Has cancer cure been finally found? What is Dostarlimab? All you need to know
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In the first time in history, a small clinical trial in the United States showed 100% eradication of the cancer disease in patients at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. Although the trial was done on a small scale, it has raised hopes that the world may soon be able to get rid of the dreaded cancer disease.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2020, the most common cancers are breast (2.26 million cases), lung (2.21 million cases), colon and rectum (1.93 million cases), and prostate cancers (1.41 million cases).
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Here is all you need to know about the trial:
1. The trial included 18 cancer patients who took a drug called ‘Dostarlimab’ for around six months, and by the end of it, every one of them got rid of their tumours, reported the New York Times.
2. As per the NYT, the 18 patients had undergone various treatments before for cancer including chemotherapy, radiation, and invasive surgery. The patients had reportedly undergone the US trial expecting to have to go through other procedures in the next step. However, no further treatment was needed.
3. According to experts, the drug ‘Dostarlimab’ includes laboratory-produced molecules and acts as substitute antibodies in the human body. As per experts, cancer is undetectable by physical exam - proving that the drug could be a potential cure for the disease. Dr Luis A. Diaz J. of New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said this was “the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” reported ANI.
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4. The patients took the drug Dostarlimab every three weeks for six months during the trial. Notably, all the patients were in the similar stages of cancer and had not spread to other organs.
5. According to experts, the trial has been “shocking” and “unheard of”. Oncologist Dr Andrea Cercek described the moment patients found out they were cancer-free: “There were a lot of happy tears”, she said, as quoted by the NYT.
