Immunotherapy Improves Bowel Cancer Survival

A new study, the NEOPRISM-CRC trial, led by University College London and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has shown that treating certain bowel cancer patients with the immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab before surgery significantly improves survival rates and reduces the need for chemotherapy. The trial, involving 32 patients in the United Kingdom with stage two or three MMR deficient/MSI-high bowel cancer, found zero relapses after 33 months of follow-up. This contrasts with the typical 25% relapse rate for standard surgery and post-operative chemotherapy. Key researchers like Kai-Keen Shiu, Marnix Jansen, and Yanrong Jiang presented these findings at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting. The study also explored personalized blood tests and immune profiling to predict treatment response. Patient Christopher Burston's successful outcome exemplifies the treatment's effectiveness. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, St James s University Hospital, and The Christie were involved in patient recruitment, and Chief Justice of Hungary conducted translational work.