South Coast terminal lung cancer patients have been involved in a “practice-changing” clinical trial that has been shown to significantly prolong survival rates.
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Wollongong oncologist Ali Tafreshi has led the world-first trial in which the breakthrough immunotherapy drug Keytruda is combined with standard chemotherapy in treatment of squamous non-small-cell lung cancer.
The two-year trial was undertaken with 10 (public and private) patients in Wollongong hospitals, and was also conducted at four other centres in Australia and in 16 other countries.
Associate Professor Tafreshi was one of the lead authors of the trial findings, which were published this week in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
“This trial has been undertaken in a specific group of lung cancer patients – those with squamous non-small-cell lung cancer,” he said.
“This represents only 20 to 30 per cent of lung cancer and it’s very aggressive. The average survival for this is less than 12 months after diagnosis.
“In this group we combined standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy and the result was that the survival of these patients increased by about 40 per cent.
The result was that the survival of these patients increased by about 40 per cent.
- Oncologist Ali Tafreshi
“Importantly the combined treatment didn’t compromise their quality of life because they responded better to the treatment and the toxicity was not significantly increased (compared to chemotherapy alone).”
Prof Tafreshi has conducted clinical trials of Keytruda previously, with similar promising results, yet he wishes the treatment was available more widely.
“In 2018 lung cancer remains the deadliest type of cancer, killing over 9000 Australians this year,” he said.
“This study has been presented this week at a world lung cancer conference in Toronto, it has been published in the most prestigious medical journal – we know it’s practice-changing.
“I wish it was available now for all my patients – but the trial has finished and it may be years before this is available on the PBS.”
On a positive note, Prof Tafreshi’s growing international reputation means drug companies – like those who produce Keytruda – come to him when establishing clinical trials.
“I want GPs and specialists to know that these sorts of world-first trials are available in Wollongong – at no cost to patients,” he said, “that they don’t always have to go to Sydney to take part.”