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A new research program has been launched to investigate why more than half of cancer patients do not benefit from immunotherapy and are susceptible to debilitating side effects. The multimillion-pound project by 16 academic institutions and NHS trusts aims to discover why some relapse or experience painful inflammation in the bowel, lungs and skin. Identifying usable biomarkers that can detect whether someone is likely to benefit from a drug could help. The project will involve 3,000 patients in starting or completed treatment for skin, bladder, breast and kidney cancer across the UK. Other cancer types could be added as the research progresses.
Alex Green, a lawyer from Surrey diagnosed initially with melanoma in 2012, underwent immunotherapy after his cancer reappeared under two years of completing radiotherapy. The treatment, which recruits the body’s immune system to fight cancerous cells, saved his life, with Green warning that it is not straightforward and often comes with significant side effects. Following the immunotherapy, Green was hospitalised for two weeks. Since then he has spent eight years in remission. Green says he is “clear on the importance of researching and understanding immunotherapy side effects to make the treatment as effective and kind as possible.”
Funding for the project derives from various sources, including government-run Office for Life Sciences and the Medical Research Council, which support research and innovation to improve healthcare in the UK, as well as £12.9m from industry. The project forms part of a greater commitment from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology for £145m to support cancer diagnosis and treatment, with the support of Science and Technology Minister, Peter Kyle. The project aims to “speed up the delivery of personalised medicine for a disease that affects huge numbers of people across the UK every year,” said Professor Samra Turajlic, cancer specialist at the Royal Marsden hospital, who will lead the project.
Immunotherapy is a revolutionary treatment that harnesses the patient’s own immune system to combat cancer. While it has proved successful in many cases, currently, the majority of cancer patients have not seen any benefits from immunotherapy. Cancer is a scourge that brings misery, heartbreak, and pain to many families in the UK. Therefore, the hope is that the research will identify biomarkers that can help select patients who are most likely to benefit. Further, such biomarkers may help open up new treatments, such as cell therapies and vaccines. Ultimately, the project will bring modern cancer diagnosis and treatment firmly into the 21st Century, keeping more families together for longer
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