New Cancer Drug Removes Tumors Without Surgery
When people think of cancer, they often imagine long hospital stays, painful surgeries, and months of recovery. But a new therapy drug called dostarlimab is offering hope by helping patients recover without the need for surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
What Is Dostarlimab?
Dostarlimab is an immunotherapy drug, a treatment that boosts the body’s natural immune system to fight cancer. It’s not a new chemotherapy or radiation technique, but rather a drug that helps the body heal itself.
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A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed some surprising findings. Out of 103 cancer patients who were given dostarlimab:
- 82 patients experienced significant tumour shrinkage.
- They recovered without needing surgery.
Another group of 49 patients with rectal cancer saw their tumours completely disappear after six months of treatment with the drug. These patients didn’t need surgery or radiation just regular infusions of dostarlimab.
How Does It Work?
These outstanding results were observed in patients whose tumours had a rare genetic defect called “mismatch repair deficiency” (MMRd). This defect makes the cancer more vulnerable to the immune system. Dostarlimab helps the body identify and destroy these cancer cells more effectively.
Real-Life Story: Maureen’s Recovery
The case of Maureen Sideris, a 71-year-old woman diagnosed with a form of stomach and esophagus cancer. She was facing major surgery that could have affected her ability to eat, talk, or lie down. Instead, she joined the clinical trial and received dostarlimab for nine months.
Her tumour disappeared and she never needed surgery.
The Human Impact
This treatment is more than a medical advancement it’s about giving people their lives back. Traditional cancer treatments can involve removing parts of the body like the bladder, reproductive organs, or stomach, leading to lifelong side effects. For some patients, this new therapy means:
- No major operations
- No long recovery times
- The chance to live normally again
Two women who were among the first rectal cancer patients treated with dostarlimab have even gone on to have children something that might not have been possible with traditional treatment.
Is This the End of Cancer Surgery?
While these results are extremely encouraging, researchers are cautious. This was a single-centre study conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the U.S. Some patients haven’t been observed long enough to be sure their cancer won’t return.
Also, the study included different types of cancers, but with small numbers of patients in each group. More research is needed before this therapy can be widely recommended for all cancer patients.
Conclusion
Dostarlimab represents a major step forward in cancer treatment especially for patients with certain genetic types of tumours. It may not replace surgery for everyone just yet, but it’s a powerful example of how science is moving toward gentler, more targeted treatments that help people recover faster and live fuller lives.
Source: Inputs from various media Sources
Priya Bairagi
Reviewed by Dr Aarti Nehra (MBBS, MMST)
I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.
