From Wn.com

Immunotherapy has seen some success recently in the fight against cancer, and a new drug, IMM-101, has been shown to extend the lives of people with severe pancreatic cancer, IFL Science reports.

Unlike more conventional chemotherapy treatments, immunotherapy encourages the body to use its own immune system to destroy cancerous tissue.

Two aspects of this form of treatment stand out as truly remarkable. First, the drug – which is made from heat-treated bacteria – produces no side effects in patients whatsoever. Secondly, it can successfully treat metastatic cancer, the type wherein tumors have spread all throughout the body and where untreated survival rates are incredibly low.

Angus Dalgleish, professor of oncology at St. George’s, University of London, was the coordinating researcher on the trial, and he spoke about the results to The Guardian.

“To me it’s really exciting. This is the first time we have got an immunotherapy that is a really good candidate to help control pancreatic cancer, which is one of the biggest killing diseases. Its incidence nearly matches its mortality. It is absolutely staggering.” – Angus Dalgleish
The trial of 110 people was relatively small, but the potential for the drug is extreme. The fatality rate for this specific cancer, which is the world’s 12th most common type, is extremely high.

Only 18 percent of those suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer are alive after one year, and this drops to 4 percent after five years. The risk is greatest for the very old, but excessive smoking and body fat contribute to this risk.

Unlike some other immunotherapy drugs, this one isn’t taken as a pill, but is injected into the skin. It stimulates the immune system into quickly manufacturing a variety of white blood cells known as T-cells, whose primary job is to attack cells infected with viruses or those that have become cancerous.

WN.com, Jim Berrie

IMAGE: Photo: WN / Priya Dashini

For more on this story go to:  https://article.wn.com/view/2016/09/09/Immunotherapy_Drug_Shows_Promise_In_Fighting_Pancreatic_Canc/