A COMBINATION of two immunotherapy drugs could be used to treat the most common form of bowel cancer, scientists say.
‘Incredibly exciting’ studies found that tumors had shrunk or remained stable in three out of five patients.
Botensilimab and balstilimab could “offer new hope” for people with a cancer that previously failed to respond to immunotherapy, according to researchers from Anglia Ruskin University.
Both drugs work by prompting the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
The team described the treatment as “potentially groundbreaking” and said it hopes authorities in Britain can “move quickly” in approving its use.
The researchers followed 101 people in the US who had been diagnosed with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer (MSS mCRC) – the most common type of colon cancer.
READ MORE ABOUT COLOR CANCER
After six months, the tumor appeared to shrink or remain stable in 61 percent of the patients.
The most common side effects were diarrhea and fatigue, the researchers said.
So far, immunotherapy has only been shown to work in patients with another type of colon cancer, known as specific mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors, which is rarer.
Almost 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK every year, with around 85 per cent classified as microsatellite stable (MSS).
More than 16,800 people lose their lives every year, according to statistics from Cancer Research UK.
Justin Stebbing, professor of biomedical sciences at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “These results are incredibly exciting.
“Colorectal or colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer worldwide.
“This is the first time there is compelling evidence that immunotherapy can work in all forms of colorectal tumors, so this is potentially a game changer.
“This is now moving into later phase clinical trials and we hope that the US FDA will approve its use very soon.
“And because this is such an important area that affects so many people, we hope that the authorities in Great Britain can also take action quickly.”
Other breakthroughs in the field of colon cancer
Dr. Andrea Bullock, assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US, added: “This study sheds light on the potential of the BOT/BAL combination for the treatment of microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer, the most common form of colorectal cancer that has historically not responded to immunotherapy.
“We hope our results will provide new hope for those who have been diagnosed.”
The research has been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Commenting on the study, Lisa Wilde, director of research, policy and advocacy at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “This study is still in its very early stages but shows exciting promise to expand much-needed treatment options for those with the cancer is previously resistant to immunotherapy.
“We will continue to monitor it with interest.”
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in England.
Public awareness is rising thanks to campaigners such as Sun writer Dame Deborah James, who died from the disease in 2022 aged just 40.
Signs of colon cancer that could save your life
BOWEL CANCER is the fourth most common form of the disease in Britain but the second deadliest, claiming around 16,000 lives each year.
Still, it can be cured if diagnosed early.
Fewer than one in ten people survive bowel cancer if it is picked up at stage 4, but… detected in phase 1 – before it spreads – and more than nine out of ten patients will live five years or more.
There are two ways to ensure this early diagnosis, screening and awareness of the symptoms.
Brits are subject to a postcode lottery when it comes to bowel cancer screening, with tests sent from the age of 50 in Scotland, while people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have to wait until they are 60.
That’s why The Sun launched the No Time 2 Lose campaigncalling on the government to lower the screening age to save thousands of lives every year.
In the summer of 2018, The Sun and its readers scored a huge victory when then Health Secretary Matt Hancock agreed to start screening at the age of 50. However, this has yet to be rolled out on a large scale.
While screening is an important part of early diagnosis, so is knowing the symptoms and acting if you notice the signs.
The five red flag symptoms Are:
- Bleeding from the back passage or blood in your poop
- A change in your normal toilet habits, for example going more or less often
- Pain or a lump in your abdomen
- Extreme fatigue for no real reason
- Unexplained weight loss
If you’re worried, don’t be ashamed and talk to your doctor – Doctors see and treat intestinal problems all the time.