Friday, December 1, 2023
SCIENMAG: Latest Science and Health News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag - Latest science news from science magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home SCIENCE NEWS Cancer

Sanoff offers perspective on a promising rectal cancer study in the New England Journal of Medicine

June 5, 2022
in Cancer
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

CHAPEL HILL, NC—UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Hanna K. Sanoff, MD, MPH, is the author of a viewpoint in the New England Journal of Medicine that provides a perspective on the evolving treatment of rectal cancer. She offers prospects for future treatment of the disease in light of encouraging findings from a study published in the journal that found the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab was especially effective in a phase II clinical trial of a dozen patients with a subtype of rectal cancer.

Hanna Sanoff, MD, MPH

Credit: UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

CHAPEL HILL, NC—UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Hanna K. Sanoff, MD, MPH, is the author of a viewpoint in the New England Journal of Medicine that provides a perspective on the evolving treatment of rectal cancer. She offers prospects for future treatment of the disease in light of encouraging findings from a study published in the journal that found the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab was especially effective in a phase II clinical trial of a dozen patients with a subtype of rectal cancer.

Approximately 5-10% of rectal cancers are molecularly characterized as being deficient in mismatch repair enzymes (dMMR). These cancers tend to be less responsive to chemotherapy and radiation, which increases the chance that surgical treatment is necessary. Unfortunately, surgery can result in notable health consequences, including nerve damage, infertility, and bowel and sexual dysfunction.

“Over 45,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with rectal cancer last year, and many of those cases were in people under the age of 65. Historical treatment of the disease has included radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, which can be debilitating despite its curative potential, pointing to the need for better and more effective treatments that can prolong longevity while maintaining quality of life,” said Sanoff, who is the quality and innovation officer of the North Carolina Cancer Hospital and professor in the UNC School of Medicine Division of Oncology. “These initial findings of the remarkable benefit with the use of dostarlimab are very encouraging but also need to be viewed with caution until the results can be replicated in a larger and more diverse population.”

Sanoff also cautioned that little is known about how long the benefit of the drug will last or whether it will be curative in the long-term. Patients in this trial have only been observed for six months to two years so far.

“The responses in these first 12 of a planned-for 30 patients in the trial were remarkable and exceed what we would expect with the standard chemotherapy plus radiation,” Sanoff said. “Although quality of life measures have not been reported yet, it’s encouraging that some of the most difficult symptoms, such as pain and bleeding, all resolved with the use of dostarlimab.”

Sanoff noted there are other immunotherapy drugs that could also be tested against this form of rectal cancer. “As a gastrointestinal medical oncologist, I can think of nothing better for my patients than being able to offer them a drug that is more effective, less toxic and avoids surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation; that day can’t come soon enough,” she said.



Journal

New England Journal of Medicine

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Shifting Rectal Cancer Paradigms for the Better

Article Publication Date

5-Jun-2022

COI Statement

N/A

Tags: cancerEnglandjournalMedicineoffersperspectivepromisingrectalSanoffstudy
Share26Tweet17Share5ShareSendShare
  • A research team, led by Professor Jayil Lee, Professor Jang Hyun Choi, and Professor Hongtae Kim

    Researchers uncover NSMF protein’s role in relieving DNA replication stress

    66 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 17
  • Scientists build tiny biological robots from human cells

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • ‘Bone biographies’ reveal lives of medieval England’s common people – and illuminate early benefits system

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

    1151 shares
    Share 460 Tweet 288
  • Study tests firefighter turnout gear with, without PFAS

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Eating beans improves gut health, regulates immune and inflammatory processes in colorectal cancer survivors

    64 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
ADVERTISEMENT

About us

We bring you the latest science news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Latest NEWS

Collaboration between women helps close the gender gap in ice core science

Trilobites rise from the ashes to reveal ancient map

Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 208 other subscribers

© 2023 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US

© 2023 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In