates have been arrested. Arya is a repeat offender, police said. In April 2024, he was arrested along with three others, including a Syrian national, for illegally importing and exporting cancer drugs and the diabetes drug Ozempic. Though sent to jail, he was granted bail in August last year. 'After his release, Arya resumed operations but did not use his shop this time,' said DCP (Crime) Vikram Singh. 'Instead, he and his associates trawled B2B platforms where patients and caregivers seek medicines, posing as genuine sellers and luring them with prices far below market rate.' Medicines were delivered either through couriers or by hand via Arya's network. The crackdown followed a tip-off received last week by a team led by inspector Ashish Sharma and ACP Yashpal Singh. Raids were conducted at shops in Laxmi Nagar, Bhagirath Palace, and Buddh Vihar. Among those arrested were Neeraj Kumar and Anil Kumar, partners in a pharma firm in Laxmi Nagar; Dhanesh Sharma (23) and Dheeraj Kumar, who worked as agents in Buddh Vihar; and Rohit Bhati and Jyoti Grover from Bhagirath Palace. On Thursday, two more — Naveen Saini and Krishna Kumar — were arrested for delivering medicines on Arya's behalf. Investigators said the medicines, typically priced between ₹1 lakh and ₹3 lakh, were sold for ₹30,000 to ₹50,000. Most were unregistered, unauthorized, or labelled 'Not for Sale in India.' 'They mainly targeted young buyers searching online for discounted medicines for themselves or their parents. Most victims are from Delhi-NCR, though we've also traced cases in Mumbai,' said an investigator. Searches are ongoing for Arya and his wife, who fled their residence in Delhi, police said.
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First Post
31-05-2025
- Health
- First Post
'A gift of life': How a cancer drug doubles the survival rate
A new study has revealed that the drug called pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, not only kept head and neck cancers at bay for five years compared to 30 months with standard care but also significantly lowered the chances of cancer spreading read more A drug called pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, kept head and neck cancers at bay for five years compared to 30 months with standard care. Image for Representation. Pixabay Hundreds of thousands of patients with advanced head and neck cancer could live years longer without the disease, thanks to a breakthrough immunotherapy drug, a new clinical trial suggests. The study revealed that the drug called pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, kept head and neck cancers at bay for five years compared to 30 months with standard care. When added to current therapies, it could potentially double the time patients live without a recurrence, making it one of the biggest breakthroughs in two decades. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kevin Harrington, professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and lead researcher of the trial, described the development as game-changing. 'This could change the world for these patients,' he told the BBC. 'It significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it's incredibly difficult to treat.' So, how exactly does Pembrolizumab work? And what did the trial reveal? We break it down. 'A gift of life' For Laura Marston, a 45-year-old from Derbyshire, the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab has been nothing short of 'a gift of life'. Back in 2019, Laura noticed an ulcer on her tongue that just wouldn't heal. Tests revealed it was cancer, and doctors gave her only a 30 per cent chance of long-term survival. 'I was 39 and I was devastated,' she told the BBC. The road ahead was tough. She had to undergo major surgery to remove her tongue and the lymph nodes in her neck. After that came the even harder part, learning how to talk and eat again. 'My prognosis was quite dire,' she recalled. Surgeons had to use muscle from her left arm to rebuild the inside of her mouth. It changed her life in every way. But amid the struggle, there was hope. Laura joined an international clinical trial testing a new approach to treatment, one that used pembrolizumab not just after surgery, but also before it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Patients who received pembrolizumab lived cancer-free for twice as long, five years on average, compared to just 2.5 years with standard treatment. Representational Image/Pixabay The clinical trial, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and involving scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, enrolled over 700 patients across 24 countries. The trial, which is being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco), the world's largest cancer conference, showed that the patients who received pembrolizumab lived cancer-free for twice as long, five years on average, compared to just 2.5 years with standard treatment. The drug also cut the chances of the cancer returning elsewhere in the body by 10 per cent after three years. 'Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial for patients whose cancer has come back or spread,' said Harrington, who co-led the study, told The Guardian. 'But until now, it hadn't shown this kind of success in people being treated for the first time.' Today, six years after her diagnosis, Laura is working full-time and doing well. 'It's been phenomenal for me,' she said. 'Because I'm here, able to talk to you. Just having this amazing immunotherapy has given me my life back again.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How does the drug work? Unlike traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, which attack the tumour directly, immunotherapy works by boosting the body's own defences. It helps the immune system recognise cancer cells and destroy them. In this trial, researchers found that the timing of the drug was key. Patients were given pembrolizumab before surgery, allowing their immune systems to get familiar and kill the cancer if it ever comes back. 'We give the immune system the chance to have a good look at the tumour to generate anti-tumour immunity,' explained Harrington told BBC. 'Then, after removal of the tumour, we continue to amplify that immune response by giving the drug continually for up to a year.' The treatment worked especially well for people with high levels of a protein called PD-L1, which acts as a marker for how active the immune system might be. But even patients without high PD-L1 levels saw clear benefits. The risk of cancer returning or spreading dropped significantly across the board. 'This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients,' Harrington said. 'It significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, and that's when it becomes incredibly difficult to treat.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With input from agencies
ITV News
31-05-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Immunotherapy drug helps patients go cancer-free for twice as long, trial shows
An immunotherapy drug could help some cancer patients live years longer without the disease getting worse or coming back, a trial has found. Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, kept head and neck cancers at bay for five years compared to 30 months with standard care. It also slashed the risk of the disease returning in another part of the body, the study suggests. Head and neck cancer refers to a group of cancers that can develop anywhere in the head or neck, including the mouth, the oesophagus, the space behind the nose, the salivary gland, or the voice box. Standard care, which includes surgery to remove tumours followed by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, has not changed for these patients in more than two decades, according to researchers. The global Keynote-689 trial was carried out at 192 sites in 24 countries, and involved 714 patients. Some 363 people received pembrolizumab followed by standard care, with the remainder receiving standard care only. Pembrolizumab works by targeting a protein known as PD-L1, which is found on T cells and helps the immune system recognise and fight cancer. By blocking this protein, the treatment helps the immune system fight cancer more effectively. The treatment is already approved for use on its own or in combination with chemotherapy for patients with a certain type of head and neck cancer that has come back or spread around the body. The trial, which is being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) annual meeting, found cancer returned in half the patients given pembrolizumab after five years, compared with two-and-a-half years in those receiving standard care. After three years, the risk of cancer returning somewhere else in the body was also 10% lower among those on pembrolizumab. Kevin Harrington, a professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'For patients with newly-diagnosed, locally-advanced head and neck cancer, treatments haven't changed in over two decades. 'Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial for patients with cancer that has come back or spread around the body but, until now, it hasn't been as successful for those presenting for the first time with disease which has spread to nearby areas. 'This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients – it significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it's incredibly difficult to treat.' Prof Harrington added that the drug 'dramatically increases the duration of disease remission – for years longer than the current standard treatments'. 'It works particularly well for those with high levels of immune markers, but it's really exciting to see that the treatment improves outcomes for all head and neck cancer patients, regardless of these levels,' he said. It is estimated there are about 12,800 cases of head and neck cancer in the UK each year.
South Wales Guardian
31-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Immunotherapy drug helps patients go cancer-free for twice as long, trial shows
Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, kept head and neck cancers at bay for five years compared to 30 months with standard care. It also slashed the risk of the disease returning in another part of the body, the study suggests. Head and neck cancer refers to a group of cancers that can develop anywhere in the head or neck, including the mouth, the oesophagus, the space behind the nose, the salivary gland, or the voice box. Standard care, which includes surgery to remove tumours followed by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, has not changed for these patients in more than two decades, according to researchers. The global Keynote-689 trial was carried out at 192 sites in 24 countries, and involved 714 patients. Some 363 people received pembrolizumab followed by standard care, with the remainder receiving standard care only. Pembrolizumab works by targeting a protein known as PD-L1, which is found on T cells and helps the immune system recognise and fight cancer. By blocking this protein, the treatment helps the immune system fight cancer more effectively. The treatment is already approved for use on its own or in combination with chemotherapy for patients with a certain type of head and neck cancer that has come back or spread around the body. The trial, which is being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) annual meeting, found cancer returned in half the patients given pembrolizumab after five years, compared with two-and-a-half years in those receiving standard care. After three years, the risk of cancer returning somewhere else in the body was also 10% lower among those on pembrolizumab. Kevin Harrington, a professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'For patients with newly-diagnosed, locally-advanced head and neck cancer, treatments haven't changed in over two decades. 'Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial for patients with cancer that has come back or spread around the body but, until now, it hasn't been as successful for those presenting for the first time with disease which has spread to nearby areas. 'This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients – it significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it's incredibly difficult to treat.' Prof Harrington added that the drug 'dramatically increases the duration of disease remission – for years longer than the current standard treatments'. 'It works particularly well for those with high levels of immune markers, but it's really exciting to see that the treatment improves outcomes for all head and neck cancer patients, regardless of these levels,' he said. It is estimated there are about 12,800 cases of head and neck cancer in the UK each year.
