A small drug trial at a New York hospital is showing results doctors say they have never seen in the history of this type of cancer.
People who thought they were getting a death sentence now have life.
It’s still very early and the sample size is very small -- just 18 patients -- but doctors say they’ve had a 100% success rate in treating rectal cancer with NO evidence of recurrence.
Four patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering all say they have experienced a miracle.
Scheduled for surgery, chemotherapy, radiation -- they were all in for the fight of their lives until they got the call that they were candidates for a new immunotherapy drug called Dorstarlimab.
“It went from this terrifying experience to something -- maybe I can get through this,” one man said.
“I’m a miracle like right here standing,” another said. “I don’t have cancer.”
Immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. This clinical trial investigated if immunotherapy alone could kill rectal cancer that had not spread in patients whose tumors contain a specific genetic mutation.
The before and after images even shocked doctors as patient after patient saw the same results.
Doctors said “very few” patients suffered any side effects.
The doctors behind the trial have this message: “Get tested if you have rectal cancer to see if the tumor is MMRd. No matter what stage the cancer is, we have a trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that may help you.”