Scientists appear to have found a major cure for cancer. Results of a recent cancer trial published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine yielded very unexpected results — a remission in every single patient.
The trial involved 18 rectal cancer patients who each took the same drug and now are cancer-free.
According to The New York Times, the medication, dostarlimab —an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody— was administered every three weeks for six months. After the treatment, the patients’ had “no evidence of tumor on magnetic resonance imaging.” The patients no longer needed to continue treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.
“I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” said Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
More research is still needed to confirm if dostarlimab could equate to an all-out cure for cancer. The study was also costly — around $11,000 for each dose per patient.
Overall, however, the experience remained life-changing for the patients who underwent the trial and will likely open doors to more effective treatment options for cancer patients in the future. One woman has been cancer-free for two years, according to the report.
