Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Technology.
New Research Aims to Reduce Treatment Failures and Side Effects
Alex Green credits immunotherapy for saving his life in 2019 after his advanced melanoma skin cancer returned. The groundbreaking treatment, which uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer, has been life changing for him. However, immunotherapy doesn’t work for everyone, with many patients seeing no benefit or suffering from severe side effects.
Immunotherapy’s Potential and Challenges
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, offering hope to patients with advanced disease. Alex, diagnosed with melanoma in 2012, initially underwent surgery, but by 2015 the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. Multiple surgeries and radiotherapy followed, yet his cancer returned two years later. Immunotherapy saved his life, and today, he remains in remission, leading a normal life with his family.
But Alex is quick to caution that the treatment is not without its challenges. "While the results have been amazing, I experienced significant side effects that required hospitalization for two weeks," he said. For many, the treatment’s side effects, including painful inflammation, can be debilitating.
Research to Improve Outcomes
A new multimillion pound research initiative aims to address these issues, focusing on why immunotherapy fails for some patients or causes severe side effects. The project involves 16 UK academic institutions, NHS trusts, and 12 bioscience companies. It will study biomarkers tiny molecules that can help predict a patient's response to immunotherapy across 6,000 cancer patients.
Professor Samra Turajlic, a cancer specialist leading the project at the Francis Crick Institute, acknowledges the treatment’s potential but emphasizes that much work remains to improve patient outcomes. "We are still underserving many patients due to treatment failure and side effects," she said. The goal is to develop better tests and therapies, eventually delivering more personalized treatment options for cancer patients.
A National Commitment to Innovation
The project is backed by £9 million from the UK government’s Office for Life Sciences and the Medical Research Council, with an additional £12.9 million from industry partners. It is part of a larger £145 million investment in cancer diagnosis and treatment from the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology. Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle emphasized the importance of innovation in tackling cancer: "Through government working in partnership with the NHS, researchers, and business, we can bring cancer detection and treatment firmly into the 21st century."
The research aims to create a "virtuous circle," where advancements in healthcare drive both improved outcomes and economic growth, ultimately benefiting patients and society at large. For Alex Green and others like him, the hope is that future cancer patients will have an even better chance at survival, with fewer side effects and more tailored treatment options.
